wfn.org | Largest Adventist Teacher Convention

[APD_Info_Schweiz@compuserve.com]

August 30, 2000
Adventist Press Service (APD)
Christian B. Schaeffler, Editor-in-chief
CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland
Fax +41-61-261 61 18
APD@stanet.ch
http://www.stanet.ch/APD

Adventist Teachers Make History with Largest 
Convention of its Kind

Dallas, Texas, U.S.A .   Over 6,000 Seventh-day 
Adventist K-12 educators and their families 
participated in the largest gathering of teachers in 
the church's history in Dallas, Texas from August 13 
to 16.

"Sometimes Adventist teachers feel like second class 
citizens," said Dr. Richard Osborn, head of the 
Adventist educational system in North America, "but 
they left this convention feeling validated and 
empowered to do their work more effectively."

Pastor Jan Paulsen, president of the Adventist 
Church worldwide, gave the keynote address and 
encouraged teachers to stay committed to their 
careers. Pastor Don Schneider, newly-elected 
president of the church in North America, closed the 
convention with a plea for teachers to help their 
students know Jesus. Internationally renowned 
speakers at the convention included William Glasser, 
Harry Wong, and Leland Kaiser. 

"One of the greatest values of the convention was 
the ability for teachers to see colleagues who work 
in other areas of the country," Osborn said. But 
teachers could also choose from 300 breakout 
sessions presented by 210 speakers throughout the 
week. 

The convention broke records for the Adam's Mark 
Hotel of Dallas which served 5,400 people at a 
banquet in under an hour. The convention was also 
the largest at the hotel to date. 

The Adventist Church in North America runs 1,014 
elementary and secondary schools with 85,000 
students, and employs over 7,000 teachers. It also 
supports 15 colleges. (262/2000)