As a physician by profession, Geoffrey Sewell found himself enjoying early retirement when he received the call to serve in the Southern California Conference (SCC) as the Senior Youth and Young Adult Ministries Director.
The call came, as Sewell recalled, “not just from any place, but in the very conference where my mother lives, and the very conference where my brother lives, and the very conference where I grew up, so I don’t think that’s an accident.”
The call was an answer to prayer. Sewell had spent recent years living in Hawaii, deeply involved in his job while also taking care of his wife’s parents during a critical time. After his wife’s parents passed away, he began wondering what God had in store for the future. His mother had a stroke five years ago, and his heart longed to be closer to her and his other family members. “Then I started praying, ‘Lord, I’d really like to spend more time with mom,’” he recalled.
He and his family had spent decades in Hawaii, where he served in a healthcare organization for many years and was very involved in the local church in a variety of positions, including head elder, Pathfinder director, and more.
By December 2022, Sewell had just earned his Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry degree at Andrews University and was supporting Aiea church in Hawaii, all the while wondering what God’s next steps were for him. “I wasn’t sure which pathway God wanted, but over a series of months, it became clear God wanted me to serve here,” he reflected.
His career as a doctor lends a unique perspective to his ministry. With years of experience hosting service projects and facilitating impactful partnerships in the context of healthcare, Sewell’s experience is a great fit for mission in the SCC territory. “What might we do in the Southern California basin to bring the love of Christ to people in a missional-minded way?” he wondered.
While in Hawaii, he experienced intra-organization collaboration across the islands. “Freeways and traffic might be just like water between islands,” he said, as he anticipates working within the complex territory here in SCC.
While Sewell has a wealth of experience, he brings an open heart and mind geared toward teamwork. “One of the things I love to do is mentor, and I love to teach, and I love to develop others,” Sewell said. “First and foremost, I want to lift up Jesus so that He draws everybody and we know Him for the beautiful and wonderful Savior that He is.”
