Roy Holladay opened the conference at 9 a.m. with an encouragement to the elders and wives to put the knowledge presented during the General Conference of Elders into practice. There are 188 elders and 117 wives attending this year, for a total of 305.

Ken Giese, regional pastor, gave a PowerPoint presentation on the Ministerial Candidate Program. This was an edited version of the presentation Jim Franks gave to the Council of Elders.

Mr. Giese pointed out that times have changed in the Church, creating challenges in providing ministers. For example, now there is no Ambassador College, we have smaller congregations and there are greater expectations of the ministry by the members. Sometimes the ministers are expected to be omniscient!

The average age of the ministry is now 58. Mr. Giese mentioned that he is happy to say that in this way he is below average! There are 13 pastors age 65 and over and one third are 60 and over. With age, the health of the ministry has also deteriorated. So with retirements and deaths, there are more openings than pastors to fill them.

He mentioned 1 Timothy 3:1, which shows that desiring the ministry is desiring a good work. He said some potential candidates will come to the pastor, while the pastor will contact others. Ultimately, as a Church we realize that the ministry is a calling, not a choice.

He outlined the steps envisioned for the Ministerial Candidate Program. First is to identify potential candidates (over 30 men have been identified in the United States). Next will come a three- to seven-day retreat/seminar. These retreats will be scheduled on an annual basis. Candidates would be selected from this group. Those without Ambassador College or Ambassador Bible Center training would come to ABC. After that, the chosen candidates would enter a mentoring program under a pastor in a congregation for 12 months.

Mr. Giese also mentioned a number of other points. Undergraduate degrees would be required of candidates. He reminded the elders that the application deadline is May 22. He explained that we hope to move forward with setting up the first retreat this year. He mentioned that there are no guarantees offered to potential candidates. Those who aren't chosen will still have gained valuable leadership training in the process, and the desire is that they will part as friends. The team also has discussed developing an "enhanced ABC" program with specialized classes on Sundays.

Mr. Giese pointed the elders to relevant verses in 2 Timothy 2:2, Matthew 9:38 and Romans 10:14-15.

In a question-and-answer session, several points were made. In the first year of the program, the focus will be on the current local elders, since we have several open church areas without a pastor to place there. Longer term, the team hopes the program will also bring in younger men.

The program will involve the wives in the process, possibly with some specialized classes as part of the enhanced ABC program.

Can the training be conducted in local areas so those with good jobs don't have to give them up without a guarantee? Mr. Giese pointed out that the Church realizes the high level of commitment required, but must maintain the educational requirements. Mr. Giese said that on-site training is vital, allowing interaction like most pastors had at Ambassador College, and that it really is not possible to teach these types of things by correspondence course.

Mr. Holladay pointed out that candidates will have a furnished apartment and will work part-time in the home office, receiving a partial salary while at ABC.

Mr. Holladay then introduced the seven international reports for this year. Since there are so many international areas, there isn't time to cover all of them at one GCE, so half of the reports are given each year.

Bill Eddington is the chairman of the Australian National Council. He pointed out that the Church in Australia is enjoying a certain amount of stability now. A few members left last year, and about 20 from the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship, joined with United. About 500 are now attending United (down from about 750 in 1995). But now new people, who had no contact with the Church in the past, are showing interest.

Only three employed elders are serving the entire continent. There is an elder serving in the office, and eight non-salaried elders (one inactive). A ministerial candidate is also being considered.

The Australian ministry suffers the tyranny of distance. The Church in Australia is also struggling with how it could serve other areas in Asia to its north where interest is being shown. A small group is forming in Singapore, and Jeff Caudle, the minister in New Zealand, has agreed to pastor them, with expenses paid by the Australian office. Papua New Guinea has also had a number of visit requests, but there is no manpower to serve them.

The gospel is being preached in Australia. Good News circulation has increased 51 percent, and is now about 14,000. The Bible Study Course has increased 38 percent. Promotion has been done through a Reader's Digest ad each year. Every doctor's office in Australia has been contacted to offer waiting room copies of The Good News. Australia is also using "householder cards" that individual members can distribute, which have a very low cost per response. Australia also sees the need for a "first contact" strategy to reach new people who have little interest in overtly religious topics.

Mr. Eddington also reported that there has been an encouraging 89 percent increase in donors and coworkers in Australia.

