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Reflections from the General Conference Session
I want to share with you some reflections from my time at the 2025 General Conference Session held in St. Louis this July.
Like many of you—whether attending in person or tuning in online—I was blessed by the powerful messages shared from the platform. What moved me most were the mission stories of individuals serving in some of the most dangerous places in the world. These missionaries are going house to house, opening the Scriptures, and boldly calling people to follow Jesus—often at great personal risk. Their courage and unwavering commitment to the mission of Christ is humbling.
I also appreciated the repeated emphasis on keeping the mission of the church front and center. It’s a message we need to continually reflect on, because our identity as a people is rooted in our calling to share the everlasting gospel and the Three Angels' Messages with the world.
As many of you know, a new General Conference president was elected—Elder Erton Köhler. His Sabbath morning message was a reminder that we are part of a movement built not on human systems, but on God’s calling. I encourage you to pray for Elder Köhler and the many other newly elected leaders as they seek God's guidance in these challenging times.
While I experienced many positive things during the GC Session, I left with a single, overarching impression: the church at every level is grappling with how to carry out our mission effectively—especially as we face challenges within our own body. Let me be clear: I’m not talking about external opposition. Throughout Scripture, God’s people have always faced opposition from the world. But more often, it is the challenges within that prevent us from fully accomplishing the mission God has given us.
There are two main concerns I observed during the session that I believe are especially worth reflecting on:
1. We Have Replaced Biblical Spirituality with Church Policy
Beyond elections, much of the business centered on amendments to the Church Manual and changes in policy. One major topic of debate was whether faithful tithe return should be directly tied to holding church office. Multiple statements were proposed about how pastors and church leaders might oversee this, and much time was spent refining the language.
To be clear, I believe in the importance of returning a faithful tithe. I practice it, teach it, and believe it is part of a committed Christian life—especially for leaders. But I’m troubled by the direction we seem to be heading, where oversight and policy enforcement take center stage.
Jesus and His disciples turned the world upside down by sharing the truths of Scripture and pointing people to the Messiah. They did not spend their days debating manual revisions. Elder Köhler touched on this tension when he said, “The more we grow, the more we increase our structure, the more complex we become, the greater the risk of drifting away from our sacred mission.”
My fear is that we are on that very path. In our effort to address apathy and Laodiceanism, we are turning to policies instead of calling people to deeper, Spirit-led transformation through the Word.
2. We Have Become So “Right,” We've Forgotten Where We Might Be Wrong
As I interacted with people throughout the ten days, I encountered mixed reactions to the session and speculation about the new president. I noticed that much of the criticism was based not on firsthand experience, but on hearsay or opinion.
There were also several so-called “independent Adventist news outlets” present, asking leading questions, seemingly looking for sound bites. I respectfully declined to engage.
We have a culture of criticism and gossip in the church that concerns me deeply. While I believe in healthy accountability, too often opinions are presented as facts, and stories are spread without full understanding. I’ve been using a phrase lately: “When people don’t know the facts, they fill in the gaps.”
Yes, we have clarity on doctrines like the Sabbath and the Second Coming—but we’ve struggled with the “weightier matters of the law”: mercy, justice, and love. We find it easier to talk about people than to talk to them. And we often fail to honor those who see things differently than we do.
Moving Forward
As I reflected during the session, I came to a crossroads. One path led to cynicism—something I had been warned might come. The other path was to remember that this is, ultimately, God’s church.
I had spent weeks beforehand praying that the Lord would guard my heart, and I believe He answered. I felt more peace than I have in a long time. Through prayer, the Holy Spirit reminded me: “Feeble and defective as it may appear, the church is the one object that God regards above all others. It is the theater of His grace, in which He delights to reveal His power to transform hearts.” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 502)
We are all part of that feebleness. And yet—God is still using us.
Sometimes we forget that God can and will use people who hold different perspectives from our own. Whether we lean liberal or conservative, we are all sinners, and we all contribute to the brokenness of the church. It wasn’t one “side” that nailed Jesus to the cross. It was all of us.
Where Do We Go From Here?
I asked the Lord daily while at the GC: “What is my duty now—as a follower of Christ and as President of the Iowa-Missouri Conference?”
Here’s what He impressed on my heart:
1. Pray—then pray some more
I felt strong conviction that my own prayer life needs to deepen. I must pray more intentionally for the leaders of our church—locally, nationally, and globally—just as I ask you to pray for our conference leadership. Let us pray for a revival of true godliness, grounded in Scripture and led by the Holy Spirit.
2. Rekindle a Spirit-led Vision
In conversations with fellow conference presidents, I heard a shared concern: we are often consumed by putting out fires and responding to crises. This can disconnect us from our constituents and blur the mission. I relate to this deeply. It’s not just conference leaders—pastors and local church leaders feel it too. We need to pause, listen for God's voice, and recapture a vision for what He is calling us to do.
I am grateful for the time spent at the General Conference Session. It gave me space to reflect on where our church stands—globally and locally—and to hear again the voice of God saying, “I’m still on the throne. I’m still leading. I’m still using broken people to do a holy work.”
My appeal to each of you in the Iowa-Missouri Conference is this:
Let us take prayer seriously. Let us lift up the church in all its levels. And when you see something that troubles you—whether in your local church, your conference, or the wider denomination—pause before speaking words of criticism. First, seek the Lord in prayer.
We are marching to Zion. It will not be easy. The journey will grow more difficult before the Second Coming. But though we are spread out across our fields and churches, let us press together—through prayer, through grace, and through unwavering faith in God’s mission.
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