4 Sep 2026, 06:04SEC CommunicationsBracknell, Bracknell Forest, England, United Kingdom
SEC Camp Meeting 2026: ‘Inspired for Mission’ – A Call to Serve
‘Inspired for Mission’ was more than a theme as members from across the South England Conference (SEC) and beyond gathered at Newbold College from 26–29 August 2026 for SEC Camp Meeting, the Conference’s largest annual convocation. Total attendance across the four days reached approximately 6,500, with 3,100 attending on Sabbath alone. Across the Newbold campus, a varied programme of worship, learning, fellowship and activities created moments of reflection, celebration and challenge for adults, youth, teens and children.
Welcoming the SEC family to his first major Conference event since his appointment as President in July, Pastor Kwesi Moore set the spiritual tone: “Camp Meeting is not a stage for show. It is an opportunity for an encounter.” That encounter began on opening night with Pastor John Bradshaw, President of It Is Written and Commitment Speaker.
Bradshaw challenged members to recognise that human effort alone is insufficient for mission. Pointing to Christ’s promise of the Holy Spirit, he urged members not to be overwhelmed by the task of reaching eight billion people. “This isn’t a numerical battle. This is the commission given by God,” he said, encouraging believers to share the gospel “one person at a time”.
On Thursday, Morning Renewal speaker Dr Marleena Debrough, Director of Prayer and Women’s Ministries for the Allegheny East Conference, drew on the story of blind Bartimaeus to warn against becoming so occupied with church programmes and agendas that people in need are overlooked, stressing that “nobody should be deemed insignificant”. Dr Daniel K. Bediako, Associate Director of the Biblical Research Institute at the General Conference, similarly challenged the idea that evangelism belongs primarily to pastors and church organisations. Addressing secularism, he asked: “What is secularism compared to the power of the Holy Spirit?”
Bible studies by Dr Laszlo Gallusz, Principal Lecturer in New Testament Studies at Newbold College, explored the Second Coming and encouraged members to live expectantly through service and witness rather than sensationalism. Practical workshops carried the theme into everyday mission through the global OneVoice27 evangelism initiative, personal evangelism, community engagement, health ministry and digital media. Singing evangelist Tara Goddard also contributed through music.
Friday brought one of the week’s most memorable moments. Concluding her Morning Renewal message on reflecting Christ’s character, Debrough invited members forward with prayer requests written on dissolvable paper. One by one, they placed them into three water-filled glass containers, where they disappeared as Debrough prayed – a striking expression of surrender and renewal.
As the evening ushered in the Sabbath, the atmosphere became reflective as attendees gathered for Communion, with Moore and newly appointed Ministerial Association Secretary Pastor Wilson Lagos officiating. Bradshaw turned to Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, contrasting the disciples’ concern for position with Christ’s example: “I don’t care about the title. I don’t care about the position. I care about serving,” he emphasised
Sabbath morning brought a change of pace. Drawing from Acts 4 and the bold witness of Peter and John, Debrough emphasised the necessity of the Holy Spirit for mission. “I am amazed how we try to do the works of Jesus without the Spirit of Jesus. How dare we try to do the works of Jesus without Jesus?”
An interactive Sabbath School led by the Croydon Church team followed, with BBC presenter Neil Nunes hosting a panel that included Newbold College Principal Dr Dan Serb and drew contributions from the congregation and those joining online. Mission testimonies then showed churches putting the Camp Meeting theme into practice. Among the examples, Pastor Tremon Jackson shared how Bedford Central Church had committed a third of its annual budget to evangelism, resulting in so many baptisms that he remarked they had “lost count”.
Following an energetic contribution from the Reading West Drum Corps, Bradshaw’s final message returned to the value of reaching individuals. Drawing from the paralytic brought to Jesus by four friends and the lost sheep, he declared: “We can’t be inspired for mission until we start to understand that the loss of a single person is a tragedy.”
Attention then turned to the SEC School of Evangelism, Mission and Leadership graduation, where 81 certificates were awarded across nine cohorts, including courses in Lay Preaching and Counselling Skills. Moore charged the graduates to go out inspired “to touch and transform the lives of men and women”.
