The first General Conference President was John Byington, who held that post from March 20, 1863 to May 17, 1865. He was followed by James White.
As of March 2011, the current General Conference President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is Ted N. C. Wilson.
Local Seventh-day Adventist churches are part of a local district, which is part of conference/union, which is part of a division, which is part of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The hierarchy may vary a little bit in different areas or divisions, but that is the general organization. If a church becomes "independent," it ceases to be a Seventh-day Adventist church. To put it another way, the Seventh-day Adventist denomination does not follow congregationalist polity (hence the term "denomination"), but instead it is hierarchical.
Yes, Neil C. Wilson, who served as president of the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference from 1979 to 1990, had an audience with Pope John Paul II in 1984. This meeting was significant as it represented a rare occasion of dialogue between the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Roman Catholic Church. During their conversation, they discussed mutual concerns and the importance of religious freedom.
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The world headquarters of the Seventh Day Adventist Church has been located in Silver Spring, Maryland since 1989. The headquarters building is known as the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist.
There is a President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He (all past Presidents have been men) is elected at a General Conference Session held every four year for a four year term. It is not a contested election, a single candidate is nominated by a nominating comittee and presented to the confernce for a yes or no vote. The current President is Jan Paulson. The President does not have authority to interfere in operation of a local church or confernece or to make or change any church beliefs. Should he try to do so his opinion would carry weight however.
A Seventh-day Adventist who becomes a Christian minister of the gospel within that denomination is called a "pastor" or a "minister". He or she is not usually called "reverend" and is never called "father" (pastors have very little in common with Catholic priests). The Adventist Church has a worldwide church organization which includes several levels, the highest of which is the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The General Conference is led by one person, known as the GC president. The current GC president is Jan Paulsen.
P. Gerard Damsteegt has written: 'Foundations of the Seventh-Day Adventist message and mission' -- subject(s): Seventh-Day Adventists 'Toward the theology of mission of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church' -- subject(s): General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists
Well, honey, Robert Falkenberg quit as president of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1999 because he wanted to retire. I mean, the man probably had enough of dealing with church politics and just wanted to kick back and relax. Can you blame him?
Friends General Conference was created in 1900.
SDARM General Conference was created in 1925.
Baptist General Conference was created in 1879.