Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual for 1967

296 Pages·2013·2.83 MB·English

Seventh-day Adventist
CHURCH
MANUAL
6.1
Ge
of Seventh-day Adventists
Issued by the
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
1 9 6 7
PRINTED IN U.S.A.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface 19
CHAPTER 1
The Church of the Living God 25
No Wall of Partition 26
The Supreme Object of Christ's Regard (cid:9) 27
The Opposition of the Enemy (cid:9) 28
The Church Complete in Christ (cid:9) 30
CHAPTER 2
Fundamental Beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists _ ----- 32
CHAPTER 3
Organization Founded on Divine Principles (cid:9) 40
The Biblical Basis 40
The Vital Importance 42
The Divine Purpose (cid:9) 43
CHAPTER 4
The Form of Organization in the Seventh-day Advent-
ist Church 45
Forms of Church Government (cid:9) 46
Five Steps in Our Organization 47
Relationships Between Organizations (cid:9) 48
General Conference the Highest Authority (cid:9) 48
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CHAPTER 5
Church Membership (cid:9) 49
Membership on a Spiritual Basis (cid:9) 49
Baptism a Gospel Requirement 50
Baptism a Prerequisite to Church Membership 50
Mode of Baptism (cid:9) 51
Ministers Thoroughly to Instruct Candidates
Previous to Baptism (cid:9) 51
Public Examination 52
Baptismal Covenant (cid:9) 53
Doctrinal Instruction for Baptismal Candidates (cid:9) 53
Baptismal Vow and Baptism (cid:9) 59
Baptismal Vow (cid:9) 59
Welcoming Candidates (cid:9) 61
Baptismal Ceremony (cid:9) 61
Transferring Members 61
Receiving Members Who Are Not Known(cid:9) 61
Transferring Church Members 62
Method of Granting Church Letters(cid:9) 62
Clerk to Make Out Letter (cid:9) 63
Membership During Interval of Transfer (cid:9) 64
The Receiving of Members Disturbed by World
Conditions (cid:9) 64
Counted in Statistical Reports (cid:9) 64
If Member Is Not Accepted 65
No Letters to Members Under Discipline(cid:9) 65
Church Letters Granted Only to Those in Good
and Regular Standing(cid:9) 65
Not to Vote Letter Without Members' Approval 66
Church Boards Cannot Grant Letters (cid:9) 66
Conference or Field Church (cid:9) 67
Organized Companies (cid:9) 68
Queries Concerning Receiving and Dropping Mem-
bers 69
Receiving Members on Profession of Faith (cid:9) 69
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TABLE OF CONTENTS(cid:9) 7
Dropping Names (cid:9) 70
No Retired Membership List (cid:9) 70
Rebaptism (cid:9) 71
Of Converts From Other Religious Communions 71
Of Church Members and Former Seventh-day
Adventists (cid:9) 72
CHAPTER 6
Church Officers and Their Duties 73
Their Qualifications 73
Moral Fitness 73
Religious Fitness (cid:9) 73
The Church Must Be Guarded and Fed (cid:9) , 75
Respect and Deference Due to Ministers and
Officers of the Church (cid:9) 76
Men Not to Be Hurried Into Office (cid:9) 77
Those Opposed to Unity Not Suitable for Office 78
Unsafe to Choose Men Who Refuse to Cooper-
ate With Others (cid:9) 79
The Church Elder 79
The Office an Important One (cid:9) 79
A Religious Leader of the Church (cid:9) 80
Capable of Ministering the Word (cid:9) 80
Elected for One Year (cid:9) 80
Ordination of Local Elder 81
Work of Church Elder Is Local ______ __ ________ _ (cid:9) 82
To Foster All Lines of Missionary Work (cid:9) 82
Relationship to the Ordained Minister 82
Conduct of Church Services (cid:9) 83
The Baptismal Service 84
The Marriage Ceremony (cid:9) 84
To Cooperate With the Conference (cid:9) 84
To Foster Worldwide Work (cid:9) 85
To Foster Tithe Paying (cid:9) 86
To Distribute Responsibility (cid:9) 86
First Elder 86
Elder Not a Delegate Ex Officio (cid:9) 87
