In November, messengers to the annual Louisiana Baptist convention
will be asked to vote on several changes to denominational documents.
As required by bylaws, those changes are presented in this
issue of the Baptist Message – and in next weeks issue as well. The
changes relate to the charter of the LBC Execuitve Board, the LBC Constitution
and the LBC Bylaws.
In November, messengers to the annual Louisiana Baptist convention
will be asked to vote on several changes to denominational documents.
As required by bylaws, those changes are presented in this
issue of the Baptist Message – and in next weeks issue as well. The
changes relate to the charter of the LBC Execuitve Board, the LBC Constitution
and the LBC Bylaws.
The changes are as follows:
Proposed amendments to the charter of the Executive Board of
the Louisiana Baptist Convention:
Article I, Paragraph 2 now reads: The corporate existence of
this corporation shall be for a period of ninety nine years, unless sooner dissolved
by a two-thirds vote of this corporation, which vote shall be taken not less
than six months after receiving instructions to that effect in writing from
the Louisiana Baptist Convention.
Proposed Article I, Paragraph 2 reads: The corporate existence
of this corporation shall be in perpetuity, unless sooner dissolved by a two-thirds
vote of this corporation, which vote shall be taken not less than six months
after receiving instructions to that effect in writing from the Louisiana Baptist
Convention.
Article III now reads: This Corporation shall consist of the
President of the Louisiana Baptist Convention together with one (1) representative
from each association cooperating with the Convention and one (1) additional
representative from each association having as many as ten thousand (10,000)
members, and one (1) additional representative for each additional five thousand
(5,000) members. One third (1/3) of this Board shall be elected annually. Each
member may be elected for two (2) terms of three (3) years each, after which
he shall not be eligible for re-election until after the elapse of one (1) year.
One third (1/3) of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business. (As amended, December, 6, 1955, recorded Charter Book
12, page 100, records of Rapides Parish, Louisiana)
Proposed Article III reads: The Executive Board shall consist
of one (1) member from each association, plus one (1) additional board member
from each association having as many as ten thousand (10,000) church members,
and an additional board member for each additional five thousand (5,000) church
members of such associations; provided, however, that not more than seven (7)
members from any one association shall serve simultaneously as members of the
Executive Board. The president of the Convention shall be an ex officio member
of the Executive Board, and the Convention president shall continue as ex officio
member of the Executive Board for one full year immediately following his tenure
as president unless elected to fill a vacancy in the regular membership of the
Executive Board. The terms of elected board members shall run for three (3)
years. No member may serve continuously for more than two (2) complete successive
terms. No member shall be eligible to serve another term until an interval equal
to the number of years served shall have elapsed. The membership of any board
member shall be declared vacant if he ceases to be affiliated with a church
that is a member of the association from which he was elected. The Convention
shall annually elect members to fill all vacancies on the board.
Article IV now reads: The officers of this corporation shall
be a President, a Vice-President, a Recording Secretary and an Executive Secretary
Treasurer. (As amended, January 13, 1949, recorded supra) The first officers
of this corporation shall be as follows to wit: George W. Bolton, President,
H. A. Sumrell, Vice-President; H. H. Webb, Recording Secretary; W. N. Johnson,
Corresponding Secretary; B. F. Thompson, treasurer; and H. H. Webb, Auditor,
who shall hold office until their successors are elected. This corporation shall
hereafter elect its officers at its first regular meeting, after the annual
meeting of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. The Louisiana Baptist Convention,
at its regular annual meeting shall have the right to name the persons who shall
be elected officers of this corporation.
Proposed Article IV reads: The elected officers of the Executive
Board of the Convention shall consist of a president and a vice president chosen
annually by the membership of the Executive Board. They shall have the duties
customarily associated with such positions. The board itself shall elect an
executive director for an indefinite term. The executive director shall be ex
officio member of the board and serve as its secretary.
