working policy

942 Pages·2009·5.72 MB·English

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
North American Division
of the
General Conference
WORKING
POLICY
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2008-2009
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Working Policy

North American Division
of the General Conference of
Seventh-day Adventists

2008-2009 Edition

PRINTED IN U.S.A.
REVIEW AND HERALD PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION
Hagerstown, MD 21740

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Introduction
The Working Policy of the North American Division of the General
Conference contains the Constitution and Bylaws of the General
Conference as adopted by General Conference Sessions. It also
contains the accumulated policies which are applicable to the North
American Division which have been adopted by General Conference
Sessions, Annual Councils of the General Conference Committee and
the North American Division Committee.* It is therefore the
authoritative voice of the Church in all matters pertaining to the work
of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination in the North American
Division. It shall be adhered to by all denominational organizations in
North America. (NAD B 15)
A North American Division edition of the General Conference
Working Policy was first published in 1971. Up until and including the
1975 edition, the North American Division Working Policy was
published in bound format and was updated and reprinted periodically,
usually every two years. Beginning with the 1978 edition, it was
published in loose-leaf format and updated annually by inserts which
incorporated the policy revisions voted by the latest Annual Council of
the General Conference Committee and the North American Division
Committee.* The last such inserts contained the policy revisions voted
by the 1982 Annual Council and carried the notation “Revised 1982.”
The 1984 edition of the North American Division Working Policy
returned to a bound format. It was designated as the 1984 edition
because it contained the revisions voted by the 1984 Annual Council.
This 2008-2009 edition of the North American Division Working
Policy has been prepared in harmony with the plan to publish annually
a revised edition incorporating all applicable policy changes voted by
the latest Annual Council of the General Conference Committee and
the policies voted by the North American Division Year-end Meeting.
It supersedes all previous editions and shall be adhered to except as it
shall be amended by subsequent actions of a General Conference
Session or a Year-end Meeting of the North American Division
Committee.

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* Prior to the 1984 Annual Council the North American Division Committee was
referred to as the North American Division Committee on Administration.
CONTENTS

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Part I—CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
Constitution ................................................................. 1
Bylaws ......................................................................... 10
Part II—STATEMENT OF MISSION
Mission Statement of the Seventh-day Adventist
Church ........................................................................ A 05 29
Part III—WORKING POLICY
Organization and Administration ............................ B 33
Organizational and Operational Principles of
Seventh-day Adventist Church Structure ......... B 05 33
Outline of Denominational Organization ............... B 10 36
General Conference and North American
Division Working Policies. .............................. B 15 38
General Conference Sessions ................................. B 20 40
Election of Retirees to Elective Offices ................. B 25 42
Administrative Relationships ................................. B 40 43
Relationships Between Organizations ................... B 45 47
Responsibility and Relationship of Officers .......... B 55 49
Establishing New Constituency-Based
Organizational Units ........................................ B 60 51
Organizing New Missions/Conferences/Unions .... B 65 52
Adjustments in Organizational Status .................... B 75 57
Adjustments in Territory of Organizations ............ B 80 60
Discontinuation of Organizations .......................... B 90 63
Discontinuation of Organizations by Voluntary
or Involuntary Dissolution ............................... B 95 66
General Administrative Policies ............................... BA 69
Annual Councils .................................................... BA 05 69
Church Manual ...................................................... BA 15 69
Legal Organizations ............................................... BA 25 71
Legal Counsel ........................................................ BA 30 72
Financial Consequences of Litigation .................... BA 35 72
General Conference of Seventh-day
Adventist Trademark ........................................ BA 40 73
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Personal Relations and Organizational
Authority .......................................................... BA 41 77
Conciliation and Dispute Resolution Procedures... BA 42 79
Institutional Organizations ..................................... BA 50 89
Procedure in Electing Institutional Boards
and Administrators ........................................... BA 55 90
Retention and Safeguarding of Records ................ BA 70 92
Access to Personnel Information and Placing
Interorganizational Calls .................................. BA 75 95
Division Administration ............................................ C 97
North American Division Territory ....................... C 05 97
North American Division Corporation .................. C 10 98
North American Division ....................................... C 11 98
Interdivision Travel................................................ C 12 103
Procedures for Replacement of Division Officers . C 20 105
Division Surveys .................................................... C 25 107
Union Conference Session ..................................... C 30 108
Local Conference Session ...................................... C 35 108
Conference or Field Church ................................... C 40 110
Denominational Status for Seventh-day
Adventist Organizations—Criteria ................... C 47 111
Human Relations .................................................... C 48 115
Advanced Education of Employees—
Obligation to Home Division ........................... C 61 117
Business Internship Plan ........................................ C 65 118
Information Technology Internship Plan ............... C 66 119
Aviation ................................................................. C 75 121
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 Local Conference Constitution
and Bylaws ....................................................... D 20 149
Model Local Mission Operating Policy ................. D 25 162
Bylaws of Conference of Seventh-day
Adventists, Inc. ................................................. D 30 172

