NPUC Leaders Prepare for Constituency Session

By Heidi Baumgartner

Communication director and Gleaner editor, North Pacific Union

The final executive committee meeting for the 2021–2025 term met May 12–13 at the North Pacific Union office in Ridgefield, Washington, to reflect on the past, nominate new leaders and prepare for NPUC's 30th constituency session.

Reports shared throughout the meeting highlighted signs of growth, renewed engagement and continued mission focus across the Northwest.

God’s rainfall blessings — both past and present — can be seen in signs of growth across evangelism, stewardship, education and healthcare:

• Baptisms rebounding and surpassing milestones set 13 years ago. In all, 9,505 people were baptized or joined the church by profession of faith in the last five years.
• Church attendance beginning to uptick after hitting all-time lows. Now, between in-person and online attendance, 4 in 10 Adventists are attending church on a given weekend, up from 2 in 10 in the midst and aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Hispanic ministries hosting a caravan of coordinated evangelism across Idaho Conference (66 baptisms), Upper Columbia Conference (240+ baptisms) and Washington Conference (148+ baptisms) this spring, resulting in hundreds of baptisms.
• God blessing the faithful return of tithe and offerings. Financial leaders are carefully stewarding these funds while navigating increasing insurance liabilities and rising overhead expenses. Additionally, NPUC received a “clean audit” for 2025.
• Adventist education continuing to invest in helping students excel in their academic, spiritual and whole-person growth.
• Walla Walla University strengthening the church’s leadership pipeline through initiatives such as the NextGen Scholarship for theology and education students, along with new MBA offerings that include a ministry leadership emphasis.
• Adventist Health expanding compassionate care across rural and urban communities through its network of west coast hospitals and clinics. 

Faith for the Journey Ahead

The reality of leadership transitions also played a key role in the executive committee gatherings. In his final devotional message before retirement, John Freedman, NPUC president, reflected on leadership lessons from Num. 13 with leaders representing the union's six conferences.

The tribe leaders, in their role as spies, witnessed the Promised Land, saw the bounty and rightly came back to say, “We can’t do this.”

“They were telling the absolute truth. We can’t do ministry on our own,” Freedman said. “One, with God, is always the best journey. This is where faith, belief and trust come in: We either believe in a big God or a small God. He wants to give us abundantly more than we could ever ask or think.”

Freedman challenged leaders to maintain a deep confidence in God’s leading.

“I believe the leaders of God’s people have to have an undeniable belief that with God all things are possible,” he said. “The strongest, most powerful thing in the world is people with an incredible belief that they are one with God and that God can do anything.

Freedman closed his remarks with an appeal to remain rooted in prayer and faith.

“I ask you to keep grasping the hand of God, talking to Him, praying to Him and grasping His power,” he said. “In faith, this union will do even better things. Give people hope, help share faith and wonderful things will happen.”

Throughout the executive committee meeting, prayers of praise and petition punctuated the reports. As NPUC prepares for its 30th constituency session in August, a team of prayer warriors has been meeting monthly on Zoom throughout the six months leading to the session.

Beyond upcoming organizational leadership transitions, the meeting also recognized individual ministry callings and spiritual milestones. Executive committee approved ordination recommendations for the following pastors: Jason Johnson (Montana), Nick Gosney (Oregon), Reginald Richardson Jr. (Oregon) and Jonathan Yoon (Oregon).

Preparing for Constituency Session

Executive committee members focused much of their time on May 12 on recommendations and preparations related to NPUC’s 30th constituency session.

Ahead of each constituency session, agenda proposals are submitted by conference committees, boards and the university, then circulated to conferences for feedback and review. This cycle, four proposals were submitted for consideration.

After reviewing conference feedback, the agenda committee recommended two proposals for inclusion on the constituency session agenda, and the executive committee accepted these recommendations.

The first proposal calls for a study commission to take a closer look at how the union and local conferences work together to clarify responsibilities, reduce overlap and strengthen long-term ministry.

The second proposal focuses on the future financial health of Adventist secondary education, especially boarding schools across the Northwest, with a task force bringing recommendations for long-term financial viability and educational effectiveness.

Neither proposal creates immediate structural changes. Instead, both proposals would begin multi-year study processes with reports expected to come back to executive committee members and delegates by the close of 2028. 

Executive committee was briefed on recommended bylaw changes that will go to delegates in August. Key proposed updates include:

Clarifying organizational language connected to WWU.

Updating committee and leadership processes and responsibilities.

Allowing more meeting materials and delegate information to be shared digitally.

Responding to privacy concerns by limiting the public sharing of delegates’ personal contact information.

Updating financial accountability language to align with current North American Division policies and reporting practices.

Modernizing specific ministry and representation language throughout the bylaws.

The committee approved session personnel recommendations for Freedman to serve as session chair; Andre Wang, NPUC legal counsel, to serve as parliamentarian; and Kristina Lopez, NPUC secretariat assistant director, to serve as recording secretary. Delegates will finalize these recommendations in August.

Before the close of the May 12 meeting, executive committee members also approved a recommendation from the President’s Council to send a letter to the General Conference to request that women’s ordination be reconsidered for the 2030 GC session agenda.

Nominating New Leaders

The North American Division executive leadership team led the second day of NPUC meetings on May 13 with the joint gathering of the executive committee and additional members of the nominating committee, including two added representatives from each conference.

Prayer and spiritual reflection were intentionally woven throughout the nominating process, beginning with an organizing Zoom meeting in April, continuing with an in-person meeting in May and concluding with a follow-up Zoom meeting in June.

The NPUC nominating committee is recommending the following individuals to serve as officers of the North Pacific Union Conference for the 2026–2030 quinquennium:

• President: Doug Bing, Washington Conference president.
  
• Vice president for administration / Secretary: Erik VanDenburgh, Hawaii Conference president.
  
• Vice president for finance / Treasurer: Jeff Fogelquist, renominated.
  
• Vice president for education: Keith Hallam, renominated.
  
• Vice president for Hispanic ministries: Peter Simpson, renominated.
  
• Vice president for regional ministries: EuGene Lewis, renominated.

The May meetings served as both a closing chapter for one season of leadership and the beginning of another. Through reports, prayer, planning and conversation, leaders reflected on where God has led the Northwest church family while looking ahead with faith to what comes next.

NPUC’s 30th constituency session, with a theme of “It’s Beginning to Rain,” is scheduled for Aug. 23 at WWU Church, where delegates from across the Northwest will gather to vote on leadership, consider recommendations and help shape the future direction of ministry across the union.

This article was originally published on the NW Adventists website and is used with permission.