So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him, being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude (Colossians 2:6–7 CSB).
The practices of denominational employees’ personal spirituality were addressed in the 2023 Institutional Church Workers’ Survey (IWS). While our initial acceptance of and surrender to Jesus Christ is a defining moment in our lives, what we do afterwards is equally important. We must “continue to walk in him, being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught.” The “root” Christ plants is cultivated by the activities of our personal spirituality.
In the IWS, Adventist workers were asked how often they participated in personal activities associated with spirituality: prayer, Scripture reading, theological literature, and the works of Ellen G. White; faith-sharing; and experiencing the feelings of wonder and spiritual peace. Responses showed the following:
86% of teachers and 85% of non-educational workers strongly agreed that they had “made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ.”
67% of teachers and 65% of non-educational workers prayed outside of religious services one or more times a day.
56% of teachers and 44% of non-educational workers participated in prayer groups.
49% of teachers and 43% of non-educational workers read Scripture once or more a day.
60% of teachers and 70% of non-educational workers shared their faith a few times per week or more.
59% of teachers and 95% of non-educational workers felt a deep sense of spiritual well-being a few times per week or more.
76% of teachers and 95% of non-educational workers felt a deep sense of wonder about the universe a few times per week or more.
Researchers noted significant differences in the way employees expressed their personal spirituality across Divisions. They found that more ministers pray once a day or more in Divisions that have more individualist cultures. By contrast, more institutional employees in group-oriented cultures participated more in prayer groups and study groups. For example, 71% of teachers in Adventist schools in Australia prayed once or more a day, while only 30% in the Solomon Islands did so. On the other hand, only 35% of Australian teachers attended weekly prayer groups, while 45% of Solomon Islands teachers did so. The survey report pointed out that the “Australian culture is more individualistic than the strongly group-oriented culture of the Solomons.”
To conclude with the metaphor we began with, Ellen White wrote, “As the flower turns to the sun, that the bright beams may aid in perfecting its beauty and symmetry, so should we turn to the Sun of Righteousness, that Heaven’s light may shine upon us, that our character may be developed into the likeness of Christ” (Steps to Christ, p. 68). More than anyone who claims to be an Adventist, Adventist church workers need to seek God’s guidance and blessings every day. Without connecting to the Sun of Righteousness, they are very likely to struggle not only in their personal spiritual life, but also in their daily Christian mission.
You can access the full report here.
Created in collaboration with the Institute of Church Ministry.
Published by ASTR on 08/10/2026
