2025 General Conference Session – St Louis
July 3-12, 2025
General Conference Session Website https://www.gcsession.org/
Welcome all SPD Appointed Delegates, we are look forward to having you join us at this important event. This website contains important information to help you prepare for this event, including details on how to arrange travel and get to St Louis, accommodations, and other logistical considerations. Please take the time to review the provided information carefully to ensure a smooth and efficient arrival. We look forward to seeing you there.
Glenn, Mike and Francois.
*Time left until Session begins*
IMPORTANT: GC Session Travel Advisory and Guidance for Travellers
It is essential that you thoroughly read and understand the information in these documents prior to travelling:
Key staff assisting for this event
GC Contact, Meeting Planner: Silvia Sicalo - sicalos@gc.adventist.org
Registration, visas and travel: Torika Laweloa - torikalaweloa@adventist.org.au
Allowances, Accommodation and travel: Megan Lillo - meganlillo@adventist.org.au
Exhibition space and general information: Andrew Wanke - andrewwanke@adventist.org.au
U.S. Contact Information (for ESTA/Visa)
Contact Person Name in the U.S.: Silvia Sicalo
Organization name in the U.S.: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Relationship to you: Meeting Planner
U.S.Contact ADDRESS: 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904
Phone Number: 301-680-6280
Email Address: Sicalos@gc.adventist.org
GC Session Information Session Recordings
Here is the recording of the Information Session with the General Conference on 20 May 2025. Please watch/listen again, even if you were present during this meeting.
Here is the audio-only recording of the Information Session with the SPD Administration on 20 May 2025.
Here is the audio-only recording of the Information Session with the SPD Administration on 23 June 2025.
Important Emails & Information
Here you will find all the important information emails that have been sent out to delegates/special guests.
During GC Session
Transport and Getting Around
When travelling and moving around St Louis, please stay in groups as much as possible.
Travel from St Louis Lambert International Airport to your hotel and the Session venue is easy via the MetroLink Light Rail trains - more information below.
If you are arriving via an Amtrak train, Downtown West Station, 430 South 15th Street, St. Louis is the closest station to the Session venue and hotels - more information below.
METROLINK LIGHT RAIL
Get the Official St Louis MetroLink Transit App - plan your trip, track your ride, pay your fare.
Transit - the best app for buses and trains
How to use the Transit app - How To Use Transit App
Transport on the Metrolink Light Rail from St Louis Lambert International Airport is the easiest way to get to both your hotel and the Session Convention Centre. From the airport terminal to the Metrolink train station is a 7 minute walk. The Metrolink Station in Terminal 1 is at Exit Door 1, Ticketing Level, east of all ticket counters and the Metrolink Station in Terminal 2 is at Exit Door 12, through the parking garage.
You will be taking the MLR Red Line – service to Fairview Heights.
Arriving in St Louis
Weekdays – Metrolink trains start at 4:56am from Lambert Airport Terminal #1 & #2 then leave every 20-30 minutes – trip is approximately 30 minutes. Last train is at 11:56pm on weekends and weekdays.
DELEGATES: Courtyard by Marriott St Louis Downtown/Convention Center - get off at 8th & Pine station for a 4 min walk to the hotel and Convention Center
SPECIAL GUESTS: Hotel Indigo - get off at 8th & Pine Metro station for a 3 min walk to the hotel
Departing St Louis
When returning to the airport, please note the earliest train leaves for the airport at 4:13am and the last leaves at 12:13am from 8th & Pine station.
Outside of these times (midnight to 4:30am) take an Uber or taxi.
AMTRAK TRAIN
Travelling into St Louis on the Amtrak LINCOLN SERVICE train from Chicago, you will alight at the Gateway Station Transportation Centre. You can then move to the MetroLink Light Rail Red Line from Civic Center Station to 8th & Pine Station for both the Marriott and the Hotel Indigo (see maps above).
