June 25, 2010
Friday morning General Conference session began with Pennsylvania Conference Pastor Tara VinCross presenting the devotional message, focusing in the incarnation of Christ as an expression of God proclaiming His grace. Tara was asked by the General Conference Ministerial Department to be the speaker for the Friday morning message, back in the Fall of 2009. I am sure that our workforce in Pennsylvania feels honored that one of our team was asked to speak to the delegates of the entire world church. The Columbia Union Website will have more details and video selections.
Just before noon, the GC Nominating Committee brought the name of Ted N.C. Wilson, son of former GC President Neal Wilson for President of the GC. The delegates approved Elder Wilson’s name and voted him to serve. Elder Wilson’s father, Neal Wilson served in the Egypt mission when my Uncle Raymond Hartwell served in the Middle East Union office, located in Beirut, Lebanon and Neal spent part of his childhood there.
During the noon meal today, Jeanne and I enjoyed a lunch visit with Mike Hamilton and his wife, who are living and serving in Great Britain. Mike is the Trans-European Division Department Director for Personal Ministries, Sabbath School and Publishing (Literature Evangelism). I was intrigued with the scope of his responsibilities, since the Trans-European Division covers such a large geographical territory and a widely divergent ethnic, cultural and religious variety of peoples. The territory stretches from Greenland, just off the coast of North American, to portions of North and Eastern Europe, Poland, the Baltics, to the Middle East, Sudan and Pakistan! His wife is a home health nurse in the British Government Health system, visiting homes to specifically focus on young children, ages 0-5.
In the afternoon, Jeanne and I took a few minutes to walk through a few of the SDA ministry exhibits in the exhibition hall. One of the few we were able to visit included the ADRA exhibit which showcased many of the practical and substantial ways ADRA ministers to the physical needs of peoples around the world. We also visited the Washington Adventist University booth, Oakwood University, and Andrews University. Right next to Andrews University, I went to the Andrews Press book store and purchased the brand new Andrews Study Bible, which has just now come off the press. I highly recommend this study Bible (NKJV) for our ministry team and all of our members. All of the study notes have been prepared by Seventh-day Adventist Bible scholars and are much more reliable and accurate that many current popular study Bibles on the market today.
In the afternoon, the Nominating Committee brought the names of Elder G.T. Ng as GC Secretary and Robert Lemon, current GC Treasurer, to continue to serve as GC Treasurer. Elder Ng speaks both Chinese and English. Elder Bob Lemon is a member of the Pennsylvania Conference and attends the Needmore Church.
Every day, delegates residing in the various hotels in the center of downtown Atlanta board motor coach shuttle buses to ride the 1 mile to the Georgia Dome where the GC session is held. The shuttle buses run continually between specific hotels and the facility. We are making friends with one of the drivers.
We are reminded continually of the world-wide work and mission of the Adventist Church. God has entrusted us with a great message that is needed across this world, for every man, woman, boy and girl, of our soon coming Savior and His call for holy living as a joyful part of being a member of the family of heaven.
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