General Conference of the Church of God (Seventh Day)
Theme
Location
Dates
General Conference Convention 2023 is On
Welcome to the official information site for the 2023 General Conference Convention of the Church of God (Seventh Day)! With the convention only a few months away, this website is designed to provide all the information needed to make your plans for this event in Covington, Kentucky, July 10-15, 2023. We invite you to check it out!
Finally, the long-awaited GC Convention 2023. We are so happy that you are here – on this website - and hope to see you July 10-15 in Covington, Kentucky. As you review the convention details, we hope you become as excited as we are. It has been four long years since we were able to gather in Albuquerque. Covington will be like a greatly anticipated family reunion and is the perfect place to celebrate coming together again!
“Come and See,” our convention theme, portrays the excitement of sharing important information or a special event. The Convention Committee invites you to come and see what God has in store for the General Conference of the Church of God (Seventh Day), in every individual church, and in the hearts of our members. Prepare your heart for a great adventure as we share Jesus’ love with those around us.
Look carefully at the information provided on this website so you can make the best decisions for you or your family. Choose from three distinct hotels, purchase a meal or two, and volunteer to serve. Staying in convention hotels and purchasing meals help meet contractual obligations to keep total costs down. Last convention was successful because of the 200+ volunteers that helped with the convention activities. Your assistance is appreciated.
Between now and July, please pray regularly for this important gathering. Pray for the Program Committee; worship and workshop speakers; coordinators of the children, youth, and SWORD programs; worship team members and ushers; and travel safety for attendees. Whether you are able to attend or not, consider giving an offering to support the convention. Offerings are part of the budget and help keep the registration costs low. You can give online (cog7.org) or by check made out to the Church of God (Seventh Day). Be sure to earmark “Convention 2023” in the memo. Checks may be mailed to General Conference of the Church of God (Seventh Day), P.O. Box 33677, Denver, CO 80233.
Keep checking back for updates here and on our “GC Convention ‘23” Facebook event page.
Until July, may you experience God’s richest blessings, love, and comfort. Then, “Come and See” what Jesus has in store for each of us and be motivated to share your story with others. See you in Covington!
| Age |
Early Registration (Ends April 30) |
Regular Price (Begins May 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | $140 | $180 |
| Youth (12-18) | $100 | $135 |
| Child (4-11) | $75 | $100 |
| Age |
Early Registration (Ends April 30) |
Regular Price (Begins May 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | $55 | $65 |
| Youth (12-18) | $40 | $50 |
| Child (4-11) | $30 | $40 |
| Age |
Fee |
|---|---|
| Adult | $50 |
| Youth (12-18) | $20 |
| Child (4-11) | $10 |
| Age | Lunch | Dinner |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | $23.75/meal | $29.50/meal |
| Kids (12 and under) | $11.95/meal | $15.50/meal |
| Age |
Cost |
|---|---|
| Adult (ages 18-59) | $66.50 |
| Senior Adult (ages 60+) | $57.50 |
| Youth (11-17) | $22.50 |
| Children (ages 10 and under) | Free |
| Age | Cost |
|---|---|
| Adult (ages 18-59) | $41.00 |
| Senior Adult (ages 60+) | $39.00 |
| Youth (11-17) | $22.00 |
| Children (ages 10 and under) | Free |
Registration for General Conference Convention 2023 is open. Click the link below to begin registering for the event.
Book your hotel room using the button below. The link will take you to a hotel website created specifically for our convention by the Northern Kentucky Visitors Bureau. There you can choose from one of three convention hotels and book your stay with the group discount already applied.