Accommodation
DELEGATES: Exterior View of Courtyard by Marriott St Louis Downtown/Convention Centre - 823-827 Washington Avenue, St Louis
SPECIAL GUESTS: Exterior View of Hotel Indigo St Louis Downtown - 501 Olive Street, St Louis
Our Division has a block booking at the Courtyard by Marriott which is directly opposite the Session venue. This accommodation includes all SPD delegates, as well as Unions. Special Guests selected by the Unions or General Conference, will stay at the Hotel Indigo.
Some delegates may wish to have additional immediate family members travel with them and if that is the case the following points should be noted:
- The cost of the double room covers 2 people. For rooms with 3 or 4 people there may be an additional cost. If additional family members are staying in your room and that incurs an additional charge, this is your personal cost and will be deducted from the allowances paid to you.
- If you require an additional room for family members, you will not be able to book this through the hotel we will be staying at, as the hotel will be fully booked. We suggest you make your own booking at another hotel.
The General Conference Session website has a booking service for delegate rooms that can be made up until the time of the Session and those bookings don't have to be made for the whole session time - https://www.gcsession.org/attending/housing/
Laundry Services
A local laundromat is located at 1800 S 9th St., St Louis. Their website is: WashStudio Laundry Company
Meals
Dinner on July 2nd is not included with your meals - please use your allowance to find eateries in town for dinner. Delegates, special guests and their spouses will be provided with lunch each day from Thursday, 3rd July to Sabbath, 12th July.
Supper will be provided on the evenings of:
Friday, 4th July
Sabbath, 5th July
Friday, 11th July
Sabbath, 12th July
If you need to buy extra meal tickets please visit this link - https://www.gcsession.org/attending/meals/
Breakfast is not included with accommodation at the Courtyard by Marriott or Hotel Indigo. Nearby supermarkets will have some good options.
Meals Served (total 14)
Thursday, July 3 LUNCH
Friday, July 4 LUNCH
Friday, July 4 SUPPER
Sabbath, July 5, LUNCH
Sabbath, July 5, SUPPER
Sunday, July 6, LUNCH
Monday, July 7, LUNCH
Tuesday, July 8, LUNCH
Wednesday, July 9, LUNCH
Thursday, July 10, LUNCH
Friday, July 11, LUNCH
Friday, July 11, SUPPER
Sabbath, July 12, LUNCH
Sabbath, July 12, SUPPER
Emergencies
EMERGENCY: 911
24 Hour Emergency number at America's Center
(314) 342-5081 or (314) 342-5016
HOSPITALS & URGENT CARE
Barnes-Jewish Hospital
One Barnes-Jewish Hospital Plaza | (314) 747-3000
www.barnesjewish.org
SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital
1201 S Grand Blvd. | (314) 577-8000
www.ssmhealth.com/sluhospital
Total Access Urgent Care
3114 S. Grand Blvd. | (314) 696-2178
www.totalaccessurgentcare.com
DENTIST
Colman Dental
1010 Locust St. | (314) 241-0885
www.coleman-dental.com
Downtown Dental Associates
720 Olive St., Unit 1700 | (314) 241-4232
www.downtowndentalstl.com
Karen J. Harris DMD & Associates
2000 Locust St. | (314) 231-4893
www.kjhdentistry.com
Travel Insurance - ARM and International SOS
The SPD delegation will utilise the Adventist Risk Management (ARM) arranged GC Travel Insurance policy. (Please discard all earlier emails and messaging regarding cover with RMS). ARM is the official insurance and risk management company for the General Conference Office and have secured a policy with Chubb NA, a US-based operating division of the Chubb Group of Companies.
The policy will cover travellers for a travel window of 30 days from the date you leave your place of residence to the date you return, allowing the option of some leisure travel before or following the Session, if required. Copies of the ARM GC Session Policy and a summary document are available below.
It is your responsibility to read through the documents thoroughly and make the appropriate decisions with regard to your cover.
