THE CONSTITUTION OF THE
NORTHEAST REGULAR BAPTIST
FELLOWSHIP OF CHURCHES
ARTICLE I – Name
Northeast Regular Baptist Fellowship of Churches. We are a fellowship of Regular Baptist Churches. The term “Regular Baptist” was a name given to Baptist churches in the early days of this country which embraced the doctrines of grace.
ARTICLE II - Purpose
To provide a fellowship for all Baptist Churches which subscribe to the Constitution and Confession of Faith herein contained, and to encourage and promote the establishment of Baptist Churches wherever possible.
ARTICLE III – Meetings
An annual meeting of the Fellowship shall be held for the transaction of business, for the election of officers, and the conduction of a Bible and missionary conference. Time and place of such meetings shall be determined by the council.
ARTICLE IV – Fellowship and Voting Privileges
Section 1: This Fellowship shall include those Baptist Churches in New England and that part of New York State east of the Hudson River, not including the Metropolitan and Long Island areas, which are not in fellowship or cooperation with any national or local convention, association or group which permits the presence of modernists or modernism, and which churches subscribe to the Constitution and Confession of Faith herein contained, and signify in writing their desire to be considered in fellowship with the Fellowship, and which upon such written notice, and recommendation of the council, may be received into the Fellowship by a two-thirds vote of the Fellowship. Such notice of the church’s desire shall be presented to the Fellowship by the clerk of the church.
Section 2: Churches desiring fellowship shall make written application to the secretary. Such applications shall be acted upon at the next annual meeting. A two-thirds vote of the messengers present and voting shall be required for ratification.
Section 3: Each Church shall be privileged to send three messengers as voting delegates to the annual meeting.
Section 4: Business transactions shall be considered valid and binding by a majority vote of the messengers present and voting.
Section 5: The annual meeting and all regional meetings shall be open for all who care to attend.
Section 6: This Fellowship may be dissolved for any church: (a) by action of the local Church in notifying the secretary in writing of such desire; (b) by a two-thirds vote of the messengers present and voting at any annual meeting, upon proof of serious departure from our Confession of Faith or from the provisions of our Constitution.
Section 7: Because fellowship requires attendance at the various meetings of the NRBFC, should a church lack representation at the biannual meetings of the Fellowship for more than three years, (6) six meetings consecutively, the following procedure will be followed. The chairman of the Council of Seven will appoint a member of the Council of Seven to make contact with the absent church to inquire whether there is still interest in the NRBFC. If interest is found, then fellowship will continue. However, if it is found that the church no longer has an interest in the fellowship, a recommendation shall be made to the churches at the next annual meeting that the delinquent church be removed from the fellowship.
ARTICLE V – Officers and Manner of the Election
Section 1: The officers of the Fellowship shall consist of a council of seven men from as many fellowshipping churches. Four shall be elected for two years, and three for one year at the first annual meeting. Thereafter, the number of men whose terms expire shall be elected for a period of two years. Any councilman completing two consecutive terms of two years shall be ineligible for election for at least one year.
Section 2: The Council shall appoint annually a chairman who shall act as moderator at the annual meeting, a vice chairman, a secretary, a treasurer and such committees as may be necessary.
Section 3: The Council shall be elected as follows: One month prior to the annual meeting each church shall submit to the secretary their nominees to complete the Council for the ensuing year, submitting as many names as desired. The secretary shall tabulate the list, the seven highest names being considered the nominees. These seven names shall be submitted to the voting messengers at the annual meeting. From these names the required number to complete the Council shall be determined by ballot.
Section 4: The Council shall make recommendations to the Fellowship for the furtherance of its work and shall be responsible to implement all actions and policies of the Fellowship. The Council shall be authorized to secure the services of such administrative and office personnel as they deem necessary to carry out the work of the Fellowship, except for the Representative. He shall be recommended by the Council and approved by a two-thirds majority vote of the messengers present and voting at any annual meeting of the Fellowship. The Council shall determine all salaries. Its authority, and that of any salaried servant of the Fellowship, is committed to them by the Fellowship, and any action of the Council, or of any salaried servant of the Fellowship, may be called up for review by the Fellowship at any annual meeting.
Section 5: The Representative shall continue in office until he resigns or until his resignation is requested by a two-thirds majority vote of the messengers present and voting at any Annual Meeting of the Fellowship. The Representative is requested to sit in all meetings of the Council in an advisory capacity but without franchise. No salaried servant of the Fellowship may be elected to the Council. It shall be the duty of the Representative to promote the ministry of the NRBFC, to encourage the fellowship and cooperation of its affiliated churches, and to represent its policies and purposes to churches and associations not affiliated with the Fellowship, providing such representation does not compromise nor violate the Constitution and Articles of Faith of the Fellowship.
ARTICLE VI – Ladies’ Auxiliary
A Ladies’ Auxiliary may be formed for purposes of fellowship and service consistent with its Constitution. Such Constitution shall be drafted in consultation and agreement with the Council of Seven.
ARTICLE VII – Amendments
This constitution may be amended at any annual meeting by a two-thirds vote of the messengers present and voting, providing each church in the Fellowship shall have had five months previous notice of the proposed amendment.
Note:
The above copy of the Constitution of the Northeast Regular Baptist Fellowship of Churches includes amendments made at Annual Meetings held on April 6, 1954; April 8, 1969; October 6, 1970 (at which the name was changed from Northeast Bible Baptist Fellowship to Northeast Regular Baptist Fellowship of Churches), April 3, 1987; April 8, 1988; April 6, 1990; April 5, 1996; and April 7, 2006. This copy, therefore, supersedes all earlier copies.