By Educate Truth Staff
LSU Prof. Lee Greer
Despite an overwhelming vote by constituents of the Northern California Conference against the Oroville Church’s agenda item #3, it turns out that such a policy is already in place.
On October 11, 1987, the General Conference Executive Committee approved and voted a document titled “A Statement on Theological and Academic Freedom and Accountability.”
Here are some excerpts from the document that are relevant to La Sierra University:
1. “The Church reserves the right to employ only those individuals who personally believe in and are committed to upholding the doctrinal tenets of the Church as summarized in the document, “Fundamental Beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists” (1980). Such individuals are issued special credentials by their respective church bodies identifying them as continuing workers in the Church.” (bold emphasis added)
2. “It is understood that the disciplining of such a church employee who persists in propagating doctrinal views differing from those of the Church is viewed not as a violation of his freedom, but rather as a necessary protection of the Church’s integrity and identity. There are corporate church rights as well as individual freedoms. The worker’s privileges do not include the license to express views that may injure or destroy the very community that supports and provides for him.” (bold emphasis added)
At the end of the document it says:
It is recommended that the above Statement on Academic Freedom be presented to each university/college faculty and board by its administration to be used as the basis for the preparation of the institution’s academic freedom statement.
A Statement on Theological and Academic Freedom and Accountability
