ear Delegates and Members,

On behalf of the Southern Union Conference family, it is my privilege to welcome you to our home here in Atlanta.

The Southern Union Conference family comprises more than 250,000 members in eight conferences, 1,047 churches, approximately 100 early childhood centers, 186 elementary schools, 16 academies, one university, one college, 47 health-care facilities, nine summer camp programs, and nine radio stations. We all welcome you!

The members of the Southern Union Conference have a worldview. Indeed our diversity is indicative of the fact that our roots reach deep into the soil of every continent of the globe. We thank God that He has positioned us to be able to support the world church through faithfulness in tithe, generous gifts to those countries touched by disaster, and dedicated volunteerism and ministry.

For the past five years the churches in the greater-Atlanta area have been involved in an outreach called Good News Atlanta. We have been letting the people of this city and its neighboring communities know that Jesus and the Seventh-day Adventist Church love them. Indeed, recently we completed many evangelistic meetings, followed by two large reaping meetings conducted by pastors Mark Finley and Alejandro Bullón. As a result, hundreds of decisions were made for Christ.

May God bless His remnant believers as we worship Him and conduct the business of His church during this General Conference session.

Gordon L. Retzer
President, Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists