In a constituency meeting delegates transact business. This includes not only the determination by vote of which persons shall serve as conference officers, but also deciding on changes to the constitution and bylaws and other items. We will talk about the constitution and bylaws in part nine. Today I am sharing suggestions, including a selection of motions which could be useful in certain circumstances. There are occasions when persons controlling the process of a constituency meeting may attempt to introduce changes which are inconsistent with the truth and mission God has appointed for His Church. The better that laypeople understand the constituency meeting, the more empowered they will be to bring positive outcomes.
Preparing for a Constituency Meeting
There are helpful preparations you and your congregation can make for constituency meeting.
• Encourage your church board to schedule a meeting in your local church where delegates and the members represented can discuss the upcoming constituency session
• Pray for yourself and the other delegates
• If you are a delegate, read the delegate information packet
• Make it a very high priority to arrive at the constituency meeting before it begins
• Your congregation should be reminded to pray for the meeting while it is in session
Obtaining the Floor
Items addressed in a constituency meeting usually have been previously submitted by a committee and come up in the meeting at an appointed time. You will need to obtain the floor to make a motion. You cannot obtain the floor at just any time.
• To “obtain the floor” is to be recognized by the chair as having the exclusive right to be heard at that time
• The chair must recognize any member who seeks the floor while entitled to it
• The chair is responsible to hold speakers to their allotted time
• Do not expect to speak to a motion a second time until others have had an initial opportunity to speak
• For example, to obtain the floor, one goes to the microphone, faces the chair, and says “John Smith, regular delegate, Lansing church.” The chair will say, “The chair recognizes Mr. Smith”
When You Have the Floor
• Have the wording of your motion ready. Your time at the mic is extremely limited. Most find it helpful to prepare their wording on their phone or write it out and then read it at the mic. Some meetings require that you submit in written form the wording of your motion.
• Be near the mic. Observe where the mics are and if there is a special mic for “point of order” items, know where it is located. You may find it useful to secure a seat near one of the mics. You can make a point of order from any mic but going to a mic reserved for points of order helps the chair give you preference in speaking.
• Have your delegate ID info ready. When your turn at the mic comes you need immediately to properly identify yourself.
• Some kinds of motions are non-debatable, and you will only have a moment as you make your motion to tell the delegates why you are making it. In the making of your motion offer an extremely brief explanation of the reason for your motion. Example: “Mr chair, It is extremely important that the right persons serve in these department positions. Those chosen will directly impact how this conference passes through any societal crisis occurring during the next term. I move that this question be divided so that a vote is taken individually on each department position.”
• Your language should be respectful, clear and definite. Normally you will not approach the chair and ask him what you could do, but you will offer the assembly a definite course of action and call for it to be considered.
Understand what is happening
At different times during a constituency meeting the chair may make a statement such as, “Let’s take this as a block,” or “if there are no objections,” or “without objection,” or “with no objection,” or “by universal consent.” These are statements by the chair which bypass standard process and assume the universal consent of the assembly in agreeing to bypass those procedures. This may be done to save time on points where it is assumed all agree. Often no evil intent is involved and there is nothing wrong with such a course of action. At other times, such an approach can be used manipulatively. All should keep alert. If just one person in the assembly objects, the regular procedure must be followed.
Useful Motions for Constituency Meetings
Much of the business in a Constituency meeting is conducted via main motions. There are six stages in the consideration of every main motion. It may help to review these steps.
1. A delegate obtains the floor and makes a motion.
2. The motion is seconded. Seconding or supporting a motion indicates that more than one person believes a determination should be made by the assembly about the idea. A motion arising from a committee report comes to the assembly from a group so that, in effect, it is already seconded.
3. The chair states the question. The wording that will be debated is the wording as stated by the chair. Persons making and seconding the motion should agree with the way that the chair states the question.
4. Debate occurs. Some are nervous about the word “debate” but this simply means the discussion phase when delegates tell why they are for or against a proposed course of action or may seek to modify the motion. To bring the debate phase to a close, a delegate may “call the question,” say “previous question,” or “move to close debate” which are all ways of making the same motion, namely, to end debate. This motion requires a two-thirds vote. If the chair feels the group is ready to vote, he may say, “if there is no objection, we will end debate and vote on the question.” If none object, there is no need to vote to conclude debate.
