Table Of Content!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
General Conference
WORKING
POLICY
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2010-2011
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WORKING POLICY
OF THE GENERAL CONFERENCE OF
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS
2010-2011 Edition
PRINTED IN U.S.A.
REVIEW AND HERALD PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION
Washington, DC 20039-0555
Hagerstown, MD 21740
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Copyright © 2010 by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. All
rights reserved.
Introduction
This book contains the Constitution and Bylaws of the General
Conference of Seventh-day Adventists as adopted by General
Conference Sessions, the Mission Statement of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church, the Values Statement of the Seventh-day Adventist
Church, Total Commitment to God—A Declaration of Spiritual
Accountability in the Family of Faith, Roadmap to Mission and the
Working Policy as adopted by Annual Councils of the General
Conference Executive Committee. It is therefore the authoritative voice
of the Church in matters relating to the administration of the work of
the Seventh-day Adventist denomination in all parts of the world. It is
to be adhered to by all denominational organizations. (See General
Conference Working Policy B 10.)
Up until and including the 1975 edition, the General Conference
Working Policy was published in bound format and was updated and
reprinted periodically, usually every two years. Beginning with the
1977 edition, it was published in loose-leaf format and updated -
annually by inserts which included the policy revisions voted by the
latest Annual Council of the General Conference Executive Committee.
The last such inserts contained the policy revisions voted by the 1982 -
Annual Council and carried the notation “Revised 1982.” No inserts
were prepared with the revisions made by the 1983 Annual Council.
Instead, the 1984 edition of the Working Policy, published in bound
format, included the policy revisions voted by both the 1983 and 1984
Annual Councils. It was also the first edition to be issued under a new
plan to print annual revised editions of the complete Working Policy
which would include changes made by the latest Annual Council.
This is the 2010-2011 edition of the General Conference Working
Policy. The date 2010 is used to indicate that it incorporates the changes
made by the 59th General Conference Session (2010) and subsequent
Annual Councils. Its dual designation as the 2010-2011 edition is used
to indicate that for most of the year 2011 it will be the latest edition of
the General Conference Working Policy.
This edition supersedes all previous editions and shall be adhered to
except as it may be amended by subsequent actions of a General
Conference Session or an Annual Council of the General Conference
Executive Committee.
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Executive Committee
CONTENTS
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CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
Constitution .......................................................................... 1
Bylaws ................................................................................. 11
MISSION AND VALUES STATEMENTS
Mission Statement of the Seventh-day Adventist
Church .................................................................... A 05 29
Values Statement of the Seventh-day Adventist
Church .................................................................... A 10 30
TOTAL COMMITMENT TO GOD
A Declaration of Spiritual Accountability in the
Family of Faith ....................................................... A 15 31
MISSION TO THE WORLD
Roadmap for Mission ......................................................... A 20 43
WORKING POLICY
Organization and Administration ..................................... B 51
Organizational and Operational Principles of
Seventh-day Adventist Church Structure ................. B 05 51
Outline of Denominational Organization ....................... B 10 53
General Conference Working Policy ............................. B 15 58
General Conference Sessions ......................................... B 20 60
Election of Retirees to Elective Offices ......................... B 25 62
Procedures for the Replacement of President,
Secretary, or Treasurer of the General Conference .. B 30 62
Procedures for Referring to the General Conference
Executive Committee Questions of Conduct in the
i
Office of President, Secretary, or Treasurer ............. B 35 64
Administrative Relationships ......................................... B 40 65
Personal Relations and Organizational Authority .......... B 45 68
Relationships Between Organizations ............................ B 50 69
Responsibility and Relationship of Officers .................. B 55 71
Establishing New Constituency-based
Organizational Units ................................................ B 60 72
Organizing New Missions/Conferences/Unions ............ B 65 73
Organizing New Divisions ............................................. B 70 79
Adjustments in Organizational Status ............................ B 75 80
Adjustments in Territory Of Organization ..................... B 80 88
Union of Churches ......................................................... B 85 90
Discontinuation of Organizations ................................... B 90 91
Discontinuation of Organizations by Voluntary
or Involuntary Dissolution ....................................... B 95 95
General Administrative Policies ........................................ BA 101
Annual Councils ............................................................. BA 05 101
Spring Meetings ............................................................. BA 10 101
Church Manual .............................................................. BA 15 101
Sabbath School Bible Study Guides ............................... BA 20 103
Legal Organizations ....................................................... BA 25 105
Legal Counsel ................................................................ BA 30 105
Financial Consequences of Litigation ............................ BA 35 106
Seventh-day Adventist Trademark Policy ...................... BA 40 106
General Conference Transportation and
International Personnel Services ............................. BA 45 109
Institutional Organizations ............................................. BA 50 110
Procedure in Electing Institutional Boards
and Administrators ................................................... BA 55 111
Human Relations ............................................................ BA 60 112
Interdivision Travel ........................................................ BA 65 114
Retention and Safeguarding of Records ......................... BA 70 117
Access to Personnel Information and Placing
Interorganizational Calls .......................................... BA 75 120
Division Administration ..................................................... C 121
Division Territories ........................................................ C 05 121
Division Working Policy ................................................ C 10 122
Division Councils ........................................................... C 15 123
ii
Procedures for Replacement of Division
