Bradley Baptist Association Constitution & Operations Manual

Article II: Purpose 2

Article III: Membership 2-3

Article IV: Meetings 3

Article V: Organization 3-4

ARTICLE 1: IDENTITY

Section 1 – Name: This body shall be known as the Bradley Baptist Association.

Section 2 – Articles of Faith: We adopt as our statement of faith, THE BAPTIST FAITH AND MESSAGE, as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention.

Section 3 – Cooperation: This body shall be cooperative with the Tennessee State Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention.

Section 4 – Authority: This body shall be wholly advisory, and shall never assume any ecclesiastical authority over the churches.

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE

The purpose of the Bradley Baptist Association shall be to promote Christian fellowship and cooperation among the churches affiliated with the Association; to uphold the doctrines and principles of our Baptist faith and encourage the churches to be loyal and practice these doctrines and principles; to promote benevolence, stewardship, Christian education, the preaching and teaching of God’s Word, and the winning of all men to Christ to the ends of the earth.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

Section 1 – Churches: The Bradley Baptist Association shall be composed of those churches that have applied for and have been received into membership at a Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session. Messengers elected by the respective churches shall represent those churches at each Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session.

Section 2 – Messengers: Messengers shall be elected by the respective cooperating churches, according to the following formula. Each church of fifty members or less shall be entitled to three (3) messengers and one (1) additional messenger for each fifty members above the first fifty, provided no church shall be entitled to have more than ten messengers.

Section 3 – Affiliation: Any church desiring to be received into the fellowship of the Bradley Baptist Association shall forward an application to the Association office at least (6) months prior to a Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session. The church desiring affiliation should include a statement of its faith and practices and declaring its purpose to cooperate with this body. A body shall be formed from the Administrative Leadership Team to examine the credentials of the petitioning church. (See Application for Membership to the Bradley Baptist Association in the Operations Manual.) Recommendations from this group shall be made to the Association at a Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session. Upon approval of a three-fourths (3/4)-majority vote of the messengers present to receive the church, the moderator shall declare the church received and its messengers seated. A church may choose to withdraw from the fellowship of the Bradley Baptist Association with written notification.

Section 4 – Discipline: The Association reserves the right to withdraw fellowship by a three-fourths (3/4) majority vote at a Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session from any church it deems:

a. to have departed from the teaching of the New Testament in doctrine or conduct as previously stated in the Articles of Faith of the Association; or

b. to have failed to correspond with the Association for two (2) consecutive years. This church shall first be visited by a group assigned by the Administrative Leadership Team to determine the cause and seek resolution; or

c. to have refused to support financially the program of the Association.

ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS

Section 1 – Harvest Council Semi-Annual Sessions: The Bradley Baptist Association shall have Harvest Council Semi-Annual Sessions, at such time and place as it may determine. All reports to the fall Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session shall be written and included in the Book of Reports. No reports, other than those in the Book of Reports, shall be heard unless by the expressed approval of the body.

Section 2 – Special Sessions: Upon the advice and consent of the Ministry Development Team, the Moderator may call a special session at any time during the year. Notification must be made in writing to the churches at least two (2) weeks prior to the meeting. It must include the reason for the meeting and the matter(s) to be considered. Only business for which the meeting is called may be transacted in such a called session of the Association.

ARTICLE V: ORGANIZATION

Section 1 – Officers: The Bradley Baptist Association shall have at least the following officers: Moderator, Vice-Moderator, Treasurer, Clerk, and Historian. All officers shall be elected by a majority vote at a Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session and shall take office at the close of that meeting. They shall serve for one year or until their successors shall be elected and installed. Officers shall be nominated by a body created by the Administrative Leadership Team for that purpose. The Moderator and Vice-Moderator may not serve more than two (2) consecutive years.

Section 2 – Staff: The Association employs the Director of Missions. The Director of Missions shall acquire staff as required to fulfill the purpose of the Association. A body assigned by the Administrative Leadership Team shall serve as a personnel department in assisting with staff relations. Assignments, relationships, and ministry descriptions shall be specifically described in the Operations Manual. Other specific policies for Associational staff are outlined in the Personnel Manual and Procedures.

a. The Association may establish such program/ministry groups as it deems necessary for achieving its purpose.

b. Every year at the Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session, the Bradley Baptist Association will confirm its ministry and program emphases for the coming year. These decisions are to be confirmed by a majority vote of the Messengers present, and by electing leaders/members for these organizational groups. If the specific mission, goals, and organization of a ministry or program group are not already described in the Bradley Baptist Association’s Operations Manual, such an entry will be developed and inserted. If a ministry or program is not re-confirmed at the Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session by the Association at-large, that group will cease to exist and its references in the Operation Manual shall be removed. All other relevant facts about a program or ministry group will be delineated in the Bradley Baptist Association’s Operations Manual.

