GOSPEL ORDER RULES FOR

SEVENTH-DAY REMNANT CHURCHES

(NOTE: the following is a list of God's directions and God-given rules needed in setting up and maintaining Gospel Order
among the Seventh-da y Remnan t (SDR) C hurches after th ey are united. T his is not a church manual, but it is the wisdom of
God fo r His Rem nant peop le and Chu rches to ad here to.)

WHAT IS TO BE OUR INDIVIDUAL RESPONSE TO GOD'S

SEPARATED REMNANT PEOPLE AND SDR CHURCH?
- The human instrumentality is to co-operate with the divine. AA 96.
- Mutual confidence in each other is essential. 3T 445.
- All must be subject one to another. 1 Peter 5:5; 3T 445.
- All must esteem others better than themselves. Phil 2:3; 3T 445.
- All should exercise Christian refinement and courtesy towards one another. 8T 139; ST May 7, 1894;
7T 186.
- All should work for purity and perfection of character. RH Sept 12, 1907.
- Each should feel a responsibility to see that each other prospers in their religious life. 15MR 129.
- All must have their feelings, thoughts, imaginations, and impressions under the control of reason and
religion. Hebrews 12:9-10; MYP 92.
- All must not allow their imaginations to run riot and have its own way. 2 Cor 10:4-5; MYP 92.
- All should be so near Jesus that they will protest against iniquity and disobedience of God's requirements.
17MR 105.
- All are to keep diligent guard over their own disposition. LLM 147.
- All should patiently listen to advice and counsel of others and carefully weigh the matter and incorporate
it into our experience if valid. 15MR 126.
- All must be willing to be counseled, reproved, and directed by the body. 15MR 124.
- None are to feel downcast by needed rebuke for their wrongs. RH July 16, 1895.
- Our duty is to lay our case in the hands of the church; if they err, they are responsible, not us. 15MR 125.

HOW ARE GOD'S SDR CHURCHES TO SET UP CHURCH

GOVERNMENT AND ORGANIZATION?
- Every agency is to be subordinate to the Holy Spirit. AA 96.
- None are to be left out of working in their proper position that things may be harmoniously adjusted. RH
Oct 11, 1887; 6T 432.
- Every agency is to be combined in giving to the world the good tidings of the grace of God. AA 96.
- Christian is to be united with Christian. Ephesians 4; AA 96.
- Development and discipline are essential. RH Oct 22, 1889.
- Order and system must be observed in the conduct of church affairs. 1 Cor 14:33; AA 96.
- Order must be preserved at any cost. 1 Cor 14:33; 1MR 324.
- Formality in setting up Gospel Order should be shunned. EW 97.
- Unity of the church does not consist in all viewing every text of Scripture in the same way. 15MR 150.
(This is not referring to those Scriptures defining the pillars of our faith.)
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- Members must move together like well-trained soldiers. RH Oct 22, 1889.
- God's work is to be carried forward with thoroughness and exactness. AA 96.
- Elders and deacons are to be chosen to care for the prosperity of the church, yet these alone have not
authority to disfellowship offending members. Acts 14:33; Titus 1:5; 12MR 113.
- Each SDR Church is to seek a working union with other united SDR Churches. AA 96.
- SDR Churches which are weak or few in members should be looked after by established SDR Churches.
RH Oct 12, 1886.
- Those who are not with us should have no voice or influence among us. 17MR 98.
- No member is to move independently from the other members. 3T 445.
- One man may not be allowed to urge his opinions against the opinions of the church body. 15MR 130;
TM 29.
- One man may not set up his judgment in opposition to the judgement of the church body. 15MR 130.
- God chooses His messengers to write and preach His Word, the church only recognizes the fact that God
has given them this gift and chosen them as His messengers. 1BIO, p 174; LLM 147-48; EW 98-100;
15MR 178.
- Those in the field, who have proven that God has indeed chosen them, need to be acknowledged and
recognized as workers by the church. EW 97.
- Those who have given full proof of their commission and calling from God should receive the sanction
and recognization of the church by the laying on of hands. EW 101.
- Only those recognized by the church can administer the ordinances and perform baptisms. EW 99-101.
- There should be a counseling together of the messengers with other messengers and men of experience
before any new points of importance are advocated. EW 61.
- God's messengers must carefully watch and check all fanaticism wherever they see it rise. EW 63.
- Ministers are to exercise watchful diligence over the flock, not a dictatorial vigilance. RH Aug 8, 1912.
- The minister who fails to direct wisely their own households is not qualified to guide the church. 1
Samuel 2:27-34; ST Nov 10, 1881; 6MR 47.
- Do not hurry men into the work. EW 97-98.
- Those who have been deeply involved in fanaticism are not to be allowed to feed any flock. EW 62-63.
- Those who have been in the truth, but who have been deceived by the errors of perfectionism (can not
sin) and Spiritualism--bringing the cause of truth into reproach, are never to be given positions of teaching
God's truths to others. EW 101-102.
- The local SDR Church has jurisdiction over its own members. When a doctrinal issue arises between
members, and it cannot be resolved within that SDR Church, and that church is in danger of being divided,
that church should set that doctrinal issue aside and call for a General Council to convene where all the
SDR Churches can be represented through delegates to hear this doctrinal issue and then come to a united
decision. Thus that local SDR Church, as well as all the other SDR Churches, will avoid division and
dissension and thereby preserve unity. AA 95.