Mr. Lambert mentioned that he serves Eastern Europe under Victor Kubik. Eastern Europe is a large area, and so far we are not doing much work in most of those areas. But we have a small work going on in the Baltic Republics. In 1997 he was asked to go to Estonia for the Feast. (He said yes, but then asked, "Where is that?")

All of the former Communist world is stony soil. It's a difficult area, but God has people there. Henrikas Klovas, in Lithuania, was ordained in 2000. He has established a Web site with materials posted in Russian, Estonian, Lithuanian, etc. Recently we have been contacted by a group of 30 people in Poland!

We don't have a male leader in Estonia. We have had a Feast there since 1997. Last year we started to advertise on the radio in Estonia, and have a subscription list of 35. And 20 percent have attended Church!

Mr. Kubik plans to visit the area this summer. There will be a small Feast in Tartu, Estonia, again this year. With no international transfers, about 20 people are expected. Mr. Lambert said the Spirit of God has been moving on the waters in Eastern Europe, and he looks for future growth. He thanks the people of UCG for being the bringers of light.

Most Germans are listed as members of one of two major denominations, but still Germany has become a very secular society. Mr. Kieffer said the biggest job for the Church is to convince people that it is reasonable to believe that God does exist.

There are 150 with United in German-speaking areas. Four congregations have monthly services, two have services every three weeks and two are biweekly. More than half of the attendees are over age 50. Mr. Kieffer reported an encouraging 10 percent increase in Holy Day offerings for Unleavened Bread.

There are now over 4,000 subscribers to the German language version of The Good News. (There is no waiting room program in Germany.) The German office mails literature to 20 countries, but the vast majority is mailed to Germany itself. There are 12 booklets translated into German, and plans are to finish translating the Bible Study Course and a couple more booklets this year.

For current promotions they are using an ad making the strong statement, "One day you will die. Do you know why you are alive?" They have also tested advertising in various magazines, and got the same level of response with a health food magazine that they had received previously from a Reader's Digest ad, but at one third the cost.

Jeff Caudle reported that things are now very much stabilized for the Church in New Zealand. Mr. and Mrs. Caudle and their two children are Americans who have been serving in New Zealand for two and a half years.

New Zealand is a small nation with far more sheep than people, but there are new people showing interest in United. Mr. Caudle mentioned that five new people are coming along, including one person who had gone through the Correspondence Course many years ago and who found United recently. There are three small groups meeting on the North Island. About 40 are attending in Auckland, the largest city. Mr. Caudle flies when he goes to the congregation in Wellington at the far end of the North Island. At this point there is only one United member in Christchurch on the South Island. Attendance at the Feast is about 120, with half being visitors from the United States and Australia.

Mr. Caudle mentioned that they have a very positive group of young people in New Zealand who are very enthusiastic about God's truth.

Mr. Caudle also reported on areas in the South Pacific served by New Zealand. In Fiji, there are currently five members scattered on both sides of the main island. Recently they started meeting together, driving the four hours to enjoy each other's fellowship. One member there has translated the entire New Testament into Fijian, and he has translated about 100 hymns. Even with no advertising, Fiji still has a sizable mailing list of about 200.

In Tonga, there are 27 people attending: 10 adults and 17 children. Mr. Caudle mentioned that the new pastor in Tonga is doing a weekly radio broadcast in Tongan, and also asked the elders to remember the retired previous pastor, Tolu Ha'angana, who is suffering from serious health problems.

In New Zealand, they hope to increase to 2,300 Good News subscribers, and to reduce the waiting room program, which hasn't worked that well in New Zealand. They have run four ads in Reader's Digest, and plan another one offering The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy later this year. New Zealand also gets many Internet responses through other countries’ Web sites.

Fred Kellers pointed out that Nigeria has the largest population in Africa, although he joked that he doesn't know if anyone knows exactly what it is. The city of Lagos itself has over 17 million people!

Four years ago most of West Africa went with another group. But Dr. Akin-Ogundeji has stayed with us, and he has been very aggressive in spreading the truth, so there are more and more brand-new people every year!

Mr. Kellers said there will probably be over 100 people for the Feast of Tabernacles this year. He mentioned that we have to be careful with the growth, since probably 5 percent of the Good News list will eventually contact us.

André van Belkum reported on the work in southern Africa, including South Africa, Malawi, Mauritius, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Church has small offices in most of these countries, run on a voluntary basis by members in those areas helping out. In South Africa the office is in Neil Becker's and in his daughter's homes.

