All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NKJV).
In 2023, the Adventist Church initiated the Institutional Workers’ Survey among workers, both Adventist and non-Adventist, in Adventist schools and universities, healthcare institutions, ADRA, publishing houses, and media centers around the world. These institutions employ workers with high levels of training and education, and researchers wanted to know how this, as well as differences in language and culture, might affect their perceptions of both their relationship and their institution’s relationship to the mission of the Adventist Church.
Given that many Adventist institutions employ non-Adventists, and that, in some, the majority of employees are non-Adventist, researchers were careful to ensure that the survey was tailored for people of other faiths or for those not affiliated with any religion.
The survey was made available in English, French, German, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, and Spanish. Portuguese was the language used the most, at 35.6%, reflecting the large response from the South American Division, followed by English, at 34.8%, and Spanish, at 23.3%.
A total of 13,669 workers from across all thirteen divisions, over 20 years of age, and employed at Adventist schools, hospitals and clinics, media centers, welfare agencies, publishing houses, and food industries participated in the survey.
The Division with the highest response level was the South American Division: 6,169 out of 13,669, or 45%, of the total responses. The lowest levels of response came from the Tran-European Division with 99, and the Inter-European Division with 111.
On average, 84% of the responses came from employees involved in education from pre-school through university. In particular, 100% of responses from the Northern Asia-Pacific Division were from educational employees, while the educational response from the Inter-American Division was 97.9%, and from the Inter-European Division 91%.
Age Profiles Across Divisions from Educational Organizations
Age Profiles Across Divisions from Non-educational Organizations
Age and education levels of participants varied across Divisions. For example, 19% of North American Division and 13% of Trans-European teachers were 60 years or older, while 54% of North American Division and 47% of Trans-European Division teachers had a master’s or doctoral degree. By contrast, 21% of East-Central Africa Division’s teachers were aged 20 to 29, while 21% of them had a master’s or doctoral degree.
Education Profiles Across Divisions from Educational Organizations
Education Profiles Across Divisions from Non-educational Organizations
The proportion of teachers who were female varied considerably across the Divisions—from 32% in the East-Central Africa Division to 74% in the Southern Asia Division.
While the responses to the questions asked in this survey did reveal some interesting differences, what impressed the research team was the workers’ commonality of outlook and their commitment to the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Ellen White wrote, “Though in many respects our institutions … have swung into worldly conformity, though step by step they have advanced toward the world, they are prisoners of hope. Fate has not so woven its meshes about their workings that they need to remain helpless and in uncertainty. If they will listen to His voice and follow in His ways, God will correct and enlighten them and bring them back to their upright position of distinction from the world. When the advantage of working upon Christian principles is discerned, when self is hid in Christ, much greater progress will be made; for each worker will feel his own human weakness; he will supplicate for the wisdom and grace of God, and will receive the divine help that is pledged for every emergency” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 145).
In future posts, we will be looking at the answers to the survey questions and asking what those responses mean for the Church and for our institutions.
You can access the full report here.
Created in collaboration with the Institute of Church Ministry.
Published by ASTR on 1/13/2026.