If the first thought of the delegates to the General Conference session of 1903 had been money; none of us would be Seventh-day Adventists today. The church faced a grave financial crisis from 1901-1903. The debt was astounding. Financially the church was on the brink of bankruptcy and its flagship institutions lay in a crumpled heap of ashes. For the first two days the General Conference delegates reviewed; discussed and re-committed themselves to the mission of the church. They understood that focusing on their special mission—the proclamation of the Three Angels’ Message—was vital to their survival. It is vital to ours as well. Each of us has a part to play. We must resist the two dangers facing us: complacency and worldly-mindedness on the one hand; and compromise and syncretism on the other. The proclamation of the third angel’s message is at the heart of who we are and why we are here. Our Lord has promised to return.