The Good News list in South Africa is 13,500, with 9,500 of these being sent to regular subscribers. They have tried a number of promotions. The most successful has been Reader's Digest, with a 3.4 percent response. They have also been putting specially packaged Good News magazines in people's mailboxes. They have been monitoring some of the post office boxes, and in one area, only three people discarded the Good News with their junk mail, and we were able to collect those copies and use them again!

There has been a 31 percent increase in income and a 60 percent increase in Holy Day offerings for Unleavened Bread. Total attendance is about 350.

Malawi is a real growth point, going from six people last year up to 37. We will have our first Feast there this year.

The brethren in Zimbabwe appreciate our prayers for them in the difficulties they face. The brethren in Zambia are now facing a drought.

The secretary general of the Church of God, Seventh Day, has contacted us. Apparently 3,000 of them want to associate with us! Mr. van Belkum said with challenges like that to face, he is glad Bill Jahns will be there to help. He also mentioned that the Church in southern Africa appreciates the subsidy from the United States.

Leon Walker gave greetings from the 18 Spanish-speaking ministers and reported that in 2001 there were 944 members in the Spanish-speaking areas, with 2,116 in attendance. This represents a steady growth in membership, with about 50 to 60 being baptized each year.

Mr. Walker related a few stories of those being called in the Spanish area. He told about a young man in Mexico who found us on the Internet. There's now a congregation of 35 in his city!

Saul Langarica told Mr. Walker about going to visit one person (he thought) in Argentina, but 15 people showed up and kept him four hours until he almost missed his bus.

Even in Cuba, there are a number of people who want to be baptized. They call us collect from time to time. Mr. Walker said we don’t have the funds to send a minister now, and also there are political reasons we haven't sent anyone. But God has a way of calling people, and we're trying to find a way to visit them.

In Peru, Manuel Quijano was followed from a bank. Two men with pistols came after him. Then an SUV with four men with guns stopped and chased the thugs. These four well-dressed men didn't say anything to Manuel, but one looked at him and smiled. "Who were these men?" Mr. Walker asked rhetorically. Latin America is a dangerous area, and the ministers and members need our prayers.

In Colombia, they have faced 50 years of civil war, and it is very dangerous. Mr. and Mrs. Walker were there for Passover and Unleavened Bread. A farmer told them he didn't know each day if he would get back home. He said keeping the Sabbath has kept him from being kidnapped, because Saturday is the day the guerrillas kidnap people!

Mr. Walker said the Spanish brethren would appreciate our continued prayers, as they remember us in their prayers.

Peter Eddington, operation manager for Media and Communications Services, reported on the growth of the work in preaching the gospel. He feels we have set a solid foundation for future growth and described how we have come a long way in just the last 12 months. He also thanked the many elders involved in helping write and produce the publications.

The May/June print run for The Good News was over 517,000, a 43 percent increase from May/June 2001. This exceeded our goal of 425,000 by 22 percent. The plan for the next fiscal year is to hold the print run at around half a million and to focus on increasing the number of individual subscribers. This will be done by replacing non-renewing waiting rooms with individual subscribers, increasing the number of individual subscribers to about 75 percent of the total.

The Bible Study Course is currently going to 11,838 non-member households and about 3,500 graduates of the course are receiving tapes from the Church. What comes after this graduate program? A new offer has been designed for those who have received 12 months of tapes, and the first cards went out last week. This card asks if the BSC graduate wants to receive tapes from a local congregation and whether he or she wants to have the local pastor contact him or her.

Since United began, 1.88 million booklets have been printed on 28 topics—608,000 were printed just in 2001. The plans are to print three or four new booklets and to reprint up to 16 titles. This Is the United Church of God booklet is being worked on, and it will have photographs showing the many aspects of the Church and its work.

World News and Prophecy is being offered to coworkers and a new design for United News is debuting in the May issue.

The total mail processed at the home office is up 19 percent. Web responses are up 106 percent. Currently the responses are trickling in from promotions from the end of last year, since we have spent our promotional budget for the fiscal year. Donation mail continues to increase, and the number of donors is up 35 percent. Over 135,000 pieces of literature have been mailed out from the home office so far this year. (This doesn't count the periodicals, such as The Good News, that are mailed directly from the printers.)

Mr. Eddington also discussed the subscriber development program which is designed to bring Good News readers along to greater understanding and involvement with the Church. In the harvest analogy, subscriber development helps water and fertilize the seeds that have been planted. This process starts with the first issue a subscriber receives, which is a specially produced issue that includes some of the best articles from the past and offers additional literature and gift subscriptions. Subscriber development also includes booklet offers and regular letters to subscribers.

