General Conference

The General Conference (GC) Session for Seventh-day Adventists is happening right now in St. Louis, Missouri. It's basically a business session and get together for the world church that happens every five years. "Session" has been underway since Thursday, June 30, so there's a few noteworthy items worth writing about.

From what I've heard there's not expected to be many hot topics like women's ordination or marriage and divorce coming up in this session. President Jan Paulson (pronounced "yahn") has been re-elected. Word has it that the nominating committee debated long and hard between him and the more conservative GC Vice President Ted Wilson. Paulsen squeezed through the nominating committee vote, 98 to 91, and received a unanimous floor vote from the delegates. The first female GC vice president was also elected yesterday.

A new fundamental belief is supposed to be approved this session. It is called "Growing in Christ" and deals with Christ's power over demons, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the spiritual walk. But a new procedure was voted today for processing such requests. I'm not sure whether it affects the proposed new belief or not.

For day to day reports on the session check out these websites:

Adventist News Network - Comprehensive and just-the-facts reporting

Adventist Review Online - The flagship Adventist journal is tasked with publishing daily reports of the session.

Spectrum/AAF Online - Commentary from a liberal, academic slant

Adventist Today - Commentary from the editors a progressive, anti-"fundamentalist magazine--the voice of the Adventist 'left'