Click to enlargeBecause we are moving toward the election of a president at our Foursquare convention in Atlanta, to be held May 31-June 3, 2010, it is important to communicate how the process will evolve during the course of the year. Presidential selection updates will be posted online at Foursquare.org as they become available.
You are probably aware that, while our bylaws carefully define certain parts of the selection process, other parts have yet to be written. The absence of those guidelines means that we must develop the missing areas as we go. This article will update you on what has happened to date and what has been determined in the presidential selection process to date.
Interim
At the 2009 convention in Anaheim, Calif., we were surprised to learn that the Lord had released Pastor Jack Hayford from pursuing ratification for another term. Based on our bylaws, the board determined that there was insufficient time to properly pursue an election at that convention, but that the nominee selection process could be reasonably completed by the next regular convention. (7.1.2.A.4)
Though the bylaws did not foresee the exact circumstance of a last-minute withdrawal from the ratification process, the intent of the bylaws is absolutely clear regarding a sudden absence in the office of president: The position is to be filled by an interim president. The bylaws also specify the manner by which he or she shall be selected (7.1.2.C). This predetermined process was followed in Anaheim when General Supervisor Glenn C. Burris Jr. was appointed as interim president.
Cabinet Changes
Since the bylaws place the authority to nominate candidates for president in the hands of the cabinet (11.1.3), it was imperative that the board of directors determine as soon as possible who will be seated in the 2010 cabinet. The cabinet will meet March 1-3, 2010, in Southern California.
This process is particularly complicated by the fact that we have just gone through a consolidation from 70 districts to 14. The newly appointed district supervisors have moved from receiving a stipend to a full salary (in most cases), making them paid employees of The Foursquare Church.
If no change in the traditional makeup of the cabinet were to take place, more than 40 percent of the 2010 cabinet would be employees. This would leave the cabinet appearing to be less than impartial.
Therefore, during a July 14 conference call, the board voted to enlarge the 2010 cabinet to 84 members; the increased number will bring the percentage of employees to 25 percent, which is the same percentage of employees on the board itself. The new cabinet will comprise 21 employees of Foursquare and 63 non-employees. The non-employees shall include 14 elected representatives from the districts (11.1.1.B) in addition to representatives who shall be elected by each district and recommended for appointment by the board. This is the only way to do this within the present bylaws (11.1.C).
In early September, corporate secretary Sterling Brackett is due to communicate to the districts the new structure of the 2010 cabinet. District elections will now take place from mid-September through Thanksgiving. Notification will be sent to the new cabinet members in early December. At that time, a letter will also be sent explaining the calendar of events that will lead up to the Atlanta convention.
Nominating Process
Because the bylaws do not define the process the cabinet must follow to nominate candidates for president, the board has called for a special session of cabinet to be conducted by a phone conference on Thursday, January 7, 2010. This meeting will determine the process for nominating candidates when the cabinet formally gathers March 1-3, 2010, in Southern California. To assist the cabinet in deciding a process, the board has drafted a proposal that will be used as a starting place for discussion. This will be posted on our website at business.foursquare.org on September 1, 2009, for review by all credentialed ministers and Foursquare constituents.
Prayer
The board of directors will keep you informed as additional information becomes available. In the meantime, we encourage and appreciate your prayers. Please pray that God will guide us all to do His will and to do it with hearts full of love for one another and for Him.
Resources
Presidential Selection Timeline (1.1 MB, 1 page)