The Passkey website (linked above) has all the details you'll need to choose and book a room. For your convenience, some of the highlights are also listed here.
| Marriott River Center | Embassy Suites | Holiday Inn |
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Negotiations with hotels for our national conventions require that we contract for a given number of rooms each night. Fulfilling that contract significantly reduces the rental fees for meeting rooms at the facility. By staying at the convention hotel, attendees help reduce the overall cost of the convention. The facility fee allows those not staying at the convention hotels to pay a small share of the Northern Kentucky Convention Center rental fee.
| Lunch | Dinner | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | $23.75 | $29.50 |
| Kids (12 and under) | $11.95 | $15.50 |
The chefs at the Covington Convention Center will be serving a variety of delicious meals. All lunches and dinners are served buffet style (with the exception of the bag lunch for the outing). If you have any dietary restrictions, please let us know during registration. The prices listed include taxes and gratuity. Meals must be purchased by June 30.
Friday's grab-and-go lunch is provided at no extra cost.
Some days have two meal options. "General Meals" provide a relaxed environment for visiting around a table with old and new friends. This is a favorite activity for connecting at convention.
The other options are referred to as "Special Meals." Here attendees may meet with others who have similar interests. This year there are four options to consider:
Both general meals and special meals cost the same.
By purchasing meal tickets, you help defray the costs of meeting rooms and AV services in the Convention Center. These costs are based on our meeting the contract for reserved rooms in the convention hotels and the contract for food and beverage. Did you know that if every convention attendee purchased one meal, we would meet our food and beverage minimums?
Tuesday Night
Wednesday Night
Thursday Night
Friday Night
Sabbath Morning
Sabbath Evening
Tuesday through Thursday there will be a full schedule of workshops; with most focused on the theme of the convention "Come and See." The final workshop will feature special guest Ken Ham.
Thursday Afternoon
Loren Gjesdal lives with his wife, Nickki, and their three adult children (Nathan, Kendra, and Alex) in Millersburg, Oregon. He co-pastors the Marion, Oregon Church of God (Seventh Day) with Pastor Tim Hinds. Loren is also co-director of Artios Christian College with Makayla Ross and has worked as a property manager for the same company for nearly 30 years.
Loren Stacy and his wife, Karen, have been married almost 45 years. They have been blessed with three happily married children and their spouses, and six grandsons. Loren has served our church in a number of roles: Harvest Field Messenger editor, Youth Agency director, West Coast district superintendent, board of directors member (chairman, July 1997 - July 2015), pastor of the Lodi, California congregation (1981 - 2015), and Conference president (since July 2015).
Clyde “Chip” Hinds is the husband of Mary Hinds. They have three adult daughters and five grandchildren. They reside near Tahlequah, Oklahoma, in Cherokee County. He has served the General Conference and the Southwest District in several capacities, including district board member, local church pastor, Oklahoma Conference chairman, GC board of directors member, and Southwest district superintendent (since July 1, 1997). Chip lives and leads by the GC motto to “Focus on Jesus and Follow His Plan.”
Ramon Ruiz and his wife, Rebecca, live in Dallas, Texas. They have three children and eight grandchildren. He was president of the Church of God (Seventh Day) conference in Mexico (1991 – 2003) and has served as president of the International Ministerial Congress (since 1994). Ramon is also currently pastor of Mount Hermon Hispanic Church of God (Seventh Day) in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area.
Moises Capetillo and Victoria, his wife of 15 years, live with their six children in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A graduate of Artios Christian College and Spring Vale Academy, Moises serves as the senior pastor of our church in Albuquerque. He has served there in various capacities for the last 17 years with a passion for the doctrine, guiding principles, and efforts of our General Conference. Moises is also part of the GC’s “Come and See” evangelism initiative. He and his brother, Pete, are the Welcoming Church team.
Whaid Rose has served in various capacities within the General Conference for the past 38 years. He is currently pastor of the Newton, North Carolina congregation. He is also dean of the Artios Center for Vibrant Leadership and first vice president and zone representative for the International Ministerial Congress. Whaid and his wife, Marjolene, are the parents of two adult children and make their home in Denver, North Carolina - near Charlotte.
