Anyone who has ever worked for a church institution has asked this question—usually silently, occasionally in prayer, and sometimes in the parking lot after a meeting that could have been an email.
Let’s say the quiet part out loud: every conference office has them. Deeply incompetent people who don’t know what they’re doing. Professional time-wasters. Gossip mongers with “just asking questions” energy. Conspiracy theorists who see plots where there are only spreadsheets. And, of course, political operators who treat church work like a low-budget version of House of Cards—with worse lighting and longer agendas.
And no, this isn’t unique to your conference. Or that union. Or that institution everyone whispers about. This is every Adventist institution. Possibly every institution, period. The church did not invent dysfunction—it just sanctified it with prayer before the meeting.
The disorienting part is realizing that these people are also “doing the Lord’s work.” At least on paper. Which raises uncomfortable theological questions no one wants to address before lunch.
Still—here’s the twist—none of this cancels your calling.
The presence of incompetence doesn’t negate purpose. The existence of politics doesn’t erase mission. And the fact that some people are busy protecting turf doesn’t mean you can’t plant something better.
In fact, that’s often where the real work is: refusing to go along with the status quo, choosing integrity over survival, excellence over excuse-making, and courage over quiet resentment.
It is a beautiful thing when an Adventist institution actually works—when people care, systems improve, and the mission moves forward. Don’t let the loudest, laziest, or most cynical voices convince you that faithfulness is pointless.
God has always done meaningful work through imperfect organizations and deeply frustrating people.
Congratulations. You’re in excellent biblical company.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
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