Diary of a Young Pastor

One Memorial that had me concerned was number 325 - Executive Session for Local, District and General Boards and Committees.  It can be summarized by this direct quote from the memorial:

All meetings and sessions of boards and committees elected or appointed by the local church conference or by the local board of administration are executive session, except for non-members or guests who are specifically invited by the chair to attend as observers or as resource persons to provide information or expert advice helpful to the consideration or conduct of church business.

I wasn’t quite sure why this Memorial was even discussed, let alone recommended…we are already allowed to call an “Executive Session” under the current ruling of the Discipline.  Why promote more secrecy, and take away the ability for the people to be informed about the decisions and rulings of the church?  And should our church’s “celebration committee” (a committee established by the Local Church Conference) be sworn to total secrecy (I can see it now…”If I told you what activities we were having at our harvest festival…I’d have to kill you…”)?

~pastor matt