Changes to Business Meetings - Appears in Chapter 10
The 59th GC Session approved the inclusion of the following texts to the section, Business Meetings, which was found on page 89 in the (17th edition)
Now appears on page 123 and 124 of 18th Edition
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The local church operates within defined roles in Seventh-day Adventist Church structure. Within the context of those roles, the business meeting is the governing authority of the local church. Members in regular standing are encouraged to attend and are entitled to vote. A member under censure has no right to participate by voice or vote. ( page 123 ) |
| Major items should be decided at a regular or specially called business meeting. |
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The business meeting has authority over the board and may delegate responsibilities to the board in addition to those already assigned by the Church Manual. ( page 124 ) |
| Business meetings shall be held at least once a year. . . |
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Conference and union officers (president, secretary, treasurer) or their designee may attend without vote (unless granted by the church) any business meeting of any church in their territory. An action to allow voting is not required if the officer is currently a member of that congregation. ( page 124 ) |
Below is the wording of page 89 in the 17th edition, which was approved by the 58th GC Session in 2005
Church business meetings duly called by the pastor, or the church board in consultation with the pastor, may be held monthly or quarterly according to the needs of the church. Members in regular standing on the roll of the church conducting the business meeting may attend and vote. A quorum shall be decided by the church in a business meeting or by the church board. Votes by proxy or letter shall not be accepted. In order to maintain a spirit of close cooperation between the local church and the conference/mission/field, the church shall secure counsel from the conference/mission/field officers on all major matters. The officers (president, secretary, treasurer) of the conference /mission /field to which the church belongs may attend without vote (unless granted by the church) any church business meeting within the conference / mission / field territory.
A duly called business meeting of the church is a meeting that has been called at the regular Sabbath worship service, together with proper announcements as to the time and place of the meeting.
At such meetings, at which the pastor will preside (or will arrange for the local elder to preside), full information should be given to the congregation regarding the work of the church. At the close of the year, reports should be rendered covering the activities of the church for the entire year, and, based on those reports, the church should approve a full plan of action for the next year. When possible, reports and the next year’s plan of action should be presented in writing. (See Notes, #9, p. 99.)
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