An official statement was voted on the final day of Annual Council (October 14), emphasizing the importance of God’s Word and the changing ways it needs to be shared as technology advances.
General Conference (GC) president Erton Köhler told delegates gathered in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, that the statement is part of the mission we need to accomplish “to share the Word to the World.”
The statement was voted on by delegates standing to accept it. There were no questions and no objections.
Audrey Andersson, GC general vice president, opened by saying: “Yesterday we voted a document. Today we are voting an official statement. Official statements begin life in the Public and Official Statements Committee (POSC) that has the power to recommend to AdCom [Administrative Committee] and then brought to the body, where you have the authority to vote.”
“We wanted to affirm ‘Grounded in the Bible and Focused on the Mission’ and the OneVoice27 (OV27) initiative,” she said. “But we didn’t use those taglines, because they would date the statement. We want the statement to have relevance beyond OV27 and beyond the end of this quinquennium.
“The purpose of the statement is to affirm ways of spreading the Word to the world, particularly affirming ways that we have used in the past but also the opportunities that we have with technology,” she continued.
The statement was developed by representatives of the Ellen White Estate, the Biblical Research Institute, and the GC Ministerial department.
The statement was read in full by GC Communication department director and secretary of the POSC, Alyssa Truman.
“The Bible is the Word of God, revealing the everlasting gospel to the world,” the statement reads.
After affirming the importance of the Bible, the statement affirms traditional ways of sharing the Word of God while addressing new ways of communicating biblical truth, citing White’s quotations on finding new methods to “arrest the attention.”
It affirms the importance of reading the Word, as well as living it out.
“God’s love for us and our love for Him are the source of our mission. Firmly grounded in the Bible, we are focused on our mission to prepare the world for Jesus’ second coming,” the statement said. “Every member is called to act locally and think globally; to witness to a neighbor, a coworker, a classmate, a family member, while also supporting and praying for the advancement of the gospel in the least reached corners of the world.”
In a section titled "Mission in a digitally connected world," the statement said: “Livestreamed worship services, online Bible schools, social media evangelism, or digital mission platforms are not peripheral to God’s mission. They represent important fields of mission for our time.”
Once the statement was read, Köhler, as chairperson of the morning, said: “Our statement now is a call to use all our resources for mission, respecting the biblical message, being faithful to what the Lord entrusted to us, but looking for all the ways to reach the world and prepare this world for the second coming of Jesus.”
After the statement was passed, he encouraged church leaders to use the document, share it with their local fields, publish it in their magazines, and present it during their own regional annual councils.
General Conference announces 2027 Missionary Book of the Year
'All Things New: Prophecies of Hope' combines Daniel and Revelation into an easily understandable study of prophecy.
The General Conference (GC) Publishing department announced the 2027 Missionary Book of the Year during Annual Council on October 13. The book, titled All Things New: Prophecies of Hope, was written by Shane Anderson, author, Bible teacher, biblical prophecy speaker, and pastor of the Pioneer Memorial Church in Berrien Springs, Michigan, United States, and will be published in more than 70 languages.
Mario Martinelli, GC Publishing director, introduced a video that summarized the book. The video described All Things New: Prophecies of Hope as a combination of Daniel and Revelation, “bringing the full biblical text alongside carefully prepared explanations that help readers explore the prophetic message with clarity and purpose.”
Anderson briefly joined the Annual Council session via video link. When asked what his hopes for the book were, Anderson said, “My prayer is that this book . . . will get into circulation by the millions. Not for my sake, forget that. But for the sake of God’s Word.”
Clinton Wahlen, editor of the book and associate director of the Biblical Research Institute, commented on the book's timeliness. According to him, people recognize that this is an unusual time in history, and All Things New: Prophecies of Hope can help them find answers and hope.
I believe that this book . . . is just what is needed. The time is now to distribute this book,” he said.
Marinelli then unveiled the All Things New: Prophecies of Hope book display. The shelves, he said, are round, symbolizing the global distribution the book should receive.
Erton Köhler, GC president, invited the publishers and representatives of the publishing house, divisions in the 10/40 Window, and young people to join him on stage for a dedication prayer.
Executive Committee members received a copy of All Things New: Prophecies of Hope and a small leaf-shaped wildflower seed packet. Köhler invited attendees to the front of the room to plant their seeds together, representing "what we expect for these books,” said Köhler. By planting the seeds, delegates declared that they are “willing to plant and share those books around the world.”
Click here to view a free digital copy of All Things New: Prophecies of Hope.
To read the original articles, please go here.
