“Protect that man at all costs! Hint: Be nice to people with coats or jackets of many colours. ” –Mitchum Burnett, on a delegate with an entertainingly colorful jacket
Comments on articles about the General Conference (GC) Session, as well as several photos of the Adventist Today (AT) staff goofing off working in St. Louis
“When I was young, I shared Ted Wilson’s clarity and conviction.
Today I bask in the warmth of God’s love and grace, that embraces all.”
-Carsten Thomsen
It seems to be an orientation to religious authority that is deeply embedded within us—in spite of some significant problems with that particular religious authority. It was sent back to committee, to return in 2030.
“This denomination isn’t the bride of Christ. It’s the husband of EGW [Ellen G White].”
–Frank Merendino
“The SDA [Seventh-day Adventist] church is not Sola Scriptura as it claims to be with this amendment. We have given EGW ‘Sainthood’ status, which ironically is no different than the Roman Catholic Church giving Mary ‘Sainthood’ status. They are one and the same.
“EGW and SOP [Spirit of Prophecy] are worshiped as an idol, and the amendment just further proves how we cannot let go of her influence as it relates to the authority of scripture.
What is really amusing is when we attempt to defend our standing in the Protestant community as a ‘Bible-only’ world-wide church and not a cult!”
“Wow, it looks like Adventist Today ecumenism is breaking out all over! Bjorn takes a selfie with Stephen Bohr (of Secrets Unsealed). Loren hugs folks doing security and housekeeping work, and he says nice things about or associates with leaders from Fulcrum7, Come and Reason, Advent Messenger, and Geoscience Research Institute. Those AT execs must have been again reading the Gospels and getting the Jesus vibe!”
–Jim Walters
“We really need to develop a secret handshake–for identification.”
“Thank you for bringing a genuinely heartwarming perspective to your coverage of the GC. I wholeheartedly agree with the importance of conversation, communication, and cordiality. Finding common ground is critical to maintaining and enriching our relationships.”
–Steve Kohler
“Absolutely loved this piece.
“This is exactly why I read Adventist Today and why I feel part of this beautifully complicated family we call Adventism.
I may not agree with every viewpoint, and I certainly don’t live in the same theological zip code as some of the voices quoted—but wow… it gives me hope! Hope that even from the ‘nosebleeds,’ you can find common ground. Hope that maybe we’re finally learning to listen before labeling.
“To see the new GC president openly acknowledge independent voices like AT and Spectrum? That’s more than symbolic. That’s a lifeline to many of us who’ve felt unheard, unseen, or just plain ‘outside.’
“And I love that line: ‘Sometimes, the most important thing we can do is simply show up, listen, and recognize our shared humanity.’ Amen.
“We’re still family. Weird uncles, debates and all.
And I wouldn’t want to belong to any other tribe.”
“Loren, your words had me laughing through my Adventist sighs. You’ve perfectly captured what so many have felt while trying to survive the soul-flattening slog of GC floor sessions. Somewhere between ‘amendment to the amendment’ and ‘point of order about the point of order,’ I think my own soul tried to file a motion to be excused.
“Your article also brought back a GC memory I’ll never forget.
My late dad, who was then president of the Suriname Mission, once tried to convince my mom to skip a session and head to the booths instead — ‘That’s where the real gospel-sharing happens,’ he whispered, like a holy rebel. He was eager to talk with fellow mission leaders about real cross-cultural ministry.
“But my mom — ever the loyal, straight-ticket Adventist delegate — looked him dead in the eye and said, ‘The Church paid for our seats. We’re staying.’
“And so they stayed. Right through endless grammar debates about whether ‘pastor’ should be singular, plural, or paired with ‘church clerk’ in holy matrimony. I’ll let you imagine who won that standoff. (Hint: Dad may have led a mission, but Mom led the marriage.)
“And that’s the thing, isn’t it? We fly in the best and brightest of our global faith family… only to bury them in sludge. Millions spent — not to dream bold dreams — but to debate punctuation like it’s prophecy. We’ve turned the GC into a high-stakes spelling bee with suits.
“You’re absolutely right — the real story isn’t where the comma lands; it’s where our vision went.
So yes, Loren… I’m with you.
I’m not just mad as hell —
I’m mad as Manual.
(And that might be even worse.)”
–Lester Keizer
“I think the Gospels left out the part in Jesus’ ministry where he spent days schooling the disciples and others on policy, points of order, and grammar. Good thing the GC is picking up the slack.”
-Gina Jett
And here are the elected division secretaries and treasurers. Two. Women.