Ken Ham is the founder and CEO of Answers in Genesis and its two popular attractions: the acclaimed Creation Museum and the internationally known Ark Encounter , which features a life-size 510-foot-long Noah’s Ark—sometimes described as the “8th Wonder of the Modern World.” Each year, the two attractions host over 1.5 million guests.
A much-in-demand Christian speaker and interview guest, Ham became well known throughout America for his 2014 evolution/creation debate with Bill Nye , TV’s “The Science Guy.”
Ham hosts the daily radio program Answers , now on 1,000 stations. He’s also the founder of the award-winning Answers magazine . In 2020, Ham launched Answers TV , an ambitious streaming service. His website of AnswersInGenesis.org has twice won the top award from the National Religious Broadcasters for best website.
A prolific blogger and author of more than 30 books, Ham’s newest releases are Divided Nation (about today’s culture wars) and the devotional commentary Creation to Babel .
Ken and his wife Mally have 5 children and 18 grandchildren and reside in Northern Kentucky.
Two excursions have been planned during convention week. Sign up for one or both excursions in your convention registration. The signup deadline is June 16. Refunds will not be given after June 16.
The group excursions will provide general admission plus bus transportation to visit the Ark Encounter and/or the Creation Museum with other convention attendees on the days/times noted below.
If you would rather drive yourself to the Ark Encounter and/or the Creation Museum, then do NOT sign up for the group excursion in your convention registration. Discount coupons for $5.00 off per person will be available between July 9 and July 16 for those who choose to drive themselves. Parking is $15.00 per vehicle ($20.00 for oversized vehicles) at both sites. Refunds will not be given after June 16 to those who sign up for a group excursion, then decide not to go or decide to drive themselves instead of riding the bus.
NOTE: The excursion prices mentioned below are for the excursion only. For regular ticket prices, check the "Tickets" section of each location's website.
Arrive early for convention and join us on an excursion to the Ark Encounter! As part of your excursion price, there's a lot you can do: Check out the three floors of world-class exhibits in the life-size ark; watch a daily presentation in the Answers Center; spend time on the playground built for children of all abilities; attend a daily live animal show; learn more about an animal during a Keeper Chat; do a Kangaroo Walkabout, pet some goats, visit unique animals at the Ararat Ridge Zoo, or enjoy a carousel ride.
Optional things are available for an additional cost (pay on-site) that are not included in your excursion price. You can pan for fossils, feed a camel, ride a camel (ages 17 and under), take part in a virtual reality experience, and ride zip lines. Multiple dining options are available on-site, from a buffet restaurant to food venues with hamburgers, pizza, ice cream, and more. Of course, multiple gift shops are also present throughout the site.
Check out the Ark Encounter website at https://arkencounter.com to help plan your day!
The bus will leave the Northern Kentucky Convention Center (across the street from the Marriott and Embassy Suites) at 9:00 am Monday morning. There will be two options for returning to the Convention Center: 2:00 pm or 4:00 pm.
| Adult (ages 18-59) | $66.50 |
| Senior Adult (ages 60+) | $57.50 |
| Youth (ages 11-17) | $22.50 |
| Children (ages 10 and under) | Free |
Join us at the Creation Museum during our Friday afternoon free time! Walk through the 75,000-square foot museum to see exhibits on Creation, the Flood, and the Fearfully and Wonderfully Made exhibit that opened in October 2022. Enjoy a stroll through the large botanical garden with multiple themed areas, including a petting area and animal encounters in the zoo area.
There are optional things to do for an additional cost (pay on-site) that are not included in your excursion price. You can watch a Planetarium show or ride the zip lines. Multiple dining options are available on-site. And don't forget the gift shops!
Check out the Creation Museum website at https://creationmuseum.org to plan your afternoon!
