On the heels of a week featuring the spiritual highlights of camp meeting and a theme of Bring the Harvest Home, Montana Conference delegates convened Sunday, June 21, in Bozeman, to elect conference officers. Delegates re-elected John Loor Jr., president; and Ray Jimenez III, secretary.
Others re-elected were: David Prest, ministerial and trust director; and Archie Harris, communication, education and youth director. In addition to their main responsibilities, Loor will also direct stewardship, Native American ministries and evangelism, while Jimenez will oversee conference ASI activities. All leaders received more than a 90 percent vote of approval from those present.
Delegates gathered in the Mount Ellis Academy gymnasium for the conference's 60th regular constituency session to hear reports, consider decisions and share opinions. In the end, they demonstrated a remarkable ability to find unity on important issues.
They approved a new vision and mission statement for the conference and elected the new conference board of directors which, besides Loor, Jimenez and a North Pacific Union Conference representative, includes: Francy Beardsley (Havre), Brad Brown (Billings), Jim Jenkins (Bozeman), Debbie King (Bozeman), Mel Lich (Custer), Kevin Miller (Ronan), Bill Patten (Libby), Kathy Ree (Glendive), Larry Williams (Missoula) and Penny Wredberg (Great Falls).
Following a significant amount of healthy discussion, delegates voted overwhelmingly to approve several changes to conference bylaws, including one that relates directly to the formula for selecting future regular delegates. Currently, each church is entitled to one delegate for the constituency session and one additional delegate for each 17 members or major fraction thereof. The previous wording included one additional delegate for each 13 members.
This year's annual camp meeting which preceded the constituency session saw a greater than normal attendance, according to some observers, and featured keynote speakers Bill Knott, Adventist Review editor, and Brian McMahon, Amazing Facts evangelist. McMahon will be the featured speaker for the spring 2010 Momentum evangelistic series in Missoula, as co-sponsored by the Montana Conference and the NPUC.
Members from around the state and beyond pitched tents on the MEA campus and set up RV units to enjoy the entire spiritual smorgasbord, including seminars from Frank Bonderant, Paul Dybdahl, Fred Harding and Doug Venn.
Members who attended camp meeting and the constituency session left re-engaged with the Adventist mission and ready to "Bring the Harvest Home."
New Vision and Mission Statements
Vision
To live the transforming Kingdom of God now and forever.
Mission
To advance the Kingdom of God by ...
Proclaiming the Everlasting Gospel of Revelation 14:6–12,
Leading people to accept Jesus as their Savior, and
Discipling them for His soon return.
From left: Max Torkelsen II, NPUC president, and his wife, Linnea, join Montana's newly re-elected leaders and spouses: David and Ellen Prest, John and Susan Loor, Ray and Julie Jimenez, and Archie and Deanna Harris.
A sea of orange voting cards rises as Montana delegates register their position on a critical issue during the 60th regular constituency session held in Bozeman, Mont., June 21.
Ashley Crider, Montana delegate-in-training, maintains a lap-top view of session proceedings with her mother and father, Missoula delegates Jennifer and Mark Crider.
Bill Knott, Adventist Review editor, speaks during one of the keynote sessions at this year's Montana Camp Meeting held on the Mount Ellis Academy campus in Bozeman.
