Bahamas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Report                                                       Home

Official GC News From St LouisWatch Session VideosSermons By People We KnowVoted Documents

New Division LeadersAdventist Radio NetworkElected Leaders of the GCTheme Song for GC 2005

Update Monday, July 18, 2005 18:09                                                                              Click On Photos To Enlarge
 
 Watch  Video  of the Parade of Nations  2 hours and 20 minutes
 Watch Online  Videos of the entire ten days.
THE LAST SABBATH
Pastor Clarke and his wife Patrice Click HERE to see more photos from the last Sabbath
INTERESTING PLACES AND FACES
 

  Meistersingers performing Tuesday morning in the giant doom. Photo by Adam Bujak (Official GC Photographer) The giant dinning hall at the Convention Center. There are 5400 chairs  (540 Tables).  More than  5000 are fed at each meal.  More than 9000 were fed on Sabbath, July 2 in one hour.  More than 15,000 were fed during lunch on Sabbath, July 9. From left: Aaron Davis, Aami Davis and Tomiko Williams from the Bahamas sign up for a blood pressure check at Health Screening Community Service.  Photo by Melita Pujic (Official GC Photographer) More than 35,000 worshipped together on Sabbath, July 2, 2005.  More than 50,000 worshipped together on Sabbath, July 9. In the photos above is Pastor Herbert Valiame, originally from Martinique, and his wife, Jackie, together with Annick Brennen.  Herbert and his wife are friends of many former students of NCU.  Herbert is pastoring in France.  They have three children:  Dwain 21, Fabian 18, and  Kinsley 16.  You can send Herbert an email: valiame.herbert@wanadoo.fr  MORE PHOTOS
PRESENTATIONS BY PEOPLE WE KNOW
Pastor Glen Samuels Devotional Message July 1, 2005
LISTEN  Pastor Glen Samuels, Ministerial Director of the West Indies Union, spoke for the Friday morning Devotional (July 1, 2005) in the Edwards Jones Doom.  His subject was "Transformed by the Incarnation"  The text was: John 1:1-4, 14.  Click   to listen to his sermon HERE Read Text
Dr. Barry Black Inspires Thousands at GC 2005

LISTEN On Tuesday, July 5, 2005, Dr. Barry Black, Chaplain for the United States Senate and an Adventist minister of the gospel, preached a powerful moving sermon on the cross of Christ. Click HERE to listen to his sermon.  No Text Available

 Dr. Leslie N. Leslie Pollard  Speaks on Diversity
READ TEXT  "Responsiveness to Diversity" As Christians, our primary identifier should not be race, ethnicity, nationality or gender, said Dr. Leslie N. Leslie Pollard in his July 7 presentation at the Seventh-day Adventist church's 58th General Conference Session in St. Louis, Missouri. With a global membership of 14.3 million members in 203 countries, the Church is undoubtedly diverse.

 
 Dr. Philip G. Samaan Evening Devotional- Transformed for Discipleship July 7, 2005
WATCH VIDEO "Sometime ago I heard a story about a little boy which aptly illustrates what true discipleship is all about. One day this boy asked this question of his father as he strolled down the street with him: "Dad, how tall am I now?" Wondering as to why his son asked this question at that particular moment, he guessed that he was about three feet and a few inches."  READ TEXT
 
THE MEISTERSINGERS
The Meistersingers In Concert At GC Session Monday, July 4, 2005 4:00 P.M.  In The Music Theater
 
The Meistersingers Inspires GC Session Monday, July 4, 2005 9:30 A.M. In the Giant Dome
 
Adventists Elect African-American Woman Vice President of World Church

St. Louis, Missouri, United States .... [ANN Staff] In a historic vote today Seventh-day Adventists elected a woman as general vice president of the world church. Dr. Ella Louise Smith Simmons, an African American, is the first woman to fill this position. Until recently she served as provost/vice president at La Sierra University, in California. Before that she was vice president of academic affairs at Oakwood College in Alabama.  Both schools are operated by the Adventist Church. Simmons has a doctorate in education from the University of Louisville. Her election came on the heels of a presentation by newly re-elected church President Jan Paulsen on characteristics essential to Adventist leadership where he fielded questions from members of the delegation, one of which concerned the promotion of women to top levels of church leadership.
 

