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ADRA Adrift: One Year Later
On February 22, 2011, in a move that shocked all levels of the organization, the new head of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, Rudi Maier, cut twenty percent of the headquarters staff and demoted or changed the positions of several others. Now, a year later, the organization continues to shrink in mission and manpower with a steady stream of key employees finding work elsewhere, including several senior level staff.
Significantly, ADRA has now lost all of its internal auditors. They resigned.
Their reasons for leaving include serious concerns with how donations are being handled, feeling personally attacked by their superiors, and a general sense that the organization that they love is dysfunctional and adrift.
In the coming weeks, Spectrum will be sharing a series of reports based on conversations and documents provided by past and present ADRA employees.
Here are two stories from this past year that we've written on the changes at ADRA. If you have additional information, please contact us.
Turmoil at the Adventist Development and Relief Agency
Is ADRA Changing Itself More Than the World?
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Sat, 09/08/2012
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San Diego Adventist Forum
Sigve Tonstad, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Religion, Loma Linda
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You write ADRA - But you mean ADRA International. All ADRA offices in the different countries are independent entities.....
[I appreciate what you're noting, but the organization itself switches between the two terms. See their website. When Spectrum writes about the country offices we specify, but we drop the "international" to save space, particularly when mentioning HQ leadership. —A.C.]
Is this "shrinking" some kind of a new tactic implemented by Pope Wilson II? Or is he fighting fiercely to avoid the shrinking and to expand the marvelous work ADRA has done in the past? (If so, any specific action that can be mentioned?...)
Was ADRA becoming actually more relevant to the World at large than the GC itself?
May be "too much money" was directed to ADRA for a humanitarian relief work, and someone became just jealous... We never know what is going on, do we?
I hope Spectrum will be able to penetrate the secrets behind the scenes and uncover some of the hidden issues.
Just another sign that the SDA denomination is in trouble!
I think this is a good thing, and the church must hit rock bottom in every area before they repent and get saved.
I know that some like t0 pile on with bad news related to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. But I want to make it very clear that my work on the blog and the vast majority of the Spectrum community I know does not echo that attitude. We report for a variety of reasons, but there is a story here that is less about the church as a whole and more existentially about what happens to our institutions when ideology trumps intelligence and experience.
The auditors resigned? Over ideology?
What is not very clear in any of these stories is why any of this is happening.
1. Why ADRA?
2. Has there been a war over ADRA in the church before?
3. Is there personal opposition between ADRA and other church officials?
4. How big is ADRA, and why does this matter?
To many of us this seems to be very random. ADRA seems to be an SDA "staple" from way back. I was not aware that it was a very big organization as far as relief organizations go. I would like to see this addressed.
My guess is it seems random because Spectrum isn't reporting the story. Maybe they don't know the story but I doubt all the auditors resigned over ideology. Seriously.
I am confident Spectrum will dig into it.
I am not happy about it. This is sad, this is bad. This is bad for the church and for the World.
If the resignations were about ideology - which may well be the case, believe me - than it's as bad as it could be. Ideology can kill, can start wars, can destroy people, and so on.
An inability to handle ideology properly, or stressing a wrong ideology can trigger chaos very quickly. Are we going in that direction??? If so, the leadership must be changed asap.
Presumably thoughtful Adventists (or others) will think twice about writing ADRA International into their wills. There are more effective charities to which one can make a bequest.
Karen
Yeah but *all* the auditors, George? Remember that LA Times article from several years ago? David Dennis & much more.
What I was trying to say was that I have not gained any proper understanding of this story from any of Spectrum's reporting.
I only have a vague idea that ADRA seems to be in turmoil and that the president has something to do with it.
Who are the sides?
What are their positions?
What is the genesis of all this?
If, for example, a new president is elected and he begins to rip up the vegetable garden at the official residence; people will want to know:
Is he against vegetarianism? Does he want to plant the garden elsewhere? Does he prefer to buy instead of grow locally? Does he want to support the local farmer's market? Has he had this in mind for a while?
As per Spectrum's reporting, we only know how many rows have been turned to lawn and which vegetables have been eliminated.
All the internal auditors resigned!!!!!!!!. How many were they?
GTW
We report for a variety of reasons, but there is a story here that is less about the church as a whole and more existentially about what happens to our institutions when ideology trumps intelligence and experience.
:)
Maggie,
In the brief article, there is a sentence that follows the one about the auditors. It does not mention ideology. It states:
"Their reasons for leaving include serious concerns with how donations are being handled, feeling personally attacked by their superiors, and a general sense that the organization that they love is dysfunctional and adrift."
