Adventist News Network

On Tuesday afternoon at the 61^st General Conference Session, GC CFO/Treasurer Paul Douglas delivered his Treasurer’s Report, giving an overview of the financial position and performance of the global Seventh-day Adventist Church over the past seven years.

Douglas began his presentation by recognizing how the present financial position of the Church would not be possible without God’s constant leading and providence—not only over the past seven years, but since the Adventist Church began in 1863.

“In 1863, when the General Conference was organized, the records tell us that there were 125 churches reporting a total tithe of $8000,” he began. “Nearly 160 years later, with more than 90,000 churches, the data shows approximately $2.7 billion in tithe, $1 billion in local church offerings, and $81 million in world mission offerings. This, my friends, is God’s money to be used for the mission He has entrusted us.”

“What a privilege is ours to partner with the Divine!” he said.

FINANCIAL POSITION AND PERFORMANCE 2015-2019

According to his report, the last quinquennium saw modest increases across world tithe and mission offerings, although considerably less than compared to the previous five-year period. While $12 billion was returned in tithe from 2015-2019, representing a 6 percent increase compared to 2010-2014, the previous quinquennium’s total world tithe increased by 32 percent. In comparison, $429 million was returned in world mission offerings from 2015-2019, representing an increase of 3 per cent compared to 2010-2014, although this previous quinquennium had an increase of 37 per cent.

“Giving for world missions has been on a steady decline over the years,” explained Douglas. “Today, for every dollar in tithe returned by church members, an average of 3.5 cents is provided for world mission offerings. In the 1930s, the peak of giving for world missions, the average was 60 cents.”

Despite only modest increases in tithes and offerings, the overall financial position of the Church at the end of 2019 was positive. At the end of 2019, the balance of cash and investments held by the GC was $344 million, a 7.9% increase from the start of the quinquennium in 2015. In addition, total assets increased by 5.6% to $513 million, and total liabilities decreased by 7.1% to $462 million.

Total revenues and gains for the quinquennium was an annual average of $243 million, of which more than 70% was from tithe and offerings. Meanwhile, total expenses were an average of $240 million, of which 32.3% was for appropriations to world divisions, GC institutions and the 10/40 Window. For a more comprehensive breakdown, you can read the full Treasurer’s Report.

POSITIONING THE CHURCH DURING COVID-19

After outlining the overall financial position of the church from 2015-2019, Douglas acknowledged the difficulties of COVID-19 for the first half of the new quinquennium—including the threat to life, widespread lockdowns and church closures preventing “the flow of tithes and offerings,” as well as the ability of many members to give due to business disruptions or job losses.

“The effect of the pandemic has not been limited to the threat to human life or economic well-being. COVID-19 has also been a threat to sustaining the fellowship of our Church, in that many buildings remain closed more than two years later,” he said, also acknowledging the many faithful members who “waited until the situation improved to remit their funds.”

Douglas acknowledged how Church leaders prayerfully sought wisdom in response to the pandemic and made the decision to “survive the crisis without affecting core mission.” Specifically, this meant not suspending financial appropriations to divisions, unions and institutions, but instead reducing administration costs across multiple strategies, including: suspending all travel, authorizing personnel to work from home, holding meetings on Zoom, postponing salary increases and reducing certain benefits, and reviewing and adjusting the operating budget, among others.

“We praise God that the core mission was not negatively affected in 2020 because the General Conference had preserved an adequate level of working capital and liquidity that allowed it to withstand the financial downturn,” said Douglas. “We praise God and give Him all the credit for giving us the guidance to have made it all possible!”

CURRENT FINANCIAL SITUATION—2021

Comparing the financial situation of the World Church at the close of 2021 compared to 2019, Douglas highlighted the “picture of God’s blessings that comes into view,” and how the Church has rebounded despite the financial downturn during 2020.

The balance of cash and investments for 2021 was $414 million (20.3% increase from 2019), total assets were $594 million (15.9% increase), total liabilities were $62 million (23.1% increase) and total net assets were $532 million (15.1% increase). At the end of 2021, 69.6% and 77.8% of total assets and net assets were held in the form of cash and investments, respectively.

The total revenues and gains for 2021 was $270 million, of which approximately 60% were from tithes and offerings, while total expenses were $215 million, of which 32.4% was for division appropriations, GC institutions and the 10/40 window. This position is overall more positive than the average reported for the 2015-2019 quinquennium. In addition, the GC reported 97.61% of the recommended working capital and 112.61% of liquid assets as compared to commitments for 2021, both measures being higher than in 2019.

Finally, 2021 showed a positive gain of just over $29 million for the GC’s main operating fund. One of the key drivers for this was a large distribution from the life-estate of a member, savings from reducing operating costs during 2020 and positive increases in tithes and offerings.

Rather than using the windfall from this large distribution to balance the Church’s budget, Douglas explained how his team was “convinced that God was testing our resolve and testing our readiness to be bold about finding innovative and impactful ways to engage in mission.”

This conviction led to the birth of the “Mission Impact Fund,” which will support grassroots I Will Go initiatives around the world by granting financial resources for mission initiatives administered by local churches. To learn more about this Mission Impact Fund and how to apply, read our article here.

GLOBAL FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE 

One emphasis of this year’s Treasurer’s Report was on the global nature of the Church’s financial and operational structure, including how funds are distributed for mission, and how currencies and global markets have impacted the funds received by the GC. These were discussed in turn.

i. FUNDING DIVISIONS, INSTITUTIONS AND MISSION PROGRAMS

Each year, the GC provides regular and special appropriations to support the work of its divisions and attached fields for work in their respective territories, institutions and activities within the 10/40 window. In 2021, $67.6 million was distributed and this amount has remained relatively stable each year of this quinquennium so far.

