The press conference is being held on the first floor of Entrance E in the Georgia Dome (where the Atlanta Falcons play) in a room to the immediate right of the security desk, as one takes Entrance E. The entrance to the elevator to the press box is only a few feet away.

At about 5:55 p.m., a well-dressed black man with a shaved head walks to the podium on the left hand side of the room (from the perspective of the audience) and prepares to introduce the program, as Ted Wilson and Rajmund Dabrowski—previous General Conference director of communication—walk to a table on the podium on the opposite side and sit down behind it, side-by-side, facing the audience.

Garrett Caldwell: I’d like to welcome you. My name is Garrett Caldwell. I serve the global church in public relations, and it is a joy to have you here today where we will have a press conference with the new church president. I would like to begin by just reading some of the words from the press release that went out today to give you an introduction to Elder Wilson.

Ted N. C. Wilson was elected president of the world church today in the 59th World Session. The Seventh-day Adventist church is a 16.3 million- member global Protestant denomination. Pastor Wilson was appointed by the church’s 246-member nominating committee, and confirmed by the General Conference session delegation, which is an international body of 2,410 appointed members of the highest governing body of the church.

Pastor Wilson replaces Jan Paulsen, who has served as President since 1999. Pastor Wilson is 60 years old, and was elected as a general vice president of the Adventist church in 2000, during the General Conference session in Toronto. His 36 years of denominational service include administrative and executive posts in the mid- Atlantic United States, Africa, and Russia. Pastor Wilson began his church career as pastor in 1974 in the church’s greater New York Conference. He served as an assistant director, and then director of metropolitan ministries from 1976 to 1981. He went on to serve the church’s then Africa Indian Ocean Division based in Abidjan, Cote d’lvoire, until 1990. There he served as departmental director, and later as executive secretary, the second-highest office.

Following his post in West Africa, he served at the church’s world headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, as an associate secretary for two years, before accepting the position of president of the church’s Euro-Asia Division in Moscow, Russia, from 1992 to 1996. Pastor Wilson then came back to the United States to serve as president of the Review and Herald Publishing Association in Hagerstown, Maryland, until his election as a General Conference vice president in 2000.

An ordained minister, Wilson holds a doctorate degree in religious education from New York University, a master of divinity degree from Andrews University, and a master of science degree in public health from Loma Linda University’s School of public health.

Pastor Wilson is married to Nancy Louise Vollmer Wilson, a physical therapist. The couple has three daughters.

He is the son of former General Conference president, Neal C. Wilson, who served in the post from 1979 to 1990.

It’s our privilege to welcome Pastor Wilson, who will share a few remarks, and then we will have some time for questions. When question time comes, I would like for you to identify yourself by name, and the news organization that you represent. And we do have a limited amount of time for questions and answers. Then we will draw our press conference to a close. Let us welcome Pastor Wilson.

Wilson: (Walks to the podium from where Caldwell has been speaking. There is light applause.) Thank-you, Garrett, and it’s a privilege to be able to represent the Seventh-day Adventist Church in front of such an august body of individuals from the press.

Let me not instruct you, but remind you, that you have a very important call to duty in reporting information to people. God has entrusted to you, as he has entrusted to many of us, different responsibilities, and I hope that you will hold dear your sacred responsibility in communicating with people. And as the Seventh-day Adventist Church, we have an obligation to communicate with people. In fact, as a religious body, and as a group of people who believe so completely in Scripture, we take very seriously the understanding that we are a people called of God—called to proclaim a peculiar message, and that message is found in Revelation 14, verses 6 through 12, which announces, really, the righteousness of God, the righteousness of Christ, the everlasting gospel, and God’s call to his people around the world who truly worship him in the right way. So this message is one of communication, and that’s where we associate with you as communicators, as well.

In terms of my own personal reaction and interaction with what the church has requested of me, I am extremely honored and humbled by this request. It is a responsibility beyond any human potential. And so it’s something which I will look to the Lord for answers and strength and encouragement; otherwise we simply will not accomplish what God wants us to do. I humbly accept that position, as I have indicated, but it is not with some kind of glib thought that, yes, we’ve got a lot of good infrastructure that’s going to make everything happen. It’s going to be a great challenge, because God has placed this special mission in our hearts and in our hands.

It is a privilege to be in Atlanta, and to be in such a great metropolitan area, and also to interact with people from this area. And I must say that Atlanta has been extremely gracious to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and whether it’s at a hotel or whether it is here in the convention center, we look forward to some wonderful days ahead as we conduct business and activities.

Again, I thank you for the opportunity of being with you, and as some of you may have already heard, at a previous speech that I gave—very short, in terms of acceptance—I truly believe that one of the greatest challenges for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, internally, and as it shares the precious message of Jesus and his soon-coming—that we desperately need a personal and corporate revival and reformation. This is not something archaic; this is not something that need not be brought up in the 21st century. It is something that human beings will always need, until we see the glorious appearing of our Lord. So we must truly humble ourselves.

I think at this point, Garrett, I’d certainly be willing to take some questions and try to give some answers, by God’s grace.

