Back in January, an open letter was sent to the Arkansas-Louisiana Conference Officers, Executive Committee members, the Southwestern Union Officers, and the North American Division (NAD)
The claim of these constituents was that the postponement of the 2020 Constituency Session due to the COVID-19 pandemic did not automatically reset the quadrennial cycle (their 2020 Constituency meeting was held in 2021). A motion to amend the bylaws did not occur, implying that the next Constituency Session should be held in 2024. Without changing the bylaws, the Conference sought to push the meeting off to 2025.
The open letter urged the decision-makers to honor the will of the constituents and ensure that the next Regular Constituency Session is held in 2024. There was also a petition on Change.org.
It worked. The Arkansas-Louisiana Conference executive committee met and decided to hold their constituency meeting in 2024, instead of 2025. The letter:
It’s good to see that ‘members in the pew’ are heard. This is a win for transparency and accountability in the church.
****
“Do everything in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14).