If you are a member of the General Conference of the Church of God (Seventh Day) as it is organized within Canada and the United States, you probably are familiar with some of its basic components. To be a member of the GC, one must also be a member of a GC congregation and/or district. The GC also has three official and well-known Ministries (Artios Christian College, Publications, and Missions) and three additional departments (Communications, Information Technology, and Translation).
However, there is another key body within the GC that is not as well known: the North American Ministerial Council (NAMC).
Article X of the GC bylaws establishes the NAMC as follows: “Section 1. Identification. The ministers of the Conference shall be organized as the North American Ministerial Council. Section 2. Authorization. The Conference authorizes the Council to operate in accordance with its own bylaws. Section 3. Assignment. The Council exists to: A. Set forth the doctrinal teachings of the Conference; B. Interpret doctrine; C. Establish standards and qualifications for ministers of the Conference; D. Issue ministerial documents; E. Refer doctrinal studies to the International Ministerial Congress [now the International Federation]; F. Select delegates to the International Ministerial Congress [now the International Federation]; and G. Encourage, support and equip its members towards the fulfillment of the great commission (Matthew 28:18-20).”
The NAMC bylaws limit council membership to GC ministers with a ministerial license, a ministerial credential, or a local pastor certificate issued by the License and Credentials Committee. Those members holding a ministerial license or credential (active or retired) may participate in the discussions and vote during the NAMC’s meetings. Those holding a local pastor certificate may participate in the discussions, but may not vote. Also, certain areas of service are available to credentialed ministers that are not available to licensed ministers or ministers holding a local pastor certificate.
Read the report of the NAMC’s recent meeting on pages 6-7.
— Loren Stacy
GC President