In addition to funding the work of divisions and institutions, the Global Mission Program administered by the Office of Adventist Mission is specifically aimed at reaching people who have not yet received the gospel message. From 2015-2019, 5,467 projects were funded by a total $50.7 million, utilizing 1600 missionaries each year who entered new territories. The funding was split between the GC (41%), divisions (17.6%), unions (15%), local fields (20.1%) and other sources (6.3%).

Douglas addressed the work of the GC’s International Personnel Resources and Services (IPRS), the human resources department for missionaries and liaison between the GC and divisions in employing international service employees (ISEs). He highlighted how the GC Mission Board recently voted a proposal to refocus the resources available to IPRS according to new criteria that will target unreached people groups around the world. For more information on this “Mission Reset”, read our article here.

In his report, Douglas also highlighted the important work of the General Conference Auditing Service (GCAS) across the globe, which requires the second-largest allocation of the GC’s budget—at 6.7%, or approximately $22.6 million per year. This is used to employ approximately 300 professionals in 45 countries that service institutions at all levels of the church, including schools and colleges, ADRA country officers and other projects.

Finally, the topic of tithe parity was addressed in the Treasurer’s Report, which was decided at Annual Council in 2019 and will affect all 13 divisions. Put simply, to offset the disproportionally high tithe rate historically required by the North American Division, a newly established global rate of 3% tithe per year has been implemented for the remaining 12 divisions, up from 2% at a 0.1% increase per year over 10 years. To learn more about this, read our article here.

ii. FINANCIAL MARKETS, INFLATION AND LOOKING FORWARD.

Continuing to discuss the global nature of the church’s financial structure and outlook, Douglas presented a brief overview of the changes seen in global financial markets in recent years. The US dollar strengthened from 2015-2021, which meant that approximately 80% of funds received by the GC from certain countries were diminished by the behavior of six major currencies: the Brazilian Real, Mexican Peso, the Euro, Korean Won, Australian dollar and Philippine Peso. “This in turn decreased our ability to provide more support for the World Church,” he explained

Despite this, generally positive financial markets provided enough support for the Church’s financial operations throughout 2020-2021. Looking forward, however, the inflationary backdrop caused by government stimulus packages during the pandemic, as well as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, has changed the financial landscape and may pose future challenges.

“This was the start of an inflation cycle that is currently raging,” explained Douglas. “Labor costs, maintenance costs, operating expenses and materials have all grown more expensive for the Church as well as its members.”

Douglas also noted how the Ukraine crisis has placed increased stress on costs, and how the world seems to be “careening from one crisis to another, which surely, my friends, is a sign of the nearness of Time.”

“The Church is not immune to the prevailing economic realities and the turbulence these realities create as we engage in the Great Commission,” Douglas said. He then outlined five challenges the Adventist Church will face looking forward:

1. Balancing growth and stability
2. Ensuring sufficient working capital and liquidity
3. Moving towards higher levels of self-support
4. Dealing with uncertainties due to geopolitical conflict, currency volatility and changes in regulatory environments
5. Understanding paradigm shifts brought about by crisis events, new technologies, and changes in generational thinking

Douglas finished his report by encouraging members that “regardless of the challenges enumerated and others that will emerge, we are assured that God is with us … As we partner with God, we have nothing to fear—not even failure itself. Jesus is coming my friends, let us get involved and finish this work, not by our might, nor by our power, ‘but by the Spirit, says the Lord’ (Zechariah 4:6).”

—

To read the full Treasurer’s Report for the General Conference Session 2022, you can download it here or watch the live stream here.

• Angelica Sanchez contributed to this report.

This article was originally published on ANN website

photo courtesy of Tor Tjeransen / Adventist Media Exchange

Wednesday, June 8th, 2022 marked the third day of the hybrid General Conference (GC) Session in St. Louis, Missouri. The day began with a digital concert featuring linguistically diverse musicians from around the globe. The business session began with a warm welcome from Esther Knott, associate director of the North American Division (NAD) ministerial department. Morning worship included a powerful message by Dr Jongimpi Papu entitled, “What Will You Give Me and How Will I Inherit It?” where he left delegates with the question, “can you hear God’s voice in your busy schedule?.” “Yes we should go beloved, there’s a lot of work we need to do, but if going is going to replace sitting with Jesus and dining with Him, you will not go very far.” He added that those who sit and eat with Jesus will be ready to share with others. Gem Castor, prayer coordinator for the Advocates for Southeast Asians and the Persecuted Ministries (ASAP), led a moving prayer session.

MORNING BUSINESS SESSION:

The morning business meeting was chaired by GC Vice President Ella Simmons. The following agenda items were addressed:

• Undersecretary of the GC Hensley Moorooven reviewed items that have been accomplished. Items 201, 202, 203, 204, and 205 were voted and approved. Item 206 was referred back to the Constitution and Bylaws committee regarding the definition of “frontline” and the voting of an annual council.

