General Conference Session
How We Serve
The Adventist Church World Session, also known as the General Conference (GC) Session, is the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s highest governing body. Delegates from around the world meet every five years to vote on important issues facing the world church. The next upcoming session is to be held in St. Louis, Missouri, June 6-11, 2022. The first session was held on May 20, 1863, in Battle Creek, Michigan, with 20 delegates in attendance. The early sessions were held every year in a small church. Today the sessions are held every five years in cities with stadiums that can seat more than 70,000 attendees, which includes the more than 2,500 delegates attending and the visitors from around the world who are watching the session. Each union nominates delegates to represent its field. Delegates are chosen from among both church employees and lay people. In addition, delegates representing major church institutions are selected.
Wisconsin Representation to GC Session in St. Louis, MO
June 6-11, 2022
Each of the divisions and unions elect delegates that represent the work across their territory to represent them at the session.
We have three delegates representing Wisconsin Conference at the GC Session.
1. A lay person
2. A pastor
3. The conference president
It is important that delegates are:
1. Committed members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
2. Well-respected by the church members they represent
3. Recognize their role is to work for the best of the church as a whole, rather than primarily the best for their local area
4. Willing to carefully consider each report and prayerfully seek God’s leading in each vote they are asked to cast
Attendees
A GC Session is an open meeting—anyone may attend—although only delegates and invitees have the ability to speak and only delegates may vote. The 2022 session will not meet in a large stadium as in the past, but a smaller auditorium. As a cost-saving endeavor there will be no ancillary meetings, or exhibit hall at the 2022 session.
Please join brothers and sisters around the world in praying for God’s leading at the upcoming GC session in St. Louis, MO.