By Andrew McChesney, Adventist Review / ANN
San Antonio Mayor Ivy R. Taylor thanked Seventh-day Adventists for bringing the free healthcare and the 2015 General Conference session to her city — and said she looked forward to reading a brand-new copy of Steps to Christ.
General Conference president Ted N.C. Wilson, speaking at a closing meeting of the 10-day convention at the Alamodome stadium on Sabbath evening, expressed gratitude to Taylor for the warm reception that San Antonio offered its 65,000 Adventist attendees.
“This morning I shared with the group how pivotal San Antonio has been,” Wilson told Taylor on the stage.
“Brothers and sisters, in front of the mayor, let’s show her again how happy we are,” he said to a standing ovation and loud, sustained applause.
This was the largest and longest convention ever hosted by the city of 1.4 million in the U.S. state of Texas, and authorities rolled out the red carpet to its guests. The city airport trained 200 “ambassadors” to assist Adventists find their way to hotels and tourist sites, restaurants added vegetarian dishes to their menus, and a special police detail was deployed to ensure safety. Local business leaders predicted that the convention would pump $41 million into the economy.
