Two hours after reelecting Pastor Jan Paulsen as General Conference president, the church's 58th general session also voted to reelect the other major officers of the denomination.
Matthew Bediako (right), secretary of the General Conference, was reelected to a second five-year term as the second officer of the church.
"I want to thank God for His leading during these five years," Bediako said as he and his wife, Elizabeth, acknowledged the delegates' applause. "I want to tell you this afternoon that I appreciate your prayers. I receive e-mails every day from somebody around the world, caring for me."
Born in Ghana, West Africa, Bediako attended elementary and secondary schools there. He graduated from the Seminary of West Africa in 1967, and began serving the church as a religion teacher and campus pastor at Bekwai Seventh-day Adventist Secondary School in Ghana. After serving at Asokare School in his homeland, he studied at Andrews University and Loma Linda University from 1970 to 1972, earning master's degrees in church administration and public health.
In 1971, Bediako began departmental service in the West Africa Union. Four years later, he was elected president of the Ghana Conference, and in 1981 became president of the West Africa Union. At the world church's New Orleans General Conference session in 1985, he was elected a general field secretary of the church and moved to Silver Spring, Maryland. In 1990, he began a decade of service as one of the church's general vice presidents.
In Toronto, Canada, in July 2000, Bediako was elected secretary of the General Conference, becoming the first African to hold that position.
Robert M. Lemon (right), General Conference treasurer since 2002, was elected to a full-five year term at the Friday afternoon session. Chosen as GC undertreasurer in 2000 at the Toronto session, Lemon became treasurer two years later when then treasurer Robert Lawson retired.
Lemon has served a variety of church institutions for more than 30 years, including posts in healthcare finance, mission service in Zaire and Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) as chief accountant of Andrews University, and as treasurer of the Alberta Conference and the Canadian Union. Before becoming GC undertreasurer in 1998, Lemon served as an associate treasurer of the General Conference for three years.
Lemon received a B.S. degree from Columbia Union College in 1972 and a master's in business administration from Andrews University in 1988. Born in Kongolo, Zaire, the treasurer speaks both Swahili and English.
"It's a humbling experience to be asked to be part of your great team of leadership around the world," Lemon told the assembly. "When I was asked in 2002 to be the treasurer, I read a quote from Ellen White where she said 'There is no limit to the usefulness of one who has set himself aside to make room for the Holy Spirit.' "
Standing beside his wife, Sherry, he added, "It's our desire that there be no limit to our usefulness, and that the Holy Spirit may work through each one of us."