Mr. Eddington also shared the following statistics: The home office has been averaging 178 new donors and 53 new coworkers per month. There have been 104 baptisms reported in the United States for 2002 as of the end of April, which is ahead of the pace for last year when 154 were baptized for the year.

Mr. Eddington also talked about the print promotions used to attract new Good News readers. About 6.5 million brochures and insert cards were distributed, and the cost per response was reduced by a dollar this year. The goal is reduce the cost per response to $2 for next year. Good News brochures have been distributed in 4,000 supermarkets. Congregations have been involved in distributing 69,000 copies of the GN on newsstands, as well as a successful saturation mailing program.

Internet traffic has had a dramatic increase of about 270 percent! Mr. Eddington also said that the Bible Reading Program has been very well received, and he mentioned the new e-learning modules—an on-line version of the Bible Study Course that Dan Deininger's team hopes to roll out later this month. Mr. Eddington gave his thanks to Mr. Deininger and his team of volunteers.

Mr. Eddington also mentioned that the Good News radio program has received 4,200 calls to date. We are currently on nine stations and plan to go back to 14 or 15 stations next year. He also mentioned the cable access TV efforts, and that the program being produced in Portland is adding a review process to kick it up a notch.

The business session of the Annual Meeting of the General Conference of Elders was called to order at 2 p.m. After the approval of the minutes for the 2001 meeting, the elders balloted on the business at hand. (Results will be posted later in these reports.)

Treasurer Tom Kirkpatrick spoke next. Here are extended excerpts from his notes:

"I am pleased to report that the financial condition of the United Church of God is good and stable. In that regard, we can certainly say that God has been merciful to us. In the past year, the brethren and others who support the work of the Church have been faithful and generous in tithes and offerings. So far this year, we have seen moderate but steady growth, and this in the midst of an economic downturn. The leaders, managers and employees of the Church have, by and large, exhibited commendable cooperation and discipline in adhering to our budget, so as to give the process—the process of careful and systematic stewardship of the monies God makes available to us—credibility and viability.

"We are still a church of little strength and income, but I believe we have the right message and a desire to spread it. Our relative little can go a long way, longer than is explainable by mere human effort. But we are still small—awfully small. A couple of years ago I noted that a good quarterback received more income in a year than this entire Church. We have grown, some, since then. Now, a really good shortstop makes more.

"For the current fiscal year (2001-2), we conservatively budgeted total income growth of 2.25 percent. When this fiscal year is over in a couple of months, it now looks like actual income growth will be about 5.7 percent, depending in large measure on the size of the Pentecost Holy Day offering. For next fiscal year we are budgeting, if approved, total income growth of about 4 percent.

"The Church keeps its books on a fiscal year that begins July 1 and ends the following June 30. Our financial statements for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2001, were audited by the Cincinnati-based CPA firm of Clark, Schaefer, Hackett and Co. The results of that audit were reported in the September/October 2001 issue of United News. The auditors gave us an unqualified opinion, and all key financial ratios from those statements represented an improvement from the previous year. We anticipate a similarly positive report for financial statements for the fiscal year that will end this coming June 30.

"I suppose that it is good to remind ourselves on these occasions that compared to our fairly recent past (the last 20 years or so) we have but little financial strength, but at least it is a little strength and not a lot of weakness (translate: deficit). And always, we must remember that whatever we have comes from God. We truly are grateful for the solid balance sheet we are able to produce now, and hope and pray that God will bless us with the resources, and the wisdom and discipline to use those resources, so that future balance sheets will show similar stability.

"I think most of us remember what it was like just four years ago, when this Church teetered on the brink of collapse, financially, and perhaps in other ways. As gut churning as that was, it did have a salubrious effect—it got a lot of people on their knees every day and night—crying out to God to save us, to be merciful to us, to give us another chance to do it right, to do a work bigger than ourselves, bigger than our individual selves or our families or our local congregations (as important as all of those considerations are). That brush with the brink got a lot of people in a position of realizing how utterly dependent God’s people are on Him, in this hostile world. And how easily and quickly we could dissipate into nothing, without His constant provision. That is sobering and scary. It made us understand our dependence upon Him to grant us our daily bread, our collective daily cash flow to pay for doing a work bigger than ourselves. That doesn’t just happen—it is given to us...."

