I began my journey to Annual Council last Wednesday after setting my GPS for Silver Springs, MD. I had new Ecopia tires on the car and was anxious to try them out.
While the tires worked flawlessly (no flats), my mood, on the other hand, was emotionally flat. This was unusual for me—normally an upbeat guy. I was concerned that liberalism and chicanery might prevail at Annual Council (due to a fake news story regarding ADCOM and Compliance Committees).
Unlike 2017 (when it rained the entire trip), the weather was nearly perfect.
On Thursday at Noon, I checked in at the GC and received a Press badge. Though there are several ways to spell Wagoner, I was introduced to yet another one: Waggnor. Close enough, right?
Since Annual Council didn’t actually begin until 6:30 PM, I decided to go to the Lincoln Memorial and walk around. The crowds were minimal and the weather perfect. After 14k steps, the inevitable happened—I got hungry!
I found Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant, even though they had moved since 2017. It was a terrific meal. I headed back to the GC at 4PM, assuming I had plenty of time. Country guy meets congested city. It took two hours to drive 23.7 miles. Arghhh.
I got to the GC and found my place at the Press Box table. I was on the far left, beside Spectrum (don’t worry, it’s only temporary).
After two days of LEAD Conference presentations, we had a shared worship service on Sabbath. Elder Wilson presented a good message. I went for a nice walk on Sabbath afternoon with a friend who works in the GC publishing department.
Sunday
On Sunday morning, the business session of Annual Council began. Neil Nedley “Hit it out of the park” with a tremendous presentation on health & lifestyle.
At 2 PM, the issue of local voice advantage for Conference Presidents in the host nation came up. Here’s the story on that:
Apparently, there was an old policy on the books that Conference Presidents who live in the Division that hosts an Annual Council meeting, get invited to the meeting and were given voice in it. Over the years, it had become more and more cost effective to hold Annual Council in the GC auditorium, and in the foreseeable future would continue to be held there, thus providing NAD Conference Presidents with a permanent megaphone to try and influence AC decisions. Not good.
Elder Wilson explained that the NAD request for tithe parity would make holding Annual Council at the GC even more likely, in order to conserve funds. The motion was made to remove this old policy hang-on (section 7) and seconded. Discussion began.
What was expected to be a fairly reasonable issue became an emotional convulsion as liberals flooded the microphone to protest the notion of them not being able to flood the microphone. Evidently they absolutely adore policy—when it helps their agenda.
Unbeknownst to them, they were demonstrating why this change is needed. After the bellyaching reached a crescendo in the room, Israel Leito made a motion to table the motion. It passed, largely because of the confusion created by explaining to overseas Committee members through translation that voting yes means no on this motion (sort of). It would be brought back up again.
The Press
I enjoy interacting with other reporters in the Press Box; there is a kind of professional camaraderie there, even between publications that differ significantly. I had a nice talk with Dan Weber from the NAD Communication department that evening (ask him about his awesome Iceland pictures if you get the opportunity).
Bonnie Dwyer and I prayed together numerous times, including Alisa Williams on two occasions. We often prayed for the meetings, the Church and each other. One pastor came over and wanted a picture with Fulcrum and Spectrum. His arms weren’t long enough to get a three-person selfie, so he asked Williams to take the picture. I wonder where that photo will show up? :)
I believe God wants us to love people with whom we may disagree. I also believe that truth is too important to kill it for the sake of peace.
I did my first podcast that evening with Pastor Larry Kirkpatrick, it was a brief account of the events of the day. I learned that over-explaining and podcasts don’t go well together. The next one was better.
On Monday morning there was a presentation by Vicki Griffin. It was good.
Tithe Parity
At 2 pm the issue of tithe-parity came up.
While there has been a long-term goal for the NAD to reduce the amount of tithe that they contribute to the world field—from 10% to 5%-ish, the NAD decided to request complete tithe parity between Divisions in their November 2018 year end meeting. That this demand came on the heels of the Compliance Document, which was voted at the 2018 Annual Council, gave it a retaliatory flavor, likened to an elephant in the room by one GCAC Committee member who spoke at the microphone. I absolutely believe there is a connection. Besides, rock concerts and social justice initiatives can be expensive so . . .
