Secretariat

NEC Session

This September, the North England Conference (NEC) will host its 64th Session at the Leonardo Hotel Hinckley Island (Formerly Jurys Inn), Watling St, Burbage, Hinckley, LE10 3JA, from the 11th to the 13th September 2024. This event marks a significant moment in the NEC's calendar, typically occurring every four years. Due to the unique circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 63rd Session due to take place in 2020 was rescheduled to September 2021, leading to this term's adjustment.

The upcoming session is crucial for the governance and strategic direction of the NEC, with a comprehensive agenda planned over three days. Highlights of the session include: 

  • The establishment of a Recommendations Committee, responsible for selecting nominees for the Nominating Committee, Constitutional Committee, Credentials and Licenses Committee, and Plans Committee. 
  • The Nominating Committee will propose new leadership and operational roles, including new officers (President, Executive Secretary, and Treasurer), executive committee members/trustees, and departmental directors, for delegate voting. 
  • The Credentials and Licenses Committee will oversee the approval of new credentials and licenses for NEC employees for the next term and review the status of Lay preachers from the local congregations. 
  • Departmental reports will be presented, offering insights into the work carried out over the previous four years, followed by a Q&A session. 
  • A critical review of proposed amendments to the NEC's governing documents, last updated in 2012, will be conducted. Attendees can access the current NEC Constitution via this link NEC Constitution. 

This session is an essential platform for decision-making and leadership within the NEC, reflecting our ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability, and mission-driven governance. 

Resources 

How Session Works 

Types of Delegates at the NEC Session 

During the NEC Sessions, two distinct types of delegates play crucial roles: Delegates at Large and Regular Delegates. 

Delegates at Large encompass a variety of positions within the Conference's organisational structure. This group includes, but is not limited to, members of the Executive Committee of the Conference, ordained/commissioned ministers holding credentials from the Conference, and head teachers of secondary and primary schools operated by the Conference. The inclusion of these roles as Delegates at Large ensures that a broad spectrum of leadership and operational perspectives is represented at the sessions. 

Regular Delegates are those selected directly by the churches within the Conference. This ensures grassroots representation from across the membership. The allocation of these delegates is based on the size of each church's membership, with a formula that provides for one delegate for the church organisation itself, plus additional delegates for every fifty members or a major fraction thereof beyond the first thirty-five members. This approach is designed to scale representation with the size of the church, aiming for an equitable voice among large and small congregations alike. 

Selection of Delegates 

The selection process for delegates to the NEC Sessions is rooted in the Conference's desire for wide representation and inclusivity.  

Delegates at Large are effectively predetermined by their roles within the Conference's structure. This automatic designation ensures that the Conference's leadership and key operational figures are present to provide insight, guidance, and accountability. 

Regular Delegates, on the other hand, are chosen by their respective churches. This democratises the selection process, allowing individual congregations to select representatives who best reflect their community's perspectives and needs. The formula for delegate allocation ensures that every congregation, regardless of size, has a voice, while larger congregations receive proportional representation reflective of their larger membership base. 

Upholding Fairness and Transparency 

By delineating clear roles and providing a scalable representation model, the NEC aims to ensure that the diverse body of its membership is fairly and transparently represented. 

Moreover, the constitution establishes a variety of committees and procedural guidelines for the operation of sessions. These include committees for nominations, constitution, plans, credentials, and licenses, among others, each with specific roles and compositions to ensure broad representation and accountability. This structured approach to governance and session management further reinforces the Conference's commitment to fairness, transparency, and inclusive representation. 

Key Points in Conducting the NEC Session 

The North England Conference sessions are central to our communal life, reflecting our commitment to harmony, simplicity, and the pursuit of God’s will. These sessions are meticulously structured to encourage meaningful participation, foster respectful debate, and ensure decisions are reached fairly and efficiently. 

Principles and Procedures 

Chairperson’s Role: The chairperson oversees the sessions, ensuring proceedings run smoothly and equitably. While they may vote under specific circumstances, such as to break or create a tie, their primary role is to facilitate, rather than participate in, the debates. 

Delegates and Committee Members: Representing the diverse body of our Conference, delegates and committee members are expected to engage constructively and respectfully. Their contributions should propel the session forward, focusing on the collective good over individual interests. 

