East-Central Africa Division

ECD (covering Rwanda, DRC, Kenya, and surrounding nations) is among the church's fastest-growing territories. Rwanda alone has one of the highest Adventist-to-population ratios in the world. Growth here is driven by community-embedded evangelism and strong local leadership.

ECD's rapid membership growth outpaces institutional development. The ratio of members to pastors is among the highest globally, creating both pastoral care challenges and reliance on lay leadership — which some researchers identify as a growth factor itself.

ECD's necessity-driven lay leadership model produces leaders who are deeply embedded in their communities. Western divisions with generous pastor-to-member ratios might learn from this approach — engaging members as ministers rather than consumers of ministry.