What Is the Financial Cost of the Quinquennial Session Cycle, and Is It Justified by Outcomes?

Executive summary

The Seventh-day Adventist General Conference Session, held every five years, costs approximately 8–10 cents per member per year (40–50 cents per member per quinquennium) at the world church level, with the 2025 St. Louis session reporting technology and communication costs of US$4.1 million and operations/safety at US$2.2 million—and coming in under budget. However, this figure represents only the GC-level expenditure. When cascaded through the four-level organizational structure—division, union...