June 29, 2005 St. Louis, Missouri, United States …. [Mark A. Kellner/ANN]
Several delegates attending the 58th General Conference Session of the Seventh-day Adventist Church – the world movement’s quinquennial business meeting – come with high hopes and varied expectations.
A thoroughly random and non-scientific canvas of the delegates reveals they are talking about church unity and growth, as well as expressing an interest in how the global community of 14 million members operates as a united body.
“I hope the session will give me a good idea of how the church operates,” says Andre Danie Brink, a first-time delegate from the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean region of the church, who is also director of the regional media center near Cape Town, South Africa. “Just coming here I’ve seen how global the church is,” his wife, Penny, added.
Pastor Solomon Maphosa, president of the Adventist Church in Zimbabwe, emphasized the need for church unity during the session.
“We want to make sure the church stays together, that unity is maintained,” Maphosa told ANN. His main concern is “unity of doctrine,” adding that when church manual revisions are weighed, he hopes any changes “come with a way that keeps us together” as a denomination.
Dr. Barry Oliver, executive secretary of the church’s South Pacific area, said he “would like to see the church focus on its mission, giving priority to the most important things,” adding that his region needs leaders who can “think outside the [box] while maintaining church unity.”
Oliver said this session “can’t be business as usual if we really want to make changes” in church administration. He said it was “good that we are focusing on leadership issues,” as will happen in several breakout meetings during the session.
While acknowledging the “fantastic” atmosphere of a world church session, Patricia Swan of the church’s Trans-European region said she questions “spending millions of dollars” for a business meeting, along with the cost in money and time to each church region.
“We have areas that are crying out for money for evangelism,” Swan said. “The atmosphere at [a Session] is fantastic. But is it really worth the money and the time?”
That worth is expected to be demonstrated in the coming days, as 2,000 delegates weigh a variety of issues, as well as the election of world church officers.
Copyright © 2005 by Adventist News Network.
