WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 0399 0793895 M WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY THE Z. SMITH REYNOLDS LIBRARY CALL NO 1976-1980 NOT TO BE CIRCULATED Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/minutesofannuals7680alex •s MINUTES OF THE Eighty-Ninth Annual Session 1976 wnSfSS^ _/*** MINUTES of the Eighty-Ninth Annual Session of the ALEXANDER BAPTIST ASSOCIATION Theme: /tend 5 Held with MT. HERMAN BAPTIST CHURCH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1976 THREE FORKS BAPTIST CHURCH THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1976 NEXT ANNUAL SESSION EAST TAYLORSVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH OCTOBER 19, 1977 ANTIOCH BAPTIST CHURCH OCTOBER 20, 1977 2 Alexander Baptist Association TABLE OF CONTENTS Constitution 4 Dedication of Minutes 3 Officers and Committees 12 Program 10 List of Messengers 14 Proceedings 14 Recommendations of Finance Committee 19 Reports 17 Report on Annuity Board 34 Report on Associational Missions 28 Report on Baptist Children's Homes 24 Report on Baptist Foundation 33 Report on Baptist Homes for the Aging 25 Report on Baptist Medical Center 24 Report on Biblical Recorder 35 Report on Christian Action League 23 Report on Christian Education 27 Report on Church Training 29 Report on Evangelism Committee 22 Report on Executive Committee 19 Report on Home Missions 31 Report on Missions Committee 20 Report on Resolutions Committee 20 Report on State Missions 32 Report on Stewardship and Cooperative Program 21 Report on Sunday School 29 Report on Time, Place and Preacher 20 Report of Treasurer 17 Report on Vacation Bible Schools 30 Report on W.M.U 30 History of Mt. Herman Baptist Church 36 History of Three Forks Baptist Church 36 In Memoriam 38 Statistical Tables 39 Historical Table Center Alexander Association Map Center Alexander Baptist Association Dedication of Minutes MISS LUCY ECHERD The 1976 Associational Minutes are dedicated to Miss Lucy Echerd. She served as Associational Music Director 1957-1966 and has held various offices in Associational W.M.U., Sunday School and Training Union. She has played the organ for the annual meetings for twenty years. The position of Historian passed to her upon the death of her father, Charles Echerd in 1960 and she continues to serve in this capacity. WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Alexander Baptist Association CONSTITUTION OF THE ALEXANDER BAPTIST ASSOCIATION PREAMBLE: We, the messengers of Missionary Baptist Churches in the County of Alexander, State of North Carolina, do hereby propose to establish and maintain the order and rules of a district Baptist Association in con- formity to the following plan: Article I. NAME The name of the body shall be the Alexander Baptist Association. Article II. PURPOSE The purpose of this Association shall be to counsel together for the enlargement and strengthening of God's Kingdom and for the promoting of unity and growth among the churches related to the Association. To this end the Association will cooperate with the North Carolina Baptist State Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention and their agencies in the work of Missions, Christian Education, and Social Service. Article III. MEMBERSHIP Section 1 : The Alexander Association shall be composed of the pastor and three messengers from each Missionary Baptist Church that vol- untarily cooperates as the Alexander Baptist Association, the general officers of the Association, chairmen of standing committees, and the pastor and messengers from any church that may hereafter be recognized as a cooperat- ing church by the Association. Section 2: A cooperating church shall be defined as follows: a. One that shares the missionary spirit of the Association, b. Elects and sends messengers to the annual meeting, c. Contributes financially to the work of the Association each year, and d. Provides an annual report to the Association upon the forms pro- vided by the Associational Clerk. Section 3: Any church may sever its working relationships with the Association at any time it chooses. Likewise, the Association may refuse to continue recognition of a church as a cooperating church when for two consecutive years without sufficient reason that church does not meet the stipulations stated in Section 2, or when for any other reason, approved by the Association in annual session, a church is considered by intent and ac- tion to be a liability to the fellowship and work of the Association. Alexander Baptist Association 5 Section 4: Churches desiring to relate themselves to the Association in its work and fellowship may do so by adhering to the following procedure: a. Make application to the Associational Fellowship Committee for recognition as a cooperating Baptist church, such application to be made at least three months before the annual meeting of the Asso- ciation. b. Furnish the Fellowship Committee the information required in the annual letter of churches to the Association, plus such other informa- tion as the