A pocket pamphlet that began guiding Seventh-day Adventist leaders a century ago took center stage at Annual Council on October 12, as church leaders marked the 100th anniversary of the General Conference Working Policy with history, reflection, and birthday cake.
The centennial celebration, held at the end of a packed day of business meetings and reports at the General Conference (GC) headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, traced the Working Policy from its approval in 1926 to today’s expanded volume and plans for a more accessible digital format.
The look back at a century of Working Policy quickly turned to the larger question of how policy serves mission today.
“Mission without policy becomes confusion,” an introductory video stated. “Policy is not the mission. Policy is the framework that makes mission possible.”
A policy takes shape
Rick McEdward, GC executive secretary, said the centennial was about more than the longevity of a document.
“Why do we celebrate?” he asked. “It’s not because we are still here that we celebrate. But we commemorate Working Policy because after the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy, it is one of the foundational organizational documents that we have.”
Pointing to 1 Corinthians 14:33—“God is not the God of confusion, but the God of peace”—McEdward connected the need for policy with an orderly approach to the Church’s work. He identified the 28 Fundamental Beliefs, the Church Manual, and the Working Policy as foundational organizational documents, and said policy provides clarity and consistency, helps ensure people are treated fairly, and offers protection for the Church as it grows.
“Policy cannot do mission,” he said. “Policy helps us so that we can do mission in an organized and structured way.”
Myron Iseminger, former GC undersecretary, brought that history into the room by holding up an original copy of the Working Policy approved 100 years ago.
What began as a 63-page pamphlet has grown to 837 pages, he said, preserving decisions and providing guidance as the worldwide church has expanded. Adventist membership grew from roughly 69,000 in 1901 to more than 261,000 by 1926, prompting church leaders, including then-president William A. Spicer, to gather key decisions and documents in one place.
The first Working Policy was officially approved during the 1926 Autumn Council in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States.
GC Policy and Projects manager Tami Boward described the Working Policy as a “living document” that continues to change as the church develops. She highlighted new resources, including online access through the Secretariat webpage, a booklet, and additional educational episodes designed to help members better understand church organization and how policy functions. Boward said the initiative is also an investment in young people and future church leaders.
When policy matters
A century later, Hensley Moorooven, GC undersecretary, said the document remains closely tied to the everyday work of church leadership.
“Policy does not matter until it matters,” Moorooven said. “And when it matters, it matters a lot.”
After 24 years working with the policy in Secretariat, Moorooven said he consults it two or three times a day. “Policy is not the mission,” he said. “Policy is the guardrail that helps mission to reach its ultimate objective. Policy is here to serve mission. It is its servant, not its master.”
That relationship carried into a panel with executive secretaries from three world divisions. Ivan Velgosha, Euro-Asia Division, said Working Policy calls the church to “unity, not uniformity,” allowing methods to differ while maintaining shared principles.
Edward Heidinger, South American Division, described how policy provisions helped leaders restructure territories in southern Brazil, while Gideon Reyneke, Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division said asking, “What does the written policy say?” can bring clarity and save time.
Moorooven put it simply: “Without policy, mission has no structure; without mission, policy has no purpose.”
Guiding everyday decisions
That connection also plays out in the everyday decisions church leaders face.
“The Working Policy is my friend, my mentor, and advisor,” said Gerardo Cajobe, president of the Southern Luzon Philippine Union Mission. Before chairing committee meetings, Cajobe said, he reviews the agenda and relevant sections of the policy.
Daniel Duda, president of the Trans-European Division, described the Working Policy as his “bread and butter,” saying he consults it regularly rather than relying on memory.
“It’s there to protect you,” Duda said. “Otherwise, you are making decisions based on individuals, and that will backfire.”
From a financial perspective, the Working Policy is also a key tool connecting every level of the church, said Judy Glass, treasurer of the North American Division, who consults it regularly on financial and budget matters. “We don’t see it as a static document,” she said. “We see it as a living document that needs to grow and change and shift as the times change and as the church changes.”
David Melville of New Zealand, a lay member serving his second year on the GC Executive Committee, said learning about the history of the Working Policy gave him a broader view of the worldwide church and how it carries out its mission.
Leaders also looked ahead to making Working Policy easier to understand and use. New educational resources are being developed, along with plans for a digital-first format that would allow leaders to search policies online and view GC and division policies side by side, among other features.
‘A great resource for our mission’
Closing the celebration, GC president Erton Köhler described the Working Policy as an evangelistic resource, linking sound administration to the church’s ability to carry out its mission.
“I truly believe that if used correctly, the Working Policy can be a great resource for our mission,” Köhler said.
He pointed to three areas that are essential to mission—organization, efficiency, and trust.
“No organization, no mission,” he said. “No efficiency, no mission. And no trust, no mission.”
Clear policies, Köhler said, help the church make effective decisions, build trust, and preserve time, energy, and resources for mission.
“More than celebrating 100 years of Working Policy, we are here celebrating one of the most important resources of our mission,” he said. “We just need to be faithful to its [guidance], and we just need to keep the focus on the mission.”
The centennial program concluded with balloons, birthday hats, and cake. Attendees also received a commemorative book featuring a reproduction of the original 63-page Working Policy.
