Discipline and the Church Manual
There are only two grounds for disfellowshipment validated by inspiration:
- doctrinal apostasy, and
- living a life of open sin, violating the commandments of God.
Nevertheless, as the Seventh-day Adventist Church has moved From
Truth to Intolerance, another standard was established. The new
standard is built upon "loyalty to the church." "Loyalty
to the church" comes to be interpreted as "a non-critical
attitude toward the church," "a non-critical attitude toward
other members of the church," "a non-critical attitude toward
the leaders and pastors of the church."
The central role of the Church Manual in Seventh-day Adventist Churches
today makes it hard to believe that for almost 90 years, Seventh-day
Adventists had no church manual. How did the Church Manual come to be
and what are the problems in its use? Find out in The
Saga of the Church Manual.
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