Constitution and Bylaw Edits

• Motion to amend the Constitution and Bylaws to allow for removal of the phrase “for cause” while adding its definition which will be applicable for the GC Executive Committee (item 207).
  • Motion to divide the question on motion, regarding item 207, into two parts.
    • 935 voted yes (57.2%); 699 voted no (42.8%).
    • *based on the desire of the delegates, item 207 has been divided into two separate items.
  • Due to delegate misunderstanding, Moorooven clarified that the first part of the initial motion being discussed is the phrase “or from membership on the General Conference Executive Committee.”
  • Delegate comments expressed an opposition for this motion. Many worry it will provide GC with too much power to remove non-compliant members of the Executive Committee.
  • Motion to cease debate and vote.
    • 1531 voted yes (91.5%); 143 voted no (8.5%)
  • Motion to amend item 207, part 1.
    • 1319 voted yes (82%); 289 voted no (18%)
• Motion to approve item 207 part 2 by adding phrase “theft or embezzlement or conviction of or guilty plea for a crime.”
  • Motion to cease debate and vote.
    • 1539 voted yes (95.2%); 78 voted no (4.8%)
  • Motion to amend item 207, part 2.
    • 1436 voted yes (90.2%); 156 voted no (9.8%)
  • Motion to vote adding the following GC positions in section 4 of item 207: president, secretary, treasurer/chief financial officer, and vice presidents.
    • 1365 voted yes (94%); 87 voted no (6%)
  • Motion to vote amending section 7 from item 207.
    • Motion to cease debate and vote.
      • 1452 vote yes (92.2%); 123 voted no (7.8%)
  • Motion to accept amendment above.
    • 1301 vote yes (81.3%); 300 vote no (18.7%)
  • Motion to vote the proposed new section 7 for item 207.
    • 1516 vote yes (97.1%); 46 vote no (2.9%).
• Motion to vote to amend section 1 of item 208 allowing only one postponement of GC Session in the future.
  • Delegates requested further clarification on this item. As such, the meeting moved onto the next point.
  • Motion to amend section 5 in item 208 regarding voting practices to ensure the highest integrity.
    • 1583 voted yes (97%); 49 voted no (3.0%)
  • Motion to amend sections 6 and 14 in item 208 the addition of this section for clarity, defining the parliamentary authority of the GC Sessions.
    • 1386 voted yes (87.3%); 201 voted no (12.7%)
• Motion to amend item 209 allowing several GC committees can convene online.
  • 1282 voted yes (96.3%); 49 voted no (3.7%)

AFTERNOON BUSINESS SESSION:

GC Vice President Artur Stele chaired the afternoon’s business session, where the following agenda items were addressed:

General Conference Corporation Members Meeting

This meeting was chaired by Vice President of the GC Thomas Lemon. Associate Treasurer of the GC Daisy Orion made the following motions:

• To appoint the 61st GC Session Nominating Committee to nominate the members of the Corporation’s Board of Directors.
  • 1106 voted yes (99.2%); 9 voted no (0.8%)
• To adjourn the Members Meeting of the GC Corporation to Thursday, June 9, 2022 at 2:00 pm.
  •  Approved by common consent.

Nominating Committee Vote for Division Presidents (ECD, ESD, IAD, EUD, NAD, NSD, SAD, SPD, SID, SUD, SSD, TED, WAD)

The Nominating Committee presented the following votes for Division Presidents:

• Vote to approve Blasious Ruguri (ECD), Mikhail Kaminskiy (ESD), Elie Henry (IAD), Mario Brito (EUD), Alexander Bryant (NAD), *Yo Han Kim (NSD), Stanley Edilson Arco (SAD), Glenn Townend (SPD), *Harrington Akombwa (SID), Ezras Lakra (SUD), *Roger Caderma (SSD), *Daniel Duda (TED), and *Robert Osei-Bonsu (WAD) as division presidents for their respective divisions.
• The Nominating Committee shared a statement with delegates from ESD, requesting an extension of the term for the division’s current officers, including president Mikahil Kaminskiy, until Annual Council 2022 due to circumstances in the division.
  • 1489 voted yes (97.1%); 45 voted no (2.9%).

*non-incumbent

Constitution and Bylaws Amendment

• Motion to amend section 5 (item 209) to replace the term “accredited delegates” to “credentialed delegates”.
  • 1319 voted yes (99.5%); 7 voted no (0.5%)
• Motion to amend article XII and VII as found in items 210 and 211 to change the name of the Office of Archives, and Statistics to “Archives, Statistics, and Research”.
  • 1320 voted yes (99.6%); 5 voted no (0.4%)
• Motion to amend to replace the word “mission” with “section” when referring to “union mission” or “local mission/field” to consider parts of the world where “mission” is a point of sensitivity which could inhibit the work of the church (item 212).
  • 1313 voted yes (96.9%); 42 voted no (3.1%)

Church Manual Amendments – Church Offices and Departments

Yesterday evening, item 412 was presented to delegates regarding the option to have a Standing Nominating Committee to provide leadership opportunities for new members between terms (not just at the end of the year), having proper representation of church population, and the ability for church boards to fill vacancies that occur between elections. Opportunity for discussion was brought up again.

• Motion to cease discussion and vote
  • 1213 voted yes (94.2%); 75 voted yes (5.8%).
  • Item 413 was later skipped as it is co-related to the previous motion of item 412.
• Motion to approve a directive to replace the word “reelect” with “elect to a new term of office” when discussing office nominations (item 414).
  • 1315 voted yes (99%); 13 voted no (1%)
• Motion to amend chapter 8 of the Church Manual to include the assistance of members with special needs as part of the role of deacons (item 415).
  • Motion to cease discussion and vote.
    • 1289 voted yes (96.3%); 49 voted no (3.7%)
  • Motion to vote initial item 415
    • 1244 voted yes (96.7%); 42 voted no (3.3%)
• Motion to amend chapter 8 of the Church Manual to include the assistance of members with special needs as part of the role of deaconesses (item 416).
  • Approved common consent.
• Motion to amend chapter 5 of the Church Manual so that men and women can be voted into the local congregation as “company assistants” (item 417).
  • 1271 voted yes (97.9%); 27 voted no (2.1%)
• Motion to add a new section to chapter 8 of the Church Manual regarding the importance of the Spirit of Prophecy and creates the position of a Spirit of Prophecy Writings Coordinator in the church, making clear that the Bible is the foundation and standard by which all writings must be tested (item 418).
  • Although there was great support for the motion, many delegates expressed concerns that the position could possibly pose a risk in misunderstanding Ellen White’s writings as superior to Scripture.
  • Motion to cease discussion and vote.
    • 1233 voted yes (86.4%); 194 voted no (13.6%)
  • Motion to vote item 418.
    • 943 voted yes (66.3%); 480 voted no (33.7%)
• Motion to amend chapter 8 of the Church Manual to reword and further define the work of Adventist Youth Ministries (item 419).
  • Motion to cease discussion and vote. This item will be taken back to the committee and will not be voted on.
    • 1308 voted yes (97.7%); 31 voted no (2.3%).
• Motion to amend chapter 2 of the Church Manual to add a direct quotation from the Bible (item 423).
  • 1268 voted yes (98.7%); 17 voted no (1.3%)

