LETTER FROM CHURCHES TO NPUC DELEGATES

TO 2016 CONSTITUENCY MEETING

September 11-24, 2016

This letter is prepared for delegates to the September 25, 2016 North Pacific Union Conference (NPUC) constituency session by your NPUC churches listed below.

Our churches have become aware that the current president of the Washington Conference presided over the adoption of a commissioned minister policy contradicting the world church, and that Washington Conference members have warned that in light of this, their conference president should not be elected president of the NPUC.

We do not doubt that the individual in question is well meaning. However, the facts are clear. Under his guidance, the Washington Conference executive committee adopted a policy contradicting the Church Manual, the NAD Working Policy, and General Conference Working Policy. Incredibly, the policy was enacted just three months after the San Antonio decision refusing to permit subsections (Divisions, Unions, Conferences) to act independently of the world church. The Washington Conference is now operating in contradiction to the world church.

Now, the individual who chaired the committee which enacted this policy on the conference level, has been nominated to become president of the North Pacific Union.

No matter how sincere this individual, his role in the adoption of the Washington Conference policy makes him a symbol of defiance toward the General Conference. We believe his nomination to be a grave error. Our congregations wish to remain in full harmony with the world church. We cannot support the candidacy of John Freedman for NPUC president. We ask that delegates send the report back to the nominating committee so that a different name may be considered for Union president.

Thank you for carefully considering this nomination and the facts of this matter.

Sincerely,

Stateline, OR Seventh-day Adventist church board, voted September 11, 2016
Deer Park, WA Seventh-day Adventist church board, voted September 12, 2016
Heppner, OR Seventh-day Adventist church board, voted September 13, 2016
Chewelah, WA Seventh-day Adventist church board, voted September 14, 2016
Winlock, WA Seventh-day Adventist church board, voted September 15, 2016
Onalaska, WA Seventh-day Adventist church board, voted September 18, 2016
West Plains Community, WA Seventh-day Adventist church, voted September 18, 2016
Newport, WA Seventh-day Adventist church board, voted September 19, 2016
Valley View, WA Seventh-day Adventist church board, voted September 20, 2016.
Inchelium, WA Seventh-day Adventist church board, voted September 22, 2016.
Ione, WA Seventh-day Adventist church board, voted September 23, 2016.
Southcenter, WA Seventh-day Adventist church board, voted September 24, 2016.