Church administrators, leaders and lay members from across the Inter-European Division (EUD) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church met in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from October 30 to November 2 for the 2026 Annual Council, the meeting formerly known as the Year End Meeting. One focus ran through reports, votes and discussions: All Things New, the public message of the world church's OneVoice27 initiative, drawn from Revelation 21:5.
The General Conference was represented by General Vice President Pierre E. Omeler, Associate Secretary Karen J. Porter, Associate Treasurer Josue Pierre, and Vyacheslav Damyan, President of Hope Channel International and OneVoice27 liaison to the EUD.
Exuberant exiles
EUD President Barna Magyarosi opened the council with a devotional on 1 Peter 2:9–12, built around three words: identity, mission and motivation. Christians are "aliens and exiles," he said, but exuberant exiles, called to announce the excellencies of the One who called them. Those who follow the Bible will be both attractive and offensive to the world around them.
Jesus, Magyarosi noted, is the supreme example of an exile: He left home to come and save. And the motivation for mission is love.
In his President's report, he described mission as a movement through attention, attraction, demonstration and conviction, and called for a new, personal approach to mission across the territory. He also recalled the EUD strategic plan for the quinquennium, "I Will Seek Your Good," voted at last year's Annual Council and inspired by the call to seek the good of the city (Jeremiah 29:7). Mission starts, he said, by engaging with people, creating connection and serving them.
The Secretariat report reviewed administration and mission, with a special focus on volunteers. It noted that the Church now counts about 24 million members worldwide and 185,000 in the EUD territory, and it addressed the challenges of growth and an ageing membership, pointing to the opportunities young people have to share their faith through social media. It closed with an appeal for personal and institutional involvement in mission, in Europe and beyond.
Guidance for a complex time
In response to rising challenges in society, from conflicts and emergencies to growing technological complexity, the committee voted two documents. The first, the EUD Crisis Management Plan, sets up a Crisis Management Committee and defines how the Division prepares for, responds to and recovers from emergencies. The second, Ethical and Deontological Principles for the Use of Artificial Intelligence, offers guidelines for the territory rather than Church policy, built on seven principles: transparency; fairness, equity and inclusion; reliability and doctrinal integrity; human relationship and presence; accountability; security and privacy; and sustainability and creation care.
Departmental presentations underlined the strategic role of Chaplaincy Ministries as a bridge between the Church, society and its institutions, and as a trusted presence in times of suffering. The Sabbath School department shared an assessment of the current situation, together with measures to raise both attendance and Bible study. Small Groups Ministries presented small groups as an effective setting for mission, and offered materials and training to help each union build national teams able to train others.
A dedicated discussion asked how to involve every member in the OneVoice dream. Union reports concentrated on OneVoice27 plans and projects, revealing creative ideas and promising initiatives. Across the territory, the emphasis is now shifting from OneVoice27 as an internal motivation campaign to “All Things New”, a hybrid campaign, digital and in person, to bring the hope and love of Jesus to the people of Europe.
Sabbath and news from the field
On Friday evening, Vyacheslav Damyan led the Sabbath vespers devotional, sharing OneVoice27 news from the field and the many opportunities for members to join the worldwide movement. Sabbath coincided with the ASI Convention. GC Vice President Pierre Omeler preached on each member's personal role in mission, drawing on the vision, work and experience of the apostle Paul's life of mission. The day closed with a choir concert in the evening, inserted on the ASI Bulgaria Convention.
Safeliz presented “Break Free”, new quality material now available to fields around the world. It supports a hybrid health project focused on whole-person lifestyle change, designed to reach society beyond the Church. Hope Media Europe introduced “J+”, a content aggregator that makes mission resources easier to find and share. Through AIDLR, the Public Affairs and Religious Liberty department reported on the Toledo Conference and on The Deepest Freedom, AIDLR's video documentary to be available in 2027.
Education, a key pillar of mission development in the EUD, reported a rising number of new schools and growing student numbers, a clear expression of that role. Children's Ministries presented “Live Jesus”, the world Church's new Sabbath School curriculum. Centered on Jesus, it offers very practical content and ideas for every age, from babies, a new feature, to teenagers.
Youth Ministries reported on the European Adventist Youth Congress in Valencia, Spain, under the theme "Made for More." Nearly 3,500 young people took part, and 21 were baptized. The Amicus congress gathered 317 participants. The department also announced "Deep Calling" as the theme of the 2027 Week of Prayer.
From the universities, Collonges Adventist University highlighted its focus on students' growth and its support for the world Church in the French language. Friedensau Adventist University introduced its new Rector, Gerald A. Klingbeil.
Faithfulness that moves mission
Treasurer Norbert Zens based his report on 2 Corinthians 8:21: "Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men" (KJV).
Implementing and supporting OneVoice27, 6 million euros have been allocated for mission in the territory, supporting local church projects, the unions' Digital Strategy for Mission and initiatives of the institutions. The report valued the faithfulness of church members in tithes and offerings, noting significant growth in offerings.
Zens expressed his gratitude to God and to church members, whose trust keeps the Church's mission moving. He voiced confidence in God's blessing to meet the 2027 budget, so the message can keep moving forward.
GC Associate Treasurer Josue Pierre highlighted the EUD's financial and resource contribution to the world Church's mission, and commended Zens for his personal commitment and pertinence in his role, in EUD and beyond.
President Barna Magyarosi closed the council with 2 Chronicles 15:7: “Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded” (KJV). Written in difficult times like our own, he said, these words still bring encouragement, and he invited leaders to go home without letting their hands grow weak, because there is much still to do and there is reward in working faithfully for Jesus.
Leaders left Plovdiv ready for a year in which all things can be, really, made new.
