The Governing Body Commission (GBC) is the managerial authority of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). ISKCON's founder, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, created the GBC in 1970 and since that time it has met on an annual basis, usually in Mayapur, India.
The GBC is organised largely through a "zonal" system, with regional representatives attending to local matters, and the entire GBC ruling on issues that affect ISKCON as a whole. At the GBC's first annual meeting in Mayapur Prabhupada guided the proceedings, "showing how the GBC should strictly follow parliamentary procedure". Zones of the world are assigned to one or more secretaries, whether or not there is currently an ISKCON community in the zone.
The GBC is entrusted with both spiritual and secular leadership of the ISKCON communities, as well as the power to appoint new gurus. According to a GBC confidence survey "those holding critical views of the GBC were far less committed to ISKCON." As of February 2009, Romapada Swami is elected GBC Chairman. He succeeded Ramai Swami as the chairman of the Governing Body Commission.
Read more about Governing Body Commission: Original Members of The Governing Body Commission, ISKCON Leadership
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