Mountain View Constituents Re-Elect Officers, Tithe Up by 9.21 Percent

At Mountain View Conference's constituency session, held Sunday, delegates re-elected their top two officers for a third term and they received good news about the financial picture of the smallest conference in the Columbia Union.

Story by Valerie Morikone

At Mountain View Conference's constituency, Victor Zill, pictured with his wife, Monica, was re-elected secretary/treasurer, and Larry Boggess, pictured with his wife, Jo'an, was re-elected president.

Delegates met Sunday, May 4 at the Valley Vista Adventist Center in Huttonsville, W.Va., for Mountain View Conference’s Fifth Quadrennial Session and voted to re-elect, for a third term, Larry Boggess as president and Victor Zill as secretary/treasurer. “I envision a dynamic, Holy Spirit-filled church family, hastening the coming of Jesus ... [as they] engage their friends, neighbors and communities with the love of Jesus,” said Boggess as he shared his vision for the upcoming term.

Zill shared that the financial position of the conference is stronger now than the prior four years. During that time, members returned $9.6 million, which meant a tithe increase of 9.21 percent. “Giving per member for tithe ranks second highest within the Columbia Union,” Zill said, “and is the eighth highest within the North American Division, highlighting the faithfulness of God’s people.”

While membership declined due to deaths and relocation, Zill reported that at the end of 2013, membership stood at 2,283. He also noted that during the quadrennium, 301 people joined the church in the Mountain View territory. As they ramp up for the next five years, the officers will continue inviting more people to follow Jesus. They are in the end phase of their Reach Appalachia initiative where they’ve teamed up with the Voice of Prophecy to mail Bible study request cards to every member in their territory. They are also one of three conferences that the North American Division has allocated to receive the 2015 Thirteenth Sabbath Offering, which they’ve earmarked for 2015 evangelism.

At Sunday’s session delegates also voted to disband the Richwood (W.V.) church and hold constituency meetings every five years instead of every four years.

Kathryn Styer, a delegate from the Romney (W.Va.) church, said, “This was my first constituency meeting. I really learned a lot and appreciated the necessary organization [happening] behind the scenes in God’s church.”