Church Manual Amendments – Church Membership

• Motion to amend chapter 6 in the Church Manual by removing the confusing term “retired membership list” to clarify that there should only be one membership record while highlighting the need for it to be current and regularly updated (item 424).
  • Motion to refer item 424 back to the Church Manual Committee.
    • 602 voted yes (46.3%); 697 voted no (53.7%)
  • Motion to approve item 424
    • Motion to cease debate
      • 1208 voted yes (96.6%); 42 voted no (3.4%)
    • Motion to approve item 424
      •  1147 voted yes (97.1%); 34 voted no (2.9%)

EVENING BUSINESS SESSION:

Due to a change in schedule, the evening session began with worship which included the deeply engaging message entitled “My God Did This!” shared by Chair of Earth and Biological Sciences at Loma Linda University Suzanne Philips where she used biology to reinforce and remind attendees that we serve a great and powerful God who can be trusted.

The meeting chair for the evening session was GC Vice President Abner De Los Santos. The following motions agenda items were addressed:

Church Manual Amendments – Church Membership Cont.

• Motion to amend chapter 7 of the Church Manual to state the board can only take the final action to remove members from church membership at death or at member’s request (item 425).
  • 1267 voted yes (98.4%); 20 voted no (1.6%)

Nominating Committee Vote for Division Secretary, Division Treasurer, and GC Associate Directors

Dr. Lowell Cooper addressed yesterday’s concerns of the Nominating Committee’s consideration for representation when electing individuals for GC positions. 2021 general statistics for representation were also presented highlighting cultural, gender, and age demographics.

The Nominating Committee presented the following votes for Division Secretaries and Treasurers (ECD, ESD, IAD, EUD, NAD, NSD, SUD, SSD, SID, SPD, TED, WAD):

• Vote to accept *Musa Mitekaro (ECD), Viktor Alyeksyeyenko (ESD), Leonard Johnson (IAD), Eduard Haydinger (SAD), Barna Magyarosi (EUD), Kyoshin Ahn (NAD), *Hiroshi Yamaji (NSD), *Ch. John Victor (SUD), *Wendell Mandolang (SSD), Gideon Reyneke (SID), Michael Sikuri (SPD), *Robert Csizmadia (TED), *Selom Kwasi Sessou (WAD) as Division Secretaries.
• Vote to accept Jerome Habimana (ECD), Vladimir Tkachuk (ESD), Filiberto Verduzco (IAD), Marlon Lopez (SAD), Norbert Zens (EUD), Randy Robinson (NAD), *Joel Tompkins (NSD), *Riches Christian (SUD), *Jacinth Adap (SSD), *Hopekings Ngomba (SID), Francois Keet (SPD), Nenad Jepuranovic (TED), *Markus Mussa Dangana (WAD) as Division Treasurers.
  • Combined vote to accept both proposals
    • 1473 voted yes (96.4%); 55 votes (3.6%).

The Nominating Committee presented the following votes for GC Associate Directors (AD) and Associate Secretaries (AS):

• Vote to accept *Samuel Neves (AD of Communication), Hudson Kibuuka, John Taylor, *Julian Melgosa, *Richard Apelles Sabuin (AD of Education), Zeno Charles-Marcel, Katia Reinert, and Torben Berglund (AD of Health Ministries), Pavel Goia and Jeffrey Brown (AS of Editor Ministry), Robert Costa (AS of Evangelism), Anthony Kent (AS of Elder’s Digest), Jennifer Woods (AS of Public Affairs & Religious Liberty), Nelu Burcea (AD of Public Affairs & Religious Liberty), Scot Coppock (AD of Planned Giving & Trust Services), Stephen Apola (AD of Publishing Ministries), *Justin Kim (AD of Sabbath School & Personal Ministries), Eric Barbe (AD of Stewardship Ministries), *Nilde Itin (AD of Women’s Ministries), Pako Mokgwane (AD of PCM and GC Youth Ministries), and Andres Peralta (AD of Pathfinders, Adventurers of Youth Ministries).
  • 1471 voted yes (98.3%); 25 voted no (1.7%)

The Nominating Committee has completed their responsibilities for this 61st GC Session and have filled 140 positions.

*non-incumbent

Church Manual Amendments Cont. – Church Offices and Departments

• • Motion to amend chapter 8 of the Church Manual to establish a new ministry called “Adventist Possibility Ministries” be inclusive for all members to be engaged in ministry (item 419).
    • Motion to cease debate and vote.
      • 1141 voted yes (99.1%); 10 voted no (0.9%)
    • Motion to accept initial motion,
      • 1045 voted yes (99.6%); 4 voted no (0.4%)
  • Motion to amend chapter 6 in the Church Manual to add a section on redemptive membership auditing, as recommended by the Nurture and Retention Committee (item 427).
    • Chairman agreed to table this motion considering delegate recommendation for the motion to be reviewed by committee.

