The year was 1910. The place was Edinburgh, Scotland. The subject was missions.“Edinburgh 1910,” as the event is now known, was the first worldwide missionary conference representing most denominations. That groundbreaking conference led to the formation of several international missionary councils, including the World Council of Churches.

Fast-forward 100 years: The World Council of Churches is now planning for Edinburgh 2010 and Jon Dybdahl, retiring Walla Walla College (WWC) president, is the sole Seventh-day Adventist representative on the planning committee. The world church appointed Dybdahl after a request was made for Adventist Church participation in the event.

Edinburgh 2010 is the proposed hub for an international round of initiatives and events geared toward finding direction for Christian mission in the 21st century and challenging global missionary movements.

“I’m excited that I’ve been invited to be a part of this,” says Dybdahl. “I’m curious to see what will happen and how it will all work out this time.”

He says the upcoming conference will not be centered strictly in Scotland, but will include satellite meetings and events around the world. “It will truly be a global conference,” says Dybdahl, and all major Protestant denominations will be represented.

“I think it’s an amazing thing to ask an Adventist to be part of the planning, which is beginning even now,” Dybdahl told Adventist News Network in a telephone interview. “There will be very wide participation in the planning session and lots of different ideas and a lot of different perspectives.”

Worldwide there are approximately 980 non-volunteer Adventist missionaries, making the Seventh-day Adventist Church one of the leading sponsors of international missionaries.

Dybdahl says he is honored to represent the missionaries of the Adventist church. And he has plenty of missionary experience to stand on. The son of missionary parents, Dybdahl attended Far Eastern Academy in Singapore. After completing his theological studies at Andrews University, Dybdahl and his family moved to Thailand where he served as a pastor and evangelist, and founded Chiang Mai Academy before spending two years at Southeast Asia Union College. After that Dybdahl taught at WWC for 13 years, but then returned to Thailand to help found Mission College. He later moved to Andrews University where he helped train Adventist missionaries.

Dybdahl will attend the next formal Edinburgh 2010 planning committee meeting on July 4 and 5 in Edinburgh. He retires from the Walla Walla College presidency on August 31, culminating 40 years of denominational service, including four as president of the school. He and his wife will continue to reside in College Place, where Dybdahl will spend time researching, writing, speaking, and teaching. He will also serve part-time at the Seventh-day Adventist Seminary.