Message from the General Conference Officers
Ted N C Wilson President
G T Ng Secretary
Robert E Lemon Treasurer
We are delighted to welcome you to the 60th Session of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, held from July 2 to July 11, 2015, in San Antonio, Texas. The theme for this session, “Arise! Shine! Jesus is coming!” points us to our hope and our calling as Seventh-day Adventists. What a wonderful message we have to share with a world desperately in need of a Savior and the knowledge of His soon return. During our time together here in San Antonio, we look forward to highly spiritual meetings as we listen to reports of how God is working through His people in amazing ways, carrying the important Three Angels’ Messages found in Revelation 14 to every corner of the globe, and reaching into every region, every town, and every home with this lifesaving message. Yet, there is still more to do. Certainly, the only hope for this world is Christ’s soon coming—and what a privilege we share in spreading this message of hope. This special work must involve everyone—women, men, children, youth. All are needed to influence individuals for Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. During a General Conference Session, we have not only the joy of worshipping together as a worldwide family, but also the opportunity to focus clearly on the mission of the church and how best to accomplish that heaven-born task. The objectives of our overall mission theme, “Reach the World,” will continue until the Lord comes as we reach up to God, reach in with God to nurture and train others, and reach out with God to others through evangelistic and witnessing activities. Let us continue moving forward together as we allow God’s Holy Word to guide us, and His Holy Spirit to work among us. Let us remember the Holy Spirit’s wonderful direction in personal and corporate revival and reformation; in health and community outreach through Comprehensive Health Ministry, integrated evangelism, and media approaches; in public evangelism and Mission to the Cities. Millions are longing for the hope that we have to share. Moving forward, let us reaffirm the foundational truths of the Bible that make us who we are as Seventh-day Adventists, never fearful of sharing our distinctive biblical beliefs that point to Christ; His life, death, and resurrection; His work in the heavenly sanctuary; and His soon second coming. As we meet together, let us lift up God’s work as central to all that we do. Let Christ’s righteousness be the theme of our personal and public expression of who we are as Seventh-day Adventist Christians. Let us pray together for God’s marvelous leading during our 60th General Conference Session as we plead with the Lord for the outpouring of the latter rain of the Holy Spirit and the second coming of Jesus Christ. Let us invite the Holy Spirit to control our every word and action at this Session so that all we say and do will be done in a Christlike manner and with great Christian respect for each other. Let us pray that every decision we make will further God’s plans and strengthen His church for the mission that He has entrusted to us. May we feel anew the joy of God’s grace, the urgency of our task, and the power of His promises: “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: ‘For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry.’ ” (Hebrews 10:35-37, NKJV).*
Arise! Shine! Jesus is coming! —GENERAL CONFERENCE OFFICERS *All scripture quotations in English taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. 2 | 60th SESSION OF THE GENERAL CONFERENCE | SAN ANTONIO 2015