Functional Structures in the Local Seventh-day Adventist Church in Australia and New Zealand: A Paradigm for Renewal

Abstract

Contents: The place of structure in the life of the local church Functionality: the relationship between structure and church health Determining what makes a structure functional An historical account of church structure The development of local church structure Sociological considerations that shape church structure Organisational theory and church structure A brief history of structural renewal in the Adventist church The current state of structural renewal in the local Adventist church Case studies of functional structures in local Adventist churches Principles that underlie a new paradigm for facilitating functional structures Applying the principles of functional structures Ensuring the structure remains