Inter-American Delegation Selects 44 Members for GC Nominating Committee

June 6, 2022 | St. Louis, Missouri, United States | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News

More than 360 Inter-American Division (IAD) delegates met today at America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, to select the 44 members of its nominating committee for the 61^st General Conference Session taking place this week. Dozens more delegates were connected to the meeting online.

The nominating committee members will represent the IAD and be part of the larger delegation when nominating the next president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the coming days.

“What a pleasure to be here and be living in the last days of the world,” said Pastor Billy Biaggi, vice president of the Adventist world church overseeing the IAD Caucus proceedings. “It is a privilege and solemn time now because of polity to elect leaders and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us,” he said.

Out of a delegation of 442, 10 percent were chosen according to policy set out by the world church, that means 44 delegates need to be selected and each of the 24 unios will be represented, said Pastor Elie Henry, president of the church in Inter-America. “For those [union] delegations with more than 15 delegates, they will have one additional person to add on the list.”

The recommendation and practice among world divisions is for union presidents who form part of the General Conference Executive Committee be included as nominating committee members, said Pastor Henry. The recommendation is to have union administrators as well as local field administrators, district pastors and lay delegates made up of men, women, and youth, he added.

To ease the process, Pastor Henry said delegates who are in person should be chosen at the session because meetings will take place morning and afternoon today.

Two delegates raised the concern that not enough lay members were being selected according to what Pastor Henry stated. “What are we here for then if we are not well represented as laypersons,” one delegate from a Spanish-speaking union said.

“Elections in a congress like this is not the only thing that we do as delegates, but it is one feature,” responded Pastor Henry. “It is a very important one, but there are many decisions that the church will make, many projects, policies and it is an opportunity for laypersons and all of us to be participants in advancing the work during this quinquennium already on course.”

“We value all of you as lay delegates and are thankful for making the sacrifice to be here with us,” said Pastor Henry.  When selecting delegates for session, unions must follow what policies allow and include a certain number of administrators, pastors, lay leaders and youth to represent that part of their region, he added.

Union delegations gathered in their respective group, prayed, and submitted their nominations.

The breakdown of the 44 nominating members were read and displayed by Pastor Leonard Johnson, executive secretary for the church in Inter-America. Members include union administrators, 2 local field administrators, 2 district pastors, 7 laypersons, 4 institution leaders and 1 delegate under the category as “other worker,” Johnson said.

The entire nominating committee representing all 13 world divisions will meet later in order to bring the nominations for world church president during this year’s session.

For updates on the 61^st General Conferences Session, visit us at interamerica.org