For the delegates of the Session

On September 17, 2023, over 400 members from around the NNSW Conference will be converging at Yarra Holiday Park for our 59th regular constituency meeting. What is this meeting and why does it matter?

The constituency meeting, historically referred to as “the Session”, occurs when delegates from each of the local churches in our Conference, along with special delegates (including guests from the Australian Union Conference and South Pacific Division), come together to review the progress of the Church and its mission in the NNSW Conference. The operation of the constituency meeting is governed by the NNSW Conference Unincorporated Constitution.

Each local church has an allocation of delegates based on membership. Each local church can send two delegates, plus an additional delegate for every 40 members. The local church business meeting selects the delegates from those on their membership roll in good and regular standing.

The constitution states that the following matters be addressed at a constituency meeting:

• Election of Conference officers, departmental directors and the appointment and constitution committees.

• A discussion of any matter recommended by the NNSW Conference Executive Committee.

• A discussion of matters received from local churches and approved for discussion by the Executive Committee.

• The presentation of reports on the operation of the NNSW Conference for the 2019 ‐ 2022 period.

• Any required amendments to the NNSW Conference Unincorporated Constitution

Will there be an option to attend the meeting virtually?

As we have seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, many meetings and events had to be either cancelled, postponed or adapted to the current climate of health and safety. Unless the NSW state government laws prohibit gathering for such an event, the 2023 NNSW Constituency Meeting will be held as an in-person only event.

What is the process leading to the election of officers and departmental directors?

A Selection Committee consisting of a delegate from each local church will meet at Yarra Adventure Park Chapel on Sunday, April 16, 2023 to appoint a Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee will meet several times leading up to the constituency meeting. At the constituency meeting, the Nominating Committee will put forward their recommendations for the position of the Conference president, general secretary and chief financial officer, as well as departmental directors and associates for the next four years. They will also recommend a team to serve as the Executive Committee as well as a Standing Appointments Committee which appoints replacement personnel between constituency meetings when needed and a Constitution Committee.

The constituency meeting is the primary forum for the local church to influence the governance of the local Conference. It can appoint or reject church conference leaders, amend the constitution and ask all the hard questions—so it really does matter! We hope you are able to make a contribution to the effective governance of the NNSW Conference by attending this meeting as an elected delegate by your local church business meeting.

If you are a delegate and have not yet registered, please email <jodiebird@adventist.org.au>.