Geneeral Conference News

[Gregory Matthews]

From time to time I intend to post news and information related to the General Conference Session which officially begins, on Thursday, July 2.   Much of my information will be taken from official releases from denominational organizations.  Some will come from information that others had provided me.  While the GC does not officially begin for a couple of more days, I am informed that hundreds of people are on sight and there is a lot of activity that is already occurring at the Convention Center and at other places.

One such is 80 miles from SA, in Austin, Texas where SDA clergy, from all over the NAD were invited to attend a conference that Began on June 28.  I am puzzled as to why it was held in Austin.  Such resulted in many who  planed to attend both needing to be bused from SA to Austin.   I have been informed by one such that one bus returning to SA broke down on the highway and people were stranded until another bus could arrive.  in any case, the following information as to that Conference is taken from a NAD release:

 

Downtown Austin, Texas has been transformed into a giant ministerial convention as more than 5500 pastors, spouses and children are attending the CALLED NAD Ministerial Convention, sponsored by the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists. Held for the first time in decades, the convention serves to empower, educate and revitalize the diverse collection of ministers who serve the North American church.  Held over a four day period from June 28 – July 1, 2015, the event provides keynote presentations, workshops and worship opportunities that focus on four tracks, Pastors, Ministerial Spouses, Youth and Children.
 
The convention kicked off its opening with general session meetings focused towards the four tracks. The Pastors event featured presentations from Wintley Phipps, Dirk Duerkson, Wesly Knight and a closing charge from NAD President Daniel R. Jackson who urged the ministers to consider “Who called you and what for?”.  A prayer of dedication was offered by General Conference President Ted N.C. Wilson who praised the presenters, thanking them for focusing their messages on the need to follow Jesus Christ’s model of evangelism.

 

[Gregory Matthews]

In addition another series of meetings began today (June 29) in the Convention Center that was focused on several hundred SDA clergy.  It will continue through Wednesday evening.  Dilys Brooks, from Loma Linda was the main featured speaker that began this series.

This program tonight, I am informed, will be later released  on the Internet and potentially in other media forms as it was professionally videotaped by SONLIGHT.

So, this indicates that at least some of what it going on will be available to the Adventist public at large and maybe more.  Good!

[Gregory Matthews]

Note: My information comes from a variety of sources and may not have the same level of accuracy.Yesterday began with a local TV station report on the upcoming SDA Convention which is the largest convention every held in the history of SA!  Residents of SA were warned that if they planned to depart from the SA airport anytime through July 13, they needed to plan for at least two hours in line before their scheduled flight.

local restaurants began posting vegetarian menus yesterday.  Some, I am  told are selling tickets for Sabbath meals.

One woman reported in to a local hotel and asked if it was safe to walk in the area for exercise.  She was told that she would likely notice hundreds of blue shirted people also walking.  Those were SDA clergy and she would be safe  The Convention Center already has hundreds of people setting up booths in the hall, and it has many people running around doing whatever they do.

Many Adventists have arrived.  The Virgin Islands has sent a large group of non-delegates. They were bused yesterday to a vegan restaurant named THE GREEN who was expected to feed them all in time for them to get back to whatever they were doing.  Similar situations are said to exist at many other local restaurants.

More later as the day progresses and I receive more reports.

Edited July 1, 2015 by Gregory Matthews

[debbym]

Thank-you so much for doing this, i look forward to more reports.  

Are there any places online where we can access content from the ministerial convention like there is from a camp meeting?

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

interesting!  I appreciate the updates, as I don't plan on tuning into the live broadcasts... 

[Gregory Matthews]

Debbymn:  With General Conference not yet formally in session,  there are few meetings for  the video people from Sonlight to tape.   So, they are taping everything that is formally going on. They tell me that the programs that they tape will be made available to the public.  However, I cannot get what I believe to be an accurate answer as to when and how.  So I am not  posting what I am being told.  Once I have what I think is an accurate answer, I will post it.

I am informed that SDAs by the thousands arrived today.  They checked into hotels and registered in long lines.  They are spending the money that cities hope will come from the conventions.   They congregate along the River Walk.  They visit the Mexican markets and purchase the products.   The Resturants  have added vegetarian menu selections.

