THINK YOU'RE PLANNING A BIG FOURTH OF JULY MEAL? TRY SERVING 10,000 GUESTS

Thousands of Seventh-Day Adventists Converge on St. Louis For World Session and Vegetarian Feast

Story Summary:

Tired of eating the same old thing every Fourth of July? How does 480 pounds of chicken cacciatore sound? For the next two weeks, including Fourth of July weekend, up to 10,000 people a day will be attending and eating at the Seventh-day Adventist Church's annual world conference. Held June 29 through July 9, 2005 at the America's Center in downtown St. Louis, the session is home to the world's largest vegetarian restaurant, as food suppliers across America send meat substitutes (like Fri-chick for that "chicken" cacciatore) for the 2-week conference.

Most Adventists are vegetarian, following the belief that a meat-free diet is healthier for the body. Adventists work in 203 of the 228 countries recognized by the United Nations, and communicate in more than 717 languages. Since the first conference in 1863, this will be the first time Adventists have held their worldwide gathering in the United States in 15 years. The session is primarily a business meeting for the global church family, and the meetings are open to the general public. More information can be found at www.gcsession.org