The following is a vivid illustration of the on-going general structure and practices of SDACLC as far as internal operation is concerned. This is what has been observed for the past many years. The reader must be informed that SDACLC is always in the process of biblical reformation both internally and externally. This reformation will continue as we wait the second coming of Christ. Thus, every policy adopted that will be found inconsistent with the FOUND TRUE LIGHT will be amended or dismantled.
The SDACLC has no CHURCH MANUAL and will not attempt to make one. ( See http://www.adventperspective.org/transcripts/manual.html#top
http://www.steps2life.org/html/helpful_quotations.html )
Hence we can only have to look at the traces of the past to understand the SDACLC general structure and operations.
Furthermore, the following illustration of SDACLC structure and operations may not be accurate and appears ready for correction. This is simply believed to be the frontal view of the over all picture depicted by the long time member of the SDACLC Board of Trustees ( National Church Board ). To help the reader understand, some examples and explanations are presented.
The National Church
The SDACLC is the National Church, commonly known as National Organization. The definition of the church is based upon the following:
“I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” John 10:14-16
“ And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.” Eze 34:31
“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18
“ And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” Col 1: 18
“For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church.” Eph 5:23-30
"God has a church. It is not the great cathedral, neither is it the national establishment, neither is it the various denominations; it is the people who love God and keep His commandments. `Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them' (Matt. 18:20). Where Christ is even among the humble few, this is Christ's church, for the presence of the High and Holy One who inhabiteth eternity can alone constitute a church." Upward Look, p 315.
"There is no other church than the assembly of those who have the Word of God, and who are purified by it." Spirit of Prophecy, vol 4, p 237.
"God has a church upon the earth who are His chosen people, who keep His commandments. He is leading, not stray offshoots, not one here and one there, but a people." Testimonies to Ministers, p 61.
"Those who keep God's commandments, those who live not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, compose the church of the living God." SDA Bible Commentary, vol 7, p 949.
"The church on earth, composed of those who are faithful and loyal to God, is the `true tabernacle,' whereof the Redeemer is the Minister. God, and not man, pitched this tabernacle on a high, elevated platform." SDA Bible Commentary, vol 7, p 931.
"Consider, my brethren and sisters, that the Lord has a people, a chosen people, His church, to be His own, His own fortress, which He holds in a sin-stricken, revolted world; and He intended that no authority should be known in it, no laws be acknowledged by it, but His own." Testimonies to Ministers, p 16.
She has been registered as an organization and as a church in the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission in the 1980’s ( Romans 13: 1- 6 ). Her office is located at Bayugan SDA Church, Narra Avenue, Bayugan, Agusan del Sur, Philippines.
National Church Officers, Elections and Functions
Yearly officers such as the National Organization President, National Organization Secretary and National Organization Treasurer will be elected every year. Some vacant places in the 15 man Board of Trustees will also be filled-in through election.
The National Organization President will act as the National Church Elder , the National Organization Secretary as the National Church Secretary, the National Organization Treasurer as the National Church Treasurer . the National Organization Auditor ( National Church Auditor ) and the 15 man Board of Trustees and , most of the times, together with all ordained ministers and nationally commissioned Laymen as the National Church Board.
The Regional Church
The SDACLC ( National Church ) is composed of Regional Churches, commonly known as “Regions”. Each of these Regional Churches is being served by the Regional Church Elder, commonly known as “Regional Administrator”. At present, SDACLC has eight regional churches nationwide. The elected regional church officers, regionally commissioned ordained ministers and laymen will act as Regional Church Board.
There is no fixed house of worship or building for the agreed schedules of the Regional Fellowships or gathering. Her office location is on the discretion of the Regional Church Elder. Mostly, where ever the Regional Church Elder is housed, the office is there also.
The District Church
Every regional church is composed of District Churches, commonly known as “Districts”. Each of these districts is served by a “District Elder”. At present, the number of district churches in each of the eight regional churches will range from one up to nine. The CARAGA Regional Church, for instance, has nine district churches, while the Cebu Regional Church has only one.
The Unit Church
Each of the district churches is composed of Unit Churches or Local Churches, commonly known as “the Church” .
The Unit Church is composed of SDACLC members. She has a fixed building or house of worship, commonly known as “Church Building”. When such building is happened to be in the house of a certain SDACLC member, then such Unit Church is commonly called Home Church Division or Home Division. There is no fixed number of “Unit Churches” to every district church.
The Unit Church has a set of officers that together with the Unit Church Elder ( Known as "Church Elder") will act as the Unit Church Board, commonly known as “Church Board”.
Election Process for the National Church Officers
Up to ten percent of every Unit Church Members can participate in the voting process to elect the National Church Elder ( National Organization President ), National Church Secretary ( National Organization Secretary ), National Church Treasurer ( National Organization Treasurer ), National Church Auditor ( National Organization Auditor ) and some vacant places for the National Church Board ( National Organization Board of trustees ). It is worthy to note that every member of the National Church Board is elected for four-year term. The National Church Elder, National Church Secretary, National Church Treasurer and National Church Auditor, each has one year term.
