General Conference Constitution and Bylaws

The basic documents of the organization called the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The General Conference is an unincorporated body brought into existence to administer the general affairs of the church, and especially to pursue its evangelistic aim, “to teach all nations the everlasting gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and the commandments of God” (Constitution, Art. II). The adoption of the first constitution in Battle Creek, Michigan, on May 21, 1863, climaxed a decade or more of lively discussion among the members regarding the advisability of church organization. Those who opposed organization, or “order,” argued that it would trespass upon the believers’ individual Christian liberty, and some even said that such a church organization would immediately become Babylon. Those who set forth the benefits of organization pointed out that it would prevent confusion, control fanaticism, and make provision for the accrediting of the ministry, the holding of property, and the support of the work. Ellen White as early as 1853 urged the establishing of the church upon “gospel order.” The Michigan Conference, the first of the state conferences, was organized Oct. 6, 1861. The General Conference was organized by delegates from six state conferences-Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, and Ohio-meeting at Battle Creek in 1863. The 1863 constitution contains the following preamble: “For the purpose of securing unity and efficiency in labor, and promoting the general interest of the cause of present truth, and of perfecting the organization of the Seventh-day Adventists, we, the delegates from the several state conferences, hereby proceed to organize a General Conference, and adopt the following constitution for the government thereof” ( Review and Herald 21:204, 205, May 26, 1863). The constitution, which follows the above preamble, contains nine articles (for this constitution in full, see Organization ), outlining the organization and touching on the following subjects: Article I, name; II, officers; III, duties of president and secretary; IV, duties of treasurer; V, duties of the Executive Committee, which include supervision of the work, distribution of laborers, and calling for funds for missionary work; VI, quota of delegates from state conferences; VII, term of office of the officers (one year); VIII, meetings of the conference; IX, amendments to the constitution. In assigning financial responsibilities to the Executive Committee, the constitution (Art. V, Sec. 2) has made provision that “means for missionary operations may be received by donation from state conferences, churches, or individuals; and the committee are authorized to call for means when needed.” Thus the first constitution made provision for the essential elements in the infant church—a simple organization with officers, and the means of financing its operations. The present constitution is not an amended form of the original one; it is a new constitution adopted in 1901 ( see Organization ). The constitution may be amended at any session of the General Conference. Through the years it has undergone considerable change to fit the requirements of a developing work. The latest text appears in the current Yearbook , also in the biennial editions of the General Conference Working Policy . The constitution describes the object of and outlines the membership of the conference; lists the officers, their duties, manner of election, and term of office; makes provision for the election of the Executive Committee, for the holding of sessions, for the organization of incorporations and the employment of agents, for the adoption of bylaws, and for the amending of the constitution and bylaws. In 1889 bylaws were added to the constitution to elaborate further the organization and operation of the conference. In the bylaws in their present form the operation of the conference in division sections is delineated; the election of the standing committees of the sessions is outlined; the listing of officers is extended and their duties developed in greater detail; powers, organization, and meetings of the Executive Committee are more fully defined; division committees are provided; financial operations, together with a listing of funds and appropriations, are set forth; also miscellaneous items are touched upon, such as corporation boards, departments, audits, wages, and expense. More detailed regulations are incorporated from time to time into the Working Policy of the General Conference. Following is the constitution of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists as revised at the fifty-fifth session held in Indianapolis, Indiana, July 5–14, 1990. “Article I—Name “This organization shall be known as the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. “Article II—Purpose “The purpose of this General Conference is to teach all nations the everlasting gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and the commandments of God. “Article III—Membership “Sec. 1. The membership of the General Conference shall consist of: “a. All union conferences and union missions that have been or shall be properly organized and accepted by vote of the General Conference in session. “b. All conferences and missions and unions of churches directly attached to the General Conference, and all conferences and missions and unions of churches directly attached to a division that have been or shall be properly organized. “Article IV—General Conference