WARNING TO SDA GENERAL CONFERENCE SESSION 2025 DELEGATES: THE RULES OF ORDER APPEAR TO BE STACKED AGAINST YOU!!!
By: Ron Meinhardt (with additional comments)
WARNING TO SDA GENERAL CONFERENCE SESSION 2025 DELEGATES:
THE RULES OF ORDER APPEAR TO BE STACKED AGAINST YOU!!!
It has been recently discovered that several of the 2025 GC Session "Rules of Order" may give disproportionate control to the Chair and Secretariat—potentially making it difficult for delegates to raise new issues, challenge procedural injustice, or propose reform.
Here’s how:
• Rule 1 gives the Chair full authority to “preserve order” without an appeal mechanism.
• Rule 3 lets the Chair limit or deny speaking time at will.
• Rule 4 allows the Secretariat or Chair to deem a delegate’s written motion “inappropriate” without recourse.
• Rule 6 empowers the Chair to decide whether your comments are “relevant”—and cut you off if not.
• Rule 10 requires a 2/3 vote to revisit decisions, entrenching unfair rulings.
Without challenge, these rules can silence dissent, prevent transparency, and turn the Session into a formality—not a deliberation. That’s why delegates must come prepared to challenge, amend, and reclaim their authority. These rules are not inspired counsel, but your responsibility to represent the Church under the dictates of your conscience is a sacred responsibility. The Session belongs to the delegates—not to the administrators, not to the Chair, not to the Parliamentarian.
YOU, THE DELEGATES, HOLD THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY AT THE GC SESSION.
Delegates to the 2025 General Conference Session are not mere spectators. You are the supreme governing authority of the Seventh-day Adventist Church during Session (Testimonies for the Church, Vol 9, p. 260-61). All officers, committee members, and leaders ultimately answer to you.
You have the power to:
Overhaul the agenda
Replace the Chair or Parliamentarian
Nominate alternative candidates to any elected position
Reform the rules of order
This guide provides a step-by-step strategy to protect your rights and ensure fairness.
WHAT IF DELEGATES DESIRE TO PUT AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION DURING THE SESSION?
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION: ACT NOW, BEFORE THE SESSION, AND SUBMIT MOTIONS IN WRITING:
Relevant Rule: Rule 4 – Submission of Motions "All motions must be submitted in writing... The chair may rule any motion out of order that is deemed not appropriate for Session action."
Strategy: 1. Draft Your Motion Now - Make it specific, actionable, and clearly justified (biblically or by policy).
2. Gather Support - Obtain co-signers from multiple regions to reduce dismissal.
3. Submit and Retain Records - Include name and ID. Keep dated copies or photos of the submission.
4. If Rejected, Act Fast - Raise a Point of Order and follow with a Motion to Appeal the Chair's Decision. Requires a second and majority vote.
5. Distribute the Motion - Print or digitally share your proposal with other delegates beforehand.
WHAT IF THE CHAIR OR PARLIAMENTARIAN REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THESE MOTIONS, THEREBY DENYING DELEGATE RIGHTS?
STEP-BY-STEP: How to Remove and Replace the Chair or Parliamentarian
1. Motion to Remove the Chair - Example: "Due procedural bias and failure to recognize delegate rights, I move to remove the Chair and elect a replacement."
2. Motion to Remove the Parliamentarian - Example: "I move to remove the current Parliamentarian for failure to uphold fair process and appoint a delegate-elected replacement."
3. Nominate Replacements from the Floor - Any delegate may be nominated and elected by majority vote.
Note: These motions must be made from the floor, seconded, and then voted on. They are binding when passed by a majority.
If the Chair or Parliamentarian refuse to abdicate they have no power and should be ignored and proceedings continued by the delegates. If they still refuse, contact law enforcement or legal counsel. Hopefully, these above steps will not be necessary as we would expect the Chair and Parliamentarian to represent Christian principles and decorum.
WHAT STEPS SHOULD THEN BE TAKEN TO RESTORE THE BALANCE OF POWER TO THE DELEGATES?
STEP-BY-STEP: How to Reform Unfair Rules of Order Targeted Rules:
Rule 1 – Chair controls agenda flow
Rule 3 – Chair controls speaking time
Rule 6 – Chair determines relevance
Rule 10 – Reconsideration requires two-thirds vote
Strategy:
1. Motion to Amend the Rules of Order (Opening Session) Example: "I move to amend the Rules of Order to allow spontaneous motions and require all Chair decisions to be subject to appeal by majority vote."
2. Secure a Second and Speak Boldly - Line up supporters in advance.
3. Document Suppression - If you're silenced, raise a Point of Order. Record events in writing.
4. Push for Transparent Voting - Example: "I move that all electronic votes be auditable and results published by delegate number."
IMPORTANT NOTE: "ELECTION BUDDY" provides the following warning for their MeetingVote platform (which is used by the General Conference):
"When using this setting, ensure that you or your vote administrator has no vested interest in the outcome of the vote to ensure the vote's integrity." This warning is given because the Conference administrator has your login credentials and could use them to log in to the system and vote instead of you. This is not ElectionBuddy's highest security mode and is not truly auditable as there is no way of verifying the legitimacy of the delegate's vote (example: if they indeed voted yea or nae).
WHAT IF DELEGATES WANT TO ELECT AN OFFICER OR PRESIDENT NOT PRESELECTED BY COMMITTEE?
STEP-BY-STEP: Overhaul the Nominating Committee Slate You may:
• Nominate other individuals for leadership positions from the floor
• Reject the entire slate and nominate a new group of candidates Sample Motion: "I move to substitute the name of [Name] for [Nominee] as Secretary of the General Conference." Important: Delegates are NOT bound to rubber-stamp any list from the Nominating Committee. The delegates retain ultimate authority.
