Latvian Conference Constituency Meeting – Baltic Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

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Riga, LATVIA. On October 2–3 Latvian Conference of Seventh–day Adventist Church had Constituency Meeting. Delegates had to elect new church leadership and make necessary changes in church Constitution and Bylaws. Viesturs Rekis was re–elected as Latvian Conference president, Alfreds Jakobsons was re–elected as Latvian Conference secretary, and Ilgonis Mazjulis was elected as Latvian Conference treasurer.

Delegates of the Constituency meeting made the following changes in Latvian Conference Constitution and Bylaws:

According to the North America Division suggestion to remove all instances of abbreviation ‘SDA’ and use full name of the denomination or shorten it to ‘Adventist’.
To facilitate Adventist church co–operation with the state in chaplain and other public ministries, to add title “bishop” to the official title of Latvian Conference president.
To increase representation of local churches in the Constituency Meeting by reducing representation quota from 1 representative from each 200 church members to 150 members.
To call next Constituency meeting in every 5 years.
President of Latvian Conference president can dismiss workers only with the accept of Latvian Conference Executive Committee.

Secretary of Latvian Conference reported church growth statistics:

During last 2 years Latvian Conference had registered 3 new churches: in Ergli (2002), in Gulbene (2003) and in Riga — “Korinta” (2003). In 2000 Adventists in Latvia had 44 churches with 3831 church members, but in 2003 Adventists have 49 churches with 3892 church members.

Delegates elected Latvian Conference Executive Committee (11 members):
Bishop–President — Viesturs Rekis;
Secretary — Alfreds Jakobsons;
Treasurer — Ilgonis Mazjulis;
Pastor Vilnis Latgalis;
Communication department director — Uldis Liepinsh;
Youth department director — Olegs Mihailovs;
Bible Studies and Personal Ministries director — Ivo Roderts;
Personal Ministries and Stewardship director — Ojars Incenbergs;
Lay members — Atis Chernevskis, Julija Kupcova, Hella Milbreta–Holma.

Delegates voted to accept transfer of publishing department “Patmos” from Baltic Union Conference to Latvian Conference.

New department directors were appointed:
Ministerial Association director — Viesturs Rekis;
PARL director — Viesturs Rekis;
Communication department director — Uldis Liepinsh;
Publishing and Literature evangelism director — Ainars Gailis;
Bible Studies and Personal Ministries director — Ivo Roderts;
Personal Ministries and Stewardship director — Ojars Incenbergs;
Youth department director — Olegs Mihailovs;
Assistant to youth department director for Latvian youth — Juris Rekis;
Pathfinder Ministries — Guna Rimane;
Children Ministries director — Dagnija Roderte;
Assistants to Children Ministries director — Gunta Muceniece, Marite Ozolina;
Shepherdess and Family Ministries — Valda Reke;
Global Mission — Andis Kreslinsh;
ADRA director will be chosen by the Executive Committee;
Women Ministries — Dagnija Roderte;
Musical Ministries Co–ordinator — Hella Milbreta–Holma.

Delegates voted to extend workers’ licenses for pastors, and asked Executive Committee to appoint pastors for individual churches. Constituency Meeting appointed 6 pastors (Ojars Incenbergs, Uldis Liepinsh, Ivo Roderts, Vilnis Latgalis, Alfreds Jakobsons and Olegs Mihailovs) to be church district elders over all churches in Latvia, appointing specific churches to each individual. Delegates also appointed 5 curators — Viesturs Rekis for “Korinta” church, Valdis Zilgalvis for Talsi church, Andrejs Arinsh for Bauska church, Guntis Bukalders for Rujiena church and Ojars Incenbergs for Ventspils church. Delegates voted for the ordination of pastor Talivaldis Vilnis.

Guntis Bukalders,
Baltic Union Conference Communication Director