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NORTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF FREE WILL BAPTISTS CONSTITUTION

THE PREAMBLE
The purpose of this organization shall be the establishment and maintenance of a voluntary association of autonomous Free Will Baptist churches, quarterly meetings (or any other meetings), district associations or conferences or any and all additional organizations - area, district or statewide that may be deemed essential to the prosecution and promotion of the general purpose and program of this Association. Included also in the purpose of this Association is affiliation with the National Association of Free Will Baptists, the adoption of The Treatise of the Faith and Practice of Free Will Baptists, and cooperation in its world-wide ministry. This Association holds unswerving loyalty to the inspired Word of God as our infallible rule of faith and practice.

Article I: Name

This Association shall be known as The North Carolina Association of Free Will Baptists. However, informally the term "State Association” may be used.

Article II: Composition

This Association shall be composed of its officers, of standing boards, ordained and licensed ministers who are in good standing with a conference or association affiliated with this body, together with three (3) delegates elected from each conference or association and one (1) delegate from every fifty members or fraction thereof from each local church which is in good standing with a conference or association affiliated with this body.

Article III: Meetings

Section 1: This association shall convene in regular annual session Monday and Tuesday after the first Sunday in June, and at a place determined by the Association in session.
Section 2: In the event of an emergency resulting from a cancellation of the place approved by the Association while in annual session, the Executive Board of the Association shall have the power to make a substitute choice of a suitable location for the annual meeting.
Section 3: Should a called session be deemed essential, the Executive Board shall have authority to issue and publicize a called session of the State Association: said call shall be publicized not less than two (2) weeks in advance of the session.
Section 4: The qualified members in attendance at any regular or called session shall constitute a quorum.

Article IV: Officers

The officers of this Association shall consist of the members of the Executive Board, the Board of Trustees, the Board of Youth Ministry, the Board of Missions Ministry, the Board of Care for the Aged Ministry, and the Board of the Bible Book Store Ministry.

Article V: Boards

Section 1: This Association shall establish the following standing boards.
The Executive Board
The Board of Trustees
The Board of Youth Ministry
The Board of Missions Ministry
The Board of Care for the Aged Ministry
The Board of the Bible Book Store Ministry
Section 2: The Executive Board shall consist of Moderator, Assistant Moderator, Clerk, Treasurer and three (3) members at large elected by the Association.
Section 3: The Board of Trustees shall consist of three (3) members elected by the Association.
Section 4: The following boards shall each be composed of five (5) members elected by the Association. The Board of Youth Ministry, the Board of Missions Ministry, the Board of Care for the Aged Ministry, and the Board of the Bible Book Store Ministry.

Article VI: Discipline

This association has no judicial or appellate powers conflicting with the independence of the local church or bodies constituting this Association.

Article VII: Amendments

This constitution may be amended by two-thirds Majority vote of the members present and voting at a session of the Association, provided the proposed amendment is presented to the body one day in advance.

Article VIII: Dissolution

In the event of the dissolution of this Association, any assets of the organization then remaining shall be conveyed to the National Association of Free Will Baptists.

NORTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF FREE WILL BAPTIST BY-LAWS

Article I: Membership

Section 1: Membership in this Association shall be through application of a duly constituted district association (or conference). A credentials committee shall examine the application and make other investigation it deems appropriate. A credentials committee shall make a recommendation to the association as to the action to take, regarding the application. The decision on the application shall be by majority vote of delegates present and voting.
Section 2: Each church holding membership in an affiliated association shall automatically be a member of this association.

Article II: Representation

Section 1: Each district association holding membership in the State Association shall send a report of statistics on a form provided by the Association to every annual session of the Association. Failure to report for two successive sessions of the association may be the basis for dismissal from the association by a majority vote of members present and voting.
Section 2: Seating of delegates shall be through recommendation of a credentials committee. Any potential delegate whose credentials are not recommended for approval by the Credentials Committee may be seated only by a majority vote of seated delegates who are present and voting.

Article III: Duties of Officers

Section 1: The Executive Board shall: (1) arrange the program for the annual sessions of the Association, (2) fill vacancies which may occur on any board between sessions of the Association, (the person duly elected by the Association), (3) promote the work of the Association, (4) review the annual reports and proposed budgets of all boards before they are presented to the Association, (5) provide for and give general supervision to a church bond program and other similar service ministries and, (6) employ and supervise a Promotional Director, whose duties shall be as follows:
A. Administrative. To administer the affairs of the Executive Board within the authority delegated by the board. He shall fulfill all duties commensurate with his office and present plans and procedure to the board which he feels would be effective in promoting the work within the Association.
B. General Promotion. To show through general promotion the correlation and interrelation of all the ministries of the State Association and National Association. It is expected that he will promote impartially the total program of work as devised by all standing boards.
C. Public Relations. To keep in close contact with pastors, district associations, and local church leaders. He shall represent the State Association to other bodies when in the interest of the Association.
D. Publications. To serve as editor-in-chief of The Witness. He shall direct the production of other promotional material as may be approved by the Executive Board.
E. Stewardship. To provide a stewardship education that will serve to produce increased support for the state ministries through the "State Program" and/or other methods of giving by Associations, churches, and individuals.
F. Arranging the Annual Association. To expedite the planning of the annual Association program, arrange for the enrolling of ministers and delegates and distribute the printed minutes of the Association.
G. Other Duties. To perform other duties as may be assigned by the Executive Board. It is understood that the Promotional Director is to have no official or ex-officio status on any standing board or committee of the Association, except as may be specifically provided by action of the Association.
H. The Promotional Director shall serve as historian for the Association. It shall be his responsibility to gather articles and materials for the historical collection. He also shall publish a history of Free Will Baptists, especially as it relates to the history of the Free Will Baptists in North Carolina, and shall update the publication periodically.

