Strategic Vision and Mission 2026-30

As we step into 2026 and look ahead, the Seventh Day Baptist Missionary Society is energized by where God is leading us. Through prayerful discernment, we have gained greater clarity around our direction and purpose for the years ahead. Our north star remains centered on seeing those who do not yet know Jesus come to follow Him in faithful, God honoring lives, especially among unreached people groups. With renewed focus and hope, we step into the future trusting that God is already at work and inviting us to join Him. Our Vision and Mission reflect this calling:

Vision (What we want to see)

To see all who don't know Jesus come to follow him in faithful, God-honoring lives - especially the unreached peoples of the world.

Mission (How we’ll get there)

We will mobilize SDBs all over the world for effective missions work. We will come alongside SDBs to recognize and leverage how God has resourced and positioned them to build His kingdom reign - with a strategic focus on reaching unreached people groups.

Last September, our leadership team (Andrew Samuels, Garfield Miller, Miriam Berg, and Andrés Jara) gathered in Florida for a full-day vision meeting. Prayerfully, we charted a five-year course centered on one ultimate aim: fulfilling our mission by reaching unreached people groups. Our goal is that by the end of 5 years, 50% of the conferences we partner with will be positioned to begin reaching UPGs. This will enable our vision that in 10 years, individuals are coming to Christ and churches are being planted in multiple UPGs as a result of the work of SDBs. How do we plan to accomplish this?

Partnerships

• We will work to help our partners create a Missions Mobilization Network in 2 new countries each year for the next five years. We will strengthen and multiply global partnerships. By the end of 2030, we aim for at least 10 SDB conferences to have active missions committees at the conference level, multiplying the reach of missions. Many of our partner conferences are physically and culturally close to UPGs, and so they are the natural choice to work among them.

• We will work to create 5 new church partnerships within the NA Conference each year. We also plan to expand our Global Partnerships program, connecting North American churches directly with churches abroad for prayer, mentoring, and joint ministry. This program will also be used to educate North American churches about the UPGs that are at arm's reach in their communities - international students, immigrants, and refugees.

• We will intentionally facilitate regional communication between conferences, starting with parts of Africa.

  
  

Sustainability

• We will help our partners connect with NGOs and organizations that can equip them for sustainable projects. This will allow churches to generate resources, grow in resilience, and be better positioned to not only care for their own needs and their communities, but also for the UPGs in their countries.

  • Years 1-3: Develop an NGO database

  • Years 4-5: We plan to refer 50% of financial requests to other organizations positioned and equipped to better help them

• We will start to delegate project management to the Missions Mobilization Network Conference teams that will be developed.

• We will prioritize sustainable projects in 10 countries

• We will categorize our partner countries based on the likelihood of impact for sustainable projects.

Leadership Development

• Our vision is that by the end of five years, 20 SDB conferences will have access to ongoing formal leadership training and discipleship—including missions education that highlights unreached people groups and those nearest to them culturally. We are looking at multiple new strategies to accomplish this.

Organizational Sustainability

• Bi-annual job performance reviews starting December 2025

• Utilize a quarterly reporting template with quarterly goals and updates.

• Pursue implementation of a CRM for individuals, churches, and conferences

An Invitation to Participate

This vision is bold, but it is grounded in trust that God is already at work and that He invites His people to join Him. As we look ahead, there are many ways to participate in what God is doing, whether through generous giving that strengthens partnerships and leadership development, through joining a Global Partnership that connects your church with others across cultures, or through discerning next steps with a Missions Coach.

This vision is not only about strategy or structure. It is about faithfulness, obedience, and shared mission. As God continues to lead, we move forward with hope, confident that He will supply what is needed and guide each step along the way.

There is a place for you in what God is doing.

Get Involved

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