THE GENERAL CONFERENCE CONSTITUTION

The following amended form of the General Conference Constitution is printed here to give opportunity for its consideration before it is brought up for action.GCB April 22, 1901, page 378.23

CONSTITUTION

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ARTICLE 1. NAMES.GCB April 22, 1901, page 378.24

This organization shall be known as the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.GCB April 22, 1901, page 378.25

ARTICLE 2. OBJECT.GCB April 22, 1901, page 378.26

The object of this Conference shall be to unify and to extend to all parts of the world, the work of promulgating the everlasting gospel.GCB April 22, 1901, page 378.27

ARTICLE 3. MEMBERSHIP.GCB April 22, 1901, page 378.28

SECTION 1. This Conference shall be composed of (a) such Union Conferences as have been or shall be properly organized; (b) such local Conferences as are not embraced in any Union Conference, provided such Conferences shall have been accepted by vote at a session of the General Conference: and (c) such mission fields as have not been organized into Conferences of Seventh-day Adventists in any part of the world.GCB April 22, 1901, page 378.29

SEC. 2. The voters of said Conference shall be such duly accredited delegates from the Union Conferences, such members of the General Conference Executive Committee, and such other persons in the employ of the General Conference as shall receive delegates’ credentials from the Executive Committee, as are present at any duly convened regular or special Conference session.GCB April 22, 1901, page 378.30

SEC. 3. Each Union Conference shall be entitled to one delegate without regard to numbers, an additional delegate for each local Conference embraced in its territory, and an additional delegate for each one thousand of its membership. Each local Conference not included in the territory of any Union Conference shall be entitled to one gate, without regard to numbers, and one additional delegate for each one thousand members.GCB April 22, 1901, page 378.31

ARTICLE 4. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.1

SECTION 1. The Executive Committee of this Conference shall be twenty-five in number, and shall have power to organize itself by choosing a chairman, secretary, treasurer, and auditor, whose duties shall be such as usually pertain to their respective offices. It shall also have the power to appoint all necessary agents and committees for the conduct of its work.GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.2

SEC. 2. The Executive Committee shall be elected at the regular sessions of the Conference, and shall hold office for the term of two years, or until their successors are elected, and appear to enter upon their duties.GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.3

ARTICLE 5. SESSIONS.GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.4

SECTION 1. This Conference shall hold a regular session once in two years, reckoning from 1889, at such time and place as the Executive Committee shall designate by a notice published in the Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, at least eight weeks before the date of the session.GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.5

SEC. 2. The Executive Committee may call extra sessions, if in their judgment occasion requires, by a like notice; and the transactions of such extra sessions shall have the same force as those of the regular sessions.GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.6

ARTICLE 6. TRUSTEES, COMMITTEES, AND AGENTS.GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.7

The voters of this Conference shall, at each regular session, elect the trustees of such corporate bodies as are or may be connected with this organization, according to the State laws governing such corporations; and this Conference shall employ such committees and agents as it may deem necessary, according to the by-laws in such cases made and provided.GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.8

ARTICLE 7. BY-LAWS.GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.9

The voters of this Conference may make by-laws, and amend and repeal them at any session thereof. The scope of such by-laws may embrace any provision not inconsistent with the Constitution.GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.10

ARTICLE 8. AMENDMENTS.GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.11

This Constitution may be amended by a three-fourths vote of the voters present at any session, provided that, if it is proposed to amend the Constitution at a special session, notice, of such purpose shall be given in the call for such special session.GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.12

BY-LAWS

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ARTICLE 1.GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.13

SECTION 1. At each session of the Conference the Executive Committee shall nominate for election the presiding officers for the session.GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.14

SEC. 2. At each session of the Conference the Executive Committee shall recommend some plan for the appointment of such temporary committees as may be necessary for conducting the business of the Conference.GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.15

SEC. 3. The Executive Committee shall have full administrative power during the intervals between the sessions of the Conference; it shall also give credentials to, or license, such ministers as may be employed in the General Conference work; and shall fill for the current term any vacancies that may occur in its offices, boards, committees, or agents, by death, resignation, or otherwise; unless some other provision be made by vote of the Conference for filling such vacancies.GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.16

SEC. 4. At each regular session the Conference shall elect a standing committee of eight delegates, who shall, with the chairman of the Executive Committee, and the presidents of the various Union Conferences, constitute a committee for auditing and settling all accounts against the Conference.GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.17

SEC. 5. The Conference shall elect at its regular sessions twenty-one trustees for the General Conference Association of Seventh-day Adventists, a corporation of the city of Battle Creek, Michigan, existing under the laws of the State of Michigan.GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.18

SEC. 6. The biennial session of the General Conference shall be held during the summer season, at such time as in the judgment of the Executive Committee will interfere the least with the general work in the field.GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.19

Life is a service—the only question is, Whom will we serve?—F. W. Faber.GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.20

The life of the soul depends upon habitual communion with God.”GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.21

“Work only for the glory of God and the good of man.”GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.22

“A Christian is a representative of Christ.”GCB April 22, 1901, page 379.23