Officers .................................................................... C 20 124
Division Surveys ............................................................ C 25 125
Union Conference Session ............................................. C 30 125
Local Conference/Mission/Field Session ....................... C 35 126
Conference/Mission/Field Church ................................. C 40 127
Audit of Division Employees= Accounts ....................... C 45 128
Responsibility for Interdivision Employees ................... C 50 128
Interchange of Employees Between Divisions ............... C 55 129
Developing and Training Employees ............................. C 60 129
Business Internship Plan ................................................ C 65 131
Polygamy ....................................................................... C 70 132
Denominational Aviation ............................................... C 75 133
Model Constitutions and Operating Policies .................... D 135
Seventh-day Adventist Church Organization ................. D 05 135
Model Union Conference Constitution and
Bylaws ..................................................................... D 10 135
Model Union Mission Operating Policy ........................ D 15 147
Model Union of Churches Constitution and
Bylaws…………………………………………………. D 17 155
Model Union of Churches Operating Policy…….. ........ D 19 166
Model Local Conference Constitution and
Bylaws ..................................................................... D 20 174
Model Local Mission Operating Policy ......................... D 25 185
Denominational Employees—Accrediting,
Transferring, Employment Regulations ............... E 193
Credentials and Licenses ................................................ E 05 193
Credentials and Licenses—Method of Issuing ............... E 10 196
Homeland, Division, and Division Country
Relationships ............................................................ E 15 200
Independent Transfers .................................................... E 20 202
Calling Employees for Interdivision Service ................. E 25 206
Adopted Division Status for Individuals Never
Employed by Their Home Division ......................... E 30 209
Children of Parents on Interdivision
Appointment/Assignment Homeland/Base
iii
Division Country ...................................................... E 35 210
Transferred Division Territory—Employee
Status ........................................................................ E 40 210
Calling Employees for Intradivision Service ................. E 45 211
Tenure of Office ............................................................. E 50 215
Retirement of Elected Employees .................................. E 55 216
Conference/Mission/Field President .............................. E 60 216
Employees Released From General Conference
Responsibilities ........................................................ E 65 217
Recording and Preserving Employees
Service Records ....................................................... E 70 217
Vacations and Holidays ................................................. E 75 222
Employees’ Personal Finance ........................................ E 80 224
Conflict of Interest and/or Commitment ........................ E 85 225
Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries—
Departmental Policies ............................................... FA 231
Philosophy................................................................... FA 05 231
Objectives ................................................................... FA 10 231
Public Campus Ministry .............................................. FA 15 232
Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries Committee .............. FA 20 233
Employment of Adventist Chaplain ............................ FA 25 235
Ecclesiastical Endorsement ......................................... FA 30 236
Accreditation and Certification ................................... FA 35 238
Adventist Ministry to College and University
Students (AMiCUS) .............................................. FA 40 240
World Service Organization ........................................ FA 45 241
Children’s Ministries—Departmental Policies ............. FB 245
Philosophy................................................................... FB 05 245
Mission ........................................................................ FB 10 245
Areas of Emphasis ...................................................... FB 15 245
Departmental Staff and Governance ........................... FB 20 246
Communication—Departmental Policies ...................... FC 247
Philosophy................................................................... FC 05 247
Vision .......................................................................... FC 10 247
Objective ..................................................................... FC 15 248
Responsibility in Achieving the Objective .................. FC 20 248
iv
Functions and Services ................................................ FC 25 248
Corporate Global Coordination ................................... FC 30 248
Education—Departmental Policies ................................ FE 249
Seventh-day Adventist Philosophy of
Education .............................................................. FE 05 249
The Role of Seventh-day Adventist Schools
Colleges, and Universities ..................................... FE 10 251
Objectives of Seventh-day Adventist Education ......... FE 15 256
Educational Administration Outline ............................ FE 20 258
Establishing New or Elevating Existing Secondary
Schools, Colleges, and Universities ...................... FE 25 280
Schools of Nursing ...................................................... FE 30 283
Relationship of Griggs University and International
Academy to Other Schools ................................... FE 35 284
Bible Teachers ............................................................ FE 40 285
Admittance of Non-Adventist Children to
Church Schools ..................................................... FE 45 285
Affiliation with Other School Systems ....................... FE 50 286
Preschool Education .................................................... FE 55 286
Teachers—Employment Conditions of
Elementary School or Junior Academy ................. FE 60 286
Administrators and Teaching Staff—Employment
in Colleges and Universities ................................. FE 65 287
In-Service Development Policy .................................. FE 70 289
In-Service Training Assistance ................................... FE 75 290
Extension Schools ....................................................... FE 80 291
Interschool Sports ....................................................... FE 85 293
Educational Tours Abroad .......................................... FE 90 293
Public Campus Ministry .............................................. FE 95 294
Family Ministries—Departmental Policies ................... FF 297
Philosophy................................................................... FF 05 297
Objectives ................................................................... FF 10 297
Areas of Emphasis ...................................................... FF 15 299
Departmental Staff and Governance ........................... FF 20 300
Health Ministries—Departmental Policies .................... FH 303
v