Committee may request for properly evaluating the ap- plication. c. Upon recommendation by the Fellowship Committee and approval by the Association in annual session a church may come under the watch care of the Association for a period of one year. At the end of one year of watch care relationship and upon recommendation of the Fellowship Committee and approval by the Association, a church may be recognized as a cooperating church eligible to all privileges and responsibilities of a church cooperating in the work of the Alexander Association. d. During the period of watch-care relationship a church shall meet the stipulations of Section 2 above. e. In the case of new churches which anticipate a working relation- ship with the Association, duly elected representatives of the pro- posed church shall consult with the Moderator and Fellowship Com- mittee of the Association relative to the need for another church, its location, and its proposed ministry. Upon the recommendation of of the Fellowship Committee the Executive Committee shall author- ize such other assistance as is requested by the church or deemed necessary by the Executive Committee in developing a cooperating Missionary Baptist Church. Article IV. MEETINGS Section 1 : The Association shall meet annually on Wednesday after the third Sunday of October and continue for two days sessions or longer, as seems wise to the Committee on Order of Business—subject to the ap- proval of the Association in session. The place of meeting shall be deter- mined at the previous session. Section 2: The associational year shall begin on October 1 and con- tinue through September 30. Section 3. The Executive Committee shall act for the Association between annual sessions. It shall meet quarterly and at any other time necessary to expedite associational business. Alexander Baptist Association Article V. OFFICERS Section 1 : The officers of the Alexander Association shall be the Associational Missionary—when there is one. Moderator, Vice Moderator, Clerk, Treasurer, Historian, Parliamentarian, Director of Training, and Three Trustees. These officers, except the Associational Missionary, shall be elected each year by the Association at its annual meeting and shall hold office until their successors are elected. The Associational Missionary shall be called for an indefinite term of service, and may be called by the Association in an- nual session, or if necessary, by the Associational Executive Committee. Section 2: Vacancies occurring in any office between sessions of the Association may be filled by the Executive Committee. Article VI. DUTIES OF OFFICERS Section 1: It shall be the duty of the Associational Missionary to promote the whole missionary, educational, and social service program of the Association. He may serve as adviser to the officers, churches, com- mittees, and departments of work of the Association. He shall work under the direction of and be subject to the authority of the Associational Missions Committee which shall in turn be subject to the Executive Committee. He shall exercise administrative supervision of all work assigned him by the Association, the Associational Executive Committee, or the Associational Missions Committee. Section 2. It shall be the duty of the Moderator to open the meetings of the body punctually at the appointed time, and exercise all the preroga- tives of a presiding officer according to the principles of established par- liamentary usage. He shall appoint in advance or at the opening session all necessary committees. Also, he shall serve as the presiding officer of the Executive Committee of the Association. His term of office shall be one year. He may not succeed himself after two consecutive terms of office. Section 3: It shall be the duty of the Vice-Moderator to discharge the duties of the Moderator in his absence, and perform any other function delegated to him by the Moderator, the Association, or the Executive Com- mittee. Section 4: It shall be the duty of the Clerk to keep accurate and detailed records of the proceedings of the Association and superintend the printing and distributing of the same. He shall also keep accurate files of the printed minutes and have them bound at the order of the Association and delivered to the Associational office. The Clerk shall serve as Chairman of the Committee on Digest of Church Letters. He shall also keep an ac- curate record of the proceedings of the Associational Executive Committee and serve as its official correspondent. He shall also serve as chairman of the Committee on Dedication of the Minutes. Section 5: It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to receive and dis- burse all funds connected with the work of the Association as directed by it and make a quarterly statement of the same. Alexander Baptist Association Section 6: It shall be the duty of the Historian to prepare for pub- lication in the minutes a historical sketch of the session, and of the church with which it is held, and to record other facts of present and past history.