Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning (Proverbs 9:9 KJV).
Church leaders are interested in knowing how well the relationship between the mission of institutions and the mission of the Church is explained to institutional employees when they start their jobs. The 2023 Institutional Workers’ Survey included the statement, “The discussion of my organization’s mission and its relationship to the church’s mission that was part of my orientation/induction when I began working at my organization was…” and then gave five possible responses: does not happen, poor, OK, good, and very good.
Education Employee’s Perceptions
Among educational employees around the world, 10% said that it did not happen; 7.3% said that it was poor; 19.3% said that it was OK; 33% said it was good; and 30.3% said it was very good. Overall, just 63.3% of the respondents agreed that communication about how the mission of their institution related to the mission of the Church was good or very good.
Non-education Employee’s Perceptions
Among non-educational employees, 8.6% said that it did not happen; 10.9% said it was poor; 15.3% said it was OK; 34.5% said it was good; and 30.8% said it was very good. Just 65.3% of the respondents agreed that communication about how the mission of their institution related to the mission of the Church was good or very good.
Ellen G. White urged believers to “walk in unity with their brethren… [and] avoid dissension,” warning against giving the world the impression that God’s people are divided or inconsistent in their message (Testimonies to Ministers, p. 57). This call to unity extends beyond personal relationships to the shared mission of the Church and its institutions.
If employees within Adventist organizations receive unclear or inconsistent messages about how their work connects to the mission of the Church, it can unintentionally contribute to the very disunity that this counsel warns against. While methods may differ across institutions, the core purpose must remain aligned and clearly communicated.
The survey results suggest that meaningful progress has been made, with approximately two-thirds of employees reporting positive experiences. Nevertheless, in light of the call to unity, there remains an important opportunity to strengthen this alignment so that every employee understands and embraces the shared mission of the Church.
May God give us the strength to make it 100%.
You can access the full report here.
Created in collaboration with the Institute of Church Ministry.
Published by ASTR on 05/19/2026.
Photo: StaticSync/AME (CC BY 4.0)