WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AT ADRA?

Dear ADRA Board Members,

My name is Andrew Hanson. I blog at Adventist Perspective and Reinventing the Adventist Wheel. I have just completed a one-man journalistic attempt to understand what happened at ADRA during the last four months. ADRA supporters really want to know why Sandefur was replaced, why Maier was chosen to replace him, and the criteria Maier used to terminate and promote officers and staff. Consequently, I've been talking to current and former ADRA employees and listening to other ADRA supporters who have been putting their personal spin on what happened and why.

Rather than summarizing the information I've gathered and writing an article that would attempt to indirectly inform the Board’s decisions, I decided to provide a framework in which the board can (1) be made aware of the various opinions of ADRA supporters regarding the current administrative shakeup (2) be of assistance in reviewing and analyzing the ADRA bylaws, i.e., the administrative process that resulted in the decisions made, and (3) efficiently critiquing the outcomes of those decisions.

It is hoped that posting this survey will allow readers to know that their questions and opinions will be considered by members of the board without name calling or partisan diatribe.

This post should alert the ADRA Board that their policies and procedures are currently being examined and will be closely monitored in the future.

Sincerely,

Andrew Hanson

March 30, 2011

ADRA SURVEY

During my research, current and past employees of ADRA have expressed their opinions regarding the recent administrative shakeup.

How would you rate these opinions as factual on a scale of 0 to 10? (10 highly probable, 0 not plausible) If you have no basis for expressing an opinion, do not rate the statement.

1. Governance Issues

( ) Informal and inconsistent ADRA Bylaws enabled Wilson and Maier to legitimately claim that they had the right to make personnel decisions without consulting the ADRA Board.

( ) Political Reasons for Replacing Sandefur: Sandefur voted against Wilson’s candidacy for GC President.

( ) Differences in Sandefur and Wilson’s fathers’ theology and backgrounds placed these men in different political camps.

2. Philosophical Reasons

( ) Sandefur regards ADRA as fundamentally humanitarian. Wilson regards ADRA as fundamentally evangelistic.

( ) Sandefur believes ADRA is an outgrowth of Christian charity. Wilson believes ADRA is an identifying characteristic of the “elect”.

( ) Sandefur employed and promoted “progressive” Adventists

3. Administrative Reasons

With regard to Sandefur:

( ) Sandefur was an ineffective administrator.

( ) ADRA International was losing its worldwide credibility.

( ) ADRA Board had lost confidence in Sandefur.

( ) Sandefur misused ADRA funds.

With regard to Maier’s qualifications as successor:

( ) Superior administrative experience

( ) More informed visionary outlook

( ) Shared Wilson’s theological views

With regard to Maier’s performance as CEO:

( ) Makes personnel decisions according to ADRA Board policy and bylaws

( ) Establishes a justifiable, consistent, and transparent criteria for personnel decisions

( ) Implements personnel decisions after adequate handover orientation

( ) Organizational morale is taken into consideration, and a considered effort is made to explain the reasons for changes to remaining employees

With regard to the consequences of Maier’s administrative decision making:

( ) ADRA International is more democratic in its working policies.

( ) ADRA International is better off financially.

( ) ADRA International has improved its communication network.

( ) ADRA International has made progress, formally and legally, in licensing

foreign bureaus and offices.

( ) ADRA International is in a better position to acquire grants and sponsorships.

( ) ADRA International is in a better position to acquire personal contributions.