SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST Church Manual

1 ChurchManualSEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTC hurchManualREV ISED 20 10 18T H EDI TIONSEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST Published by the SecretariatGeneral Conference of SEVENTH-DAY AdventistsCopyright 2010 by the Secretariat,General Conference of SEVENTH-DAY AdventistsUnless otherwise noted, Bible texts are from the New King JamesVersion. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, by permission. All rights credited to KJV are from the King James in 14 13 12 11 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN 978-0-8280-2569-0 hardcoverISBN 978-0-8280-2570-6 paperbackPrinted and distributed by theReview and Herald Publishing AssociationHagerstown, Maryland 21740 Table of ContentsCHAPTER 1 Why a Church Manual ?

2 17 Authority and Function of the Church Changes ..19 Where to Get Advice ..20 Terms Used in the Church , Mission, Section, Delegation, Field, Union of and 2 Church of the Living Wall of Partition ..22 Supreme Object of Christ s in Christ ..24 CHAPTER 3 Organization and Basis for of of New Testament Model ..28 Church Organization Today ..28 Outline of Denominational Organization ..29 Role of Institutions ..30 Authority in the Early Church ..30 General Conference the Highest Authority ..31 CHAPTER 4 Pastors and Other Church Divinely Appointed Departmental Directs Church and Licenses.

3 35 Expired Credentials and Pastors Without 5 Organizing, Uniting, and Dissolving Churches and a a Company ..38 Uniting Churches ..40 Dissolving or Expelling Churches ..40 Loss of of Members, Records, and Funds ..42 CHAPTER Prerequisite to of Instruction and Public Examination Before Vow and Commitment ..46 Baptismal ..46 Alternative Acceptance Subject to Members Who Are Not From Other Christian Communions ..50 Apostasy and of of Granting Letters of to Prepare Valid Six Method for Membership During Members Under Difficult in Statistical Member Is Not Granted Only to Those in Regular Letter Without Member s Board Cannot Grant in the Conference Principles.

4 56 Dealing With Erring s of the s Resist unity of the of of Grievances of Members Against the of Grievances of the Church Against for of Discipline ..62 Discipline by by Removal From Additional Tests of of About Judging Character and a Properly Called Majority Board Cannot Remove Rights of the Not to Represent Members Under Not to Be Removed for Moving Away and Not Not to Be Removed for Pecuniary Members at Their to Those Removed From Those Previously Removed From of Appeal for 8 Local Church Officers and and Religious and Guarding the Pastors and Hurried Into Opposing unity Not Suitable for to Choose Those Refusing to Tithing Delegates Ex and

5 Of Office ..71 Elders ..71 Religious Leaders of the of to the of Elders Is Church Foster Foster Bible Study, Prayer, and a Relationship With Foster All Lines of Cooperate With the Foster Worldwide and Equipping of to Work of of Must Be Not Authorized to of at Services and of for Baptismal at Communion of the Sick and Aiding the Poor and and Maintenance of of Service for of and Visiting Guests and at for the Communion Care of the Sick and the and Maintenance of ..79No Names Added or Removed Without With of Delegates for Conference to Be Furnished the Custodian of All School Church of Auxiliary the Purpose of for Personal Literature Method for Payment of Money by to Method of Remitting Funds to the of Financial Should Be With Members Coordinator.

6 84 Departments and Other s Ministries ..85 Children s Ministries Coordinator and ..86 Communication Communication ..87 Education and School School Ministries Leader(s)..90 Family Ministries Ministries Ministries Ministries or Temperance Health Ministries Sabbath ..92 Selecting Music Affairs and Religious Liberty ..92 Religious Liberty Liberty Ministries ..93 Selling Through Literature Away (Sharing) by Church Ministries Ministries School and Personal School ..94 Officers of the Sabbath School School Superintendent and Other Sabbath School School Division School School Ministries Ministries School Services/Dorcas Society to People With Ministries s s Ministries Leader and Ministries.

7 100 ADVENTIST Youth Society (AYS)..100 ADVENTIST Youth Ministries Youth Junior Youth Society (AJY)..103 Ambassador Service ..105 CHAPTER 9 ElectionsNominating Committee and the Election Process ..106 When and How the Nominating Committee Is the Process Should Be Members of the Nominating of the Nominating Committee to Get Consent of Prospective May Appear Before the Nominating Committee Discussions Are to the to the Report of the Nominating Vacancies Between to Local Conference Session ..109 Choosing of of Conference Executive 10 Services and Other Principles.

8 112 Purpose of Services and for the House of Children and Quietness in the Place of of Music in Worship ..114 Power of With Spirit and Not a New of Maintaining unity ..115 Unauthorized School and Worship Services ..116 Sabbath and Departmental , Study, and Planning of Outreach (Missionary) Literature on Service ..119 Ordinance of Lord s Bread and Unfermented Wine (Grape Juice)..120A Memorial of the Proclamation of the Second the Communion the Communion of and May Member Should May Conduct the Communion for Those Who Cannot Meeting.

9 123 Prayer Meetings Should Be Meetings ..123 Church Board and Its and of the of the Board Meetings ..127 Home and School Association Meetings ..127 Youth Youth Society Junior Youth Society Club Club Club Benevolence and Tithe Is to Be Tithe Is and Conference Officers to Set ..132 Sabbath School Gifts to the Poor and Budget for Local Financial of Soliciting Methods for Raising and Offerings Not a Personal Trust Building and Accounting for 12 Standards of Christian Calling of God in Christ Jesus ..136 Bible Study and Prayer.

10 137 Community ..138 Reverence in the Place of and Temperance ..139 Dress ..140 Simplicity ..141 Modern Media ..142 Recreation and ..143 Conclusion ..144 CHAPTER 13 Marriage, Divorce, and ..146 Courtship ..147 Marriage ..148 Divine Ideal to Be Restored in and Equality to Be Restored in Available for of the s Position on Divorce and Remarriage ..151 Local Church Ministry for 14 Fundamental Beliefs of SEVENTH-DAY 8 Notes ..167 Marriage and Equipping of and Maintenance of Church Keeps With for Personal Literature s Ministries Ministries Ministries Affairs and Religious Liberty Ministries School and Personal Ministries Ministries s Ministries Youth Society Organizational Ministries 9 Notes.