Ohio Conference Celebrates Church Planting Festival

The Ohio Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is celebrating 657 baptisms following a coordinated week of evangelism that mobilized congregations across the state for gospel proclamation, compassionate service, and community engagement. The total includes baptisms from Ignite Ohio and the conference’s simultaneous Hispanic evangelistic campaigns, conducted September 19–26. Conference leaders reported that 67 congregations participated in the broader effort, with more than 60 campaigns that took place simultaneously—an unprecedented level of coordinated evangelism within the conference. “My heart is filled with so much gratitude, first and foremost for God and all the great things He has done in our territory this week,” said Kojo Twumasi, evangelism director for the Ohio Conference. Twumasi also thanked conference administrators for approving what he described as a “bold and audacious” investment in evangelism, as well as the speakers, Bible counselors, pastors, church members and conference employees who helped support the campaigns. The effort brought evangelists from across the United States and different levels of church leadership to local congregations throughout Ohio. Speakers presented biblical messages and invited attendees to respond through baptism, rebaptism, Bible studies, prayer and other spiritual commitments. While 657 people were baptized during the statewide campaigns, the work is continuing. Conference leaders said approximately 50 additional candidates were preparing for baptism the following Sabbath, with others expected to be baptized after completing further Bible instruction. Many participants also enrolled in Bible classes or requested personal Bible studies. Local pastors, Bible counselors, and church members are now following up with those individuals, answering questions and helping them prepare for future decisions. Some evangelists and Bible counselors remained at their assigned churches beyond the scheduled campaigns to provide additional instruction and continuity. Congregations also have plans to connect new members with spiritual mentors, small groups, service opportunities, and supportive relationships within the church. The week also engaged volunteers in nearly every area of ministry. Church members welcomed guests, prepared and served meals, coordinated registration, assisted with parking, provided music, led children’s programs, distributed food and other resources, offered Bible studies and prayed with attendees. In some locations, additional volunteers traveled from neighboring congregations to assist churches experiencing attendance beyond their expectations. Conference leaders said the cooperation showed what can happen when congregations share people, resources, and experience in support of a common mission. New believers also participated in the outreach. Some who had joined the church through earlier evangelistic efforts volunteered during the campaigns and committed to continuing their support after the meetings ended—illustrating how evangelism can lead naturally into discipleship and service. Beyond baptisms and Bible-study requests, leaders observed renewed spiritual energy among longtime church members. Preparing for the meetings encouraged congregations to pray together, work across ministry areas, and focus on reaching people beyond their walls. Twumasi said those outcomes were among the initiative’s most significant results. “There are the tangible blessings of the new souls, but also the intangible blessings,” he said. “Members discovered they can do evangelism, churches learned they could work together, new relationships were formed, leaders grew, and hope became very tangible.” Ohio Conference President Bob Cundiff said the shared mission also strengthened relationships within congregations. “Evangelism brings people together,” Cundiff said. “It brings healing. It gets us off the little stuff we complain about and the things that divide us. It pulls us together. It reminds us why we’re here.” Cundiff said the campaigns created “tremendous unity, love and fellowship” as members who might not ordinarily serve together became part of coordinated ministry teams. Conference leaders believe the initiative established a foundation for continued evangelism rather than marking the conclusion of a single campaign. Churches are being encouraged to maintain contact with community guests, continue Bible classes, nurture those preparing for baptism and involve new members in ministry. With more than half of the conference’s congregations participating in evangelistic outreach, Cundiff described the coordinated effort as a historic moment for the Ohio Conference. “You are literally living in a historic time,” he said. “Someday we may look back and say, ‘Those were the days.’ But these are the days. Right now, you are living the days.” As additional baptisms, Bible classes and follow-up ministries continue, conference leaders say the enduring measure of the campaign will be found not only in the 657 people baptized, but also in new disciples being nurtured, volunteers remaining engaged and congregations carrying their renewed commitment to mission into the future.

