North American Division General Conference WORKING POLICY

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!North American Divisionof theGeneral !!!!2015-2016

.Working PolicyNorth American Divisionof the General Conference ofSeventh-day Adventists2015-2016 EditionPRINTED IN U.S.A.PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING ASSOCIATIONNampa, ID 83687.

Copyright 2015-2016 by the North American Division Corporation of Seventh-dayAdventists. All rights reserved.

IntroductionThe Working Policy of the North American Division of theGeneral Conference contains the Constitution and Bylaws of theGeneral Conference as adopted by General Conference Sessions. Italso contains the accumulated policies which are applicable to theNorth American Division which have been adopted by GeneralConference Sessions, Annual Councils of the General ConferenceCommittee and the North American Division Committee.* It istherefore the authoritative voice of the Church in all matterspertaining to the work of the Seventh-day Adventist denominationin the North American Division. It shall be adhered to by alldenominational organizations in North America. (NAD B 15)A North American Division edition of the General ConferenceWorking Policy was first published in 1971. Up until and includingthe 1975 edition, the North American Division Working Policy waspublished in bound format and was updated and reprintedperiodically, usually every two years. Beginning with the 1978edition, it was published in loose-leaf format and updated annuallyby inserts which incorporated the policy revisions voted by thelatest Annual Council of the General Conference Committee andthe North American Division Committee.* The last such insertscontained the policy revisions voted by the 1982 Annual Counciland carried the notation “Revised 1982.”The 1984 edition of the North American Division WorkingPolicy returned to a bound format. It was designated as the 1984edition because it contained the revisions voted by the 1984Annual Council.The 2015-2016 edition of the North American DivisionWorking Policy has been prepared in harmony with the plan topublish annually a revised edition incorporating all applicablepolicy changes voted by the latest Annual Council of the GeneralConference Committee and the policies voted by the NorthAmerican Division Year-end Meeting. It supersedes all previouseditions and shall be adhered to except as it shall be amended by

subsequent actions of a General Conference Session or a Year-endMeeting of the North American Division Committee.Please notice a significant change of the pagination in thisedition. In an effort to reduce the amount of change in thebook every year, each section will have its own pagination.Therefore, when a page changes in a section it will only affectthat section instead of the entire book. This will allow us to getthe book completed in a more timely manner.*Prior to the 1984 Annual Council the North American Division Committee wasreferred to as the North American Division Committee on Administration.

CONTENTSPART I—CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWSPageConstitution. CB-1Bylaws . CB-11Section PagePART II—STATEMENT OF MISSIONMission Statement of the North American Division . A 04Mission Statement of the Seventh-day AdventistChurch . A 05A-1A-3PART III—WORKING POLICYOrganization and Administration . BOrganizational and OperationalPrinciples of Seventh-day AdventistChurch Structure . B 05Outline of Denominational Organization . B 10General Conference and North AmericanDivision Working Policies. . B 15General Conference Sessions . B 20Election of Retirees to Elective Offices . B 25Administrative Relationships . B 40Relationships Between Organizations . B 45Responsibility and Relationship of Officers . B 55Establishing New Constituency-BasedOrganizational Units . B 60Organizing New Missions/Conferences/Unions . B 65Adjustments in Organizational Status . B 75Adjustments in Territory of Organizations . B 80Discontinuation of Organizations . B 90Discontinuation of Organizations byVoluntary or Involuntary Dissolution . B 95Procedure for Transferring Churches BetweenConferences . B 98General Administrative Policies . BAAnnual Councils. BA -39B-41B-44BA-1

Section PageChurch Manual .BA 15Legal Organizations .BA 25Legal Counsel .BA 30Financial Consequences of Litigation .BA 35General Conference of Seventh dayAdventist Trademark .BA 40Personal Relations and OrganizationalAuthority .BA 41Conciliation and Dispute ResolutionProcedures .BA 42Institutional Organizations .BA 50Procedure in Electing Institutional Boardsand Administrators .BA 55Retention and Safeguarding of Records .BA 70Access to Personnel Information and PlacingInterorganizational Calls.BA 75Division Administration .CNorth American Division Territory .C 05North American Division Corporation .C 10North American Division .C 11Interdivision Travel .C 12Procedures for Replacement of DivisionOfficers.C 20Division Surveys .C 25Union Conference Session .C 30Local Conference Session .C 35Conference or Field Church .C 40Denominational Status for Seventh-dayAdventist Organizations—Criteria .C 47Human Relations .C 48Advanced Education of Employees—Obligation to Home Division.C 61Business Internship Plan .C 65Information Technology Internship Plan .C 66Aviation .C C-25C-26C-28

Section PageModel Constitutions and Operating Policies . DSeventh-day Adventist ChurchOrganization . D 05Model Union Conference Constitutionand Bylaws . D 10Model Local Conference Constitutionand Bylaws . D 20Model Local Mission Operating Policy. D 25Employees—Accrediting, Transferring,Employment Regulations . EDenominational Employees Classificationand Accreditation . E 05Credentials and Licenses—Method ofIssuing . E 10Homeland, Division, and Division CountryRelationships . E 15Independent Transfers . E 20Calling Employees for InterdivisionService . E 25Special Interdivision Transfers—FinancialProvisions . E 26Responsibility for Expenses of InterdivisionEmployees—NAD . E 27Calling Employees for Intradivision Service . E 45Tenure of Office . E 50Termination of Elected Employees . E 55Conference/Mission President . E 60Recording and Preserving Employees’ Service Records . E 70Vacations and Holidays . E 75Employees’ Personal Finance . E 80Employment and Productivity . E 81Sick Leave. E 82Family, Medical and Military-RelatedLeaves of Absence . E 83Harassment . E 24E-25E-31E-32E-33E-33E-39E-41E-43E-45E-48E-54Page

