Organizational
Structure:
"The
body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though
all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with
Christ." 1 Corinthians 12:12
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The Toronto West SDA church is a member of the world wide body of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Seventh-day Adventist Church is composed of 38,000 congregations in 209 countries. To maintain strength, unity, and efficiency as we seek to reach a world of more than 5.7 billion people, the church is organized into four structural levels. |
The General Conference/divisions provide leadership on a global scale and focus on unique needs within various world fields.
Unions implement the church's vision and goals in their regions, adopting specific mission strategies in a way that fits their territory.
Conferences manage the day-to-day affairs of a group of churches and institutions, while coordinating the advancement of God's work in their assigned area.
Local churches nurture members and evangelize their communities. This Adventist system is designed to provide for shared resources while avoiding the duplication of responsibilities. It attempts to maintain a balance between independent congregations and centralized power.
Within these four levels the Church operates various institutions. In their world outreach, Adventists serve the whole person and have developed educational, health-care, publishing, and other institutions. The multiple units of the world Church, whether congregations, conferences, health-care institutions, publishing houses, schools, or other organizations, all find their organizational unity in the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists in which they have representation.
