Thanks for your interest in the world headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church! We see our main purpose as helping those around us understand the Bible to find freedom, healing and hope in Jesus. Everything we do at headquarters boils down to supporting this purpose.
We are located not far from Washington D.C. in beautiful Silver Spring, Maryland, United States. As the coordinating body of the Adventist Church, part of our responsibilities is to empower and equip Adventist members and leaders around the world so they can be as effective as possible in sharing the Bible with their family, friends and neighbors.
We are always encouraged by the good reports from our 13 regional administrative offices around the world, called divisions. Within these regions, the General Conference also directly supports a number of educational, medical, and media institutions; and humanitarian agencies.
We hold meetings on a yearly and quinquennial basis. The highest governing body of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is the General Conference Session, a meeting held every five years.
A meeting of the GC executive committee, known as Annual Council, is held every year with the purpose of considering budget requests and making appropriations, for the transaction of other business and the adoption of policies that might be necessary for the continuation of the Church’s work worldwide.
We also have an annual meeting, known as Spring Meeting, which is for the purpose of receiving the audited financial reports of the General Conference and for the transaction of other Executive Committee business.
Departments & Services
The headquarters of the Adventist World Church houses a number of departments and services that cater to the global needs of the denomination. The overall goal of all these entities is to make good on the Adventist promise to help everyone understand the Bible and find freedom, healing and hope in Jesus.
Governance
The Adventist Church has a representative form of government. This means church members have the ultimate say in who leads the church. Adventist members get together and vote for their representatives at the local, regional and global level. The members themselves, as led by God, elect servant leaders to their roles.
Institutions & Organizations
The General Conference oversees a number of institutions and organizations around the world. The majority, though not all, of these organizations are in the healthcare or education field. What they all have in common is their ability to further the Adventist Promise to help people understand the Bible to find freedom, healing and hope in…