text: ". For Adventism it has traditionally been from the bottom up. "
  
  And it still is. Members vote who will hold various offices and when these offices are filled, then the authority is "top down".
  
  The whole presentation is a "false dilemma" and is total confusion on the issue of authority. The General Conference delegates authority to the Unions. But the GC states the guide lines that the Union must follow.
  
  Just as a local conference delegates authority to the pastors, but the pastors are not free to "do as they please" and assert their own authority outside the stated guidelines of the local conference.
  
  Thus a pastor has authority to baptize new members, but he must still follow the stated format and has no freedom to do as he pleases in who he will baptize and on what basis.
  
  This article is a "false dilemma" about authority to undermine the authority of the General Conference who has been elected to administrate policy and doctrine by the whole church community.