10 Jul 2026, 10:05Dr Kirk Thomas, British Union Conference President
Gratitude, Mission and a New Chapter
Pastoral Letter, 10 July 2026
Dear Church Family,
Have you ever found yourself awake in the morning as the sunlight shines in your eyes? At times, the awareness of a new reality can hit you for a moment. Sometimes you can feel both a little shocked when you realise where you are, but also stimulated by that same light motivating you with the awareness of what time it is and the things you could do with it. This is very much like the surreal moment I experienced during the recent British Union Conference Session, which took place from the 1st to the 3rd of July 2026, when I realised I had just been elected as the President of the British Union Conference. It was a moment of immense feeling of awe that God had caused these events and regarding the responsibilities concerning His Church that He has entrusted to me. This started an immediate process of looking around and beginning to acclimatise to new realities and varying possibilities for facilitating the Church in navigating this spiritual and social landscape together.
I have served two and a half years as the President of the South England Conference. While working in this great field, the team of Conference Directors and I began by considering the landscape carefully and came across specific details and needs of the Church and wider communities that represented definite features to address. These became opportunities for the development and growth of our mission work. You can read about these in the GO SEC Inspired for Mission Strategy 2024, which contains various points of connection with which we could “mingle” with our fellow human beings, listen, meet needs, and make an impact. Also, a number of these areas were highlighted in the BIG CONVERSATION document, which has been given to our Pastors to share with our Churches.
My heart is filled with praise and gratitude for the wonderful connections and associations that have been made and strengthened, the people I met, the wonderful opportunity I had, the churches I visited and the work I saw through my interactions with you, my brothers and sisters all around the South England Conference. It has been an awesome privilege to work in such a special field. Thank you for praying with and for me (especially the group that has been meeting on Wednesdays to pray together). Thank you for always encouraging, inspiring, and challenging me, and for the many lessons I will carry with me into the future. You have such a great team of Directors and Administrators that I am not worried about the future. In my new assignment, I am also content that I will be able to continue serving the South England Conference even as the British Union Conference President. I am keenly looking forward to working in the field of the British Union Conference, alongside the North England Conference as well as the South, the Missions, and their respective Presidents, Directors, administrative officers, workers, and members. Friends, this is because God has called us all for such a time as this (Esther 4:14). I am uplifted by the thought that:
“There is no limit to the usefulness of one who, putting self aside, makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon his heart and lives a life wholly consecrated to God” Ellen White, Ministry of Healing, p. 159.
Something I would like to encourage is for us all as a Union to pray together about mission every Wednesday during the day and when we meet for prayer meetings with our local churches.
The South England Conference, as I depart, is in great financial health. Both our working capital and liquid assets are above the required organisational requirements and growing steadily. We give God the highest praise for His goodness, the faithfulness of our members and the excellent financial stewardship of our treasurer, Sister Ann Swaby. A massive thank you! This financially healthy position has enabled us, as I write, to acquire our new SEC headquarters on Clarendon Road, Watford. After 76 years of being in two houses at 25 St Johns Road and many attempts to have an office that represents the SEC, we have finally done it, and it will be our forever home until Jesus comes. Further, we will not have to sell our current office, which gives us great flexibility to take care of the needs of the Conference.
We have a wonderful Church our God placed upon the Earth for this exact time, an awe-inspiring, life-changing message for our time, and the promise made by our Almighty God that goes alongside His Great Commission. Namely, in this goal, He will be with us until the end of time (Matthew 28:18-20). What more do we need? May God be with us all, and may we all be inspired for mission throughout the entire British Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. GO SEC! BE INSPIRED FOR MISSION!
Kirk Thomas
Dear Church Family,
Have you ever found yourself awake in the morning as the sunlight shines in your eyes? At times, the awareness of a new reality can hit you for a moment. Sometimes you can feel both a little shocked when you realise where you are, but also stimulated by that same light motivating you with the awareness of what time it is and the things you could do with it. This is very much like the surreal moment I experienced during the recent British Union Conference Session, which took place from the 1st to the 3rd of July 2026, when I realised I had just been elected as the President of the British Union Conference. It was a moment of immense feeling of awe that God had caused these events and regarding the responsibilities concerning His Church that He has entrusted to me. This started an immediate process of looking around and beginning to acclimatise to new realities and varying possibilities for facilitating the Church in navigating this spiritual and social landscape together.
I have served two and a half years as the President of the South England Conference. While working in this great field, the team of Conference Directors and I began by considering the landscape carefully and came across specific details and needs of the Church and wider communities that represented definite features to address. These became opportunities for the development and growth of our mission work. You can read about these in the GO SEC Inspired for Mission Strategy 2024, which contains various points of connection with which we could “mingle” with our fellow human beings, listen, meet needs, and make an impact. Also, a number of these areas were highlighted in the BIG CONVERSATION document, which has been given to our Pastors to share with our Churches.
My heart is filled with praise and gratitude for the wonderful connections and associations that have been made and strengthened, the people I met, the wonderful opportunity I had, the churches I visited and the work I saw through my interactions with you, my brothers and sisters all around the South England Conference. It has been an awesome privilege to work in such a special field. Thank you for praying with and for me (especially the group that has been meeting on Wednesdays to pray together). Thank you for always encouraging, inspiring, and challenging me, and for the many lessons I will carry with me into the future. You have such a great team of Directors and Administrators that I am not worried about the future. In my new assignment, I am also content that I will be able to continue serving the South England Conference even as the British Union Conference President. I am keenly looking forward to working in the field of the British Union Conference, alongside the North England Conference as well as the South, the Missions, and their respective Presidents, Directors, administrative officers, workers, and members. Friends, this is because God has called us all for such a time as this (Esther 4:14). I am uplifted by the thought that:
“There is no limit to the usefulness of one who, putting self aside, makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon his heart and lives a life wholly consecrated to God” Ellen White, Ministry of Healing, p. 159.
Something I would like to encourage is for us all as a Union to pray together about mission every Wednesday during the day and when we meet for prayer meetings with our local churches.
The South England Conference, as I depart, is in great financial health. Both our working capital and liquid assets are above the required organisational requirements and growing steadily. We give God the highest praise for His goodness, the faithfulness of our members and the excellent financial stewardship of our treasurer, Sister Ann Swaby. A massive thank you! This financially healthy position has enabled us, as I write, to acquire our new SEC headquarters on Clarendon Road, Watford. After 76 years of being in two houses at 25 St Johns Road and many attempts to have an office that represents the SEC, we have finally done it, and it will be our forever home until Jesus comes. Further, we will not have to sell our current office, which gives us great flexibility to take care of the needs of the Conference.
We have a wonderful Church our God placed upon the Earth for this exact time, an awe-inspiring, life-changing message for our time, and the promise made by our Almighty God that goes alongside His Great Commission. Namely, in this goal, He will be with us until the end of time (Matthew 28:18-20). What more do we need? May God be with us all, and may we all be inspired for mission throughout the entire British Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. GO SEC! BE INSPIRED FOR MISSION!
Kirk Thomas
