The 2021 North American Division Year-End Meeting, themed “Together in Mission: I Will Go,” based on the NAD’s new strategic focus, opened its business session at 3 p.m. on Thursday, October 28 with 142 executive committee members attending through a virtual platform. This was the second year in row, because of the pandemic, that the annual executive committee meetings were held virtually. G. Alexander Bryant, president of the North American Division, welcomed the committee members and thanked those who made it possible to conduct the meetings through electronic means. “We would love to see your faces, but we are so thankful to the Lord for providing this means [so that we can] continue to do business for the Lord,” Bryant said.

Following approval of the agenda, Todd McFarland, General Conference associate general counsel, was appointed as parliamentarian by common consent (a procedure that allows for a body to agree to appoint an individual for a given role with the understanding that any member may voice an objection and call for a vote of the business session, if so desired).

Kyoshin Ahn, NAD secretary, explained the procedures for voting and the discussion of items presented as motions. To add input or ask a question during a discussion, committee members were instructed to send a message to the session secretary via Zoom’s chat feature. They would then be unmuted to make their comments. It was voted to give committee members two minutes to speak to items (or three minutes in the event translation is needed). Throughout the six days of meetings, committee members will vote electronically through a secure polling mechanism via Zoom.

The NAD Executive Committee is comprised of 300 members, 125 of them being new this year. Each of the nine union presidents introduced the new members from their territory, including lay members and newly-appointed conference and union personnel.

Prior to Bryant’s presidential address, which focused on the mission of the church in North America and the new strategic focus for the division, Ahn made several announcements, encouraging executive committee members and viewers to attend the 30-minute prayer meetings led each morning via Zoom by James Black, NAD Prayer Ministries coordinator. Bryant also encouraged attendance at the morning prayer sessions, saying, “We need to pray more, and we certainly need to ask God for His Holy Spirit. He promises that He will give it to us, but only in answer to prayer.”

— Pat Humphrey, a retired communication professional, writes from Texas.