National Women’s Conference Articles – – Approved 6-19-2018
Statement of Principles
National Women’s Conference
Article 1 – Name
The name of this organization is National Women’s Conference of the American Baptist Association.
Article 2 – Purpose
The purpose of this National Women’s Conference is: (1) to encourage the women of local ABA churches to be active in all phases of the work in which they have scriptural right to participate, (2) To encourage the establishment of women’s groups in all ABA churches and (3) To participate in such mission activities as selected by the messenger body.
Article 3 – Membership
Each church shall be entitled to three voting messengers representing the church of their membership.
Article 4 – Time and Place
The National Women’s Conference shall meet annually on the opening day of the American Baptist Association in the place chosen by the Association.
Article 5 – Officers
The officers of the National Women’s Conference shall be: (1) President, (2) 1st Vice President, (3) 2nd Vice President, (4) Recording Secretary, (5) Assistant Recording Secretary, (6) Treasurer, (7) Assistant Treasurer, (8) Parliamentarian, (9) Publicity Director, (10) Coordinator of Meeting Arrangements and (11) Historian.*
Each officer shall be an active member of her local church and shall be present in the session when elected.
Article 6 – Election and Term of Office
All officers shall be elected by nomination and majority vote of the messengers except for the Assistant Treasurer. The Treasurer will select her assistant.
No officer shall succeed herself more than once consecutively in an office except for the Treasurer, her assistant, the Historian, and the Coordinator of Meeting Arrangements.
The newly elected officers shall assume their duties at the end of the session in which they were elected.
Article 7 – Duties of the Officers
The duties of the officers of the National Women’s Conference shall be as follows:
Section 1. The duties of the PRESIDENT shall be: (1) To preside over all National Meetings, (2) To call special meetings as necessary, (3) To appoint committees as directed by the Messenger Body, (4) To report to the ABA Messenger Assembly on the National Women’s Conference meetings, and (5) to promote the general welfare of the work.
Section 2. The duties of the 1ST VICE PRESIDENT shall be: (1) To preside over the meetings in the absence of, or at the direction of, the President, (2) To prepare a report of the National Women’s Conference for presentation by the President to the Messenger Assembly, (3) To encourage local church women’s groups to participate in National Conference work, and (4) To assist the President when called upon.
Section 3. The duties of the 2ND VICE PRESIDENT shall be (1) To preside over meetings in the absence of the President and the 1st Vice President or when asked to do so by either, (2) To serve as Chairman of the Program Committee as provided in Article 10, Section 2 of this Statement of Principles, and (3) To assist the President when called upon.
Section 4. The duties of the RECORDING SECRETARY shall be: (1) To prepare for the President an agenda to be followed at each annual meeting, (2) To keep an accurate record of the proceedings of all meetings, (3) To announce special meetings, (4) To prepare and present reports as directed by the Messengers, (5) To prepare the minutes of each annual meeting and submit them to the Clerks of the American Baptist Association for inclusion in the Yearbook, and (6) to make certain that any changes in the National Women’s Conference Statement of Principles is printed in the Yearbook.
Section 5. The duties of the ASSISTANT RECORDING SECRETARY shall be to assist the Recording Secretary in the performance of the duties of her office, or to act as Recording Secretary in her absence.
Section 6. The duties of the TREASURER shall be: (1) To receive and disburse funds as designated by the donors, (2) To keep an accurate record of all funds received and disbursed for the Conference, (3) To report to the Conference at each annual meeting of all funds received and disbursed, and (4) To submit her records annually to the officers for review.
Section 7. The duties of the ASSISTANT TREASURER shall be to assist the Treasurer in the performance of her duties as outlined in Section 6.
Section 8. The duties of the PARLIAMENTARIAN shall be: (1) To assist the President in parliamentary procedure as needed, and (2) To serve as requested by the President and/or the Messenger Body.
Section 9. The duties of the HISTORIAN shall be to collect and preserve records of each annual meeting of the National Women’s Conference, along with pictures and other memorabilia to be placed in the Archives of the American Baptist Association.
Section 10. The duties of the PUBLICITY DIRECTOR shall be: (1) To promote the advancement of the National Women’s Conference, (2) To report on the work of the Conference through ABA publications and other media as opportunities permit including the promotion of the national mission goal.
Section 11. The duties of the COORDINATOR OF MEETING ARRANGEMENTS shall be: (1) To work with the Director of Meeting Arrangements of the Association in arranging for the room for the National Conference, for musical instruments, for technical equipment as needed for presentation of the program and the business meeting, and (2) To prepare programs (arranged by the Program Committee) for distribution to attendees at each annual meeting.
Article 8 – Contribution
All contributions of the National Women’s Conference shall be by voluntary offerings and shall be given to the Treasurer for disbursement as directed by the messenger body.
Article 9 – Reports
Section 1. The president of this Conference shall report on its work each year to the Messenger Assembly of the American Baptist Association.
Section 2. Reports from the Treasurer and from other officers as necessary shall be given during the Conference.
Article 10 – Committees
Section 1. Committees shall be appointed by the President except when she requests that they be elected, or when they are otherwise provided for in this Statement of Principles.
Section 2. A Committee of three shall be appointed by the Second Vice President to work with her and the entertaining churches to prepare the program for each annual meeting. Ideas for the program shall be exchanged and consultation given at the New Officer’s Breakfast.
Article 11 – Mission Goal
A national mission goal shall be chosen by a vote of the messengers at each annual session of the Conference for the upcoming Calendar Year. The goal shall meet the following guidelines: (1) the nomination must be for a mission of a church fellowshipping with the American Baptist Association. (2) The sponsoring church must authorize the nomination and a woman from the sponsoring church must present the nomination in the meeting. (3) The nomination must be for land, property and/or equipment.
When nominating a mission for the National Goal, a summary of the work along with pictures and other information is to be sent to the Publicity Director by April 1. Information about the mission is to be displayed in the meeting area at the session where the nomination is made. Offerings may be sent until the end of the calendar year.
In the event no nomination meeting the guidelines is brought to the meeting, the messenger body will choose either to (1) continue the previous goal, or (2) to add the funds contributed to the next mission goal chosen.
In the event the missionary’s endorsement is discontinued by his sponsoring church and that missionary is unable to secure another sponsoring church or the mission ceases to exist, or when the sponsoring church or mission ceases to fellowship with the ABA, these procedures shall be followed: Funds designated for that mission goal shall be held by the NWC Treasurer for a period of six (6) months. The contributing women’s groups shall be notified and given the opportunity to request a refund. After six (6) months response time, the funds will be added to the next mission goal chosen.
Article 12 – Expenses
All expenses incurred in the normal performance of an officer’s duties shall be reimbursed from the Expense of Meeting funds.
Article 13 – Amendments
These articles may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the messengers.
*The Bible and Tract office was eliminated and all references to it.
National Women's Conference 