MORGAN BAPTIST ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION


Article I: Name
The name of this body shall be Morgan Baptist Association Article II: Mission

SECTION 1: It is the mission of the Morgan Baptist Association to enable the churches of Morgan Baptist Association, individually and collectively, to share the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord in fellowship and mission.

OBJECTIVES

It is the objective of Morgan Baptist Association to enable its churches to:

  1. Present the gospel of Jesus Christ to all people in Morgan County, the State of Alabama, the United States, and around the world. (Acts 1: 8)

  2. Disciple all Christians to a maturity to the measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4: 13)

  3. Meet the needs of people throughout the area with caring ministries of love. (Matthew 25:35-36)

  4. Train, develop, and encourage church leaders to function in their assigned responsibilities. (II Timothy 2:2)

  5. Share Christian experiences through fellowship activities. (Acts 2:46-47)

  6. Cooperate in missions projects across Morgan County and beyond its boundaries.

  7. Establish and maintain appropriate communications and relationships with community and denominational organizations. (Colossians 4:5)

  8. Promote and provide a channel for harmonious action among the churches in Support of all missionary, educational, and benevolent enterprises fostered by this Association, The Alabama Baptist Convention, and The Southern Baptist Convention. (Colossians 4:6)

SECTION 2: Recognizing that the local churches the only scriptural ecclesiastical body, this association shall never under any circumstances attempt to exercise any legislative or ecclesiastical authority over or interfere with the right and authority of the churches. The basis of operation in the Association shall be entirely in the sphere

of voluntary cooperation in work and fellowship. The Association may, however, provide advisory council upon invitation for the for the common benefit of one or all churches . The spirit of this section shall remain forever unalterable.

Article III: Membership

SECTION 1: The churches that constitute this fellowship shall be Baptist churches that are in harmony and cooperation with the object and spirit of this Association as set forth in this Constitution.

SECTION 2: Each church shall be entitled to two messengers for the first fifty members, and one additional messenger for each additional fifty members of fraction thereof, but no church shall more than fifteen (15) messengers . Each messenger must be elected by the local church and certified to the Association by being listed on the Southern Baptist Convention Uniform Letter. This Uniform Letter is to be submitted annually by each church of the fellowship.

SECTION 3: The Association, when duly assembled, shall be the sole judge of the qualifications and fitness of its membership, both as to churches of the fellowship and individual messengers to the Annual Meeting. The Association claims the power to deny, by two-thirds majority vote, seats to messenger or withdraw fellowship from churches unorthodox in faith, unchristian in character or leadership, or non- cooperative in practice. This right shall be recognized as inherent and indispensible.

SECTION 4: The churches of the Association shall be in doctrinal harmony with the historic faith and practice of Baptists as set forth in the Baptist Faith and Message as adopted May 9, 1963, by the Southern Baptist Convention.

SECTION 5: A mission sponsored by a participating member church of the Association and whose stated purpose is to continue participating with the Association, Alabama Baptist State and the Southern Baptist Convention, shall present a petitionary letter to the Credentials-Petitionary Letters Committee at 60 days prior to the annual meeting. Upon a thorough investigation of the church, the Committee will make their recommendation to the Association at the opening session of the Annual Meeting. A two-thirds majority vote shall be required for acceptance of a new church.

SECTION 6: A church not sponsored by a participating member church shall present a petitionary letter to the Credentials-Petitionary Letters Committee and upon the Committee’s recommendation. After at least one year the messengers at the Annual Meeting may consider a church for affiliation. During this interim, the church under watch-care shall have the same rights, privileges and shall assume the same responsibilities as affiliation churches accept the right of its messengers to vote. A two-thirds majority vote shall be required for acceptance for a new church.

Article IV: Meeting

SECTION 1. This Association shall meet annually at such time and place as it may determine in its Annual Meeting. In an emergency, the Executive Committee shall have the authority to change the time and/or place.

SECTION 2. When deemed necessary, the Executive Committee may call the Association into special session in which case each church must certify its messengers in writing.

Article V: Officers

SECTION 1. The officers of this Association shall be a Moderator, a Vice- Moderator, a clerk and a Treasurer. The Clerk and Treasurer of the Association shall be entitled to a salary which shall be set forth in the Annual Budget

SECTION 2. The Nomination Committee shall nominate these officers with opportunity for other nominations from the floor. They shall take office at the close of the Annual Meeting.

SECTION 3: Officers may succeed themselves , but no person may be elected more than two consecutive years as Moderator.

SECTION 4: The duties of the officers shall be those incident to their respective offices as set forth in the By-Laws of this Constitution which governs this body.

