Profession of Faith
A person who wants to become a member can be accepted on Profession of Faith in the following situations:
- A committed Christian coming from another group that practices baptism by immersion
- An SDA member who cannot secure a transfer because of world conditions
- An SDA member whose home church does not respond to request for transfer (see TIP below)
- An SDA member whose membership has been replaced, but has remained faithful and committed
TIP: When another church doesn't respond promptly to a request for transfer, it's best to wait 6-9 months before resorting to a Profession of Faith - particularly in the summer or when the other church is international.
NOTE: Profession of Faith should not be used in place of a Transfer if the person is a member in another congregation. "No church has the right to withhold transfer unless the person is under discipline." (Church Manual p. 57)
The Church Manual outlines the following steps for a person to join by Profession of Faith:
- The candidate is examined (a) publicly by pastor, (b) by board or (c) by selected committee
- The candidate affirms Fundamental Beliefs or Baptismal Vows publicly
- Congregation votes to accept candidate into local membership
NOTE: The Church Board should also vote to accept the person on Profession of Faith, subject to examination (see #1 above) and public vows (see #2 above). To avoid delaying the person joining, this vote may be taken before, during or after the steps outlined above.
To record a Profession of Faith in eAdventist, see Adding a Person.
Membership Certificate
A certificate of Membership and Commitment should be given to the new member who joins by Profession of Faith. Blank Baptismal certificates may be purchased from the local conference ABC, AdventSource or created by the church.
NOTE: There doesn't appear to be any source that supplies certificates specifically for Profession of Faith.