Any member of the Church of God who is _____ years of age and above and is present at the General Assembly is able to speak.

• A. 12
• B. 16
• C. 18
• D. 21

Answer: (B)

The rule being tested is the minimum age a member must reach to speak at the General Assembly. In Church of God polity, any member who is present and at least sixteen years old is eligible to speak, which allows capable youth to participate in governance without extending participation to younger children. Sixteen is chosen to balance opportunity for young people with the maturity officials expect for deliberations and decisions in a formal assembly. A younger age, like twelve, would be too young for the responsibilities involved; ages like eighteen or twenty-one, while common milestones of adulthood, are not the threshold used here. So sixteen is the threshold that fits the church’s governance practices for speaking at the General Assembly.