Sessions “Sec. 1. The General Conference shall hold quinquennial sessions at such time and place as the Executive Committee shall designate and announce by a notice published in the Adventist Review in three consecutive issues at least four months before the date for the opening of the session. In case special world conditions make it imperative to postpone the calling of the session, the Executive Committee, in regular or special council, shall have authority to make such postponement, not to exceed two years, giving notice to all constituent organizations. “Sec. 2. The Executive Committee may call special sessions of the General Conference at such time and place as it considers proper, by means of a notice as provided for in Sec. 1, and the transactions of such special sessions shall have the same force as those of the regular sessions. “Sec. 3. The election of officers and the voting on all matters of business shall be by viva-voce vote, or as designated by the chairman, unless otherwise requested by a majority of the delegates present. “Sec. 4. The delegates to a General Conference session shall be designated as follows: “a. Regular delegates. “b. Delegates at large. “Sec. 5. Regular delegates shall represent the General Conference’s member union conferences, union missions, member conferences, missions, and unions of churches as defined in Article III, Sec. 1, and shall be appointed with the objective that at least 25 percent be lay delegates as follows: “a. Delegates representing union conferences shall be appointed by the respective unions. “b. Delegates representing union missions and unions of churches having division affiliation shall be appointed by the respective division executive committees in consultation with the organizations concerned. “c. Delegates representing conferences and missions attached to a division but not to any union conference or mission shall be appointed by the respective division executive committee in consultation with the organizations concerned. “d. Delegates representing union conferences and union missions, (conferences and missions) and unions of churches attached to the General Conference but not to any division shall be appointed by the Executive Committee in consultation with the organizations concerned. “Sec. 6. Regular delegates shall be allotted on the following basis: “a. Each union conference and union mission shall be entitled to one delegate other than its president (who is a delegate at large), without regard to membership; and an additional delegate for each conference and mission in its territory without regard to membership. “b. Each union of churches shall be entitled to one delegate, without regard to membership. “c. Each conference and mission directly attached to a division or to the General Conference shall be entitled to one delegate, without regard to membership. “d. Each union conference, union mission, union of churches, and attached conference and mission described in Sections 6-a, 6-b, and 6-c shall be entitled to additional delegates based upon its proportion of the world church membership. The total delegates under this provision shall not exceed 1,200. “Sec. 7. Delegates at large shall represent the General Conference, its divisions, and its organizations, and shall be appointed on the following basis: “a. All members of the Executive Committee. “b. Four delegates from each division, without regard to membership, and one additional delegate for each 100,000, or major fraction thereof, of the division membership, such delegates to be appointed by the division executive committee and their credentials to be ratified by the General Conference in session. At least 50 percent of these delegates shall be laypersons, pastors, teachers, and nonadministrative employees. “c. Those representatives of the church’s general and division institutions and other entities, and those general workers, field secretaries, laypersons, and pastors who are selected by the Executive Committee of the General Conference and its divisions, the credentials for whom are to be ratified by the General Conference in session. The number of these delegates shall not exceed 20 percent of the total number of both regular delegates and other delegates at large herein provided for. “Sec. 8. Credentials to sessions shall be issued by the General Conference to those appointed as provided for in harmony with the provisions of this article. “Sec. 9. Calculations for all delegate allotments as provided for in this article shall be based upon the membership as of Dec. 31 of the second year preceding the General Conference session. “Article V—Election “Sec. 1. The following shall be elected at each regular session of the General Conference: “a. A president, vice presidents, a secretary, an undersecretary, associate secretaries, division secretaries, a treasurer, an undertreasurer, associate treasurers, division treasurers, general field secretaries, division field secretaries, a director and associate directors of the General Conference Auditing Service, directors of division auditing services, a secretary and associate secretaries of the Ministerial Association, a director and associate directors of each duly organized General Conference department, namely, Church Ministries, Communication, Education, Health and Temperance, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty, Publishing, a director of Archives and Statistics, a director of Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries, a director and associate directors of Trust Services; division Ministerial