I like exact figures.  I would like to tell you that X number of clergy took part in this program that went on prior to the General Conference beginning.  But, I am having trouble getting the figures that I want.  I can tell you that about 300 clergy took part in one pre-session conference, but I do not have the exact figure.  I can suggest that a figure near 450 clergy, spouses and officials took part in a banquet meeting, and that the exact figure was probably above 450, but I have been unable to get an exact figure.

The main thing that I have to tell you is that thousands of people are already on site and that things are very busy with a lot happening prior to the beginning of the GC Session.  I also can tell you that this is an electronic age and security will be very tight for the session.  I am not fully in touch as to this point.  So, I am not posting what I have been told and in part because I believe that some of what I have been told is not accurate.

Question that is related to the General Conference Session:  This GC will celebrate a happening in SDA history that occurred on July 5, 1985, some 30 years ago.  What was it that happened on that date?

I did not know about this until I was informed by an official at the GC Session.

[Naomi]

Yes, thank you for keeping us informed ... I plan to watch as much as possible but can not catch all the sessions.  July 5, 1985 GC in Canada ... Women's Ordination?

[Gregory Matthews]

Naomi,  no.

[Naomi]

  Okay so much for my first guess.

[Gregory Matthews]

The General Conference formally begins, tomorrow, Thursday, July 2.  The following schedule was a GC release of some time ago and I am simply posting that information:  NOTE: I was given this release several months ago.  It is possible that minor changes have been made, but I doubt that any major changes have been made.

1)  Worship,  one hour and 20 minutes, beginning at 8 AM

2) Business Session: 2.5 hours, beginning at 9:30 AM

3) Business session 3 hours, beginning at 2 PM.

4) Musical Concert, 30 minutes, begining at 6:30 PM.

5) President's Report, 2 hours, beginning at 7 PM.   NOTE:  Other reports on other days.

 

Lunch and breaks occur between times.  The above is generally the schedule for all days other than Friday and Saturday.  However,  on some days minor changes are made.

 

Edited July 2, 2015 by Gregory Matthews

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

 this happened on July 5, 1985, at the New Orleans GC, but I doubt it's the "happening" that they'll be celebrating this year:

"Five Seventh-day Adventists were arrested on the pedestrian ramp leading from the Superdome to the Hyatt Regency Hotel Thursday night while protesting...the protesters all were attending the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference Session in New Orleans...[and] sought a forum at the convention to express their opposition...but have been denied by Neal Wilson, of Washington, D.C., president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist." The Times--Picayune newspaper of Louisiana, July 5, 1985, p A-25.

[Gregory Matthews]

July 5, 1985, hint:  The General Conference has some organizational levels.  E.G.  It has Services and Departments.  On July 5, 1985, a Service of the GC was formally voted to be a Department.

Over past years other formal changes in the GC have taken place.  Some very important ones have been put in place  over the past 12 months, or less.  This GC will in a sense formalize those changes in a sense that this will be the first time that they have been in effect for a General Conference.

The change to a Department that was made in 1985 will result this year in major changes this year as to its place in the pecking order even though some of those changes have been put in place over the past few months.  That Department is celebrating its new status and considers its birth to date back to 1985.

So, what Department is it and what is the major change that has taken place over the past few months that has also affected other departments?

 

[Gregory Matthews]

Car rental:  Local car rentals is running a minimum of $60+ per day with no  discount for renting for a week.  I went on line yesterday to see what it would cost to pick up a car at the airport and I checked both Avis and Budget.  They were both totally sold out for the period of the GC with no cars available at any price.  Parking close to the Convention Center and nearby hotels run $25 dollars a day. 

I am aware of two people who have been able to obtain car rentals for less than $20 per day by calling direct and also find parking for $10 per day with no "in and out."  But one  has to work at that.

There is a near-by major Mexican market.  Some have attempted to bargain with them.  But, the owners know that if they do not sell to  one,  they will sell to another and are refusing to bargain.

I once lived in SA for five months, many years ago and I found it to be a friendly city.  Today people are telling me that the same is true.  In the area around he Convention Center there are many volunteers stationed who are identified by their shirts.  They are able to answer questions and provide help.  

