History and Administration of Division Conferences

In the midst of a Supreme Court action once brought against one of our overseas divisions, the chief counsel for the plaintiff disputed the di­vision's right to quote from the General Conference policy in support of its position. Each division, he contended, was a sepa­rate and distinct organization not con­trolled by policies of the General Confer­ence. He supported his argument by com­paring the various world divisions to the segments of an orange, with each segment distinct from the others and an entity com­plete within itself. Our own advocate, seek­ing to establish the authority of the Gen­eral Conference on the point at issue, en­thusiastically accepted the illustration. "Agreed," he said, "the segments do in­deed represent the various divisions, but just as the peel of the orange unites them all in one complete whole, so the General Conference binds the divisions together into one great, united, world organization." This argument was a material factor in winning a case on which much depended.

That lawyer's depiction aptly sets forth the relationship between the General Con­ference organization and its divisions: divi­sions that are an integral part of the Gen­eral Conference, sustained and bound to­gether by its constitution, its counsels, and its policies.

Early in our work, and in fact up until 1913, divisions, as we now understand them, were not incorporated into the General Conference system of organization. The unions that existed, as well as certain de­tached missions, were directly under the supervision of the General Conference. As the Advent message, however, intensified its penetration into lands afar, with the resultant raising up of churches and the organizing of new conferences, missions, and unions, it became increasingly difficult for the General Conference to administer effectively such a complex and expanding system from one central point. With the long distances to be covered, and the limited number of representatives the Gen­eral Conference was able to send, personal contacts with outlying fields were far too infrequent and uncertain to do justice either to the needs of the field or to the intimate acquaintance that the General Conference needed to have with areas under its detailed administration.

In consequence of this need to adminis­ter more efficiently an ever-expanding work, at the 1913 session of the General Confer­ence, in Takoma Park, Washington, D.C., the great system of "divisions" came into being. Unions and detached fields in var­ious continents or geographical areas were, by provision of the General Conference Constitution, now to be grouped together, not as self-governing organizations, but as divisions of the General Conference.

History of the Organization of General  Conference Division

True, this was not the first time that some of the elemental aspects of divisions had been thought of. As early as 1903 the General Conference at Oakland, California, created, as a partial remedy for the grow­ing problems of administration, a vice-presi­dent for Europe and for North America. Both had the right to meet with their re­spective union presidents and act as a su­pervisory committee. In 1909 the Asiatic Division came into being, but this, like the others, had no constitutional basis. The General Conference also in its 1907 bien­nial session in Gland, Switzerland, and later in 1911 at Friedensau, Germany, studied the need, but no suitable organiza­tion was yet forthcoming.

In 1912, however, those having charge of union conferences and union missions in Europe prepared a memorial that was placed before the General Conference Fall Council of that year. It told of administra­tive difficulties confronting their present system of organization. These difficulties, the memorial stated, were "not felt so keenly" in North America, where the Gen­eral Conference could "deal directly with the union and local conferences." After the problem was further elaborated, it was en­visaged that similar conditions would soon arise in other sections of the world field. "Europe's needs today," the memorial con­tinued, "will be the needs of South Amer­ica, Asia, and other parts of the world tomorrow. It can only be a matter of time until the world, as such, will have to be comprised fully in this divisional organiza­tion."

The 1912 Fall Council considered the memorial favorably and recommended that it be referred to the 1913 General Confer­ence session. At this session the following action was taken:

"1   That, in response to the memorial submitted by the European brethren to the Fall Council, 1912, we adopt the general plan of organizing important territories and groups of union fields into General Con­ference divisions, and that this form of divisional organization be effected in the various fields as the conditions of the work require.

"2   That the numerical basis of repre­sentation from the division conferences and division missions to the General Confer­ence be that called for by the General Con­ference Constitution.

"3   That the general mission funds of the division be reported quarterly to the treas­urer of the General Conference, and that they be included in the financial statements of the General Conference.

"4   That steps be taken at this confer­ence for the organization of the European Division Conference, with a constitution in harmony with the provisions of the General Conference Constitution."