The recorded livestream of today’s opening remarks, worship, and business meeting can be viewed on Youtube here. You can also access more information regarding GC Session, including the session agenda here. For information on the GC Session 2022 app, go to: https://adventist.news/news/2022-gc-sessions-first-official-app-goes-live.

This article was originally published on ANN website

photo courtesy of Tor Tjeransen / Adventist Media Exchange

By Adventist News Network — St. Louis, Missouri … On Tuesday morning at just about 9:30 am at the 61^st General Conference Session, GC Secretary Erton Köhler, accompanied by Undersecretary Hensley Moorooven, GC associate secretaries Claude Richli, Gerson Santos, Karen Porter, Gary Krause and Elbert Kuhn, alongside Director of the office of Archives, Statistics and Research (ASTR) David Trim, and VividFaith manager Fylvia Kline, presented the Secretariat Report, which celebrated the mission work executed across the global Adventist Church over the past seven years.

Presenting their report under the theme “Secretariat: Where the Heart of Mission Beats!”, Köhler began by introducing the role of the Secretariat and its associated departments, referring to them as the “Mission Family”. These include Adventist Mission, The Institute of World Mission, Adventist Volunteer Service, International Personnel Resources and Services (IPRS), ASTR, VividFaith and Adventist Membership Systems (AMS).

“We manage strategic information for mission, we coordinate processes for mission, we research how to improve the mission, and we recruit, prepare, send and care for people in mission,” Köhler said, summarizing their overall function.

Köhler further summarized the integrated purpose of these entities into a clear, three-way framework adopted throughout his presentation: Data, Mission and People. “Our main priority is to connect data and people to mission,” he said. “As the remnant Church, we are called, in these times so close to the end, to fulfill an urgent mission.”

Although coordinating mission work is the overarching purpose of the Secretariat, Köehler acknowledged that this was greatly challenged in 2020-2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with health issues, isolation and lockdowns making much of the work impossible.

“Isolation created all kinds of problems, but the Church looked for new ways to take care of people,” he said.

Joining Köhler, alongside the associate secretaries and other representatives from the Mission Family on stage, were the executive secretaries from each division, as well as Dr. G.T. Ng, retired secretary (2010-2021) and John Thomas, retired associate secretary (2010-2020). Köehler acknowledged and thanked both, as well as Matthew Bediako and G. Ralph Thompson who were not in attendance, for their leadership and contribution to this year’s Secretariat Report.

ASTR—GROWING CHURCH, OR BUREAUCRACY?

First to take the floor was David Trim, who presented a comprehensive overview of church membership and statistics over the past quinquennium, and beyond. “My part of the report is, of course, entirely data—but it is also about mission and people. Because ASTR is also a place where the heart of mission beats,” he began.

i. Accessions and deaths

Looking first at global accessions, Trim highlighted that while church accessions have generally “flourished.” 2019-2020 was the first time that membership dropped to less than one million accessions since 2004. This drop was from 1.32 million in 2018-2019, to 800,000—a decrease of more than 500,000. Nevertheless, this increased again in 2021 to again exceed one million, with 1,069,234 accessions.

While averaging more than a million accessions per year seems positive, Trim emphasized that the Adventist Church has also faced significant losses, warning that “there will be more to come, as membership audits—which we are now calling ‘membership reviews’—are implemented around the world.”

Illustrating his point on a chart showing membership changes from 2017-2021, Trim explained that a total of 5.9 million people joined the Adventist Church in that timeframe, even despite a pandemic. Nevertheless, 3.6 million people left the Church during that time frame, as well. In fact, 2019 was the first time that “living losses” (people who have left membership, are missing, or are removed during membership reviews) exceeded one million people.

“Even this has positive implications for mission,” Trim encouraged. “For in certain parts of the world, church leaders now have an accurate sense of their membership. And that means they can plan better both for outreach and for nurture and retention. And that means, in turn, that both outreach and in-reach can be done more effectively and impactfully.”

ii. Conferences, missions and unions

Narrowing his focus, Trim then shared statistics on the overall growth of conferences, missions and unions, comparing today’s statistics to 1970, for perspective. While the number of union conferences and union missions has increased by 54%—from 75 in 1970 to 138 in 2020, local conferences and missions have increased by 93%—from 379 in 1970 to 731 in 2020.

From 2015 to 2019 specifically, local conferences and missions increased by 76—or 11%, plus three new unions were added to the global Church.

Trim acknowledged that while some members may see the increase of organizational structures as evidence of the Church becoming bureaucratic, that local organizations are actually a powerful force for mission. “They provide leadership that is close to the local church and therefore responsive both to challenges and opportunities, and they also provide training, resourcing, and equipping of local church members,” he said.

iii. Other institutions—pastors versus staff

Finally, Trim shared statistics on the growth in numbers of educational and medical institutions, as well as pastors and church employees. Specifically, while church pastors have increased by 142% since 1970, church employees have increased at a slightly higher rate, at 159%. Trim again acknowledged that as the Adventist Church grows, it faces the danger of institutionalization, but that many members may overstate this fear.

“The difference in the two growth rates is relatively small across a period of 15 years which suggests that institutionalization is not currently as much of a challenge as some members and leaders may fear, though it is something we must be on guard against. It must be remembered, too, that our 75,000 teachers in schools and colleges are almost like pastors for in many places, schools drive dynamic church growth,” he said.

