Addressing an international gathering of church leaders tonight, Pastor Jan Paulsen, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church worldwide, identified “mission” and “unity” as the two most formidable challenges facing the Adventist Church at the beginning of 21st century.  Paulsen was speaking at the opening gathering of the church’s Annual Council, a five-day meeting that convenes the highest decision-making body of the Adventist Church outside a full General Conference Session, which is held every five years.

Reminding leaders that “there is no virtue in simply remaining busy,” Paulsen urged members of the General Conference Executive Committee to keep the challenges of “unity” and “mission” firmly in mind during their deliberations and decision-making of the next five days.

In assessing and tackling challenges facing the church today, Paulsen identified strategic planning as an essential component in building “a very intentional design which enhances unity, stimulates growth, and makes this church a better spiritual home for all.”

Paulsen also emphasized the vital importance of leadership training, which he said the world church has defined as an area of urgent need.  While acknowledging that a formal Leadership Training unit at the General Conference has been set up, Paulsen also challenged church leaders present to model Adventist leadership.  This leadership, Paulsen said, is characterized by “spiritual values,” “a clearly defined mission” and something more: a truly global perspective that is able to transcend preoccupation with provincial interests and “turf-protection.” 

“With such a mind-set leadership binds together rather than scatters, looks out rather than in, shares rather than hoards,” said Paulsen.  “Is not that, historically, a pretty good description of how we have functioned in mission as a church?”

Referring to an Annual Council agenda item proposing the formation of a Council on Africa, Paulsen said that “the time has come for us as a world body of leaders to ask: Have we provided our best to care for the future of our church family in Africa?” Citing the unprecedented growth-some 500 percent-in church membership in Africa over the last two decades, and the 500 percent growth that is projected for the next decade, Paulsen said that there must be consideration of ways to relieve the “huge demands on infrastructures, institutions, pastorate and leadership” in the region.

Paulsen also expressed his commitment to the newly formed Council on Evangelism and Witness, which met for the first time early this month. “Let the world church family know that the General Conference is involved in and actively pursuing evangelistic thinking and planning,” said Paulsen, “and that we confess this to be our first task as God’s people in these last days.”

Paulsen ended his talk by reminding those who do not work at the General Conference that “it is not as though we have everything pre-defined, cooked, and canned at this place. We may sound like it at times, but really we do not.” Instead, Paulsen called on those present to “help those of us who do work here to create services and initiatives that fit into the life of the church as you know it from your various corners of the globe.”

“I pray that I and my colleagues will be young enough in mind, ready to listen and learn,” said Paulsen.

Annual Council brings together the more than 260 members of the General Conference Executive Committee, who will meet over the next five days to deal with the business of the world church.  The committee is composed of church administrators, pastors and laypeople representing all 12 world divisions of the Adventist Church.