Two years ago, the Seventh Day Baptist General Conference launched the Emerging Leaders initiative to spark our discipleship process. The goal from Day 1 has been to connect SDB young adults with a peer network, offer missional opportunities to engage among SDBs, and to accelerate the leadership of a dynamic cohort of SDB leaders who are already serving in a number of capacities.
The need for an intentional discipleship process is clear. Based on recent assessments, only 5% of churches in the United States have a reproducing discipleship culture. Put more directly, 95% of churches do not have this culture of discipleship. The SDB Emerging Leaders are guiding us on a pathway to change that statistic among Seventh Day Baptists.
Your support of the SDB General Conference is increasing the impact of the Emerging Leaders initiative. Please read on to hear about the specific impact of this initiative through the words of someone who has been a participant in Emerging Leaders and is now on the leadership team, Joshua Coleman.
As young leaders, they will be/are the pastors, church planters, and church goers helping us all pursue God and His desires for this world. Doing that work ranges from extremely difficult to impossible, unless you are enmeshed in and have adequate support from the rest of the body of Christ. By giving Emerging Leaders a space to network (i.e. form Godly relationships with their siblings in Christ while learning each other’s strengths, weak-nesses, and motivations), we are allowing them to form relationships that will strengthen that mesh. If that space includes times to practice collaborating and generating solutions to the concerns of our generation, the space also gives them a place to be equipped even more as leaders.
Hopefully you see the impact that the Emerging Leaders initiative is having—of discipling participants while the participants themselves are encouraged in their current disciple-making roles. I (Carl) can certainly attest to the ways that I have been discipled through interactions with Emerging Leaders. The Emerging Leaders initiative is encouraging a culture of discipleship that bridges generations while also accelerating opportunities for young adults.
Here are some highlights that Joshua has highlighted from his own experience:
Thinking back to that first retreat in 2023, I can tell
you from personal experience that the events have been helpful in all of the ways I described. Here are some examples for me personally:
- On the first day of the retreat, we attended Milton
SDB’s service. To this day, I still reflect on parts of
Wayne North’s sermon.
- I remember the long-lasting refreshing feeling I
got and can only get from talking to—being
encouraged by, discussing important topics with—
Christians my age.
- I met several other leaders during the retreat. I even
asked one of them to be on the leadership team this
season.
I would wager you would also get several answers from
other leaders who have attended previous events.
Problem and Path Forward
The discipleship statistic I opened with is real. There are real discipleship concerns that are having an impact on church attendance, church planting, church revitalization, and Gospel communication. Yet, there is hope on our journey ahead.
Emerging Leaders was launched in 2023 as a direct result of generous financial gifts. Over 20 young adults participated in the initiative that first year. In 2025, we are anticipating a cohort of at least 30 participants— with a team of leaders from the original 2023 Emerging Leaders cohort. The blessing of a renovated SDB Center has come at an ideal time for leveraging this expanding opportunity.
Participants are being nominated from throughout our SDB churches in North America. We are on the cusp of a significant step forward. The SDB General Conference, SDB Memorial Fund, and SDB Missionary Society are continuing to collaborate and expand this opportunity for Kingdom Impact.
Thank you for supporting the SDB General Conference through prayer and financial gifts. As seen in this brief story about Emerging Leaders, we are having Kingdom impact. Together.