The bus will leave the Northern Kentucky Convention Center (across the street from the Marriott and Embassy Suites) at 12:30 pm Friday. (Grab your sack lunch and eat on the bus during the ride.) The bus will return at 4:00 pm.
| Adult (ages 18-59) | $41.00 |
| Senior Adult (ages 60+) | $39.00 |
| Youth (ages 11-17) | $22.00 |
| Children (ages 10 and under) | Free |
Volunteers make Convention possible, and there are many areas in which to serve. If you are interested in volunteering, please indicate your area(s) of interest when you register. If you have additional questions, you may email us at conventioninfo@cog7.org.
Areas of service include...
Help with the young adult (ages 18-25) program and activities.
Load and unload equipment (Sunday prior and Saturday night after convention), assist in helping with tech needs of various rooms, and serve as stage hands.
Quickly transcribe proposed edits for projection during business, and/or operate the projection computer.
Be willing to smile, guide kids in their activities, and have fun. Also help with set up, snack time, and small group activities.
Child care for small children. If you plan to take advantage of this service, we encourage you to volunteer in this area at least one morning or afternoon.
Interpret English into Spanish or Spanish into English.
Volunteers will help during service times for member assistance and the collection of offerings.
Check in voters for business meetings, distribute and collect voting devices, verify and count voters. Working laptop required.
Work with the youth program in many areas: registration desk, supervising fun activities, being a helpful hand and watchful eye on our outing, and ministering to youth through prayer and friendship.
Unloading convention equipment and supplies Saturday night (8th) and Sunday (9th). Packing up and loading equipment again on Saturday night (15th)
Details to be announced.
Details to be announced.
Help record the convention by taking photos of workshops, worship services, programs, and more. Volunteers must provide their own equipment.
General Conference Convention is where we conduct the business of the Church of God (Seventh Day). All members present at convention have a vote in the proceedings and decisions, including electing the board of directors. Help fulfill this responsibility.
Watch the area below for useful information in the weeks before convention:
Your GC membership must be on file to vote at the 2023 convention. To ensure your voting eligibility, ask your pastor (or designated local leader) to verify that your GC membership is properly recorded at the GC office in Denver. Correspondence concerning GC membership can be sent to membership@cog7.org. All corrections or additions to the GC records must be received by May 29, 2023 for voting eligibility at the 2023 convention. Submissions received after that date will be filed after the convention is completed.
Across the River from Cincinnati
Covington, Kentucky, is a beautiful city located on the Ohio River. You might even see riverboats from your riverfront hotel window. Covington has a relaxed atmosphere, while Cincinnati is a bustling metropolitan city just across the connecting bridges. By making a short drive, convention attendees will have easy access to attractions on both sides of the river:
National Museum
This center documents the history of the Underground Railroad and exposes worldwide, modern-day slavery and sex trafficking.
Answers In Genesis
At the heart of the museum is a chronological retelling of biblical history.
Downtown Attraction
You will want to spend hours here observing thousands of exotic aquatic animals.
Nearby Attraction
This is a must-see. The life-size replica of the ark depicts God’s story of salvation from Creation to the second coming of Jesus.
Plenty to Do and See
Plans are made for a group excursion to the Ark Encounter on Monday, July 10. You will not want to miss this event with other convention attendees. Buses will transport us to the site, a 40-minute trip from Covington. En route, enjoy a narration of the history of the Ark Encounter, including the initial dream, God’s answers to prayers, and the completion of this incredible exhibit. Plan now to arrive early so you can join us.
The Ark Encounter continues to expand, evolving into a major tourist attraction. After touring the ark, try the zip line or visit an unusual petting zoo. Watch for a zebra, a zorse, and a zonkey.
When you talk with previous convention attendees, expect to hear an array of responses to the question “What is the best part of convention?”
GC Convention 2019 is history, but what fantastic memories remain! It will be hard to beat the beautiful scenery and hospitality of the Albuquerque church. However, you will not be disappointed experiencing the unique charm of Covington, Kentucky, at GC Convention 2023. Albuquerque had just over 1,300 attendees. Can we beat that? Hope to see you there!
Stay Informed