5. Vote is taken.
6. The chair states the result.
Let’s make sure we understand two more things. First, all of this is founded on the concept of only one question being considered at a time. And secondly, on precedence of motions. You could say there are four levels of motions. At the bottom level is the main motion. But a main motion can be modified by a subsidiary motion, or affected by an incidental motion. Most of the motions I am about to point out are incidental motions. Privileged motions take precedence over even incidental motions but are more about time issues than processing a particular motion. This chart does not include every possible motion.
Selected Useful Motions and Request
What follows are some useful motions and requests that can be employed if the situation calls for them.
Division of the Assembly
If a member doubts the result of a voice vote or a show of hands, he may call for a division of the assembly. This is a more carefully counted re-vote. There is no need to obtain the floor and the motion does not require a second. No vote is even required; any single member may demand a division. This motion would not be in order in a roll call or electronic voting situation.
Division of the Question
When a motion relating to a single subject contains several parts, each of which can stand as a distinct question, it can be moved that the question be divided into separate parts. For example, if the chair wants to handle several officer department nominations as a block, a participant can move that the question be divided. The person making the motion must have the floor. The motion must be seconded, is not debatable, and requires a majority vote to pass.
Nominating Committee Referral
If there is objection to a part or the whole of the nominating committee report, the objectors may request that the report (not an individual name) be referred back to the nominating committee for further consideration. It is the usual procedure for the chair to accept the referral; however, if the request becomes a motion, it is non-debatable, and is decided by majority vote.
A common mistake is made at constituency meetings by laypeople. An individual may be proposed for an office by the nominating committee and delegates may strongly disagree with that person being the nominee. One may come to the mic and ask that the report of the nominating committee be referred back to the committee. Often the chair at such a time will ask whether that is a motion or not. This may be an attempted manipulation. The best course of action is for the delegate to state clearly to the chair that he is requesting that the report be referred back to the committee and to state also that such requests are usually granted, and that his request is not a motion.
The problem with turning such a referral into a motion is that this motion is non-debatable. If the request is made into a motion, the assembly must vote on sending the report back. But it would not be likely that many delegates would know why it is being sent back. Then it is often made a motion, a vote is taken, the referral back is defeated, and the party nominated is often elected.
If the chair insists on not referring the report back unless it is made a motion, several delegates could approach the mics and all request (not move) that the report be referred back to the nominating committee. Although the reasons for the referral back can scarcely be discussed, the assembly will notice that there is some undercurrent and some point of contention, and they may desire that the list to be returned to the nominating committee where suitable modifications can be made to nominee(s).
Point of Order
When a member thinks the rules of the assembly are being violated, he can make a point of order, thus calling upon the chair for a ruling and an enforcement of the rules. A person making a point of order can interrupt even a person reading a report. The point of order does not require a second, and is not debatable. The chair responds by ruling on the point of order. No vote is taken unless the chair is in doubt or his ruling is appealed. A question of order should be raised immediately at the time the breach occurs.
The point of order (or similarly “point of information”) is sometimes misunderstood. This is an important motion that can correct something that is being wrongly handled in the meeting. But this motion, like all others, should never be misused, for example, to slow down a meeting or to distract.
When a member raises a point of order, the chair will rule on that point of order. If the member disagrees with the ruling of the chair, the decision of the chair may be appealed.
Appeal a Point of Order
Usually, when the chair rules on a point of order, his ruling is final. However, if at least two members (move and second) feel that the ruling is in error, they may appeal the decision. The appeal must be made at the time of the ruling. If any debate or business has intervened, it is too late to appeal. An appeal requires a second.
When voting, the chair will state the question as, “Shall the decision of the chair be sustained?” A majority or a tie vote sustains the decision of the chair. If less than 50% vote yes, then the majority has rejected the chair’s ruling in question. The appeal removes the authority for making the decision from the chair and places the authority for making the decision directly in the assembled constituent body.
Suspend the Rules
Sometimes it may be useful for an assembly to address an item out of the scheduled order. This is one reason why it may be appropriate to move to suspend the rules. Such a motion is out of order when another has the floor, it must be seconded, is non-debatable, and usually requires a two-thirds vote. This motion cannot be used to suspend the bylaws.
