The Seventh Day Adventist North American Division held its eHuddle on Feb. 15–16. Faith leaders from across the country attended the online event.
Evangelism Think Tank
In a report with Adventist News, Jose Cortes Jr. described the event as "an evangelism and leadership think tank."
According to the website, the online event was an opportunity for pastors and elders to gather as a collective mind. They would also discuss what evangelism means to the church in today's environment.
Making Impact in Online World
James Doggette Jr. was one of the speakers during the event. He is the lead pastor of two churches in Orlando.
He discussed how to make an impact in today's online environment. The pastor's segment was called "Ten Tips in Ten Minutes."
According to the report, the pastor explained how to lead an impactful online revival. These topics included collaboration, having connections, and organizing a digital discipleship team.
Reach, Reclaim, Retain
Cortes welcomed the attendees to the event, stressing that everyone was called to "reach, reclaim, and retain" the people of North America.
The two-day event gathered more than 120 participants on Zoom. Thousands more joined the event on YouTube and Facebook.
Jacob Serns, the pastor of the Benbrook Church in Texas, presented the first topic. He discussed creating a culture of baptism within one's church.
The church leader suggested that churches should schedule baptismal Sabbaths. He also urged his fellow pastors to "move forward in faith."
The speakers stressed that churches should continue to place the opportunities of Baptism. They added that one should not shy away from talking about it.
Baptism Culture
Debleaire Snell emphasized that creating a baptism culture was cumulative work. He is the pastor at Oakwood University Church in Alabama.
Snell added that the process was not done overnight. It also was not the result of one presentation or seminar.
He emphasized that a steady drip was "wearing a hole in the most solid surface."
The event also discussed topics centered on the appeal. It offered tips on making them more effective, natural, and engaging.
Holy Boldness
Carlton Byrd encouraged church leaders to claim their "holy boldness." Byrd is the president of the Southwest Region Conference. He also urged pastors to be fearless in appealing every time they speak.
Other presenters included John Boston from the NAD Evangelism Institute.
Roger Hernandez, ministerial director for the Southern Union, also presented steps on leading people to Baptism.
According to the presentation, these included "letting God's Word speak, expressing urgency, and relinquishing control."
Doing Right Thing
The event concluded with a homily by G. Alexander Bryant, president of the NAD. He told attendees of the story of Jesus in John 21.
This was when the disciples were not able to catch fish the entire night. They were only able to have a catch when Christ told them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat.
Bryant explained that they managed to catch fish doing things Christ's way even if it was not comfortable or popular. He added that it was the right thing to do.
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