The end is nigh!  It is a sign you sometimes see hung on a sandwich board around the neck of some earnest soul on the street.  It is the message that empowers evangelists around the world.  For the delegates and many thousands of Seventh-day Adventists who have been in St. Louis, Missouri for the last 10 days it is a sign that a mixture of spiritual feast, friends reunited and a business session is coming to an end.

As the spectacular Parade of Nations climaxes tonight, the exhibition stands are coming down, bags are being packed in hotel rooms, goodbyes are being said and long queues will start to form at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. We are going home.

But what is it that we are going home with?

For Mwenge Kashito of Zambia it is the spirit of evangelism.  He says, “It has opened my eyes.  Let’s go finish the work while the sun shines.”  Evangelism has certainly been an emphasis here.  Good news of mass baptisms in some parts of the world.  Prayer and hope for the miracle of the Gospel working in hard places.  Open discussion each afternoon on challenges to mission.  A large offering and a challenge to bring “Hope for Big Cities”.

Ian Sleeman from England represents the majority of delegates and visitors in talking of “the tremendous sense of blessing by being with like-minded people.”  As a local church pastor he is now excited at being able to take what he has learned here back home, but also to serve on the world church Executive Committee for the next five years.

Church leadership has been a major issue of this session.  Elam Musoni from Nairobi, Kenya sees the election of women to the positions of vice president, associate secretary and associate treasurer as “a big step forward.”  He sees a “new openness for women.”  It will be interesting to see how that openness translates around the world.  It will also be interesting to see how the large amount of discussion on empowering youth turns into a reality.

As Pam Harris from Andrews University puts it, “This nominating committee has returned the largest number of incumbents ever.  At Toronto there was a call for youth to be involved.”  She is concerned that it only ends up as discussion.  “For that to happen,” she says, “it needs to be intentional and strategic.”

Pastor Jan Paulsen, world church president, recognizes that test.  He challenged the Sabbath morning congregation, including the leadership of the church across the world to “actively engage [our youth] as partners in our future.  Please, for Christ’s sake, bring in the youth.  Trust them.  Empower them.”

James Standish from the world Church’s headquarters department for Public Affairs and Religious Liberty wants to include not just youth in the equation, but to “give lay people more power.”  He looks at the process of democracy at the meetings and believes it “can be shorter, more efficient, more democratic.”  He hopes that is a message the leadership will look at more closely.

Gabi Ziegler spent the last 10 days behind the scenes working for the Session’s Adventist television news. She will take home to Germany “great memories working with an international team.”  Stephen Ruf, professor of journalism and communication at Southern Adventist University, Tennessee, adds “the joy of meeting and getting to know other media professionals, and the challenge of coming to an understanding of different ways of working.”

Many have enjoyed the world church session without actually being there.  Several Adventist-oriented news agencies have kept church members and an interested public informed of the news and mood of the session.  Ms. A. Thomas emailed from Australia to say that she has been taping the Session News reports on the Hope Channel.  She writes that she “found the news information inspiring and learnt more than she did by attending the last two sessions in person.”

What do you take away?  It is also a question asked by world church President, Pastor Jan Paulsen.  In his Sabbath morning presentation he stated, “We have dealt with spiritual core values, with what constitutes church leadership.  We have talked about the mission before us.  You as delegates have participated richly and constructively.  What do you take away?  Do you see the hands of Christ at work or have you been too busy?”  He went on to talk about the sweet spirit of unity in the diverse church family stating, “I want us to take away from this session that we are one family.  We are on the way into God’s future as one united family.”

That is a unity well expressed by Barrington Brennen from the Bahamas.  He takes with him “the joy of meeting old friends and making new ones.  The thrill of seeing the church in business.  The excitement of seeing the tremendous resources we have for teaching, theology and ministry, both by the church and supporting ministries.”  He concluded with a thought that most of the 40,000 Adventists here this Sabbath would agree with:  “I am thrilled the people are still excited about being Adventist.”