On Friday, October 4th, the North Pacific Union President and the Oregon Conference Executive Committee extended the invitation to Elder Don Livesay to serve as Interim President of the Oregon Conference, which he accepted, effective immediately.

Livesay will provide presidential leadership as the Oregon Conference enters its fourth quarter of the year and begins preparing its budget for 2025. Livesay’s interim service will also allow the Oregon Conference search committee, which is comprised of all Oregon Conference executive committee and constituency nominating committee members, time to continue their thorough search and to seek the Lord’s leading for the next conference president.

Don Livesay served as the Oregon Conference President for several years before serving as the Lake Union President before his retirement in 2017. He currently serves his local church and school in a variety of spiritual and leadership roles. He is a member of the AdventHealth Gordon Board, Desmond Doss Foundation, Voice of Prophecy Board, and occasionally serves coaching hospital leadership.

Livesay’s ministry journey included serving as a pastor of five churches, as an academy chaplain, departmental youth work, communication, stewardship and health, as a conference executive secretary, and as both a conference and union president. His institutional experience has included membership on the Board of Trustees of Walla Walla, Andrews, and Oakwood Universities. He has also served on seven hospital boards as well as two terms as the Chairman of the Board of AdventHealth.

Livesay’s leadership mantras include: 1) Lead with authorship, not authority, 2) Do the right thing, in the right way, at the right time, and for the right reason, and 3) Positive spiritual outcomes are God’s highest priorities… and should also be mine.

Livesay’s family includes his wife, Barbara Cook Livesay, who is a retired educator, administrator, and departmental leader, his daughters Christina Henry and Stephanie Larsen, and four beloved grandchildren.

While Livesay will begin serving as interim president immediately, he will not arrive in person until October 21st. Please continue to pray for God’s leading as the Oregon Conference heads into its final quarter of the year and sets its plans for 2025.

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