STORY
Ohio Conference Re-elects Officers in 43rd Constituency Meeting
June 4, 2023
Francis Tuffour
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On Sunday, June 4, 2023, the Ohio Conference held its 43rd regular constituency meeting, voting in officers for the next five-year term.
Over 300 delegates across the conference attended the session, held at the Worthington church in Columbus.
The delegates received reports from conference leadership, re-elected officers and voted in executive committee members for the next five years. They also received seven new congregations into the sisterhood of churches:
1. Dublin Hispanic, established in Sept. 21, 2019
2. West Columbus Hispanic, Sept. 21, 2019
3. Massillon Connections, May 15, 2021
4. Willard Hispanic, July 31, 2021
5. La Gran Esperanza Hispanic in Columbus, Oct. 1, 2022
6. Dayton African, Oct. 23, 2021
7. Advent Hope International in Worthington, May 6, 2023
Before the commencement of the day's agenda, a delegate initiated a motion to add women's ordination to the agenda created by the executive committee. This led to a discussion on the floor for those who supported and opposed it. The motion failed because it did not get the needed two-thirds vote to pass.
n the president’s report, Bob Cundiff revealed that the total tithe from 2018 to 2022 was $68,286,279, an increase of 34.4 percent compared to the previous quinquennium. The report showed leadership’s prudent financial measures, including balancing the budget, controlled expenses—including at Camp Mohaven—and decreased administrative expenses.
In addition, the leadership implemented the school budget review process, resumed annual treasury training and increased the number of church audits. During the period under review, the conference’s operating net assets increased by 240 percent.
On evangelism, Cundiff reported how the conference surpassed its goal through the 2023 Initiative, a conference-wide drive to baptize 2,023 new members between 2021 and 2023, in comparison to the conference’s yearly historical baptisms of around 300 to 400. On May 27, 2023, the Ohio Conference exceeded its target when it held a mass baptism of 82 people at Delaware Beach Park, marking 2,088 baptisms and surpassing the goal of 2023 decisions by 65.
"We purchased portable baptistries for a campaign [proceeding the baptism] that ended up traveling all over the conference to tents, hotels, schools and rented halls where people were giving their lives to Christ," Cundiff added. Four more people were also baptized on Sunday, making it the first time in history that the Ohio Conference constituency had baptisms.
Cundiff shared that the schools’ enrollment in the conference increased from 850 to 1,000 between 2018 and 2023. "This is the first time in five constituency cycles that the Ohio Conference has not had to close a school," he pointed out.
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Woman Receives Instant Baptism at Beach
When a group of pastors led by Peter Simpson, Hispanic Ministries, Evangelism, and Church Planting Director of the Ohio Conference, went to inspect a site for a mass baptism in late May 2023, they met a woman by the name Valerie at Delaware State Park beach, a destination to boaters, swimmers, nature lovers, and hikers.
Pastor Simpson asked one of the pastors to enter the water to try the ground and check if sand or rocks were in the bottom, and Valerie came to them. Valerie, who saw these men were not at the beach for fun, boldly asked them what they were looking for. Pastor Simpson told her that they would be conducting a baptism at the beach in a few days and were looking for the right spot. She immediately jumped into the water, saying: “Will you practice baptism? Can you practice with me?” Then Pastor Simpson asked her, “Do you really want to be baptized today? It’s something you really want to do today?” And she gave a quick-smiling answer saying: “Yes, I really want to do it today.”
Pastor Simpson asked her if she believed the Word of God and wanted to be baptized to accept Jesus, and she answered in the affirmative. He then called one of the pastors to baptize her based on her faith. “Praise the Lord. This is a good day. Praise the Lord. Amen. God is wonderful. Amen. Hallelujah. One more person for the kingdom of God,” Pastor Simpson said joyfully. After a prayer for her, Valerie was baptized instantly on that day.
Valerie asked for the nearest Seventh-day Adventist Church she could join and was given church addresses. She was full of joy after her baptism
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