Digital Town Hall Meetings for Proposed Changes to the Constitution and Bylaws

Digital Town Hall Meetings for Proposed Changes to the Constitution and Bylaws

In 2009, at the International Convention of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, the constituents ratified The Apostolic Manifesto. The Apostolic Manifesto was developed by the Honorable Bishop Horace E. Smith, our Ninth Presiding Bishop. This document restructured the PAW and revolutionized the decisioning processes of our beloved organization. Since then, The Apostolic Manifesto has been a guiding document that has enabled the PAW to continue our rich traditions of fellowship and Biblical accuracy.

The Manifesto was implemented under the leadership of the Honorable Bishop Charles H. Ellis, III, Tenth in Succession. Bishop Ellis was the first Presider in many decades to serve as Presider for eight consecutive years. In addition to implementing the sound principles of The Manifesto, Bishop Ellis is credited with ordaining a record number of Diocesan Bishops.

Today, the PAW is making another giant leap forward where our governance is concerned. Under the leadership of the Honorable Presiding Bishop Theodore L. Brooks, Eleventh in Succession, we are prepared to amend our Constitution and Bylaws. The experienced leadership of Bishop Brooks, who guided the PAW through the pandemic is now overseeing this critical phase. The process of amending our governing documents has been years in the making. The primary goal of amending our Constitution and Bylaws was to imbed the guiding principles of the Manifesto into our governing documents.

This project began in 2009, 17 years ago. This is the work of three administrations. Upon ratification, our governing documents, the Constitution and Bylaws, will better reflect our guiding document, The Apostolic Manifesto.

Additionally, the Executive Bishops Council and the Executive Board have clarified and amended several policies to reflect the future direction of our organization. For example, a major new amendment is the process and qualifications of new Diocesan Bishops. Another new amendment is the Memorandum of Understanding between the PAW and Aenon Bible College. Furthermore, the Executive Board Honorary Bishops roles have been amended to allow them “voice” during Executive Board discussions.

To be clear, there will be future amendments in the future. This is, and will always be, a living document.

What’s next?

1. The Upload of the final draft to the PAW website.
2. The creation of a special FAQ section.
3. We will host five public forums, known as Digital Town Hall Meetings (Zoom Webinars). Each one will be held for one of four identified “Time Zones” or Regions in the evening, and one midday option. In these forums we will highlight the content of the proposed Constitution and Bylaws. We will also answer the most frequently asked questions.
   Townhall dates are as follows:
   June 2, 2026 – 7:00 PM EST
   June 9, 2026 – 7:00 PM CST
   June 16, 2026 – 1 pm EST
   June 16, 2026 – 7 pm PST
   June 30, 2026 – 1 pm GMT (London, UK – for International Delegates)
4. Present the Constitution and Bylaws for official ratification on the first day of the International Summer Convention. Ratification will then be incorporated into Ballots at the Polls. The results will be shared with the EBC and the General Body at the conclusion of the Voting Period.