Article VI now reads: The domicile of this corporation shall
be at Alexandria, Rapides Parish, Louisiana, and the service of all legal process
shall be made at the domicile of the corporation, upon the President, or in
his absence upon the Vice-President, or in the absence of both of these, upon
the Executive Secretary-Treasurer, and otherwise according to law.
Proposed Article VI reads: The domicile of this corporation
shall be at Alexandria, Rapides Parish, Louisiana, and the service of all legal
process shall be made at the domicile of the corporation, upon the President,
or in his absence upon the Vice-President, or in the absence of both of these,
upon the Executive Director/Secretary and otherwise according to law.
Proposed amendments to the LBC Constitution:
Article III. Membership, Section 1 now reads: Section 1. This
Convention shall be composed of messengers who are members in good standing
of Baptist churches cooperating with the Convention.
Proposed Article III. Membership, Section 1 reads: Section
1. This Convention shall be composed of messengers who are members in good standing
of Baptist churches cooperating with the Convention by contributing monetarily
to world missions through the Cooperative Program during the preceding Convention
year.
Article V. Committees and Boards of the Convention, Sections
3 and 4 now read: Section 3. The members of all standing committees (except
the Committee on Committees) and the permanent boards of the Convention shall
be elected by the Convention. New members on all boards and committees to fill
vacancies developing after annual Convention and before the month of May shall
be elected by the Executive Board upon recommendation of the Convention Committee
on Nominations or Committee on Committees.
Section 4. The president of the Convention shall appoint the
members and the chairman of the Committee on Committees.
Proposed Article V. Committees and Boards of the Convention,
Sections 3 and 4 read: Section 3. The members of all standing committees (except
the Committee on Committees) and the permanent boards of the Convention shall
be elected by the Convention. New members on all boards and committees who fill
vacancies developing after annual Convention and before the month of May shall
be elected by the Executive Board upon recommendation of the Convention Committee
on Nominations or Committee on Committees.
Section 4. The president of the Convention shall appoint the
members and the chairman and vice chairman of the Committee on Committees.
Article VI. The Executive Board of the Convention, Sections
3 and 4 now read: Section 3. The terms of elected board members shall run for
three (3) years. No member may serve continuously for more than two (2) complete
successive terms. No member shall be eligible to serve another term until an
interval equal to the number of years served shall have elapsed.
Section 4. The membership of any board members shall be declared
vacant if he ceases to be affiliated with a church that is a member of the association
from which he was elected.
Proposed Article VI. The Executive Board of the Convention,
Sections 3 and 4 read: Section 3. The terms of elected Executive Board members
shall run for three (3) years. No member may serve continuously for more than
two (2) complete successive terms. No members shall be eligible to serve another
term until an interval equal to the number of years served shall have elapsed.
Section 4. The membership of any Executive Board member shall
be declared vacant if he ceases to be affiliated with a church that is a member
of the association from which he was elected.
Article VI. The Executive Board of the Convention, Section
5 now reads: Section 5. The Convention shall annually elect members to fill
all vacancies in the board.
Proposed Article VI. The Executive Board of the Convention,
Section 5 reads: Section 5. The Convention shall annually elect members to fill
all vacancies on the Executive Board.
Article VIII. Meetings, Sections 1 and Section 2 now read:
Section 1. The Convention shall meet in regular session in the week following
the second Sunday in November unless unusual circumstances should require a
change in date, and in such case, date shall be determined by the Executive
Board.
Section 2. The president, after approval of the Executive Board
of the Convention, may call the Convention into special session and shall establish
the time and place of the regular session if the Convention fails to act or
if grave conditions arise, subsequent to adjournment, that make the previous
choice of the Convention wholly undesirable.
Proposed Article VIII. Meetings, Sections 1 and Section 2 (combined)
read: Section 1. The Convention shall meet in regular session in the week following
the second Sunday in November unless unusual circumstances should require a
change. In such case, date, time and place shall be determined by the Executive
Board.
