United Church of God, an International Association
Council of Elders Teleconference Report
January 4, 2011—Cincinnati, Ohio

The Council of Elders conducted a teleconference beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Present on the phone were Melvin Rhodes (chairman), Robin Webber, Robert Berendt, Darris McNeely, Roy Holladay, Victor Kubik, Mario Seiglie and Aaron Dean, plus Dennis Luker (president), Gerald Seelig (secretary), Peter Eddington and Gary Antion. Scott Ashley and Bill Eddington were unable to be on the call.

Chairman Rhodes called the meeting to order and took the roll. He then introduced the main item of business which was to conclude the process of rendering a Sabbath-keeping judgment for a business on behalf of a member couple in Chile.

This process had begun at the last Council meeting in early December 2010, so today the Doctrine Committee chairman, Robert Berendt, presented several versions of the statement for Council discussion. After a typical discussion of word-smithing for clarity the Council voted unanimously to pass the final statement as follows:

After studying the material that has been provided from a couple in Chile, the Council of Elders, after full review and rendering due diligence, is prepared to issue the following statement in regards to observing the seventh-day Sabbath and Holy Days in a proper manner to uphold the Fourth Commandment.

The United Church of God, an International Association, has a long-standing teaching on the subject of owner-operated businesses in relation to the observance of the Sabbath and biblical Holy Days. If a business is solely or majority owned by a Church member, then the business should close on the Sabbath and the Holy Days.

There are some exceptions, as Jesus Christ gave Sabbath-keeping principles in Scripture in this regard, which would apply to healthcare and retirement facilities and dealing with dairies and farm animals. But, day-care centers and schools do not fall under these categories. Therefore, the Council of Elders stands by the authority of Scripture in our lives and the consistent position of the Church which requires that such businesses, as long as they are solely or majority owned by a Church member, be closed on the Sabbath and the Holy Days.

We deeply appreciate the sincere request of the members in Chile in asking for the Council of Elders to render a judgment.

The Council then entered executive session for the remainder of the teleconference and adjourned at 6:40 p.m. EST.

-end-

Randy Stiver
Council Reporter

© 2011 United Church of God, an International Association