Adventist Review talks with Jere Patzer, chair of the General Conference session's Nominating Committee and president of the North Pacific Union Conference
BY SANDRA BLACKMER, news editor, Adventist Review
eports are circulating that this session's Nominating Committee has accomplished all its work in the shortest amount of time in living memory. Do you think that's a good thing for the process?
It's true that this group has completed its work quickly, but the fact is, it started out very slow. The Nominating Committee is approximately 10 percent of the delegation. This group is very diverse. They're representing 200 countries, 13 divisions, and in a sense every person in that room is a minority. With few exceptions, virtually no one knows more than a handful of people when they walk in the door. And 80 to 90 percent of those who served on the committee were serving for the first time in this role.
We had 130 positions to fill, and it's only good to move through quickly if you're covering what needs to be covered. On items that required more time, we spent more time--agonizingly long times in some cases. But when it was an incumbent who is well respected, appreciated, and everyone knows he or she did a stellar job, there's no reason to sit there a long time and talk about that. Their skills and respect were also confirmed by written evaluations. So we had to balance more discussion and less discussion. So, you bet we're pleased that we're done this soon.
Stories in the hallways are using terms such as frank, spirited, even turbulent to describe the atmosphere in the Nominating Committee in its opening deliberations. Are those accurate descriptions, and did that change as you passed through the five days of your work?
Frank and spirited, certainly, but turbulent might be a bit strong. There was a clear transition as the group began to develop cohesiveness and build trust, and that took a number of hours. We also used a lot of time for orientation-going around the room and everyone saying who they were and where they were from. It gave a great feel of mixing and warmth, and you realize you're part of something a whole lot bigger than just yourself. It's obvious that when you have this kind of diversity, the only way you can come out of this with unity is by God's Spirit.
We were also conducting a giant committee meeting with Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian translations going on. The rest of the group understood very well the need for this.
Your committee has recommended women for important leadership posts in the world church-associate treasurer, associate secretary, general vice president. What would you say is the message of those elections to a church that is still divided on the question of women in professional ministry?
Nominating Committee
Close to Wrap-up
BY ADVENTIST REVIEW STAFF
The Nominating Committee neared the completion of its work during the Wednesday morning business session. Most of the nominations were to fill the associate director slots for the General Conference departments (for a complete listing, see the Nominating Committee Report in Bulletin 7).
 The General Conference Publishing Department saw the election of a new director, following the retirement of Jose Luis Campos. Howard Faigao, previously associate director of the department, was named director. A native of the Philippines, Faigao was publishing director of the Southern Asia-Pacific Division prior to joining the Publishing Department of the General Conference in 2000. He is an ordained minister, and he and his wife, Ana, have two grown children.
In a historic move, the Nominating Committee recommended Rosa Taylor Banks as an associate secretary of the General Conference Secretariat. Banks will be filling the position vacated by the retirement of Theodore T. Jones.
 Prior to her nomination as associate secretary, Banks was associate secretary and director of Human Relations for the North American Division. Her election to General Conference Secretariat makes her the first woman to occupy that position in the church's 142-year history. A credentialed commissioned minister, Banks and her husband, Halsey, have three grown children.
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The message is clear, that while we were not addressing the ordination issue, there is no question that women currently do and will continue to rightfully carry an increasing load of responsibility in top leadership roles.
One delegate this morning moved that some process be developed that would result in a smaller number of incumbents being returned to office by recommendation of the Nominating Committee, and others have referred to an "unprecedented continuity" in leadership. How does the church stay fresh and alive to new people and new ideas?
Admittedly it is a high percentage of incumbents, and that's as it should be. These are lifetime professionals contributing tremendously to the work of the Lord. Our church is a successful organization, and there are many factors that contribute to that. Our leadership is obviously a key element of that. If we were going in the wrong direction, there would certainly be a call for change. You stick with a winning team. It was very obvious that there was respect and even love for our current leadership by the majority of our church.
How did the voting process work?
It was definitely high tech. There are keypads: you register your vote using the keypads, and then your vote is tallied instantly on the computer. The system is governed so no one can vote more than once. I can push my button three times, but the computer will take only the first one, unless I change it. It was completely confidential. No one can challenge the voting process itself.
Is there anything that you would change about the process?
The process works. Do you have to have faith in the process? Absolutely. If we didn't believe that God is still ultimately in control of this church--the outcomes--sure we would be frustrated. God has ways of taking our work--and even our mistakes--and correcting them in time. And I sincerely believe that despite the sometimes strong differences of opinion, there wasn't a person in the room who didn't abdicate his or her own personal wishes and ultimately want God's will to override. When you've got that basic understanding, you know you're going to come out well.
