Articles of Agreement

** Last updated from the 2021 Minute Book.

Disclaimer

These Articles of Agreement are provided for reference only and are not official or binding. For the official Articles of Agreement please refer to the current Minute book of the Baptist Missionary Association of Oklahoma.

Preamble

With a sincere desire for the promotion of the divine teachings of church and ministerial equality, and with a deeper realization that Christ alone is our leader, and the Word of God is for all time our all sufficient rule of faith and practice, and with an honest emphasis on fellowship and cooperation among all Baptist churches upholding these principles, we prayerfully submit the following Articles of Agreement.

Article I - Name

The name of this cooperative work is Baptist Missionary Association of Oklahoma.

Article II - Purpose

The purpose of this cooperative work of the churches is to encourage the churches in preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world as commanded by Christ in the Great Commission found in Mat 28; to establish Scriptural missions and churches; to build and maintain Christian education and benevolent institutions, to cultivate a deeper fraternal spirit of cooperation among the churches; and to provide a medium through which all member churches may cooperate in these endeavors.

Article III - Membership and Meetings

Section 1: This association is composed of regular missionary Baptist Churches which are in sympathy with its efforts providing this medium of cooperation. By regular Missionary Baptist churches is meant those churches which hold tenaciously to the doctrines of the New Testament, and believe in the principles of cooperation, fellowship, or association, as taught in the New Testament, and as defined in the Doctrinal Statement of this association, Article X.

Section 2: Any regular Missionary Baptist church which desires membership in this association shall express the desire in writing to the messenger body of this association. The letter of petition shall state that she has, in conference adopted the Articles of Agreement and the Doctrinal Statement, and is ready to work in fellowship of this association by a vote of the messengers present unless just censure against said church is sustained.

Section 3: In the event there is objection to the reception of the church into the fellowship of this association, the president shall appoint a committee of three to investigate the reasons and to report their findings to the messenger body. Any person or church which objects to the reception of a church into the fellowship of this association shall present their objections i writing, with signature(s) affixed thereto.

Section 4: There shall be an annual meeting of messengers from the churches on first Friday and Saturday of October. The meeting shall convene at 9:30 AM. The date of the meeting may be rescheduled upon a proposal by the Arrangements Committee and subsequent approval of the Missionary Committee. The place of each annual meeting shall be determined by a majority vote of the messengers.

Section 5: The messengers of the Association shall meet as directed by the Moderator in a Mid-year meeting on the first Saturday in April. Meeting shall convene at 9:30 AM to conduct business and training and to participate in other activities as called for. The meeting place shall be determined by the vote of the messengers in the annual session in in October of each year. Special programming for this meeting shall be coordinated by the Arrangements committee.

Section 6: Each church shall be entitled to three messengers chosen from her own membership, the qualifications of said messengers to be determined by the church electing them. The messengers and alternates shall be certified to the messenger meeting by letter as approved.

Section 7: This association reserves the right to withdraw associational fellowship from any church which may be found to be out of harmony with these Articles of Agreement and/or the Doctrinal Statement, but shall not exercise ecclesiastical authority over any church in Christ.

Article IV - Missionary Committee

Section 1: There shall be a Missionary Committee composed of one elected messenger from each church, chosen from among her own membership, ten of whom shall constitute a quorum.

Section 2: The duties of this committee shall be to act as an executive of the association between sessions in carrying out the purpose and objectives of the churches composing the association; to fill vacancies in the mission staff and standing committees to attend to all necessary business of the association not otherwise provided for; and to render a report to the association in each annual session.

Section 3: The Missionary Committee may be a called into session at any time by the president and clerk upon ten day, written notification to the churches.

Section 4: The number of missionaries to be elected during the year following the annual meeting of the messengers may be set by the messengers. If the number is not set in annual session, then the messengers when convened as the Missionary Committee may elect as many missionaries as faith and finances will dictate. Any missionary making application to this association in annual session, or to the Missionary Committee between annual sessions shall supply a formal letter of endorsement from the church of their membership before their application as missionary will be considered.

Section 5: All officers, trustees, committees, and etc. of the Missionary Committee be elected by and from church elected Missionary Committeemen.

Article V - Officers

Section 1: The presiding officers of this association shall be; a president, vice president, recording clerk and assistant clerk. A: The duties of these officers shall be those duties as are usually incumbent upon such officers, or as specifically directed by the messengers of the churches. B: The presiding officers shall be elected in the first session of the annual meeting of the messengers from the churches, according to the Order of Business and Rules of Decorum adopted by this body. They shall assume the duties of their respective officers at the conclusion of the annual session in which they are elected.

Section 2: There shall be elected annually a Director of Missions whose duties shall include, but not limited to, the promotion of all phases of the associational work. He shall report bi-annually to the missionary committee and annually to the association. He shall assist the Treasurer or Missions in any and all responsibilities and shall assume the office of Treasurer in the event of vacancy or incapacitation.