Proposed amendments to the Bylaws of the Louisiana Baptist
Convention:
Article III. Composition and Duties of Committees and Boards,
Section 6 now reads: Section 6. The Committee on Resolutions shall be composed
of seven (7) members and three (3) ex officio members from the Executive Board
of the Convention. The Committee shall be responsible for initiating, reviewing,
commenting on, and recommending Convention action on all resolutions. All resolutions,
except motions to recess or adjourn, presented from the floor of the Convention
shall be in writing and referred to the Committee on Resolutions, without debate,
prior to floor consideration. The president, the chairman of the Program Committee,
and one other member of the Executive Board of the Convention shall constitute
the ex officio members from the Executive Board.
Proposed Article III. Composition and Duties of Committees
and Boards, Section 6 reads: Section 6. The Committee on Resolutions shall be
composed of seven (7) members and three (3) ex officio members from the Executive
Board of the Convention. The Committee shall be responsible for initiating,
reviewing, commenting on, and recommending Convention action on all resolutions.
All resolutions, except motions to recess or adjourn, presented from the floor
of the Convention shall be in writing and referred to the Committee on Resolutions,
without debate, prior to floor consideration. The Executive Board president,
the chairman of the Program Committee, and one other member of the Executive
Board of the Convention shall constitute the ex officio members from the Executive
Board.
Article IV. Membership of Committees and Boards, Section 2
now reads: Section 2. The terms of members of committees and boards shall be
established as three (3) years. No member elected or appointed for a full term
shall be eligible for more than two (2) complete successive terms on the same
committee or board. No member elected to serve as much as two (2) years of an
unexpired term of any committee or board shall be eligible for more than one
(1) full term of three (3) years on the same committee or board. A member, having
completed full terms of service on a board or committee, shall be ineligible
to serve on that board or committee until an interval equal to the number of
years served on that board or committee shall have elapsed. A person shall not
serve in more than one elected or appointed position at a time. Upon the expiration
of the term of any member of a board or committee, no person who is a member
of the same church as the person whose term is expiring may serve on that same
board or committee until one year following the expiration of the serving members
term. Membership on all boards and committees collectively shall in all cases
be limited to no more than two (2) members from any church at any one time.
Proposed Article IV. Membership of Committees and Boards, Section
2 reads: Section 2. The terms of members of committees and boards shall be established
as three (3) years. No member elected or appointed for a full term shall be
eligible for more than two (2) complete successive terms on the same committee
or board. No member elected to serve as much as two (2) years of an unexpired
term of any committee or board shall be eligible for more than one (1) successive
full term of three (3) years on the same committee or board. A member shall
be ineligible to serve on a board or committee until an interval equal to the
number of years served on that board or committee has elapsed. A person shall
not serve in more than one elected or appointed position at a time, unless authorized
by the constitution and bylaws. Upon the expiration of the term of any member
of a board or committee, no person who is a member of the same church as the
person whose term is expiring may serve on that same board or committee until
one year following the expiration of the serving members term. Membership
on all boards and committees shall in all cases be limited to no more than two
(2) members from any church at any one time. Existing board or committee members
who move to a church with two members currently serving on a board or committee
shall be rendered ineligible to serve. No more than one member of the same church
may serve on the same board or committee. Existing board or committee members
who move to a church with a member currently serving on the same board or committee
on which they are serving shall be rendered ineligible to serve.
Article IV. Membership of Committees and Boards, Section 5
now reads: Section 5. No persons shall be elected to serve simultaneously on
more than one (1) board of the Convention, no more than two (2) standing committees
of the Convention, or one (1) committee and one (1) board listed in Article
II of these bylaws.
Proposed Article IV. Membership of Committees and Boards, Section
5 reads: Delete Section 5 of Article IV. Section 2 of Article IV replaces this
bylaw.
Article IV. Section 6, Section 7, Section 8, Section 9, Section
10, Section 11, Section 12 will be renumbered due to the deletion of Section
5. They will be renumbered as follows – Section 6 will become Section 5.
Section 7 will become Section 6. Section 8 will become Section 7. Section 9
will become Section 8. Section 10 will become Section 9. Section 11 will become
Section 10. Section 12 will become Section 11.