CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — On March 22, 2025, between 50 to 60 attendees of the Adventist-laymen’s Services and Industries (ASI) Southern Union spring conference took to the streets of downtown Chattanooga, distributing 1,500 copies of The Great Controversy and health magazines in just an hour and a half. The outreach yielded over 70 Bible study requests and concluded with an inspiring testimony session lasting more than an hour. This outreach event followed a larger distribution effort led by Streams of Light International (SOLI) earlier in the week in the Chattanooga area, highlighting the power of collaboration among Adventist entities.
The ASI conference, held at the Westin hotel in Chattanooga, drew Adventist lay people, ministry leaders, professionals, and business owners from across the Southern Union for a weekend of inspiring messages, networking, and evangelism training. On Saturday afternoon, participants received training from Stephen Gutierrez, SOLI’s evangelism director, before heading out in teams of two to share packets of hope. The effort targeted diverse areas within a 2-mile radius, including the University of Tennessee Chattanooga campus and government housing neighborhoods.
Narlon Edwards, ASI Southern Union vice president for evangelism and director of Red River Outpost, emphasized the impact of such collaborative efforts. “The mission of ASI is to share Christ,” Edwards said. “To have people outside on the field, sharing, praying, generating Bible studies, praying with people, making an impact—that definitely fulfills the mission of ASI. When God’s people work together, you see a lot of impact in a very short period of time.”
The partnership with SOLI, which had orchestrated a four-day distribution of 48,500 books in Chattanooga earlier that week, amplified the ASI outreach. Oleg Lotca, president of SOLI, described the synergy that emerged from uniting seven institutions, including local churches, ministries, and ASI. “We have seen that working in unity together creates a synergy,” Lotca said. “In an hour and a half with 50 people, getting over 70 Bible study requests—that’s not usual. We were praising God for that miracle. Many, many people will be in heaven because of this partnership.”
Gutierrez, who led the training, highlighted the diversity of participants—ranging from ASI executives and local church members to seasoned SOLI mission trip veterans—and the tangible results of their collective effort. “When members come together and rally to do the work, being co-laborers with Christ, you see God’s providence,” Gutierrez said. “Narlon and his family got 17 Bible studies in an hour and 15 minutes. A family at the university connected with a Muslim student who let them into an apartment, leading to six Bible studies. It’s powerful what happens when we unite for this purpose.”
The outreach wrapped up with a testimony session that inspired and energized attendees. Stories ranged from college students requesting studies to low-income residents asking for prayer. Edwards noted that the book distribution was the conference’s standout moment, with attendees and visitors alike citing it as the highlight.
ASI, an organization of Seventh-day Adventist lay professionals and business owners, aims to share Christ in the marketplace. The Southern Union chapter’s collaboration with SOLI exemplified this mission, blending training, outreach, and testimony to inspire participants. Exploratory discussions are already underway to see about the possibility to expand the effort, and Lotca expressed hopes to “cover every single home of Chattanooga by next year’s ASI” through continued partnerships.
The March 22 outreach underscored a simple truth: When Adventist entities and individuals unite, the impact multiplies. In just 90 minutes, 1,500 books found new homes, over 70 people sought deeper Bible study, and a community of believers left downtown Chattanooga ignited by the possibilities of collective faith in action.
