15 April 2025 | Silver Spring, USA [tedNEWS with Adventist News Network and Adventist Review]
tedNEWS presents a brief summary of key highlights from the 2025 General Conference Spring Meetings, held on 8–9 April.
Economic Uncertainty Hasn’t Stopped God’s Blessings
Amid what was described as “the highest economic policy uncertainty ever,” financial leaders of the General Conference (GC) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church praised God for His intervention and provision in the Church’s financial affairs. During the 2025 Spring Meeting held in Silver Spring, Maryland, GC treasurer Paul Douglas expressed gratitude for the Church’s strong financial position despite global economic challenges.
Douglas reported that the GC ended 2024 with around US$338 million in net assets, 94 percent of which was in cash and investments. He emphasised that this financial strength is not due to human achievement but God’s provision for the Church’s mission. The GC received $4 million more in tithe than budgeted ($82 million), although tithe patterns have fluctuated since 2019 due to a tithe parity agreement and a stronger US dollar, which reduced the value of foreign contributions.
Tithe & Offerings – A Significant Shift
A notable shift was seen in the financial structure of contributions: while tithe once made up 58 percent of the budget in 2020, it accounted for only 45 percent in 2024. Offerings, meanwhile, surpassed expectations. Douglas interpreted this shift as a rekindling of members’ interest in global mission work. GC stewardship director Marcos Bomfim called the increase in offerings “a dream” and expressed hope for continued growth.
On the expense side, costs rose by 6 percent in 2024, primarily due to inflation, support for world fields, and emergency responses. Nevertheless, the GC remained within its spending cap. At year-end, the GC held 14.6 months of working capital and 11.6 months of liquid assets, both above policy recommendations.
Douglas also reported that after a downturn in 2022, the GC’s investments had returned to positive territory, crediting prudent stewardship amidst volatile markets. Following his report, GC undertreasurer Ray Wahlen noted the GC was nearing normal operational levels after COVID-19 disruptions, attributing financial recovery to faithful member giving and disciplined spending by GC staff.
A continued focus on mission was evident in the allocation of resources. For 2025, $6.7 million has been designated for local church projects. Divisions are also receiving support for territory-wide evangelistic campaigns. These initiatives have resulted in widespread spiritual engagement, including more than 2,500 Bible studies, over 400 baptisms, and over a million baptisms in East-Central Africa. The North American Division has registered over 5,000 proclamation sites.
Douglas also addressed the ongoing effort toward tithe parity, aiming for all divisions to contribute 3 percent of their tithe to the GC by 2030. While the North American Division already contributes 3 percent (plus an extra 0.85 percent due to the presence of institutions like Andrews and Loma Linda universities), other regions currently contribute 2.4 percent. A study confirmed that proceeding with the scheduled increases is financially necessary for the GC.
Read here for full report by Marcos Passegi
Digital Ministries Guidelines
The General Conference Executive Committee has approved new guidelines for expanding digital ministry in Seventh-day Adventist churches globally, prompted by increased online activity since the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidelines outline a three-phase strategy: developing digital platforms, streaming services, and offering online spiritual care.
While encouraging digital growth, the guidelines stress that in-person gatherings remain essential for church identity and practices like baptism and communion. Churches can accept remote members, who are encouraged to participate in ministry and start local groups.
The goal is to reach the 70% of the global population active online while preserving the church’s biblical values and structure.
Read the new Guidelines for the Digital Expansion of Mission here.
House Group Guidelines
On the second day of the 2025 GC Spring Meetings, the Executive Committee approved new guidelines for House Groups. This follows discussions that began at the 2024 Annual Council, which referred the topic to the Church Manual Committee for development.
Gerson Santos, Associate Secretary of the GC, introduced the new Church Manual guidelines, clarifying that while both “House Groups” and “House Churches” will appear in the manual, “House Groups” is the preferred term. The purpose of these guidelines is to support the global mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, especially in areas where traditional public worship may be restricted.
Santos highlighted the biblical precedent for home-based gatherings, referencing the New Testament, and emphasized the effectiveness of relational worship models in sensitive regions.
During the discussion, delegates clarified the difference between House Groups and small groups. Small groups typically meet during the week and attend a local church on Sabbath, while House Groups conduct full worship services in homes or agreed-upon locations.
Read the new Guidelines for House Groups here.
Editor’s note: For both the guidelines on Digital Ministries and House Churches, the leadership repeatedly noted that these voted actions at this point are ‘guidelines’ in contrast to voted statements for inclusion in the Church Manual, which can only take place when the General Conference is in Session.
Featured image: [Tor Tjeransen] / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)
[Photos: Shutterstock & David Neal]