Caldwell: Please. (He points to an unidentified man to our left, who says in broken English): “Dr. President, are you going to support the media...?”

Wilson: (chuckles and waves his hands) You don’t have to use fancy introductory phrases for me. You just....I’m Ted. That’s fine. Absolutely. The use of mass media—the use of new technology—is one of the most critical areas of evangelistic events for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It’s been my privilege to be involved with Adventist World Radio for the last 10 years, as chair of the board. It’s an absolutely fantastic organization that is reaching people with messages of health, social, family activities and spiritual in the furthest-reached corners, in languages that people are comfortable with.

In fact, just recently we found out that we are now broadcasting in about 101 different languages, so we praise God for that. I also have been very much involved a number of years ago, and continue to support very strongly, the Hope Channel and also very strongly support our Internet activities of Global Internet evangelism network, as we call it. So these areas, as well as print and many other ways, God has in store for an extension of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. We must use every possible method that we have. And I think to some degree that is also what God saw in the last days.

However, we must not minimize, in any respect, the real contact point for church members and others with other people, and that is the personal touch. When you talk to people whose hearts have been changed after they have heard a precious message, usually there is some connection with some person who has been able to share with them, whether it be through the radio, television—whatever it might be—but definitely, we will be giving high priority to using every possible technology in order to spread the gospel. But we are not going to do all that and be able to still reach the six to seven billion people. The Holy Spirit is going to do that through the latter rain.

Caldwell: Now, I want to remind you to identify yourself and the media outlet that you represent, and we have more questions than we have time for, so make your questions very, very brief. Thank you. Yes.

Newman: David Newman, Adventist Today. During the next five years, what would be your main priorities, as President?

Wilson: Well, I am sure they will develop a little further, as I think about them, even more. But definitely, as I have already mentioned, a very high priority will be on the Bible reformation—on an understanding of Scripture from a historical biblical perspective; not a historical critical or higher critical approach. I think—really the authority of scripture is going to become the most critical areas of contention within, I don’t think only the Adventist church, but in Christianity itself. The word of God is relevant, is pertinent for us, and that, I think, is an extremely important thing. Within the Adventist Church, we must place strong emphasis on the Spirit of Prophecy, not just as a devotional reading, but as instructional counsel for every facet of life. Certainly we want to work with every area of our church membership to try to nurture their involvement—men, women, everyone—being involved with every possible aspect.

I’ve already mentioned the aspect of media and of evangelistic outreach. One of the areas that I intend to give very strong focus on, is the area of very large metropolitan areas of the world. At least 50%—and it’s going to go much higher, very quickly—of the population of this world live in the large cities of this world. And unless we develop methods based on counsel from the Spirit of Prophecy and inspiration—that people receive from the Holy Spirit themselves as to how to reach these people—these people will just pass off the

scene without hearing the precious message of Christ crucified, risen, and soon to come.

So, there are a lot of aspects to what we hope to accomplish, a lot of people will be involved with it. I don’t have all the answers myself, but certainly we have a tremendous church, and a wealth of expertise, and people who are really dedicated to this church. So spirit-filled people really are the key to accomplishing something in the future.

Caldwell: (points to an African man)

Steve Bina: Steve Bina, from the East Central Africa Division. I just have a question and I want to congratulate you for taking this position of challenge. But then, sir, the growth of the church membership in Africa is significant and notable. I want to just ask you a question here. What do you perceive to be the major challenge in your leadership when it comes to address the issue of the growth of membership in those parts of the world, when it impairs the unity and the sustainability of the church.

Wilson: Thank you, Steven. And it is a privilege to take a question from you, as it certainly is from any of you. David, you and I worked in evangelism... in Scotland, ...

Newman: Right. (Nodding)

Wilson: ....many, many years ago.

Wilson: ...The continent of Africa is very dear to my heart. I have spent about seventeen years on the continent. I grew up in Egypt, ...and lived about nine years in Abidjan. I

have traveled extensively in many countries in Africa. When you live in Africa, Africa simply takes hold of your heart. And the people of Africa are extremely gracious people. They—if you, as almost anywhere—are willing to give of yourself and gain their confidence, they become lifelong friends. In terms of the incredible growth in Africa, we can expect even more.

Africa is an area of exploding potential, not only for minerals and for commercial activity and all of that, but for the gospel. And as the church grows in Africa, we’re going to have to focus on some of the critical needs. We have some of the very large cities in Africa that are very modern, current, contemporary, but you go into the countryside, they have critical, basic needs. Churches, church structures. Just recently my wife and I had the great privilege of being in Zambia—Livingston. Actually worked on what we call a one-day church, [in] which you put up a structure quickly, and you have an instant place for a congregation. We are going to be needing more and more of those kinds of things in terms of infrastructure. The educational aspects in Africa are absolutely critical.

We have already a very strong educational complex on the African continent and we will continue to expand that. The area of human potential and the development of that within the local church setting as well as leadership, is critical as well. Our people in Africa, and they number many millions now, in the three divisions that we have. Our people accept and believe Scripture in a very heartfelt way, and the Lord is going to use that to help spread evangelistic activity on the continent.

