The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is the coordinating body of the denomination. Located in Silver Spring, Maryland, in the United States, it coordinates the ministries and activities of the Seventh-day Adventist Church worldwide. Authority in the Adventist Church stems from church members who select leaders to represent them. Under this representative style of coordination, members vote on who will represent them at local, regional and world levels.
These representatives and General Conference leaders cooperate to create documents that outline the state of the church (like statistics), describe general denominational beliefs (like official statements), or suggest ways of conduct in personal and church life (such as Church Manuals or guidelines).
Most of the links below will lead you to the current statements endorsed by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. But as the example of the Shut Door Doctrine demonstrates, church understanding evolves over time. You may need to contact the PUC Library to access older versions of these official documents in order to compare ideas from the past and today.
