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Why Have a General Conference Session?
Jonathan Gallagher, News Director, General Conference

"What’s the point? Just a lot of talk for no purpose."
"We could save the money and do some evangelism!"
"Do we really need to have these sessions? Can’t we do without them?"

—These are just a few comments on Session 2000 that have reached the Communication department here at the General Conference. So why indeed?

Maybe the most important question is to ask what a General Conference Session is for.

Yes, we spend time electing personnel to different positions. Yes, we conduct various aspects of church business that may be important. Yes, it’s a good time to meet old friends and make new ones.

But if that’s all a Session is for, then we miss the point! For if we truly believe that God is directing this Church, that we are following a vision that leads to present salvation and future glory, then Session can be filled with meaning.

We need to look beyond the day-to-day business, the debates and discussions, the elections and the pageantry. We need to recapture the sense of destiny, of being a people with a clear identity and a definite role to play here on planet Earth. If nothing else, Session 2000 identifies the Seventh-day Adventist Church as a global people of God who are here with a mission. For in truth and in fact, the upcoming Session in Toronto should be more than an internal business convention, but an open demonstration of who we really are.

If we are honest, we can all recognize times when we have found aspects of church business boring. But perhaps that’s because we’re focussing on the nuts and bolts too much, or to change the imagery, we can’t see the forest for the trees.

Session is the perfect time to portray the Church to the world. From a communication standpoint, this is a great opportunity. A representative community of the world Church will be coming to Toronto, and what better chance to share with the city and the media who we are and what we’re doing? The Church, especially the host organizations in Canada, can use the Session event as a news "peg" to feature the various aspects of our mission, especially those that are directly relevant to the community.

With Session 2000 less than a year away, it’s essential to make plans to use this opportunity to share the Adventist perspective—to make a real impact and to make what we say meaningful to our audiences. Using Session events, we can show who we are. Even the business sessions demonstrate the representative structure of the Church organization, the opportunity to debate and to arrive at consensus, to reveal a Biblical model for behavior and practice.

Public events—marches, parades, concerts etc—as well as the pre-activities of youth volunteers, community service, and outreach should all demonstrate that Adventists are caring, compassionate, loving people who know their Lord. While we do not hold sessions for the PR benefits, we must not be blind to such opportunities either!

At the heart of the reason for Session 2000 is the desire to know the will of the Lord so that the Church can progress into the future with enthusiasm and effectiveness. It provides the opportunity to confer together, to develop unity and fellowship, to keep the body of Christ on track. While the 2,000 delegates may seem a large number to some, we need the counsel of all parts of the world to maintain a relevant witness.

We need to learn from each other, to be informed. Session 2000 will help with just that—the reports from around the world, the inspiration from the many kindreds, tongues and peoples that make up the Church.

We need to support each other—to recognize our differing needs, to help each other with resources, concepts, programs that work. Session provides just that kind of opportunity for information exchange and personal interaction.

We need most of all to regain the vision together, of a Church that is one in Christ, of a people that are "marching to Zion."

Back in 1863, the first General Conference Session organized the Church, elected officers, adopted a constitution. Doesn’t sound much. But it gave focus and direction for the Church that has now arrived at its fifty-seventh Session. Most of all it inspired the few believers to work together, to operate efficiently, to focus on the important matters facing the Church.

Session 2000 needs to have the same focus and vision. Expensive, maybe. But how do you put a price tag on unity, on the bonding of fellowship, on the consensus reached in difficult areas. How do you evaluate the opportunity for spiritual growth and development as a movement?

Why have a General Conference Session? In one word: opportunity.

An opportunity to meet and share and develop together. An opportunity to tell people who we really are. An opportunity to plan and counsel and regain the vision.

But most of all: an opportunity for God to work through this Church to fulfil His will.