Seeking the Missing

Late one summer in Australia, a hiker stumbled upon something strange. It wasn’t a bush, a rock or trash. It was a sheep, buried beneath five years of tangled wool—weak, dehydrated, unable to stand or lie down and nearly dead. It had wandered away from the flock and slowly disappeared in plain sight. Rescuers carried it to safety, shearing away nearly 80 pounds of wool and nursing it back to life. It was a modern-day version of the parable of the lost sheep.

This parable captures the heart of the Gospel, illustrating the value of one. When even one sheep wanders away, the Good Shepherd leaves the 99 and searches until He finds the missing sheep. When He finds it, the shepherd celebrates. Jesus said, “There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent,” Luke 15:7. It reveals the love of the Good Shepherd. Heaven rejoices when even one is restored.

Statistics in the North American Division have long shown that for every 10 new members who join the Seventh-day Adventist Church, four to five eventually disengage. In many congregations across North America, thousands of names remain on membership lists while far fewer gather weekly for worship. Behind each disengaged member is a story of someone who once sang, served and believed but slowly slipped away.

The main reasons are not doctrinal disputes but relational wounds from unresolved conflicts or a lack of friendships within the church. In Oklahoma, of the approximately 9,500 members conferencewide, only about 3,000 attend regularly. It’s a sobering reality. Where are the thousands who have drifted away?

This challenge has led to the launch of Oklahoma Reconnect—an initiative to realign church culture with heaven’s culture. If someone is missing, we notice. We cannot seek those we do not recognize are missing. The vision is to establish reclaiming ministries in every Oklahoma church in 2026. This multifaceted approach includes local church reconnection ministries, church revitalization and church planting.

The Shepherd is still searching, and He invites us to join Him. Heaven rejoices over one restored life. The question isn’t whether the lost matter to Christ, because they do. The question is whether we will leave the comfort of the 99 and share in the joy of bringing one home.

By Nathan ShiresExecutive Secretary