Elder Wilson and Juan Prestol were both magnanimous in their presentation of this request. The numbers would not allow complete tithe parity between divisions, but they came close with America’s contribution reduced from 6.1% to 3.85%. The other Divisions will have to raise their contributions to 3% over a period of 10-years, and the NAD will reach 3% in 2024. It was explained that this new arrangement would require the General Conference to ‘shrink’ their financial footprint to make ends meet. There was talk of eliminating three departments at the GC in order to save money. AWR will experience a 25% reduction in the funds allocated to them, to cite one example. It was voted and it passed.
These changes will observably affect the Church in the years to come. How much, we will find out. I personally believe that money gained by withholding it from the world field will become a curse, and not a blessing.
At 4 pm, the Abortion Statement was read to the audience. The place was packed. I noticed a strange silence which filled the room while the Statement was being read. It was like our heavenly Father was speaking to every heart in the room. I believe He was.
There were numerous grammatical suggestions offered on the Abortion Statement, and a few people who wanted more significant changes. Only a few people wanted the document scrapped.
The day ended with a Compliance document being passed out to every person in the room, including the press. Tomorrow would be interesting. People were talking about it in the foyer and hallways.
I delivered my second podcast with Pastor Larry Kirkpatrick that evening at 9 pm, while walking around the block.
On Tuesday morning, the tabled motion regarding local conference voice advantage was brought back to the floor. The motion was split into two parts, the first part being the ability of the GCExcom to remove members for cause. That passed easily, as it should.
They Lost Their Voice
The second part of the motion was local Conference voice advantage (Conference Presidents from the host Division having voice in Annual Council meetings). Ted Wilson explained how this was also a parity issue, just like the NAD’s request for tithe parity.
The NAD has enjoyed (and exploited) an unfair advantage in this matter. Since Annual Council is being held in the US for financial reasons, we needed this change to make discussion at the Annual Council more fair. NAD Conference Presidents tend to speak loudly in favor of items that further the NAD agenda—possibly swaying the tone of the meeting. The discussion began.
Thomas Müller, president of the Danish Union—who will be formally warned for non-compliance later today—went to the microphone and said he was worried about the timing of this motion (whatever that means). His was essentially the only comment, and the motion passed by a large majority. It was 170 to remove local Conference voice advantage to 65 against.
I believe that the NAD burned up some of their leverage on Monday with their request for tithe parity. You can’t take money from the world field for yourself, and still demand extra voice in Annual Council matters. Lunch time.
The food is pretty good in the GC cafeteria. My compliments to the chef, and to the witty girl running the cash register. Humor could help our Church through some of the tough times.
The Compliance Issue
On Tuesday afternoon there was a motion to accept the ADCOM recommendation to warn four Unions in Scandinavia and Europe, and to publicly reprimand the Presidents of the Columbia Union and the Pacific Union in North America. Dave Weigley and Ricardo Graham are their names.
I should point out here that if the Divisions over these Unions had been doing their job, these disciplinary measures would not have been necessary! For instance, if the NAD cared about Seventh-day Adventist Church unity at all, they would have already brought these two wayward Unions back into harmony with the world church. But these defiant Unions are emboldened by the fact that the NAD agrees with and protects them. That is a big part part of the problem.
The Compliance Document was split into two parts: The Warning to Four Unions, and the Rebuke (or reprimand) to Two Union Presidents.
Warning
The Warning part was vigorously discussed. Several rebellious Church entities tried to defend their case by claiming that Fundamental Belief #14 supports their rebellion. It doesn’t. But they tried.
Their second defense was that they haven’t had enough time to understand or repair their out-of- compliance actions. This is called stalling. To this ludicrous claim, Ted Wilson reminded them that they have had one full year since GCAC18, and four years since GC Session 2015.
One of the best excuses that I heard all day was from Thomas Muller (Danish President) who said this Compliance motion “Makes me unhappy.” Oh. Well why didn’t you say so? We wouldn’t want you to be unhappy.
