San Antonio, TX–A special called session of the Church of God General Assembly is scheduled for Tuesday morning, July 26 at 10:30 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center (HBGCC).
The Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) is meeting this week for the 78th International General Assembly, which was postponed from 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While there are several pre-Assembly events today, the official opening is Tuesday morning, with the drop of the gavel by General Overseer Tim Hill.
The General Assembly consists of all registered delegates ages 16 and up. It is the group that traditionally gathers on Friday afternoon to discuss and vote on the business conducted by the International General Council, the body of all present and registered ordained bishops.
While the Friday afternoon General Assembly will still take place on July 29, the Church of God International Executive Council released a statement on May 19, 2022 concerning the unique circumstances surrounding the postponement of the 78th International General Assembly from 2020 to 2022. The two-paragraph announcement stated in part, “The Executive Council has designated a Special Order of the Day for the Special International General Assembly (all ministers and registered delegates over the age of 16) on July 26, 2022, from 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. to consider the recommendations adopted by the International General Council in the earlier Special Order of the Day.”
Recommendations concern the issue of tenure for elected leaders due to the postponement.
A preamble sums up the tenure issue as such: “Due to the inability to conduct the 78th International General Assembly in 2020 because of the COVID-19 global pandemic, leaders holding elected positions were held in place under an International Executive Council passed ‘continuance of governance’ resolution, since the International General Assembly Minutes provide no guidance for what to do when elections could not be held. Because of the disruption in the normal election cycle caused by the postponement of the 78th International General Assembly, the following options are presented for consideration and implementation, applicable for the 2022 International General Assembly only:
Regarding Tenure of the Newly Elected Members (2016) of the International Executive Committee Options:
A. Two-Year Option – If you believe the newly elected members (2016) should only have two more years of tenure eligibility, you should select the number 2 on your keypad.
B. Four-Year Option – If you believe the newly elected members (2016) should have four years of tenure eligibility, you should select the number 4 on your keypad.”
A similar situation exists concerning the tenure of the International Executive Council, as well as the International Director and Assistant Director of Youth and Discipleship. These will also be considered at the Tuesday General Assembly session.
The official Agenda of the 78th General Assembly fully expounds on this issue. All registered delegates receive a copy of the Agenda in their packets and further exploration of the issue can be found therein. The agenda can also be found online at ga22.org.