GC Session 2025

In the heart of downtown St. Louis, Missouri, the America’s Center Convention Complex is rapidly transforming in preparation for the 2025 General Conference (GC) Session of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

With just days to go before the official start on July 3, 2025, setup crews are working to prepare the 500,000-square-foot venue for an estimated 100,000 delegates, staff, and attendees. 

The arena, which will serve as the main meeting hall, is being fitted with advanced audiovisual equipment to support multilingual programming and international livestreams. 

Jim Hobbs, who has worked with the North American Division in the Central California Conference for approximately eight years, will be one of the audio engineers working during the 10-day event. 

Dr. Mark Finley recently led a five-night series titled "Astonishing Discoveries and Prophecies" at the St. Louis Central Seventh-day Adventist Church, in St. Louis, Missouri, where Mark Tagaloa, Adventist pastor from the Iowa-Missouri Conference, serves as the lead pastor. The meetings were held on June 12, 14, 15, 17, and 18, and focused on how history and archaeology support the Bible.

“There was a welcoming spirit in the room as people visited with one another before and after the meeting,” said Craig Carr, Ministerial and Evangelism director for the Mid-America Union Conference.

Each night began with a friendly greeting from Finley, who introduced the evening’s topic. His wife, Ernestine “Teeny” Finley, also gave short talks about living a healthy and happy life using natural foods and remedies.

The 2025 General Conference (GC) Session app is now available for delegates and attendees to download in preparation for the 62nd GC Session scheduled for July 3–12, 2025, in St. Louis, Missouri.

“This is truly the inaugural digital-first GC Session and the app is central to that experience,” said Sam Neves, GC associate director of Communication.

The previous session, held in 2022, was a hybrid event that introduced the first version of a GC Session app. However, that version was built on a third-party event platform, resulting in a limited user experience.

“For this year’s session, we wanted the best possible experience,” said Neves. “That meant investing the time to develop our own application.”

For sisters Lychel Lee Gabuco and Cheard Lyzz Gabuco, ministry has never been about the spotlight. It’s about showing up, often behind the scenes, often in silence, and building a space where Deaf individuals can see, feel, and live the love of Jesus.

Now, after more than 15 years of full-time service in Deaf ministry, the two are heading to the 62nd General Conference Session as representatives of the Adventist Possibility Ministries (APM) and Adventist Deaf Ministries International–Philippines. For them, it’s more than an event. It’s a milestone in a journey defined by prayer, perseverance, and purpose.

“We never imagined we’d be part of something this global,” Lychel shared. “Most of our work happens in small churches, local communities, and Deaf spaces that people don’t always see.”

The sisters have spent years seeking the Deaf in various regions of the Philippines, establishing Deaf ministries in churches, training volunteer interpreters, and empowering Deaf leaders. Although the number of Deaf members is still small, approximately 200 members and 20 interpreters across seven churches, their impact continues to grow.

Over 2,000 volunteers and healthcare professionals were recently in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States, offering free medical, dental, and vision services to the public as part of the Pathway to Health mega clinic. From May 5–8, 2025, the event was held at the America’s Center Convention Complex and was open to all, with no insurance, documentation, or ID required.

People lined up early on May 5 to receive services ranging from cardiology and dermatology to pediatrics, women’s health, minor surgeries, and dental work. Vision care includes eye exams and free prescription glasses. Volunteers are also offering physical therapy, massages, clothing, and haircuts.

Pathway to Health is a nonprofit humanitarian service of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. This is the ninth mega clinic they have operated since 2014, and many of the volunteers come from around the country to be Jesus' hands and feet in St. Louis.