WHAT SDR CHURCH RULES ARE GOD'S REMNANT PEOPLE TO

HAVE AND ABIDE BY?
- God means every word He says. ST Nov 13, 1901.
- All must follow the directions given through the Spirit of Prophecy. Gospel Workers (1915), p 308.
- Church order, thorough discipline, and organization are essential and a law among God's people. RH Oct
12, 1905.
- No one is to excuse disorder and confusion as trivial matters. ST July 29, 1880.
- No one has a right to manage in any work of the church unless they manage in God's order. GCB April
3, 1901.
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- No unsanctified influence is to be tolerated. 17MR 105.

- Ministers should love order and discipline themselves. Ev 115.
- Ministers are not to flatter God's people or treat them harshly. RH Aug 8, 1912.
- Our homes must have discipline and unity before we can have it in the church. RH July 2, 1889.
- Duty of parents to educate, discipline, and restrain their children. ST Feb 9, 1882.
- If the ministers take their wives and children with them, the children must be well disciplined, obedient,
and subject to them. 6MR 47-48; AH 356.
- We must follow Christ first before we can counsel or teach others. RH April 16, 1889; Fundamentals of
Christian Education, p 497.
- Do not allow disunion to occur because someone makes a blunder in his interpretation of some portion
of Scripture. 15MR 150.
- All should be very modest in assuming church responsibilities. 12MR 113.
- Let all stand in their own lot and place, refusing to go out of their way to assume authority over others.
LLM 147-48.
- All must act their part with fidelity--doing it as unto the Lord. RH Oct 11, 1887.
- All are required to do something for the advancement of God's cause. Pam #152, p 7-8.
- All members should attend church meetings, and if some neglect to attend, it should be inquired into, and
if valid reasons are not given, they should be urged and admonished to attend for their spiritual strength
and to stop their backsliding from God. Pam #152, p 8.
- At meetings where God is worshipped, let not one person do much of the taking to the exclusion of
several others. 15MR 153.
- Weigh your words carefully before you speak them. 11MR 208.
- Cease to look at the failings of others. RH April 16, 1889.
- Cease evil thinking, evil speaking, and hasty words. AUCR April 15, 1905.
- Cease speaking of the evil traits of the character of others. RH April 16, 1889.
- No one is to listen to any complaint against another that is not in accordance with the rules listed in Matt
18. 15MR 193.
- Do not allow disagreements to create a division. AA 95.
- No strength is to be invested in warring against each other. 15MR 152.
- Do not leave wrongs uncorrected because of the unpleasant results which attend reproof and earnest
appeal. 2T 698.
- No sympathy should be shown to those who are reproved and disciplined for their wrongs, but all must
help them to accept the discipline and repent. 1T 213; 5MR 337.

