Northwest People in Action at the 58th General Conference Session Many Northwest Adventists traveled to the 58th session of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, held in St. Louis, Missouri, June 30 to July 9. Some were delegates, others worked in booths in the exhibit hall, all were participants in many of the meetings, specialists worked as staff members on many administrative and media teams, and together they went there just to be a part of the General Conference (GC) experience. GC sessions are held every five years to elect officers and departmental directors, to receive reports and to discuss and vote on issues. Ellen White wrote in Testimonies, Vol. 3, p. 492, that the General Conference … "is the highest authority that God has upon the earth … "She also wrote that, “The church, enfeebled and defective, needing to be reproved, warned, and counseled, is the only object upon Earth upon which Christ bestows His supreme regard” (Testimonies to Ministers, p. 49). Does this mean that you can trust the decisions that were made during the GC session? Yes. Does this also mean that you can have confidence in the leadership of the church? Yes, but only when the leaders have surrendered their private independence and private judgment to the Lord. How does the work of the GC in session get done, and why is it such a big event for the church? Perhaps this photo essay will help answer some of the questions.
Northwest People in Action
at the 58th General Conference Session
Many Northwest Adventists traveled to the 58th session of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, held in St. Louis, Missouri, June 30 to July 9. Some were delegates, others worked in booths in the exhibit hall, all were participants in many of the meetings, specialists worked as staff members on many administrative and media teams, and together they went there just to be a part of the General Conference (GC) experience.
GC sessions are held every five years to elect officers and departmental directors, to receive reports and to discuss and vote on issues. Ellen White wrote in Testimonies, Vol. 3, p. 492, that the General Conference … "is the highest authority that God has upon the earth … "She also wrote that, “The church, enfeebled and defective, needing to be reproved, warned, and counseled, is the only object upon Earth upon which Christ bestows His supreme regard” (Testimonies to Ministers, p. 49).
Does this mean that you can trust the decisions that were made during the GC session? Yes. Does this also mean that you can have confidence in the leadership of the church? Yes, but only when the leaders have surrendered their private independence and private judgment to the Lord.
How does the work of the GC in session get done, and why is it such a big event for the church? Perhaps this photo essay will help answer some of the questions.
There were 18 North Pacific Union Conference (NPUC) delegates to the General Conference Session, inculding Jere Patzer, NPUC president, who led out in the caucus to choose the two NPUC representatives to the nominating committee. (GLEANER photo)
NPUC delegates George Boundey and Gail Harris from Montana and Ruth Farnsworth from Alaska (middle three people) listen carefully to the instructions during the caucus to choose the nominating committee members from the North American Division. (GLEANER photo)
The first order of business at a General Conference Session is for delegates to meet in their respective division caucuses to select their representatives to the nominating committee. Bryce Pascoe, NPUC executive secretary, hands the names of those selected by the NPUC delegates to Roscoe Howard, NAD executive secretary. (GLEANER photo)
Jere Patzer, NPUC president, and Ruth Farnsworth from Alaska were the two NPUC representatives on the GC nominating commttee. (GLEANER photo)
Jere Patzer, North Pacific Union Conference president, was selected by the members to be the chair of the nominating committee. It was his responsibilityalong with, from left: Niels-Erik Andreasen, associate chair and Andrews University president; Harold Lee, associate secretary and Columbia Union Conference president; and Delbert Baker, nominating committee secretary and Oakwood College presidentto bring the nominating committee report to the delegates from around the world. The committees work was to nominate the officers and departmental personnel of the General Conference and the administrators of the world divisions to serve for the next five-year term. (GLEANER photo)
Robert Paulsen, a delegate from Washington, said that he considered it a priviledge to be a delegate to the GC Session. "To me, it was important to be at every business session. Hopefully, the changes that were made will assist and improve the management and mission of the church," he said. (GLEANER photo)
Amy Schrader, Oregon Conference communication director, was on the public relations staff which published the daily newsletter and managed several events in the St. Louis community during the GC Session. (GLEANER photo)
Emily Beth Bond, 12, from Condon, Montana, was a co-host for the Global Mission feature the first Sabbath afternoon of the GC Session and interviewed GC treasurer, Robert Lemon, about how the finances of the church support missionaries around the world. (GLEANER photo)
Using high-speed Internet technology, Mike Agee, one of 10 radio staff members at the GC Session and manager of KTSY in Caldwell, Idaho, worked to put daily news and feature broadcasts out to Adventist Radio Broadcaster's Association member stations around North America and the world. (GLEANER photo)
Janet Evert from Inchelium, Washington, talks to some young people interested in the Young Disciple Ministries materials and mission. The Young Disciple Ministries booth was one of hundreds of booths visited by thousands of people in the exhibit hall. (GLEANER photo)
Author
