Article I – Name
This Association shall be called the Prince George’s Baptist Association of Maryland.
Article II – Mission Statement
The Prince George’s Baptist Association is a family of Baptist Churches, in partnership, with the common goal of communicating Christ in our communities.
Article III – Purpose
The Prince George’s Baptist Association exists to:
- Encourage a vital and growing fellowship between churches so that our shared experiences in faith and practice may serve to strengthen and inspire one another in our Christian commitment and our service to the Lord;
- Give and receive assistance, one to another, in planning, organizing, promoting and improving our ability and efficiency in carrying out the commission of our Lord. To help lead all people to discipleship and to teach the requirements of discipleship in all of life;
- Seek out specific needs for evangelism, missions and ministry within our Association area and enlist individual churches or groups of churches to meet these needs;
- Strive to promote communication and needed relationship between our Association and the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware and the Southern Baptist Convention to interpret the Southern Baptist programs and methodology to the churches of the Association.
Article IV – Membership
Section 1. The membership of the Association shall consist of Baptist Churches maintain New Testament principles who support Prince George’s Baptist Association causes and the Baptist Faith and Message Statement of 1963. Churches are expected to send an annual letter and to elect and send messengers to the Association Meetings and representatives to the Executive Committee of the Association.
Section 2. Churches desiring membership in this Association will present their written application for membership with their Constitution, Bylaws, and Theological Statement of Articles of Faith. The application will be examined by the Missions Development Council, and if approved, recommended to the Association. Upon the approval of the Association, the church will be accepted under the watch care of the Prince George’s Baptist Association for at least six months before being voted into full membership at either Annual Meeting of the Association. Mission churches, previously introduced at any Annual Meeting as the work of a Prince George’s Baptist Association member church, upon constituting as a self-standing church and seeking full membership in the Association, will not undergo an additional watch care period except under special circumstances and by recommendation of the Missions Development Council. During the watch care, the Director of Missions will provide orientation for the pastor, staff and church body to assure that the church understands and supports the principles of this Association, and of the Southern Baptist Convention. The Director of Missions shall further explain the responsibilities and privileges of member churches. The Association has the right to deny any church privileges of representation in this body.
Section 3. Member churches shall be represented at the annual meetings in the following ratio: Every church shall be entitled to two messengers for the first twenty members, or fraction thereof, and one additional messenger for every additional forty members. However, no church shall have more than fifteen messengers.
Section 4. There shall be full recognition of the independence and equal rights of the local church which may, at its pleasure, withdraw from membership. In order for the Association to consider membership withdrawal, a request in writing must be received from the Clerk of the said Church. The request for withdrawal will be referred to the Missions Development Council for examination and recommendations to the Association for its final action.
Section 5. A church which fails to send an annual report or participate in the meetings of the Association shall be counseled and encouraged to become involved in the life of the Association. Any church which fails to do so for a period of three years, shall be counseled and may be dismissed at the next annual session upon recommendation of the Missions Development Council.
Article V – Trustees
The Association shall be incorporated under the laws of the State of Maryland. There shall be seven trustees elected at the Annual Fall Meeting of the Association. They shall serve for a terms of three years or until their successors are elected. They shall hold title to any property owned by the Association and perform such duties as may be assigned to them by the Association. They are not to be a policy making group but are to act in legal matters as directed by the Association. The nominating committee shall nominate, for election, the President, Vice President, and Secretary of Trustees. The Resident Agent of the corporate body of the Association shall be the Director of Missions who shall be one of the seven trustees, and be so designated at the time of their election.
Article VI – The Executive Committee
The Association shall have an Executive Committee consisting of the pastor of each church and mission, two other elected members from each church, and the officers of the Association. This committee shall be charged with the responsibility of transacting the necessary business of the Association between the Annual Meetings. This committee shall meet as necessary during the year, with twelve members present constituting a quorum, at any properly announced meeting. When possible, meetings of this Committee shall be placed on the annual Association calendar. Notices of called meetings should go to all churches at least one week prior to the meeting.
Article VII – Emergency Actions Committee
The Association shall have an Emergency Actions Committee consisting of the Moderator, Vice-Moderator, Clerk, Chairman of the Finance Committee, Chairman of Personnel Committee and three members elected at large. The Committee shall act for the Executive Committee and the Association between sessions on matters more urgent than routine. The Chairman or the Director of Missions may call the Committee into session as needed to carry out its responsibilities in accordance with the Association’s policies and procedures.
Article VIII – Amendments
This constitution may be amended by three-fourths of the votes cast at an annual Spring Meeting provided such amendment(s) have been presented in writing at a prior Fall Meeting and passed by a three-fourths majority of those messengers present and voting. A total of fifty messengers representing twenty-five (25) percent of the churches must be present and voting at each meeting.