The primary governing body in the Seventh-day Adventist Church organization is your local church. As a member of a local church, you and your fellow members decide in business session how to advance the gospel in your community. The church board implements your decisions.
One of the blessings of the Adventist Church is the fact that your local church is united with every other Adventist church around the world through a representative form of organization.
Each church is part of a local conference or mission. The conference is responsible for providing pastoral support and assists in various ministries and initiatives, including education. The conference executive committee meets regularly to give direction and implement policies between conference constituency sessions.
The Lake Union is one of nine territories in North America and includes the Illinois, Indiana, Lake Region, Michigan, and Wisconsin conferences. The Lake Union Herald is the official publication and serves all the members of our territory. Three times each year, the Lake Union executive committee meets at its headquarters in Berrien Springs, Michigan, to give direction and focus for advancing the gospel in our territory. The past several years have included initiatives for evangelism and ministry training. On April 2, 2006, the Lake Union Constituency Session will be held in Berrien Springs, Michigan, to determine the leadership and direction of our Union for the next five years.
The North American Division (NAD) is one of 13 territories that makes up the world church, or General Conference (GC), and includes the United States, Canada, and Bermuda. The NAD and GC headquarters are located in Silver Spring, Maryland.
The NAD executive committee has over 300 representatives who meet at the end of each year to give direction for the work in North America. This year's meeting began on Thursday evening, October 26, with a memorial service for leaders who died during the past year. Friday included the election of leaders and a detailed report of the church’s response to hurricane victims. Friday evening, the committee was challenged by David Ring, of Franklin, Tennessee, to employ all God has given in service for Him. Don Schneider, NAD president, led the delegation in a dedication response to that end. During the Sabbath sermon, Jan Paulsen, GC president, reminded the committee we are pilgrims and must remember we are in transit to a better place already prepared for us.
A number of initiatives were presented in a report that included evangelism, world missions, church revitalization, education, media, leadership development, and NAD operation.
Over 400 representatives and invited guests from the 13 divisions of the world church gather each year at the GC headquarters for Fall Council to examine issues between GC sessions. The last session was held in St. Louis, Missouri, in 2005. The next session will be in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2010.
For more information about your church, its organization, and the latest news, visit the Lake Union Conference website: www.luc.adventist.org. There are links to the conferences, the NAD, the GC, and a number of other church organization websites.
Gary Burns is the Lake Union Conference communication director and Lake Union Herald editor.
