Administrative operations · Church Manual memo

A memo for the elder and the clerk: who does what, and above all who decides. The thread: the board recommends, the congregation votes.

Reference edition: the section titles (in italics) and page numbers refer to the Church Manual, 2025 English edition (General Conference). Pagination of translated editions differs · use your conference's edition for exact pages.

Chapter

Membership

Church Manual, "Membership" · p. 51

Reception by baptism: prior instruction and public examination, then reception.Baptism p. 51 · Public Examination Before Baptism p. 52 · Baptismal Vow and Commitment p. 53

Vote of acceptance subject to baptism (without undue delay).Voting Acceptance Subject to Baptism p. 56

Receiving members who are not known to the congregation.Receiving Members Who Are Not Known p. 56

Rebaptism: appropriate and inappropriate cases.Rebaptism p. 57

Reception by profession of faith.Profession of Faith p. 58

Member transfer: letter prepared by the clerk, valid six months, granted only to those in regular standing.Transferring Members p. 59 · Clerk to Prepare Letter p. 60 · Regular Standing p. 61

The board cannot grant letters.Church Board Cannot Grant Letters p. 62

Keeping the membership record.Membership Record p. 62

Chapter

Discipline

Church Manual, "Discipline" · p. 65

Reasons and process of discipline.Reasons for Discipline p. 70 · Process of Discipline p. 71

Discipline by censure; by removal from membership.Discipline by Censure / by Removal From Membership p. 72

Properly called meeting and majority vote.At a Properly Called Meeting / By Majority Vote p. 73

The board cannot remove members.Church Board Cannot Remove Members p. 73

Removal at the member's request; reinstatement and right of appeal.Removing at Their Request p. 75 · Reinstating / Right of Appeal p. 75–76

Chapter

Local church officers

Church Manual, "Local Church Officers and Organisations" · p. 77

Term of office.Term of Office p. 80

Elders: ordination; conducting services; baptism / marriage under authorization; limitation of authority.Ordination of Elders p. 81 · Baptismal Service / Marriage Ceremony p. 83 · Limitation of Authority p. 85

Deacons: must be ordained; not authorized to preside; duties.Deacons p. 85 · Must Be Ordained p. 86 · Not Authorized to Preside p. 87

Deaconesses: ordination service; duties.Deaconesses p. 88 · Duties p. 89

Clerk: no names added/removed without vote, transfers, notice of delegates, reports, records.Clerk · No Names Added or Removed Without Vote / Church Records p. 90

Treasurer: custodian of all funds; remitting to the conference; preserving documents; audited books; confidentiality.Treasurer p. 91 · Remitting Funds to the Conference / Audited p. 94

Chapter

Elections

Church Manual, "Elections" · p. 120

Nominating committee: appointment, process, work, reporting to the church, objections.Nominating Committee and the Election Process p. 120 · Reporting to the Church p. 123

Filling vacancies between elections.Filling Vacancies Between Elections p. 124

Delegates to the conference session: choosing and duty.Delegates to Local Conference Session p. 124 · Duty of Delegates p. 125

Chapter

Services and meetings

Church Manual, "Services and Other Meetings" · p. 127

Communion service: announcing, conducting, who may conduct it, communion for those who cannot attend.Communion Service p. 134 · Who May Conduct the Communion Service p. 138

Business meetings.Business Meetings p. 139

Church board: definition and function, work of the board, committees of the board.Church Board and Its Meetings p. 140 · Work of the Board p. 142

Finance committee.Finance Committee p. 143

Chapter

Finance

Church Manual, "Finance" · p. 146

Stewardship; tithe and its flow to the conference.Stewardship p. 147 · Tithe p. 148 · How Tithe Is Handled p. 149

Offerings; local church budget.Offerings p. 149 · Church Budget for Local Expenses p. 151

Handling and accounting for funds; auditing; transparency and accountability.Handling and Accounting for Funds / Auditing / Transparency p. 153

Chapter

Life of the church entity

Church Manual, "Organisation and Authority" · p. 25

Organising, uniting, dissolving a church or a company.Organising, Uniting, and Dissolving Churches and Companies p. 39 · Organising a Company p. 40 · Uniting Churches / Dissolving p. 42

Care of members, records, and funds.Care of Members, Records, and Funds p. 44

The two texts that settle it

The board recommends, the congregation decides. Two articles lock it: "Church Board Cannot Grant Letters" (p. 62) for transfers, and "Church Board Cannot Remove Members" (p. 73) for discipline. No membership action is taken by the board alone.

Source: Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual, 2025 ed. (General Conference) · titles and pages of the English edition. See also: Prerequisites & documents, Preparing a baptism, The elder in ceremonies, The acts. To be confirmed under your division / conference pagination and policies.