"It's important that we have time to worship together and to celebrate the incredible diversity of the church," Pastor Jan Paulsen, president of the Seventh-day Adventist world church, told local media at a June 29 news conference kicking off the church's
“It’s important that we have time to worship together and to celebrate the incredible diversity of the church,” Pastor Jan Paulsen, president of the Seventh-day Adventist world church, told local media at a June 29 news conference kicking off the church’s 58th General Conference Session.
With delegates and visitors coming from more than 200 countries, he added, “you have this sort of blend” of people at the event, representing a “global family of between 22 and 25 million people, 93 percent of whom live outside of North America.” Paulsen later explained that since the church only baptizes teens and adults, the church’s official membership of 14.3 million is expanded “by about half” when children and other weekly worshippers are counted.
The world president was joined by the North American region church president, Pastor Don Schneider, and Session Manager Linda de Leon, in speaking with representatives of local media outlets, including radio and television outlets. The event was designed to formally introduce the Adventist Church’s quinquennial meeting—which will bring as many as 70,000 people to St. Louis for the two Sabbath or Saturday worship sessions.
“This event is a mixture of friendship, information and worship,” Paulsen said, although he also emphasized that the principal function of the event is business. The Session is designed, he said, to transact church matters including the election of “a considerable number” of world church leaders and the top three officers of each of the 13 Adventist church regions around the world.
Responding to the question of why St. Louis was selected for the event, de Leon said the city “has a lot to offer” a convention such as this; Paulsen added it is an advantage to have the meeting under one roof. America’s Center and Edward Jones Dome are covered, downtown facilities that can handle crowds of the size anticipated for the 10-day meetings.
“By being in the city and sharing, I hope we leave behind a strong testimony of faith,” Paulsen said, adding jocularly, “I expect we will also leave behind some cash,” as Adventist visitors are taking thousands of hotel rooms and making other expenditures here.
At the same time, Paulsen said the presence of teetotaling Adventists means “the liquor industry will not do particularly well during the days we are here.” Reflecting a commitment to health, Adventists abstain from alcohol, while St. Louis is home to one of America’s largest breweries.
But the Adventist involvement in St. Louis will be more than transitory. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency, ADRA, will donate the entire proceeds of its merchandise sales here to alleviate poverty in the city.
The church is also sponsoring several cultural activities, including a film festival, and a Bible-writing project, where the public will be invited to write their version of a single Bible verse on a scroll, which will be presented to the city as a gift.
Asked to compare the Adventist election process with the more familiar Papal election held in April in Rome, Paulsen said that while he was “not privy” to the inner workings of the Roman Catholic Church, Adventists rely on the work of a 196-member nominating committee.
“In our church the selection is more widely based,” Paulsen said. “We use a nominating committee made up of delegates from around the world; they will go through a list of [potential] nominees for each position.”
He added that much thought is given to ensure that church leadership “reflects the diversity of the world church.”
Paulsen and Schneider also explained the church will engage in evangelism during the Session, but more of the media-based and individual variety, as opposed to area-wide meetings.