Check out the pictures from a blessed SDB Summit 2026! This year’s SDB Ministry Leaders Conference was held in Orlando, FL with 69 people registered and participating. This year’s theme, 7-Day Leader, focused on faithful, whole-life leadership shaped by discipleship that extends beyond Sabbath worship.
We gathered April 24-26, along with an optional coaching seminar on April 27. We are grateful for the teaching, preaching, and encouraging provided by many, and the event coordination provided by Patty Petersen.
Dave Hataj of Edgerton Gear served as the keynote speaker. Dave offers insights from the unique intersection of life experience of innovative approaches to apprenticeship in the trades coupled with academic research in Theology of Work. Sessions included presentation time as well as table conversations to cover topics such as: Redefining Ministry, Ministry and the Kingdom of God, as well as The Local Church and the Kingdom of God.
SDB Director Nick Kersten led multiple sessions and preached the Sabbath Sermon, “Follow Me Into Rest.” That might be a clever connection with this year’s SDB Conference Session theme (early-bird registration is due May 1). Pastor Jim Schorr and Jayar Smith led us in times of song and worship.
Breakout sessions for pastors spouses were coordinated by Sharon Gaye Dailey (SE Atlanta SDB Church). Discussions were led by Tracy Hataj and Andrea Pozo Velastegui. We are thankful for intentional space created for pastors spouses and look forward to leaning into this more in the future.
Nate Crandall led multiple sessions about coaching as one of the ‘tools’ for disciple-making. The presentations included testimonies of people currently benefitting from SDB coaching, lots of practical activities, and round table discussions.
We heard multiple times from SDB Emerging Leaders, Melissa Brown and Zidane English. Melissa is the team leader of Emerging Leaders and provided a great presentation about the development and impact of the emerging leaders initiative. Zidane, who is interning as the TA for SCSC training, led devotions and group discussions. We will definitely be hearing more from these two young adult leaders.
Pastor Matt Olson discussed the origins of his book, God’s Good News For Us Today: A Sermon-Writing Manual for Seventh Day Baptists. The book is specifically crafted for bi-vocational pastors seeking to develop a sermon writing process that follows a healthy, weekly rest/work rhythm.
Other presenters included: SDB President Ericessen Cooper; SDB Director Jeremiah Owen; SDB Missionary Society Directors Andy Samuels, Garfield Miller, and Miriam Berg; SDB Executive Director Carl Greene. There were also times of evening worship led Patty Petersen.
What cannot be captured by text nor pictures is the blessed fellowship. The time we spent together, especially on Sabbath, offered rest in community that renews and restores. We also had rich times of conversation, especially over evening meals, where we took additional time to listen to one another well.
We are definitely looking forward to the SDB Summit 2027 in Janesville, WI scheduled for April 23 – 25.
