Members Gather for Together As One Convocations
ALVARADO, TEX. – The Together As One convocation tour has completed its first two stops in McAllen and Tyler, Tex. Hundreds of people gathered at each location to be united, educated and inspired.
“They felt like a mini camp meetings as people from all over the regions came together,” said Elton DeMoraes, Texas Conference president. “They truly embodied our theme, Together As One, as people learned together, laughed together, prayed together and were inspired together.”
From Jan. 30 through Feb. 1, members from the Valley area gathered at the McAllen Spanish Valley Central Seventh-day Adventist Church to hear presentations by Paulo Macena, director for leadership at the North American Division.
Less than a month later (Feb. 27–March 1), the Together As One team was in Tyler, Tex. This time, meetings were held at two locations.
English-language sessions took place at the Tyler Seventh-day Adventist Church, where John Lomacang, an Illinois Conference pastor and 3ABN world evangelism director, preached and sang. Spanish-language sessions were held at the Tyler Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church with Luis Orozco, youth director for the North Mexican Union Conference in Montemorelos, Mexico. Internationally renowned Adventist recording artist Ysis España was the featured singer for the Spanish-language meetings.
At both locations, local church officer training sessions were held Sabbath afternoons and Sunday mornings in English and Spanish at nearby Seventh-day Adventist schools. In the Valley, trainings were held at South Texas Christian Academy in McAllen, Tex. In East Texas, they took place at Tyler Adventist School in Tyler, Tex.
“It was intentional to have the local church officer trainings at our schools in addition to church classrooms,” DeMoraes said. “We wanted to showcase the school and staff and acknowledge the wonderful work they are doing with our children. Adventist education is second-to-none. It is important that we fully support this 10-month evangelistic opportunity where young people can learn about their best friend, Jesus.”
Sabbath afternoon sessions included workshops for children’s ministries leaders, communicators, deacons, deaconesses, elders, family ministries leaders, health ministries directors, men’s ministries leaders, personal ministries volunteers, adult Sabbath School leaders, prayer ministries coordinators, prison ministries volunteers, Sabbath School superintendents, stewardship volunteers, women’s ministries leaders and youth and young adult ministries leaders.
Sunday morning sessions included workshops about Adventist Community Services and risk management as well as seminars for clerks and treasurers.
The next stop on the Together As One convocation tour will be in San Antonio, May 29–31. Additional convocations are scheduled for June 12–14 in the Houston area, Aug. 7–9 in the Dallas area, Aug. 28–30 in the Austin area and Oct. 16–18 in Keene. All are welcome to attend. More details and livestreams of the general sessions from the Valley and East Texas are available at TexasAdventist.org/Convocations2026.
By Tamara Michalenko Terry
Director for Public Relations
and Editorial Services
