On July 3, 2025, the 2025 General Conference (GC) Session of the Seventh-day Adventist Church officially began in St. Louis, Missouri, with a welcome from current church officers and a devotional by Mark Finley, assistant to the president of the GC.
Finley opened his devotional encouraging delegates and attendees to “go make disciples of all nations,” referencing the Great Commission given to the disciples by Jesus in Matthew 28 before He returned to heaven.
Finley described the world Jesus was in as being “filled with paganism and military might. A nation of millions that would eagerly watch a fight to the death for sport and believed in the power of man-made gods.”
According to research quoted by Finley, there was an estimated one Christian for every 500,000 people within the first-century Roman Empire, and an estimated 120 Christian disciples.
“Against an impossible scene, Jesus commissioned his disciples to go and teach all nations,” Finley said.
Reading through various chapters of Acts, he captured the spirit of the early disciples bringing the biblical message of Jesus. He explained that the book of Acts showcases the story of people from all walks of life being changed by the Holy Spirit, who then went out and changed the world.
This thought drove the heart of his message. “The spirit must radically transform us, before it transforms the world,” said Finley. “And what Jesus did then, he will do now.”
As delegates sat in the Dome at America’s Center from all corners of the world, Finley encouraged each person to call for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to take place in St. Louis during the 10-day event.
This is the 62nd GC Session of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and will run until July 12. Each day, excluding both Saturdays (Sabbaths), will feature morning and evening worship, church business sessions, musical concerts, and global mission reports.
Delegates will join business sessions each day to vote on policies, leadership, and the strategic direction of the world church for the next five years, including the election of the president of the General Conference.
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