Also in Trinidad and Tobago,
Thanks for asking those questions. They will help me shape the next report.
Sounds like they're feeling pretty much like David Dennis was left feeling.
On Richard O'ffill's forum they said the GC wouldn't let Adventist Today sell the three financial accountantability books at the GC session booth.
There's a story here, but maybe it will never be told.
http://www.revivalsermons.org/forums/index.php?topic=3393.0;wap2
Fishy....
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jan/18/health/la-he-jeffry-life18-2010j...
http://news.adventist.org/en/archive/articles/1998/08/13/adra-responds-t...
http://www.advmca.org/
I wish our church could function as a publically traded company with open audited financial records to safeguard the integrity of charity funds.
My dream for our church is that management will follow EGW they claim to honor who said that “All (our) business transactions, whether with believers or unbelievers, should be as transparent as sunlight.” Sadly, I do not believe that this will ever become policy; we are too entrenched in bureaucracy, favoritism with the undisturbed flow of money. Will God help us to show open responsibility toward tithe donors who implicitly truth their church leaders?
Thank you for keeping us informed.
Being independent entities, HQ is a wrong term.
Hate to say Maggie, but that is old news. NONE of the few relatively controversial books were allowed to be on display. No "new light" or non-EGW "testimonies" allowed. They were not allowed to even set up base there if those books were there. Not David Dennis's, not MCA's, nor any other "controversial" ones. So much for "new light", or just the facts. :(( Why I left as soon as I could way back when.
"Every leader rises to the level of his own incompetence." Peter principle.
ADRA has reached this level. The GC reached it years ago.
tg
You write ADRA - But you mean ADRA International. All ADRA offices in the different countries are independent entities.....
[I appreciate what you're noting, but the organization itself switches between the two terms. See their website. When Spectrum writes about the country offices we specify, but we drop the "international" to save space, particularly when mentioning HQ leadership. —A.C.]
Alexander, the use of the general name ADRA implies the larger network of all ADRA offices around the world while ADRA International refers specifically to the ADRA office located in the US which serves a dual role representing both ADRA in America and ADRA at a worldwide or GC level (in the form or the board and the head officers).
It is clear that the issues you are reporting on have occurred at the ADRA International office, not the larger network of ADRA offices. It is quite simple to abbreviate ADRA International as ADRA I. I would ask that you follow the position you laid out in your comment above "when Spectrum writes about the country offices we specify". The office you are writing about in this case is ADRA International (ADRA I), not the worldwide network of ADRA offices and does not involve ADRA Thailand, where I am privileged to work.
Thank You,
Tom Benton
Delbert Baker comments on ADRA in his recent column in Adventist Review:
"Church Polity: The New Greater Middle East Union Mission was formed with realignment to the General Conference. A commission to study ministry and ordination for women was established. ADRA headquarters was right-sized. Adventist higher education faced challenges."
http://www.adventistreview.org/issue.php?issue=2012-1506&page=17
"Delbert Baker comments on ADRA in his recent column in Adventist Review:"
"...ADRA headquarters was right-sized."
If the president of ADRA cited financial difficulties for the cuts, is Bakers saying that the president was using financial difficulties as a cover for having too many staff? What exactly is Baker saying, or did he just like the cadence taken from one of his regular gossip sessions?
I respect Spectrum for investigating what is going on and you need to also look at the common denominators present with this president and the last one when you do your research - the EVP and his cronies. "And there was war in heaven..." doesn't come close to describing the division at the top of the agency right now.
In the past ADRA International HQ had a tremendous influence and in many cases with devasting consequences. Thanks God, the majority of regional offices were able to fend off such influence.
Right-sized after being Wilsonized.
This comment doesn't contribute anything positive, just attacks Elder Wilson. I leave it up now just to exemplify the sort of comment that needs to go away. In the future it will simply be deleted. It is one thing to believe Elder Wilson has contributed to a negative direction for ADRA, and it is fine to make that case. This, however, is just ad hominem. - website editor
The other day I read an article about two swimming pools in Africa built by ADRA - facing different directions so as not to swim with the sun in one's eyes at different times of the day.
The auditor was said to be dismayed.
Is that true, and where did that article go?
"I know that some like t0 pile on with bad news related to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. But I want to make it very clear that my work on the blog and the vast majority of the Spectrum community I know does not echo that attitude.AC
Truthfully, and I mean this with no sarcastic motive, I have a very difficult time accepting that as not being part of the agenda of both the blog and printed magazine and I have read many of the magazines.
@tg: Peter Drucker gave some good counsels, how to avoid such level(s)...
