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The Ontario Conference of Seventh-day Adventists has launched a new partnership with The Centre for Community Change (TCCC), a ministry established in 2023 by the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University. The goal is to integrate Ellen G. White’s “Christ’s method alone” principle, as outlined in the well-known book The Ministry of Healing, into practical, community-based ministry.

The initiative is a collaborative effort involving the Conference’s departments of Compassion Ministries, Church Growth and Evangelism, and Ministerial Secretaries. It aims to develop pastors into community-focused leaders who empower others.

“The ultimate goal of this partnership is not just to train pastors, but to empower them as change agents who will mentor others,” said Pastor Andrew King, Director of Compassion Ministries. “What they learn here is meant to create a ripple effect across the entire conference.”

More than 30 pastors from each of the conference’s ten regions gathered for a two-day intensive focused on assessing community needs and building effective engagement strategies.

Led by TCCC’s Director Ignacio Goya and Associate Directors Vadim Dementyev and Claval Hunter, the training covered practical topics such as turning a church board into an outreach team, navigating resistance and toxicity, and fostering a healthy church culture. A key emphasis was the need for holistic health within the pastoral and church family before engaging in outreach.

Pastors responded positively, with many describing the approach to community engagement as transformative and revolutionary.

As part of the ongoing partnership, a mentor from TCCC will be assigned to support Ontario pastors as they implement the strategies in their local churches and communities.

The workshop concludes today with pastors returning to their regions inspired and equipped to begin the work of community transformation.

Pastor Shawn Ellis
Director, Communications and Media