Organizational  Church  leadership  and structure  represents  the  Church	Church  leadership  speaks  for  the  entire Church
Only  Church  leadership  can  safely  interpret  the  Bible	Only  Church  leadership  can  modify  Divine  doctrine
People  must  submit  to  teachings  of  Church  leaders	Those  who  protest  against  the  Church  are  disfellowshipped  and  declared  heretics,  schismatics,  or  dissidents
Those  who  separate  from  the  church  are  declared  heretics,  schismatics,  or dissidents

Roman Catholic Church

Seventh-day Adventist Church

“Since the beginning, the ordained ministry has been conferred and exercised in three degrees: that of bishops, that of presbyters, and that of deacons. The ministries conferred by ordination are irreplaceable for the organic structure of the Church: without the bishop, presbyters, and deacons, one cannot speak of the Church (cf. St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Trall. 3,1).” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Chapter Three, Article 6, Section VII, #1593, brackets supplied for clarity. http://www.christusrex.org/www1/CDHN/orders.html#DEGREES).

"...so the Seventh-day Adventist church came into being [in 1863], as the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists....the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, which is the Seventh-day Adventist church..." (Court Transcript of United States vs the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission vs the Pacific Press Publishing Association and the General Conference, Opening Brief for the Church, Civil Case #74-2025 CBR, p 15).      "In the Seventh-day Adventist denomination the term ‘church' has a very comprehensive and broad meaning.  It is used to apply to the general organization and headquarters for Seventh-day Adventists under the name of General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists." (Court Transcript of United States vs the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission vs the Pacific Press Publishing Association and the General Conference, Affidavit of Neal C. Wilson, Civil Case #74-2025 CBR, November 27, 1974, p 4).

Roman Catholic Church

Seventh-day Adventist Church

“...we, the Fathers (Catholic Church leaders) of the 21st ecumenical council of the Catholic Church...On this solemn day when she closes the deliberations of her 21st ecumenical council, the Church offers you through our voice her friendship, her services, her spiritual and moral forces....Today, as yesterday, the Church needs you and turns to you. She tells you through our voice: Do not allow an alliance as fruitful as this to be broken....The Church is grateful to you for this and thanks you through our voice.” (Pope Paul VI, Second Vatican Council II Closing Speech, December 8, 1965.  http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Paul06/p6closin.htm).

"People expect the General Conference to have the last word and to speak for the Church with ultimate authority.” (General Conference President Neal C. Wilson, Commission Report on Role and Function of Denominational Organizations, 140-85GN, p 22-23, April 30, 1985).

Roman Catholic Church

Seventh-day Adventist Church

"’The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ.’ This means that the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part One, Section One, # III, Article 2, Sub-section III, #85.  http://www.christusrex.org/www1/CDHN/profess3.html#INTERPRETATION).

“Only a committee appointed by the General Conference can interpret prophecy.” (Adventist Review, June 5, 1986, p 2).

Roman Catholic Church

Seventh-day Adventist Church

“The Roman Pontiff and the bishops, as authentic teachers, preach to the People of God the faith which is to be believed and applied in moral life. It is also encumbent on them to pronounce on moral questions that fall within the natural law and reason.      “The infallibility of the Magisterium of the Pastors extends to all the elements of doctrine, including moral doctrine, without which the saving truths of the faith cannot be preserved, expounded, or observed.  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Article 3, Section III, #2050 & 2051. http://www.christusrex.org/www1/CDHN/holy.html#MISSIONARY).

“...the General Conference of the Church (in session), the only body having authority to alter the structure of the church either in doctrine or organization.” (Court Transcript of United States vs the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission vs the Pacific Press Publishing Association and the General Conference, Opening Brief for the Church, Civil Case #74-2025 CBR, December 4, 1974, p 17).

Roman Catholic Church

Seventh-day Adventist Church

“When the Church through its supreme Magisterium proposes a doctrine 'for belief as being divinely revealed,' and as the teaching of Christ, the definitions 'must be adhered to with the obedience of faith.'...when, without arriving at an infallible definition and without pronouncing in a ‘definitive manner,’ they propose in the exercise of the ordinary Magisterium a teaching that leads to better understanding of Revelation in matters of faith and morals. To this ordinary teaching the faithful ‘are to adhere to it with religious assent’ which, though distinct from the assent of faith, is nonetheless an extension of it.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, The Profession of Faith, Section Two, Paragraph 4, Section I, #891 & 892. http://www.christusrex.org/www1/CDHN/church4.html#CONSTITUTION).      “Still another recommendation, we feel, is in place here: that, in undertaking and advancing in the spiritual life, you do not trust too much to yourselves, but with docile simplicity seek and accept the help of someone [the Catholic priest] who, with wise moderation, can guide your soul, point out to you the dangers, suggest suitable remedies, and in every internal and external difficulty can guide you in the right way towards an ever greater perfection, according to the example of the saints and the teachings of Christian asceticism. Without these prudent guides for one's conscience, it is often very difficult to be duly responsive to the impulses of the Holy Spirit and of the grace of God.” (Pope Pius XII, in Menti Nostrae (On the Development of Holiness in Priestly Life), Encyclical promulgated on September 23, 1960, #63.  http://www.geocities.com/papalencyclicals/Pius12/P12CLERG.HTM).

“It is our responsibility to study the Scriptures for ourselves, to ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to submit our understandings to those in the church who are able to judge our findings, and then to abide to the decisions of the church...” (Seventh-day Adventist Church Adult Sabbath School Quarterly, Lesson 13, March 28, 1987, p 92, or p 153 in the Teacher’s Edition).

Roman Catholic Church

Seventh-day Adventist Church

“The Church, founded on these principles and mindful of her office, has done nothing with greater zeal and endeavour than she has displayed in guarding the integrity of the faith. Hence she regarded as rebels and expelled from the ranks of her children all who held beliefs on any point of doctrine different from her own....they were declared heretics [schismatics or dissidents] and banished from the bosom of the Church...” (Pope Leo XIII, in Satis Cognitum (On the Unity of the Church), encyclical promulgated on June 29, 1896, #9, brackets added.  http://www.geocities.com/papalencyclicals/Leo13/l13satis.htm).

“Q.: What about the 1,400 Hungarians who were disfellowshipped for protesting the Church’s membership in the Council of Free Churches?...      “Wilson: A good question...The members of this group do not recognize any world authority in the Church....We have advised the dissident group to recognize the world Church organization to place their churches in the world Church.” (General Conference president Neal C. Wilson, in Pacific Union Recorder (official paper of the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists), February 18, 1985, p 4).

Roman Catholic Church

Seventh-day Adventist Church

"For the tabernacle of the Lord is the Holy Church spread throughout the whole world. Heretics [schismatics or dissidents] , separating themselves from the Church's tabernacles, have set up tabernacles for themselves....a tent outside the Church, wherein God will not delight." (St. Augustine, in St. Augustine on the Psalms, Psalm CXLVII, #15, found in Early Church Fathers, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series I, Vol. VIII, brackets added.  http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF1_08/npnf1_08_154.htm).

“The local church where I was speaking – and others as well – are being scandalized by dissident ‘ministries’ whose leaders claim that ‘mainstream’ Adventism is in apostasy....several dissident ‘splinter groups’ that now plague the church...” (Douglas Devnich, president of the Canadian Union Conference of SDAs, in Visitor, March 15, 1992, p 5).