General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Formation	1863
Type	Religious/Non-Profit
Location	12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Region served	Worldwide
President	Ted N.C. Wilson
Staff	400
Website	www.adventist.org

The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is the governing organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is located in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, where it moved in 1989. The church headquarters building, commonly known as the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, houses and supports the administration of the church.

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

The General Conference is overseen by an executive committee, headed by a President. The General Conference Session is a meeting held every five years, during which the executive committee and officers are elected. In 2010 the General Conference was held in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.

The General Conference is the at the administrative head of the church, but the Seventh-day Adventist Church is organized with a representative form of church government. This 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. 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 made up of a number of local churches in area.

3)The union conference, made up of local conferences of a area.

4)The division, consisting of several conferences and missions within a world geographical area.

5)The General Conference administers the worldwide direction of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

To direct its worldwide activity, the General Conference has established regional offices, known as divisions of the General Conference which have general administrative oversight for designated groups of unions in major areas. It is divided into 13 divisions, which are then subdivided into unions, conferences, and missions.

Major entities

Divisions

• East-Central Africa [1] - Nairobi, Kenya
• Euro-Africa [2] - Berne, Switzerland
• Euro-Asia [3] - Moscow, Russia
• Inter-American [4] - Miami, Florida, United States (IAD)
• North American [5] - Silver Spring, Maryland, United States (NAD)
• Northern Asia-Pacific [6] - Goyang, South Korea (NSD)
• Southern Africa-Indian Ocean [7] - Pretoria, South Africa
• South American [8] - Brasilia, Brazil
• South Pacific [9] - Wahroonga, Australia (SPD)
• Southern Asia - Tamil Nadu, India
• Southern Asia-Pacific [10] - Cavite, Philippines (SSD)
• Trans-European [11] - St. Albans, United Kingdom (TED)
• West-Central Africa [12] - Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

Educational institutions

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

• Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies
• Adventist University of Africa
• Andrews University
• [[Griggs International Academy] k-12 distance education]
• Griggs University
• La Sierra University
• Loma Linda University
• Oakwood University
• Southern Adventist University
• Walla Walla University

Outreach

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

General Conference Session

Main article: General Conference Session

The General Conference Session is the official world meeting of the church, and is now held quinquennially (every five years). The first session was held on May 20, 1863, with 20 delegates in attendance.

See also

• Government of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
• List of Presidents of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
• Adventist
• Seventh-day Adventist Church
• Seventh-day Adventist Church in India
• Seventh-day Adventist Church in Nigeria
• List of Seventh-day Adventist hospitals
• List of Seventh-day Adventist medical schools
• List of Seventh-day Adventist secondary schools
• List of Seventh-day Adventist colleges and universities

External links

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