The 2005 year-end meeting of the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists met during the last weekend of October in Silver Spring, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C., while, just a few miles away, public media were announcing Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald’s indictment of Lewis Libby, an assistant to Vice President Cheney.

The news reporters’ feeding frenzy associated with that event lent, by comparison, a sense of total calm and reflection to this NAD quinquennial meeting. Inasmuch as the senior administrative officers of the North American Division are elected at the time of the General Conference, leaving the balance of NAD leadership positions to be named at this meeting, there were no real surprises.

In his opening remarks, Don Schneider, Division president, set forth a series of initiatives that the Church in North America must implement if it is to move forward effectively. These include:

· Young people must be involved meaningfully in our Church.

· Dramatic changes have occurred in the world of communication in recent years. All levels of the Church need to take advantage of this ability. From television (Hope Channel), Adventist filmmakers, to the Internet, unparalleled opportunities are offered.

· Local church congregations are the backbone of the Church. If we can connect all members in ways that lead to deeper personal involvement, both Church and members will benefit. These benefits include personal Bible study and increased outreach and community involvement, and ultimately, better attendance and support in both time and resources.

· With members being more strongly attached to their Church and to one another, sharing the good news of salvation can become even more successful.

· The process of making this happen needs to involve appropriate and responsible leadership at all levels of the Church. When leaders show greater inclusiveness and practice only the highest standards of ethics, integrity, and accountability, they will inspire member confidence.

· While the NAD contains a much smaller proportion of total world Church membership than in the past, it remains the economic engine of the denomination. Impartial benevolence by all members remains as important as ever in the sharing of the Good News.

New Positions
Even as two of six vice-presidential positions were eliminated as a fund-saving measure, R. Ernest Castillo, former Secretary of the Pacific Union, was selected to fill an open vice-presidential position. Other new personnel included Carla Baker, from the Southwestern Union, to the position of Women’s Ministries; Russell Burrill, head of evangelism training at Andrews (NADEI), remaining in that position and adding the responsibility of Ministerial Director. Joann Herrington, from Union College, assumed leadership of Children’s Ministries, and Carolyn R. Forrest, from the Florida Conference, became an associate secretary.

Investment Policy
A major change came in the Investment Policy arena. Prior to the voted change, the process was governed by authority granted to a denominational entity. The new policy changes from a hierarchical one to one based on the type and quality of expertise used in investment management, as well as the total value of the investments involved. This change will enable all levels of the Church, from a single church to the largest institution, to use the ability of experienced staff to hold and manage their funds.

Disaster Relief
Conference speakers spent a large block of time describing not only what has happened to our Church and its members during and after the recent natural disasters, but also what we’ve done collectively and individually to make a difference. The largest and most obvious single area of devastation, New Orleans, had 11 Adventist churches, with more than 2,500 members. Only one church remains habitable, with about 155 members still attending. Major devastation occurred elsewhere, with damage still not totally determined. Not only are these and many others of our church facilities affected, but as has been portrayed by multiple news organizations, homes, jobs, and whole populations have disappeared.

Adventist Community Services was able to help many, with its principal service areas located in Mississippi and east Texas. The Sabbath offering of the council was dedicated to hurricane relief.

Rededication
While the official reason for meetings such as this involves responsible governance of our Church in North America, the glue that makes us what we are continues to ooze from our pores! The speaker for Friday evening vespers was remarkable. David Ring, a 52-year-old man, born with cerebral palsy, brought us his personal story and walk with God in a truly meaningful way. All present were not only amazed but truly blessed by him.

On Sabbath morning we heard a report from Barbara Taylor, a highly successful businessperson who was instrumental in planting a church near the Aspen-Vail- Breckenridge ski areas. She shared how she and her church were effectively reaching out to those who are often turned off by traditional Adventist methods.

Truly, Paul’s letter to the Ephesians teaches us that we become part of God’s kingdom by his grace, and not by our works. These individuals exemplify what God does for us.

During his Sabbath morning homily, Elder Jan Paulson, General Conference President, shared how we are all pilgrims on a journey to a promised land. As Abraham of old journeyed, so do we, unlike so many in this world who have no home, no hope, and no future. We know our goal and expect to reach it soon. Responding to Elder Paulson, all who lead in this division rededicated themselves toward this goal.

Communication
The Hope Channel was clearly the only media group present. The Division’s presentation of its involvement in North American disaster relief, primarily through Adventist Community Services, along with the Conferences and Unions located in the hurricane-damaged areas, was televised for immediate presentation. The material was later shared with 3ABN, however.

