A Year In Review: God's Faithfulness in 2025

In 2025, the Seventh Day Baptist Missionary Society continued to live out its calling to walk closely with believers around the world, strengthening churches, equipping leaders, and supporting gospel work in diverse and often challenging contexts. Rather than operating as a distant sending agency, the Society focused on deep, relational partnership with those already serving within their own cultures and communities.

Over the course of the year, Society leaders engaged directly with more than 20 Seventh Day Baptist conferences and emerging works across at least 15 countries. Through in person visits and sustained virtual engagement, the Directors provided encouragement, training, mediation, and strategic support in Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, Asia, South America, and North America. Some countries visited and served included Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Zambia, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom.

Leadership development was a major focus throughout the year. In Tanzania, leaders from more than 20 churches gathered for several days of teaching, prayer, and encouragement. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, two large leadership training events reached nearly 150 pastors and ministry leaders, each receiving translated materials covering SDB identity, biblical leadership, stewardship, evangelism, and church health. These gatherings were especially significant in a rapidly growing conference now estimated at approximately 10,000 believers across 125 congregations, highlighting both the vibrancy of the church and the urgent need for strong organizational foundations.

In South Africa and Burundi, Society leaders walked alongside local believers, navigating longstanding divisions and leadership challenges. Through facilitated conversations, reconciliation services, and ongoing follow-up, essential steps were taken toward unity, healing, and renewed vision. In Europe, visits to Portugal, the Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom supported both new and historic SDB churches, from the soft launch of the first SDB congregation in Portugal to revitalization conversations with the oldest SDB church in the world at Mill Yard in London.

Missions engagement also extended through church-led partnerships. In Kenya, a team from Salem SDB Church partnered with local believers to host medical clinics that served more than 1,200 patients, while children’s ministries reached up to 300 children. In Nicaragua, a team from West Palm Beach SDB Church served 140 children through Vacation Bible School, provided medical and vision care to over 90 patients, distributed hundreds of pairs of reading glasses, and supported local evangelism and discipleship efforts. These trips emphasized mutual learning, humility, and long-term relationship building rather than one-time service.

Young adults and emerging leaders played an increasingly important role in 2025. Through SCSC Jamaica, teams served simultaneously in Jamaica and North America for the first time, strengthening cross-cultural relationships and leadership development. The Visiting Instructors Program brought two pastors from Tanzania and Malawi to North America, where they ministered in more than a dozen churches and associations, encouraging pastors and congregations while deepening global connections. In addition, SDBU 261 Introduction to Missions was offered for the sixth time, continuing to equip North American believers to see their everyday lives and local communities as mission fields.

Compassion and sustainability remained essential components of the Society’s work. In Rwanda, support helped churches reopen after years of closure and enabled pastors to pursue the required theological education. In Uganda, the poultry project moved closer to self-sufficiency while undergoing careful evaluation to ensure long-term viability. In the DRC, visits to the orphan program and development projects revealed both progress and serious concerns, prompting clear action steps focused on stronger oversight, greater transparency, and improved care for vulnerable children.

Behind the scenes, the Society also invested in strengthening communication, governance, and operational systems. Regular newsletters, board development, strategic planning sessions, and participation in gatherings such as the Missio Nexus Conference helped sharpen clarity around the Society’s distinctive role: partnering with believers in more than 40 countries to mobilize them for gospel work, with a growing focus on unreached people groups.

As we look back on 2025, we give thanks for God’s faithfulness, for the resilience of our partners, and for the many churches, leaders, volunteers, and supporters who made this work possible. The year was marked by growth, challenge, refinement, and renewed conviction that God is at work among the nations.

Reflection

As we look back on all that took place in 2025, one truth stands above every report, trip, and statistic: God has been faithful. In moments of growth and in seasons of challenge, He has consistently provided what was needed, opened doors that could not have been planned, and sustained His people in places of great complexity. The fruit we see today is not the result of human strength or strategy alone, but of God’s steady presence and blessing as His people sought to follow Him. Remembering His faithfulness gives us confidence to move forward, trusting that the same God who carried us through this year will continue to lead, provide, and work powerfully in the days ahead.

Prayer Point

Thank God for His faithfulness over the past year. Praise Him for the ways He has sustained leaders, strengthened churches, and advanced the gospel across nations. Ask Him to continue guiding this work, to supply what is needed for the future, and to deepen trust in His provision as we move forward in faith.

Reflection Question

How does remembering God’s faithfulness in the past year shape the way you trust Him with what lies ahead, both in your own life and in the work of His global mission?

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