Altar Operations

SeungNiJeDan is composed of saints who follow the true GuSeJu and JuNim, and the Altar itself.

From a spiritual perspective, it is a very simple, linear structure between JuNim and myself, but the elements related to the Altar that provide the conditions for daily worship – that is, the various administrative tasks arising from the corporation and buildings – are the structure that supports the continuation of our faith.

Therefore, Altar operations, although not directly related to faith, are a factor that can have a fatal impact not only on the saints but also on JuNim and the work of human salvation, and thus constitute a very important area that must not be left in a blind spot, allowing the devil to exploit it.

This happened in the old days when the Catholic religion flourished. Because it was the only religion established by the state, everyone had to attend church, and the offering income flowing into the church was overflowing. As a result, holding a so-called ‘position’ within the Catholic Church meant that one’s livelihood was secured. So, with bribes changing hands and holy offices being bought and sold, tens of thousands of jobs emerged within the church. No one knew who was doing what or where, but money was simply leaking away. Inequality between churches was also a problem. Small local churches were busy trying to meet their tributes to the higher churches. Thus, the church became a hotbed of corruption.

This is why, as the SeungNiJeDan of the true GuSeJu expands, there must be a system to prevent such things from happening in advance, that is, clear ‘Altar Operating Guidelines’.

‘Altar Operating Guidelines’ are a collection of rules, procedures, and laws that define the work processing steps and the forms to be used in those processes.

SeungNiJeDan is not a business entity that conducts profit-making activities. Therefore, coming to the Altar as a means of livelihood is not permissible, and this is an unchangeable fundamental principle.
SeungNiJeDan is not a place to come to make money, but a “temple that causes one to be born again through the Holy Spirit”.

For regular volunteers or in special cases, living expenses or remuneration can be provided based on evidence.

Expenditures are broadly classified into “Essential Maintenance Costs” and “Project Promotion Costs”.

Essential Maintenance Costs refer to various taxes, electricity and water bills, etc., arising from the Altar’s legal corporation/land/buildings, which are external and unavoidable expenditures.

Project Promotion Costs refer to costs for which the recipients or amounts can be adjusted internally. They are divided into ‘Essential Projects’ and ‘Project Business’.

For example,
1) ‘Altar Operations Project’. This includes remuneration for those who volunteer in relation to Essential Maintenance Costs.

Only the ‘Altar Operations Project’ is an ‘Essential Project’.

Although it is an Essential Project, just like Project Business, remuneration is paid based on clear evidence of who did what, when, where, and for how long.

What is included in the ‘Altar Operations Project’ is strictly limited to matters related to ‘Essential Maintenance Costs’.

Essential Projects cannot be abandoned.

2) ‘Jongno JeonDoSil Project’. This includes all expenses (monthly rent, taxes and public utility charges, etc.) incurred at the ‘Jongno JeonDoSil’.

The ‘Jongno JeonDoSil Project’ is a ‘Project Business’.

Although it is a very important project because ‘JeonDo’ (evangelism) is in its name, Project Business is something that can be abandoned if, after trying it, the results fall short of expectations.

All projects, in defined units (1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year), go through the process of proposal (including budget), review, resolution, execution, interim report, performance report, and termination, and all stages are documented.

Even if no one asks how a project is progressing, it is managed conscientiously, anticipating that JuNim will ask.

• When starting anew, all ongoing projects are named based on expenditures, and a list is managed.
• The relevant project name is attached to the request for approval and expenditure resolution.
• Regardless of how small the expenditure, a request for approval and an expenditure resolution are prepared independently for each project.
• Expenditures that are hidden within other projects are not permitted.
• When a proposal is resubmitted after a project has ended, a ‘performance report’ (content: performance relative to total input of money, personnel, and time) is meticulously reviewed from JuNim’s perspective before a decision is made.

Expenditure Direction

We block any leaks in HaNaNim’s storehouse, and spend the saints’ offerings for the work of human salvation and for the saints.

Compensation for Volunteers

Compensation for service is not a salary.

There are no contracts for service either.

However, this is a token of sincerity from the Altar, expressing gratitude to volunteers through monetary means. Although many people occasionally come to help, please understand that payments can only be made to key volunteers.

Even if a volunteer declines remuneration, the process of offering remuneration is carried out, and the procedure for them to make an offering is maintained.

Activities related to evangelism are a duty that every saint must perform, and therefore do not fall under the realm of volunteering.

Duties and Positions

At least three people are assigned to each duty, all performing the same tasks, and a representative is appointed on a rotational basis from among them.

Positions such as manager, deputy manager, department head, or vice president, which distinguish hierarchy among saints, are not used. Instead, the focus is on what work needs to be done, and at least three people are assigned to perform the same tasks.

For example, three people take on the role of general affairs. By forming a team of experienced individuals and those who are recommended, they can gain experience and distribute the workload, thereby creating opportunities for evangelistic activities, which are fundamental to a person of faith.

Three people also take on the role of president. However, since the title ‘president’ is not a duty related to specific tasks, we propose new titles such as “Operations Director (COO, Chief Operating Officer)” or “Steward”. Their role is to act as a kind of lubricant, directly visiting sites to check, advise, supervise, coordinate, support, and attend meetings, observing how all duties, especially Project Business, are progressing. Again, three people take turns serving as representatives of the SeungNiJeDan saints.

The part corresponding to approval in traditional work processing, for routine tasks, in accordance with the requirements set by procedural law, is replaced by all duty members reviewing, checking, and making judgments.

For projects, the word ‘Team’ is added after the project name. For example, those working for the ‘Jongno JeonDoSil Project’ become the ‘Jongno JeonDoSil Team’. Again, it is composed of at least three members, and the representative is taken on by the members in rotation.

Procedural Law and Altar Operating System

The content that forms the basis of all work processing is first defined in the form of procedural law, and administrative tasks can be handled through an Altar operating system that functions according to procedural law.

The Altar operating system is a distributed system with local nodes that can be operated independently by each Altar, and which, based on the concept of linking these, can be expanded as needed into regional nodes, national nodes, and global nodes.