On October 11, delegates at the 2026 Annual Council passed a motion to undertake a review of the Church Manual.

Associate secretary of the General Conference (GC) of Seventh-day Adventists, Gerson Santos, presented the motion, with information on how the decision had been arrived at, what the terms of reference would be, and what the time frame would look like, in order to have the revised version ready to be voted on at the 2030 GC Session.  

The motion recommended: “to approve the concept of a comprehensive revision of the Church Manual to be presented at the 2030 General Conference Session.”

The hope is to bring any recommendations to the 2030 GC session. However, Santos acknowledged that a lot of work would be needed in the meantime.

“For this to happen, we need to work very hard in the next two years,” he said.

“We need enough time in advance to have everything ready before Annual Council 2028, so we have one year to review and bring back the document in 2029 for this body to include on the GC session agenda.”

Santos provided background to the motion, sharing that in 2008, a recommendation was made to make a comprehensive update. In 2019, another recommendation was made for a revision; however, the pandemic in 2020 delayed some of the process.

“We always have updates to the Church Manual,” said Santos. “This has been going on for decades.”

At the last GC Session, 29 items were updated, especially areas where the language was repetitive or redundant.

Proposed review process

The Church Manual Committee met on September 15 and recommended a comprehensive revision. The committee held a second meeting on September 29 to develop the terms of reference and a recommended roadmap.

The proposed review would examine the Church Manual’s structure, organization, and language, with an emphasis on simplifying content and reducing repetition. Santos explained that the process would also seek to distinguish more clearly between principles that apply to the global church and practices that may vary by region.

In some cases, division supplements could provide more detailed guidance that addresses local needs while remaining consistent with the principles of the Church Manual.

The review would involve consultation with church leaders worldwide, including local pastors and other leaders who regularly use the manual. Surveys and feedback opportunities would help identify areas needing clarification or improvement.

A smaller revision team would coordinate the drafting process under the direction of the Church Manual Committee, with additional theological and governance review to ensure the proposed changes remain consistent with the Church’s beliefs and mission.

Under the proposed timeline, an initial draft would be prepared for consideration by Annual Council in 2028, allowing time for further review and adjustments. The revised document would then return to Annual Council in 2029 for consideration before being placed on the agenda for the 2030 GC Session, where delegates would have the final authority to approve any changes.

“The purpose is to create a church manual that will be more widely used and accepted by the global church,” said Santos.

Santos highlighted that some areas of the world used the Church Manual more actively, but hoped the update would create a document that was “clear, coherent, and practical”.

“Our goal is to have a document that is very functional and clear for local church leaders,” he said.

Delegate discussion

The motion generated significant comments from the meeting floor.

Norbert Zens, from Inter-European Division, called the undertaking “truly brave,” while seeking to clarify the Administrative Committee's (ADCOM) role in setting the revisions. He also questioned the time given, suggesting the motion required time to “think about” and provide “substantial feedback.”

Santos responded: “Every quinquennium, ADCOM votes new standing committees, and the Church Manual Committee is one of them, formed by members of this committee, with representation of lay people, pastors, and administrators.”

Former GC president, Ted NC Wilson, spoke to clarify the meaning of the word “comprehensive” in the motion. He said he would support the changes if he could receive clarity that the intention was to “reduce redundancy, increase clarity, perhaps make the manual a little bit shorter.”

He requested clarification from leadership; otherwise, GC Session might not go for 10 days but 30, drawing laughter from many in attendance.

Erton Köhler, GC president, responded from the floor: “My main concern is that in polarizing times, this kind of discussion can be expanded to all kind of conspiracy."

“From the first to the last page is what comprehensive means, not review principles or fundamental beliefs. We are not trying to water down our behavior or our fundamental beliefs.” Köhler said the intention was for the Church Manual to be read through to streamline additions, reduce content, and ensure compliance with legal standards around the world.

“Our intention is not to touch on changing anything that we believe as the church,” he said.

Johathan Lamorin from the Southern-Asia Pacific Division, encouraged attendees to remember that change is always present, and that they could “submit it to the Holy Spirit, to the Lord,” and that it would be done with “good intentions” to present the revisions for the “good of the church.”

“I hope what is being planned here is a more streamlined church manual,” said Niklas Rantanen from Trans-European Division. “Even though getting it done is a huge effort, in sessions that follow, maybe we are going to have an easier time. . . . If we can revise, we should at least try.”

The motion passed 167 to 32.