Voting and Elections: Adhering to our Constitution, Bylaws, and Working Policies, voting is usually conducted by voice or general consent. This approach to elections and decision-making underscores our values of transparency and consensus. 

Handling of Motions: A clear set of guidelines governs the proposal and discussion of motions, ensuring an organised and transparent decision-making process. This includes detailed procedures for amendments, tabling discussions, and committee referrals, all designed to facilitate smooth and democratic proceedings. 

Quorum and Adjournment: A predefined quorum is essential for the legitimacy of our sessions, reflecting the collective will. The procedures for adjournment and taking recesses help manage the flow of sessions efficiently. 

Adaptability and Flexibility: The rules are designed with the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances, allowing for the suspension of specific procedural rules to better serve our church’s mission. 

Divine Guidance: At the heart of our sessions is the recognition of divine guidance in our deliberations. Our primary aim is to discern and align with God’s will, guiding our actions and decisions. 

This overview encapsulates the essence of conducting sessions in the North England Conference, emphasising efficiency, fairness, and the spiritual purpose at the heart of all deliberations and decisions. 

Ellen White and Session  

“We have an abundance of sermonizing. What is most needed at our camp-meetings and conference sessions is love for perishing souls, that love which comes in rich currents from the throne of God. True Christianity diffuses love through the whole being. It touches every vital part, the brain, the heart, the helping hand, the feet, enabling men to stand firmly where God requires them to stand, so that they will not make crooked paths for their feet, lest the lame be turned out of the way. The burning, consuming love of Christ for perishing souls is the life of the whole system of Christianity.” —The Southern Review January 15,1901, paragraph 1 

“The business of our conference sessions has sometimes been burdened down with propositions and resolutions that were not at all essential, and that would never have been presented if the sons and daughters of God had been walking carefully and prayerfully before Him. The fewer rules and regulations that we can have, the better will be the effect in the end. When they are made, let them be carefully considered, and, if wise, let it be seen that they mean something, and are not to become a dead letter. Do not, however, encumber any branch of the work with unnecessary, burdensome restrictions and inventions of men. In this period of the world’s history, with the vast work that is before us, we need to observe the greatest simplicity, and the work will be the stronger for its simplicity.” – Letters and Manuscripts -Volume 7 (1891-1892) p.1.4463 

"I was among the first in the organization of our people in America and came right up with the work from its very infancy. We met together in a room about one third as large as this house for our first conference, and here the Lord has been revealing to us from time to time the advanced steps we must make in the work. We were at that time almost destitute of means, and there were only a very few who had money to carry forward the work. When in these sessions of conference we made it a special subject of prayer, we did have the special blessing and presence of God with us. We there pledged ourselves that every one of us would give a part in the work, and as soon as we made this decision the blessing of God rested upon us in great measure. Every one of us there agreed that we should have a season of prayer that God would bless us and open the way so that we might know how to work. We had then preparations made to bring the Lord our offering just as they should be proportioned to us. And a portion of every dollar we should earn should be invested in the work. And there were a few who came up nobly to assist in the work in our distress. As soon as any one began to show an interest in the work, they were blessed, and at the next conference we had the most precious meeting we were ever in." – Letters and Manuscripts – Volume 4 (1883-1886) p.1.4822 

"At times, when a small group of men entrusted with the general management of the work have, in the name of the General Conference, sought to carry out unwise plans and to restrict God's work, I have said that I could no longer regard the voice of the General Conference, represented by these few men, as the voice of God. But this is not saying that the decisions of a General Conference composed of an assembly of duly appointed, representative men from all parts of the field, should not be respected. God has ordained that the representatives of His church from all parts of the earth, when assembled in a General Conference, shall have authority. The error that some are in danger of committing, is in giving to the mind and judgment of one man, or of a small group of men, the full measure of authority and influence that God has vested in His church, in the judgment and voice of the General Conference assembled to plan for the prosperity and advancement of His work. When this power, which God has placed in the church, is accredited wholly to one man, and he is invested with the authority to be judgment for other minds, then the true Bible order is changed. Satan's efforts upon such a man's mind would be most subtle, and sometimes well-nigh overpowering; for the enemy would hope that through his mind he could affect many others. Let us give to the highest organized authority in the church that which we are prone to give to one man or to a small group of men." —Testimonies for the Church 9:257-261.