Conflict of Interest and/or Commitment .E 85Equal Opportunity for Service .E 86Sexual Misconduct in Church RelationshipsInvolving Denominational Employees orApproved Volunteers—Model Procedures .E 87Adult Ministries—Departmental Policies.FPhilosophy and Mission .F 05Emphasis.F 10Departmental Responsibilities .F 15Bible Evangelism .F 20Literature Distribution .F 25Media Ministry .F 30Prison Ministry .F 35Adult Sabbath School .F 40Personal Ministries .F 45Leadership Development .F 50Shared Vision for Mission StrategicPlanning.F 55Small Group Ministries .F 60Multiplying Cell Ministries.F 65Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries .FAPhilosophy and Mission FA 05Purpose and Function.FA 11Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries CommitteeResponsibilities and Membership .FA 12Ecclesiastical Endorsement of Chaplains .FA 13Ecclesiastical Approval.FA 14National Service Organization .FA 16Children’s Ministries—Departmental Policies .FBPhilosophy .FB 05Mission .FB 10Areas of Emphasis .FB 15Sabbath School .FB 16Leadership Development .FB 17Child Protection and Volunteer Screening Policies forChildren and Youth Ministries .FB 20Youth/Children’s Ministry Volunteer Code of Conduct .FB B-3FB-3FB-4FB-7Page

Communication—Departmental Policies . FCStatement of Philosophy . FC 05Objectives . FC 15Responsibilities in Achieving Objectives . FC 20Internal Services FC 22Media Services . FC 24Guidelines in the Selection ofCommunication Personnel . FC 26On the Job Training. FC 36Communication Internships . FC 37Radio and Television Stations . FC 38K-12 Education Policies . FEAPhilosophy of Education . FEA 05Division Education Structure . FEA 10Union Education Structure . FEA 15Conference Education Structure . FEA 20School Organization and Structure . FEA 25School Constituencies/Operating Boards . FEA 30School Personnel Policies . FEA 35Graduate Study Assistance . FEA 37Health-Safety Legal Policies . FEA 40Student Policies . FEA 45General Education Policies . FEBGeneral Educational AdministrationOutline and Policies . FEB 05Higher Education Policies . FECNAD Higher Education Cabinet. FEC 05Early Childhood Education and Care Policy . FEDNAD Early Childhood Education and Care. FED 05NAD Early Childhood Education and Care Advisory . FED 10Union Early Childhood Education andCare Leadership . FED 15Conference Early Childhood Education and Care . FED 20Early Childhood Education and Care Programs . FED 25Early Childhood Education and Care Employment . FED 30Family Ministries—Departmental Policies . FFPhilosophy . FF 05Objectives . FF FF-2Page

Areas of Emphasis .FF 15Premarital Guidance .FF 17Single Adult Ministries .FF 26Adventist Association of Family LifeProfessionals, The .FF 27Men’s Ministries .FF 28Health Ministries—Departmental Policies .FHStatement of Philosophy .FH 05Department Functions .FH 06North American Temperance or Healthand Temperance Associations .FH 10World Health Ministries Sabbath .FH 15Statement of Operating Principles forHealth Care Institutions .FH 20Health Care Institutions—Plan ofOperation .FH 25Training of Hospital Administrators .FH 30Conference Loans to Medical/DentalStudents .FH 36Philanthropy for the Seventh-day AdventistChurch/Institutions .FIPhilosophy and Mission .FI 05Public Affairs and Religious Liberty—Departmental Policies .FLChurch-Government Relationships in the NAD.FL 01Public Affairs and Religious LibertyDepartment (PARL) .FL 02Liberty Magazine Offering .FL 06Relationship of Church Members andChurch Institutions to Labor Organizations .FL 11Publishing—Departmental Policies .FPPublishing House Organization .FP 15Appointment of Editors .FP 20Publication of New Magazines .FP 21Hymnbooks .FP 25Independent Publications .FP 30Publishing Houses .FP P-2FP-3Page

Christian Record Services, Inc . FP 40Royalty Policy . FP 55Prices and Discounts to AdventistBook Centers and HHES/FHES . FP 56Shipping Expenses . FP 57Denominational Retail Stores . FP 59Organization. FP 61Literature Evangelist . FP 70Scholarship Plans . FP 75Stewardship Ministries —Departmental Policies. FSStatement of Philosophy and Mission . FS 05Purpose and Function . FS 10Areas of Emphasis . FS 15Departmental Responsibilities . FS 21Legal Association and Trust Services—Departmental Policies . FTStatement of Purpose. FT 05Women’s Ministries—Departmental Policies. FWPhilosophy . FW 05Vision . FW 06Mission. FW 07Statement of Purpose. FW 10Department Objectives . FW 15Departmental Responsibilit

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