Articles of the Constitution of the Baptist Convention of Oklahoma
Article 1. This plan of communication and cooperation shall, for the sake of a convenient form of speech, be called the Baptist Convention of Oklahoma.
Article 2. The object of this plan shall be the dissemination of the principles upon which it is instituted, the spread of the gospel by means of evangelism and missionary operations, and the building and maintenance of educational and benevolent institutions.
Article 3. There shall be an annual meeting of messengers from each church at the time and place nominated by a majority of the churches, and when no majority appears favorable to any time or place, shall be decided by a majority of the messengers present. Messengers shall report to the annual meeting by constitutional letter, and their names shall be read in open session by the secretary.
Article 4. Each annual meeting shall be organized for business by first electing a temporary chairman and secretary and ascertaining the names and messengers entitled to act, the election of a president, vice president, secretary-treasurer, whose terms of office shall expire with the adjournment of the annual meeting.
Article 5. There shall be a joint executive committee composed of one member appointed and reported by each church in its constitutional letter to the annual meeting of messengers, who shall have the management and control of all missionary and evangelistic operations. Seven members shall constitute a quorum for business.
Article 6. At each annual meeting a superintendent of missions and evangelism shall be elected in open session, whose duties shall be to act for the churches in cooperation with the joint executive committee, and when a majority vote of the churches nominating any person shall appear in their constitutional letters the person receiving the said majority shall be declared elected.
Article 7. There shall be a separate board of trustees for each and every educational and benevolent institution fostered under this plan, composed of one trustee appointed by each local church and reported in their constitutional letters to the annual meeting of the messengers. These several boards of trustees shall transact their business in open session for the churches. Seven trustees shall constitute a quorum for business.
Article 8. All business transacted in the annual meeting of messengers or in meetings of the joint executive committee or the meetings of the several boards of trustees shall be transacted under the usual rules of parliamentary practice, and all messengers shall be introduced by members without the privilege of introducing another member.
Article 9. In the annual meetings of messengers any local church may, through her messengers, file with the secretary a complaint against a sister church for having received or holding in fellowship a person who has not submitted to the authority of some local Baptist church in the administration of baptism, or for holding in fellowship a minister who is guilty of violating any of the laws of marriage as they are revealed in the New Testament. A committee of three messengers shall be appointed at the same annual meeting to submit the complaint with ascertainable evidence to the church complained of, requesting action within six months, showing a disposition not to correct herself in discipline, and thus continues to hold such persons in fellowship, all communication and cooperation shall be withdrawn from said church by a majority of the churches voting for said withdrawal and so reporting to the next annual meeting of the messengers.
Article 10. Any question arising in the meeting of messengers, joint executive committee, or any board of trustees, which a majority decides to be vital to the independent rights of local churches, which cannot be settled by the terms of the constitution, may be submitted to the churches and settled by a majority voted of all the churches voting on the question.
Article 11. These articles may be altered or amended when a proposed alteration or amendment is in harmony with the Explanatory Preface, by a majority vote of all churches voting on the question, and any alteration or amendment to the Explanatory Preface may be made by a unanimous vote of all the churches voting on the question.
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