About the World Headquarters

Located in Silver Spring, Maryland, since 1989, the church headquarters building, known as the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, houses and supports the administration of one of the world's fastest growing churches.

The church purchased 26 acres of land in 1969 as an option for their future needs. The land was part of a farm owned by a Colonel Connelly and was beyond the major urban areas at the time. The old headquarters had been located in Takoma Park, Maryland, since 1904 and the growing needs of the church had resulted in a mix of old buildings, additions to buildings and newer buildings, all squeezed into what had become a crowded urban area. In addition, the street in front of the old General Conference building was the boundary between Washington, D.C. and Maryland and consequently some buildings had a Maryland address and others were in Washington.

All of this was solved with a single, modern building located on Connelly's land eight miles north of the historic location. The opening took place in October of 1989 and the retired Colonel Connelly cut the ribbon. His family still owns the property across from the General Conference.

This new headquarters encloses 300,000 square feet, houses nearly 800 employees and places all the departments and functions of the headquarters in one building. It features four levels, a light-filled atrium, a 1000-seat auditorium, spacious cafeteria and plenty of meeting spaces for the committee functions of the church. It has become a much-visited tour destination for church members from around the world and the community is brought in for special meetings, concerts and events. One of the most recognized events is the Walk Through Bethlehem, an interactive drama that transforms the atrium into the village of Bethlehem on the night Christ was born. With nearly 200 General Conference employees and community volunteers as actors and production crew, the drama draws thousands of visitors over several nights each Christmas season. Go to the Bethlehem Walk link for information on the event for this year.

The General Conference building also houses the headquarters for the North American Division, one of the 13 world divisions, and is home to several other church institutions, including the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA International), Home Study International–Griggs University (the distance-learning school), and Adventist Risk Management, the insurance company for the church.

Contact Information:

General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring , MD 20904
USA

Phone: 301-680-6000
Fax: 301-680-6090