Executive Secretary Report (September 2018) - Continued
…a defined membership, also known as a constituency. The constituency-based levels are as follows:
1) the local church, 2) the local conference, 3) the union conference, and 4) the general conference.
The Constituency Meeting of the Gulf States Conference brings together delegates (voting members) who represent each of the local churches that are part of the Gulf States Conference. Members of various standing committees are also delegates (voting members) at the Constituency Meeting…
The Constitution of the Gulf States Conference defines the regular intervals of these meetings. As it now stands, it calls for meetings to be held at intervals of five years, called a quinquennium.
The delegates (voting members) at the constituency meeting are expected to vote to elect the officers, departmental directors, and Executive Committee members; adopt or modify the constitution; appoint members to serve on various committees; organize or dissolve churches, and transact other business as required. One of the most important aspects is the election of the Executive Committee, whose duty is to function on behalf of the constituents during the interim between constituency meetings.
Each church within the Gulf States Conference sends delegates to the Constituency Meeting. These delegates must be members of the church which they represent. The number of delegates from each church is dependent on the number of members in the church. Currently, “each church shall be entitled to one delegate for the organization (your local church), and one delegate for each 30 members or major fraction thereof, as reported at the close of the 3rd quarter of the preceding year.”(1) Delegates to represent a church are chosen at a duly called meeting of the local church.
One of the biggest challenges we face as a conference was evidenced at our last quinquennial (every five years) Constituency Meeting in April 2016. Our constitution at this time defines a quorum (the minimum number of delegates needed to conduct business) of “at least 50% of the delegates . . . be present.”(1) Over the past two decades, we have grown closer to not having enough delegates present to be able to do the business of the Church. This past session called for 586 total delegates – however, a total of only 364 were present. Nearly 40% of the elected church delegates were not present.
To illustrate this challenge for a local church, consider how many times your local church board may not have had a quorum (or was very close to not having a quorum) to be able to conduct the business of your local church. This is a common problem on the local church and conference level. It is no secret that it is vital to have as many board members present as possible to conduct God’s business.
Conference Constituency Meetings can be a spiritual time together as well. The vision of the entire conference is set for the next five years – challenges are given, reports are heard, and God is praised and glorified for His mighty work in our churches and Conference.
1. www.gscsda.org/constitution “Constitution and Bylaws of the Gulf States Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.”