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Employees—Accrediting, Transferring,
Employment Regulations .................................... E 191
Denominational Employees Classification and
Accreditation .................................................... E 05 191
Credentials and Licenses—Method of Issuing ...... E 10 197
Homeland, Division, and Division Country
Relationships .................................................... E 15 201
Independent Transfers ........................................... E 20 204
Calling Employees for Interdivision Service ......... E 25 208
Special Interdivision Transfers—Financial
Provisions ......................................................... E 26 210
Responsibility for Expenses of Interdivision
Employees—NAD ........................................... E 27 211
Calling Employees for Intradivision Service ......... E 45 212
Tenure of Office .................................................... E 50 217
Termination of Elected Employees ........................ E 55 219
Conference/Mission President ............................... E 60 219
Recording and Preserving Employees’
Service Records ................................................ E 70 220
Vacations and Holidays ......................................... E 75 225
Employees’ Personal Finance ................................ E 80 227
Employment and Productivity ............................... E 81 229
Sick Leave ............................................................. E 82 230
Family and Medical Leave of Absence .................. E 83 234
Harassment............................................................. E 84 238
Equal Opportunity for Service ............................... E 86 241
Sexual Misconduct in Church Relationships
Involving Denominational Employees or
Approved Volunteers—Model Procedures ...... E 87 242
Adult Ministries—Departmental Policies ............... F 265
Philosophy and Mission ......................................... F 05 265
Emphasis ................................................................ F 10 266
Departmental Responsibilities ............................... F 15 268
Bible Evangelism ................................................... F 20 269
Literature Distribution ........................................... F 25 269
Media Ministry ...................................................... F 30 270
Prison Ministry ...................................................... F 35 270
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Adult Sabbath School ............................................ F 40 271
Personal Ministries ................................................ F 45 271
Leadership Development ....................................... F 50 272
Shared Vision for Mission Strategic Planning ....... F 55 272
Small Group Ministries .......................................... F 60 272
Multiplying Cell Ministries .................................... F 65 273
Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries .............................. FA 275
Philosophy ............................................................. FA 05 275
Objectives and Goals of the NAD Adventist
Chaplaincy Ministries Department ................... FA 11 276
Responsibilities and Membership of the NAD
Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries Committee ... FA 26 278
National Service Organization ............................... FA 27 280
Ecclesiastical Endorsement .................................... FA 28 281
Children’s Ministries—Departmental Policies ....... FB 291
Philosophy ............................................................. FB 05 291
Mission .................................................................. FB 10 291
Areas of Emphasis ................................................. FB 15 291
Sabbath School ...................................................... FB 16 293
Leadership Development ....................................... FB 17 293
Communication—Departmental Policies ................ FC 295
Statement of Philosophy ........................................ FC 05 295
Objectives .............................................................. FC 15 295
Responsibilities in Achieving Objectives .............. FC 20 296
Internal Services .................................................... FC 22 296
Media Services ....................................................... FC 24 297
Guidelines in the Selection of Communication
Personnel .......................................................... FC 26 298
On-the-Job Training ............................................... FC 36 300
Communication Internships ................................... FC 37 301
Radio and Television Stations ............................... FC 38 303
K-12 Education Policies ............................................ FEA 305
Philosophy of Education ........................................ FEA 05 305
Division Education Structure ................................. FEA 10 311
Union Education Structure ..................................... FEA 15 319
Conference Education Structure ............................ FEA 20 324
School Organization and Structure ........................ FEA 25 331
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School Constituencies/Operating Board ................ FEA 30 339
School Personnel Policies ...................................... FEA 35 343
Graduate Study Assistance .................................... FEA 37 345
Health, Safety & Legal Policies ............................. FEA 40 348
Student Policies...................................................... FEA 45 351
General Education Policies ....................................... FEB 353
General Educational Administration
Outline & Policies ............................................ FEB 05 353
Higher Education Policies ......................................... FEC 355
NAD Higher Education Cabinet ............................ FEC 05 365
Family Ministries—Departmental Policies ............. FF 387
Philosophy ............................................................. FF 05 387
Objectives .............................................................. FF 10 388
Areas of Emphasis ................................................. FF 15 389
Premarital Guidance .............................................. FF 17 391
Single Adult Ministries .......................................... FF 26 393
Adventist Association of Family Life
Professionals, The ............................................ FF 27 393
Men’s Ministries .................................................... FF 28 393
Health Ministries Departmental Policies ................. FH 395
Statement of Philosophy ........................................ FH 05 395
Department Functions ............................................ FH 06 396
North American Temperance or Health
and Temperance Associations .......................... FH 10 397
World Health Ministries Sabbath........................... FH 15 398
Statement of Operating Principles for
Health Care Institutions .................................... FH 20 399
Health Care Institutions—Plan of Operation ......... FH 25 401
Training of Hospital Administrators ...................... FH 30 402
Conference Loans to Medical/Dental Students ...... FH 36 402
Philanthropy for the Seventh-day Adventist
Church/Institutions .............................................. FI 407
Philosophy and Mission ......................................... FI 05 407
Public Affairs and Religious Liberty—
Departmental Policies .......................................... FL 411
Church-Government Relationships in the NAD .... FL 01 411

