They Were a Model Family, Until They Weren't | unScripted EP 14
02 May 2026
What happens when a “perfect” Adventist family photo in the North Pacific Union Gleaner gets shattered… and an 11-year-old boy is forced onto a plane to Saudi Arabia?
Today on unScripted, General Conference Secretary Rick McEdward sits down with Shawn Boonstra and shares the raw, unfiltered story almost no one has heard: the divorce that broke the myth, the move that changed everything, the audible call from God that redirected him from medicine to ministry, and what it’s really like to be one of the three top officers of the world church.
Rick also opens up about the massive mission challenges ahead — 8 billion people, cities of a million with zero faithful Adventist witness — and the powerful new tools the GC is launching right now: One Voice and the Mission Dashboard.
If you’ve ever wondered whether God can still use ordinary (or even broken) backgrounds for extraordinary kingdom work, this episode is for you.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Opening & why the GC Secretary is on unScripted
03:45 – The shattered Sabbath family photo
12:10 – The day his dad said “We’re moving to Saudi Arabia”
22:30 – Culture shock at 120 degrees with no jetway
35:15 – The simple daily prayer that kept him anchored
48:40 – Hearing the voice: “I want you to be a pastor”
1:02:00 – From MENA to General Conference Secretary
1:15:20 – What the Secretary actually does (it’s not just minutes)
1:22:45 – One Voice + Mission Dashboard explained
1:29:30 – Your first step if God is stirring your heart
Raw. Honest. This is unScripted.
Don’t just watch — pray, share, and ask the Lord what YOUR role is in reaching the unreached.
Drop a comment: What part of Rick’s story hit you hardest?
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