12 June 2016 | Tartu, Estonia [Averonika Beekmann/tedNEWS] Ivo Käsk, President of the Estonian Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church was re-elected to office during a weekend of Constituency Meetings, 10-12 June 2016. Virve Toom was elected as Executive secretary, for the first time putting a women in a senior leadership position, while Jaanus-Janari Kogerman who previously cared for both Secretariat and Treasury will now focus on finance.
With changing world events, the meetings had a sense of urgency, following the theme, ‘Arise! Make haste! Jesus is Coming’. In his opening address, David Nõmmik, President of the Baltic Union, focused the minds of the 62 delegates on Adventist Church history asking why the theme of Jesus return is so embedded in the Adventist heart. “The answer is simple,” he continued, “it is the identity of our church, and our hope,” noting that “there is nothing better in this world than what Jesus offers us.”
Education was one of the main emphasies of the president’s report – both for church members and new employees. Käsk noted that of the 19 people employed by the church, 13 have graduate studies in progress. “It is a period of learning and new beginnings,” he said.
That theme was taken up by Käsk in his Sabbath sermon as he challenged members that perhaps the church had grown roots, settled down, and was no longer a dynamic movement. He called on members for Total Member Involvement in evangelism and dedicating their lives to God.
Sabbath was more than just the sermon though. It was a very special day for delegates and members from across the country as they met in the Vanemuine Concert Hall, Tartu for a day of spiritual uplift including beautiful original music composed by Estonian Adventists as part of a three-hour evening concert. During the afternoon they were also inspired by personal reports, videos and experiences from the various departments.
The 39th Session of the Estonian Conference concluded on the Sunday with all the delegates forming a large circle and taking time to pray, asking God to be their guide for the next three-year period, as plans develop and members share their faith.
Full reports of the meetings can be found on the Estonian Conference website. Photos can be found on their very active Facebook page. [tedNEWS]
tedNEWS Staff: Victor Hulbert, director; Esti Pujic, editor
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