Building on the process adopted by the previous two General Councils, the 45th General Council will use a business model of learning-discussing-deciding that enables every commissioner to provide input on every proposal through online engagements prior to the convening of the hybridized meeting in August 2025.
Conversations featuring topics that may be of interest to the whole are always encouraged across the church. Such conversations may lead to proposals to regional councils or may serve as important ends in themselves as wonderings the church wishes to engage. Those that result in proposals to regional councils are encouraged to be submitted to the regions as soon as possible to allow for learning about and discussing GC45 proposals in June 2025. The deadline for items to be included in the finalized GC meeting agenda is April 1, 2025.
The template for proposals encourages naming an issue rather than a specific outcome. “Conversation proposals” are also encouraged—that is, a proposal may also request a conversation on a particular issue.
If deemed necessary to manage workload, commissioners will have the opportunity to review proposals and identify the issues they deem of greatest importance for the future of the church, and which require the discernment of the full General Council. Proposals on these issues will serve as the priority agenda for the GC meeting. Other proposals will be referred to the General Council Executive or dealt with in other ways, as decided by commissioners.
Commissioners will engage in a three-phase process for all General Council business: