The 2023 Annual Council of the General Conference Executive Committee will take place October 5 through 11, at the General Conference headquarters building in Silver Spring, Maryland. We look forward to working and worshipping with you as we conduct the business of the Church.
This is a very special year for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. We are celebrating the 160th anniversary of our denomination and highlighting that we are “Chosen for Mission.” At the same time, we are advancing the Mission Refocus movement, with all the divisions, attached fields, and some Church institutions sending missionaries to the most challenging areas of the world. This commitment to the mission God has entrusted to us is at the heart of our preparations and will be a special emphasis of the upcoming Annual Council. Please pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance during these meetings and come prepared to renew your commitment to share the “everlasting gospel … to every nation, tribe, tongue and people.” (Revelation 14:6, NKJV)
SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS
Dates and times are subject to change. Last updated September 25, 2023.
All times are Eastern Daylight Time (Washington, DC; UTC-04:00).
Thursday, October 5, 2023
- LEAD Conference Opening 8:00-8:35 a.m.
- Devotional 8:35-9:05 a.m.
- Speaker: Shane Anderson, Senior Pastor, Pioneer Memorial Church, Andrews University
- Title: “The Impossible Dream?”
- LEAD Conference 9:05 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
- Annual Council Check-In 12:00-2:00 p.m.
- LEAD Conference 2:00-5:30 p.m.
Friday, October 6, 2023
- Dedicated Prayer Time 7:15-7:45 a.m.
- Annual Council Opening 8:00-8:20 a.m.
- Devotional 8:20-9:20 a.m.
- Speaker: James S Winegardner, President, Adventist Risk Management
- Title: “Chosen”
- Annual Council Business Session 9:20 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Annual Council Late Check-In 9:20 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
- Evening Program: Mission Refocus 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Sabbath, October 7, 2023
- Dedicated Prayer Time 8:30-8:50 a.m.
- Sabbath School 9:00-10:30 a.m.
- Divine Service 10:35 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
- Speaker: Ted N C Wilson, President, General Conference
- Title: “Chosen for Mission”
- Afternoon Program 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 8, 2023
- Dedicated Prayer Time 7:15-7:45 a.m.
- Devotional 8:00-9:00 a.m.
- Speaker: Daniel Wang Xin Jiao, President, Chinese Union Mission
- Title: “Born for Mission”
- Annual Council Business Session 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
- Annual Council Late Check-In 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
- Nominating Committee 12:00-2:00 p.m.
- Annual Council Business Session 2:00-5:30 p.m.
Monday, October 9, 2023
- Dedicated Prayer Time 7:15-7:45 a.m.
- Devotional 8:00-9:00 a.m.
- Speaker: Richard E McEdward, President, Middle East and North Africa Union Mission
- Title: “Does the Fire Still Burn?”
- Annual Council Business Session 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
- Annual Council Business Session 2:00-5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, October 10, 2023
- Dedicated Prayer Time 7:15-7:45 a.m.
- Devotional 8:00-9:00 a.m.
- Speaker: Stanislav V Nosov, President, Ukrainian Union Conference
- Title: “The Example of Christ in Suffering”
- Annual Council Business Session 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
- Annual Council Business Session 2:00-5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
- Dedicated Prayer Time 7:15-7:45 a.m.
- Devotional 8:00-9:00 a.m.
- Speaker: D Daniel Stojanovic, President, Israel Field
- Title: “The Everlasting Message of Peace in Israel”
- Annual Council Business Session 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
ANNUAL COUNCIL AGENDA
CHECK-IN ON-SITE
Check-In will be at the entrance to the auditorium on Thursday, October 5, from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. Late check-in will be at the Business Center. Committee members are required to Check-In.
WATCH LIVE
All meetings of the Annual Council will be livestreamed as scheduled, October 5-11, 2023.
SPOUSE PROGRAM
During Annual Council this year, there will be meetings for the spouses with presentations on pastoral ministry being Stronger Together. The featured speakers will be Willie and Elaine Oliver, director and associate director of Family Ministries.
Presentations will be on Sunday, October 8, from 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m., all day Monday, October 9, starting at 9:30 a.m., and Wednesday, October 11, from 9:30-11:00 a.m. On Tuesday, October 10, there will be a special outing for spouses. Please watch DEOR for details on registering for this event. We look forward to spending time with you during Annual Council!
DAILY SCHEDULE
Daily Schedules for the dates of Annual Council and the pre-meetings will be posted on the Executive Committee Portal as they become available. Please login using your username and password, then click on the tab for Annual Council.