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Public Affairs and Religious Liberty
Department (PARL) ......................................... FL 02 415
Liberty Magazine Offering .................................... FL 06 416
Relationship of Church Members and
Church Institutions to Labor Organizations ..... FL 11 417
Publishing—Departmental Policies ......................... FP 421
Appointment of Editors ......................................... FP 20 421
Publication of New Magazines .............................. FP 21 421
Hymnbooks ............................................................ FP 25 422
Independent Publications ....................................... FP 30 422
Publishing Houses ................................................. FP 35 424
Christian Record Services, Inc ............................... FP 40 432
Publishing Development Fund ............................... FP 45 432
Royalty Policy ........................................................ FP 55 433
Prices and Discounts to Adventist
Book Centers and HHES/FHES ....................... FP 56 436
Shipping Expenses ................................................. FP 57 440
Audio-Visual Aids, Tapes, Records ...................... FP 58 440
Denominational Retail Stores ................................ FP 59 441
Organization .......................................................... FP 61 446
Literature Evangelist .............................................. FP 70 447
Scholarship Plans ................................................... FP 75 449
Stewardship—Departmental Policies ...................... FS 451
Statement of Philosophy and Mission .................... FS 05 451
Purpose and Function ............................................ FS 10 453
Areas of Emphasis ................................................. FS 15 454
Departmental Responsibilities ............................... FS 21 455
Legal Association and Trust Services—
Departmental Policies .......................................... FT 457
Statement of Purpose ............................................. FT 05 457
Women’s Ministries—Departmental Policies ......... FW 459
Philosophy ............................................................. FW 05 459
Vision ..................................................................... FW 06 459
Mission .................................................................. FW 07 459
Statement of Purpose ............................................. FW 10 459
Department Objectives .......................................... FW 15 460
Departmental Responsibilities ............................... FW 16 461
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Pathfinder/Camp Ministries ..................................... FX 463
Pathfinder Ministries .............................................. FX 05 463
Seventh-day Adventist Camp Ministries ............... FX 10 464
Association of Adventist Camping Professionals .. FX 15 466
Youth Ministries—Departmental Policies............... FY 467
Statement of Purpose ............................................. FY 05 467
Objectives .............................................................. FY 10 467
Adventist Youth Council Objectives, The ............. FY 11 469
Youth Sabbath School ........................................... FY 12 469
Ellen G White Estate, Inc—Policies ......................... GE 471
Ellen G White Writings ......................................... GE 05 471
Adventist Development & Relief Agencies .............. HA 473
Philosophy, Background and Objectives ............... HA 06 473
Organization and Procedures ................................. HA 11 476
Supporting Ministries ............................................... K 497
Criteria for Defining Supporting Ministries .......... K 05 497
Ministry and Ministerial Training, The .................. L 501
Ministerial Training Program ................................ L 05 501
Pretheological and Theological Students ............... L 06 502
Ministerial Internship Plan ..................................... L 15 503
Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary ....... L 20 507
Licensed Minister—Role and Status ..................... L 25 509
Commissioned Ministers in Pastoral Positions—
Role and Status ................................................. L 26 510
Commissioned Minister in Leadership
Position—Role and Status ................................ L 27 511
Ministerial Scholarship Plan .................................. L 28 514
Bible Instructor Internship Plan ............................. L 29 516
Ministers from Other Denominations .................... L 30 517
Continuing Education for Ministry ........................ L 33 522
Armed Services Chaplaincies ................................ L 34 527
Qualifications for Ordination to the Ministry ........ L 35 528
Ordained to World Church .................................... L 40 534
Procedure in Authorizing Ordination .................... L 45 534
Examination of Candidates for Ordination ............ L 50 535
Ordination Service ................................................. L 55 536

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