@Also in Trinidad and Tobago:
Re: ADRA Ranking/"Big organization"
In November 2090 ADRA released this statement:
For the fifth consecutive year, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) ranked among the top 400 U.S. -based nonprofits, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, a leading newspaper for charities, which published the list on October 29.
“ADRA’s sustained presence in this elite group of charities is a reflection of the trust that so many faithful donors have placed on us. It also points to the ongoing commitment of those who year after year choose to invest in the development and wellbeing of the less fortunate around the world,” said Julio Muñoz, bureau chief for Marketing and Development at ADRA International.
So this gives you an idea...
About past ranking(s) see also Introduction on ADRA at Wikipediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventist_Development_and_Relief_Agency#cite_note-5
Chris Schaeffler - Sat, 02/25/2012 - 10:17
In the past ADRA International HQ had a tremendous influence and in many cases with devasting consequences.<./em>
--------------------------------------------------------
"Influence" on who?
"Influence" to do what?
What "consequences"?
What transpired?
What's going on? And why?
Why is everyone talking in Navajo code?
Chris
I do not think that November 2090 has arrived yet.
ADRA (Central) is a symptom as most have pointed out, and not the disease. Sad but Elder Ted Wilson is no wound healer. If one refuses to correct the doctrinal errors--how can one repair the operational disfunction? Seems that cover-up is across the board. Tom Z
In the past ADRA International HQ had a tremendous influence and in many cases with devasting consequences.
--------------------------------------------------------
Why is everyone talking in Navajo code? Also in Trinidad and Tobago
I'm not sure I agree with this. For the most part, this entire column has been clear, even citing examples of where ADRA HQ is problematic, though most of the older stories are not factual. Spectrum, as indicated in their article, believes they have sufficient information to publish more stories. Hopefully, they will have the facts to back them up. Perhaps they will publish information on neputism, i.e. the president trying to hire his son or the EVP having his daughter in charge of donation handling, which means he should have no say at all on how funds are accounted. Spectrum may also contact the country offices and ask them when monies were stopped from being sent from HQ to projects. Perhaps they have information about how many of the directors past and present live off their expense reports, or how there is a trail of equipment donated to the agency that has surprisingly gone down to Chile, the home of the EVP and with the help of the former emergency director who keeps a job even though his life is far from SDA ideals. The ADRA president had an opportunity to clean house when he came in and he chose to clean only part of it by letting go people he didn't know and keeping those he did using the power of position colored by misplaced loyalties.
Who knows what Spectrum has? For the sake of ADRA, I hope it's sufficient to draw attention to what seems to be going on there if current and former staff are to be believed.
Well then, if this is all about ADRA corruption, why is Elder Wilson the villain?
Why are people talking about "theology" and "ideology"?
Why was this not dealt with before now?
One other thing that perhaps could be discussed in your further coverage of ADRA is the relationship between ADRA International and the various local country affiliates. As a life-long Adventist, I've given money to ADRA for years and our church has often done fundraisers that have benefited specific ADRA projects in various places around the world. In all of this time, I never had any idea that there was allegedly a distinction between "ADRA International" and local country ADRA organizations. When I'm giving money to ADRA, who is it actually going to? Is it being sent straight to the local country affiliate in Kenya, or Ethiopia, or wherever? Is ADRA International taking a cut of the donations to pay for administration? Are the local country ADRA organizations truly independent (as seems to be implied in some of the comments above), or are they (from a practical standpoint) just local branches of ADRA International? (The key relevant questions are probably whether the local ADRAs can independently set their own policies without interference from ADRA International, and if they can disregard mandates from ADRA International without fear of repercussion.)
I guess I'm just curious as to what the organizational structure is and why some people are trying to make such a big distinction between ADRA International and the local ADRA organizations. I think it's an issue that's relevant to the stories at hand, because I think evaluation of personnel moves at ADRA International can be better understood if ADRA International's role/mission/responsibilities versus or in relation to the local ADRAs are clearly defined.
Seventh-day Adventist leaders are humans. As such they take a possessive atitude to their stewardship. "It is my money, my district, my conference, my school, my, my my! Thus unilateral control became a mandate. to use as one pleases. Out of such a meilu the Pope arose. Being close to power soon became source of power. Goverment money was viewed as "free" money and stewardship became license. That is why reading news briefs that tend to obscure rather than reveal signal.
Far better to be forthcoming than continual leaking. Holding the purse can be a power point to evil. Tom Z
What happened to the series of stories that you promised?
That's what I thought. Much ado about nothing.
Following up on WMartins comments. Where is the series of articles?
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