Limitation of Authority 87
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Church Leader 87
The Deacon 88
Importance of the Office (cid:9) 88
Training Younger Men as Deacons _ _____ ____ (cid:9) 89
Board of Deacons 89
Deacons Must Be Ordained 89
The Duties of Deacons 90
To Assist in, Church Ordinances 90
The Care of the Sick and the Poor (cid:9) 91
The Deaconess 92
The Duties of Deaconesses (cid:9) 92
Board of Deaconesses _______ 93
The Church Clerk 93
An Important Office 93
No Names Added or Dropped Without Vote of
the Church (cid:9) 94
Transferring Members (cid:9) 95
Corresponding With Members (cid:9) 95
Delegates' Credentials for Conference Session(cid:9) 95
Reports to Be Furnished Promptly (cid:9) 96
Church Records (cid:9) 96
The Church Treasurer 97
A Sacred Work (cid:9) 97
Church Treasurer the Custodian of All Church
Funds 97
Conference Funds (cid:9) 98
Sabbath School Funds 98
Missionary Volunteer Society Funds 98
Local Church Funds (cid:9) 99
Funds of Auxiliary Organizations (cid:9) 99
Safeguarding the Purpose of Funds (cid:9) 100
Money for Personal Literature Orders (cid:9) 101
Proper Method for Payment of Money by Mem-
bers 101
Receipts to Church Members (cid:9) 102
Proper Method of Remitting Funds to the Con-
ference (cid:9) 102
Preserving Vouchers 102
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TABLE OF CONTENTS(cid:9) 9
Books Should Be Audited 103
Relations With Members Confidential (cid:9) 103
The Church Board 104
CHAPTER 7
The Services and Meetings of the Church (cid:9) 105
Spiritual Worship(cid:9) 105
Reverence for the House of Worship(cid:9) 105
Children to Be Taught Reverence (cid:9) 106
Decorum and Quietness in the Place of Worship 107
Arrangements for Church Meetings (cid:9) 108
Hospitality 108
Unauthorized Speakers in Our Churches ____ (cid:9) 108
The Sabbath Worship Service (cid:9) 109
The Form of Service (cid:9) 109
Longer Order of Worship (cid:9) 110
Shorter Order of Worship (cid:9) 110
Announcements(cid:9) - — 110
Sacredness of the Sabbath Worship Hour _ (cid:9) 111
The Sabbath Morning Service (cid:9) 112
Public Prayer 114
The Communion Service (cid:9) 115
Announcing the Communion Service(cid:9) _____ (cid:9) 116
Conducting the Communion Service ___________ __. (cid:9) 116
Who May Participate (cid:9) 118
Every Member Should Attend _ 119
Unleavened Bread and Unfermented Wine ____ _ 119
A Memorial of the Crucifixion (cid:9) 119
Ordinance of Foot Washing (cid:9) 120
Suggestive Order for the Communion Service ____ 120
Who May Conduct Communion Service (cid:9) 121
Communion for the Sick 121
The Prayer Meeting 122
The Sabbath School 123
The Sabbath School Teachers' Meeting (cid:9) 123
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Missionary 'Volunteer Society 124
Junior Missionary Volunteer Society (cid:9) 125
Church Missionary Meetings 125
Times of Meetings (cid:9) 126
Supplying Literature on the Sabbath (cid:9) 127
Church Board Meetings (cid:9) 127
Work of the Church Board 128
Quorum of the Church Board 129
School Board Meetings 129
Parents' Meetings (cid:9) 129
Business Meetings 130
Music 132
Place of Music in Divine Service (cid:9) 132
Sing With the Spirit and the Understanding(cid:9) 132
Selecting Choir Leaders (cid:9) 133
Membership of Church Choirs(cid:9) 133
CHAPTER 8
Auxiliary Organizations of the Church and Their
Officers (cid:9) 135
The Department of Lay Activities (cid:9) 135
Lay Activities Council (cid:9) 135
Lay Activities Leader (cid:9) 137
Lay Activities Secretary 137
Dorcas Welfare Society (cid:9) 139
Health and Welfare Center 140
The Sabbath School (cid:9) ------- ---------- 141
The Sabbath School Council 141
The Superintendent (cid:9) 142
