SECC Conference Connections – June 2026

When Yvonne Clayton agreed to help clients with IRS forms after taking a tax course, she never imagined it would change her life.

As she prepared returns, she began noticing patterns in charitable deductions. Some listed small offerings. Others carefully entered exactly ten percent of their income. But one client, Elliott Brooks, consistently gave far beyond tithe—and not just once, but year after year. Clayton found herself quietly impressed by this unseen generosity. “What makes the difference with this man?” she wondered.

Her curiosity became an unexpected answer to prayer when Brooks called one day. His wife was ill, and he asked if she could prepare the return at their home. When Clayton arrived, she noticed a horseshoe on the door engraved with the words: “We are Seventh-day Adventist Christians!”

Inside, she began preparing the tax return but couldn’t resist asking, “What’s an Adventist?”

Brooks warmly shared how his mother, impressed by Scripture’s teaching about the seventh-day Sabbath, began keeping it long before she met other believers who did the same. The story intrigued Clayton. Soon, routine tax questions turned into Bible conversations. Whenever she called about paperwork, she would add, “All right, Mr. Bible Guru—I’ve got another question.”

To her surprise, Brooks always had thoughtful, Scripture-based answers. His calm explanations resonated deeply. Clayton, a lifelong Baptist who had been baptized as a child, found herself reflecting on ideas she had never fully explored.

One day, when she returned for signatures, Brooks handed her two gifts: a Christian magazine for her ten-year-old daughter, Kelly, and a book for her, The Desire of Ages. She planned to read it on an upcoming vacation flight. Captivated by its portrayal of Christ’s tender, loving character, she couldn’t put it down.

Soon Brooks invited her to visit his church. In May 1974, she attended an Adventist church in North Philadelphia. The Bible-centered worship and welcoming congregation stirred something deep within her. “This is exactly where I belong,” she realized. When the sermon concluded with an appeal, she responded without hesitation.

Within two months, both Clayton and her daughter were baptized. What began with tax receipts had led to transformation.

Years later, Clayton would reflect on how God had used something as ordinary as a tax return to draw her into deeper faith. Elliott Brooks never preached a formal sermon to her. He simply lived his faith, quietly, faithfully, generously. The book of Hebrews speaks of believers who serve others almost “unaware” of the eternal impact of their kindness (Hebrews 13:2). Brooks’ faithful giving—both financially and spiritually—was exactly that kind of ministry. What looked like routine obedience on a 1040 form became treasure in heaven.

“Giving to Caesar” may look like a civic duty (Matthew 22:21). But in Brooks’ case, his faithfulness in earthly matters opened the door to eternal influence. His life is a reminder that when generosity flows from a heart surrendered to Christ, even the most ordinary acts can become instruments of grace.

By Richard Smith

On a bright spring morning, Mia found a tiny seed and planted it in her backyard. Every day, she checked the soil, but nothing seemed to be happening. “Did my seed die?” she asked her mom.

Mia’s mom smiled. “Sometimes things look like they’re gone, but God is still at work. Just have a little faith,” she said.

Days later, a small green sprout pushed through the dirt. Mia’s eyes lit up. “It’s alive!”

“That’s how God’s promises work,” her mom said. “Just like the seed, Jesus died and was placed in a tomb. It looked like the end—but then He came back to life!”

Mia thought about that as she watered her plant. “So, when people die, is it like a seed too?”

“Yes,” her mom said gently. “We rest until Jesus comes again. And when He does, He will wake us up to live with Him forever.”

Mia grinned at her little plant. “I guess waiting can be pretty amazing.”

By Taji Saleem