“We’re often told to stay silent, to be grateful for the one seat we’re given and the space we occupy. But when the imbalance is this glaring, what are we supposed to do? How are we to respond when representation seems more symbolic than sincere? It’s not about wanting a seat for the sake of it, but about recognizing that God has gifted and called women too. Silence in the face of injustice isn’t humility; it’s complicity.“
–Nicola English
A young delegate is speaking out for protection against sexual abuse, proposing an amendment to the church manual:
The proposed new language would replace the existing text with:
“ensure the protection and care of church attendees including the active prevention of abuse in all forms—sexual, physical, emotional, and spiritual—with particular attention to the safety and well-being of children, oversee church finances, and ensure the maintenance and appropriate use of church properties”
Comments – three for and one against have followed so far. #GCSession2025
“Astonishing that this could possibly be opposed — and really troubling that ‘maintaining doctrinal purity’ is listed as a job for the church board. Really?!“
–Esther Loewen
This delegate’s outfit has brightened everyone’s GC Session Day 6
“Protect that man at all costs!
Hint: Be nice to people with coats or jackets of many colours. “
“Quoting from your article of what one person said: ‘It will take some time,’ he admitted, ‘but you won’t get there if you don’t start.’
“So true but it seems no one wants to make the decision to start, and besides, it’s already taken more than too long. Women in this church have waited and waited. Some of us wait, not to ignore God’s calling on our lives, but because we believe (as we were taught in Pathfinders) we should go at the pace of the slowest hikers. Unfortunately, there’re slow men and unbelievably slow women too.
“It seems to me like all we hear is let’s make disciples of all the world, and in turn, those disciples make disciples. Unless you are female! When a female becomes a disciple and she want to make disciples, then a loud resounding NO! No, you’re a woman, you can’t be serving humbly for Jesus as a pastor, and you can’t be paid the same pay as a male pastor.
“All contrary to what the Bible says, teaches, and preaches!
Jesus places value and worth on the lives of women, during Bible times and now.“
“By the way, the business meetings themselves are deadly dull. It is amendments and amendments to amendments, and changing ‘a’ to ‘the,’ and ‘or’ to ‘and.’ Be grateful that you need only read about it, not sit through it.
This is how we spend the money, wise. “
–Kmm Hung
Tim Standish (GC) is at the mic and pointing out the “power of the incumbent” in the list of division president suggestions, AND the lack of women #GCSession2025
“The church should implement term limits at all levels. Two terms in your current job and then you move on to something else. You could also say no one elected to a conference, union, division or General Conference job after their 65th birthday.”
–Chris Smoot
“What does my experience of salvation have to do with tithing?” asks a young Trans-European Division delegate. She’s followed by another young person with the same point regarding a line in the church manual which claims tithing comes in “recognition of the biblical plan and the believer’s experience of salvation.”#GCSession2025
“By linking tithe with salvation…you unwittingly create a system of guilt and fear instead of joy in giving…. Evidently, guilt is still the gift that keeps on giving, and some treasurers seem to be more than aware of this strategy.”
–Robert Crux
“Tithing has nothing to do with salvation or spirituality. Not even even to support the church or organization. It is out of obedience and love for God. I tithe because I love God and I strive to be obedient to him. Not because of the church, not because of my level of spirituality. Obedience and love for God.”
–Tatiana Correa
Look at how many empty delegate seats compared to Friday, when they elected prez, sec’y, & treasurer! Out of 2,800 delegates, only 1,200 or so appear to be voting today. Indeed, church manual revisions and policy & bylaws revisions are not that interesting to most people. #GCSession2025
“They should require each delegate to check in at the start and end of each day electronically with their badge. If they don’t do that, they should lose their per diem from whomever they are representing, plus be charged a percentage of their travel budget used to get there. They are working for church members on these days and not on holiday. If they want a holiday, then do it on their dime and time. I know it might be boring and technical in the presentations and topics, but then doesn’t that tell you about the need to hold meetings like this in general?”
-Chris Smoot
“They have sights to see in St Louis.
“Meeting attendance should be mandatory if the church is paying for them to be there. Attendance should be taken so we know which Divisions are the slackers. Their votes should count less. Delegates have one job at GC: Attend and vote as supposedly the Holy Spirit convicts them. With them not being there, it makes the whole GC conference feel like hocus pocus, and the church leadership can’t be taken seriously. Hypocrisy.”
–Floyd Poenitz
At the start of business today, AWR’s Nelson Ernst, a dead ringer for JD Vance [vice president of the United States], is urging GC Session delegates to become “Seventh-day Activists” by spreading the gospel around St Louis with tracts.
“When I first saw the picture I thought, ‘Why is JD Vance at the GC!’ lol!“
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” –Mitchum Burnett, on a delegate with an entertainingly colorful jacket
#GCSession2025
