CONSTITUTION

Article I – Name

Section 1 This organization shall be known as the Golden Triangle Baptist Association.

Section 2 The Association will cooperate with the Southern Baptist Convention and other entities, as approved by the Association, in carrying out the Great Commission.

Article II – Objectives

Section 1 This Association shall foster and promote Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, Missions/Evangelism, and Ministry.

Section 2 This Association shall promote the unity of faith and fellowship among Baptists and put forth practical methods to advance the interests of God’s Kingdom.

Article III - Membership

Section 1 This Association shall be composed of Southern Baptist churches cooperating with and supporting the work of the Golden Triangle Baptist Association.

Section 2 The churches of this Association shall be in doctrinal harmony with the faith and practice of Southern Baptists.

Section 3 Each church shall be entitled to five (5) messengers and one (1) additional messenger for every one hundred (100) or fractional part thereof above the first one hundred (100) members, provided that no church shall have more than twelve (12) messengers. These messengers shall be authorized to conduct the business of the Association at all duly constituted meetings of the Association.

Section 4 The basis of operation in the Association shall be entirely in the sphere of voluntary cooperation in work and fellowship. Recognizing that this body is in no sense an ecclesiastical one, this Association shall not attempt to exercise any legislative or ecclesiastical authority over or interfere with the rights and autonomy of the body. Each church is sovereign and independent in all matters.

Section 5 The Association, when duly assembled, shall be the sole judge of the qualification and fitness of its membership, both as to churches of the common fellowship and individual messengers. In justice and propriety, it claims the power to deny seats to or withdraw fellowship from messengers of churches unorthodox in faith, unchristian in character of leadership, unethical in deeds, or non-cooperative in spirit or practice. This right shall be recognized as inherent and indispensable. Any question regarding these issues must first be submitted in writing to the Credentials Committee for referral to the Association.

Section 6 Churches desiring to affiliate with this Association shall present, at least thirty (30) days prior to a duly constituted meeting, a Petitionary Letter, the form to be supplied by the Association, indicating the desire of the church, the standards of faith which the church holds, and its pledge of cooperation with this Association.

Article IV – Officers and Executive Director

Section 1 The Association shall have the following officers: Moderator, Vice-Moderator, Treasurer, and Clerk. The officers of the Golden Triangle Baptist Association, a Texas corporation, shall be: Moderator of the Association shall be President of the corporation; Vice-Moderator shall be Vice-President; and the Treasurer shall be Secretary-Treasurer.

Section 2  At the will of the Association an Executive Director may be employed who will hold this office so long as mutually agreeable.

Article V – Meetings

Section 1 The Association shall meet quarterly or at the call of the Moderator or the Executive Director. The churches shall send statistical reports to the fall Quarterly Meeting. Petitionary Letters and matters of business may be presented at any duly constituted meeting.

Section 2 The fall Quarterly Meeting shall be held in October of each year. The fall Quarterly Meeting shall also be known as the Annual Meeting. In the fall Quarterly Meeting, the time and place of next year’s meetings shall be published. The Executive Director shall notify each church in the Association of each Quarterly Meeting at least fifteen (15) days prior to such meeting. In case of failure to meet at the designated time and place for any meeting, the Officers of the Association, in conjunction with the Executive Director, shall designate a time and place for meetings.

Article VI – Amendments

Section 1 This Constitution shall not be changed or amended unless the proposed amendment has been offered in writing and approved by two-thirds (2/3) majority of those present and voting at two consecutive Quarterly Meetings.

BY-LAWS

Article I – Officers

Section 1 The messengers, when convened, shall organize themselves into a deliberative body and shall, during the session of the Association, elect officers. They shall be inducted into office at the close of the fall Quarterly Meeting and shall serve until their successors have been elected and inducted. A slate of officers shall be presented by the Association Nominating Committee. Additional nominations may be made from the floor.

Section 2 The Moderator is to preside at all Associational meetings. The Moderator shall be an ex-officio member of all committees; and shall not serve more than two years consecutively.

Section 3 The Vice-Moderator shall preside in the absence of the Moderator, or at the direction of the Moderator. The Vice-Moderator shall succeed the Moderator to that office in case of vacancy.

Section 4 The Clerk shall keep an accurate record of the proceedings of the meetings of the Association, shall prepare copies of these minutes, publish them to the churches comprising the Association, and maintain copies on file in the Association Office. The Clerk shall supervise the preparation, printing, and distribution of the Minutes.

Section 5 The Treasurer shall make sure that responsible accounting procedures and safeguards are maintained by the Association office in the handling of all funds. The Treasurer, and all others having responsibility for the handling, receiving, or disbursing of Associational funds, shall be adequately bonded.

All checks shall be signed by two people, one from outside the Association office and one from within the Association office. The Treasurer, or someone appointed by the Finance and Policy Committee to sign in his absence, will constitute one signature. The Executive Director, or those on his staff, shall constitute the other signature. Employees responsible for maintaining financial records of the Association shall not sign checks.

Section 6 Any vacancy of the office of Vice-Moderator, Clerk, or Treasurer shall be elected with nominations from the Nominating Committee at the subsequent Quarterly Meeting. Additional nominations may be made from the floor.

Article II – Associational Meetings

Section 1 The messengers of the Association shall have power to transact all business of the Association and shall have charge of its Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, Missions/Evangelism, and Ministry.

Section 2 No person receiving a salary from the Association or its auxiliaries shall be a voting member of the Association.

Section 3 The Association shall have the power to acquire and dispose of personal property and real estate in the name of the Golden Triangle Baptist Association at any Quarterly Meeting or called meeting of the Association.

Section 4 The Association