WMU resolves, Executive Committee rejects (updated May 24)
By Tony W. Cartledge
BR Editor
ASHEBORO - The Executive Board of Woman's Missionary Union of North Carolina (WMU-NC) met May 18-19 at Camp Mundo Vista and approved a resolution offering to compromise with Baptist State Convention (BSC) officials on three issues of contention regarding the relationship between the two organizations.
WMU-NC president Sandra James
The issues go back to April 2006, when WMU-NC amended its governing documents after what James described as a forward-looking, two-year visioning process. One amendment changed the term describing WMU-NC's relationship with the Convention from "auxiliary" to "cooperative partner in the promotion of Christ-centered and Bible-based missions and ministries locally and globally."
Another change moved language about compliance with BSC personnel policies from the WMU-NC bylaws to the organization's policy manual, where WMU-NC leaders say they can be adapted to track BSC policies more easily.
BSC Executive Director-treasurer Milton Hollifield and other BSC officials objected to both changes, which they said could increase the Convention's liability exposure.
Additional questions about personnel policies arose in the ensuring months, particularly with regard to hiring policies. WMU-NC leaders say the organization is autonomous and has always had the freedom to recruit and hire its own staff. BSC officials assert that WMU-NC staffers are BSC employees, and that the Convention's executive director-treasurer must have final authority over personnel decisions.
The WMU-NC Executive Board offered to compromise on two issues, agreeing first to recommend to WMU-NC that the term "cooperative partner" be changed to "co-laborer" in keeping with the BSC's concern that the word "partner" increases liability. Second, the resolution stated that WMU-NC will abide by current BSC personnel policies as long as the organization occupies office space in the Baptist Building, except with regard to policies that would infringe on WMU-NC's right to recruit, select, and dismiss its staff.
The resolution restated the exception in a third clause, positing that WMU-NC "shall retain and shall not relinquish the right" as an autonomous entity "to recruit, interview, select, and dismiss its own staff, Executive Board, and volunteers" in keeping with state and national laws.
The document declared WMU-NC's desire "to continue in friendly cooperation as a co-laborer" with the Convention, and added a stipulation that the resolution was offered as a whole, to be accepted or rejected in total. WMU-NC requested a response by July 16 so it would know how to proceed in its search for a new employee to do multi-cultural work.
Executive Committee members took issue with the WMU-NC board's determination to hold firm on the contention that WMU-NC is empowered to make hiring decisions without seeking approval from the BSC executive director.
"We think the BSC doesn't trust us to follow the procedure we've followed for 119 years," James said. "This is our past and the way it has been done," she said, stressing the quality of WMU-NC staff and the caliber of women involved in making personnel decisions. "We feel like we should be able to do this as an autonomous organization."
WMU-NC leaders find support for their position in past practice, along with an agreement signed by then-executive director Roy Smith and approved by the Executive Committee in 1997. Executive Committee member Jesse Croom supported the proposal by citing the document, which affirms WMU-NC's autonomy and self-governance in several areas, "including but not limited to election of its officers and staff."
Brian Davis, executive leader for administration and convention relations, countered with a reference to Bylaw I.C.2.d., which says the BSC executive director shall "(a)ssume responsibility for the administration, coordination, and direction of the Convention's staff, including the recommendations of all divisions and department heads, organization of professional staff, development of professional staff position descriptions, and preparation of personnel policies."
James said that, as an autonomous organization, WMU-NC does not consider its employees to be part of the Convention staff that is governed by the bylaw.
John Butler, executive leader for the BSC's business services group, said the bylaw deals with all BSC employees, including those who work for WMU-NC and N.C. Baptist Men, as well as employees at Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute, Caraway Conference Center, and the North Carolina Baptist Assembly at Caswell.
All BSC employees have to follow the same policies, Butler said. "It's not a matter of trust, it's a matter of fiduciary responsibility."
WMU-NC salaries are paid from the North Carolina Missions Offering, but the cost of employee benefits, fleet cars and office expenses comes from the basic BSC budget.
Executive Committee member Scott Davis said he did not think it appropriate for the Committee to approve a resolution "that asks us to circumvent our articles and bylaws." Because of that, he said, "I would go a step further and say this proposal by the WMU is out of order. The only proposal they could make that is in order would be to ask us to change our articles and bylaws so they could bring the proposal later."
The Executive Committee discussed the compromise offer at length before voting to reject it, with just two of the 19 members present voting in favor.
Prior to the vote, James was asked what WMU-NC would do if the proposal was not accepted. "I really don't know," she said.