Dr. Kirkpatrick highlighted these points from a summary cash flow statement through May 3.

• Total operating cash inflows received to date are a little over $15 million.
• Total cash outflows to date are about $16.75 million.
• Cash outflows exceed inflows because the Church self-financed during the construction period of the new home office building. We are scheduled very shortly to close on a loan that will provide $1.6 million cash inflow. This loan has a scheduled payout of 15 years, at favorable terms.
• Over the last couple of years, nearly a half million dollars has been internally appropriated for retirement purposes, to help dig the Church out of a "50-year-in-the-making hole of unfunded past service cost retirement problem." Over time, that, along with our two-year-old 403(b) Thrift Plan, should help us get out of that hole.
• It appears likely that by the end of the current fiscal year, the operating cash inflow will be slightly above the operating cash outflow (dependent in part on the results of the Pentecost Holy Day offering).
• That being the case, our operating reserves should then be restored to the point of averaging about 10 weeks of expenditures throughout the year.

Dr. Kirkpatrick also pointed out that there have been no changes in the salary ranges in the past year.

He concluded his remarks with a tribute to the McCulloughs.

"I would like to echo the sentiments of so many of you in paying public tribute to the work, indeed the lifetime of work in service to God and His Church, of Mr. Les McCullough and his wife, Marion. They have made a significant contribution to the stability and the momentum forward we enjoy today in the United Church of God. I appreciate that contribution very much, and I believe the overwhelming majority of you do as well. He will be missed here. But I am glad that his service to the Church will continue in whatever capacity is open to him. Thank you, both of you, very much."

Les McCullough told a story about initiating Dr. Kirkpatrick into overseas travel during their trip to Ghana in January. This included a mix-up in which one policeman said he was arresting them! Then another policeman, seeing Dr. Kirkpatrick’s crutches, said, "For this man, let them go!" Mr. McCullough also joked with the elders, asking what he could say to a bunch of people who make their living speaking.

In his report, Mr. McCullough stressed, "Look what God has wrought!" He pointed to the many areas of growth in the work and the stability of the Church since the unsettled times of four years ago. The growth has been amazing, and Mr. McCullough said it wasn’t what we have done, but God has blessed us. He encouraged all of us to keep doing our jobs, to pray, fast and serve, to ask God to provide more laborers. We depend on God. Ask and you will receive, he reminded everyone.

Mr. McCullough told a story, mentioned recently in a sermonette in Cincinnati, of a Church member who was walking down the street when she realized she was in great danger. But for some reason the dangerous person left her alone, and was arrested for assaulting someone else. When asked why he didn’t harm the Church member, he said he wasn’t about to mess with her with those two big guys next to her! What two guys? She didn’t see them.

Mr. McCullough said we also depend on what we don’t see, and gave an appeal to all to keep at it in serving God.

Roy Holladay began by expressing great appreciation for what Les and Marion McCullough have done. He outlined many of the important advances in the work of the Church during Les McCullough’s tenure as president, including the great growth in circulation of The Good News, the production and distribution of many new booklets, the Bible Study Course, the launch of ABC, the building of the new home office building, the progress of the youth camps, etc. (These items and more are covered in the May issue of United News.)

Mr. Holladay then presented gifts from the Council and GCE to the McCulloughs. First, his wife, Norma, gave a bouquet to Marion McCullough for her support for the work and her husband. Then Mr. McCullough was called up to unwrap a gift of a clock with an inscription about going into all the world to preach the gospel.

Then Mr. Holladay talked about the transition in the offices of president and chairman of the Council (since a new Council chairman will be chosen on Tuesday). He mentioned that so often in transitions, there is rancor and bitterness, but that we in the Church are striving to live a different way. He noted that the previous transition of Council chairmen went smoothly, and that the world is looking at us now to see if we have peace and love (John 13:35).

He mentioned that he and his wife have been in the Cincinnati area house-hunting, watching Mr. McCullough and the home office staff and getting the feel of things. He expressed his appreciation that during this time Mr. and Mrs. McCullough have been so gracious to them.

Mr. Holladay said that people ask him: What are you going to do? He plans to have continuity in fulfilling the mission of the Church in preaching the gospel and taking care of the Church.

