Sam Neves, PhD

Pastor Sam Neves serves as Vice President of Advancement, Communication, and Marketing at Hope Channel International, the global media ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He leads the teams that tell Hope Channel’s story, build its brand, and invite supporters to join its mission of reaching one billion people with the message of eternal hope by 2030.

Sam was born in Brazil, where he spent his early childhood planting churches with his parents. At great sacrifice, they sent him to an Adventist boarding school in England when he was 14. As a third-culture kid, he learnt to live among 40 nationalities.

After his BA in Theology in Brazil, he was called by the Trans-European Division to minister in London and complete his master’s degree at Newbold College. He served as a local church pastor for 11 years, ministering to people from more than 60 nationalities. During those years he created Heroes, the first Adventist app, a Bible trivia game that helps a new generation rediscover the stories of Scripture.

In 2015 he was called to the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists as Associate Director of Communication. For nearly a decade he led the global branding and digital strategy of the world church, hosted ANN In-Depth, and directed Heroes 2. Along the way he earned a PhD in Media and Digital Communication from the University of Westminster, with research on how digital communication shapes pastoral care.

Sam lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his wife, Amy, and their three sons. He carries the conviction that shaped his parents’ ministry: the gospel of Jesus will reach every nation, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14).