Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual for 1971

296 Pages·2013·3.09 MB·English

Seventh-day Adventist
CHURCH
MANUAL
"
Issued by the
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Revised 1971
PRINTED IN U.S,A.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Preface 19
CHAPTER 1
The Church of the Living God 25
No Wall of Partition (cid:9) _____ 26
The Supreme Object of Christ's Regard (cid:9) 27
The Opposition of the Enemy 28
The Church Complete in Christ (cid:9) __ (cid:9) _ (cid:9) 30
CHAPTER 2
Fundamental Beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists(cid:9) __ 32
CHAPTER 3
Organization Founded on Divine Principles(cid:9) 40
The Biblical Basis (cid:9) 40
The Vital Importance (cid:9) 42
The Divine Purpose 43
CHAPTER 4
The Form of Organization in the Seventh-day Advent-
ist Church (cid:9) 45
Forms of Church Government (cid:9) 46
Five Steps in Our Organization (cid:9) ___ (cid:9) 47
Relationships Between Organizations 48
General Conference the Highest Authority (cid:9) 48
5
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CHAPTER 5
Church Membership (cid:9) 49
Membership on a Spiritual Basis (cid:9) 49
Baptism a Gospel Requirement (cid:9) 50
Baptism a Prerequisite to Church Membership 50
Mode of Baptism 51
Ministers Thoroughly to Instruct Candidates
Previous to Baptism 51
Public Examination (cid:9) 52
Baptismal Covenant 53
Doctrinal Instruction for Baptismal Candidates(cid:9) 53
Baptismal Vow and Baptism 59
Baptismal Vow 59
Welcoming Candidates (cid:9) 61
Baptismal Ceremony 61
Transferring Members (cid:9) 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 63
Membership During Interval of Transfer (cid:9) 64
The Receiving of Members Disturbed by World
Conditions 64
Counted in Statistical Reports (cid:9) 65
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) 66
Not to Vote Letter Without Members' Approval 66
Church Boards Cannot Grant Letters 66
Conference or Field Church 67
Organized Companies (cid:9) 68
Queries Concerning Receiving and Dropping Mem-
bers (cid:9) 69
Receiving Members on Profession of Faith (cid:9) 69
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TABLE OF CONTENTS(cid:9) 7
Dropping Names 70
No Retired Membership List 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 (cid:9) 73
Their Qualifications (cid:9) 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 (cid:9) 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 (cid:9) 82
Conduct of Church Services (cid:9) 83
The Baptismal Service (cid:9) 84
The Marriage Ceremony (cid:9) 84
To Cooperate With the Conference (cid:9) 85
To Foster Worldwide Work (cid:9) 85
To Foster Tithe Paying (cid:9) 86
To Distribute Responsibility (cid:9) 86
First Elder (cid:9) 87
Elder Not a Delegate Ex Officio (cid:9) 87
Limitation of Authority (cid:9) — 87
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Church Leader (cid:9) 87
The Deacon 88
Importance of the Office 88
Training Younger Men as Deacons(cid:9) 89
Board of Deacons 89
Deacons Must Be Ordained (cid:9) 90
The Duties of Deacons ________________ ___________________ (cid:9) 90
To Assist in Church Ordinances (cid:9) 90
The Care of the Sick and the Poor 92
The Deaconess(cid:9) 92
The Duties of Deaconesses 93
Board of Deaconesses 93
The Church Clerk 94
An Important Office 94
No Names Added or Dropped Without Vote of
the Church 95
Transferring Members (cid:9) 95
Corresponding With Members (cid:9) 95
Delegates' Credentials for Conference Session _ 95
Reports to Be Furnished Promptly (cid:9) 96
Church Records (cid:9) 96
The Church Treasurer 97
A Sacred Work 97
Church Treasurer the Custodian of All Church
Funds (cid:9) 97
Conference Funds (cid:9) 98
Sabbath School Funds (cid:9) 98
Missionary Volunteer Society Funds _ _______ __ 98
Local Church Funds 99
Funds of Auxiliary Organizations 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 (cid:9) 101
Receipts to Church Members (cid:9) 102
Proper Method of Remitting Funds to the Con-
ference (cid:9) 102
Preserving Vouchers (cid:9) 102
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TABLE OF CONTENTS(cid:9) 9
Books Should Be Audited (cid:9) 103
Relations With Members Confidential (cid:9) 104
The Church Board 104
CHAPTER 7
The Services and Meetings of the Church 105
Spiritual Worship 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 (cid:9) 108
Unauthorized Speakers in Our Churches(cid:9) _ 108
The Sabbath Worship Service (cid:9) _ 109
The Form of Service 109
Longer Order of Worship _______ (cid:9) ______________ (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 (cid:9) 114