As a Church, we recognize how much the ministry is needed if the Church is to grow and be maintained. Mr. Holladay gave a brief description of his pastoral background. He has been in the ministry since 1963, serving as Feast coordinator, regional coordinator and member of the Council of Elders. He seeks to have the heart of a shepherd like all of the elders do. He said that all of us have opportunities to serve God's people, just in different capacities. He mentioned that he is looking forward to serving all of us.

In closing Mr. Holladay read Psalm 133 about the benefits of unity, and he mentioned that he thinks there is a connection between "life evermore" (mentioned in verse 3) and "unity."

After a break, Mr. Holladay introduced Gary Petty for the keynote address based on the theme of the conference found in Ephesians 4:11-16.

Mr. Petty said that serving in the ministry is always challenging. It is easy for elders to become so burdened with the details of ministry that they forget what God has called them to accomplish as outlined in Ephesians 4. Why does God ordain such positions in His Church? To prepare God's people for works of service and to build up the Church.

How can the ministry build up the Church? A pastor is a shepherd and an elder—an older brother—not a manager in an office many floors about the workplace. Scripture calls the ordained ministry both elders and overseers. Overseer is an administrative term, while elder is a tribal or family term, a term of relationship. As older brothers, the ministry must first love the other children before they can lead them, Mr. Petty said.

After Paul lists the two purposes of the office-bearers of the Church, he lists five goals, Mr. Petty said. The first is "the unity of the faith." The second is "knowledge of the Son of God" and the third goal is to become Christlike. The fourth goal involves teaching the brethren to recognize and withstand "every wind of doctrine" and "the trickery of men." And the fifth goal is to speak the truth in love.

When members become more Christlike, there are four major results, Mr. Petty said. They are Christian unity, effectiveness in fulfilling the Church's mission, spiritual growth of the Church and the Church building itself up in love. The Church is built up because godly character is apparent in its relationships.

Mr. Petty concluded, "If we willingly accept the calling of God to serve Him and prepare His children for the Kingdom, then what choice do we have but to expend every ounce of our lives in having Christ fulfill in us the instructions of Ephesians 4?"

After the keynote address, the official Annual Meeting of the GCE was adjourned, and the meeting continued with an address by Roy Holladay about planning future GCE meetings.

Mr. Holladay mentioned that the Council wanted him to address this subject. At the last Council meeting, while discussing the budget, the Council was considering whether or not to have a fully-funded GCE meeting bringing in all elders in 2003. The Council decided the Church could not afford it and still expand in preaching the gospel. Several Council members had serious reservations about spending that much money. Council members didn't question the value of face-to-face meetings, but the cost, considering the priority of preaching the gospel, seemed too much.

Mr. Holladay mentioned that this subject would be the main focus of the meeting that evening with the Council, giving the elders the opportunity to give the Council their input.

Mr. Holladay gave a set of questions the Council wanted the elders to give answers to at the evening meeting, such as "Have our purposes for annual meetings changed?"

"Pay your own way" GCE meetings cost $70,000-$80,000. The budget this year was $78,000. In 1998, the last year a fully-funded meeting was held, the cost was $278,000.

Other items to discuss include the frequency of meetings (annual, every other year, every third year? Right now, our governing documents say annual). If not every year, how will we maintain communication and contact? Would the ministry feel cut off?

Mr. Holladay read what the Church's governing documents have to say about the GCE meetings, and mentioned that if we change anything, we would need to change our documents accordingly.

Since news of Howard Davis' trip to South Africa to help shoot a PBS special, some have asked if they could see the documentary that featured André van Belkum, Vic Kubik, LifeNets and United. So the GCE was able to view a clip of that documentary. Also, the Church has access to all the videotape Mr. Davis shot in South Africa.

Roy Holladay announced that in the balloting for the Council there was a tie that made it impossible to declare all the Council results, so after consultation with other Council members, he decided not to announce any of the Council results at that time.

The Strategic Plan, Operation Plan and the budget all passed. The amendment to Bylaws section 9.1 did not pass. The amendment to Bylaws sections 12.2.2.1, 2, 4 did pass.

At 8 p.m. all 12 members of the Council of Elders shared the stage for a discussion with the elders about future GCE meetings, based on the questions Mr. Holladay had brought up earlier in the day. More than 30 elders shared their input and questions on this subject. A number of speakers declared their belief in the value of these face-to-face meetings with elders from around the world, and the role of the GCE meetings in the mission of the Church.

The Council received a number of ideas for consideration about how to make it more equitable for elders at a greater distance from Cincinnati, and a number of other suggestions were also put forward.