I have already registered for the General Assembly. How will refunds be processed?

All registrants will be receiving an automatic refund, processed via the information provided. Please allow 4-6 weeks for this process to take place.

What about hotel reservations made for the General Assembly in Indianapolis this year?

If you made a reservation in the Church of God room block with the Indianapolis Convention Center "Visit Indy" Housing Bureau, via on-line, or phone, you will need to contact the housing bureau to cancel your personal reservation. DO NOT CONTACT THE HOTEL TO WHICH YOU WERE ASSIGNED. Contact information for the "Visit Indy" housing bureau is below. If, however, you made a reservation with another hotel outside the Church of God room block, you will need to contact your hotel directly to cancel your reservation.

• Hotel Reservation Deadline is: June 19, 2020
• There is no penalty to cancel prior to June 19, 2020.
• Reservations cancelled after June 19, 2020 are subject to $50 penalty.

VISIT INDY HOUSING BUREAU CONTACT INFO

Email: housing@visitindy.com

Phone: 317-262-8191 (8:30 a.m. -5:00 p.m. EST, M-F)

Where will the Assembly be held in 2022?

Before the coronavirus pandemic, the Church of God was negotiating with two cities for the 2022 event, and depending upon ongoing negotiations, Indianapolis may now be added to that list. A final decision will be forthcoming in the next few months.

What will happen to the agenda that would have been scheduled for July 21-24, 2020?

Although it was discussed by committees, the formal agenda was never formally adopted by the Executive Council to present to the General Council. Careful consideration will be given to carrying over every item that was pending in 2020 to the 2022 General Council session.

What about continuation of leaders who were due to be voted upon at the July 2020 Assembly?

In a meeting of the International Executive Council on April 20, 2020, the following resolution was adopted: Be It Therefore Resolved that the International Executive Council herein exercises the above-noted authority granted it by the International General Assembly, and declares that all persons currently holding general elected positions continue in their positions with full legal and ecclesiastical authority until such time as nominations or elections by the International General Council and elections by the International General Assembly can be properly conducted and successors chosen.

What guidance authorizes the extension of the terms of office for existing general elected positions?

The International Executive Council is the highest governing body of the Church of God between General Assemblies and tasked with decisions to act upon the interest and welfare of the church. In the interest of leadership continuity during the global COVID19 pandemic, the Executive Council has declared that all persons currently holding general elected positions continue in their positions with full legal and ecclesiastical authority until such time as nominations or elections by the General Council and elections by the General Assembly can be properly conducted and successors chosen.

Will the 78th General Assembly become the 79th General Assembly in 2022?

No. The 78th General Assembly is simply postponed until 2022.

What about my airline reservation?

If you have already made an airline reservation, you need to contact your airline carrier directly to cancel or change your reservation.

What if we have meal/meeting events scheduled at or around the General Assembly?

Any meal/meeting events currently scheduled should be considered cancelled. If you scheduled an event outside of our contracted meeting space or directly with the facility, you will need to cancel your event independently.

What if we have ancillary events scheduled around the General Assembly?

Any ancillary events currently scheduled should be considered cancelled. If you scheduled an event outside of our contracted meeting space or directly with the facility, you will need to cancel your event independently.

I registered for the 78th General Assembly Women’s Ministries Faith-Fire-Freedom Service scheduled for July 22, 2020. Do I need to cancel my registration?

No action is needed by you. You will have an opportunity to register for any 2022 General Assembly Women’s Ministries events prior to the event.

Since we are postponing the General Assembly, will states/regions have Ministers’ Meetings later in the fall as normal?

The decision to hold Ministers’ Meeting in which state/regional boards and committees are elected will be left up to the Administrative Bishop and the State/Regional Council of your area, after considering health concerns and travel restrictions.

Why don’t we just have a virtual (or online) General Assembly?

A virtual General Assembly was presented as an option. After discussion, the Executive Council determined that our Bylaws make no provisions for a virtual General Assembly. Furthermore, there would be major logistical challenges in having a deliberative virtual General Assembly where everyone could participate according to parliamentary procedures. Our Bylaws require that to participate in the General Assembly, you must be “present and registered.” Without specific references to virtual meetings in the Bylaws, Robert’s Rules of Order, according to the parliamentarians, would interpret that requirement to mean that everyone must be physically in the same room. The Executive Council, after reviewing applicable laws and regulations, has the authority to propose changes to the Bylaws that could allow for virtual participation in future General Assemblies.