Section 4 – Ministry Development Team (MDT): Led by the Director of Missions, the Ministry Development Team shall be composed of Team Leaders from each of the value areas determined by the Association, the Ministerial Staff, Administrative Leadership Team Representative, Moderator, and six (6) At Large members. It shall help plan, coordinate, and evaluate the ministry activities of the Association and shall be accountable to the Association through a Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session. At Large members will serve on a rotating panel, with one member rotating off each year.

The Ministry Development Team is empowered to act on behalf of the Association not in session in all areas except those which encumber the Association financially, place the association at risk, or are deemed important enough to call a special session of the Association at large (see Article IV, Section 2).

Section 5 – Administrative Leadership Team (ALT): To conduct the administrative functions of the association, including but not limited to finance and budgeting, personnel, nominating, facilities, trustees, and credentials. The Ministry Development Team nominates these individuals for election by the Association a Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session. Administrative Leadership Team members must be elected by a majority vote of the Messengers present to fulfill any of its duties. The Administrative Leadership Team is responsible to the Association through the Harvest Council Semi-Annual Sessions, and specific components of its responsibilities are outlined in the Bradley Baptist Association’s Operations Manual.

Section 6 – Duties: The duties of all organizational elements of the Association shall be those usually incumbent upon such officers, directors, councils, and teams and shall be outlined in the Bradley Baptist Association’s operations manual.

ARTICLE VI: AMENDMENTS

Any article of this constitution may be altered or amended by a three-fourths (3/4) majority vote of the Messengers present and voting at a Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session, providing that written notice shall have been given to all the member churches 90 days prior to the Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session. Article 1, Section 4, may be amended only as to word, order, or for clarity, but not as to meaning.

Any item of the Operations Manual may be altered or amended by a three-fourths (3/4) majority vote of the Ministry Development Team members present and voting at a Ministry Development Team meeting providing that written notice shall have been given to all the Ministry Development Team members 30 days prior to a Ministry Development Team meeting.

Bradley Baptist Association’s

Operations Manual

Harvest Council Semi-Annual Sessions 6

Ministry Development Team (MDT) 7-8

Administrative Leadership Team (ALT) 8

Affinity Groups 9

Cluster Groups 9-10

Guidelines for Starting a New Church 11-12

Application for Membership to the Bradley Baptist Association 12

Appendix A – Qualifications for Missionary Service 13

Appendix B – BBA Harvest Council Messenger Ministry Profile 13

Appendix C – BBA MDT Member Ministry Profile 14

Appendix D – BBA ALT Member Ministry Profile 14-15

Appendix E – Value Leader Profiles: Ministries 16

Appendix E – Value Leader Profiles: Evangelism 17

Appendix E – Value Leader Profiles: Strengthening Churches 18

Appendix E – Value Leader Profiles: Prayer 19

Appendix E – Value Leader Profiles: Communication 20

Nominations 21-24

BBA Ministerial Staff Flow Chart 24a

BBA Administration Staff Flow Chart 24b

BBA Organizational Flow Chart 24c

Ministry Development Team leaders, Association Officers, and the Pastor plus all messengers elected by their respective cooperating churches make up the Harvest Council. Each church of fifty members or less shall be entitled to three (3) messengers and one (1) additional messenger for each fifty members above the first fifty, provided no church shall be entitled to have more than ten messengers. The Officers of the Association shall serve as Officers of the Harvest Council Semi-Annual Sessions. Associational staff shall be non-voting members of the Association.

The Task - The Harvest Council will meet on a Semi-annual schedule with additional called meetings as necessary.

The Harvest Council Semi-Annual Sessions allow the Association to conduct its major business, hearing reports, adopting programs of work, and considering all business matters presented to the body for action, including the admission of churches into fellowship.

The Harvest Council Semi-Annual Sessions also allow the Association to nurture and develop trusting relationships in the Association, and……

· Join God in His Work in Bradley County.

· Join God in His Work in Tennessee.

· Join God in His Work in North America.

· Join God in His Work Overseas.

 

Accountability – The Harvest Council is the Association of Churches in session, which meets Semi-annually.

The Ministry Development Team will be led by the Director of Missions and will consist of Team Leaders from each of the value areas determined by the Association. Other ministry leaders involving the value areas of the Association will also serve. The Team Leaders will lead in the following areas: Prayer, Strengthening Churches, Communication, Ministries, and Evangelism. Other members of the Ministry Development Team will include the Ministerial Staff, Administrative Leadership Team Representative, Moderator, and six (6) At Large members.

