Committee on Credentials and Enrollment—The committee will consist of five members whose duties it will be to register messengers and visitors. This committee will review and rule upon any questions which may arise in registration concerning the credentials of messengers. Any such ruling may be appealed to this Convention during business session. This Committee will make a report to the assembled messengers upon the call of the President, and will pass on the credentials of all messengers.
Committee on Committees—This committee will consist of one member from each association whose duty it will be to nominate for election by this Convention the members and chairpersons of the committees listed in Sections 2 and 3 of this article, with the exception of the Committee on Committees, and other committees as may be assigned to it. Members of this committee will be appointed to a three-year term, one-third of its number retiring each year. A member of this committee cannot be nominated as a member of the General Mission Board, a trustee of the agencies of this Convention, or a member of any Convention committee.
Resolutions Committee—This committee will consist of five members. It will be responsible for initiating, reviewing, researching, preparing and recommending all resolutions for adoption. Only resolutions presented to the Resolutions Committee at least 45 days in advance of the Annual Meeting will be considered by the committee before the first session. Other resolutions may be referred to the committee by the general body during the session as described in Article VI, Section 2. Resolutions should seek to build up and unify the body rather than divide it; therefore, only resolutions that have the full consensus of the committee will be presented at the Annual Meeting.
Committee on Order of Business—This committee will consist of one member from each association. The members of this committee will be elected to a three-year term, one-third of their number retiring each year. The President of the Maryland/Delaware Ministers’ Conference and the music director for the Annual Meeting will serve as ex officio members of this committee. The committee will be responsible for recommending to this Convention the place, time, preacher, and music director of the Annual Meeting one year hence and, if feasible, the time and place two years hence. The committee will present to the opening session of the Annual Meeting for adoption, a recommended agenda for the Annual Meeting.
Committee to Nominate the Members of the General Mission Board and Trustees of the Agencies of this Convention—This committee will consist of one member from each association. Members of this committee will be elected to a three-year term, one-third of their number retiring each year. The head of an agency, or his representative, will meet with the committee to suggest names for consideration on the committee, for vacancies on the respective agency’s board of trustees and for the agency’s representatives on the General Mission Board. A member of this committee cannot be nominated as a member of the General Mission Board, a trustee of the agencies of this Convention, or a member of any Convention committee.
The Christian Life and Public Affairs (CLPA) Committee—This committee will act for this Convention in the field of Christian ethics, public affairs, interfaith cooperation, and Christian social concerns. Specifically, but not exclusively, these areas will include family life, human relations, race relations, moral issues, economic life, daily work, citizenship, church-state relations, cooperative relationships with other religious groups, and those areas where the gospel and the churches affect or are affected by community and public life. The Christian Life and Public Affairs Committee may act on matters referred to it by this Convention, by the General Mission Board, or by any agency of this Convention
The Christian Life and Public Affairs Committee will be responsible for initiating consideration and study, and for recommending action of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware and/or General Mission Board on any matter or issue falling within the scope and purpose as set forth in the preceding paragraph.
The committee will be elected and directly responsible to the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware. It will report annually to this Convention.
The committee is authorized to make pronouncements on matters within its scope and purpose in as far as they are consistent with actions previously taken by the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, the General Mission Board, or the Southern Baptist Convention. However, under no circumstances will the committee assume the exercise of authority for this Convention, its agencies or the churches.
The Christian Life and Public Affairs Committee will be composed of one member from each association. At least half the members will be lay people. All members will be elected by the Convention in the Annual Meeting. Members will be elected to a three-year term, one-third of their number retiring each year. No member can be elected to serve more than two full terms of office until at least one year will have elapsed after the second full term. A member may be elected to complete an unexpired term caused by vacancy and thereafter be elected to two full terms per above. In addition, the Executive Director will annually designate a Convention staff member as a consultant to this committee. Staff member succession will be at the discretion of the Executive Director.
The committee will elect a recording secretary and such other officers each year as it will deem necessary. The committee will meet quarterly and/or at such other times as will be designated by the chairperson.
The financial needs of the Christian Life and Public Affairs Committee will be through the budget of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware.
History Committee—This committee will consist of one member from each association. Members will be elected to a three-year term, one-third retiring each year. No member can be elected to serve more than two full terms of office until at least one year will have elapsed after the second full term. A member may be elected to complete an unexpired term caused by vacancy and thereafter be elected to two full terms per above. In addition, the Executive Director will annually designate a Convention staff member as a consultant to this committee. This committee will recommend to this Convention or General Mission Board appropriate measures which should be taken to preserve Baptist history. It will seek to preserve the minutes and records of all Baptist bodies, churches, associations, and conventions, printed materials, including correspondence, and museum objects.