The Watford Town Seventh-day Adventist Church is part of a worldwide organisation whose head office (the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists) is located in Maryland, USA. The church is a part of the South England Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in Watford, England.
Seventh-day Adventists operate schools, hospitals and development and relief agencies as we believe in not only caring for the spiritual needs but also the social and physical needs of the community.
As a Christian church, we are a faith community grounded in the teachings of the Bible. We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and is our guide for living a fulfilling lifestyle. Whether you are single or married, have children or not, it would be a delight to have you be part of our church family. We have programs to suit all age groups, from toddlers to youth, to seniors.
Structure of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
With a membership of over 22 million worldwide the Seventh-day Adventist Church consists of four layers:
General Conference (GC) Is split into 13 Divisions worldwide
Trans European Division (TED) The Trans-European Division is comprised of 22 European countries.
British Union Conference (BUC) The British Union Conference comprises North England Conference, South England Conference, Irish Mission, Scottish Mission and Welsh Mission.
South England Conference (SEC) Watford Town, is one of over 200 churches located in the South England Conference.
The local church structure is as follows:-
Pastor
The most prominent church office is that of the pastor or minister. The position of church pastor is not elected by the local church, but rather appointed by a local conference. When the minister transfers to the local church for pastoralship he also transfers his membership to that local congregation. The pastor works with the head elder of the church and is responsible for guiding the church's spiritual direction, chairing the church board and leading out in services.
Elder
Working with the pastor in the local church is the elder who is appointed by the local church and ordained by the local pastor. The elder is a religious leader in the local church and is able to conduct ordinances. The elder, or elders (who are led by a "head elder"), is largely responsible for the running of the church and the distribution of responsibility in the church.
Deacon
The deacon, like the elder, is an elected and ordained role. The deacon's primary roles are the assistance in running of services, the visitation of members, the care of the sick, and the maintenance of church property.
Deaconess
The deaconess holds a similar position to a deacon. The duties of a deaconess are very similar to the deacon, with particular emphasis placed on assistance in running certain services, and care of the sick and others in need.
Church Clerk
The clerk is an elected position, and is responsible for the keeping of church records. The clerk facilitates the addition and removal of members from church records at the request of the church and helps with the generation of church reports to be presented to the conference.
Treasurer
The treasurer is an elected position responsible for the management of church funds. The treasurer is responsible for keeping accurate accounts and the safeguarding of the finances of the local church.
There are several other elected positions in the local church depending on the size of the congregation. All roles and responsibilities can be found in the Church Manual
Are you a visitor?
You are invited to join in!
Activities are organised throughout the year for all age groups – to strengthen faith, encourage each other, and help us increase our knowledge of God’s truth. Social activities are also planned so we can get to know each other and have fun together. You are most welcome to join in.
The general dress code on Saturdays is smart casual. Some people dress formally but you are welcome to come dressed in what you feel comfortable. Bibles are available if you do not have one.
We hope you have an enjoyable and uplifting experience!
