Elder Ron Carlson, president of the Kansas-Nebraska Conference, is one of 16 delegates representing the Mid-America Union at the 62nd General Conference (GC) Session in St. Louis, Missouri. The delegates from the Mid-America Union who are serving are comprised of the following:
- 3 Union Officers
- 6 Conference Presidents
- 4 Lay Members
- 1 Pastor
- 1 Educator
- 1 Departmental Director
Elder Carlson, amongst his many duties as a delegate, has taken the time to share a brief overview what has taken place over the first weekend of GC Session. You can view the Sessions live broadcast on YouTube.
Thursday, July 3
Opening day everyone is figuring out where everything is. The first business session started with tension as a small group tried to get an item added to the agenda urging the church to reverse its supportive stance on vaccines and that we do not support peer-reviewed science. They were not able to get the item on the agenda. It’s a reminder that we don’t all agree about everything.
Elder Wilson gave the president’s report Thursday evening. It was a nice review of the many good things taking place around the world focusing on “I Will Go” “Total Member Involvement” (TMI) and mission commitment.
Friday, July 4
This was the first full day of business meetings. Getting through an agenda with over 2,000 delegates is not quick and easy. It’s fascinating seeing what causes great discussion and debate and what moves rather smoothly. Most of the items on Friday were preliminary items. The surprise came at the end of the afternoon session when the Nominating Committee brought in their first report and recommended that Erton Kohler be our new GC President. The response of the delegates to the announcement surprised me a bit as there was an obvious sense of joy at the announcement. The recommendation passed overwhelming by the delegates. Although I am not personally acquainted with Elder Kohler, I hear good reports from some very trusted people.
Friday evening the program was “Total Member Involvement” and featured some amazing stories of sacrifice and commitment.
Sabbath, July 5
Sabbath was a full day of vibrant worship and large crowds. Although not full, the dome floor and first level were packed. The speaker on the first Sabbath is typically the GC Secretary. Being that “was” Erton Kohler, he kidded how we would need to listen to him both Sabbaths since the second Sabbath is reserved for the new GC President. His 40-minute message focused on the boldness of Bible heroes and urged us to have bold faith. The music was amazing.
Sabbath evening began the reports from the 13 World Divisions. NAD led the way. There were several good examples and stories, emphasizing “Pentecost 2025.” It was well done and factual but could have used a better team of creative producers. It was followed by a stirring report from the Middle East and North Africa Mission—one of the most challenging places in the world, where in many countries it is illegal to share one’s faith. The Lord continues to open small doors and provides evidence of His love for the people of that region and those trying to share Jesus with them. It was inspiring.
Sunday, July 6
With lots to get through, there are no days off here. The day was filled with business and agendas. Mission statements and standing committees were voted. Two new Unions were added to the Philippines. Ghana received a new mission and Union Conference. Cameroon was reorganized as a mission and Union Mission. Costa Rica was also reorganized as a mission and Union Mission. Several housekeeping actions had to be voted about future sessions and delegates. Nothing too earthshaking.
The Nominating Committee brought the name of Richard McEdward, former president of Middle East North Africa Union Mission as GC Secretary (the position vacated by Elder Kohler being elected as GC President). Again, I am not familiar with him, but his reputation among those who have worked with him is encouraging.
Church Manual proposed changes always bring plenty of people to the microphones. A long addition more completely defining the work of the pastor was debated for some time and finally voted to be sent back to committee for some review and to be brought back to the delegates.
A Divinely Appointed Ministry
Seventh-day Adventist ministers bear the God-given responsibility of proclaiming the everlasting gospel, making disciples, and equipping the saints according to their spiritual gifts in order to equip them for service (Eph. 4:11, 12; 2 Tim. 4:2). As Ellen G. White stated: “It was at the very beginning of His ministry that Christ began to gather in His helpers. This is a lesson to all ministers. They should constantly be looking for and training those who they think could help them in their work. They should not stand alone, trying to do by themselves all that needs to be done” (Letter 53, 1905). In addition, pastors are commanded to do the work of an evangelist, reading God’s word publicly and teaching obedience to it (1 Tim. 4:13; 2 Tim. 2:24-26; 4:2, 5). They are to encourage and exhort the believers (1 Tim. 5:1, 2; 6:2), and rebuke sinners (1 Tim. 5:20); ordain elders (1 Tim. 5:22; Titus 1:5); uphold the truth and take a firm stance against false doctrines (1 Tim. 1:3, 4; 4:7; 6:20, 21; Titus 1:9). They should be examples to the believers in all matters of faith and practice (1 Tim. 4:12; 1 Peter 5:3). Another important part of the pastoral work is the visitation ministry. Ellen G. White stated: “Remember that a minister’s work does not consist merely in preaching. He is to visit families in their homes, to pray with them, and to open to them the Scriptures. He who does faithful work outside the pulpit will accomplish tenfold more than He who confines his labors to the desk” (9T 124). “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:1-3). All believers have the privilege of being part of “a royal priesthood” that proclaims “the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:5-9). To support and guide this work God “gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:11-13). The New Testament describes how the leadership of the church was established. During His ministry on Earth, Jesus appointed twelve apostles to accompany Him on His travels and sent them out to preach the Gospel and heal the sick (Mark 3:14, 15; Luke 6:13). He also sent out a larger group of seventy (Luke 10:1-23). This indicates that the organization of the church