After all the whining and complaining, it was time to vote. The vote outcome was 164 to 124 in favor of the motion. The Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and North German Unions receive a formal warning for their defiance of a General Conference Session vote.
Reprimands
Now it was time for two NAD Union Presidents to be reprimanded (something they richly deserve). As before, many of the detractors tried to claim FB #14 as a defense. One black fellow tried to claim that civil rights should trump Church decisions, and another said male leadership is not a theological issue. His Bible must be thinner than mine.
Others said that their conscience demands that they defy the three GC Session votes (votes that they probably took part in).
Two fantastic comments deserve mention here,
Harrington from Zambia reminded the room that your conscience is not a reliable guide to truth. The conscience can be defiled by culture, and we must follow the Bible, not our conscience. Zing!
A brother from East Africa said “Last year we discussed this. I am sad that there is no remorse from these men who have violated our Church decisions. The open display of impunity is harmful for the children and adults of our church. To not address this impunity, will do great harm to the Church.” Hear hear.
After a long season of complaining, Victor Marley (the freshly warned non-compliant President from Norway) made a motion to change the reprimand to a warning. We are informed after the fact that this amendment was hostile to the motion on the floor. Maybe if Robert himself (of Robert’s rules of order) had been there, he could have straightened us out. Nevertheless, the amendment was seconded and passed, but not before Dave Weigley said the Columbia Union hasn’t had enough time to resolve the problem.
Stall tactics again. The truth is, they don’t want to resolve the problem. In July of 2012, the Columbia Union voted to ordain without regard to gender, in spite of Ted Wilson’s appeal that they not do this. That was 7-years ago.
In June of this year, the Columbia Union approved another woman for ordination at the Silver Spring SDA Church. Time isn’t the issue, hardness of heart is the issue. The vote to amend passed. Rats.
Time to vote on warning the CUC and PUC.
Then it happened. A woman named Marie let the cat out of the bag. She said “The General Conference Session vote (presumably 2015, although there have been three GC Session votes on ordaining women) was a mistake.” There you have it, friends.
If a vote to ordain women passes it is the will of God; if it fails it is a mistake. This unbiblical sentimentalism lies at the heart of the rebellion in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Such statements reveal a strange wing of the Seventh-day Adventist Church that is a frail version of its former muscular self, so humorless and self-righteous that it has lost perspective on what constitutes biblical truth and what doesn’t.
In my opinion, all six of these men should be fired. Dismissed. Let go. Sacked. But they won’t be.
The vote passed. 190 to 94.
The Abortion Statement
On Wednesday morning the Abortion Statement was brought back to the floor with these words “We listened to your suggestions; we have incorporated some of them.” It was time to vote on it. I have three things to say about the vote outcome.
It passed.
It passed.
It passed.
The vote was 250-ish to 4. Now it was time to head home.
Summary
The vote to remove North American Conference Presidents’ voice at future Annual Council meetings is fair, long overdue and awesome.
The Abortion Statement is a much-needed improvement to the lackluster pro-choice 1992 Guidelines that were such an unnecessary burden upon the Adventist conscience. Heartfelt thanks to the BRI, Ted Wilson, our faithful evangelists, and countless others who helped to make this change. God bless you!
Someone (who may or may not be the Sabbath School Quarterly editor) remarked to me on Tuesday, “Most conservatives think the Compliance measure doesn’t go far enough (I’m one of them), and most liberals are screaming that it is end of the world.” He was correct.
Elder Ted Wilson is doing the best that he can. In spite of kingly power accusations, he does not wield or exercise inordinate authority over the church. Just the opposite, he was gracious, patient and equitable throughout the whole meeting. He admitted on Tuesday during the Compliance motion introduction that this kind of conflict goes against his nature. I understand. As a Christian businessman, husband and father, allowing these NAD Union leaders to continue with impunity goes against my nature. But if Ted can extend kindness to rebels while guiding us through the essential process of discipline, surely I can do no less. Let us resist rebellion, and reach out to those who could ultimately be destroyed by it.
Stay faithful to the Word of God, friends. It will not let you down. It has the answer to every problem that you and I face.
There is hope!
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“Cast all your care upon Him, for He careth for you.” (1 Peter 5:7).