The Communion Service 115
Announcing the Communion Service 116
Conducting the Communion Service 116
Who May Participate 118
Every Member Should Attend (cid:9) ___________ (cid:9) 119
Unleavened Bread and Unfermented Wine (cid:9) 119
A Memorial of the Crucifixion (cid:9) 119
Ordinance of Foot Washing (cid:9) 120
Suggestive Order for the Communion Service(cid:9) 121
Who May Conduct Communion Service (cid:9) 121
Communion for the Sick (cid:9) 121
The Prayer Meeting(cid:9) 122
The Sabbath School (cid:9) 123
The Sabbath School Teachers' Meeting _ (cid:9) 123
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Missionary Volunteer Society (cid:9) _ ________ (cid:9) 124
Junior Missionary Volunteer Society (cid:9) 125
Church Missionary Meetings (cid:9) 125
Times of Meetings 126
Supplying Literature an the Sabbath (cid:9) 127
Church Board Meetings (cid:9) 127
Work of the Church Board (cid:9) 128
Quorum of the Church Board (cid:9) 129
School Board Meetings (cid:9) 129
Parents' Meetings 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 133
Membership of Church Choirs 133
CHAPTER 8
Auxiliary Organizations of the Church and Their
Officers (cid:9) 135
The Department of Lay Activities 135
Lay Activities Council 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 141
The Sabbath School Council _____ _ ____ ________ ______ 141
The Superintendent (cid:9) 142
The Assistant Superintendent 144
The Secretary (cid:9) 14-4
Assistant Secretaries (cid:9) 146
The Chorister or Song Leader __ (cid:9) 146
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TABLE OF CONTENTS(cid:9) 11
The Organist (cid:9) 146
Sabbath School Offerings 146
Expense Money 147
The Quarterly Report 147
The Missionary Volunteer Society(cid:9) 148
Objectives 149
Membership in the Missionary Volunteer So-
ciety (cid:9) 149
Membership Pledge 150
Associate Member 150
The Officers of the MV Society (cid:9) 151
The MV Society Executive Committee (or MV
Council) (cid:9) 151
Leader and Associate Leader 152
Secretary-Treasurer and Assistant 153
The Missionary Volunteer Sponsor 154
Missionary Volunteer Features 155
Missionary Volunteer Bands (cid:9) 155
The Junior Missionary Volunteer Society (cid:9) 156
Objective (cid:9) 156
The Work of the Junior Missionary Volunteer
Society 156
Pathfinder Clubs (cid:9) 156
Membership 157
The Junior Missionary Volunteer Pledge (cid:9) 157
The Junior Missionary Volunteer Law (cid:9) 157
JMV Classes (cid:9) 158
MV Classes (cid:9) 158
MV Honors (cid:9) 158
Officers of the JMV Society (cid:9) 158
The Executive Committee (cid:9) 159
Parents' Societies (cid:9) 159
Home and School Fellowship (cid:9) _ 160
Purpose 160
Objective 161
Membership ____ 161
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Officers (cid:9) 161
Leader and Assistant Leader (cid:9) 162
Secretary-Treasurer (cid:9) _ ----- _____ (cid:9) ----- 162
The Church School Board (cid:9) 162
Membership (cid:9) 162
Officers 164
Relation of Union School Boards to the Local
Churches (cid:9) 164
Term of Office 164
Meetings (cid:9) __ 165
Qualifications (cid:9) 165
Duties of the Officers 165
Functions (cid:9) 166
Public Relations (cid:9) 166
Importance of Public Relations (cid:9) 166
The Organization (cid:9) 166
The Press Relations Secretary and His Work __ 167
The Public Relations Committee (cid:9) 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 170
The Conference President 170
Pastors and District Leaders Not Executives (cid:9) 171
President and Committee Direct Departmental Sec-
retaries 171
Work of Departmental Secretaries Not Administra-
tive (cid:9) 172
Relation of Ordained Minister to Church Work(cid:9) 172
Churches Do Not Elect Pastor (cid:9) 173
Licensed Ministers (cid:9) 173
Bible Instructors (cid:9) 175
Book and Bible House Secretaries (cid:9) 175
The Pastor Should Assist the Evangelist (cid:9) 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 (cid:9) 178
Relieving a Minister of His Office 178
Sustentation Workers 179
Ministers Without Credentials Serving in Our
Churches 179
CHAPTER 10
The Church Election 180
Nominating Committee (cid:9) 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 185
Objecting to the Report of the Nominating
Committee (cid:9) 186
Vacancies (cid:9) 186
Election of Delegates to Local Conference Session _ 187
Choosing Delegates (cid:9) 187
Duty of Delegates (cid:9) 188
Responsibility of Conference Officers (cid:9) 189
Conference Committee Members to Represent the
Entire Conference (cid:9) 189
CHAPTER 11
Gospel Finance _____ _ _____ (cid:9) _________________ (cid:9) __________ 190
Stewardship(cid:9) 191