Annual Congregational Business Meetings in 2021
As COVID-19 continues to affect in-person gatherings for churches, congregations need to once again consider options for conducting annual congregational business meetings.
The first place to start is with a review of the church's constitution and bylaws. Decisions on when and how to conduct an annual or special congregational business meeting need to be based on the wording in the church’s governing document.
A few things to set the stage for next steps - a fundamental principle of parliamentary law is that:
Proper notice is given in advance of a members’ meeting
All members have reasonable access to the meeting
The right to vote is limited to the members of an organization who are actually present at the time the vote is taken.
Here are answers to some questions you may have…
Can a church delay its annual congregational meeting?
If a church has permission in its constitution, it can decide to delay. The PAOC LCC template has this wording in Article 8.1 - "The annual congregational business meeting shall be held in the month of [MONTH] each year on a suitable date unless otherwise decided by the [BOARD or PASTORS COUNCIL]." Make sure to review the constitution to see if there is wording that gives permission to change the date of the meeting. If so, it would be preferable to state a specific date rather than "…postponed indefinitely". However, the Board or Pastors Council will need to make that decision accordingly.
Can a church hold a "virtual meeting" i.e. electronically/online to conduct its annual congregational meeting?
Our generally understood and historical practise is that official members of the congregation must be physically present to constitute a quorum in order to proceed with a congregational meeting. However, the wording used throughout the PAOC LCC template uses the words "…members present…" - it does not qualify "present" as only being physically present at a meeting. So, under current circumstances, the members could agree that "present" can include being present electronically and/or present physically. The challenge of holding a meeting with people being physically present only is the limited numbers permitted as per government requirements in Alberta and in the Northwest Territories. If the church is unable to accommodate all members who wish to attend the meeting in person, it is recommended that the church hold the meeting electronically or in a hybrid of some members being physically present plus others being electronically present. The underlying premise in this is that each member who would be joining the meeting electronically must have reasonable and suitable access to the meeting by computer or telephone or other communications medium and is able to communicate with others to participate in the meeting.
Can individuals who are not members, i.e. adherents, attend a virtual meeting?
It is possible to permit adherents to be “present” in either a virtual or hybrid version of the meeting. However, adherents are unable to participate in any discussions and/or voting. Similar to in-person business meetings, adherents cannot be part of the “voting bar” and may need to be in a separate “meeting room” depending on the technology used for conducting the virtual meeting.
What methods have to be in place regarding voting?
A virtual meeting, or, hybrid of members being present in-person and electronically, would need to ensure that all present members can indicate their vote to the chairperson and that the chairperson clearly understands the will of those present. If the chairperson can be satisfied that all members present can exercise their vote by voice (in-person or electronically) or a “show of hands” (either in person or electronically), then that is acceptable.
What about secret ballot voting in a virtual or hybrid (in-person AND electronic) meeting?
In the event of a secret ballot required or being called for in a virtual or hybrid meeting, there are a couple of options to consider.
Hard copy voting – this method is the traditional practise of marking a paper ballot with a member’s vote.
Electronic voting - a church would need to make an electronic voting platform available to members. There are a variety of online voting platforms available and accessible through the internet via a web browser, but often with a cost. The ABNWT District has used SimplyVoting as a provider for District Conference voting. Other options for online voting include ElectionRunner as well as ElectionBuddy.
Combination of hard copy voting and electronic voting – while it is always preferable to choose either method rather than a combination, it is permissible so long as the accuracy and integrity of the vote and the counting of the ballots is able to be done.
Are absentee votes permissible?
A fundamental principle of law is that the right to vote is limited to the members who are actually present at the time the vote is taken at a duly called meeting. However, an exception to this must be stated in the church’s governing document that permits absentee votes in advance of a meeting.
What about conducting a “drive-in” voting process?
In COVID-19 times, a church might consider conducting secret ballot voting by permitting members to drive to the church to cast a hard copy ballot. This could only be considered when the congregational business meeting is still “in session”. For example, the specific item(s) of business in which a secret ballot is being called for must be presented to, and considered by, all members at the same time. Following completion of the discussion of that item, it could be possible for the meeting session to be “paused” or “recessed” to permit voting to take place - the meeting could not be adjourned. Members could then be provided a window of time or perhaps days to cast their ballot. A suitable ballot casting procedure would need to be followed that reasonably permits all members “present” to conduct their vote, likely a hard copy vote monitored by tellers who are present at the church in the time(s) permitted for voting. Once the ballot closing time/day is reached, the tellers would count the ballots for presenting the results to the chairperson. The chairperson would reconvene the meeting session at a previously set time to present the results. There are some further logistics in conducting such a process, so feel free to contact your District Resource Centre and speak with Rev. Phil Doroshuk, Director of Finance & Administration for more details.
What should be done with reports such as financial statements and ministry reports?
All members should receive all meeting materials either by mail or electronically before the meeting.
What software or app options are available to conduct virtual meetings?
One of the most widely used platforms for video and audio conferencing is Zoom. However there are other options – Webex, Microsoft Teams, GoToMeeting, Skype and others. Some of these will even incorporate voting or polling options for congregational business meetings.
For more information or any specific questions, please contact your District Resource Centre and we will help you find answers the church needs.
Phil serves as the Director of Finance & Administration with the ABNWT District of The PAOC. He has helped resourcing churches and ministries in all things finance and administration in order to serve the mission of the organization.