Church Manual, Chapter 11

The Church Election

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In view of the responsibilities of church officers and the character of the work
required of them, the electing of church officers is an important work. This duty
should be entered upon in a prayerful, well-ordered, and serious manner. Only such
persons should be chosen who fully expect to fulfill the specific duties of the office
for which they have been elected.

Nominating Committee

In the Seventh-day Adventist Church, officers are elected every one or two years
(See p. 47.) through an appointed nominating committee. This committee brings its
report to the church, which then acts on the names presented. This procedure
enables the church to give careful study to each name prior to election, and avoids
the public competitive element that may arise when nominations are made from the
floor.

The nominating committee shall study the needs of the church and make careful
inquiry into the fitness of members to serve in the different offices. For this reason
officers shall not be nominated from the floor or by general ballot.

The Church Manual does not determine the size of the nominating committee. It will
range from five members in a small church to a larger number in a large church.
The exact number to be chosen is left to the discretion of each church. This matter
should be studied by the church board prior to presentation to the church. A
suitable recommendation may then be brought to the church, using a minimum of
time in the Sabbath worship hour.

When the Nominating Committee Is Appointed—The nominating committee should

be appointed early in the closing quarter of the church year and report at least three
weeks before the final Sabbath of the church year.

How the Nominating Committee Is Appointed—The minister or, in the absence of a

minister, the church elder should bring the matter to the attention of the church.
The church shall then appoint a special committee

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that will be responsible to nominate the nominating committee. This special

committee may be chosen in one of two ways:

1. By nominations, verbal or written, from the floor. If verbal nominations are made
from the floor, it must be understood that no member may nominate more than one
person. The effort of one individual or a small group to dictate to the entire
membership of the church is disapproved. Everything of a political nature should be
avoided.

2. By the church’s authorizing the church board, together with five to seven
additional persons chosen by the church, in accordance with paragraph 1. above, to
function as the special committee.

The sequential steps are as follows:

a. The church appoints by vote a special committee by either of the two methods
listed above.

b. The special committee recommends to the church names for the nominating
committee, with suggestions for chairperson and secretary.

c. The church appoints by vote the nominating committee, naming the chairperson
and secretary.

d. The nominating committee meets to prepare the list of church officers, which will
be presented to the church for approval.

e. The church appoints by vote the various church officers for the ensuing year.

Who Should be Members of the Nominating Committee—Only members who are in

regular standing should be chosen to serve on the nominating committee. They
should be persons of good judgment and, above all, have the welfare and prosperity
of the church at heart. There are no ex officio members of the nominating
committee, except the pastor or district leader who serves as the chair of the
committee. Should the pastor or district leader choose not to chair the committee, or
in case the conference/mission/field has not yet appointed a pastor or district leader
to the church, the special committee appointed by the church to nominate the
nominating committee should recommend to the church the name of a local member
to serve as chair of the nominating committee.

Work of the Nominating Committee—As soon as possible after its election, the
nominating committee should be called together by the one chosen to act as
chairperson. With earnest prayer for guidance the committee should begin its work
of preparing a list of names to submit to the church for officers and assistants
comprised of members in regular standing on the roll of the church making the
appointments. These will be placed in nomination for office and presented to the
church at a Sabbath service or at a specially called business meeting of the church.
In making their selections,

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the committee may counsel with others who are well informed. This committee does
not nominate either the pastor or the assistant pastor(s). These appointments are
made by the executive committee of the conference/mission/field.

The church nominating committee deals with the following:

Elder(s)

Deacon(s)

Deaconess(es)

Clerk

Treasurer

Assistant treasurer(s)

Children’s Ministries coordinator

Church chorister or song leader

Church organist or pianist

Education secretary

Family Ministries leader(s)

Women’s Ministries leader

Ministry to People with Disabilities coordinator

Personal Ministries leader

Personal Ministries secretary

Interest coordinator

Community Services director

Sabbath School superintendent(s)

Sabbath School assistant superintendent(s)

Sabbath School secretary

Sabbath School assistant secretary

Sabbath School division leaders, including leaders for the adult andextension
divisions

Sabbath School Investment secretary

Vacation Bible School director

Home and School Association leader

Home and School Association secretary-treasurer

Dorcas Society leader

Dorcas Society secretary-treasurer

Adventist Junior Youth Society leader

Adventist Junior Youth assistant leader(s)

Adventist Youth Society leader

Adventist Youth Society associate leader

Adventist Youth Society sponsor

Adventist Youth Society secretary-treasurer

Adventist Youth Society assistant secretary-treasurer

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Adventist Youth Society music director

Adventist Youth Society pianist or organist

Pathfinder Club director

Pathfinder Club deputy director

Adventurer Club director

Religious Liberty leader

Communication secretary or Communication Committee

Health Ministries leader

Stewardship leader

Church board

Church school board

Such other leadership personnel as the church may deem advisable, except Sabbath
School teachers who shall be appointed by the Sabbath School Council and
approved by the church board.

