Soquel Camp Meeting 2025: Restoration Realized

SOQUEL, Calif. — The Central California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists concluded its 10-day Soquel Camp Meeting with unprecedented attendance, more than 51 baptisms, and around $600,000 in the evangelism offering — triple last year's amount — as church leaders declared the "Soquel Restored" theme a powerful testimony.

President Ricardo Viloria emphasized that the gathering's primary goal centered on building team unity and restoring morale rather than numerical outcomes.

"Our main goal was to build our people, restore morale and create momentum," Viloria said. "We wanted healing and restoration for our pastors, staff and church families. The baptisms and offerings were the cherry on top."

Restoration Takes Center Stage

The camp meeting marked a significant turning point for the conference, with pastors and attendees repeatedly describing an atmosphere of peace, acceptance and renewed trust in leadership.

"Trust in conference leadership has been restored," Viloria noted, adding that the many comments he received confirmed that what had been missing before was now being rebuilt.

Pastor Rob Colon of Sunnyvale Church reflected the sentiment of many attendees: "From the start, leadership made it clear they wanted us to thrive. Their message was, 'We're here to help you and your churches be healthy.' Mission accomplished."

The restoration theme resonated throughout the 10 days, with speakers including Carlton Byrd, José Rojas, David Shin, Roy Ice, Sam Neves and Ivor Myers delivering messages and testimonies focused on healing relationships and rebuilding confidence in the conference's direction.

Multiple testimonies highlighted the camp meeting's impact on individuals and families. One single mother described her experience as "like going through a detox," leading to her baptism during the gathering.

One pastor shared an encounter with former church members who had drifted away, resulting in renewed connections and prayer opportunities. "It was really encouraging to see that opportunity to connect and pray," he said.

Prayer Ministry Central to Revival

At the heart of the restoration theme was a comprehensive prayer ministry led by Ed Walker, which centered on revival and spiritual renewal. Daily 6 a.m. prayer meetings opened each day, setting a tone of spiritual seeking and dependence on God. The prayer ministry included seminars, anointing services, prayer burning service and a dedicated prayer booth where attendees could receive personal prayer support throughout the gathering.

Huge Increase in Participation and Generosity

Camp meeting registration reached 3,500 people, with approximately 5,000 attendees throughout the week and more than 10,000 people gathering on Sabbath — representing a massive increase in participation from previous years. Despite the overwhelming number of participants, the efficient registration team handled the process smoothly, with parking extending to hilltops as families flocked to the Soquel grounds.

The evangelism offering of nearly $600,000 represents a dramatic increase from last year's $200,000, reflecting renewed confidence in conference leadership and vision.

The 2025 offering strategy allocates funds across three priorities: 50% for youth and young adult ministries, 25% for mission and evangelism work, and 25% for camp meeting operations.

"When churches invest in young people, churches grow," said Anil Kanda, vice president for ministries. "This funding priority addresses our biggest challenge of reaching youth and young adults."

Restored Services Enhance Experience

This year marked the return of several important services that had been closed for an extended period. The ministry booth reopened after a long closure, helping attendees discover various ministry opportunities and providing resources to equip church members for service. A mini case lot sale offered practical goods, while the cafeteria reopened to nourish attendees physically throughout the gathering. The Soquel security team also returned, creating a safe environment for families and ensuring smooth operations across the sprawling grounds.

Youth Ministries Drive Growth

The emphasis on youth programming proved effective throughout the gathering. Children's ministry leaders reported 85 decisions for baptism between primary and junior divisions, with five baptisms conducted on campus.

The youth tent maintained high energy throughout the gathering, with young adult programming featuring everything from sports tournaments to spontaneous worship sessions extending late into the evening.

Unity Among Leadership

A distinctive feature throughout the gathering was the visible unity among conference officers, who frequently appeared together on the platform.

"I want to thank Pastor Viloria for making sure all your officers were up there as often as they were," one pastor observed. "That sends a message of unity and gives people confidence that you're working together."

The administration's approach emphasized team leadership over traditional hierarchical models, with Viloria consistently bringing his officer team forward during presentations.

Looking Forward

Conference leaders expressed confidence that the momentum generated during the 10 days would continue throughout the year. The gathering successfully addressed key conference goals of rebuilding trust, restoring morale and creating excitement about future ministry.

"When we keep our focus, God will provide the resources," Viloria said. "It's not about the numbers — when we focus on building healthy people and teams, God takes care of the rest."

Church members and attendees consistently expressed feeling heard, valued and supported by the new administration's approach to leadership and ministry.

The impact of Soquel Restored positions the Central California Conference for continued growth, with leaders encouraging pastors to return to their churches as "agents of restoration" carrying the momentum forward.

"God has amazing things in store for us when we work together as a team," Viloria concluded. "Let's take this momentum and build on it."

As attendees departed for home, many expressed anticipation for next year's gathering, with early registrations already beginning for the 2026 camp meeting.

Written by Justin Kim