03 July 2024 | St Louis, USA [Adam Keough]
Expectancy. Excitement. Weariness.
Three words you may not always expect to co-exist, but in this case, they do!
There was a buzz in the air as my family and I stepped into the lobby of a hotel in St Louis, USA, on the afternoon of Wednesday, 2 July. It wasn’t just the sound of luggage wheels and check-in conversations. It was more. It was the unmistakable energy of the global Seventh-day Adventist Church ‘family’ gathering once again, after being separated for three years.
There were smiles. There was laughter. There were hugs. There were quiet moments of prayer and thankfulness. And there was the tiredness of weary travellers converging in one place after hours—and even days—of travelling from the four corners of the earth: up to 2,800 delegates from the 212 countries where the Adventist World Church is established. Delegates, special guests, administrators—some with their families, some without—along with a myriad of non-delegates, all converging on the city of St Louis for the 62nd General Conference Session of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
As the sun rose into the blue sky over the St Louis skyline on Thursday, everyone began to congregate at the America’s Center Convention Complex, where the main business of the GC Session was set to take place. A vibrant mosaic of people, cultures, attire, stories, and purposes, all gathering in one place.
For the Adventist Church, this Session isn’t just a business meeting. It’s a spiritual milestone, a celebration of mission, and a reaffirmation of Adventist identity and purpose. Under the theme “Jesus is Coming, I Will Go!”, the Session focuses on the hope and expectation of Christ’s return, as well as the Church’s commitment to sharing the good news about Jesus Christ—while at the same time conducting all the necessary business of the world church in session.
Inside the convention complex, you’ll find people from every continent walking side by side. You’ll hear conversations in Swahili, Spanish, French, Korean, Portuguese, and dozens more languages echoing down the wide corridors. Smiles transcend language barriers around the dinner tables. Delegates catch up with old friends, make new ones, and look ahead to long days filled with reports, recommendations, and votes.
Amongst the crowds, you’ll also spot volunteers and technical staff tucked behind screens, translators speaking into microphones, and security teams guiding thousands of attendees—an unseen but essential army of people making it all happen.
Yet, even amid the detailed business of the Church that is to come, the theme of mission remains at the heart of the experience. People are gathered and reminded that the mission lies at the heart of what it means to be a global Seventh-day Adventist Church.
As the first official business session begins, there is anticipation. This isn’t just administration. It’s mission! It’s faith in motion. It’s the global body of Christ gathering—not just to make decisions, but to discern God’s will.
And so, as St Louis plays host to the Adventist World Church once again, the spirit of expectancy and excitement continues, driven by the mission theme: “Jesus is coming. I will go.”
Featured image: Session delegates are seated in division groups. TED President, Daniel Duda seated on the front row of the TED area with fellow delegates. [Photos: James Botha, Adventist Media Exchange]