I WILL GO STRATEGIC PLAN & LEADERSHIP

Following on from Trim’s presentation, Hensley Moorooven took to the stage to introduce the Secretariat’s Strategic Plan for 2020-2025, which has purposely customized the I Will Go framework to focus primarily on its leadership objective, seeking to promote transparency and organizational accountability.

He then introduced seven key strategic issues addressed by this plan, including mission strategies, ISE call process, missionary care, nurture and retention, membership audit, training and evaluation, and working policy. These were then the focus of presentations by the rest of the “Mission Family” during the Secretariat Report, beginning with training and evaluation.

I. Secretariat Evaluation

Presented by Claude Richli, associate secretary and officer in charge of secretariat evaluation, a focus of the GC Secretariat’s strategic plan is to ensure that the Secretariat across the Church’s 13 divisions is performing in an optimal environment and according to adequate standards. To do this the GC conducts on-site evaluations, anonymous questionnaires where honest feedback can be given, and through a range of review processes.

“I’m deeply impressed by the level of professionalism that we have witnessed around the world,” said Richli. “I thank the approximately 1500 executive secretaries, their associates, their assistants and their administrative assistants for their commitment to mission wfor their heart truly beats for mission.”

II. Discipleship, nurture, reclaiming

Presented by Gerson Santos, associate secretary and officer in charge of nurture and retention, another focus of the GC Secretariat is to strengthen pastoral care, spiritual growth and discipleship around the world. To do this, they are committed to providing data via membership review to identify shortcomings in the discipleship process. Santos highlighted various divisions—including the South Pacific Division, Inter-American Division and South American Division—that have innovated in this area.

“He counts and recounts the flock. He leaves the 99 within the fold, and goes in search of the straying sheep. He makes every effort to find that one lost sheep. We should have in mind that numbers do matter,” Santos said. “Counting is essential; it helps to see people behind the numbers. Accurate data provides excellent performance indicators for mission efficiency and pastoral care.”

III. Missionary care

Presented by Karen Porter, associate secretary and officer in charge of missionary care and IPRS, caring for missionaries is another focus of the GC Secretariat. She shared that since the last GC Session in 2015, 528 missionaries, or a total of 367 families left their homes in 66 different countries to serve abroad as missionaries in 82 different countries.

“During the pandemic, we saw God working miracles to facilitate visas, work permits and travel arrangements in spite of the lockdowns,” she said.

A short video then played, highlighting the sacrifices made by early missionaries and encouraging church members to adopt a sacrificial mindset—whether by becoming missionaries themselves or by supporting their work abroad, financially or otherwise.

Porter also highlighted the effect that the new Mission Reset framework will have on funding the work of missionaries going forward. For more information on this, you can read our article here. 

IV. Missionaries and Volunteers

The Secretariat Report then highlighted the work of missionaries and volunteers around the world, and the role of the Institute of World Mission, Adventist Volunteer Service, and VividFaith in making this possible.

First, Oscar Osindo, associate secretary and director of the Institute of World Mission, shared how the GC Secretariat has innovated a new online mission learning platform called “learnmission.org.” With lockdowns and travel restrictions preventing this training from happening in person, it has inspired and educated many missionaries and volunteers around the world.

After this, Elbert Kuhn, associate secretary and director of Adventist Volunteer Service, shared an inspiring story via video of William, a full-time volunteer who left North American to serve in the Middle East and work with refugees. “A volunteer missionary is the one that is willing to leave home to live among those who are still to find the way to the Father’s house,” commented the narrator of the video.

Finally, Fylvia Kline shared a video and information on VividFaith, a platform using innovative methods to connect organizations and institutions in need, with volunteers who want to serve either abroad, or also locally.

V. Adventist Mission

Finishing the Report, Gary Krause, associate secretary and director of Adventist Mission, shared how the GC Secretariat is focused on nurturing new groups of believers in unentered people groups and areas around the world by sending Global Mission Pioneers to work as “frontline church planters . . . among their own people and culture group … to follow Jesus’ method of ministry.”

Krause highlighted that since the last GC Session in 2015, Global Mission has planted almost 3,000 new churches in unreached communities. Specifically, a top priority of Adventist Mission is reaching people in the 10/40 Window.

“Outside the 10/40 Window we have one Adventist for every 136 people. Inside, we have one Adventist for nearly 2,000 people. You can see the challenge!” he said[MF14] .

Other challenges faced by Adventist Mission are reaching people in major cities and urban areas, as well as sharing the gospel with people from other major world religions. To combat this, Adventist Mission has established six Global Mission Centers around the world, each with a specific focus.

Krause also briefly shared Global Mission’s Total Employment Tentmaker initiative, which supports Adventists to find jobs and share the good news in challenging areas where missionaries can’t travel, as well as their new Mission Priority System, which helps Adventist Mission to strategically focus on areas where there is little to no Adventist presence.

While recruiting and supporting missionaries is one aspect, Adventist Mission’s other primary function is to inspire church members with what’s happening with their mission offerings.

CONCLUSION

“Well, this is the Secretariat report, brought to you in a unified way,” said Köhler, finishing the presentation. In wrapping up, he emphasized the need for Adventist missionaries—both locally and globally—and the need for a mission reset and refocus.

“Our heart strongly beats for a renewed missionary movement,” he said. “We rely on the inspired recommendations of Ellen White, who says that ‘Together they are to carry the work forward to completion’ (Acts of the Apostles, p 276).”

Köhler then finished by thanking the leadership of the Secretariat and Mission Family, as well as some of the executive secretaries and missionaries on stage.

You can watch the live stream of the full Secretary’s Report for the General Conference Session 2022 here.