At Large Members shall be selected by the following process:

· An Associational letter from the Administrative Leadership Team to pastors of eligible churches would be sent requesting nominations for potential Ministry Development Team members. Included in the letter would be a detailed listing of qualifications and expectations.

· The Administrative Leadership Team would review, screen, contact, and recommend At-Large Members to the fall Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session.

· The fall Harvest Council Semi-Annual Messengers will elect At-Large Ministry Development Team members.

The Task – The Ministry Development Team will meet at least once a month to coordinate the focused work of each value area of the Bradley Baptist Association. As much as possible they will be challenged to work as a team, each in his/her areas of passion and calling to help our churches do together what they could not do alone. They will also resource one another through prayer, accountability, and encouragement. They will set goals in the value areas upon recommendations from the Director of Missions, Administrative Leadership Team.

They will evaluate the missionary effectiveness of the Association and its churches in reaching our city for Jesus Christ. The effectiveness will be measured based on the previous year’s goals and the progress made in the value areas.

The Ministry Development Team will make decisions based on recommendations and reports from the Administrative Leadership Team. The Ministry Development Team will also set the direction for the following year. The Ministry Development Team will recommend and nominate six Administrative Leadership Team members to the Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session.

Accountability – Budget needs will be reported to the Administrative Leadership Team. The Ministry Development Team will report calendar dates to the Associational Staff.

Resources for The Ministry Development Team will come from the value areas in the annual budget, and designated gifts from churches.

The Director of Missions will recommend the Value Area Team Leaders annually to the Administrative Leadership Team for approval. The Administrative Leadership Team will report to the Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session. The team leader will serve for as long a period as he/she is effective and feels led to serve.

The Director of Missions will be responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of team leaders in consultation with the Moderator and Administrative Leadership Team. The Director of Missions will talk with individuals who are serving on The Ministry Development Team that are not effective.

Each team leader may recruit volunteers to assist him/her on particular projects or for particular periods of time. These missions volunteers will be reported to the Administrative Leadership Team. All missionary volunteers will also be reported to the Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session.

The Administrative Leadership Team will consist of the Moderator and six (6) other panel members approved by the Ministry Development Team. The members will include at least two lay people. The team can have no more than two voting members from one congregation. The Director of Missions will serve as a non-voting ex-officio member.

The six (6) panel members will serve a three-year term on rotating panels to prevent the entire team from changing every year. At the conclusion of the three years of service, the members rotating off a panel will be required to stay off one year before being approved to another three-year term. Persons serving as Moderator do not need to stay off a year before being approved for an initial three-year term as one of the six (6) panel members of the Administrative Leadership Team.

The Task – the Administrative Leadership Team will meet as necessary to do the work of the following administrative committees: Finance and Budgeting, Personnel, Nominating, Facilities, Trustees, and Credentials.

Each of the six panel members of the Administrative Leadership Team will be responsible to lead in particular areas. They may choose to invite others to temporarily volunteer to meet with them as a subgroup to do their work if necessary.

The Administrative Leadership Team elects its own Chair.

Accountability – The Administrative Leadership Team will report to the Association in session and the Harvest Council.

Budgeting will be based on the values chosen by the Association. The Administrative Leadership Team will receive recommendations in value areas from the Director of Missions. Associational Staff will have the responsibility for receiving calendar dates.

The Association of churches will encourage fellowship, accountability, and enrichment groups to voluntarily form throughout the Association. Some of these groups will include, but will not be limited to: Conferences for Ministers, Music Leaders, Women’s Ministry, Men’s Ministry, Youth Ministers, Senior Adults, Church Media Specialists, Administrative Assistants and other groups as God leads their formation. The groups will be self-governed. The Association will assist through encouragement and communication.

The churches have historically gathered into regions in order to foster relationships with their congregations in closest proximity to each other. The Association wants to continue to encourage these relationships for projects, training, communication, fellowship, worship and missions.

Moderator – The Moderator shall be elected at the fall Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session. Nominations should be sent to the Administrative Leadership Team 30 days prior to the fall Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session. The Administrative Leadership Team will review nominations and contact nominees to confirm their interest in serving. The Administrative Leadership Team will recommend no less than one candidate. They will recommend no more than two candidates. Other nominations may be received from the floor. If there is more than one nominee, the vote shall be by ballot. The newly elected Moderator will take office on January 1 following the fall Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session. The Moderator may not serve more than two consecutive years.

Duties:

· Preside over the Harvest Council Semi-Annual Sessions of the Association.

· Preside over special called meetings of the Harvest Council of the Association.

· Serve as ex-officio member of all teams.

· Name members of ad-hoc committees as directed by the Association.