Section 3: There shall be elected annually a Treasurer of Missions whose duties shall include, but not be limited to, assisting the Director of Missions in any and all responsibilities and endeavors and who shall assume the office of Director of Missions in the event of a vacancy or incapacitation. He shall receive and disburse all funds connected with state missions and revolving loan fund as directed by the messengers of the churches. He shall report bi-annually to the missionary committee and annually to the association.

Section 4: There shall be elected annually an editor, whose duties shall be editing the Oklahoma Baptist, the official publication of the BMA of Oklahoma. The editor shall handle all funds pertaining to this publication, and perform other duties directed by the Publications Committee, and shall make a bi-annual report to the Missionary Committee and an annual report to the association.

Section 5: There shall be elected annually a camp superintendent whose duties shall be to oversee and manage the affairs of the Oklahoma Baptist Youth Camp in accordance with the by-laws of the camp, and as directed by the trustees of the camp.

Section 6: All department officers (those officers listed in Section 2-6 who make bi-annual and annual reports to the messengers) shall be elected following their annual report to the messengers.

Article VI - Committees

Section 1: PUBLICATIONS: There shall be elected a Standing Committee of five, who shall be elected on a staggered basis for three years, whose duties shall be: (1) To direct the work of the association in the publications field, in conjunction with the editor; and (2) to make an annual report to the association.

Section 2: REVOLVING LOAN FUND: There shall be a standing committee of five, one of whom shall be elected annually for a five year term, whose duties shall be: (1) To act as trustees for the Revolving Loan Fund, performing such legal functions as necessary for the receiving of funds and properties and making, securing and collecting loans in accordance with the Corporate Articles and By-laws of the Revolving Loan Fund Committee, Incorporated: and (2) To make bi-annual and annual reports to the Missionary Committee and the messenger body when in annual session.

Section 3: ENROLLMENT AND FINANCES: There shall be a committee of three elected annually to serve for the following annual session whose duties shall be: (1) To receive church letters, petitionary letters and any finances brought to the annual session: (2) To report to the messenger body as soon as possible after the annual session opens for business concerning letters and finances received, and (3) To forward all letters and finances to the clerk after report is made to the messengers. NOTE: Churches not represented by messengers should send letters and finances to the clerk as early as possible before the annual session. This is not a standing committee.

Section 4: BMA OF OKLAHOMA YOUTH MINISTRIES: There shall be a committee of seven, elected on a staggered basis, for three year terms, whose duties shall be: (1) To act as trustees for the camp and other statewide youth ministries. (2) To direct the operation and functions of the camp in accordance with the by-laws of the camp. (3) To work with churches and youth ministers to develop additional youth ministries in Oklahoma. (4) To make an annual report to the association. This is not a standing committee.

Section 5: NOMINATING COMMITTEE: There shall be a committee of three elected annually to serve for the following annual session whose duties shall be to present to the messenger body, at the appropriate times, names to stand as nominees for the various committees called for by these Articles (except Nominating Committee). This is not a standing committee.

Section 6: A majority of the members of the Standing Committee shall be considered a quorum, unless otherwise specifically provided for.

Section 7: No person shall be eligible to serve on more than one Standing Committee. No two members of any Standing Committee shall be from the same church.

Section 8: AUDIT COMMITTEE: There shall be a committee of three elected annually to serve the association in auditing and reviewing all financial records of the Missions Department. A. They shall verify the accounting procedures and accuracy of those records indicating the income and disbursement of funds as received from the churches. B. An annual report of this committee will be given to the association.

Section 9: ARRANGEMENT COMMITTEE. There shall be a committee of five in making arrangements for the annual and mid-year associational meetings consisting of the President, the Host Pastor(s), WMA President, and the Director of Missions. The total combined budget for these two meetings is not to exceed $1,500.00 in amount and is to be taken from the General Fund of the BMA of Oklahoma.

Article VII - Departments of Work

The Baptist Missionary Association of Oklahoma sponsors the following departmental works.

• State Missions
• Publications
• BMA of Oklahoma Youth Ministries
• Auxiliaries
• Women's Missionary Auxiliary
• Brotherhood

Article VIII - Unsettled Questions

Any question arising in any session of this association of any of its committee meetings that does not reach a satisfactory settlement shall be submitted to the churches and settled by a majority vote of the churches voting on the issue, each church being allowed one vote by messenger or letter.

Article IX - Amendments

Any of the articles of Agreements of Doctrinal Statement may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the messengers present at any regular session of the association providing that the amendment shall be either offered in writing by a letter to all the churches prior to the annual meeting or to all messengers present and discussed in one session of the annual association meeting and voted upon without further discussion, in a subsequent session of that annual associational meeting.