(Special Report from the South Pacific Record) Delegates at a business meeting of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific region (or division) voted overwhelmingly in favor of restructuring church administration.  This means that church administration will be streamlined, with four administrative districts (unions) instead of the previous five. The new boundaries will take effect January 1, 2001.

This result was anticipated after two-and-one-half-years of study and consultation—particularly in places most affected by the changes.

“The outcome is a step in the right direction,” says division secretary Dr. Barry Oliver. “This has been an extended process, and it has been clear that church members particularly, and quite a number of administrators, say we have to do much more.  We can find more efficiencies in our organization structure.”

The changes not only cut back five union administrations to four, but also streamlined and repositioned some departments within these organizations.  For instance, the health department at the division has been strengthened from two to three positions.  But because no health directors will be appointed at the union conference level, there is a net financial saving of one budget.

“In broad terms it will be appreciated,” says Chester Stanley, president of the soon-to-be-abolished Trans-Tasman Union Conference and president-elect of the new Australian Union Conference. “I think it’s also painful for a lot of individuals,” he adds, “and I hope administrators are aware of the pain and treat people carefully.”

Stanley adds that people were interested to read reports of administrators voting themselves out of jobs. “Sometimes there’s a fairly jaundiced view that the administrators look after themselves pretty well,” he says.

With the restructure, Australia will become a union conference, and the New Zealand Pacific Union Conference (NZPUC) will include French Polynesia, the Cook Islands and New Caledonia.

“A lot of us see roads we could go down,” adds Oliver. “Some are quite radical, some less radical.  The fact is, we must go down some of those roads and explore them.  The key thing is to do it together.

“There’s going to be a fair bit of discussion and possibly some disagreement in implementing the restructure decision,” says Oliver, “but that will be worked through, and we’ll move forward together.”