The Global South Learning Question

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is experiencing a dramatic geographic shift. As of December 31, 2024, global membership reached 23,684,237 — a net increase of 899,042 from the previous year (ASTR, 2025). Growth is overwhelmingly concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa, South America, South and Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands, while membership in North America, Europe, and Australasia stagnates or grows minimally. In 2023, the church recorded its highest-ever accessions: 1.465 million new members, equivalent to 4,011 per day (ASTR, 2025). But this growth is accompanied by living losses of 836,905 — the third-highest on record. Since 1965, 43.65 million people have joined the church, but 18.56 million have left — a net loss rate of 42.5% (ASTR, 2025). This Living Research Project examines what youth ministry approaches in high-growth regions might teach Western conferences about engagement, retention, and mission — while honestly acknowledging the limits of cross-cultural transfer and the retention questions that high-growth data does not answer.