Tithe and Church Funding
The following explanation of Tithe is taken directly from an SDA website, Adventiststewardship.com.
What is tithe?
Tithe is one tenth of your increase from either money or product that is returned to God. It is holy and belongs to Him, the Owner of all of our material possessions and lives. (Leviticus 27:30). The returning of tithes is an expression of our faithfulness to God.
Is there a difference between tithes and offerings?
Tithes are returned while offerings are given. Offerings are our response of love and gratitude to God’s blessings and goodness. In giving tithes and offerings we worship God and advance His mission to make disciples in the world.
When should I tithe?
Tithe should be returned first, when the personal income or increase is received.
How is tithe to be returned?
With money, place it in a Tithe and Offering envelope and return the envelope to the church you attend. Make it an act of worship as you remember that He is your Creator, Redeemer and Lord of all your life.
Church Governance
The governance of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is based on democratic representation, and therefore resembles the Presbyterian system of church organization. The organizational structure of the church consists of the following levels:
- The global church is called the “General Conference”, composed operatively of 13 “Divisions.”
- Each division is composed of “Union Conferences” and/or “Union Missions” (112 total). Union Conferences are self-supporting financially, while Union Missions are not.
- Each union conference is composed of [local] “Conferences” and/or “Missions” (572 total). Local Conferences are self-supporting financially, while Local Missions are not. Certain unions are composed of local congregations. They do not have local conferences/missions.
- Each local conference/mission is composed of local churches (congregations). Often a number of local congregations are grouped operatively as a district, led by one senior pastor.
Each level of organization holds a “general session” at certain intervals, when elected representatives gather to vote on general decisions and church business. The president of the General Conference, for instance, is elected at the General Conference Session every five years.
Local Church Offices
There are a number of church offices that are elected by the church body as specified by the Church Manual. Positions must be filled by baptised members who attend regularly. Offices are never elected permanently, although persons may be reelected.
Pastor
The most prominent church office is that of the pastor or minister. Adventists believe that pastors are divinely called to ministry and they are ordained by the church for their ministry. The position of church pastor is not elected by the local church, but rather appointed by a local conference. When the minister transfers to the local church for pastoralship he also transfers his membership to that local congregation. Adventists believe in clerical marriage and not a celibate priesthood. In the majority of cases the pastor works with the head elder of the church and is responsible for guiding the church’s spiritual direction, chairing the church board and leading out in services.
Elder
Working with the pastor in the local church is the elder who is appointed by the local church and ordained by the local pastor. The elder is seen as a religious leader in the local church and is able to conduct ordinances. The elder, or elders in some cases (who are led by a “head elder”), is largely responsible for the running of the church and the distribution of responsibility in the church. In the Adventist Church “elder” is not a title. It’s a function. The term “pastor” is a function and often used as a title. The local elder’s position of authority is limited to the local church they are serving, while the pastor’s authority is universal. The local elder gets their authority from the pastor they are serving under or otherwise from the field administration. The pastor’s authority is inherent in their position as pastor.
Deacon
The deacon, like the elder, is an elected and ordained role. The deacon’s primary roles are the assistance in running of services, the visitation of members, the care of the sick and the maintenance of church property.
Criticism of Structure
Critics of Seventh-day Adventist church governance have frequently pointed out that the denomination has a superfluity of church structure, and spends a great deal of its resources maintaining four levels of administrative structure—a structure which is frequently redundant, and per member costs more than that of any other Protestant denomination. Meanwhile, local churches may struggle for funds. Pastors named to denominational positions beyond the local congregation may achieve a virtual sinecure in administrative posts, some of which have few defined duties. Members’ appeals for the denomination to simplify its structure have generally been poorly received, resisted by leaders in administrative posts, and others hesitant to change established tradition.
Loma Linda University
Loma Linda University (LLU) is a Seventh-day Adventist coeducational health sciences university located in Loma Linda, California, United States. The University comprises eight schools and the Faculty of Graduate Studies. More than 100 certificate and degree programs are offered by the schools of allied health professions, behavioral health, dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health, and religion. LLU also offers distance education. It is a part of the Seventh-day Adventist education system, the world’s second largest Christian school system. Loma Linda University had its beginning in 1905 when Seventh-day Adventists John Burden and Ellen G. White worked together to purchase the property and develop what became known as the Loma Linda Sanitarium, which evolved into the modern institution.
Sources:
“Polity of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.” Wikipedia.
“Adventist Stewardship Ministries: Frequently Asked Questions.” http://www.adventiststewardship.com/article/4/frequently-asked-questions
The Brothers K 