Election Process for Regional and District Church Officers
It has been observed that the election processes for the Regional and District Church Elders are not uniform. Most of the times, it has been the practice of the National Church Board to appoint the Regional and District Church Elders and it is up to the District Churches or Unit Churches in the area to accept or reject such action of the National Church Board. In some cases, proper elections or “draw lots” were held for the position of the district church elders.
Note: There are already ideas in the sidelines that there must be proper elections by the concerned district churches or unit churches and not by the National Church Board to choose the Regional Church Elder and the District Church Elder. This idea must still be discussed in the National Church Board.
Qualifications for the National, Regional and District Church Elders
It has been the policy of the National Church that only the ordained ministers can fill-up the positions of the National and Regional Church Elders. Though this policy is not written upon the stone, most of the National Church members will not disagree to such policy.
The District Church elder, however, can be filled-up by any elected SDACLC member. It has been observed that some district elders are ordained ministers while others are not.
National Convention
The National Church ( SDACLC ) will hold National Church Convention, commonly known as “National Convention” on April or May every year.
There is no permanent National House of Worship or venue of such National Convention. Most of the times, the congregation will reach an agreement as to where the next National Convention will be held during National Convention. Practically, it must be held in a place where there is a Unit Church to assume as the National Church Convention Host. The facilities such as housing for more or less a thousand participants, a gymnasium or a large hall, a venue for the youth’s camping activities, light and power and security of the area will be considered.
Though the hosting of the National Church Convention agreed by the majority of the National Convention participants during the previous National Convention, the National Church Board assumes the authority to make changes to the agreement when the situation warrants. The decline for instance of the host unit church for some reasons warrants for the change of the Convention venue. There was even an occasion when the National Church Elder exercised his prerogative to change the venue just one week before the National Convention when he learned the security problem in the area. After the Regional Church Elder reported to his office about the security threats to the participants, he acted immediately to change the venue. That was an occasion that the National Church Board was no longer practical to call for a quorum.
Evangelistic Efforts in All Level of Churches
It has been the working policy of the National Church to maintain income sharing scheme between the unit church, regional church and the national church treasuries. Since the members will bring tithes and offerings to the unit church, the unit church will give 46% share of these tithes and offerings to the regional church treasury and a portion of these to the national church treasury. This scheme makes possible for the three levels of churches to function their sacred duties. Different evangelistic efforts are most of the times simultaneously implemented. The Bayugan SDA Church, for instance at one time, together with some other small churches in the district was able to support laymen for evangelism in that district, while the regional church' funded evangelization in the other area was on-going. This also happened at the time that the National Church Leadership has different projects also being considered. Similar case, at present, is happenning at Linamon SDA Church that financed the DXRJ Radio program by herself for many years already while the regional church is busy of other different projects.
There is weakness to this scheme. While each level of churches has the resources, these resources in some areas are too small that projects are sometimes delayed and sometimes being stopped due to budget shortage. However, the National Church found this scheme to be the best and effective method for the three level churches to operate. This can be observed in the discussion of the Church Powers.
Power Sharing Among the Churches
It has been the working policy of the National Church to respect the powers of each level of churches. Whatever decision made through the church board by a Unit Church, for instance, will be respected. The Unit Church is so highly respected that the National Church never and will not attempt to discipline any of them for any case may be. This is due to the definition of the church we have adopted.
On the contrary, the Unit Church oftentimes threatens the Regional or National Church. In some cases in the past, a certain Unit Church threatened not to give a share of her tithes and offerings to the other level churches. Because the Regional and the National Churches depend mainly to the share they got from the unit churches to pursue their respective projects, this threat of the unit church was really hurting. Another unit church threatened to separate from the National Church for some reasons. These are some of the prerogatives exercised by every unit church. Such prerogatives of the unit church can be observed because of the following situations:
1. Almost every unit church owns her lot title. The National Church Board maintains this policy not to ask the unit church to surrender her lot title, but rather encourages her to hold it as her own property.
2. The unit church is the main source of the financial support for all the projects and ministerial honoraria. Thus, the unit church is being looked up as the main financial supporter. The SDACLC has no business enterprise and will not undergo any business to earn income, thus the ministers will rely mainly to the unit church for financial support.
Remarks:
The National Church believes that any business enterprise in a church as a source of income will become an instrument of the devil in setting a foothold within the church. This has been observed from other denominations. The business enterprise will direct the church on acquiring financial gains more than spiritual gains. Worldly affairs and affiliations will soon be considered to improve the business climate and makes the business competitive to the world. In the process, some spiritual principles must be waived or compromised.
First and foremost, the National Church desires each of her individual members to reach heaven. If this aspiration means deprivation of earthly treasures, so be it. The national church prays to God for His leading and intervention every now and then.
"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1Tim 6:10"
3. The Unit Church has the privilege to negotiate for other sharing scheme other that 54% to 46% scheme for some reasons. The National Church Board respects this privilege of the unit church.
Similar powers exercised by the District and Regional Churches. This can be observed directly as the Regional and District Churches are composed of Unit Churches.
