GA22 AGENDA: Women in Leadership 

Notice of Proposal to Amend the Bylaws of the International General Council and the International General Assembly: In accordance with the Minutes of the International General Assembly, the following amendments related to the Bylaws of the Church of God are being recommended by the International Executive Council to the 2022 International General Council for
consideration.

PREVIOUS NOTICE 

Bylaws Amendment #4  Women in Leadership 

RATIONALE              

During recent years, there have been calls for ordained women ministers to participate in and have  the right to vote in the International General Council sessions at the General Assembly. This issue  was subject to discussion in the open Global Forums conducted following the 2018 General  Assembly and this provision is offered in compliance with the General Assembly’s direction that  motions be formulated and brought back to the International General Council on the topics  discussed.

To allow for such, a change in the bylaws is necessary. The recommendation that follows modifies  the bylaws, providing an equitable method for ordained women ministers to be members of the  International General Council with voice and vote authority.  Under the proposed measure, only  those ordained women ministers who fulfill the same age and years of experience qualifications  stated for  Ordained Bishops (including  completing equivalency testing for  General Council  certification)  would  be  eligible  for  participation  in  the  International  General  Council.  It  is  understood that the provisions applying to a Bishop’s wife (see S22. ORDAINED BISHOP, II., 

Qualifications of Ordained Bishops, 7, page 102) would in like manner similarly apply to the  husband of a General Council certified female ordained minister.

It is further noted that this measure only allows for full participation of ordained women ministers  in the deliberations and voting in the International General Council and does not allow ordained  women ministers the opportunity to be an Ordained Bishop or the additional privileges associated  with being an Ordained Bishop.

We recommend:

That we amend page 61, S2.  BYLAWS OF THE CHURCH OF GOD, ARTICLE VI, 2.  INTERNATIONAL GENERAL COUNCIL, Members, by inserting after bishops of the  Church of God and General Council-certified female ordained ministers who have fulfilled the  same age requirements, experience and equivalent testing of the ordained bishop credentials as  contained in S22. ORDAINED BISHOP, II., Qualifications of Ordained Bishops, who shall  comprise its voting constituency.

So as to read:

The International General Council is composed of all ordained bishops of the Church 

of God  and General Council-certified female ordained ministers who have fulfilled the 
same  age  requirements,  experience  and  equivalent  testing  of  the  ordained  bishop 
credentials as contained in S22. ORDAINED BISHOP, II., Qualifications of Ordained 
Bishops, who shall comprise its voting constituency.