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Building a Mission-focused Church– Church President Hold News Conference
July 1, 2000
Toronto, Canada .... [Heather Osborn / ANN]
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Pastor Jan Paulsen took questions from the Seventh-day Adventist media at a press conference held just hours after he was re-elected General Conference president on June 30. Paulsen addressed a broad range of issues, including church growth and leadership .
“I want to make every effort to keep unity in the church,” Paulsen said in his opening remarks about the rapidly growing denomination. This growth brings the biggest challenges, he explained.
Paulsen also spoke about the amazing diversity of the Adventist Church–whose membership represents 205 of the 230 countries recognized by the United Nations.
“There will be differences in how the church expresses itself,” Paulsen said, “but there are certain pillars which we all subscribe to. There will be different features in each Division, but there is one church.”
“Culture changes, but not the gospel,” Paulsen added.
In response to a question about the role of women in the Adventist Church, Paulsen said that “we have under-utilized women. They are the mothers in Israel. They are such a large part of the life of the church. There should be women taking part in visible leadership roles in the church,” he said.
Paulsen’s statement came after the Adventist Review released statistics showing that there are approximately 301 female General Conference Session delegates out of 2000. Paulsen expressed interest in providing leadership training for woman at various Adventist educational institutions.
Paulsen also discussed his philosophy about the role of church leadership. “We drive collectively at decisions,” he said. “We check each other’s integrity.” He stressed that church leadership must forgo personal interests to preserve unity. “My colleagues should accept that we must make collective decisions,” he stated.
Emphasizing that service and evangelism are the lifeblood of the church, Paulsen said that the church’s focus for the next five years should be directed by mission, not issues.
Paulsen stressed the vital importance of the local church. Where the local laity is strong, Paulsen said, churches will grow. “When people take ownership of the church, they want to be part of it,” he said. “I will challenge members to define their obligations as Christians. To be a Christian spectator is meaningless.” |
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