SCC Welcomes Geoffrey Sewell as Senior Youth and Young Adult Ministries Director
PHOTO: GEOFFREY SEWELL
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s a physician by profession, a critical time. After his wife’s parents Geoffrey Sewell found passed away, he began wondering what himself enjoying early God had in store for the future. His retirement when he received mother had a stroke five years ago, and the call to serve in the Southern California his heart longed to be closer to her and Conference (SCC) as the Senior Youth and his other family members. “Then I started Young Adult Ministries Director. praying, ‘Lord, I’d really like to spend The call came, as Sewell recalled, more time with mom,’” he recalled. “not just from any place, but in the very He and his family had spent conference where my mother lives, and decades in Hawaii, where he served in a Geoffrey Sewell the very conference where my brother healthcare organization for many years lives, and the very conference where I grew up, so I and was very involved in the local church in a variety don’t think that’s an accident.” of positions, including head elder, Pathfinder director, The call was an answer to prayer. Sewell had spent and more. recent years living in Hawaii, deeply involved in his By December 2022, Sewell had just earned his job while also taking care of his wife’s parents during Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry degree at Andrews University and was supporting Aiea church in Hawaii, all the while wondering what God’s next steps were for him. “I wasn’t sure which pathway God wanted, but over a series of months, it became clear God wanted me to serve here,” he reflected. His career as a doctor lends a unique perspective to his ministry. With years of experience hosting service projects and facilitating impactful partnerships in the context of healthcare, Sewell’s experience is a great fit for mission in the SCC territory. “What might we do in the Southern California basin to bring the love of Christ to people in a missional-minded way?” he wondered. While in Hawaii, he experienced intra-organization collaboration across the islands. “Freeways and traffic might be just like water between islands,” he said, as he anticipates working within the complex territory here in SCC. While Sewell has a wealth of experience, he brings an open heart and mind geared toward teamwork. “One of the things I love to do is mentor, and I love to teach, and I love to develop others,” Sewell said. “First and foremost, I want to lift up Jesus so that He draws everybody and we know Him for the beautiful and wonderful Savior that He is.” Visit https://scc.adventist.org/gs to learn more about Sewell. Geoffrey poses for a Christmas 2022 photo at the ____________________ Aiea church with his wife and daughters. (Left to right) Katie, Geoffrey, Esther, and Elisabeth. By Lauren Lacson
48 Pacific Union Recorder
Southern California Conference