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 sphereof 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 itmay
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 workb) 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 as
infringing 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,
