The Principles of Organization

The article quoted in Our Roots, Pt.17 gave a summary of the events in the organizational development of the Adventist Church from the Millerite Movement in the 1840s through the formation of the General Conference in 1863. It seems appropriate at this point to also note and emphasize the principles which guided these developments. Since they will be largely self-evident to the discerning reader we will not spend a great deal of time on each one.

1. Free Discussion. The movement toward organization began in earnest when a general call for ideas on how to manage the business aspects of the Church’s work went out to all of the Advent believers. All were welcome to contribute their thoughts, and a great many did—on both sides of the issue. No one was denied participation.

2. Consensus Decisions. There was no group compelling their brethren to accept an action they were not comfortable with. The body of believers did not move forward on the issue until all were convinced that it was the right thing to do.

3. Representative Government. The authority to make decisions originated with the people and continued to rest with the people. There was no bishop or patriarch whom the people were required to obey. All were required to think for themselves and come together to make group decisions.

4. Transparency. There was no attempt to hide the deliberations and decisions of the appointed representatives from the general body of believers.

5. Simplicity. No unneeded processes or layers were built into the system designed. The intent was that it be understandable and efficient.

6. Utility. The organization was created for a purpose—to nurture and add to the body of believers. There was no interest in showiness, ceremony, or worldly acclaim among the motives for organization.

7. Stewardship. One of the driving motivations for organization was to have the legal means to handle the Lord’s resources honorably and effectively. This included property, financial, and human resources.

8. Coordinated Effort. There may be many different ways to accomplish the same thing. However, if every time something is begun one way and then left to others to complete it gets torn down and started over in a different way, then nothing will ever get done. There was a recognition on the part of the founders of the Adventist Church that successful effort required coordination, so that each new laborer who came along would built on the efforts of those who came before them rather than starting over again.

As this story continues we will see that these underlying principles continue to be the backbone of Adventist organizational development.