was initiated by Jesus Christ Himself in order to fulfill the mission of making disciples and teaching Bible truth (Matt. 28:18-20; Luke 24:44-49; Acts 1:8). Soon after Christ’s ascension, the apostles faced increasing demands with the fast-growing church in Jerusalem. To cope with these challenges, they divided the leadership responsibilities in the local church into different areas. Seven men were chosen to “serve tables,” caring mainly for the practical and material needs of the church, while the apostles confined themselves “to prayer and the ministry of the Word” (Acts 6:2, 4). Both leadership groups were involved in serving or ministering, but the manner of their involvement differed significantly. These avenues of ministry reflect the offices of deacon and elder/overseer described in Paul’s writings (Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:6-9). While most elders and deacons ministered in local settings, some elders, such as Timothy and Titus, were itinerant and supervised greater territory with multiple congregations (1 Tim. 1:3, 4; Titus 1:5). In harmony with the leadership model of the Jerusalem church, the apostles appointed elders as spiritual leaders in every church (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5). This practice explains why apostles, when they left Jerusalem to preach the Gospel, did not leave a leadership vacuum in this major center of the early church. Several years later, Barnabas and Saul delivered to the elders the relief contributions they had collected from far-flung churches for the needy believers in Judea (Acts 11:29, 30). As Ellen G. White indicates, the “organization of the church at Jerusalem was to serve as a model for the organization of churches in every other place where messengers of truth should win converts to the Gospel.”—AA 91. These New Testament principles of church organization guided Seventh-day Adventists in the years prior to and the decades following its official organization as a church in 1863. During this time, ministers were employed by the various conferences as administrators and evangelists, raising up churches, and visiting established churches that needed counsel. Following the model of ministry of Timothy and Titus, conference-employed ministers almost never functioned as resident or “settled” pastors of a local church, in contrast to the practice in most Protestant churches then and now. In this regard, Ellen G. White wrote: “Instead of keeping the ministers at work for the churches that already know the truth, let the members of the churches say to these laborers: ‘Go work for souls that are perishing in darkness. We ourselves will carry forward the services of the church. We will keep up the meetings, and, by abiding in Christ, will maintain spiritual life. We will work for souls that are about us, and we will send our prayers and our gifts to sustain the laborers in more needy and destitute fields.’”—6T 30. “As a general rule, the conference laborers should go out from the churches into new fields, using their God-given ability to a purpose in seeking and saving the lost.”—Ev 382. As a divinely appointed ministry, ministers are “to sow the seeds of truth. Place after place is to be visited; church after church is to be raised up. Those who take their stand for truth are to be organized into churches, and then the minister is to pass on to other equally important fields.”—7T 20 “Just as soon as a church is organized, let the minister set the members at work. They will need to be taught how to labor successfully. Let the minister devote more of his time to educating than to preaching. Let him teach the people how to give to others the knowledge they have received. While the new converts should be taught to ask counsel from those more experienced in the work, they should also be taught not to put the minister in the place of God. Ministers are but human beings, men compassed with infirmities. Christ is the One to Whom we are to look for guidance.”— 7T 20. “Our ministers should plan wisely, as faithful stewards. They should feel that it is not their duty to hover over the churches already raised up, but that they should be doing aggressive evangelistic work, preaching the Word and doing house-to-house work in places that have not yet heard the truth. . . . They will find that nothing is so encouraging as doing evangelistic work in new fields.”—Ev 382. These inspired counsels remain just as relevant today. Our ministers have the solemn responsibility of leading their congregations in the mission of reaching others for Christ. As Ellen G. White stated, “The work of God in this earth can never be finished until the men and women comprising our church membership rally to the work and unite their efforts with those of ministers and church officers.”—9T 117. And “when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away” (1 Peter 1:4).
The other Church Manual item which brought much discussion, but was finally approved, dealt with faithful tithing and church offices.
Work of the Nominating Committee—The chairperson should call a meeting of the committee as soon as possible after its election. With earnest prayer the committee should begin preparing a list of nominees for all offices. Nominees must be members in regular standing of the church making the appointments. The returning of a faithful tithe is a prerequisite for holding church office. The pastor or chair of the nominating committee shall work with the treasurer to develop a process by which only members eligible to hold office are nominated. This should be done in such a way that maintains as much confidentiality as possible.
The World Divisions who reported tonight were from Israel field where about 800 Adventists meet in about 80 locations. The stories of faithfulness in the face of ongoing war were humbling. We also heard from the Northern Asia Pacific Division which has the highest percentage of non-Christian faiths in the world. Finally we heard from the enthusiastic South American Division. Lots of cheers and flags throughout the dome. Their membership is nearing 3 million and growing rapidly.
Thanks for praying for our world church. We are certainly not perfect and there are plenty of issues with no obvious solutions, but we are called to do God’s work through the power of His Spirit wherever we are called to serve.
Written by Elder Ron Carlson, president of the Kansas-Nebraska Conference.