A quick summary:
- Class 1: All approved non-U.S. based delegates, guests, visitors, staff and exhibitors who have purchased coverage for attending the General Conference Session.
- Cost: $83.25USD per person
- Maximum period of coverage: 30 days
- Automatically covered: Delegates and Spouses; Special Guests and spouses only. (For other accompanying family members or friends – see note below)
Important to Note:
The cost of the insurance for your spouse will be deducted from your allowances prior to them being sent to your bank account.
Should you wish to extend this coverage to accompanying siblings, parents, friends, or children, please respond to us no later than 12:00 p.m. on Friday, 23 May 2025. If a response is not received by this time, it will be deemed that you have accepted this coverage for them and all associated costs. A group application will be created to cater for this group.
You may decline this coverage for yourself and/or your spouse; however, any alternative arrangements will be at your own expense. Alternative arrangements must be communicated to Megan Lillo, with a copy of your policy contract, as soon as it is finalised.
For PNG based delegates there are limitations on insurance that can be purchased outside of PNG. The Union will advise you on what travel insurance they deem appropriate and require to be taken out.
For denominational employees who already have the Annual Corporate Travel policy arranged through RMS there is no need to complete a form. At renewal time, you must include the days you will be in America as the premium is higher for the time spent in the USA.
ARM Insurance - Claims Assistance while at Session
At the GC Session, ARM will be present with a claims office and a booth. Should a travel claim arise, our claims team will process them during GC Session. For non-claims assistance or to meet our ARM administrators, please ask for Daisy Taruc at our Claims office. You can reach her at +1 (240) 472-2617 (mobile).
Airfares, Visa & Allowances
Airfares and Travel Arrangements
The destination airport is St Louis Lambert, Missouri. There are no direct flights to St Louis from anywhere in the SPD therefore an accommodation allowance will be provided making provision for 1 day transit to and 1 day transit from St Louis.
As each country has different airline pricing, schedules and conditions, different fare arrangements will be made based on the country you are travelling from. AUC, NZPUC, PNGUM and TPUM delegates will be advised by their sponsoring organisation on booking arrangements and airfare allowances. They can also assist delegates residing in Union Mission territories that are sponsored by the SPD or GC.
GC Session is being held during the peak travel period to the USA as it is summer and vacation time. For those travelling from Australia, the airfare allowance has been set to cater for purchasing an economy fare based on rates available in peak travel season, plus a little more for pricing variations over the next year. Specials will occur for limited periods during the year and you are encouraged to watch for these specials and book at a cheaper price. If you have any questions with regards to the airfare cost or the fare allowance, please check with your sponsoring organisation prior to making the booking to avoid any misunderstandings later.
You are free to make your own booking through any airline or agent of choice, however, keep in mind that we need to be good stewards of Gods' resources. We will reimburse you in full on receipt of your ticket limited to the allowance set for airfares provided (see below table). Should you not wish to make your own booking, the sponsoring organisation will be more than happy to assist you with your booking. Note however you are responsible for the booking of your spouse and any other guests, and no reimbursement is possible for those airfares. We recommend you do a Webjet.com comparison of all flight options before you make your booking, as significant savings could be possible on a different airline or different time.
Visas and Passports
All delegates must ensure that they have a valid passport with at least 6 months validity from time of travel. As passports in some countries can take a longer time to obtain, it is recommended you start your application process immediately for a new or renewed passport. It is not required to present airline tickets when applying for a US visa, and we recommend that applicants do not purchase any tickets until they have received their passport with the visa. If you cannot provide us with a copy of a valid passport and visa included a month before travel, we will not approve your travel, and you will not be travelling to the GC session, it is therefore of utmost importance you start work on this immediately.
Your appointing body, Union or travel agent should be able to advise you what the requirements are based on what passport you will be travelling with. Those travelling on Australian and New Zealand passports do not require a visa. However, to enter the USA they must apply on line prior to travel for clearance or else they will not be allowed to enter the USA. The following is the link to apply for entry: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/. The cost of the ESTA application is not separately claimable but comprises part of the expense allowance.
