“When God’s people gather to talk about mission, the Lord has a special blessing to share,” said Erton Köhler, president of the General Conference (GC) of the Adventist Church, in his opening remarks at the 2025 Maranatha Volunteers International convention September 20. “And I believe the Lord has a special blessing for us today.”
Köhler was the keynote speaker at the annual event, which gathered almost 2,000 ministry volunteers, donors, and leaders in Sacramento, California, United States, for a day of worship, testimonies, and fellowship. The event was also live streamed and featured a performance by the Heritage Singers, reports of some of the Maranatha achievements so far in 2025, and information on how to join the ministry as a prayer warrior, volunteer, or donor.
A Word of Gratitude
In his message Köhler reminded convention attendees that Maranatha is all about mission. The lay-led supporting ministry of the Adventist Church helps build churches and schools and drill water wells in scores of countries around the world. In that regard, Köhler conveyed his gratitude on behalf of the GC. “Thank you for all you do to support the mission of the church,” he said.
Köhler also emphasized his personal life story with Maranatha, noting that he has engaged with the ministry not only as a former leader in the South American Division but also as a volunteer. He shared how, together with his family and others, they assisted with building a church in the Dominican Republic a few years ago. Later, in 2024, together with his then GC Secretariat team, they helped repair and paint two churches in Havana, Cuba.
“Maranatha represents the spirit of supporting ministries very well,” Köhler said. “Ministries were raised to support the church, to find the way to tell the church ‘What do you need? We are here to help you!’” He added, “When you support Maranatha, you are supporting the mission challenges we have. . . . When you support Maranatha, you are transforming lives.”
Focused on Mission
As the newly elected leader of the worldwide Adventist denomination, Köhler reminded convention attendees that his vision is of a church “grounded in the Bible and focused on the mission.”
According to Köhler, mission is the raison d’être of the Adventist Church. “We have a prophetic gift for mission,” he emphasized. “We have a strong theology for mission; we have supporting ministries for mission; we have good leaders for mission; we have money for mission; [and] we have institutions for mission.” Thus, he invited everyone to keep focused, “without distractions,” on the mission of sharing Jesus.
Maranatha and Mission
At the same time, Köhler reported that in 2024 alone, besides schools and water wells, Maranatha built 299 church structures, or “one every 29 hours.” In fact, he added, since the ministry was launched 56 years ago, Maranatha has built about 14,000 structures. “There are more Maranatha structures around the world than McDonald’s [franchises] in the U.S.,” he shared. “This is an opportunity to praise the Lord for the work and the impact that Maranatha [has] in the life and mission of the Adventist Church. . . . Praise the Lord for it.”
Based on Paul’s ministry as recorded in Acts 19 in Ephesus, a place Köhler described as “very challenging” for the gospel, he said the apostle’s ministry represents the ministry of the Adventist Church and of supporting ministries such as Maranatha. “We are not intimidated to go to the most challenging places of the world, sometimes without money, workers, leadership, or structure,” he said. “Paul was convinced of his calling and was willing to pay the price.”
Mission as a Miracle
Köhler explained that when Paul was flexible and decided to follow God’s strategy to reach others, the Lord “worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul” (Acts 19:11). “The hands were Paul’s, but the miracles were God’s,” Köhler emphasized. “Paul just made his hands available, [and] we need to learn from Paul. We can do a few things using our hands, talents, ideas, and initiatives. But we must make clear that mission does not depend on our hands, because mission is a miracle. . . . The mission belongs to the Lord; we are just His agents.”
Against that background, Köhler said, the same God who opened the door to mission in ancient Ephesus can open any door—or heart, community, or country—“because mission is a miracle.” He added, “We can’t prepare everything; we can’t anticipate everything. But the Lord calls us to move forward by faith.”
Köhler then called everyone listening to him in the hall or online to recommit to God and His mission. “You can be part of this miracle,” he said. But commitment is essential. “Let the Lord use your heart. Be part of this mission, because Jesus is coming.”
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