ON CHURCH GOVERNANCE, UNITY AND FUTURE

This week I read an interesting article in the Adventist review, outlining how church leaders are elected.  In a few weeks we are going to drive to General Conference session, which happens every five years.  For me it is a spiritual journey, bringing my kids to see the Big picture of the  church’s mission and values on a global scale. My kids see the GC session as an event much greater than any concert, or other public event.  Some 80,000 Adventists are anticipated to come and visit there.  And there will be 2,410 delegates from all 13 regional divisions of our world-wide church, who  were selected to represent some 20+ million members, and who will participate in the voting marathon, including the election of top church leadership.

 While all 2,410 delegates vote on session agenda items, only a select number actually nominate church officers.  So here, how things are done.  During their first day in Atlanta, delegates from each of the church’s 13 regions will meet and appoint a prescribed number of their members—typically around 235 total—to the Nominating Committee.  Those selected as Nominating Committee members then convene to recommend candidates for various offices and departments at the world church headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland.  Any candidate the Nominating Committee chooses is immediately presented to the full body of delegates, where a majority vote determines if the nominee is elected. If he or she isn’t, the Nominating Committee reconvenes to recommend someone else.

The church highest positions—those of world church president, secretary, and treasurer—are the first nominations. Presidents of the church’s world regions are nominated next.  While the process is less straightforward than, say, national political elections, church leaders said it’s designed to discourage campaigning in the run-up to session by narrowing the time between nominations and voting.

While it’s impossible to eliminate what he calls the “human element” of the nomination and voting process, we trust in God’s guidance through elected delegates, representatives who take the final vote.

Some Conferences have announced their delegates already.  For example, the Bahamian Conference listed their three delegates for all members to know, and express their wishes, and to pray for them:

This weekend Ontario churches are celebrating together the united efforts in Mississauga, at a one-day-campmeeting.  Hopefully some of our members will also trek there too.  All pastors are there for the day with families.  Our Conference delegates to GC session will be also announced soon.  As members of our united sisterhood of churches, a conference in Ontario your prayers are wanted.  Pray for your representatives, call them up if you have questions, suggestions, or concerns.  Pray for the local Conference, and for the upcoming General Conference Session, for God to release the workers into the harvest.