Allowances and Costs to Attend
Delegates - As a delegate you will be given a daily allowance to cover some expenses, breakfast and most evening meals (more information below) as well as incidentals. During Session, you will be provided with accommodation for the night of Wednesday 2nd July 2025 until the night of Saturday 12th July 2025 (check out is Sunday 13th July 2025). The decision whether your spouse accompanies you to the Session is your decision and responsibility - the denomination will not accept responsibility for any cost, loss, personal injury or liability beyond that of allowing them to share a room with you and providing them with a meal ticket to eat with you at lunch times and Sabbath evening meals.
For this Session, the allowances and airfares will be paid direct to you from the organisation who you represent as a delegate. Below are the classes of delegates:
- Ex officio - GC Executive Committee members. Costs are on a shared basis - see table at the end of this letter.
- Delegates selected by the Union to represent the Union - these are paid for by the Union.
- Delegates selected by the SPD Executive Committee to represent SPD staff, SPD Executive Committee, Institutions and laypeople. These are paid for by the SPD.
- SPD Institutions- these are usually the heads of the institution, and their costs are paid for by their institution.
If you are not sure who your sponsoring entity is, Torika Laweloa can let you know. Please see above table provided by the General Conference that summarises the cost responsibility for delegates. For delegates selected by a Union, please contact your Union CFO who is:
PNGUM Kenton Ghona kentonghona@adventist.org.pg
TPUM Fraser Alekevu fraseralekevu@adventist.org.fj
AUC Peter Cameron petercameron@adventist.org.au
NZPUC Kheir Boutros kheirboutros@adventist.org.nz
Special Guests - costs are the responsibility of the Union or entity who has requested they attend.
SPD Appointed Delegates ONLY - Once you have purchased your VISA and flights, please send your reimbursement and allowance form with your flight receipt to meganlillo@adventist.org.au
Claiming and cost breakdown information
| Allowance | Information |
| Airfare | Economy class travel to St Louis, Missouri. For Australian delegates based on a Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne departure. The maximum reimbursement amount for an economy return airfare from East Coast Australia (BRS/SYD/MEL) to St Louis will be $3,500 AUD. Other fares such as Round the World can be purchased to the limit of the reimbursement amount. Other Locations Similar fare basis as from East Coast Australia by the most direct and economical route or as arranged by the Union/employer for the fare classes applicable to your country or area. |
| Travel Days | Because of the distance travelled, airline schedules and jet lag, additional travel days are allowed. A maximum of two night's accommodation and a daily allowance will be given in addition to what is included as Session accommodation. We have made available US$150 per night plus US$60 per diem towards meals, etc. This allowance will be paid as part of your daily allowance. |
| Daily Allowance, Per Diems | All GC session delegates will be given a per diem allowance of US$60 per day for the days of the Session (plus the 2 extra travel days as mentioned above) to cover incidental expenses, breakfast and some evening meals. |
| Meal Tickets | There will be vegetarian meals available at the session. Meal tickets will be provided for the delegate and spouse for lunch and Sabbath evening meals. |
| VISA Costs | The cost of a VISA for the USA (and essential transit countries) is claimable through your sponsoring union/institution. For most delegates in the Pacific this may be arranged by your Union. Delegates from countries that have a VISA waiver program cannot enter the USA unless they have made application on line for a pre-clearance. This must be done no later than 72 hours before travelling. If that is not done, the consequences are that boarding the flight will be denied or entry to the USA will be rejected. The link to apply is https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/ The cost of an ESTA application has been factored into the expense allowance and is not separately claimable. The cost of VISAs for visiting additional non-essential countries is a personal expense and not claimable. |
| Incidental Expense Allowance | An extra expense allowance will be given of US$200 to all delegates. This is to cover expenses that will be incurred attending the Session. There will be costs like the airport transfers, ESTA application fee, laundry, phone calls, incidental expenses of travel etc. |