How is a quorum determined?

[Guest Galen]

How is a quorum determined for a local church's annual business meeting?

[Dan Honemann]

"In organizations such as many churches or some societies in which there are no required or effective annual dues and the register of members is not generally reliable as a list of the bona-fide members, the quorum at any regular or properly called meeting consists of those who attend." (RONR, 11th ed., p. 346.)

 

If the church does have a reliable list of its enrolled membership, a quorum is a majority (more than half) of its members (unless its bylaws provide otherwise).

[Gary Novosielski]

How is a quorum determined for a local church's annual business meeting?

The best way is to look in the bylaws for a rule on quorum.

 

If the bylaws has no rule, then the second best rule is a majority of the membership.

 

But if, as D.H.H. suggests, you have no reliable membership list, it's whoever shows up.

 

Some churches don't have a membership register at all, so that's pretty clear.  Other churches make a big deal out of adding new members to the rolls, but don't (or can't) keep track of what members remain active, which ones move away, or why people stop coming.  Others are very fastidious about both.  See if you can figure out which kind you are.