– Angelica Sanchez contributed to this report; photo courtesy of Tor Tjeransen / Adventist Media Exchange

This article was originally published on Adventist News Network website

Monday, June 6th, 2022 marks the commencement of the first hybrid General Conference (GC) Session in St. Louis, Missouri. The day began with opening remarks from Adventist World Church President Ted Wilson, Secretary Erton Kohler, and Treasurer Paul Douglas.

During the morning’s opening worship, Director of Ministerial Association Jerry Page led with prayer and introduced evangelist Mark Finley, Chaplain of the United States Senate Barry Black, and Senior Pastor of Pioneer Memorial Church in Berrien Springs, Michigan, Dwight Nelson, each shared messages under the worship theme of “Seeking the Holy Spirit Together in Prayer, Music and the Word”. There were also several moments for partnered and group prayer during morning worship.

Wilson provided a comprehensive summary of significant events of the World Church since the last GC Session in his President’s Report. He urged delegates to participate prayerfully through voice and vote as their responsibility is a sacred one. Those in attendance, both in person and online, also witnessed and celebrated the baptism of Philippine Army Colonel, Eric Guevarra, and his wife, Leah.

The world church also welcomed 10 new unions into the Sisterhood of Unions in Zimbabwe, Belize, Ghana, Netherlands, Malaysia, and Ethiopia.

Morning Business Session:

The morning business meeting was chaired by Vice-President of the General Conference, Arthur Stele. Secretary of the GC Erton Köhler led opening procedures, making note that the executive committee was in harmony with the GC Constitution (item 102). He also led the reading of the Mission Statement (item 104) and Undersecretary of the GC Hensley Moorooven provided a brief orientation for session delegates highlighting the ethical expectations, responsibilities, and session protocols.

The following motions were voted as approved during the morning session:

• Köher moved:
  • To adopt the GC Rules of Order as a guide for the 61st GC Sessions (item 103).
  • To approve Associate General Counsel of the GC Todd MacFarland as parliamentarian for business meetings of the 61st GC Session.
  • To limit the time of delegate speeches due to time constraints of the Session.
  • To adopt the daily program (item 105) and Session agendas (item 106) of 61st GC Session.
  • To adopt both the Steering and Standing Committees (item 107-108).
  • To accept the nominating committee list (item 109).
  • To accept the 10 new and reorganized unions (items 111-116), making these unions official members of the Sisterhood of Unions and the GC, providing them the right to participate in the GC Session.

The subject of vaccination was brought up by delegate Jonathan Zirkle who requested to have the Church revisit its statement on vaccines as part of the GC Session agenda. No second was given. Stele encouraged leaving this point out of the agenda due to limited time. Motion was seconded and approved by common consent.

Grace Mackintosh from the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada provided a second via Zoom for Zirkle’s request to appeal the discussion of the church’s stance on the Covid-19 vaccine. Elder Wilson urged delegates to stand united in refusing to put this issue on the agenda as it is not a constitution and bylaws issue, not a church manual issue, or a fundamental belief item. Wilson also reminded delegates that the Church’s stance is that individuals have the right to choose for themselves.

• Vote was held to stop discussion and resume after lunch.
  • 1581 voted yes (84.5%); 291 voted no (15.5%).
• Vote was held to add the issue of vaccination to the 61st GC Session agenda.
  • 1579 voted no (88.6%); 203 voted yes (11.4%).

Afternoon Business Session:

General Vice-President of the GC Ella Simmons chaired the afternoon’s business session, where the following agenda items were addressed:

• Associate Secretary of the GC Karen Porter moved:
  • To recognize and record the dissolution of the former Trans-Caucasus Union of Churches Mission in the Euro-Asia Division, effective January 1, 2021 (item 117).
  • 1626 voted yes (99.6%); 7 voted no (0.4%).
• Undersecretary of the GC Hensley Moorooven moved the following amendments to the GC Constitution and Bylaws regarding the following topics:
  • Phrasing and Language Edits:
    • To approve three editorial amendments of GC Constitution and Bylaws (items 201, 202, and 203).
      • Election (item 201) – to include the phrase“General Conference Executive Committee” instead of “Executive Committee”.
      • To alphabetize names of departments (item 202).
      • To use the phrase “electronic conference” rather than “telephone conference” (item 203).
      • 1544 voted yes (98.9%); 17 voted no (1.1%).
    • To approve the editorial amendments of GC Bylaws, Article IV – GC Undersecretary and Associate Secretaries (item 204) and Article V – GC Under Treasurer and Associate Treasurers (item 205).
      • 1563 voted yes (97.4%); 41 voted no (2.6%).
      • Language voted “Authorized Speakers—Only speakers worthy of confidence will be invited to the pulpit by the local church pastor, in harmony with guidelines given by the conference.* The local elders or church board may also invite speakers, in consultation with the pastor, and in harmony with conference guidelines. Individuals who are no longer members, or who are under discipline,  should not be given access to the pulpit.”
    • To approve the editorial amendments of GC Constitution and Bylaws, Constitution Article VIII—GC Executive Committee (item 206).
      • Simmons asked that this item, along with delegate discussion and comments be taken back for review and revision.
      • Mooroven agreed to set a time for the Constitution and Bylaws Committee to meet and review this agenda item.
• Associate Secretary of the GC Gerson Santos moved the following amendments to the Church Manual regarding the following topics:
  • Church Services and Meetings Edits:
    • To amend chapter 10 regarding Unauthorized Speakers (item 401) to clarify who may be invited to speak in the church and address the confusion caused by the implication that a layperson can not preach because they do not hold credentials.
      • 1336 voted yes (90.7%); 137 voted no (9.3%)
    • To amend chapter 8 regarding the confusing term “union school board,” replacing it with “multi-constituent school board” (item 402).
      • 1502 voted yes (99.4%); 9 votes no (0.6%).
    • To replace the phrase “baptismal ceremony” with “baptismal service” to make terminology more consistent throughout the Church Manual (item 403).
      • 1478 voted yes (97.9%); 32 voted no (2.1%).
    • To amend chapter 10, allowing church board members to participate electronically in church board meetings (item 404).
      • 1450 voted yes (98.9%); 16 voted no (1.1%)

