Proposals for Transparency_Provide Minutes of All Official Proceedings

The following proposal, one of the three "Proposals for Transparency," was submitted, in one form or another, in 2004, 2008, and 2010, in an attempt to try to lift the cloak of secrecy that has for too long draped our beloved organization, creating mistrust between leadership and ministers. Alas, in all instances, these proposals were REJECTED by Church of God leadership.

PROPOSAL: All official meetings of either a part or the whole of the International Executive Council shall provide detailed minutes of the proceedings.

The most basic standards of accountability, as well as goodwill, commonsense, and legal probity, inform us of the importance of retaining the detailed records of all official meetings. Further, the historical value to the Church of God that such records provide cannot be underestimated. However, it is not enough that we should and must have such records. We must also make them available to the members and ministers of the Church of God.

With the exception of matters that demand the utmost confidence (e.g., disciplinary proceedings, personal matters, and the such like), the official business of the Church of God is the business of the membership of the Church of God, and, thus, all members should have easy and open access to detailed records of all official meetings.

There are several reasons that this should take place:

First, it aligns very strongly with, and is necessitated by, the “Quest for Trust” that leadership embarked upon at the 2008 General Assembly.

Second, it protects the Church of God by ensuring that the men elected by the General Assembly will be held accountable for any votes, arguments, or actions that are not perceived to be in the best interests of the Church of God. Since full information will be made available to the membership, it is likely that conduct deemed inappropriate or untoward may affect, to some degree, the outcome of future elections. This, of course, ensures that men unsuited for such positions may be held accountable for their deeds; and that, conversely, men who demonstrate righteousness and thoughtfulness are rewarded according to their deeds.

Third, it ensures that our best men remain in authority as long as possible. It is just a simple fact of large organizations that alliances and coalitions form, that personal agendas surface, that forceful personalities can sometimes carry the votes of those who are perhaps intimidated, etc. But by having a detailed record of the meeting’s agenda, motions, arguments, and who voted what way, the membership of the Church of God can determine which officials are voting in the best interests of the Church of God…or are voting in a manner inconsistent with the ideals of the General Assembly. And, thus, changes can be made to the make-up of the International Executive Council that will ensure that the best interests of the General Assembly are served.

Fourth, the Church of God has historically stood against secret societies on the basis that things which are done in secret are contrary to the openness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Minutes that are not made available, or are made available only upon the requestor agreeing to significant limitations (e.g., obtaining pastoral approval, agreeing to keep the minutes confidential—which defeats the first two points of this argument, etc.), are, in fact, of little or limited use to the betterment of the Church.

Fifth, the lack of openness has caused rumor and innuendo to surface from time to time concerning the decisions of the Church of God.

Sixth, even the most prestigious secular organization in the world, the Congress of the United States, maintains a policy of open records.

Seventh, the Church of God should not—and must not--come behind any organization in any matter that touches upon honesty, accountability, and integrity.

Eighth, and most importantly—far beyond all these significant and weighty reasons to change the reporting process of the Church of God—the Word of God gives us instruction regarding such matters: (Rom 12:17b KJV) "...Provide things honest in the sight of all men."

We are out of accord with this scripture when we refuse to change a system that invites suspicion and distrust, that permits men to act, really, without accountability, all while calling for accountability within our local churches. And inasmuch as it is often perceived that officials are “covering up” matters within the Church, “protecting” their own, and so forth, the release of detailed minutes could dispel these murmurings. By simply providing full and detailed minutes of all official meetings (with the exceptions noted above), we can, in such matters, provide for “things honest in the sight of all men.”

Further, the Apostle Paul tells us: (Rom 14:16 KJV) "Let not then your good be evil spoken of."

He has just cautioned Christians to be charitable toward those who, perhaps of weaker conscience, find it difficult to accept the freedoms of the more enlightened Christians. It is certainly the case that our good has been evil spoken of. And though many may be fully confident that our officials seek the best for the Church of God, there are others who, not of the same assurance, and not being given suitable, documented evidence to the contrary, have spoken distrustfully of the Church of God. However, by providing them with the evidence of leadership excellence, we seek to alleviate their concerns, to remove the cause of discord, and to move forward in unity. We are asked to do that, are we not?

Further, the Second Commandment that Jesus gave, that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us, requires that we act in a manner that demonstrates accountability, openness, honesty, and integrity, for we would have others act in such a manner toward us.

It is therefore proposed that minutes of all official meetings of either a part or the whole of the International Executive Council be documented. Further, that these minutes seek to truthfully reflect the events of each meeting, including those in attendance and their individual votes for the matters voted upon. Moreover, these minutes shall be made available to Church of God members within a reasonable time period after the related meeting. And that, further, the person(s) making a request for such information not be unreasonably constrained (e.g., unable to reveal the contents of the documents, etc.).

Lastly, it is expected that this information be made available, perhaps via e-mail, so that those members who request such information not be required to travel to Cleveland for such a matter.