Orewa SDA Church Objection to GC ADCOM’s statements on immunization
To: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring Maryland 20904
United States of America
Recipients: [email protected], [email protected]
Dear SDA General Conference ADCOM and EXCOM,
RE: Orewa SDA Church Objection to GC ADCOM’s statements on immunization
We write to you from Orewa SDA Congregation, of the North New Zealand Union Conference, of the South Pacific Division. At our Business Meeting of 6 November 2024, the following statements of SDA General Conference (GC) ADCOM were critically reviewed and considered:
1. GC ADCOM statement: https://www.adventist.org/official-statements/immunization/
2. Reaffirmation: https://adventist.news/news/reaffirming-the-seventh-day-adventist-churchs-response-to-covid-19-1
Areas of concern:
1. Setting an uninspired source alongside the inspired sources: The Adventist health emphasis, found in Fundamental Belief 22, is based upon Fundamental Belief 1, the Holy Scriptures, and Fundamental Belief 18, the Gift of Prophecy. The 2015 immunization statement claims peer-reviewed scientific literature (PRSL) is an additional basis. This claim contradicts, not only the Introduction to the Fundamental Beliefs (FBs) which states: (“Seventh-day Adventists accept the Bible as their only creed”), but also the substance since PRSL is not mentioned in the FBs.
2. Questionable Origin: These statements were not voted in a regular GC session by official delegates from the world church body, and are therefore not representative of the world church. The Church manual states, “Church organizations around the world recognize the General Conference in Session as the voice of the Church.” GC ADCOM, EXCOM, or any SDA leadership body/person, should not claim to produce official statements on behalf of the Church, this is the remit of GC in session delegates.
Therefore, our congregation rejects the ADCOM 2015 and 2021 statements, recognizes that our church members may have a sincere religious objection, and petition the GC EXCOM to:
1. Publicly withdraw these statements
2. Apologize for allowing such statements to be published and the subsequent harm caused.
In our view these ADCOM Statements have severely impacted and undermined the foundation and principles of Religious Liberty as practiced and upheld by our Church Members.
Thank you for your cooperation and assistance in this regard.
Christian greetings,
Head Elder