Evening Business Session:

The meeting chair this evening was General Vice-President of the GC Abner de Los Santos. The following motions agenda items were addressed in Monday’s evening session:

• Santos moved:
  • Church Services and Meetings Edits Continued:
    • To amend chapter 10 to clarify some of the organizational aspects of the church business meeting (item 405).
      • Francois Louw, SID delegate, asked to place the motion on the table for appropriate consideration of it prior to voting.
      • Santos agreed to take back this item to the committee.
    • To amend chapter 8 to promote the consistency of wording between the sections on elders and deacons/deaconesses and to address some confusion in areas where women are ordained as elders (item 406).
      • Motion to refer the motion to the committee was made.
      • Several delegates spoke in favor and others against the referral of the motion back to the committee.
      • Vote to cease all debate and begin voting.
        • 1251 voted yes (92.3%); 105 voted no (7.7%).
      • Vote to refer the initial motion (item 406) to the committee.
        • 617 voted yes (43.9%); 787 voted no (56.1%).
      • The initial motion was returned to the floor.
      • Vote to cease all debate once again and begin voting.
        • 1278 voted yes (88.5%); 166 voted no (11.5%)
      • Vote to approve the initial motion.
        • 1088 voted yes (75.7%); 350 voted no (24.3%)
    • To amend chapter 8 regarding ordination service for deaconesses (item 407).
      • Vote to refer item 407 back to the committee.
        • 577 voted yes (39.5%); 885 voted no (60.5%).
      • Initial motion was returned to the floor.
      • Vote to cease all debate and begin voting.
        • 1476 voted yes (95.7%); 67 voted no (4.3%)
      • Vote to approve initial motion.
        • 1274 voted yes (82.9%); 263 voted no (17.1%)

The evening session ended with the arrival of the nominating committee report naming Elder Ted Wilson as nominee for President of the General Conference, followed by the vote, which went in his favor.

• Delegate vote: 1284 voted yes (74.9%); 431 voted no (25.1%).

The first day of the GC Session concluded with evening worship from Timothy Standish entitled, “I Believe!”

The recorded livestream of today’s opening remarks, worship, and business meeting can be viewed on Youtube here. You can also access more information regarding GC Session, including the session agenda here. For information on the GC Session 2022 app, go to: https://adventist.news/news/2022-gc-sessions-first-official-app-goes-live.

This article was originally was published on ANN website

Photo courtesy of Tor Tjeransen / Adventist Media Exchange

By Adventist News Network — St. Louis, Missouri … During the final minutes of the business session on Monday, June 6, the Executive Committee of the Seventh-day Adventist Church voted to re-elect Ted N.C. Wilson as president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist Church. This will be Wilson’s third term.

Ted N.C. Wilson has served the Seventh-day Adventist Church in a variety of roles throughout his nearly 50 years of ministry. He began as a pastor in the Greater New York Conference in 1974, and quickly moved into administrative and foreign service roles.

Wilson holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Religious Education from New York University; a Master of Divinity degree from Andrews University; and a Master of Science degree in Public Health from Loma Linda University. As president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, this education has served him well as he visits schools, hospitals and various church organizations around the world.

While attending Loma Linda, Wilson met his future wife, Nancy, a physical therapist, and together they raised three daughters, Emilie, Elizabeth, and Catherine, while working for the Church in New York; West Africa; Russia; and Maryland. His administrative experience led the Church in business session to elect him as a General Conference vice president in 2000—a position he held until 2010 when he was elected president.

During the past 12 years of Wilson’s leadership, the Church has adopted ministry initiatives rooted in personal revival and corporate reformation. The Total Membership Involvement (TMI) initiative, a full-scale evangelistic thrust spearheaded in 2016, sparked mission efforts around the world involving every member, every church, in personal and corporate outreach. This has resulted in thousands of people embracing the gospel through the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s understanding of the three angels’ messages.

Under Wilson’s watch, the Church’s strategic plans have focused on church members reaching the world, and inspiring and equipping them to use their God-given spiritual gifts in witness and service for Christ. The current strategic plan, “Reach the World: I Will Go,” outlines specific suggested goals to meet in the Church’s mission to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19, 20).

Wilson, along with fellow officers and church leaders helped lead the church through extremely challenging times, especially during the novel coronavirus pandemic that plunged the world into chaos. Leaders were forced to make difficult decisions to best meet the changing needs of the World Church. These included reducing and eliminating staff travel, establishing public health protocols for employees, reassessing finances and budgets, postponing General Conference Session, promoting virtual meetings, and more. Throughout this ordeal, Wilson has been a reassuring presence with his encouraging weekly videos to the Church, pointing members to Jesus.

That seems to be the overarching theme for Wilson’s life and ministry. As he so succinctly stated in a brief life sketch: “You don’t need to know what the General Conference is or who the president is. All you need to do is know the Lord, attend your local church, be involved in mission, be in relationships, and love people—telling them about God’s love and Christ’s soon coming.”^[i]

The Wilsons covet member’s prayers as they continue in their leadership roles within the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

This article was originally published on ANN website; photo courtesy of Outlook Magazine

^[i] https://adventist.news/news/profile-ted-n-c-wilson