So I see many different areas, including communication. Many countries are open to FM stations. AWR is helping to develop those. And Steven, you are involved very much in communications, so we are going to do everything we can to help the continent achieve the mission that the Lord has placed in their hands and ours.

Caldwell: (points to Bonnie Dwyer, who is seated to our back and left).

Bonnie: Bonnie Dwyer. Spectrum magazine. Congratulations, Ted. I’d like to ask what you plan to do. It seems like the church is becoming more divided all the time. What do you plan to do to bring the church together to the center in a spirit of unity?

Wilson: Thank you, Bonnie. Bonnie and I went to school, even from grade school, so we’ve known each other a long time.

Unity is something which is not forced. It comes about through different ways of achieving that. It comes about primarily in the church from a focused understanding of what our beliefs are. And as people focus on Scripture, as they understand and internalize that belief, it holds us together. We have policies, we have church structure, we have all kinds of things that tend to hold us together, including the study of Sabbath School lessons and all of that. But the thing that really binds us together is our belief, and what I’ve told my wife before, is, as I look at the church, and you see the need for bringing unity.

The one thing that I am absolutely amazed about is, as I have traveled all over the world, is how the church is united, and it is united because of the power of the Holy Spirit. There is no other reason. And as long as we are seeking to do God’s will, then as Scripture says, the Spirit will lead us into all truth, and I believe He will lead us into unity. I am not going be going about trying to bring disunity. I will bring unity in every possible way we can, but I want us to understand that we are going to remain faithful to the Word and to what Spirit of

Prophecy indicates. Some people may find that archaic—not in tune with the times. I think it’s eternal.

Caldwell: We have time for just a couple more questions. Yes.

Hyunsok Doh: I am representing Korean Adventist Press, Los Angeles. Our message seems to be successful in the areas where economies are not fully developed. What can we do to be successful in the more developed countries? What are the ideas we should have to approach the developed countries?

Wilson: If I knew the complete answer to that, (laughter) then we would all have a little easier time. That’s one of the enigmas that we have faced over many years. As secularization takes place, it becomes harder and harder. I think, really, in the secular— westernised and secular world, whether it is in the West, or the East, or wherever it might be—I think people have to see Seventh-day Adventist Christians as genuine people who are not only talking, but they are actually doing something. They’re making a difference in people’s lives.

You know, there is the little phrase, “There is more religion in a loaf of bread than one might think.” So people who are genuinely helping—and I’m going to go back to a very old phrase, so I hope people don’t think that we’re archaic—But in the Spirit of Prophecy there is something called medical missionary work. Medical missionary work does not necessarily mean the elaborate surgery complexes at Loma Linda, or Mayaguez, or wherever it might happen to be. It is included in that. But simple medical missionary work means helping people with needs, where they are. And every member can do that.

And when we start to employ ways in which to affect people’s lives, and then share with them the Gospel, we are going to make a dent. And I’ve got to think that’s got to be one of the most effective ways in a secular society, because everyone has needs, even though the veneer is there, and they look like they are protected from everything. Internally, we all have needs, and we have a great need for a Savior. So I don’t have, and in any way purport to have, an answer to your question. But I know that the Lord does, and he is going to help us find the key to unlocking some of those areas.

Caldwell: Okay, I have time for one more question. I want to ask, do we have any representatives of any media outside the church?

A female voice from the back: Yes!

Caldwell: Please.

Female from the back: Thank you. Well, I belong to the media in India (she does not identify herself and has a foreign accent), and I went to school with Dr. [indecipherable] and that is how I got indoctrinated into the Adventist way of life. And I think I am a good Adventist, though unbaptized.

I have a very specific question. We, as Adventists have great spirituality, and you talked about being humble, you talked about...doing a lot of high-tech things. But one very, very important aspect is that we need to have a good public relations department...There is so much that we need to do with the outside. We need to reach out....

Wilson: Communications is one of the most important things that the church must be involved in. Communications includes public relations, community relations and activities related to that. Actually, we have a very extensive approach to this. The problem is that at local levels in certain situations, it is not as strong we certainly wish it were. I know the communications department in the General conference has professionals; people who know how to deal with the public and communicate in a very precise way. They run training seminars, they are constantly helping people with various training institutes around the world.

It’s a constant battle, because unless the public knows who you are, they form all kinds of opinions. And so, I think we need to redouble our efforts in that area, not only to say nice things about ourselves, but to actually interact with a public forum where they get an exposure of who we are, and can test that. And I think certainly we will be looking at that in a very particular way. It was a privilege to be in India just a few weeks ago.

The same woman’s voice: Oh, really?

Wilson: In Pune, and it’s a grand country.

Caldwell: Thank you very much.

Wilson: Thank-you, and I’ll be looking forward to talking with you more. (He appears to be looking to the back at the Indian woman.) Thank-you. God bless you. (Wilson leaves the stage and follows Dabrowski out of the room.)

Word-by-word Transcript of Wilson Press Conference By Dennis Hokama and Edwin A. Schwisow