Financial Responsibility
By I. H. EVANS
ONCE more we call attention to a matter which has already been mentioned in the REVIEW AND HERALD—the relation which the General Conference, unincorporated, the General Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists, a corporation, and the General Conference Association of Seventh-day Adventists, a corporation, sustain to the various organized agencies operating as Seventh-day Adventist enterprises. At the late session of the General Conference held in Washington, May 11-30, 1905, the relation which the General Conference, with its corporations, should sustain to other organizations created in various parts of the world was discussed, and the following preamble and recommendations were unanimously adopted:— Whereas, The growth and extension of our denominational work has become so varied and extensive that it is impossible for the General Conference, either in itself or through its committee, to familiarize itself with the needs of the cause in every place; therefore,— We recommend, (a) That the General Conference assume no financial responsibility whatever in any institution, corporation, or enterprise, planned and started in the various parts of the world without the direct action of the General Conference or the General Conference Committee. (b) That all parties loaning money to such enterprises should satisfy themselves as to the security before making such loans. It will be readily understood that the General Conference can not familiarize itself with the workings of all the operating agencies that may be created by various persons or combinations of persons who represent working organizations in our denomination. The General Conference wishes to announce to everybody, everywhere, and for all time to come, that it assumes no financial responsibility in any wise whatsoever for any moneys borrowed by any organization or corporation that assumes the name of “Seventh-day Adventist,” or that assumes any other name, purporting to be carrying forward work represented by our denomination, outside of the corporations known as the General Conference Association of Seventh-day Adventists, and the General Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists. The reason that we reiterate this matter, is because of a communication addressed to the vice-president of the General Conference, asking advice in regard to loaning money to the American Medical Missionary College, a corporation of Battle Creek, Mich., or transferring notes held against the General Conference Corporation to the American Medical Missionary College, taking in lieu thereof the notes of the American Medical Missionary College. The General Conference Committee wishes to state to our people everywhere, that the General Conference is not responsible in any way for the management, control, or direction of the affairs of the American Medical Missionary College, and that all individuals loaning money to it must look to that corporation for satisfaction therefor, inasmuch as the General Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists, or the General Conference Association of Seventh-day Adventists, or the General Conference unincorporated, is not, and will not be in any way, responsible for any obligations contracted by the American Medical Missionary College. It is necessary that our people should understand where financial responsibility begins and ends. It is impossible for the General Conference to finance the various enterprises that may be created, or to be in any way responsible for any money that may be tied up in any institution or enterprise whatever, outside of those for which it is directly responsible by the direction of the General Conference itself or the General Conference Committee. All persons, therefore, intending to loan money to enterprises, must satisfy themselves as to the security, and must assume all responsibility in making the loan. This principle is not enunciated with any unfriendly feeling to various enterprises, for many that are formed are necessary for the advancement of the cause of God, but it is a distinct declaration to all our people, and to the world as well, that the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, or any of its corporations, is not and can not be held responsible for the finances of the various institutions and corporations directly or indirectly connected with the work of this denomination, except as already stated. Every enterprise launched for the advancement of the third angel’s message, in harmony with the spirit of this message, and laboring for its upbuilding, has the sympathy and co-operation of the General Conference. While this is true, it must be definitely understood that this does not involve any financial responsibility in any way for the obligations of the various enterprises.