Lay on the table
To “lay on the table,” or to “table” a motion, is to enable the assembly to set aside the motion when something else of immediate urgency has a risen. When an item is laid on the table, no time is set for it to be addressed. This motion is commonly misused. It immediately stops debate on a motion. The motion to lay on the table is out of order if the evident intent is to kill or avoid dealing with a measure. One must have the floor in order to make this motion, it must be seconded, and is non-debatable. A question laid on the table can remain there only until the end of the current session. If it is not taken from the table, it dies at the close of that session.
An infamous abuse of the motion to lay on the table occurred at the 2017 NAD Year-End Meeting, where one of the delegates offered a motion that was seconded that would have required the NAD to bring itself and the entities under its umbrella into compliance with the 2015 GC Session vote—which refused to grant any entity the authority to ordain women into the gospel ministry.
At the 2017 meeting, a delegate made this motion and it was seconded. This was followed by an intentional pause in the action, purportedly so that small groups could pray. While this was occurring, five officers of the GC and NAD met and discussed the situation. Although they knelt none appeared to pray (their emergency consultation with each other was captured on the livestream.) Immediately following the “pause for prayer,” the GC treasurer came to the mic and moved to lay the motion on the table. Such a motion takes precedence over a regular main motion, but since there was no legitimate reason to table the motion, the motion made was a misuse of “lay on the table.” Needless to say, because the majority in the room were adherents to the golden calf of women’s ordination, the vote was to table the motion and in this way the motion was defeated. We should be faithful but there is no guarantee right will prevail. We should also remember such behavior with disapproval, and reward behavior such as that exhibited by the five officers in 2017 with removal from leadership, if not censure.
Tactics
Sometimes a matter has come before the assembly which some persons are very determined shall receive a yes vote, but a clear trend develops in the meeting opposing the proposed action. At such times, rather than seeing the motion decisively defeated, some may prefer to keep the matter alive and to sidestep the negative momentum by referring it to a committee.
For example, items referred to executive committee in effect are removed from direct consideration by the constituency session and placed into the decision-making power of the executive committee—a dramatically smaller body. Be wary about moving a substantial item from the direct hands of the constituency to the executive committee.
In recent time it has become common to have persons who may call for a pause for prayer at different times during a meeting. This tends to occur just before a vote on a sensitive item, or, if there is a sense that a calmer spirit needs to be restored to the proceedings. These are good and valid reasons to pause for prayer.
Unfortunately, there are less noble reasons why a pause for prayer may actually work against God’s purposes. For example, if strong momentum has set in to defeat a motion which some strongly desire would pass, a pause for prayer can change the momentum of the ongoing debate. A pause for prayer can also give nefarious persons an opportunity to collude to defeat an unwanted item, as in the case of the 2017 NAD Year-End Meeting.
Voting on One Name Per Officer Slot?
We have experienced frustration when in a constituency meeting only one name is brought to vote for one office or department leader. But let me explain why this approach is actually more consistent with Christian principles than offering delegates multi-candidate ballots.
We believe that God is active in His world, that He intervenes according to His purposes and the prayers of His people. When delegates to a constituency meeting are elected, we pray and plead for God to guide. When those delegates meet in the constituency meeting we are praying the same thing. When the delegates debate and make nominating committee nominations, we are praying for God’s guidance, and when the constituency votes to elect them we are praying for guidance. When they meet we are praying for divine guidance. When they reach a consensus about persons set forth as possible leaders we are praying.
It would be inconsistent with our beliefs to bring multiple names for each office when all through the process we have been seeking divine guidance and intervention. So we vote on one name per officer slot. In the former Soviet Union they voted on one name at a time because the name was set forth by the godless party. As Christians we vote for one name because we believe that God has led across the entire process and that a name submitted for our vote by the nominating committee most likely is there because God in His wisdom has led and caused it to be there.
There are no guarantees that a nominee is “God’s” candidate. But it plausible that that person is the candidate best meeting God’s purpose for that position.
Conclusion
I hope you are encouraged and at least understand parliamentary procedure better than you did before this presentation. Be encouraged! God wants us to succeed in strengthening His Church!
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