by Israel Leito
Time was, when being a church administrator meant automatically being a delegate to the General Conference Session. This is not so anymore. When the GC was reforming its constitution prior to the 1995 session in Holland, the committee that worked on the proposal was very firm in pronouncing that the church does not belong to administrators only, and therefore, there should be ample representation of the “church” at all sessions, including the GC Session.
Some very significant decisions were made that affect the session. It was decided that the number of delegates should be capped, and regardless of the growth of the church to keep this number. It was decided, in order to protect the slower growing Divisions, that all Divisions should be guaranteed a minimum number of delegates, but that this number must be distributed among the unions. It was decided that Division departmental directors were no longer GC Committee members, and therefore not automatically a delegate. In many Divisions, departmental directors do not attend the session as delegates. It was also decided that of the delegates in a union, fifty percent should be lay persons and front-line workers, and of these, fifty percent should be laypersons. This has made it impossible for all administrators to be automatically a delegate.
The church is very vigilant that this ratio be followed, and if the delegation does not reflect this ratio, the union will be advised to follow the established policy. For the 2000 session it was told that unless this ratio is strictly followed, the delegation of that union may be in jeopardy of not being seated.
How should this situation be dealt with, especially for church administrators who have been disadvantaged by this new paradigm? The Inter-American Division, as most other Divisions, recognizes that the financial support for this church comes from the local fields, and therefore they should be better represented. Therefore, it is the recommendation of the Inter-American Division administration that, where there are not enough delegates for all local presidents to go as a delegate, that the following rational could be followed. First the presidents of conferences, then the presidents of missions, then the presidents of regions, and last the coordinators in experimental fields. This new paradigm has also put a real strain on the representations from non-Division or GC institutions, for the policy has provision for these, but not for union institutions.
Are you a delegate? Let us pray for the outpouring of the Spirit on this upcoming session also as it has been on other sessions.
Maranatha!