This summary explains the proposed changes to the BSCNC’s governing documents regarding its institutions, agencies, auxiliaries, and the North Carolina Baptist Associational Missions Conference, collectively referred to as “other entities.”  The Convention cooperates with these other entities, on varying levels and to differing degrees, to accomplish the Convention’s purposes and fulfill the Convention’s mandates in missions and ministry. These changes are included in Motions 2, 3, 4, and 5 presented by the Board of Directors.

Proposed changes to the five educational institutions (Campbell University, Chowan University, Gardner-Webb University, Mars Hill College, and Wingate University) were addressed in the second summary of this series; therefore references in this summary will be to all remaining entities. The proposals related to these other entities will also include changes proposed to two Convention councils.
 
The Articles of Incorporation currently identify the other entities with whom the Convention cooperates and the councils which relate to these entities. The Board of Directors will propose in motion 2 to remove this language from the BSCNC’s Articles of Incorporation. Motion 2 also proposes the deletion of the current language in the Articles of Incorporation related to the Council on Christian Social Services and the Council on Christian Life and Public Affairs.
 
Motion 3 proposes the establishment of a new article in the Bylaws to define and describe the relationship between the BSCNC and these other entities.  The proposed Article V will be subdivided in the following manner:

V. B. — Relationships with institutions and agencies of the Convention, which include: Baptist Children’s Homes, Baptist Retirement Homes, Biblical Recorder, and North Carolina Baptist Foundation.

V. C. — Relationship with North Carolina Baptist Hospital.

V.D. — Relationship with Affiliated Educational Institutions.

V. E. — Relationships with historical educational institutions, which include Wake Forest University and Meredith College.

V. F. — Relationship with the auxiliary to the Convention, which is North Carolina Baptist Men.

V. G. — Relationship with the North Carolina Baptist Associational Missions Conference.

Language for the above mentioned other entities in the proposed Article V of the Bylaws results from the consolidation of the current language in the Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws having been brought into a single article in the Bylaws.  There is no substantive change in the relationship between BSCNC and these other entities.

Motion 3 also proposes the adoption of new language describing the relationship with the Woman’s Missionary Union of North Carolina (WMU NC).  The proposed Article V.H. in the Bylaws uses language recommended by WMU NC in describing the ongoing relationship between that entity and the BSCNC:  co-laborer.

Motion 4 includes provisions to consolidate responsibilities of the Committee on Nominations into Article II.E.4.  For example, the provision concerning the amendment of the report is currently in Article VII of the Bylaws.

Another segment of this important list of amendments to the Bylaws is related to the councils of the Convention. Motion 5 proposes changes related to the council membership, council duties, and council meetings. Changes to council membership and duties are unique to each council, however each section in the Bylaws related to the councils included repetitious statements regarding meetings. A single reference for council meetings, applying to all councils, has been proposed in order to remove unnecessary repetition.

1.  Council on Christian Social Services — In the Convention structure, the Council on Christian Social Services is the body through which the following institutions relate to the convention:  Baptist Children’s Homes, Baptist Retirement Homes, and North Carolina Baptist Hospital.  Membership on this Council is comprised of members of the BSCNC Board of Directors, and associate members representing the institutions.  The proposed changes to this Council are two-fold:  one, to delete the associate membership status on the Council for the Baptist Retirement Homes; and second to remove the statement concerning meetings, as mentioned above.  No substantive changes to the duties and responsibilities of this Council are proposed.

2.  The Council on Christian Life and Public Affairs — proposed changes to this Council are numerous and impact every aspect of the Council.

    a.  Membership — the at-large membership of this Council is reduced from twelve (12) to eight (8), yet continuing to serve a four-year term.  Nomination for these members will continue through the BSCNC’s Committee on Nominations and require Convention approval.  The editors of the Biblical Recorder and Charity and Children will no longer hold associate member status.  In addition, the requirement to include four (4) members on the Council from the staff and faculty of Baptist theological schools in North Carolina has been removed.  Finally, the membership of the two college students who are elected by the state student convention has been removed.  However, the amendments related to the Board of Directors propose that two students will be ex-officio non-voting members of the Board of Directors.

    b.  Purpose, Duties, and Responsibilities — the current Bylaws include a lengthy exposition detailing the objectives of the Council.  These have been revised and condensed significantly without any substantive change in duties and responsibilities of the Council.

    c.  Executive Director — language related to the office of Executive Director for the Council on Christian Life and Public Affairs has been deleted.