David Banks, president and CEO of AdventHealth delivers the Benjamin F. Reaves Keynote address on opening night of Conference on Mission. Photography by Matt Rainey.
With the thought-provoking question, “How do you extend?” David Banks, president and CEO of AdventHealth, opened his keynote address at the 35th annual Conference on Mission. He challenged AdventHealth leaders, board members, advisory members and Seventh-day Adventist church leaders to reflect on what intentional, mission-driven growth looks like.
Banks delivered the Benjamin F. Reaves Keynote address that evening, centered on theme of “extending.” Through personal stories and reflections, he highlighted the significance of AdventHealth’s mission, Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ, while drawing on the rich history of the organization.
“Our mission is fully expressed when we combine our clinical capabilities and our professional proficiencies inside our divine appointments, respecting and acknowledging the value and humanity of those we serve,” shared Banks. “Why? Because that’s exactly how Jesus saw people.”
Banks’ keynote set a thoughtful tone for the following day’s business session where attendees explored what it really means to remain rooted in mission during growth.
Keynote speaker Peter Greer, president & CEO of HOPE International and co-author of Mission Drift, emphasized the critical importance of keeping mission at the heart of an organization. To ensure mission remains central, Greer stressed the need for consistent reminders, clear communication and the discipline to “repeat, repeat, repeat.”
In alignment with the message of staying true to mission, six missional pillars were reinforced by regional AdventHealth leaders. Monica Reed, president and CEO of AdventHealth Great Lakes Region, shared that “Growing on purpose really means expanding with intention, and always on the foundation of who we are.”
Music played a key role in both the Friday vespers program and the Sabbath morning service at Calvary Orlando church. The AdventHealth Orchestra led by Richard Hickam, corporate director of music and the arts at AdventHealth, returned and was joined for the first time by the newly formed AdventHealth Choir.
Gary Thurber, president of the Mid-America Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and AdventHealth board chair, delivered the Sabbath message. Centering his reflection on God’s remedy for mission drift, Thurber drew from Micah 6:8.
He concluded his sermon reflecting on how this passage captures the essence of God’s saving relationship with us and how AdventHealth’s mission and service standards reflect that divine calling.
This connection between AdventHealth’s service standards and its mission was also emphasized earlier in the conference by Banks. “I have heard people describe our organization in many different ways. Some reference our services, our geographic reach, or our financials. But I believe it’s our mission statement that best describes who AdventHealth is and what we are seeking to do. Extending the ministry of Christ simply means going to where the people are.”
Andrea Cardenas, stakeholder communications specialist at AdventHealth
