• GENERAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

97-55

May 13, 1997, 10:00 a.m.

MEMBERS PRESENT

Robert S Folkenberg (Ch), Athal H Tolhurst (Sec), Ronald E Appenzeller, Matthew A

Bediako, Lowell C Cooper, George H Crumley, Rajmund Dabrowski, Gary B DeBoer, Ronald
M Flowers, Philip S Follett, William G Johnsson, Gerry D Karst, Robert E Lemon, Robert W
Nixon, Ruth E Parish, Gary B Patterson, Jan Paulsen, Leo Ranzolin, Humberto M Rasi,
George W Reid, Richard 0 Stenbakken, D Ronald Watts, Dorothy Eaton Watts,
Albert S Whiting, Neal C Wilson, F Martin Ytreberg.

SEC/ADCOM/GCC to AHT

STRATEGIC PLANNING AND BUDGETING COMMITTEE

(GCC-SSub)—MEMBERSHIP ADJUSTMENT

• VOTED, To adjust the membership of the Strategic Planning and Budgeting

Committee (GCC-SSub), as follows:

Add Cash, R William

SSD/GCC to GRT

GENERAL CONFERENCE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (GCC-S)—

MEMBERSHIP ADJUSTMENT

VOTED, To elect individuals as members of the General Conference Executive

Committee (GCC-S), as provided for in the General Conference Constitution, Article VII,
Section 1-b, and as recommended by their respective division, as follows:

One pastor from each division without regard to membership:

Leo M Garilva (SSD)

One additional church pastor or other front-line denominational employee for every 500,000
members or major fraction thereof beyond the first 500,000:
97-56
May 13, 1997 - GCC

John Tan Kong Eng (SSD)

•
Three laypersons from each division:

Ely B Ramos
Lily Mandalas
Sein Han Ma

Cred&L/ADCOM/GCC to HWB

KNIGHT, GEORGE—CANDIDATE FOR ORDINATION

VOTED, To approve the request of the Andrews University Board to ordain George
Knight on the basis of his involvement in ministry as a professor in the Andrews University
Theological Seminary.

Cred&L/ADCOM/GCC to HWB

GAYOBA, FRANCISCO—CANDIDATE FOR ORDINATION

VOTED, To approve the request of the Adventist International Institute of Advanced

•
Studies (ALIAS) Administrative Committee to ordain Francisco Gayoba on the basis of his
involvement in ministry and as an instructor in the Theological Seminary of AJIAS.

PRE/ADCOM/GCC to RSF

MULLER, EKKEHARDT—ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, BIBLICAL

RESEARCH INSTITUTE - ELECTION

VOTED, To elect Ekkehardt Mileller as Associate Director of the Biblical Research

Institute.

•
 97-57
GCC - May 13, 1997
4111
PRE/GCC to RSF

CHERIAN, M E—RELIEVED OF RESPONSIBILITIES AS

PRESIDENT OF SOUTHERN ASIA DIVISION

In February of this year, M E Cherian, President of the Southern Asia Division,

underwent major surgery as a result of a brain aneurysm. Since it will be a considerable
period of time before he recovers from the surgery and its immediate effects, the General
Conference President requested Lowell C Cooper and Neal C Wilson to go to India in late
April to evaluate Cherian's health situation in the context of the leadership needs of the
Southern Asia Division. Medical opinion suggests that it will be several months before the
extent of Cherian's recovery and his capacity to resume work can be known. In addition, his
ability to undertake travel will be seriously limited for at least one year. Following the report
by Cooper and Wilson, it was

VOTED, To relieve M E Cherian, for health reasons, of the office and obligations of
his position as a Vice President of the General Conference and as President of the Southern

• Asia Division, effective immediately.

GCC to RSF

CHERIAN, M E—APPRECIATION

VOTED, To express appreciation to M E rlwrian for his extraordinary contribution to

the Seventh-day Adventist Church and, in particular, to the church in India. Cherian is the
second Indian national to hold the dual responsibilities of Vice President of the General
Conference and President of the Southern Asia Division. During his seven years of energetic
and influential leadership, the church in Southern Asia witnessed the attainment of conference
status by four local missions. Prior to his election in 1990, Cherian had a distinguished career
in educational administration. Although Cherian's untimely illness led to his being relieved of
office for health reasons, his legacy as teacher, theologian, and administrator will have a
lasting impact upon the church he faithfully served for over 45 years.

•
97-58
May 13, 1997 - GCC

GCC to RSF
•
COOPER, LOWELL C AND WILSON, NEAL C—APPRECIATION

VOTED, To express appreciation to Lowell C Cooper and Neal C Wilson for their
dedicated and prayerful efforts in gathering information and making recommendations
regarding the future leadership of the Southern Asia Division.

Robert S Folkenberg, Chairman

Athal II Tolhurst, Secretary
Carol E Rasmussen, Recording Secretary

•
• GENERAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
97-59

May 15, 1997, 3:00 p.m.

MEMBERS PRESENT

Jan Paulsen (Ch), Athal H Tolhurst (Sec), Maurice T Battle, Bert B Beach, Matthew A
Bediako, Larry R Colburn, Lowell C Cooper, George H Crumley, Gary B DeBoer, Philip S
Follett, Joseph E Gurubatham, William G Johnsson, Gerry D Karst, Dennis C Keith Sr,
Robert J Kloosterhuis, Robert E Lemon, Ruth E Parish, Leo Ranzolin, Robert L Rawson,
Richard 0 Stenbakken, Robert L Sweezey, D Ronald Watts, Ralph S Watts Jr, Albert S
Whiting, Neal C Wilson, F Martin Ytreberg.

MEMBERS PARTICIPATING BY PHONE FROM

THE INTER-AMERICAN DIVISION

Daniel Fontaine, Agustin Galicia, Asser Jean-Pierre, Israel Leito, Ramon H Maury,

• Silas N McKinney, Armando Miranda, Miguel Munoz, Ivan Omana, David Javier Perez,
Juan 0 Perla, Pablo Perla, Peter J Prime, Bernardo Rodriguez.

MEMBERS REGISTERING THEIR VOTES BY PHONE FROM

THE NORTH AMERICAN DIVISION

G Tom Carter, Selma Chaij, Theodore T Jones, Jere Patzer, Ted N C Wilson.

MEMBERS REGISTERING THEIR VOTES BY PHONE FROM

THE SOUTHERN ASIA DIVISION

James M Campbell, Chakravarthy Daniel, Robert S Folkenberg, G W Kore, P D Kujur,

S G Mahapure, C Pheirim, I Nagabhushana Rao, John M Thankhiew, Measapogu Wilson.

PRAYER Matthew A Bediako

•
97-60
May 15, 1997 - GCC

SUD/GCC to RSF

WATTS, D RONALD—PRESIDENT, SOUTHERN ASIA DIVISION -

ELECTION

In accordance with the May 13, 1997 vote of the General Conference Executive
Committee to relieve M E Cherian of the office and obligations of his position as a Vice
President of the General Conference and as President of the Southern Asia Division for health
reasons, it was

VOTED, To elect D Ronald Watts as a Vice President of the General Conference and
as President of the Southern Asia Division.

Jan Paulsen, Chairman

Athal H Tolhurst, Secretary

•
Carol E Rasmussen, Recording Secretary