Some delegates are clearly growing weary of the process. No, it’s not Disneyland here—but any representative form of government, including the church, means decisions and changes happen very slowly. Every delegate has the right to share their perspective and opinion, even when others don’t agree. The alternative would be an authoritarian, papal, hierarchical church. We DO NOT want that! Hopefully, our current system gives us a better chance of staying on mission, even when it feels like we’re zigging and zagging.
The business sessions today focused heavily on Church Manual and Constitution & Bylaws items. Much of it involved editorial and maintenance updates, including territory adjustments and clarifications about Annual Council expectations and limitations. We also heard encouraging reports from several regions where growth has necessitated the formation of new Unions to support the work:
- South Sudan
- North & South Philippines
- Northern Ghana
- Cameroon
- Nicaragua
- Costa Rica
It was inspiring to hear what is taking place and how intentional they are about grounding and stabilizing new members. In Cameroon, they’re experiencing 90% retention of new members! Many are realizing that we’ve erred by assuming baptism alone was enough—only to see over 40% of new members leave, based on a 20-year average.
There was also plenty of discussion around tithes and offerings. Delegates supported the need for accountability—especially among church leaders—but emphasized the importance of avoiding a “stewardship police” mentality. Several Church Manual proposals related to this topic were referred back to the writing committee for further review and possible revision. Most of them had to do with tithes, offerings, and access to members’ giving records.
For example, here is one proposed addition to the duties of an elder:
To Foster Tithing — By faithfully returning tithe, elders do much to encourage other members to return a faithful tithe (see pp. 142–143, 175). Elders can foster tithing by publicly presenting the scriptural privilege and responsibility of stewardship, and by personally working with members in a tactful and helpful manner. Elders should regard all personal giving information as strictly confidential.
Some additional clarifications are also coming regarding membership transfers.
There were also proposals related to the work of the church board, mostly emphasizing that its primary function is to have a comprehensive plan for fulfilling its mission of making disciples—including evangelism, community outreach, and the spiritual nurture and training of the church.
One proposal regarding child safety was sent back with the intention of strengthening it. The revised version will likely require that any known incidents of child abuse must be reported to the next pastor if a member with a known history moves. It was encouraging to see the strong, unified support for the uncompromising protection of children. We’ll see what comes back.
The Youth/Young Adult section of the Church Manual also sparked discussion—mostly editorial and influenced by regional input. That section will return for further review after considering several relevant suggestions.
This evening, we received reports from:
Each report was incredibly inspiring. Having just come from Kenya, the first report held special meaning for Sue and me. That division is approaching 4 million members! The report from Ukraine was humbling and deeply moving. Despite the ongoing war, the church continues to minister to hurting people and soldiers—and incredibly, the church there is growing! It’s a powerful example of how selfless service can drive kingdom growth.
The report from the South Pacific was equally moving: 300,000 baptisms in Papua New Guinea in 2024. Because of our connection to Australia (our daughter lives there), we personally know a few pastors involved in that massive outreach. They’ve testified to the miracles of grace that happened throughout the region.
Thank you for all you’re doing to grow God’s kingdom in our territory. The testimonies and stories from across the global church are consistent: yes, there are problems. Yes, resources are tight. Some issues may seem unsolvable. But the message of Jesus is still changing lives—and that gives us hope.
Written by Elder Ron Carlson, president of the Kansas-Nebraska Conference.
Click on the picture below to view pictures from the North American Division Flickr website.
