General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

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The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists^[1] is the governing organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Its headquarters is located in Silver Spring, Maryland.

The General Conference, which is overseen by an executive committee and headed by the President of the General Conference is the administrative head of the global church. It is organized with a representative form of church government, which means authority in the Church comes from the membership of local churches, who send representatives to vote on matters at the next level up. Each level sends representatives to the next level. At the top, the General Conference elects the executive committee and officers to govern the Church until the next General Conference Session.

Major entities

Four levels of Church structure lead from the individual believer to the worldwide Church organization:

The levels are:

1. The local church with its members
2. The local conference/mission is made up of a number of local churches in an area, such as a state or province.
3. The union conference/mission is made up of local conferences/missions in an area.
4. The General Conference administers the worldwide direction of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

To direct its worldwide activity, the General Conference has established 13 regions, known as Divisions, which have general administrative oversight for designated groups of unions in major areas.

Divisions and Attached Unions/Fields

Educational institutions

The Seventh-day Adventist educational system is extensive worldwide, however only a few institutions are structured directly under General Conference oversight^[2]

• Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies
• Adventist University of Africa
• Andrews University
• Griggs International Academy – K-12 distance education
• Loma Linda University

Outreach

• Adventist Development and Relief Agency
• Adventist Mission
• Adventist World Radio
• Global Mission

Meetings

The General Conference Auditorium is part of the headquarters building in Silver Spring

The General Conference holds three meetings in which leaders from around the world gather to discuss church issues and finances. While two meetings meet annually at the world headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, the third meets every five years in a selected city.

• Spring Council meets every April
• Annual Council meets every October
• General Conference Session meets every five years in a selected city

See also

• Government of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
• List of Presidents of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

External links

• Adventist Yearbook The official organizational directory
• World Divisions map and links
• General Conference Committee Minutes from Adventist Archives

References

Coordinates: 39°3′40″N 76°57′58″W / 39.06111°N 76.96611°W / 39.06111; -76.96611