It was a fitting conclusion to four days that moved from message to response, and inspiration to action. Having shared in spiritual renewal and fellowship, the final challenge was to take the mission beyond Newbold and back to local churches and communities.
‘Inspired for Mission’ was more than a theme as members from across the South England Conference (SEC) and beyond gathered at Newbold College from 26–29 August 2026 for SEC Camp Meeting, the Conference’s largest annual convocation. Total attendance across the four days reached approximately 6,500, with 3,100 attending on Sabbath alone. Across the Newbold campus, a varied programme of worship, learning, fellowship and activities created moments of reflection, celebration and challenge for adults, youth, teens and children.
Welcoming the SEC family to his first major Conference event since his appointment as President in July, Pastor Kwesi Moore set the spiritual tone: “Camp Meeting is not a stage for show. It is an opportunity for an encounter.” That encounter began on opening night with Pastor John Bradshaw, President of It Is Written and Commitment Speaker.
Bradshaw challenged members to recognise that human effort alone is insufficient for mission. Pointing to Christ’s promise of the Holy Spirit, he urged members not to be overwhelmed by the task of reaching eight billion people. “This isn’t a numerical battle. This is the commission given by God,” he said, encouraging believers to share the gospel “one person at a time”.
On Thursday, Morning Renewal speaker Dr Marleena Debrough, Director of Prayer and Women’s Ministries for the Allegheny East Conference, drew on the story of blind Bartimaeus to warn against becoming so occupied with church programmes and agendas that people in need are overlooked, stressing that “nobody should be deemed insignificant”. Dr Daniel K. Bediako, Associate Director of the Biblical Research Institute at the General Conference, similarly challenged the idea that evangelism belongs primarily to pastors and church organisations. Addressing secularism, he asked: “What is secularism compared to the power of the Holy Spirit?”
Bible studies by Dr Laszlo Gallusz, Principal Lecturer in New Testament Studies at Newbold College, explored the Second Coming and encouraged members to live expectantly through service and witness rather than sensationalism. Practical workshops carried the theme into everyday mission through the global OneVoice27 evangelism initiative, personal evangelism, community engagement, health ministry and digital media. Singing evangelist Tara Goddard also contributed through music.
Friday brought one of the week’s most memorable moments. Concluding her Morning Renewal message on reflecting Christ’s character, Debrough invited members forward with prayer requests written on dissolvable paper. One by one, they placed them into three water-filled glass containers, where they disappeared as Debrough prayed – a striking expression of surrender and renewal.
As the evening ushered in the Sabbath, the atmosphere became reflective as attendees gathered for Communion, with Moore and newly appointed Ministerial Association Secretary Pastor Wilson Lagos officiating. Bradshaw turned to Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, contrasting the disciples’ concern for position with Christ’s example: “I don’t care about the title. I don’t care about the position. I care about serving,” he emphasised
Sabbath morning brought a change of pace. Drawing from Acts 4 and the bold witness of Peter and John, Debrough emphasised the necessity of the Holy Spirit for mission. “I am amazed how we try to do the works of Jesus without the Spirit of Jesus. How dare we try to do the works of Jesus without Jesus?”
An interactive Sabbath School led by the Croydon Church team followed, with BBC presenter Neil Nunes hosting a panel that included Newbold College Principal Dr Dan Serb and drew contributions from the congregation and those joining online. Mission testimonies then showed churches putting the Camp Meeting theme into practice. Among the examples, Pastor Tremon Jackson shared how Bedford Central Church had committed a third of its annual budget to evangelism, resulting in so many baptisms that he remarked they had “lost count”.
Following an energetic contribution from the Reading West Drum Corps, Bradshaw’s final message returned to the value of reaching individuals. Drawing from the paralytic brought to Jesus by four friends and the lost sheep, he declared: “We can’t be inspired for mission until we start to understand that the loss of a single person is a tragedy.”
Attention then turned to the SEC School of Evangelism, Mission and Leadership graduation, where 81 certificates were awarded across nine cohorts, including courses in Lay Preaching and Counselling Skills. Moore charged the graduates to go out inspired “to touch and transform the lives of men and women”.
It was a fitting conclusion to four days that moved from message to response, and inspiration to action. Having shared in spiritual renewal and fellowship, the final challenge was to take the mission beyond Newbold and back to local churches and communities.