This resolution, by strange coincidence, was presented to the General Conference on the 21st of May, exactly fifty years to a day after the General Conference itself had been organized in 1863. It was on the fol­lowing day that the action was passed and the governing Constitution and By-Laws adopted. At the same General Conference session the North American Division Con­ference and the Asiatic Division Mission were organized. Authority was also given for the organization of the South American Division "at such time and place as they (the General Conference Committee) may deem advisable."

There are at the time of writing thirteen world divisions. The dates of their organi­zation, as at the present time constituted, are as follows:

General Conference Level of Division Administration

The administration of divisions has been patterned largely after that of the General Conference. The officers comprise: a presi­dent, a secretary, and a treasurer. The pres­ident is also a vice-president of the General Conference and, with his associate officers, is responsible to it for the administration of the work in the division over which he presides. These officers, together with the division departmental and field secretaries and the secretary of the Ministerial Associa­tion, are all elected by the General Con­ference in session. They are members both of the division and of the General Confer­ence committees, as are also the presidents of union conferences and union missions within each division territory. Other per­sons, including heads of division institu­tions, may be elected to membership in the division committee, but such membership does not place them on the General Conference Committee.

The committee of each division consti­tutes the administrative authority of the General Conference for the territory of that division, the General Conference Constitu­tion and By-Laws providing that "actions taken by division committees pertaining to the administration of affairs in division fields, shall be considered final, provided they are in harmony with the plans and policy of the General Conference as set forth in the Constitution and By-Laws, and in its Executive Committee actions at reg­ular Autumn Councils." (General Confer­ence By-Laws, Art. XI, sec. 3).

It is the responsibility of divisions to represent the General Conference fully and to promote all of its aims and objectives in all of their relationships. They are annually to present the needs of their various organi­zations to the General Conference and to receive from the General Conference ap­propriations for distribution within their territory. The placing of calls for mission­aries and other workers from fields with­out their territory is also the responsibility of the several divisions, and all such calls, together with the release of such workers, must be negotiated with the General Con­ference through each division committee.

In these matters and many others the division committees, being so much nearer to their problems than the General Con­ference headquarters could possibly be, constitute today a most important link in the administration of our worldwide work. They are able to keep constantly aware of the prevailing conditions in their various territories. They are in a position to ob­serve the needs for help—spiritual, eco­nomic, and administrative. They can keep a fairly even balance between their respec­tive fields, giving special help where that help is noted to be needed most, and ad­vancing on all fronts as evenly as is con­sistently possible.

With a staff of experienced workers, de­partmental and executive, they can appor­tion help at short notice to union and local sessions, to camp meetings, committees, in­stitutes and conventions, and to educational and medical institutions. In the case of major meetings of union committees and institutional boards, either in home or mis­sion areas, division representation is made available whenever possible. Through such representation, both the division and the convening committees are greatly benefited: the committees by counsel from men ac­quainted with current and like problems in other fields, and the division by an enlarged understanding of the tasks in hand, and of the current and often increasing needs with respect to personnel, finances, and other vital phases of the union's program.

Division Administration of Unions

Most divisions embrace a number of unions. Each union, in turn, and sometimes each local conference or mission within that union, will represent a number of countries, nationalities, and languages. Representatives of these many nationalities meet together in division biennial councils, in institutes and departmental conventions, in union and local sessions, on institutional boards, and on their several committees. Annually they distribute their limited bud­get appropriations and self-sacrificingly plan to meet one another's special needs. Upon the division devolves a large share of the responsibility in binding these many nationalities together into a wonderful in­ternational fellowship that is often closer and more enduring than family bonds.

Each division is responsible for the es­tablishment and administration of a fund for the care of its sick and aged workers not otherwise provided for. This fund must be administered in harmony with the princi­ples set forth in the General Conference Sustentation Plan. Allowances from the fund are to be made by the division com­mittee at its discretion.

Division approval must be secured for the organization within its territory of any new local conferences or missions and for any territorial adjustments in existing local conferences and missions. When it is contemplated to organize any new union con­ferences or union missions or to adjust the territory of existing unions, General Con­ference approval must first be sought. Such cooperative administration preserves unity.