· Be familiar with Robert’s Rules of Order so that he might preside properly.

· Work in close harmony with the Director of Missions for the on-going work of the Association.

· Serve as a voting member of the Administrative Leadership Team.

Vice-Moderator – The Vice-Moderator shall be elected at the fall Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session. Nominations should be sent to the Administrative Leadership Team 30 days prior to the fall Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session. The Administrative Leadership Team will review nominations and contact nominees to confirm their interest in serving. The Administrative Leadership Team will recommend no less than one candidate. They will recommend no more than two candidates. Other nominations may be received from the floor. If there is more than one nominee, the vote shall be by ballot. The newly elected Vice-Moderator will take office on January 1 following the fall Harvest Council Semi -Annual Session. The Vice-Moderator may not serve more than two consecutive years.

Duties:

· Preside over the Harvest Council Semi-Annual Sessions of the Association in the absence of the Moderator.

· Preside over special called meetings of the Harvest Council of the Association in the absence of the Moderator.

· Be familiar with Robert’s Rules of Order so that he might preside properly.

· Serve as a voting member of the Administrative Leadership Team in the absence of the Moderator.

Treasurer – The Treasurer shall be elected at the fall Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session upon recommendation by the Administrative Leadership Team and shall take office on January 1 following the fall Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session.

Duties:

· Issue checks in keeping with the budget and under supervision of the Administrative Leadership Team.

· Perform other financial duties as authorized by the Association.

Clerk – The Clerk shall be elected at the fall Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session upon recommendation by the Administrative Leadership Team and shall take office on January 1 following the fall Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session.

Duties:

· Serve as recorder for the Association in session and the Harvest Council Semi-Annual Sessions.

· Assist the Director of Missions and Associational Secretary with securing Annual Church Profile information.

Historian – The Historian shall be elected at the fall Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session upon recommendation by the Administrative Leadership Team and shall take office on January 1 following the fall Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session.

Duties:

· Keep an accurate record of Associational events for historical purposes.

 

In cooperation with

The Bradley Baptist Association

The following guidelines will be followed in evaluating a new church supported by the Association.

1. Church Sponsorship

a. The new church will have a sponsor church.

b. Is the sponsor church a member of the Association or other Southern Baptist Association?

2. The new church should affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message.

3. The new church should be affiliated and supportive of the Bradley Baptist Association, Tennessee Baptist Convention and Southern Baptist Convention.  Will the new church participate in the Cooperative Program?

4. The new church will present a written Church Planting Proposal to the sponsor church and/or the Association.

Items to be included in the proposal:

Vision Statement Explanation of target group

Core Values Proposed Budget

Doctrinal Statement Sponsor Church Covenant

Strategy Plan Discipleship Plan

Proposed Launch Date Mission Statement

5. Does the church planter meet the state convention’s guidelines for funding?

a. Has the planter gone through an assessment process?

b. Has (or will) the planter attend the basic training for church planters?

• To receive state funding, the new church must give 7% of its undesignated receipts to the Cooperative Program and 3% to the local Association.

c. Has (or will) the planter establish a mentoring relationship with another pastor?

6. Has the sponsor church conducted a background and reference check of the church planting pastor (and staff)?

7. Is there a need for a new work in the proposed new church stated area?

a. What are the demographics of the target area?

b. What churches are in the area and how effectively are they reaching the unchurched?

8. In case of church split, the following shall be taken into consideration:

a. What attempts are being or have been made toward reconciliation?

b. Has the new church met guidelines 2 through 4?

TO THE BRADLEY BAPTIST ASSOCIATION

1. We shall most ardently adhere to the Baptist doctrines and principles as set forth in the Church Covenant and New Hampshire Confession of Faith, held in common by all cooperative Southern Baptist Convention Churches.

2. We shall be baptistic in all of our practices, as outlined and required in the Constitution of the Bradley Baptist Association.

3. We shall make systematic and regular contributions to Associational Missions and to State, Convention wide and foreign causes, through the Cooperative Program.

4. We shall cooperate fully in all organized efforts of the Bradley Baptist Association in a promotional capacity.

5. The application for membership into the Bradley Baptist Association must be submitted to the Administrative Leadership Team.

6. The Administrative Leadership Team shall observe the church for a period of six months before making a recommendation for full membership in a Harvest Council Semi-Annual Session.

Moderator of Church______________________

Name of Church_________________________

Clerk of Church__________________________

Date of Approval_________________________

 

Bradley Baptist Association

2707 North Ocoee Street, Cleveland, TN 37312

Phone: (423) 476-5493     Fax: (423) 339-3782

e-mail: bcbaclev@bellsouth.net

www.bradleybaptist.org