Members of the Seventh-day Adventist executive committee voted April 19 to move toward a more streamlined offering system worldwide, and they committed to providing more information about how offering funds are divided and used.

The proposal to simplify the Adventist Church’s offering system came out of a five-day world Stewardship Summit held in April 2001, where delegates from each of the church’s 12 administrative districts focused on ways of making the system more firmly grounded in the biblical model of giving as worship. Delegates also called for renewed emphasis on accountability and transparency in the use of funds within the church.

Under the simplified offering proposal all regular offerings will go to a unified fund to be distributed according to established guidelines. A distribution plan will ensure the systematic support of all levels of the organization. It will begin with percentages calculated on the current giving patterns.  It will emphasize the local church and its strategic budget. An individual donor’s choice to give to a specific purpose or fund will always be respected, says Ben Maxson, world church stewardship director.

Maxson will now oversee the process of preparing specific policies to implement this streamlined offering system. These policies will be considered by the church’s executive committee when it meets again in October for Annual Council.