Released by: Rick Kajiura
Phone: +31-30-955-324 (June 29-July 8) or +301-680-6300
Written by: Herb Ford
          
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2, 1995
          
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CONGRESS, DAY 4
        
Utrecht, The Netherlands...  In a day of intensive church business, the
56th World Congress of Seventh-day Adventists on Sunday, July 2,
elected a slate of six general vice presidents, discussed changes to
the Church's constitution, and made changes in the official Church
Manual.
	Five general vice presidents were reelected, while a sixth, Jan
Paulsen, moves from the presidency of the Trans-European Division of
Adventists, with its headquarters in St. Albans, England, to a world
vice presidency.
	Reelected were Matthew Bediako, 53; Philip Follett, 63; Robert
Kloosterhuis, 62; Leo Ranzolin, 61; and Calvin Rock, 65.  All are based
at the Church's world headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.A.
	Born in Norway, Jan Paulsen, 60, St. Albans, England, has served as
president of the Trans-European Division of Adventists since 1983.
	A proposed amendment to the Church's constitution to downsize its
General Conference Committee by appointing rather than electing
associate world and divisional departmental leaders generated lively
discussion.
	The proposal was returned to the Constitution and Bylaws Committee
by a floor vote, with some 200 delegates converging on the committee's
meeting room to express their thoughts about the measure.  The proposal
will be returned to the main assembly floor for a vote by the 2,600
delegates when it has been perfected by the committee.
	Changes to the Church's official manual of operation were considered
at an early afternoon business session of the Church today.  Changes
voted included references to church institutions, baptismal vows,
church membership, and the organizing of pre-church companies of 
believers.
	During evening hours, some 10,000 delegates and visitors heard reports
from the Church's Euro-Africa and Eastern African Divisions.  The
program featured hundeds of participants in colorful costumes from the
countries they represent.
	Ulrich Frikart, Berne, Switzerland, secretary of the Euro-Africa
Division, said that membership of the Church in Bulgaria has doubled in
the past five years. He also noted that membership growth in Romania
has been rapid, but that church members have been killed and church
properties destroyed in war-torn Angola, with 80 percent of the city of
Huambo, where the Church has a regional headquarters, destroyed.
	According to Frikart, there are 470,464 church members in the 29
European and African countries comprising his world division.
	Eastern African Division Adventist President L. D. Raelly, Nairobi,
Kenya, Africa, reported explosive growth of church membership in the
East African countries of his division.  At the end of 1994, he said,
606,935 persons had been baptized since 1990.  Total church membership
of his division at the end of 1994 was 1,339,000, he said.
	Raelly said his church membership in 1990 targeted 896 areas in East
Africa not yet entered with the Christian gospel message by Seventh-day
Adventists.  By the end of 1994, he said, 710 of those areas had been
entered. "We are optimistic that the Lord of mission, who has led us
into these entered areas, will lead us into the remaining territories,"
he said.
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