Israel Leito Re-Elected President of the Inter-American Division

In another development Pastor Pardon Kandanga Mwansa, president of the church's Southern-Africa Indian Ocean region, was also elected as a general vice president of the world church.  Evangelist Mark Finley was also elected as vice president for Global Evangelism.

Incumbents were returned to other general vice presidential offices:
Lowell C. Cooper, King-Yi Eugene Hsu, Gerry D. Karst, Armando Miranda Michael L. Ryan and Ted N. C. Wilson.

The session also elected 13 regional presidents: Geoffrey G. Mbwana, East-Central Africa, ; Ulrich W. Frikart, Euro-Africa; Artur A. Stele, Euro-Asia; Israel Leito, Inter-America; Don C. Schneider, North America; Jairyong Lee, Northern Asia-Pacific; Ruy H. Nagel, South America; Laurie J. Evans, South Pacific; Paul S. Ratsara, Southern Africa-Indian Ocean; D. Ronald Watts, Southern Asia; Alberto C. Gulfan Jr., Southern Asia-Pacific; Bertil A. Wiklander, Trans-European Division,  and  Luka T. Daniel, West-Central Africa.

 
Dr. Paul and Myrna Toote at GC 2005

It was a joy to see Paul Toote (son of Mary Toote of Marantha Church, Nassau) and his wife, Myrna at the GC Session in St Louis.  Paul is a medical doctor and Myrna is a specialist in special education.   The couple is currently moving to Texas where Dr. Paul will work at one of the hospitals there.  He is a specialist in Emergency Medicine.  The couple will celebrate their eleventh wedding anniversary in December of this year. 
The First Sabbath A Great Experience
These photos were taken Sabbath, July 2, 2005.  Included are Pastors Albury and Thompson, and Mrs. Albury; Pastor Wendell and Althea McMillan
 
President Paulsen Re-Elected
   

 
    Jan Paulsen, 70,  was re-elected as president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.  The vote took place on Friday, July 1, 2005, at about 2:30 p.m.   Matthew Bediako was re-elected as Secretary of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists for another five years. Robert Lemon was re-elected as Treasurer of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists for another five years.

 

 
 
Ministries Directors of the General Conference

General Field Secretary, Gary D. Krause
General Field Secretary, Angel M. Rodriguez,
Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries, Martin W. Feldbush, Director,
Children’s Ministries, Linda Mei Lin Koh
Communication, Rajmund Dabrowski,
Education, C. Garland Dulan,
Family Ministries, Ronald Flowers,
Family Ministries, Karen Flowers, Associate
Health Ministries, Allan R. Handysides,
Public Affairs and Religious Liberty, John Graz,
Publishing Ministries, Howard F. Faigao,
Trust Services, Jeffrey K. Wilson,
Women’s Ministries, Heather-Dawn Small,
Youth Ministries, Baraka G. Muganda,
Secretary, Ministerial Association, James A. Cress

  ddd
Inter-American Division New Leaders (This is a list of the changes only.  All others remain the same)
Education: Manuel Velazquez
Family Ministries:  Jansen Troteman
Women's & Children's Ministries: Gloria Troteman
Associate For Youth Ministries & Ministerial: Balvin Braham
Stewardship:  Roberto Herrera

 

At 3:42 p.m., Thursday, June 29, 2005, more than 1,600 of the 2000 delegates to the General Conference 58th World Session were present when the Secretary of the General Conference, Matthew Bediako, called the session to order. The session began exactly 3:00 p.m. with a devotional message by Dr. JoAnn Davidson, of Andrews University Theological Seminary.   After the session was declared open three new divisions in Africa and three new unions in Mexico and Brazil were officially accepted into the sisterhood of the Adventist organization.  Several thousands more watched while the legal proceeding of the session began.   Below you will see faces of some of the Bahamians having fun at GC 2005.
Bahamian Faces and Friends of Bahamians

 

 
VOTED DOCUMENTS AT GC 2005
Growing in Christ New Fundamental Belief
Amendments to the Church Manuel
Other Voted Documents