Editorial: “AT Prepares to Cover the Good, Bad, and Ugly at the St. Louis GC Session”
Many love it. Many love to hate it.
The 62nd General Conference Session of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is nearly upon us, set to unfold from July 3-12 in St. Louis, Missouri. Adventist Today will be on the ground to cover it.
This gathering, held every five years (though the 2022 session was delayed from 2020 due to COVID-19), unites—and sometime divides—members, leaders, and delegates from our 23-million-member global community. With over 2,800 delegates voting on key matters and an estimated 100,000 attendees expected, it’s a sprawling 10-day family reunion of sorts for the denomination.
Like any family reunion, GC Session is a mixed bag. There will be moments of beauty as new friendships are formed and old ones celebrated. But tensions are inevitable, with controversial decisions to be made, leaders to be voted, and questions like Ted N.C. Wilson’s future as GC President to be decided. The detailed agenda also includes debates on Church Manual changes concerning tithe-paying prerequisites for office, stringent membership transfer rules, and even the process for expelling entire congregations for “apostasy.”
Beyond the official proceedings, expect large-scale worship, glowing international reports from the global church’s 13 world divisions, Bible studies, seminars, and music from over 200 performers. A vast 232,000-square-foot exhibit hall will showcase Adventist initiatives and provide ample “water cooler” space to catch up on the latest rumors.
Adventist Today is diving in to report the good, the bad, and the downright ugly of it all. AT Executive Editor Loren Seibold, News Editor Nicole Brown-Dominguez and I will be on the scene. We’ll deliver daily news updates, no-nonsense explainers for convoluted issues, interviews with key players, and candid commentary that tackles tough questions head-on. Follow us online for raw takes.
Björn Karlman
AT Executive Director, Adventist Today Magazine & Website
28 June 2024
ANNOUNCEMENTS & LINKS
Today’s ATSS class (1:30 PM Eastern US) with Charles Scriven
One-click link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86158574526
Passcode: ADVENTIST {ALL CAPS}
Previous weeks’ ATSS recordings can be accessed here.
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