Association secretaries, division departmental directors, division directors of Trust Services, and, for divisions in which special circumstances require it, any other departmental or service directors, upon the request of the division executive committee, and the approval of the General Conference Executive Committee. “b. Other persons, not to exceed 80 in number, to serve as members of the Executive Committee, at least 30 of whom shall be laypersons from all the divisions. “Article VI—Executive Committee “Sec. 1. The Executive Committee of the General Conference shall consist of: “a. Those elected as provided by Article V except the director and associate directors of the General Conference Auditing Service and directors of division auditing services. “b. Presidents of union conferences, presidents of union missions, past presidents of the General Conference holding credentials from the General Conference, the manager of Adventist World Radio-Asia, the president of Andrews University, the director and associate directors of Biblical Research Institute, the president of Christian Record Services, the executive director of General Conference Risk Management Services, the director of Geoscience Research Institute, the president of Home Study International, the president of Loma Linda University, the president of Oakwood College, the president of Pacific Press Publishing Association, the director of Philanthropic Service for Institutions, the president of Seventh-day Adventist Radio, Television, and Film Center, the president of Review and Herald Publishing Association, the president/executive director of Adventist Development and Relief Agency International, the executive secretary of Adventist-Laymen’s Services and Industries, the director of General Conference Personnel Administration, the editor and associate editors of Adventist Review , the president, secretary, undersecretary, and associate secretaries of Ellen G. White Estate, the speaker of Ayer, Hoy, y Mañana, the speaker of Breath of Life, the speaker of Faith for Today, the speaker of It Is Written, the speaker of Voice of Prophecy, and the speaker of La Voz de la Esperanza. “Article VII—Officers and Their Duties “Sec. 1. The officers of the General Conference shall be a president, vice presidents, a secretary, an undersecretary, associate secretaries, a treasurer, an undertreasurer, and associate treasurers. “Sec. 2. President: The president or his designee shall preside at the sessions of the General Conference, act as chairman of the Executive Committee, and serve in the general interests of the General Conference, as the Executive Committee may advise, and perform such other duties as usually pertain to such office. “Sec. 3. Vice Presidents: Each vice president shall assist the president in the general administrative work of the General Conference or preside over a division territory. “Sec. 4. Secretary, undersecretary, and associate secretaries: It shall be the duty of the secretary to keep the minutes of the proceedings of the General Conference sessions and meetings of the Executive Committee, to maintain correspondence with church organizations, and to perform such other duties as usually pertain to such office. The undersecretary and the associate secretaries shall assist the secretary in this work. “Sec. 5. Treasurer, undertreasurer, and associate treasurers: It shall be the duty of the treasurer to receive all funds of the General Conference and disburse them in harmony with the actions of the Executive Committee, to render such financial statements at regular intervals as may be desired by the president or by the Executive Committee, and to perform such other duties as usually pertain to such office. The undertreasurer and associate treasurers shall assist the treasurer in this work. “Article VIII—Term of Office “Sec. 1. All officers of the General Conference and those members of the Executive Committee provided for by Article V, Sec. 1-a, shall hold office from the time of election until the next ensuing regular session, or until their successors are elected and appear to enter upon their duties. “Sec. 2. Members of the Executive Committee provided for by Article V, Sec. 1-b, shall serve from the time of their election until the next ensuing regular session. “Article IX—Corporations and Agents “Sec. 1. Corporations may be authorized by the General Conference in session or by the Executive Committee. “Sec. 2. The General Conference Corporation is a legal entity formed to hold title to General Conference assets, to serve the General Conference in carrying out its purposes, and to receive gifts and legacies for the General Conference unincorporated. “Sec. 3. At each regular session of the General Conference, the delegates shall elect the trustees of corporate bodies connected with this organization that may be required by the statutory laws governing each corporate body. “Sec. 4. The Executive Committee shall appoint or employ agents and other persons as necessary to execute its work effectively. “Article X—Bylaws “At any regular or special session of the General Conference the delegates may enact, amend, or repeal bylaws. Such actions may embrace any provision not inconsistent with the constitution. “Article XI—Amendments “This constitution or its bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the delegates present and voting at any session, provided that, if it is proposed to amend the constitution at a special session of the General Conference, notice of such purpose shall be given in the call for that special session.