The Southern Asia-Pacific Division Year-End Meeting commenced its first day on November 6, 2023, with the Life Hope Center serving as the host for the SSD Year-End Meetings from November 6 to 8, 2023. This gathering carries special significance, as it marks the final occasion where three of the division's organizations will participate jointly. The General Conference recently held its Annual Council, at which time the Northern Asia-Pacific Division received approval to reassign the Sri Lanka Mission, Pakistan Union Section, and Bangladesh Union Mission.
The General Conference conducts regular quinquennial meetings, a well-known event in churches worldwide. The primary objective of this meeting is to assemble church leaders from across the globe to deliberate on the church's status in terms of evangelistic growth, financial stability, and forthcoming strategies to strengthen the church's mission in various regions of the world.
The Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD), one of the thirteen regional entities (known as Divisions) of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, conducts its annual meetings in addition to the regular quinquennial assembly, which takes place every five years within the General Conference. The SSD is entrusted with the task of spreading the gospel in the Southern Asia-Pacific region, encompassing countries like Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam, as well as the nations of Southern Asia, namely Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
Numerous Adventist Church initiatives will be under discussion during this meeting, with a particular focus on the Mission Refocus Program, Back to the Altar, and recommendations related to the creation and dissolution of unions, missions, and conferences.
Delegates representing unions and institutions are participating in these regional annual meetings to deliberate on critical actions to be taken and to receive updates. Furthermore, this period provides an opportunity for churches to revise their policies and access GC-approved programs through affiliated organizations and institutions. Above all, it is a moment when local church leaders come together to earnestly pray and dedicate themselves to the ongoing work of the local church.
During these sessions, the Adventist church in Southern Asia-Pacific earnestly seeks your prayers that the Holy Spirit may guide them as they make vital decisions for the advancement of God's work.
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Edward Rodriguez, SSD Communication Department