121 Adventists Attend Exponential Australia 2026 on the Gold Coast
More than 30 Christian denominations came together on the Gold Coast for Exponential Australia 2026, a national gathering focused on church planting, leadership and multiplication.
Although Exponential is not an event organised by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Adventist Mission at the South Pacific Division coordinated a group of 121 Adventist participants, with most Australian conferences represented. A group from the New Zealand Pacific Union Conference also attended.
This year’s theme, “MULTIPLIER: How Healthy Leaders Create Lasting Change,” focused on developing healthy leaders who can create lasting impact and build churches that grow, multiply and serve their communities.
Across three days, from August 4 to 6, participants attended main sessions and practical workshops designed to inspire and equip those already involved in church planting, as well as those exploring God’s call to plant churches and make disciples.
An important part of Exponential is the opportunity to connect with Christians from more than 30 denominations. These connections allow Adventists to learn from others, share our own experiences and make the Adventist Church and its mission better known within the wider Christian community.
A Growing Culture of Multiplication
The participation of Adventists reflects Adventist Mission’s continued investment in developing a stronger culture of church planting and disciple-making across the South Pacific.
During Exponential, statistics were presented showing the number of churches planted by several denominations in Australia between 2023 and 2025. According to the figures presented, Seventh-day Adventists planted 49 churches over the three-year period—8 in 2023, 18 in 2024 and 23 in 2025. The increase is encouraging, while also highlighting the opportunity to continue strengthening a culture of multiplication.
For Adventist Mission, the conference is not simply about attending another event. Its value is in what happens afterwards—when participants return to their churches and communities with new ideas, stronger networks, practical tools and renewed enthusiasm for mission.
The Adventist Mission team is committed to continuing to inspire, equip and support church members, pastors and conferences across the South Pacific to establish new groups and churches, particularly in places where there is currently no Adventist presence. The goal is not simply to plant more churches, but to see more people responding to God’s call, making disciples and establishing new faith communities that can reach people in new places.
Why do we plant churches?
Want to learn more about why church planting is important? Adventist Mission has prepared the Why We Plant Churches booklet written by Wayne Krause (Global Mission Director – South Pacific Division) to help members and leaders explore the purpose and importance of establishing new faith communities.