Hierarchical administrative structures and unification in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South Africa

The purpose of this article is to present the result of structured interviews held with church boards of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South Africa. In particular it concerns the views held by church boards, and how they perceive the administration of the church on Conference and Union level. Secondly, the article describes how the administration of the church dealt with the challenge to unify the racially divided Seventh-day Adventist Church in South Africa. The point is made that the hierarchical administrative structures of the church and its lack of contact with and respect for the church people on a congregational level, caused the unification process to run into extensive difficulties.