World Church Affirmation Sabbath (also known as WCAS) is set to strongly affirm connection with the Seventh-day Adventist world church in meetings to be held on May 20, 2017.
Two meetings will occur simultaneously, in the Stateline Seventh-day Adventist church near Walla Walla for the southern part of the Upper Columbia Conference, and in the Chewelah Seventh-day Adventist church for the northern part of the conference. In the future plans are being made to meet quarterly in each of the Conference’s five regions. Affirmation Sabbath intends to promote face-to-face fellowship among lay members across the Upper Columbia Conference.
Even though the General Conference is taking steps toward disciplining those who stand in defiance to world church decisions, the well-being of the church is ultimately dependent upon lay members who are firmly established on Bible principles. WCAS was established for this reason. It is hoped that the laity in other conferences throughout the NAD will organize lay led gatherings in similar fashion.
Another key factor is prayer. WCAS is creating an opportunity for church members to meet together and pray together for the world church. General Conference leaders face many challenges. WCAS wants them to experience God’s encouragement through prayer support. God led His Church in San Antonio. In the meetings WCAS participants will pray together that leaders will be courageous in upholding the Spirit-led decisions reached by the world church.
Well-qualified lay members will give positive presentations affirming God's leading in our church's past, present, and future in the context of the three angel's messages, pertinent to some of the challenges we face in our Church today.
World Church Affirmation Sabbath adheres to ten principles of action:
- Participants support the decisions of the world church expressed through the General Conference.
- Participants seek unity on the basis of inspired truth rather than cultural compromise.
- Participants uphold God’s purpose for church organization and for pressing together rather than separation.
- Participants learn Protestant biblical interpretation–the historical-grammatical method.
- Participants are active and responsible members in their local congregation.
- Participants learn how to work effectively in board and constituency meetings.
- Participants commit themselves to pray for faithful workers, and for Heaven to provide godly, decisive leaders for the harvest.
- Participants embrace the conviction that God is in control, and choose not to be intimidated by factions opposing truth in the Church.
- Emphasizing connection to Jesus our Lord, participants learn how to resist pluralism, congregationalism, and other present errors.
- World Church Affirmation Sabbath emphasizes the Seventh-day Adventist representative form of church governance. We are the Church.
God has given His people beautiful truths. And God has given His laity in every conference the voices to speak of His truth. As we pray together and ask for His leading, we will better understand how and who Jesus is leading. The laity can no longer be silent.