The Executive Board may advise and assist other boards of the Association. The Executive Board is not authorized to act for the Association except as provided by the Constitution and By-Laws of the Association, or as specifically directed by the Association.

Section 2: The Board of Trustees shall be legal custodian of all property belonging to the Association, except in the case of the standing boards of the Association, which by action of the association are authorized to incorporate.
Section 3 The Board of Missions Ministry, the Board of Care for the Aged Ministry, the Board of Youth Ministry, the Board of Retirement and Insurance Ministry and the Board of the Bible Book Store Ministry each shall promote the work within the State as would generally be recognized as coming within the purview of the respective board. Each board shall: (a) be responsible to the State Association for all their actions, (b) propose by-laws for the government of their respective work, (the by-laws of each board shall be presented to the Association for approval), (c) make an annual report of its accomplishments to the Association, and (d) prepare a budget of proposed expenditures which shall be presented to the Association for approval.
Section 4: The moderator shall, (1) preside at meetings of the Association and Executive Board, (2) call meetings of the Executive Board of his own volition or upon request of at least three members of the Executive Board, (3) appoint such committees as are created without provision for their selection, (4) fulfill whatever responsibilities that may be commensurate with the office or that may be delegated by the Association.
Section 5: The assistant moderator shall preside at the request of, or in the absence of the moderator, and assist the moderator in such manner as may be requested.
Section 6: The clerk shall prepare minutes of the proceedings of all meetings of the Association or the Executive Board and preserve an accurate record of said proceedings in a book provided for this purpose, and shall handle such official correspondence as may be directed by the Association. He shall, through the Executive Board, arrange for the printing of the minutes.
Section 7: The Treasurer shall hold in trust all money that belongs to the Executive Board of the Association and same by order of the Association, the Executive Board, or any standing board or subordinate general organization invested with the authority to authorize the disbursement of funds. He shall keep an account of all funds received and disbursed and make an annual report to the Association.

Article IV: Election of Officers and Board Members

Section 1: No person shall hold membership on more than one standing board at the same time.
Section 2: All officers shall be elected by the body. A nominating committee shall be elected at the beginning of each session. After their report is presented, additional nominations for any office may be made from the floor. The general officers shall be elected for a period of two (2) years. No person shall serve in more than one (1) elected position in the Association at the same time, and no one having served a full term shall be elected to succeed himself more than once.
Section 3: The officers of Moderator and Assistant Moderator shall be filled on an alternating basis, from the eastern and western part of the state: Durham shall be the dividing line. When the Moderator is elected from one section, his assistant shall be elected from the other.

Article V: Terms of Office

Section 1: The three (3) members at large elected to the board, shall each have a term of office of three (3) years with their terms arranged so that one (1) member's term expires annually.
Section 2: The members of the Board of Missions Ministry, the Board of Care for the Aged Ministry, the Board of Youth Ministry, and the Board of the Bible Book Store Ministry shall each have a term of office of five (5) years with their terms arranged so that one (1) member's term expires annually.
Section 3: The members of the Board of Trustees shall each have a term of office of three (3) years with their terms arranged so that only one member’s term expires annually.

Article VI: Committees

Section 1: Various committees shall be constituted when need arises, by the State Association or the Executive Board. The number of members of a committee shall be determined by the establishing body (State Association or Executive Board). Committee members shall be appointed by the moderator unless otherwise provided by the action creating the committee. Committee members shall serve for the length of time provided, until their work has been completed, until they are released, or their successors are chosen.
Section 2: The following committees shall be appointed annually to serve during the session of the State Association.
A. The credentials committee of three (3) members. This committee shall examine all letters to the Association, applications for membership in the Association, and credentials of the various delegates. The committee shall make recommendations to the Association regarding the seating of delegates and the action to take on applications for membership in the Association.
B. The resolutions committee whose duty it shall be to screen resolutions that are presented. Only resolutions determined by this committee to be worthy are to be presented to the Association by the committee.
C. The finance committee which shall receive and account for all funds received with letters or through offerings during the Association.

Article VII: Honorarium and Reimbursements

Section 1: The Clerk shall receive as honorarium $300.00 annually.
Section 2: Members of standing boards, or duly constituted committees, may be reimbursed for expenses in attending board meetings within the state, exclusive of the annual Association Meeting, at the rate of 31 cents per mile (may claim road distance if traveling by airplane). In addition if over-night travel is required, reimbursements may be made for actual meals and lodging expenses. No employee of any board may be reimbursed for any travel in excess of this amount.

Article VIII: Quorum

A simple majority of a board or committee shall constitute a quorum.

Article IX: Proxy

No voting shall be done by proxy in meetings of the State Association. Proxy representation shall be accepted for meetings of the Executive Board provided the proxy is designated in writing by the board member or by oral communication between the member and the moderator.

Article X: Parliamentary Authority

The meeting of the State Association shall be governed by the rules of parliamentary law as set forth in Robert’s Rules of Order, except in the case of those rules which are superseded by rule of this Association.

Article XI: Amendments

These By-Laws may be amended by, (1) majority vote of the members present and voting, provided the amendment is presented on day prior to the vote, (2) by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting if immediate action is to be taken as soon as debate has been completed.