Neil Nedley presenting,

“One of the most common distortions of humanity is emotional reasoning.”

Watch out for false worldy counsel ”Follow your heart.” This is untruth.

“Don’t light up the beta pleasure of your mind until you know there isn’t a hook embedded in it.”

The world’s solution is to empty your mind. Christianity is the opposite “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

“Guard your mind, for it affects everything that you do”

We are to have the mind of Christ. Jesus spent time in prayer with no distractions. If Jesus needed this every day, how much do we need this?

Ask God if you are in compliance with His Commands.

“By beholding we become changed.”

The Fruit of the Spirit includes self-control

Wisdom is better than rubies. God’s wisdom.

****

9:21 AM Second morning session — opens with audience prayer.

GT Ng presenting Mission report.

1901 GC Session — sent 50% of laborers and 50% of funds to mission fields.

Check SOP for the term “Reflex Influence.”

Brief slideshow of Langley Church in Vancouver. This Church hosted a series by Doug Batchelor last November.

Gary Krause Presentation

In the year 2000, there was one 1 SDA for every 519 people on earth.

Global Mission was started 30 years ago (almost) in Indianapolis (at the 1990 GC Session).

“We cannot make mission only virtual.”

Global Mission happens when all church entities pool their monies together. There are currently church planting projects in 68 countries. A new church is established every 4.9 hours.

Andrew McChesney does a good job keeping mission stories flowing.

in 2016 there were 362 mission trips

David Trimm

Report on Adventist statistics

www.adventiststatistics.org

Church growth is trending up; accessions (growth) are over one million per year.

Losses are slowly rising. “We must have integrity in our statistics.”

South Asia Division is cleaning up their books.

Our loss rate continues to be 40%.

Attention was given to the ratio of administrators per church member and the ratio of administrators per pastor. This was a significant presentation, with several revealing statistics.

There is evidence that SDA administration is growing rapidly, faster than the ordained pastor rate.

Secretary’s report is voted and accepted.

11:04 AM Brief break - - - - -

Annual Council Agenda voted and accepted

Elder Neil Wilson - talks with NAD.
Recommendations from NAD:

NAD added an agenda item: all policies be looked at in order to provide parity in …. We will be seeing these recommendations later.

11:24 AM— Request, do we have a policy that can demote a pastor who is critical of the Conference?
Israel Leito: “Technology can be a blessing, or it can be misused.”

Are we covering hate speech in our policies? “We shape our tools, but now our tools shape us” (social media).