Recommendation I
Special Observances and Emphases
We recommend the following to be observed in 2008:
Jan. 6 — Collegiate Ministries Emphasis Day
Jan. 20 — Sanctity of Human Life Sunday
Feb. 3 — Baptist World Alliance Sunday
Feb. 10-17 — WMU Focus Week
Feb. 17 — Virginia Baptist Colleges and Schools Day
March 16 — Special Education Day
April 13 — Cooperative Program Day
May 4 — Virginia Baptist Homes Day
May 11 — Mother's Day Benevolent Sunday
May 19-25 — Associational Missions Emphasis/Week of Prayer
June 15 — Virginia Baptist Children's Home and Family Services Day
June 22-28 — Virginia Baptist Heritage Week
July 6 — Religious Liberty Sunday
Sept. 7-14 — Alma Hunt Offering for Virginia Missions Emphasis /Week of Prayer
Sept. 28 — Religious Herald Sunday
Oct. 26 — “Consider Your Call”
Recomendation II
Special Offerings
We recommend that the General Association authorize the promotion of the following special offerings:
1. The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions
2. The Annie Armstrong Offering for North American Missions
3. Alma Hunt Offering for Virginia Missions
4. World Hunger Offering
5. Mother's Day Benevolent Offering
6. Global Missions Offering
Recomendation III
Constitution and Bylaw Changes
CONSTITUTION
It is moved that the constitution of the Baptist General Association of Virginia be amended as follows (changes printed in bold or with strike through):
Article V, Section F (Membership Restriction):
No person serving as a member of a board, no trustee, no employee of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board or his/her spouse or dependent children, no employee of any Virginia Baptist agency, institution or shared ministry receiving funds from the General Association shall be eligible to serve as a member of the VBMB. However, this These restrictions shall not apply to members or pastors of churches sponsoring missions which receive financial assistance from the VBMB Neither of the restrictions in this paragraph, nor shall they apply to persons who may serve as members of the VBMB by virtue of office. No person receiving or making application for funds, or whose church is receiving or is making application for funds shall serve on the VBMB committee which allocates those funds directly affecting that person or church. Members of the Committee on Boards and Committees or members of their immediate family their spouses or dependent children shall not be nominated to other committees or boards.
BYLAWS
It is moved that the bylaws of the Baptist General Association of Virginia be amended as follows:
Article I, Section C (Committees), 2., (d):
(d) No person serving as a member of a board, no trustee, no employee of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board or his/her spouse or dependent children, no employee of any Virginia Baptist agency, institution or shared ministry institution or agency receiving funds from the General Association and no member or pastor of a church receiving financial help from the VBMB shall be eligible to serve on the Budget Committee. This restriction shall not apply to members and pastors of churches sponsoring missions which receive assistance from the VBMB.
Article II, Section C, 3.(Committees on Boards and Committees), (d):
(d) The committee is encouraged to solicit, by use of the Religious Herald and by other means, suggestions as to qualified persons to serve on the committees and boards of the General Association. The committee is directed to see that proper distribution of membership on committees and boards reflects a wide representation of Virginia Baptists. The committee will not nominate any person to serve as a trustee of any board of any institution or agency of the Baptist General Association of Virginia who is currently serving on another board of any institution or agency of the BGAV, nor shall an employee of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board be nominated to serve as a trustee of such boards; provided, however, this restriction shall not apply to any institution or agency which, by its bylaws or board policy, requires a specific employee of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board to be a member of its board. All trustees who are nominated by the BGAV Committee on Boards and Committees are eligible for consideration to succeed themselves for a second term. After two terms on any agency/institution board, a trustee is required to rotate off that board for at least one year.
CONSTITUTION
The following is to be discussed with the vote to be taken in 2007.
ARTICLE III
SECTION B: Composition
In the second sentence, add financially immediately following the word contributing. Thus, the second sentence will read, in part: Each church contributing financially during the previous fiscal year, …
SECTION C: Membership
Member churches of the General Association shall be identified as one of the following, and shall be entitled to benefits, publications and services as indicated:
• Participating—A church contributing financially to the Virginia Portion of the Cooperative Program and the Alma Hunt Offering for Virginia Missions shall be named on the group exemption roster for IRS as exempt from Federal income tax under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code under the General Association's blanket exemption from Federal income tax. Such a church shall be eligible to participate in annuity benefits for staff, and receive all publications and services.
• Watch care—A church unable to contribute financially, as a new start and/or hardship, to the Virginia Portion of the Cooperative Program and the Alma Hunt Offering for Virginia Missions may be named on the group exemption roster for IRS as exempt from Federal income tax under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code under the General Association's blanket exemption from Federal income tax and may receive annuity benefits for staff, and publications and services for up to five (5) years in accordance with Policy, and may receive mentoring and/or shepherding, determined by the Virginia Baptist Mission Board staff and/or committee, for proactive special ministry needs.
• Affiliate—A church contributing financially only one (1) of the three (3) preceding fiscal years to the Virginia Portion of the Cooperative Program and the Alma Hunt Offering for Virginia Missions shall be named on the group exemption roster for IRS as exempt from Federal income tax under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code under the General Association's blanket exemption from Federal income tax; however, such a church shall not be entitled to receive annuity benefits for staff or publications and services. If such a church makes no contributions financially for five (5) years to the Virginia Portion of the Cooperative Program and the Alma Hunt Offering for Virginia Missions, the 501(c)(3) non-profit tax status will be deleted.