The 2020 Potomac Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Quinquennial Constituency Meeting was postponed to March, 2021. The meeting will be held as an online event on March 14, 2021.
Potomac Conference Bylaws
The Potomac Conference Bylaws Committee is seeking to make a change regarding the accountability of the Conference to the World Church (GC). Here is the original language of their bylaws under ARTICLE XXI – GENERAL PROVISIONS:
Section 4: Interpretation. Headings and captions used herein are inserted for convenience
39 only and shall not be used to construe the scope or content of any provision. In the case of any
40 conflict between the provisions of the Working Policies of the General Conference and the
41 Division or the Articles and these Bylaws the Working Policies of the General Conference and
42 the Division or the Articles, as applicable and in that order, shall control.
Proposed Changes
Section 4: Interpretation. Headings and captions used herein are inserted for convenience
39 only and shall not be used to construe the scope or content of any provision. In the case of any
40 conflict between the provisions of the Working Policies of the General Conference and the
41 Division or the Articles and these Bylaws, the Standing Articles and Bylaws Committee shall
42 consider whether any changes to these Bylaws are appropriate and whether the Working Policies
of the General Conference and the Division or the Articles, as applicable and in that order, shall
control.
What Does This Mean?
The current bylaws of the Potomac Conference state that if there is a difference in policy between the Conference and the GC, the working policy of the GC shall prevail (or “control”). In the spirit of Christian submission, they yield private opinion to the formal will of the World SDA Church (James 3:7, 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5-6; 1 Peter 3:5-6).
The proposed change states that if there is a disagreement or difference in policy between the Potomac Conference and the GC, the Standing Articles and Bylaws Committee has the authority to determine if their own policy is appropriate.
Why would a Seventh-day Adventist Conference give their Standing Articles and Bylaws Committee the capacity to undermine the authority of the World Church? I’ll give you two words,
Women’s Ordination
Those of you who think that the issue of women’s ordination has been swallowed up by Covid, riots & looting, national elections and hyper-drive wokeness should think again. The issue of women’s ordination is a sacred cow to the militant left in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and they will not let it go until they get their way by any means possible. One concerned delegate to the Potomac Constituency Meeting wrote to the Potomac Conference, asking why this troubling change in their bylaws was being proposed. Here is the answer he received from a ‘lawyer type’ who is on the Bylaws Committee,
"It is true, the changes (referring to Article XXI, Section IV) were taken in response to the General Conference's appointment of Inquisitors to discipline Conferences and Unions that do not adhere to its directives. These changes will provide legal protection to the Potomac Conference should the General Conference press the issue all the way to court. (God forbid!) Even if we were to disagreee with the stand that the Union and Potomac Conference have taken with respect to women's ordination and the meaning of unity within the Seventh day Adventist Church, it is not the role of this committee to countermand those decisions by recommending bylaws that leave the Potomac Conference open to legal liability. Indeed, doing so would all but guarantee that this issue will end up in court if level heads do not prevail at the higher levels of our church leadership."
This response was sent to the concerned delegate via email, after he pressed for an answer of, "Why are we doing this". The answer came from a "Legal mind" who was intimately involved in the creation of the wording of this proposed change.
It should be remembered that part of the blame for liberal Conferences rests upon the enabling shoulders of their Union and Division leaders (in this case Dave Weigley, and Alexander Bryant). Bill Miller (Potomac president) is also culpable.
Comments From Potomac Delegates
“If approved, this change will further remove Potomac from the [brotherhood] of worldwide Adventist churches by stripping away one of the very, very few layers of actionable accountability to that wider church.”
“When we attempt to propose a questionable revision to the bylaws to protect our earthly opinions and put a possible wedge between our conference and our world church, we are most assuredly treading on dangerous ground.”
“I respectfully urge the Standing Articles and Bylaws Committee to strike this proposed change. If it is not struck, the natural reading of the English language would indicate that Potomac Conference is wanting to head out on its own and not be accountable to the wider sisterhood of churches as before.”
The Proposed Change Could be a Strong Move Towards Congregationalism. As implied in #2 above, if the Potomac Conference does not need to follow the voted policies of the world church, then it would appear we are moving one step closer to seceding from the worldwide Adventist Church. Some will say, "That's ridiculous - we are held together by biblical beliefs, not policy!" But this thought ignores the fact that by definition, a church's policies are heavily interwoven with and determined by its theological beliefs; they can never (and never should) be separated.
The liberals in the Church are positioning themselves to get their way, even legally, if necessary. Is that the Spirit of Christ? No. It is the spirit of the one who makes war with the Remnant (Rev. 12:17).
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