Regional Church Secretaries Convene in Thailand to Refocus on Mission

By: Edward Rodriguez, Southern Asia-Pacific Division, and Adventist Review

Administrative secretaries representing various institutions, missions, and conferences within the Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD) region convened at the Centara Grand Ladprao Bangkok, July 24-27, 2019. The convention focused on implementing the mission of the secretariat and practicing a culture that speaks loudly of Jesus Christ as an organized Creator.

More than 200 delegates showed a desire to recalibrate their momentum and refresh their skills to deliver the best service to the church. Secretaries were reminded of their responsibilities and how their performance affects and contributes to the growth of their respective organizations.

Present during the meeting were leaders and guests from the Adventist world church and the regional headquarters of the Southern Asia-Pacific region.

Adventist Church executive secretary G. T. Ng opened the gathering by reminding the delegates about the value of stewardship as secretaries, and how that stewardship should be applied and practiced in every opportunity provided to them.

“As secretaries, we are called to practice the spirit of accountability. We are here for a purpose. You are accountable to God as stewards as to how you will make use of your time and experiences you had here in Bangkok,” Ng said.

Claude Richli, associate secretary of the Adventist Church and liaison officer to three church divisions and several other church fields and institutions also attended the event and shared important updates and new ideas about how to better contribute to the Lord’s work in the SSD territory. In his opening statement, Richli expressed his appreciation to all administrative and assistant secretaries for their commitment and dedication to perform their tasks beyond what is expected of them.

“You are the true pillars and columns of the church,” Richli said in a nod to secretaries and their supervisors for their long years of service and their ongoing support to the Lord’s work. “For those of you who just started, this meeting is a way for you to feel that you belong to a great organization, a great church, a great team,” Richli added.

Professional development, relationships, and quality performance were the main topics discussed during the meeting, organizers reported.

The original version of this story was posted on the Southern Asia-Pacific Division news site.