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — Returning guests and new faces stood together Sunday evening at the Middletown Seventh-day Adventist Church and repeated three declarations: “My mind is ready. My heart is open. And my soul is hungry.” The moment opened another evening of Ignite Ohio, a statewide evangelistic initiative bringing together 28 Ohio Conference churches for simultaneous proclamation and community outreach from September 19–26, 2026. At Middletown, the initiative is becoming more than a week of public meetings. Church leaders say it is strengthening unity among members, introducing the congregation to new people and creating momentum for continued evangelism and discipleship. “We want to serve our community, win souls for the kingdom, build up our church and join the united effort of the conference to move evangelism forward,” said Bill Hrovat, pastor of the Middletown church. Hrovat said the congregation had not undertaken an initiative of this kind in a long time. During the preparation and opening stages of the campaign, he has seen members work together and build stronger relationships. “If nothing else happened, it has been good for the members to work together, build bonds and strengthen unity,” he said. “I believe this is going to bring revival to this church.” Hrovat said he is also encouraged by the new people attending the meetings and the possibility of welcoming them into the life of the congregation.“We’re seeing all kinds of new faces,” he said. “New people joining will bring new life and vitality to our church.” Dr. Bryant Smith, a chaplain at Kettering Health and the Ignite Ohio speaker at the Middletown site, delivered Sunday evening’s message. With “Promise Keeper” as its central idea, the presentation explored Christ’s promised return as a source of hope amid grief, illness and disappointment. Smith began with a warning drawn from everyday experience: “Don’t make a promise that you cannot keep.” People may make commitments in emotional moments, he said, only to break them when their feelings or circumstances change. Using LeBron James’ promise to bring a professional championship to Cleveland as his opening illustration, Smith recalled how the Cavaliers ended the city’s 52-year major professional sports championship drought in 2016. He then directed the congregation to the One he described as “the greatest Promise Keeper the universe has ever known.” Reading from John 14:1–3, Smith emphasized Christ’s assurance: “I will come again.” “Whatever disappointment, whatever hardship, whatever headache, whatever—or whoever—you have lost in this life, it is the promise of God’s soon return that gives us strength and courage to endure,” Smith said. He connected that promise with the realities people face, including bereavement, cancer, other illnesses and dissatisfaction with present circumstances. Christian hope, he said, is grounded not only in what happens in this life but also in Christ’s promise of resurrection, restoration and eternal life. “It stings that I lost somebody near and dear to me, but I’m going to keep going because I have an eternal promise,” Smith said. Contrasting human unreliability with God’s character, Smith cited Numbers 23:19, which declares that God does not lie or change His mind. “People break their promises all the time,” he said. “But when it comes to the promise in John chapter 14, we are talking about a God who does not lie and does not change His mind.” Smith also emphasized that Scripture does not reveal the precise time of Christ’s return. Rather than waiting until the last possible moment to prepare spiritually, he urged attendees to live in a continual state of readiness. “God purposely did not tell us when He is coming again,” Smith said. “He wants us to remain in a state of readiness instead of trying to get ready at the last possible moment.” Drawing from Acts 1, Matthew 24 and Revelation 1, Smith said Christ’s return will not be secret or hidden but personal, public and visible. “This will not be any quiet, secret or little-in-the-corner event,” he said. “This will be the triumphant return of our Lord and Savior.” He concluded this portion of the message with the biblical picture of the last trumpet, the resurrection of those who died in Christ and the transformation of living believers. “What a beautiful scene that will be,” Smith said. “I cannot wait until all the heartache and headache is over. I can’t wait to look at my Savior in His face and see His nail-pierced hands.” In an interview, Hrovat outlined how the church plans to sustain the relationships formed during the series and support participants after the meetings end. The congregation intends to assign spiritual mentors, help newcomers develop friendships within the church, organize social activities and, if possible, establish a class for new members. “If they don’t develop friendships in the church, they often will leave,” Hrovat said. “We’re going to assign a spiritual mentor to each one, have social events, disciple them and give them opportunities to serve.” The church also plans to continue its evangelistic and community-outreach activities after Ignite Ohio ends, involving new members in ministry and helping them grow from recipients of the church’s care into active participants in its mission. For Middletown, Hrovat said, Ignite Ohio is a starting point rather than a conclusion—an opportunity to sustain outreach momentum, strengthen the congregation, and turn new relationships into a lasting community of faith.