Michigan Conference educators gathered at Camp Au Sable August 5–7 for the 2026 Teachers Convention.
Teachers experienced a time dedicated to equipping, encouraging, and spiritually renewing as they prepared for the start of another school year.
While classrooms, curriculum, and professional development were important parts of the convention, the gathering reinforced a larger purpose behind Adventist education that prepares students for success in this life and for eternity.
That makes teaching a ministry.
In fact, there are more teachers serving in the Michigan Conference than pastors. Each school day, these educators stand on the front lines of ministry, spending hours with students as they teach academics, model the character of Christ, pray with young people, help them develop a biblical worldview, and prepare them for Christian service.
The convention sought to equip teachers for both sides of that calling.
This year featured a special STEM partnership with Andrews University that was particularly well received by teachers. Andrews faculty provided hands-on workshops in chemistry, physics, engineering and design thinking, geometry and probability, along with additional sessions in English, music, Bible, and other areas.
Many of the workshops gave teachers practical resources they could immediately use. Participants conducted experiments, explored teaching methods, and in several sessions received science kits, instructional materials, and classroom activities to take back to their school classrooms.
The STEM emphasis pointed towards the Creator. The convention centered around Psalm 111:2: “Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them.” Science was presented not merely as the study of the natural world, but as an opportunity to discover the handiwork of their Creator.
That integration of faith and learning represents one of the distinctive purposes of Adventist education. Public schools can provide students with many excellent academic opportunities, but they are not designed to intentionally disciple children for Christ. Adventist teachers have the privilege of pursuing academic excellence while also helping students understand that every area of life and learning belongs to God.
One breakout session that drove that point home was called “Teaching for Discipleship: From Information to Transformation.” The session challenged educators to consider how their classrooms can nurture a lasting faith, helping students move beyond simply knowing biblical information to knowing Jesus personally and learning what it means to follow Him every day.
Conference leadership also played an important role throughout the gathering. Jeremy Hall, Israel Ramos, Mike Bernard, and Jim Micheff led worships and spiritual messages during the convention. Their personal connections to education helped strengthen the bond between teachers and conference leadership. Micheff and Hall previously taught in schools, while Bernard and Ramos are married to teachers.
One educator with 30 years of teaching experience described this year’s gathering as the “best ever” she had attended.
For teachers beginning their ministry, the investment started even earlier. New educators received two additional days of training before joining their colleagues for the main convention.
As teachers returned home, they carried new classroom resources, strengthened relationships, and renewed purpose into another school year.
The goal of Adventist education is bigger than preparing students for the next grade, graduation, college, or a career even though that is important. Every day, Michigan’s Adventist teachers have the opportunity to prepare young people for something greater: a lifelong relationship with Jesus and, ultimately, eternity with Him.