Clearly, it is the belief of many leaders that Web communication is the wave of the future. For some years, Tagnet (described as a Web site in a box) was a way for Church organizations at all levels to interface on the Internet, to the extent that the NAD has paid the maintenance expenses involved. This format is a fixed one, and it does not allow any latitude for individual churches to change the content.

However, NetAdventist.org, a member of ASI, located in Fallbrook, California, has developed a new format that operates “seamlessly,” to the extent that it allows “streaming” content, not only from an individual church’s Web site, but also from multiple area churches. It coordinates the content while maintaining and coordinating activity scheduling. As it brings content from different levels, it does so in a way that is “dynamic,” i.e., constantly updated and fresh, so that to the user it appears to be a direct part of the Web site’s content and process. The individual church can use a variety of templates for its presentation and can change content as well.

The Pacific Union has been so impressed, it has agreed to pay the setup fee and the first three months, at $35 per month, with the Southeastern California Conference, as an example, paying an additional three months of the cost—six months in all.

The program as demonstrated by this group was truly impressive. Among others, Richard Osborn, president of Pacific Union College, spoke with admiration and appreciation for what these people have accomplished. He believes it will be a major stride forward for the Church.

NAD Committee
The final agenda item, presented at the recommendation of the Union presidents, was intended to reduce the size (currently about 350 members) of the NAD Executive Committee. This prompted the strongest floor discussion of any brought before the body. The Union presidents reasoned that since the meeting is primarily one to confirm and finalize policy issues affecting the Division, there was little need for lay, local pastor, or teacher representation, since they were not policymakers. Doing so would reduce the size of the Committee by approximately a third, thus cutting the expense of holding the meeting and leaving greater funding for “more important items.”

Interestingly, the issue of who pays is not as obvious as it would seem. Save for those individuals in leadership positions in either the NAD or General Conference itself, all others, as representative of some other entity in the Division—whether a university president, hospital executive, denominational employee at any lower than Division level, and/or a layperson from a given Union—expenses of their participation are borne by the organization they represent. These expenses may be direct, such as travel and housing, plus their pay and benefits, which continue to accrue while out of their given post. In sum, only a small percentage of the total cost is borne by the North American Division.

One needs to appreciate the hierarchical organization of the Church to appreciate the view voiced by the Union presidents. When a member or church would like to do something different than “normally” done, it is given to understand by Conference officials that “policy,” set by higher organizational levels, does or does not allow such a change. Yet it is the contention at the Division level that any changes in policy come about because lower levels of Church organization have requested the changes. Thus, the Division and General Conference are only serving as “collating” agencies and do not “set” policy.

With that mindset, and since the Division is only coordinating the process, there is no need for broad input, ie., no need for lay, local pastor, or teacher input, since they are represented at the lower organizational level!

When this perspective is carried to its conclusion, it is no wonder most members in the pew see little evidence of “transparency” in the way the Church is run.

With the exception of one Union president who rose to support the proposal as presented, everyone who rose to address the issue (primarily laypersons and teachers) spoke against the motion to approve. The proposal was tabled for further study, to be brought back five years hence!

Commentary
This year-end NAD meeting was smoothly conducted and, while clearly scripted, set an example for any constituency meeting that might be held in North America. The tone of the meeting, clearly influenced by the recent weather-related disasters’ effect on the Church and many of its members, promoted the process of rededication for those who lead in the NAD.

The changes adopted in the Church’s investment policy will be particularly beneficial to smaller church entities. The caveat, of course, is in the implementation and process; for, while too much oversight stifles innovation, inadequate safeguards create dangers.

There is a need to reduce the number of attendees at this meeting, but unless a way can be found to maintain openness and transparency to Church members as to how the Church is run, doing so will only serve to further alienate those very members. Alienation of people leads to loss of their confidence, decreased giving, and ultimately, disbelief that the Church really matters.

Ultimately, in this era of rapid and instant communication, the Church must develop and creatively use new ways to reach members and the public. NetAdventist.org appears ready to bridge part of the gap.

Two issues were not addressed, however. Roscoe Howard, Secretary of the NAD, described the issue of “balkanization,” the ongoing tug-of-war that separates people into particular ethnic groups, even while we state our goal of “living as one people” in the New Earth. The other deals with “relevancy,” keeping the Church relevant to all members, but particularly to its youth and young adults. Proposed solutions to either of these have been difficult to apply.

pp.8-10 adventist today | vol. 14 issue 1