I have  mentioned the two groups that have had pre-session meeting that brought hundreds of people to the area.  They were told to stay at a nearby hotel and informed that they would have to move out by yesterday Noon as the GC had that hotel booked beginning yesterday for delegates.  Many of those have found themselves with a problem when they had to move out yesterday, yet they had planed to stay and now they needed to find a new hotel at the last minute.  I have reviewed the material sent out by the GC in which they were clearly told that they would have to move, but they did  not think it through.  They should have booked at a hotel where they could have stated for the entire period without moving.  Some who carefully read  the GC material did exactly that.

[Gregory Matthews]

The coffe shops have been ordered not to sell coffe.  So they are selling tea and cola drinks.  They send SDAs across the street to a coffe shop that the GC is unable to shut down.

[CoAspen]

The coffe shops have been ordered not to sell coffe.  So they are selling tea and cola drinks.  They send SDAs across the street to a coffe shop that the GC is unable to shut down.

You have got to be kidding!!!!! Ordered??? No freedom of choice??

Please tell me there is more to this story....

[Gregory Matthews]

This is exactly what happened at Atlanta in 2010.  At that time the GC had to pay Starbucks their estimated profit from selling the coffee in order to shut them down.  I do not know if that has happened here in SA.  However, I assume it is the same.  After all, those shops have a contract to sell.  In order to prevent them from selling an item it is only fair to buy them out by paying them their estimated profit.

 

[Gregory Matthews]

I do not have any input from the business sessions that began today.  I have checked the AT website and it does not report any such.  So, I  continue with human interest.  People have come from China as well as other Asian countries.  In fact, non-delegates have come from China.  No vote.  Just came because they were interested in the SDA church.  Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, 10 miles from the  convention center all have SDAs purchasing from them.  It seems to me that while the Adventists may not be breaking the 10 Commandments, they are spending 10 dollar bills all over  the city.

The Exhibit halls opened this afternoon and standing room only crowds are going through them.  They are quite the commercial venture.  Some are selling food products.  The ABC has a huge book area.  Others are simply promoting their version of ministry under the Adventist umbrella.  Hope TV, 3-ABN and other media are well represented.  I am attempting to get a  count of the total number and I do not yet have what I believe to be an accurate figure.   A GC release states that these halls fill three large areas of the Convention Center.

 

[CoAspen]

I find the that rather embarrassing, ordering coffee shops not to sell a product.....a great witness. Sad.

[phkrause]

It is sad, not only that, if they have that kind of money to spend on closing down the selling of coffee, what does that say?? How about Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Cherry Cola, etc., etc.! I guess those are exceptable!!!!

[Gregory Matthews]

July 5, 1985 was the birth of Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries.  Previously it had been National Service Organization.   This was more than a name change it was change in mission as well as a change in status.

Effective this year, ACM exists in its own right as a department of the NAD and has been separated from the General Conference. 

 

I am informed that a representative, speaking today for the SA Mayor informed the delegates that not only is this the biggest convention that SA has ever had, it is a convention that has lasted longer than any other convention in the history of SA.

Does that mean that others have been able to transact their business in less time that the SDA Church?  If so, that is something to think about.

Edited July 3, 2015 by Gregory Matthews

[Gregory Matthews]

The Nominating Committee is meeting as I write this, I am informed.  No candidate yet. 

[Naomi]

I have been a part of a couple of large International Conventions held in SA.  They had fewer Agenda  items and spent more time "negotiating" in the surrounding facilities; if you get my drift.  Rather a horse-of-a different-color, so to speak.

 

 

[hch]

The coffe shops have been ordered not to sell coffe.  So they are selling tea and cola drinks.  They send SDAs across the street to a coffe shop that the GC is unable to shut down.

Interesting take on the health message: coffee is out but cola and tea is in?

Selected messages 101?

[Gregory Matthews]

Probably they just forgot about cola and teas.

[Gregory Matthews]

The Nominating Committee presented the name of Ted Wilson for President during the next term.  There was an attempt to reject this recommendation and to send the report back to the Committee.

Ultimately, Ted Wilson has been elected for a new term.

I wish that I had an official vote count.  But, I do not.