A Question of Interpretation of the Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual Posed to the Executive Committee of the Potomac Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
The Background
What Happened
• A new governance structure was proposed to the Takoma Park Church by Dr. Ray Pichette and Pastor Alan DeSilva.
• The proposal was discussed by the church. It was decided in a board and business meeting that changing the governance structure was not desirable and would not be included in the final vote regarding the approval of Borden Report.
• After reaching that agreement Pastor DeSilva unilaterally decided to include the structure change in the vote on the Borden Report.
• His argument was that the report itself specifies that it must be voted up or down in its entirety and so we had to do so or face potential legal repercussions. This logic is flawed.
• The re-inclusion of the structure change was not adequately publicized, and at the time of the vote many didn’t realize that this was part of what they were voting for.
• The vote was held on Sabbath morning. Many members didn’t take part in the vote because they believed it was wrong to hold votes on that type of issue on Sabbath or because discussion had been prohibited in that context.
The Issue
What the Church Manual Says:
I. About its own authority and proper interpretation:
“Resolved, that the highest authority under God among Seventh-day Adventists is… expressed in the decisions of the General Conference when acting within its proper jurisdiction; and that such decisions should be submitted to by all without exception.” –Review and Herald, vol. 50, No. 14, p.106.
“The content of the Church Manual is the expression of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s understanding of Christian life and church governance” (Church Manual, pp. 1&2, bold supplied).
Conclusion: The Church Manual is supposed to be accepted as read.
II. About changing the Church Manual:
“If approved, the suggested revisions are then submitted to the next constituent level… [and then] sent to the General Conference Church Manual Committee. This committee will … prepare them for presentation at an Annual Council and/or General Conference session” (Church Manual, pp. xxi, xxii).
Conclusion: The local church cannot of its own authority alter or countermand the stipulations of the Church Manual.
III. About local church governance:
“Representative [government is] the form of church government which recognizes that authority in the church rests in the church membership, with executive responsibility delegated to representative bodies… The representative form of church government is that which prevails in the Seventh-day Adventist Church” (Church Manual, p. 26).
“Definition and Function—The church board is composed of the principal officers of the church. It has a number of important responsibilities…
“Included in church board responsibilities are:
Conclusion: The only acceptable method of governing a Seventh-day Adventist congregation is by having executive power vested in a single committee known as the church board.
GOVERNANCE FLOW CHART FOR THE LOCAL CHURCH ACCORDING TO THE CHURCH MANUAL
To be operating in harmony with the Manual, there must be a single board which answers directly to the business meeting and has executive control over all ministries/ committees/ personnel of the congregation.
What Takoma Park is Doing
Takoma Park has two “boards,” the “Church Ministries Board” and the “Support and Accountability Board.”
The Duties of the Church Ministries Board (As prepared by the Senior Pastor)
1. Worship planning
2. Responsible for developing a yearly calendar of events and celebrations
3. Develop Mission and Vision
4. Leadership Development
5. Responsible for keeping the church missionally focused
6. Develop long and short term vision goals
The Duties of the Support and Accountability Board (As prepared by the Senior Pastor)
1. Develop and maintain a Church Operations Manual
2. Review the vision goals of the Church Ministry Board and hold the Senior Pastor accountable
3. Ministry Audit (develop and maintain an instrument to evaluate each program for a missional focus)
4. Human relations (responsible for hiring of all paid personnel)
ORIGINAL FLOW CHART FOR THE NEW TAKOMA PARK GOVERNANCE 
NEW FLOW CHART ISSUED AT JAN. 28, 2008 BUSINESS MEETING
NEW FLOW CHART ISSUED AT JUNE 29, 2008 BUSINESS MEETING
These charts have variations, but three key elements remain constant:
1. There are two administrative “boards.”
2. The Accountability Board answers to the business meeting rather than the Ministries Board (which the Senior Pastor claims is his church board).
3. The Ministries Board doesn’t have direct access to the business meeting. The position of Senior Pastor (and originally the Accountability Board) blocks it.
None of these charts were ever approved by a vote of the congregation. They were simply issued by the Senior Pastor as authoritative.
Does Takoma Park’s system conform to the Church Manual’s requirements? NO
Comparative analysis of the current boards and the requirements of the Church Manual show significant gaps between the duties required of a church board and what the two current boards are authorized to do.
Presently there is no church board operating in the Takoma Park Church as stipulated by the Church Manual. Neither of the existing “boards” fits the definition of a church board according to the Church Manual.
The Remedy (Abbreviated)
In order to resolve this situation, an agreement for resolution must do the following:
1. Acknowledge that a local church is not at liberty to establish its own system of organization.
2. Affirm the Church Manual as the ultimate authority in matters of church governance.
3. Rescind the action to adopt the Paul Borden Report.
4. Reinstate the Church Board as stipulated in the Church Manual, pp. 90 and 91, thereby eliminating the Accountability Board and Church Ministries Board.
5. Acknowledge that all departments and ministries are accountable to the Church Board, not to the staff or any other person or entity.
6. Include a plan for the remediation of all related governance problems.
7. Include certification from administrative observers from all levels of Seventh-day Adventist church government that the new actions are in harmony with the Church Manual.
Conclusion
The Seventh-day Adventist Church does not give individual congregations the option to choose their own form of government. The method by which local congregations are to be run is clearly spelled out in the Church Manual. It is expected that all congregations will follow this method which is an integral part of what it means to be a Seventh-day Adventist congregation.
The Takoma Park Seventh-day Adventist Church is not presently acting in harmony with the Church Manual and must therefore take corrective action.
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Religious
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