The division committee, usually at the time of its biennial councils, elects the pres­ident, secretary-treasurer, and auditor of union missions. In the case of union con­ference sessions the president of the divi­sion serves as chairman of the special com­mittee to appoint the standing committees, and he will also normally serve as chairman of the nominating committee. It is his duty at all times to stand as counselor to the officers of unions and detached mis­sions, as well as to those in charge of divi­sion departments or institutions.

Closely associated with the president in all of his duties are his fellow officers, the secretary and the treasurer, and in some cases their assistants. It is the duty of these officers to carry forward the work according to plans and policies agreed upon by the division committee. The treasurer is held responsible for keeping up the accounting system of the division, so that financial state­ments adequately reflecting the affairs of the respective organizations may be sup­plied monthly to the president and to others who may require them.

In the case of overseas divisions benefit­ing from the overflow of the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering, it is the division com­mittee—working primarily through its of­ficers and the division Sabbath school sec­retary—who take the responsibility for se­curing and presenting to the world field up-to-date and inspiring material from within its territory, and especially from the projects selected to benefit. It is also the privilege of the division at all times to en­sure that the progress of the work through­out its territory is reported to the General Conference and to the world field, as well as to its own membership. Especially is it advantageous that the home fields, both within the division territory and abroad, be kept informed of developments that will hearten their generous, yet inquiring mis­sion givers.

The division must be constantly alert to possible dangers under rapidly changing conditions, and give intelligent and timely counsel in meeting these dangers. It must wisely and unobtrusively guide its unions into the formulation and acceptance of policies and into a course of action that might, from the unions' more localized situ­ation, not always be discerned as being in their own individual interests, but which from a larger viewpoint can be seen ulti­mately to benefit both them and the work at large.

The division must, at all times, inspire the entire leadership and working force in all of its fields to a hearty support of every denominational objective, both in the standards of Christian living and in a more aggressive evangelistic program in all of its phases.

Spiritual Responsibility of Division Leadership

Transcending every other duty and rela­tionship is the spiritual responsibility that the leadership of every division must bear for the millions within its territory still un­warned, and for its many thousands of members who look for counsel and guid­ance and for a godly example from those who serve so great a portion of the Master's vineyard. Of the divinely appointed spirit­ual leader in ancient Israel it was declared: "And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel . .. upon his heart . . . for a memorial before the Lord continually." Although Aaron ministered in behalf of so great a multitude, his was to be warm­hearted, constant devotion to the individ­ual spiritual interests of the people he served.

Today those bearing responsibilities in division organizations are also the servants of many people. Their service, too, must be rendered from an abounding love for those they serve. No exercise of official responsibility, however efficiently it be ren­dered, can take the place of this vital re­lationship in dealing with the souls of men. Personal interests, self-esteem, and disre­gard of the equal rights of others must, above all things, be assiduously avoided. The influence of the most trivial act, often overlooked in others, can so easily be mag­nified in division leaders, causing incal­culable injury to the flock.

The determination so often expressed by our early pioneers, "to spend and be spent in the Master's service," must find practical reality in the leadership we give today. Such a determination in a division leader will be multiplied a thousandfold as it over­flows into every denominational channel: from the division to the unions, from the unions to the local conferences, from the local conferences to the churches, and from the churches into the eager waiting hearts of their many thousands of loyal, responsive church members.

To the end that this experience may be enjoyed by every worker in every division, we commend a statement from Frederick Lee in the Review and Herald, December 22, 1955: "It is not so much great physical strength or scholastic ability or material assets for which we need to pray. It is rather this: 'Lord, make us men whose spirits will not flag when the going is hard, who will continue to press on when success seems hopeless, who will surrender no prin­ciple for momentary gain, who will allow no side attraction to turn them from their path of duty; men who will inspire the dispirited, renew confidence in the critical, and by the power of the godly life lead souls to Christ.' "

Divisions manned by men like these will mightily measure up to the expectations of both God and man in the supreme task before us of preparing a people for the glorious soon-coming of our Lord.