THE SEVENTH-DAY Adventist Church will no longer conduct funerals in its sanctuaries for deceased persons whose lifestyle were lawless and devoid of good principle.
At the same time, the church will insist on a code of conduct barring mourners from wearing flesh-revealing attire, drinking alcohol, bearing firearms or vending in the precincts of the church.
The decisions come as part of several companion measures recommended by the Issues Committee of West Indies Union Conference for the conduct of funerals, and became necessary in response to a spate of incidents earlier this year in which mourners flouted long established traditions meant to uphold the dignity and sanctity of the church.
In one of the main recommendations, the church said that before agreeing to conduct a funeral, it would first have to meet with the family of the deceased, and as far as possible, with all participants in the church service, to determine if the lifestyle of the deceased has been in
contravention of law and order and good principles.
The church also warned that if there were breaches of the agreement, it would reserve the right to stop the service and conclude it at the place of interment.
