"Code of Ethics" Analysis

“*Any mention of “The Church Board” is understood to mean “Church Ministries Board” in this document.”

This statement acknowledges that the Church Ministries Board simply is not the same as a Church Board as defined by the Church Manual, and should not be mistaken for the same thing. This is significant because when pressed on the issue of whether or not this new system is in accordance with the Church Manual Pastor DeSilva has claimed that we really do have a Church Board, it’s just called something different. Aside from the differences evident to anyone who compares the two, this statement written by Pastor DeSilva himself makes it plain that at the time he did not consider the two to be the same. (And nothing has changed since then to make them the same.)

“You should be loyal to God, loyal to the pastor, and loyal to the members.”

What sort of loyalty is being referred to here? Loyalty to God is an absolute loyalty. () The loyalty that God demands allows no equal, conflict, or dilution. Loyalty to our fellow man takes the form of faithful service to them in God’s name and for the furtherance of His purposes. The latter is subordinate to and the outgrowth of the former. Yet in this statement loyalty to God is put on the same level as loyalty to human beings, particularly the pastor. What special sort of loyalty is the pastor requiring of the lay leadership that he feels a need to specify loyalty to himself above and beyond that which naturally results from loyalty to the cause of God? Loyalty to anyone other than God should never be stipulated, especially by a church. Loyalty to God has no equal, and if you are loyal to God everything else naturally falls into its proper place.

Regarding numbers one through nine and number eleven of the Suggestions for Effectiveness, we have only to say that we desperately wish our pastors would practice what they preach.

“10. Confidentiality of Discussions”

The Seventh-day Adventist Church operates a representative form of government. Elected leaders in a representative government must answer for their actions, statements, and positions, good or bad. To restrict reporting back to the electorate on the actions and positions of their representatives destroys accountability, which is an indispensable part of representative government. This item stipulates that leaders are under a permanent gag order and that only the pastor may communicate with the congregation or any individual member about the activities of the Ministries Board. This authoritarian control of the message of the leadership is the hallmark of a dictatorship, not a democracy.

“12. Support of the Majority Vote.”

This item leads of back to the objections to item 10. How can there be accountability if no one is allowed to disagree with a decision the Ministry Board makes? Also, how can mistakes be corrected? To say, “I think we made a mistake; we should revisit that issue,” is to speak against a decision. Therefore, no matter what new evidence or changed circumstances came along to invalidate a decision, revisiting the issue would not be tolerated. Finally, this item issues a gag order on the leaders’ consciences. If we were simply talking about matters of paint/carpet color, that would be one thing, but a Ministry Board charged with spiritual leadership of a congregation must necessarily consider matters of conscience. To say that no one may express disagreement with that sort of vote is to place a gag order on that individual’s conscience.

“If you are absent without notification for three consecutive meetings the board may vote to replace you.”

The Ministry Board did not elect its membership, and it would be dramatically overstepping its bounds if it presumed to remove and/or replace any of its membership.

“A part of the work of the Church Board involves money. At each meeting we usually go through the financial statement pertaining to ministry, presented by the Finance Committee Chairman.”

According to the job description of the Ministry Board, its work does not involve money. Perhaps this explains why the financial reports which have been provided over the last year of Ministry Board function have been sketchy and irregular.

“Conflict of Interest”

Once again, we wish our pastors would practice what they preach.