Home and School Association officers are nominated where the local church is the
only church that supports the school. Such nominations are provided to the school
board which makes the appointment. Where more than one church supports a
school, this whole process is fulfilled by the school board. (See pp. 109-110.)

The size of the church will naturally determine the number of church officers to be
nominated. If the church is small, many of the assistant leaders may be omitted. In a
large church all the officers and leaders named in the preceding list may be
necessary.

Nominating Committee to Consult Prospective Officers—Having nominated for the

various offices persons who are faithful, loyal members of the local church,* the
appropriate members of the nominating committee should inform them of their
nomination to office and secure their consent to serve.

Member May Appear Before the Nominating Committee—If any member of the
church desires to appear before the committee during its sessions to make
suggestions or objections, he/she should be given opportunity to do so. After the one
appearing before the committee has retired from the committee room, the
suggestions or objections should be

considered on their merits. When this has been done and everything is clear
*Any exception to this shall be by approval of the conference/mission/field. (See p. 49, Work of the Church Elder is Local.)

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to the satisfaction of the committee, the committee is ready to report to the church.

Nominating Committee Discussions Are Confidential—It is a violation of Christian

ethics and the spirit of the golden rule for a member of a nominating committee to
repeat outside of a committee session any report, discussion, or conversation
regarding any member whose name may be under consideration for any office. To
offend in this regard is ample reason for excluding such a member from
participating in the work of a nominating committee. All inquiries and discussions
regarding the fitness of members to hold church office should be confidential.
Should the necessity arise for inquiries to be made outside the committee, the
chairperson of the committee should make them.

These principles apply to the work of all nominating committees, in both church
and conference/mission/field work.

Reporting to the Church—This report is rendered to the church as a whole and not
to the church board. The board has no jurisdiction in these matters. The report of
this committee may be presented at the Sabbath service or at a specially called
business meeting of the church.

When the nominating committee is ready to render its report, the minister or elder
should give the chairperson of the nominating committee opportunity to make
appropriate remarks to the church. A copy of the report should be placed in the
hands of members, or it should be read aloud by the secretary of the nominating
committee. The chairperson should announce that the report will be voted on the
following week or two weeks later.

Objecting to the Report of the Nominating Committee—It is the right of any member
to raise an objection to the nominating committee’s report. Any such objection
should be presented in person to the nominating committee for consideration before
the second reading of the report by making an appointment through the
chairperson or church pastor. Or, at the time of the second reading of the report, it
is in order for the objector to request that the whole report be referred, without
discussion, to the nominating committee for further consideration. It is the usual
procedure for the chairperson to accept the referral. However, if the request
becomes a motion it is nondebatable and is decided by majority vote. The
chairperson of the committee should then announce when and where the committee
will be in session to hear the objections to any name. At that time the member
making the objection, or any other member who desires to do so, should appear
before the committee. If the election is deferred on the objection of any member, it
would be a serious matter for that member to fail to appear

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before the committee. Trivial or groundless objections to any name should never be
made, but if there are serious reasons why any nomination should be changed, these
reasons should be stated. The committee should give due consideration to the
objections presented. If they are found to be justified, the committee will need to
substitute another name for the one to which objection was made. When the report
is again presented to the church, the church proceeds to vote on the report of the
committee. Every church member should vote in the election of church officers. The
election is by the majority vote of those present and voting.

Vacancies—If an office of the church becomes vacant during the year because of
death, removal, resignation, or for any other reason, the church board nominates a
successor to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term of office and submits the
nomination to the church for election.

Election of Delegates to Local Conference/Mission Session

In local and union conference/mission organizations all administrative authority

springs from the constituency. The local churches in conference/mission
organizations elect delegates to the local conference/ mission session. These are duly
authorized to represent the churches in the councils of the conference/mission. The
conference/mission session elects officers, grants credentials and licenses, adopts or
changes the constitution if such actions be necessary, and transacts other business.
One of its most important acts is the election of the executive committee, whose duty
is to function for the constituency between sessions. In this committee is vested the
delegated power and authority of all the churches within the conference/mission.

Choosing Delegates—"He [God] has so arranged matters that chosen men shall go
as delegates to our conferences. These men are to be tried and proved. They are to
be trustworthy men. The choosing of delegates to attend our conferences is an
important matter. These men are to lay the plans that shall be followed in the
advancement of the work; and therefore they are to be men of understanding, able
to reason from cause to effect."— Testimonies, vol. 9, p. 262.

The number of delegates from each church to a local conference/ mission session is
determined by the provisions of the conference/mission constitution. When the time
comes to select delegates the pastor, or the head elder in cooperation with the
pastor,