SECTION 5: In the event of death, loss of membership in a cooperating Baptist church, inability to serve, or departure from the Association on the part of any officer, such vacancy shall be filled by the Executive Committee upon recommendation of the Nominating Committee provided two weeks written notice of such election is given members of the Executive Committee.

SECTION 6: The Moderator and Director of Missions shall be Ex-officio members of all committees.

Article VI: Executive Committee

SECTION 1. The Executive Committee of the Association shall consist of all pastors of churches in the Association and one duly elected member from and by each church and reported in the Association Letter of the church. All officers, the Director of Missions, Trustees, and heads of the departments of the Association shall be members of this Committee. Twenty shall constitute a quorum.

SECTION 2: The officers of the Association shall be the officers of the Executive Committee.

SECTION 3: The Executive Committee shall meet at least quarterly. The Moderator may call special meetings when deemed necessary. Notice by mail must be given all members when special meetings are called. The Executive Committee shall have the authority to dispense with, or reschedule any meeting it deems necessary.

SECTION 4: It shall be the duty of the committee to serve in all administrative functions for the Association between Annual Meeting. The last meetings of the Executive committee, prior to the Annual Meeting, shall be for preparation of a full report of all proceedings during the year. The Moderator of the Association shall prepare this report.

SECTION 5: The Executive Committee shall be the custodian of all property of the Association. The Executive Committee at its September, upon the recommendation of the Nominating Committee, shall elect from its membership one trustee to serve for three years. Each of these trustees shall serve alternate terms. Trustees elected to serve an un- expired shall serve the time remaining in the vacancy he is elected to fill. The Trustees shall act solely upon instruction from the Executive Committee in all matters pertaining to the properties, real or personal of the Association. A special session of the Association shall be called for the purchase or sale of real estate

SECTION 6: The Executive shall exercise full authority in all relations with the Director of Missions. The Executive Committee shall approve at its September meeting, an Annual Budget, prepared by the Associational Budget and Stewardship Committee covering all phases of work for submission to the Annual Associational Meetings and promote it among all the churches.

Article VII: Amendments

This Constitution may be amended at any Annual Meeting of the Association by a two- thirds majority vote of messengers present and voting provided the amendment has been presented in writing at the previous Annual Associational Meeting.

By-Laws

1. In all matters of Parliamentary Procedure the body shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order, latest edition.

2. The channels of cooperation of this Association shall be: Morgan Baptist Association, the Alabama Baptist State Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention. New churches out of such alignment cannot be received, and those and those within the Association and out of such cannot be retained, unless they affirm, or reaffirm, themselves in harmony with such alignment.

2. In connection with this alignment, all churches are respectfully encouraged:

a) To give heed to the wisdom of using Southern Baptist Literature in all their programs of work

b) To channel their mission gift through the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention. The right of churches to designate their gifts is recognized, but in cooperation there is wisdom and strength.

c) To contribute monthly to the Associational Program. The Association as to the true intention of the church shall consider absence of contributions and/or Associational Uniform Letter for two cause for investigation. Efforts to arouse and encourage non-contributing churches to actively support the Association’s program shall not be construed asinfringing on the rights of the local church.

d) To consider carefully the matter of ministers and deacons. Let time be given to ascertain candidates true spirit of loyalty to all phases of the Southern Baptist program.

e) To investigate ahead of time the loyalty to Southern Baptist policies and principles of any man being considered for the pastorate.

4. The Program of Work

a) The Association shall have as programs of work: Sunday School, Discipleship Training, Woman’s Missionary Union, Brotherhood, and Music.

b) The Nominating Committee to the Executive Committee prior to
May shall submit the nominees for heads of these programs of work each year. Upon approval, they shall be elected annually but may serve repeatedly, taking office at the close of the Annual Associational Meeting. The Executive Committee upon recommendation of the Nominating Committee shall fill vacancies occurring during the year.

c) The executive heads of the program of work in connection with the Director of Missions shall prepare a Calendar of Activities for distribution to the churches.

  1. The Standing Committees of the Association shall be specified in the Policies and Procedure Manual of Morgan Baptist Association. All other committees required for presentation of reports at the Annual Meeting shall be appointed by the moderator at least 30 days prior to meeting.

  2. The Policies of Procedures of Morgan Baptist Association as described therein shall be subservient to the Constitution and By-Laws of the Morgan Baptist Association. They shall be subject to review, evaluation and alteration by the Executive Committee of the Morgan Baptist Association at any regular or called Meeting.

7. These By-Laws may be amended, added to, or replaced by a two-thirds majority vote at any regular session of the Annual Meeting of the Association, provided the time of action shall have been announced at a previous business session of the Executive Committee or the Annual Associational Meeting.

Current as of June, 2001