by Gerson Pancorbo
Our recent First Sabbath Series focused on something we don’t talk about enough – the young people already doing the work in our regional conferences. Five leaders joined Elder Dana Edmond and Rebecca Jackson for a conversation that was both encouraging and eye-opening.
Who’s Leading Now
Keisha Bone runs the finances at Allegheny West Conference. She was elected at 29 as probably the youngest VP for Finance we have, and she didn’t even want the job at first. “I said they’re not going to pick me,” she laughed, remembering her interview. “There’s no way they would pick a 29-year-old.”
Dr. William Smith Jr. just started as Vice President at Southwestern Adventist University. He’s been in the role seven weeks and already thinking about how to market Adventist education better. “A lot of times we just don’t know what jobs are out there in the church,” he said.
Elder Reginald Richardson pastors two churches in Oregon and chairs something called the NextGen Caucus – a group that gives feedback to regional conference presidents about what younger leaders need. He started pastoring at 23 and has faced skepticism about his age throughout his ministry.
Pastor Liz Adams serves at Central States and came from working at Southeastern California Conference. She brings her passion for social justice to regional conference ministry and has been in her current pastoral role for almost a year.
Toson Antwan Knight doesn’t work for the church but mentors at-risk youth in Detroit through Caught Up Mentoring. He also has a day job managing a $27 million budget to keep kids out of juvenile detention. He was blunt about church work: “I never wanted to work for the church. I had no intention.”
The Real Talk
The conversation got honest quickly. Do young people want to work for the church? Not really, several admitted. Knight was blunt: “I never wanted to work for the church. I had no intention.” He’s seen too much church politics.
Pastor Adams, whose parents both worked for the church, said church employees’ kids often see the struggle up close. “Sometimes our church treats it like a business when we want it to be a business and then treats it like ministry when we need that grace.”
What They Wish They’d Known
Asked what they wish they’d known starting out, the answers were telling:
“There’d be a lot of tears involved,” said one.
“It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” said Dr. Smith.
“Do one thing well,” advised Pastor Richardson.
Knight had two answers: “Sometimes it’s enough work just to keep the machine running” and “there are a lot of bogus people.”
The Mentorship Question
Every leader talked about finding mentors, not having them find you. VP Stubs-Bone calls her union treasurer and conference leaders when she needs help. “There’s no handbook for how to be the treasurer,” she said.
Pastor Richardson pointed out that not everyone who wants to mentor you has your best interests in mind. “You have to be really careful with that, especially when you’re a young leader.”
What They’d Do With a Million Dollars
The final question was simple: if given a million dollars for their work, what would they do?
Knight wants to buy and renovate a school. VP Stubs-Bone would give money to churches and invest the rest. Dr. Smith would fund scholarships and experiential learning. Pastor Richardson would create an endowment for regional churches and pay down institutional debt. Pastor Adams wants to build a community resource hub.
What This Means
These aren’t just future leaders – they’re leading now. They’re honest about the challenges, realistic about the problems, and still choosing to serve. That says something about both them and the work itself.
The church has good people coming up. They just need support, resources, and room to lead in their own way.
Coming Up on First Sabbath
Our next First Sabbath will feature interviews and highlights from General Conference in Saint Louis, Missouri, airing July 19th at 4:30 PM CST. Then in August, we’ll feature the educators from our nine regional conferences on August 9th at 4:30 PM CST.
Watch the full Young Leaders episode and stay tuned for these upcoming programs that continue showcasing the vital work happening across regional conference ministry.