Hi, I’m Björn Karlman, AT exec director, and I’ll be providing live updates for day six of the 62nd General Conference (GC) Session. Thanks for joining us!

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[5:38 PM CDT] Here are the voted officers of the General Conference Corporation.

[5:30 PM CDT] The nominations for GC director names are carried. Here are the elected directors waving!

[5:07 PM CDT] Time for another nominating report: GC department directors

Nominating Committee Report #9:
Recommended to the following offices
Ivan Omaña, Chaplaincy Ministries director
Orathai Chureson, Children’s Ministries director
Alyssa Truman, Communication director
Lisa Hardy, Education director
Wilbert Oliver, Family Ministries director
Zeno Charles-Marcel, Health Ministries director
Ramon Canals, Ministerial Secretary
Nelu Burcea, PARL (Public Affairs and Religious Liberty) director
Hector Reyes, Planned Giving & Trust Services director
Mario Martinelli, Publishing Ministries director
James Howard, Sabbath School & Personal Ministries director
Marcos Bomfim, Stewardship Ministries director
Galina Stele, Women’s Ministries director
Sibusiso Khumalo, Youth Ministries director

[4:30 PM CDT] South Sudan’s newly formed union was acknowledged during #GCSession2025 with a special mention and a standing prayer led by Geoffrey G. Mbwana, though no delegation from the region is present to represent them at the event.

[4:11 PM CDT] Agenda Item 429: Delegates approved amending the church manual to clarify the process for dissolving or expelling a church, emphasizing redemptive efforts before any disciplinary action and swapping “arbitration” for “mediation” to align with the original intent. The motion carried after delegates voted to end discussion and proceed directly to a vote.

[3:58 PM CDT] Next up, delegates are talking about dissolving or expelling an entire congregation #GCSession2025.

[3:50 PM CDT] Agenda Item 426, an amendment to Chapter 9 of the church manual, passed with a majority vote at #GCSession2025, officially requiring local church officers to lead by example in both tithing and giving offerings. Despite attempts to modify the proposal, the original motion carried.

[3:31 PM CDT] Discussion on Agenda Item 426, which proposes amending the church manual to emphasize that church officers must lead by example in tithing and offerings, putting their money where their ministry is #GCSession2025.

[2:50 PM CDT] Delegates approved agenda items 202 and 204, revising the General Conference Constitution and Bylaws to permit territorial administration changes and major business decisions during Spring Meeting.

[2:30 PM CDT] It’s hard making a presentation on an encyclopedia interesting but David Trim and Dragoslava Santrac did their level best talking about the Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists.

[2:29 PM CDT] GC President Erton Köhler called to order the General Conference Corporation Members Meeting, where all delegates are recognized as members. Delegates voted to appoint the General Conference Session Nominating Committee as the Corporation’s Nominating Committee for the Board of Directors and to adjourn the meeting.

[2:25 PM CDT] We open the report on the afternoon GC business session with a critical question: Where can we get a tie like that of GC legal counsel Karnik Doukmetzian??

[11:58 AM CDT] The chair asks if the delegates want to stay for another 20 minutes to tackle a bit more church manual business or go to lunch. Hunger wins. Time for lunch!

[11:50 AM CDT] Agenda Item 424 has been approved as amended, requiring elders to maintain strict confidentiality over members’ giving practices.

[11:35 AM CDT] Delegates tackle Agenda Item 424: Proposing an amendment to the church manual, Chapter 9, page 80, under Local Church Officers and Organizations, To Foster Tithing (Elders), to stress that elders must maintain strict confidentiality regarding members’ giving practices.

[11:32 AM CDT] Delegates voted to end debate on amending Agenda Item 423 about virtual church business meetings, but after the amendment failed, the entire motion was sent back to committee for another round of bureaucratic TLC at #GCSession2025.

[11:05 AM CDT] A delegate called out “time-wasting” comments, prompting Tim Standish to note the jab was aimed at him and another speaker—and to remind everyone that even at #GCSession2025, decorum is still a thing.

[10:45 AM CDT]

And here are the elected division secretaries and treasurers.

East-Central Africa Division
Secretary: Moses Maka
Treasurer: Yohannes Olana Beyene

Euro-Asia Division
Secretary: Ivan Velgosha
Treasurer: Oleg Voronyuk

Inter-European Division
Secretary: Ruben De Abreu
Treasurer: Norbert Zens

Inter-American Division
Secretary: Pierre Caporal
Treasurer: Ivelisse Herrera

North American Division
Secretary: Kyoshin Ahn
Treasurer: Judy Glass

Northern Asia-Pacific Division
Secretary: Toshio Shibata
Treasurer: Tae Seung (Ted) Kim

South American Division
Secretary: Edward Heidinger
Treasurer: Edson Medeiros

South Pacific Division
Secretary: Michael Sikuri
Treasurer: Francois Keet

Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division
Secretary: Gideon Reyneke
Treasurer: Hopekings Ngomba

Southern Asia Division
Secretary: Ujwal Anant Kandane
Treasurer: Riches Christian

Southern Asia-Pacific Division
Secretary: Samuel Yotam Bindosano
Treasurer: Jacinto M. Adap

Trans-European Division
Secretary: Robert Cs. Csizmadia
Treasurer: Nenad Jepuranovic

West-Central Africa Division
Secretary: Vincent Roger Same
Treasurer: Sarfo Marfo Dickson

[10:20 AM CDT] 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.

The chair sends this item back to the Church Manual Committee for review and rewrite.

[10:00 AM CDT] Delegates voted to cease discussion and the motion to reconsider Agenda Item 420 failed.

[9:50 AM CDT] Under Agenda Item 420, a proposal has surfaced to revise the church manual, Chapter 9, Local Church Officers and Organizations, page 91, under Relations With Members Confidential, emphasizing that giving records remain private and cannot be shared without explicit consent or a valid legal/administrative reason. #GCSession2025 #GCS25

[9:45 AM CDT] This delegate’s outfit has brightened everyone’s GC Session Day 6 🥳

[9:30 AM CDT] Business is firing up again at #GCSession2025, and Adventists’ love for seating charts—ever accidentally claimed someone’s pew and felt the glare?—is on full display as Claude Richli, session secretary, urges delegates to stick to assigned seats. #GCS25

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