Toronto Media Anticipate Adventist World Convention

The Toronto media are actively anticipating the Seventh-day Adventist Church's World Session to be held in the city June 29 to July 8. After making media visits this past week, "the media personnel are really interested in this important event, the largest in Toronto's history," comments Bettina Krause, media relations director for the Adventist world Church.

Some 60,000 Adventists are expected during the ten-day event which brings together Church members from all over the world for a convention that will tackle planning for the future, a review of past activities, and the election of the Church's top leadership, says Krause.

"This is our biggest convention ever, and it will make a huge impact on Toronto in terms of the tourism economy as well as an opportunity for Adventists to show who they really are. The great diversity of the Church-in culture, language, background and nationality-will be reflected, as well as the unity we share as brothers and sisters in Christ."

Not only will the Church be meeting for business in Toronto's largest venue, the SkyDome stadium, but also to celebrate together and to share in a wide number of public events.

"So many different off-site events are planned it's hard to keep track of them," says Charlotte McClure, external events coordinator. "We are expecting many musical groups, singers and choirs from all over the world, as well as mime artists, creative children's ministries and a host of others as part of the youth activities of Impact 2000."

Reports in the press are already discussing the boost to tourism and business in Toronto as a result of what one article called the Church's "monster convention."

"We plan to take advantage of this unique opportunity to let others know what the Church stands for," Krause concludes. "We want to rightly represent the God we believe in and express our values and beliefs in ways that will be exciting and interesting." [Jonathan Gallagher]