Almost all of the Northwest’s Adventist pastors were missing from their pulpits on Sabbath, Sept. 30. While they were not at their churches, they were in Portland, listening to Jere Patzer, North Pacific Union Conference (NPUC) president, as he preached during the Sabbath morning worship service on the final day of the Northwest Adventist Leadership Convention.
Held every five years, this five-day convention, billed as a “camp meeting for pastors,” included three devotional meetings, 76 seminars, two plenary sessions, four evening meetings, Sabbath services, and a great deal of fellowship. The primary participants were pastors, but senior academy principals, Bible teachers, chaplains and science teachers were also invited.
The two plenary sessions addressed specific issues. The first covered the topic of passing the Adventist mission, message and identity to the next generation. The second covered faith and science and demonstrated that it is still credible to believe in our historic biblical position. During both sessions, top Adventist scholars and theologians shared their findings and then in panel discussions answered questions from the floor.
“These sessions work to strengthen our relationship with God, our understanding of the Bible, the Adventist message and really help to focus our mission for the next five years,” said Dan Serns, NPUC ministerial director.
Reaction from the attendees was enthusiastic. Michael Demma, Bellingham pastor, said, “I appreciated the candidness of the discussion about some of our doctrinal beliefs. We know we have a firm footing to stand on and that is affirming for me. I am going back to say to my congregation that knowledge and good Bible study leads us to that point of faith where we can believe what we don’t see and maybe what does not make sense.”
Ken Crawford, Alaska Conference president, agreed, saying, “This is probably one of the best ministerial meetings I have ever attended. The material presented has been outstanding, and I have been blessed. It is important for all of us to become centered again in the issues facing the church. These presentations have brought us back to the center of our belief, and that is crucial right now.”
Los Heraldos de Esperanza (Voices of Hope), a quartet from Phoenix, Ariz., sings during the convention.
A group of singers from Portland and Vancouver lead the attendees in worship songs and in singing the theme song, "Ancient Words" for two evening meetings and the Sabbath worship service.
Singer/songwriter Buddy Houghtaling, a dentist from Battle Creek, Mich., and bass guitarist Dan Grentz, a veterinarian from Delton, Mich., sing during the convention's Thursday evening banquet.
Carl Cosaert, Walla Walla College Department of Theology professor, delivers a well-attended seminar titled, "Can We Trust Our Bibles? Do They Accurately Represent the Ancient Manuscripts?"
In a seminar titled, "Thou Shalt Not Be Thy Neighbor," Troy Price, Vancouver, Wash., police detective gives an overview of the problem of identity theft and how it affects us on a business and personal level. (Robert Hastings)
During the Ladies Brunch on Thursday, Marilyn Laszlo, a national speaker for Wycliffe USA, tells about living with the Sepik Iwan people of Papua New Guinea where she learned their language, invented an alphabet for it, taught the people to read, and translated the New Testament into that language.
Michael Hasel, Southern Adventist University professor of Near Eastern studies and Institute of Archaeology director, discusses "Having Confidence in the Creator, Faith and Science" during the Friday morning plenary session.
Barb Cushway of the Portland Humane Society shows a dog to the children at one of the many meetings planned for them. (Robert Hastings)
A panel consisting of Carl Cosaert, Cindy Tutsch, Jon Dybdahl, Dan Serns, Derek Morris and Ty Gibson discusses the topic of passing the Adventist mission, message and identity to the next generation. (Robert Hastings)
Jo Ann Davidson lights Sabbath candles during her Friday evening sermon and explains how the Jewish people delight in welcoming the Sabbath. She and her husband Richard are Adventist Theological Seminary professors at Andrews.
David Ring, a Christian evangelist from Franklin, Tenn., shares his story of overcoming his physical limitations in order to share God's love with people. His challenge is, "I have cerebral palsy, what's your problem?"
Mark Finley, General Conference vice president and Global Evangelism director speaks for Tuesday night's evening program. He and his wife Teeny conducted several seminars as well.
Mervyn Warren, Oakwood College provost, speaks at the Wednesday evening meeting.
Sylvia Culmore and Pattric Parris, both NPUC staff members, answer a question for Wally Lyder, Silverdale, Wash., pastor. The NPUC staff was organized into teams to plan for and conduct the convention.
Jere Patzer, NPUC president, preaches the Sabbath morning sermon, "Lessons for Leaders... from Moses," with energy, in spite of the fact that he is still under treatment for lymphoma.