The Assistant Superintendent (cid:9) 144
The Secretary 144
Assistant Secretaries 146
The Chorister or Song Leader (cid:9) 146
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TABLE OF CONTENTS(cid:9) 11
The Organist 146
Sabbath School Offerings (cid:9) 146
Expense Money 147
The Quarterly Report (cid:9) 147
The Missionary Volunteer Society _ (cid:9) ___ _________ (cid:9) 148
Objectives 149
Membership in the Missionary Volunteer So-
ciety 149
Membership Pledge 150
Associate Member ____________ __________ 150
The Officers of the MV Society (cid:9) 151
The MV Society Executive Committee (or MV
Council) 151
Leader and Associate Leader (cid:9) 152
Secretary-Treasurer and Assistant (cid:9) 153
The Missionary Volunteer Sponsor 154
Missionary Volunteer Features ______ _______ __ (cid:9) 155
Missionary Volunteer Bands (cid:9) 155
The Junior Missionary Volunteer Society 156
Objective 156
The Work of the Junior Missionary Volunteer
Society 156
Pathfinder Clubs 156
Membership 157
The Junior Missionary Volunteer Pledge (cid:9) 157
The Junior Missionary Volunteer Law 157
JMV Classes 158
MV Honors (cid:9) 158
Officers of the JMV Society (cid:9) 158
The Executive Committee _____________________ (cid:9) 159
Parents' Societies 159
Home and School Fellowship 160
Purpose 160
Objective (cid:9) 161
Membership (cid:9) 161
Officers 161
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Leader and Assistant Leader (cid:9) 161
Secretary-Treasurer 162
The Church School Board (cid:9) 162
Membership 162
Officers 164
Relation of Union School Boards to the Local
Churches 164
Term of Office (cid:9) 164
Meetings _ __ ___________ (cid:9) 164
Qualifications 165
Duties of the Officers (cid:9) 165
Functions 166
Public Relations 166
Importance of Public Relations 166
The Organization(cid:9) 166
The Press Relations Secretary and His Work _ 167
The Public Relations Committee 167
Relation to Other Departments of Church (cid:9) 168
In Large Adventist Centers (cid:9) 168
Qualifications (cid:9) 169
CHAPTER 9
Ministers and Workers in Relation to the Church (cid:9) 170
A Divinely Appointed Ministry (cid:9) 170
The Conference President 170
Pastors and District Leaders Not Executives (cid:9) 171
President and Committee Direct Departmental Sec-
retaries (cid:9) 171
Work of Departmental Secretaries Not Administra-
tive 172
Relation of Ordained Minister to Church Work(cid:9) 172
Churches Do Not Elect Pastor (cid:9) 173
Licensed Ministers 173
Bible Instructors(cid:9) __ 175
Book and Bible House Secretaries 175
The Pastor Should Assist the Evangelist 175
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TABLE OF CONTENTS(cid:9) 13
President and Committee Direct Conference Work-
ers (cid:9) 176
Credentials and Licenses 177
Expired Credentials 178
Relieving a Minister of His Office (cid:9) 178
Sustentation Workers 179
Ministers Without Credentials Serving in Our
Churches 179
CHAPTER 10
The Church Election 180
Nominating Committee 180
How Nominating Committee Is Appointed (cid:9) 180
Who Should Be Members of the Nominating
Committee 181
Work of the Nominating Committee(cid:9) 182
Nominating Committee to Interview Prospec-
tive Officers 184
Appearing Before the Nominating Committee 184
Nominating Committee Discussions Are Confi-
dential 184
Reporting to the Church(cid:9) 185
Objecting to the Report of the Nominating
Committee (cid:9) 186
Vacancies _____ 186
Election of Delegates to Local Conference Session(cid:9) 187
Choosing Delegates (cid:9) ________ (cid:9) _____ (cid:9) ______ 187
Duty of Delegates (cid:9) 188
Responsibility of Conference Officers 189
Conference Committee Members to Represent the
Entire Conference 189
CHAPTER 11
Gospel Finance 190
Stewardship 191