It is part of the organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. As part of the worldwide community of believers, our church is organized on various levels, with each level having a defined membership, also known as a constituency. The constituency-based levels are as follows:
The Constituency Meeting of the Illinois Conference brings together delegates (voting members) who represent each of the local churches that are part of the Illinois Conference, to do the business of the church at the conference level. Members of various standing committees are also delegates (voting members) at the Constituency Meeting.
The Constitution of the Illinois Conference determines the frequency of these meetings. A regular, constituency meeting takes place every five years (quinquennial).
The delegates at the Constituency Meeting vote to elect the officers, departmental directors, and Executive Committee members; adopt or modify the constitution; appoint members to serve on various committees; organize or dissolve churches; and transact other business as required.
Each church within the Illinois Conference sends delegates to the Constituency Meeting. These delegates must be members of the church which they represent. The number of delegates from each church is dependent on the number of members in the church. Currently, “each church shall be entitled to one delegate for the organization and one additional delegate for each 50 members or major fraction thereof, based upon actual church membership as of September 30 of the year preceding the meeting.” Delegates to represent a church are chosen at a duly called meeting of the church. Others who are delegates to the meeting are:
After being chosen by the Organizing Committee, the Nominating Committee selects the officers and department directors and recommends them to the Constituency at the meeting. The Nominating Committee serves therefore, before, and, if necessary, during, and after the Constituency meeting until the next regular Constituency Meeting.