Mokena, IL — In the interest of transparency, the Lake Region Conference administration appreciates the opportunity by Spectrum magazine to provide a response to their article that is expected to be published later today, January 8, 2025. Below you will find a response to that article being published by Spectrum this evening.
Statement of the Lake Region Conference of Seventh-day Adventists for Spectrum Magazine
During Pastor John Boston’s employment with the North American Division (NAD) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, he agreed to provide volunteer pastoral services to the Lake Region Conference of Seventh-day Adventists at the Shiloh Seventh-day Church in Chicago, IL. This time-limited (no more than three years) volunteer appointment provided Pastor Boston an opportunity to fulfill his doctoral studies at Andrews University. When Pastor Boston’s employment with the NAD ended in 2023, the Conference extended the first of multiple offers for full-time and part-time employment. All of these offers were declined, with Pastor Boston expressing a desire to continue pastoring at the Shiloh Church in a volunteer capacity.
The Lake Region Conference conducts bi-annual financial reviews with its churches. In response to Pastor Boston’s request, the Conference conducted a financial review of the Shiloh Church beginning in August of 2024. The preliminary findings of that financial review revealed certain discrepancies and procedural omissions that were then shared with Pastor Boston and the church treasurer in an effort to reconcile them. During the subsequent four months, the discrepancies and procedural omissions could not be satisfactorily resolved.
In mid-December, the Lake Region Conference administration decided to conclude Pastor Boston’s volunteer services to the Shiloh Church. The Lake Region Conference Administration informed Pastor Boston on December 17th, 2024, that his volunteer pastoral appointment with the Shiloh Church was ending. This action was voted by the Lake Region Conference Executive Committee on December 19, 2024, and became effective the next day, December 20, 2024. The Conference thanked Pastor Boston for his service.
Requests for the Lake Region Conference to reinstate Pastor Boston were made prior to January 5, 2025, meetings between the Conference and Shiloh Church elders and members, during which additional facts were shared by Conference administration. Following these meetings, the Conference Executive Committee voted to proceed with a pastoral leadership transition, and discussed development of a care plan for the Shiloh Church.
The Lake Region Conference requests prayers on behalf of the Shiloh Church family as it continues the transition of pastoral leadership.
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