The world synod of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, being held June 23-July 3, will bring additional international flavor to the already diverse city of Atlanta, Georgia, business meeting planners said.
"Atlanta is well known for its rich cultural diversity, heritage, and Southern hospitality throughout the USA," said Sheri Clemmer, associate session meeting planner for the Adventist Church. "Atlanta has a long history of hosting national religious organizations and gatherings, " Clemmer said.
This session gathering will be representative of the more than 25 million Adventist families from around the globe, with the theme of "proclaiming God’s grace."
"Grace is a powerful, living force; it changes and animates us," said Adventist world church President Jan Paulsen (75). "When God’s grace reaches into our lives – and into the life of our church – it’s impossible to go on with business as usual. It opens our eyes to needs around us; it compels us to go into our communities. By focusing on this theme, we’re acknowledging that the experience of grace is absolutely central in the life of each believer, and we’re asking: 'How can we as Seventh-day Adventists reflect more clearly its depth, breadth, and transforming power? "'
The Session, scheduled for June 23 to July 3, is primarily a business meeting for the global Adventist Church. Denominational leaders are elected, church business is attended to, and policy decisions are made. Because the core "business" of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that challenge will permeate activities at the Atlanta 2010 convocation, Paulsen said.
"Unlike previous sessions, this coming session in Atlanta will be known for its creative use of technology and its strong presence in the media," said Rajmund Dabrowski, director of Communication for the Adventist Church headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland/USA.
"We want the Atlanta community to feel and know that the Seventh-day Adventists are in town, and we are hoping this session will break all records for attendance," Dabrowski added.
Organized by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, the administrative body of the world church, the quinquennial world synod will be the 59th for the denomination since 1863.
The Atlanta convocation marks just the second time Adventists have held a worldwide gathering in the United States in 20 years. Daily attendance at the event is expected to average more than 35,000 people; on the two weekends, more than 70,000 are expected to attend. According to the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau the direct economic impact of this top convention for the city is estimated at US$80,930,000.
Some 2,400 voting delegates from all over the world will gather at the Georgia Dome in downtown Atlanta to participate in meetings that will determine many of the church’s administrative actions for the next half decade. They will receive reports on the church’s growth in those parts of the world where the Christian message is reaching the unreached, and have the opportunity to meet fellow believers and church workers from other world regions.
Hundreds of personnel will assist Session managers George Egwakhe and Sheri Clemmer in staging the event. Staff and volunteers from the world church headquarters and the 13 world divisions including leaders from its North American region will be working with the Georgia Dome and Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, to handle the logistics involved in bringing delegates and visitors to the event, as well as housing and feeding them. As during previous events, Session participants will eat at what might be the largest vegetarian restaurant in operation.
Participants of such world convocations have often favored the international evening programs, which feature reports from all over the world. These reports will be translated into 15 different languages, as well as American Sign Language for the hearing impaired.
Other special events associated with the World Synod will aim at creating a global awareness and sensitivity to the world community, which is a part of the Adventist mission to the world. In the exhibitor hall, church departments and entities will host booths and interactive displays. Exhibitors include the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, Women’s Ministries, Adventist colleges and universities from around the world and many more.
Organizers are planning to use the media to bring the Atlanta 2010 event to viewers of Hope Channel (www.hopetv.org) and listeners of the Atlanta 2010 Today podcast, as well as other Web-based media. Regular reports will be available to Session delegates and church members around the world through the church’s weekly magazine, Adventist Review, and the worldwide press coverage of the Adventist News Network (ANN). For the secular print media in Europe special press coverage will be made by the church-owned Adventist Press Service (APD) with its editorial offices in Basel (Switzerland) and Ostfildern (near Stuttgart/Germany).
The meetings are open to the general public. More information can be found at www.gcsession.org.
About the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Around the world, the Adventist Church is among the fastest- growing denominations today. Adventists are present in 204 of the 232 countries and areas recognized by the United Nations, and communicate in more than 880 languages through print and audio ministries. Adventists operate one of the largest Protestant educational networks in the world, with 7,500 elementary through university-level schools worldwide, and nearly 1.6 million students enrolled. Of those, 107 are colleges and universities.
About the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Atlanta
There are 217 Seventh-day Adventist churches in Georgia which includes 11 congregations in the city of Atlanta. The Seventh-day Adventist Church operates 34 educational institutions in Georgia which includes three in the city of Atlanta. Also, the Church operates two medical facilities in Georgia. [Editors: George Johnson Jr., and Christian B. Schäffler for APD]