REMEMBER: The Chair facilitates.
The Parliamentarian advises.
But you, the delegates, decide.
Do not allow vague rules, questionable electronic systems, or institutional intimidation to override your authority as a delegate. Be informed. Be courageous. Be active. The future of our Church depends on it.
Additional Comments from Brother Meinhardt:
Obviously jettisoning all the rules of order and creating a free-for-all would be counterproductive. However, simply hoping “good” people will fill the roles of power at the GC Session does nothing in regards to remedy the “top-down measures.”
What I’m proposing is simply to bring the Rules of Order in line with the fairness of standard parliamentary procedure. This is especially important for a church that claims that the General Conference in Session (the delegates) speak as the voice of God to the Church. Do we venture to proscribe that voice by the use of Kingly power? I hope not.
Here’s the link to the 2025 Rules of Order:
https://cdn.gcadventist.org/gccom/GCS2025-Rules-of-Order.pdf
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PUBLISHER’S ADDITIONAL REMARKS:
Very good and well-intentioned article from brother Ron Meinhardt. However, what is happening right now is not terribly unlike exactly what happened during the brief Liberty Movement awakening of 2008-2012 here in America. These are how the “Rules of Order” ALWAYS work (in a world of perfect governance) and, when THE PEOPLE (i.e. THE DELEGATES) are educated to their duty as citizens (i.e. CHURCH MEMBERS) to exercise their appropriate governing authority as-designed by the original blueprint and according to the universal “Rules of Order,” THE PEOPLE hold the power and use that power accordingly. None of this information is new or shocking except to those who never paid any attention to their civic (and spiritual) duties and who allowed others to manage their secular and church governments FOR THEM, so they couldn’t be bothered.
And people wonder why our secular, political, and religious worlds have become what they are today?
As necessary and powerful as that awakening was during the Liberty Movement in those earlier years, especially for the younger generations of our Republic who are entirely (and intentionally) misguided, indoctrinated, and taught inaccurate theory and history about their home country, the awakening only accomplished one very overwhelming reality.
The awakening brought to light many decades of treason and fraud and only BEGAN to scratch the surface to reveal how long, old, far, and deep the corruption was already long-established on American soil and that "voting" was not going to fix or change the trajectory of tyranny toward which our country has been hurtling already for many many years while the majority are oblivious with distractions, dramas, fake divisions, and staged partisan bickering ..... all designed to veil THE REAL agenda barreling ahead at lightening speed.
The Liberty Movement was only a brief awakening out of a decades long coma and, while it was certainly positive for a brief moment, if only to awaken a generation to the need of TRUE EDUCATION and the true principles of Liberty, it was never going to change what was already set in motion and well on its way to completion.
As Seventh-day Adventists, we also already know and understand WHY these things must come to pass for the fulfillment of prophecy before the return of Christ. And, just like with the secular world of politics, it awakens the younger generations to the need for taking a stand to defend our Liberty as long as possible, as we are counseled, for as long as we are able, to allow for the final work to go forth into darkness.
So it is with our own church organization. The awakening is necessary, however, it will not change the long-established trajectory of the CORPORATE Organization, which operates exactly like corrupted secular politics. There will never be a change from the top-down. That is paramount to begging for crumbs from the King's table while his boot rests on our neck.
Our DUTY at this stage of prophetic history is to awaken the sleeping PEOPLE (not those in power, most of whom have already sold their souls to darkness and who already KNOW this faith, this truth, and the Scriptures better than the majority!), to expose the works of darkness, to educate the people and pray for the Holy Spirit to penetrate the veil of idolatry, apostasy, and deeply-rooted error that has indoctrinated GENERATIONS of our people so their hearts are opened and filled with conviction and passion for transformation, reformation, and urgency to finish the work, and to take the message TO THE “GENTILES.”
The events and the trauma of the last five years have only awakened many to what has already long existed and what will not be changed with an already corrupted and rigged General Conference Session. Yes we are called to speak truth to power and let God handle the rest, but our focus should be first and foremost on OUR OWN spiritual condition and that of our family and loved ones and then the urgency of taking the 3 Angels' Messages of Present Truth to a world that is overwhelmed with darkness, confusion, and fear.
THAT IS OUR PRIMARY COMMISSION.
We definitely urge those to use the opportunity of the coming session to speak to power and to hold our leaders and officers accountable, but DO NOT EXPECT there to be any positive or significant changes as a result or you will be deeply disappointed and possibly spiritually and emotionally un-grounded in the faith. The only result for which we can pray is that the INDIVIDUAL leaders will hear and respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and take their stand of confession and repentance, regardless of the guaranteed consequences to themselves, and become a voice crying for the salvation of souls both within and without the Corporate Organization.
This corruption within the political structure and governance of the organization is not NEW and has been active and in control at every level of church government for decades upon decades while the people slumbered and slept through the raging apostasy that has been rapidly and systematically dismantling the foundation of our organized church. Just like our secular Republic has been dismantled and destroyed in exactly the same manner, and while THE PEOPLE SLEPT and while the oil in their lamps burned out.
So YES ABSOLUTELY !! Heed this advice, but do not be under any illusions of anticipating the kind of response or changes for which many of the newly-awakened people are hoping. They have not yet learned that their power and their spiritual authority does not lie in the hands of corrupted men ruling compromised corporations, but in ONLY the hands of God and the authority of His Word alone.
And upon THAT is what we are called to stand and depend through the coming storm!
