SGBA CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE 1-NAME

The name shall be "Sovereign Grace Baptist Association of Churches."

ARTICLE II-PURPOSE

To maintain an Association of Baptist Churches which believe that salvation rests in God's sovereign grace; to provide a fellowship through which the churches by the Spirit of Christ can serve one another, thus expressing their interdependency and mutual watchcare as churches; to establish their identities, and extend their ministries so that the churches may be edified in love and grace; to stand ready to assist in the education and recognition of duly qualified ministers; to make available to the churches literature and other education aids; to stand ready to assist the churches in solving problems, and to encourage one another in the faith of God's elect; to assist the churches in maintaining and propagating sound biblical doctrine; and to work together in world missions, church planting, evangelism, and various benevolences.


ARTICLE III-AFFILIATION

Section 1. Admission

Any Baptist Church which subscribes to the Constitution and Articles of Faith of the Association, and signifies in writing its desire to be a member of the Association, may, upon written notice and recommendation of the Executive Committee, be received into the Association by a majority vote of the messengers at the annual meeting.

Section 2. Voting

Each church shall be entitled to send two voting messengers to the annual meeting. Each voting messenger shall subscribe to the Constitution and Articles of Faith before being seated in the annual meeting. No decision of the Association shall be binding on any of the churches except by their consent.

Section 3. Discipline

A. Any church that does not indicate a continuing interest in the Association for a period of three years may upon recommendation of the Executive Committee and vote of the messengers be dropped from the Association roll.

B. Any church known to hold doctrines or polity which are contrary to the Statement of Faith or practices detrimental to affiliated churches shall be so informed by the Association. Such churches shall have redress before the Association on the charges, at the time such charges are presented. Failure to correct or remedy the error shall be grounds for removal from the Association's roll, upon recommendation of the Executive Committee and majority vote of the Association messengers at an annual meeting.

Section 4. Withdrawal of Fellowship

A. A church may withdraw from the Association at any time and for any reason sufficient to itself. Such withdrawal shall in nowise legally prejudice the property rights of the church.

B. The removal from the Association roll by the action of the Association or at the request of the church does not indicate that the church is no longer a properly constituted Baptist church.


ARTICLE IV-OFFICERS

Section 1. Executive Committee

The officers of the Association shall consist of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer. These shall compose the Executive Committee and shall have the general oversight of the Association.

Section 2. Chairman and Vice-Chairman

A. The churches of the Association may nominate each year two men for each office. These shall be submitted to the Secretary of the Association before the annual meeting and he, with the chairman, shall count the nominations and the two highest nominees shall be presented to the Association to be voted upon. The outgoing officers shall be eligible for renomination to the Executive Committee.

B. The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Association and the Executive Committee.

C. The Vice-Chairman shall be active in the leadership of the Association and Executive Committee, moderating meetings when the Chairman is absent.

Section 3. Secretary

The Secretary shall be elected annually and shall keep accurate records of all meetings of the Association and the Executive Committee. He shall be curator of the official correspondence of the Association. All records and minutes of the meetings shall be considered the property of the Association.

Section 4. Treasurer

The Treasurer shall be elected annually and shall dispense all funds as directed by the Association and shall keep proper and accurate records of all said financial transactions. He shall provide necessary information and assist the Executive Committee in budgetary procedures, and shall make an annual financial report to the Association. At all times his records shall be considered the property of the Association and shall be subject to reasonable right of examination by any duly authorized representative of a church. His records shall be audited annually by a certified public accountant in accordance with the direction of the Executive Committee.

Section 5. Boards and Committees.

When the need shall arise and upon recommendation by the Executive Committee, the Association may establish the necessary committees or boards to have oversight of the various activities of the Association, such as missions, publications, education and various benevolences. These committees and boards shall be nominated by the Executive Committee and voted upon by the Association. They shall report to the Executive Committee and to the Association annually.

Section 6. General Procedures for Officers and Employees

All new officers shall assume their duties at the closing session of the Annual Conference. All officers and members of committees and boards shall be members of the Association churches; they shall subscribe to the Constitution and to the Articles of Faith upon taking office and they at all times shall consider themselves servants of the Association.


ARTICLE V-MEETINGS

Section 1. Annual Meeting

A meeting of the Association shall be held annually, with a Bible and Missionary Conference. The date and place of the annual meeting shall be determined by the Executive Committee.

Section 2. Business Meeting

Business sessions shall be held at the annual meeting for the election of officers, committees, and for the transaction of other necessary Association business.

Section 3. Church Response

A. There shall be opportunity for the churches to submit questions regarding doctrine, polity, or other matters relative to the general good of the churches. Propriety would suggest that they be submitted in writing to the Executive Committee prior to the business session. A written report of the Association meeting shall be sent to all affiliated churches.

B. Any church shall be privileged to send up to three duly-appointed observers to any committee or board meeting of the Association or it's agencies and institutions. Notification of such action shall be submitted to the Executive Committee.

Section 4. Quorum

All business shall be decided by a majority vote of the assembled messengers in a duly-called business meeting, unless otherwise speci-fied. Those members present at any properly called meeting shall be considered a quorum.

Section 5. Parliamentary Order

The 1894 edition of Hiscox's Rules of Order shall be the authority to determine parliamentary procedure.


ARTICLE VI-FISCAL POLICY

Section 1. Budget

The Association shall approve at each annual meeting a budget prepared by the Executive Committee. The budget shall cover the various financial programs of the Association. The Treasurer, upon recommendation of the Executive Committee, shall disburse funds in accordance with the budget approved by the Association.

Section 2. General Fund

The Executive Committee shall, after proper consideration, be authorized to utilize funds contributed to the general fund of the Association in accordance with the budget approved by the Association.

Section 3. Designated Funds

The Treasurer shall maintain records of any designated funds and these shall be disbursed in accordance with the annual budget and the indicated designation.

Section 4. General Association Expense

The general expense of the Association and its committees and boards shall be funded from the general fund. Thus all administrative expenses shall be borne by the General Fund.

Section 5. Agencies and Institutions

All agencies and institutions of the Association shall submit activity and financial reports through its boards or committees to the Executive Committee and the Association.


ARTICLE VII-DOCTRINAL STATEMENT

The Word of God is our only infallible and final guide for our faith and practice and remains supremely authoritative for us over any Confession of Faith adopted by the Association.

The Sovereign Grace Baptist Confession of Faith, (a revision of The New Hampshire Confession of Faith) shall be considered a general expression of our doctrinal belief.

The doctrinal statement may be amended by a three-fourths majority vote of the messengers.


ARTICLE VIII-AMENDMENTS

This Constitution and Confession of Faith may be amended by a three-fourths vote of the messengers assembled in any annual meeting, providing that the amendment was read at the previous annual meeting and sent in printed form to all the churches prior to the meeting in which it is presented for vote.