The last day of the 2017 Annual Council was filled with inspiration. It truly brought this year’s meetings to an end in a positive and uplifting way. Elder Wilson's introduction to the morning worship set the tone for the day. He informed the delegates that Wayne Blakely, the speaker from Coming Out Ministries, was uniquely positioned to help the c
The third day of the 2017 Annual Council began rather anticlimactically. There were looks of joy and looks of sorrow, looks of defeat and looks of gloating. All in all, however, the atmosphere was one of peace. The morning's business session focused around nurture & retention of members within the Adventist church. Dr. David Trim, with his dry
Monday was the day—the big day. This was the day when Annual Council was to discuss proposals for church unity and reconciliation. It was a day that was expected to be volatile and filled with anger—a day that could split the Church. What happened was not what was expected. The morning began with a worship from Heidi Carpenter and Ranela Kaligithi,
For several months prior to the opening of this year’s Annual Council, there has been a general concern about the atmosphere and possible ramifications of the upcoming non-compliance disciplinary vote. However, over Sabbath, there was a sweet spirit and an overall atmosphere of unity. The day began with a wonderful worship message by Dr. Mic
Devotions and Mission With the dramatic build up to the General Conference Annual Council 2016 (GCAC16) and the vote on Unity, today’s half day session was sublime, and in so many ways anticlimactic. There were no discussions, no racing to the microphones to get points across, nothing but peace. Sweet, sweet peace. Elder Mark Finley spoke fo
Day 3 of the 2016 General Conference Annual Council Business Meetings as Reported by Kat Taylor Mission for the Youth As Tuesday’s meetings got underway, there was a feeling in the room of much anticipation and even anxiety. I watched as well before 6 am people started coming into the auditorium to claim seats, we had been told there would be an ov
Day 2 of the 2016 General Conference Annual Council Business Meetings as Reported by Kat Taylor On a day that found most everyone having side conversations about what will come tomorrow, the big topic of discussion was money, or what could become the lack thereof. Financial Pressures Juan Prestol-Puesan, GC Treasurer, shared the stark news t
Day 1 of the 2016 General Conference Annual Council Business Meetings as Reported by Kat Taylor Before the 2016 General Conference Annual Council (GCAC) even began, there have been weeks of meetings in preparation for the arrival of delegates and invitees from around the world. The executive meetings, many closed door and private, have been a way f
With the end of Annual Council, Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders now face the challenges of ensuring all that has been decided and emphasized is now carried out in their home divisions and unions. In parts of the world where local churches are “hands-on” and very involved in outreach and evangelism, this is a fairly easy task. However, there ar
Every year for the past six years, the General Conference Ministerial Association has brought in a team of volunteers to bathe Annual Council and the pre-council meetings in prayer. This was my second year in a row that I have been blessed to be a part of this process. Seeing how God moved upon the delegates and hearing time and time again from lea