WHAT ACTIONS DOES GOD'S SDR CHURCHES NEED TO TAKE?

- God expects His church to fit its members to work for the enlightening of the world. Pam #7, p 13.
- Members must be educated, trained, and disciplined by precept and example to do their God-given work.
1888 Mat 249.
- The church must make liberal efforts to train the young to be skilful workers for God. Special
Testimonies on Education, p 198.
- Work must be done at all points with carefulness. RH Oct 11, 1887.
- Prompt, united action of all is needed--especially in a critical time. 3T 445.
- Difficulties among members should be cleared away before the Sabbath. RH July 21, 1904.
- Measures need to be taken to stop the spirit of criticism and the judging of another's motives. 15MR 194.
- The spreading of disaffection is to be shut out. LS 178.
- Dissatisfaction must be completely rooted out or it will return. Pam #16, p 7-10.
- Disorder is to be shut out. LS 178.
- Confusion is to be shut out. LS 178.
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- Rebellion is to be shut out. LS 178.

- Error is to be shut out. LS 178.
- Fanaticism is to be shut out. LS 178.
- The church must act against self-sent men professing to be ministers, and let it be known that these
persons are not acknowledged by the church as God's teachers; if this is not done, the church stands
responsible. EW 100.

HOW AND WHEN DOES GOD'S SDR CHURCHES NEED TO

ADMINISTER DISCIPLINE TO ITS OWN MEMBERS?
- In dealing with the erring, manifest hearts full of the milk of human kindness. RH May 14, 1895.
- In dealing with the erring, harsh measures should not be resorted to--milder means will effect far more.
RH May 14, 1895.
- Great care must be exercised in dealing with one another so that we uplift, restore, and heal--without
neglecting proper discipline. 7T 264.
- Discipline is to be carried out in the way Christ would were He in our places. 4MR 134.
- Trifling misdemeanors of children are not to be treated as grave sins. RH March 21, 1882.
- No exception is to be made on any policy principle when disobedience is discovered. 17MR 105.
- All exhibitions of pride in dress calls for church discipline. 4T 647.
- Parents who fail to train their children for usefulness should be under church discipline. 5T 327.
- Firm decided measures must be taken against fault-finders and false accusers. RH Oct 19, 1886.
- Those who do not follow Matthew 18:15-19 with their brethren should be under church discipline and
censure. 15MR 193-94.
- If the erring one repents and submits to discipline, they are to be given another trial. 7T 263.
- If erring one does not repent, the church must work to bring him to repentance. 7T 263.
- Those who will not submit to church discipline must change their course or leave the fellowship of the
church, and the church must voice a warning to other SDR Churches concerning these. 1MR 214.
- Never hurry the matter of disfellowshipment. RH May 14, 1895.
- Members who persist to manifest a fierce spirit--being overbearing, critical, and denouncing, should be
disfellowshipped. EGWE 202.
PLEASE NOTE THIS VERY IMPORTANT POINT: The above God-given rules are with the
understanding that each individual Seventh-day Remnant Church has authority over its own
members, as well as the jurisdiction to solve its own problems. It is ONLY when an issue arises in
doctrine which cannot be solved by that local SDR Church itself and which also threatens to divide
that Church, that a General Council, made up of representatives of all other united SDR Churches,
is authorized by God to convene and to decide this doctrinal issue. Thus a General Council has no
other God-given authority to convene and decide for the entire SDR Church body except under the
above doctrinal crisis scenario. This would clearly prevent any chance of a hierarchy being set up
wherein a few leaders would try to control the entire SDR Church body, because each individual
SDR Church retains jurisdiction and authority itself to decide and resolve any issues involving its
own members or affairs. Even though each SDR Church is to be in union and connection with other
SDR Churches, yet there is no General Council controlling the entire body of SDR Churches except
under the above doctrinal crisis scenario.
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