BY WILLIAM G. JOHNSSON

have attended the last 23 Annual Councils of the church. A lot has changed over the years--and especially this year.

First, the name. This convening of the Seventh-day Adventist Church's 304-strong executive committee used to be called the Fall Council. That designation fit a North American context, because the council meets in early October each year, but not Adventists in the southern hemisphere, where Spring recently arrived.

The composition of the delegations have changed, and with that the dynamic of deliberations. Many more women, lay persons, and pastors come these days and they speak their minds.

Noticeable is the comparative youth of some top church leaders. One sees division presidents who are still in their forties; some division officers are even younger.

Annual Council this year was much shorter-not in agenda items but in the days allotted for them. Previously the Council opened on a Monday evening with the General Conference President's keynote address. The early business of the council, starting the next morning, always took up reports from the General Conference Secretary and Treasurer, as well as latest figures from the Archives and Statistics. Agenda items took until the Tuesday or Wednesday of the following week to cover. But the officers (president, secretary, and treasurer) of each of the divisions of the world church arrived much earlier for consultations, boards, and other meetings prior to the start of the council. They were in town about three weeks.

This year the council convened on Friday evening, with the President's keynote address laying a spiritual foundation. Sabbath morning the delegates came back to worship together, packing the General Conference auditorium. After a box lunch, they enjoyed a short musical concert followed by a fast-moving 60-minute program on facets of Adventist mission around the world.

What a way to open the council! Instead of business, in worship, study of the Word, fellowship, and celebration of our global family.

Sunday morning delegates were in their places at 8:00 a.m., ready to go. After a devotional service, they opened their thick agenda books to attack the long list of business items. But it wasn't to be business as usual.

Instead of the longstanding reports from the Secretariat, Treasury, and statistics office, the entire morning focused on mission. The mission statement of the church was read aloud, directing delegates to the call of Revelation 14:6, 7 to take the everlasting gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. Then through video, power point, and live presentations, the major evangelistic initiatives of the worldwide church galvanized the session:

• Go One Million, involving the training of a million lay members for witnessing (already nearly double that number are in place);
• Sow 1 Billion (distributing 1 billion brochures in many languages inviting people to Bible studies); and
• 2004, the Year of Evangelism, when these thrusts will come together in a huge "reaping" effort of new believers.

But the Saviour's commission (Matt. 28:18-20) is not merely to baptize, but to make disciples. Appropriately, the final hour of the morning focused on nurture of new members and in particular a plan known as ACTS 100 (see description elsewhere).

Beginning the business of the council by emphasizing mission clearly resonated with the delegates. When the floor was opened for response, they lined up at the microphones and the council entered into a vigorous discussion of the best ways to implement the ideas presented.

Today, the world Adventist church is focused on mission as never before in my experience. I think the emphasis on global mission that began in 1990 marked a turning-point. The looking out to the vast unreached world instead of looking in has released energy and purpose that grow stronger year by year.

And the length of the Council? Just four days were allotted for business: delegates were out of here by Wednesday evening, and the division officers' stay was a full week shorter than in the past.

That, I believe, was not coincidental. When mission takes priority, everything else falls into place.

_________________________
William G. Johnsson is the editor of the Adventist Review.