Article I: Name     Article II: Purpose    
Article III: Membership Article IV: Representation    
Article V: Finances and Statistics    Article VI: Discipline
Article VII: Date and Location of the Annual Convention     Article VIII: Officers    
Article IX: Duties of Officers Article X: Standing Boards    
Article XI: Committees     Article XII: Alterations and Amendments

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ARTICLE I: Name

This organization shall be known as the Texas State Association of Free Will Baptists.

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ARTICLE II: Purpose

The purpose of this organization shall be to enlist the cooperation of all Free Will Baptists in sending the gospel of Jesus Christ to all quarters, both near and far, in winning the lost through the preaching of the gospel, and in teaching and training those who are saved to be holier and more efficient members of the body of Christ, thus advancing the interests of the kingdom of God. This association shall produce literature, and establish and maintain such educational and benevolent institutions as needed to accomplish its purpose of winning the world to Christ.

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ARTICLE III: Membership

Section 1: This association shall be composed of the district associations and the churches of Texas which are known to be orderly, duly organized, and conforming to the faith and usages of the Free Will Baptist denomination as set forth in the Treatise of the National Association of Free Will Baptists, A Treatise of the Faith and Practices of the Free Will Baptists. All churches belonging to this state association must be members in good standing of some regularly organized district association. Any church or organization conforming to the above regulations must make proper application for membership in the association, and after satisfactory examination and recommendation by the Credentials Committee, be elected to membership in the state association by a two-thirds majority vote of the body.

Section 2: All regularly ordained ministers and deacons, who are members in good standing of a local church belonging to this association are members of the association.

Section 3: Any and all references to church or churches in this constitution and by-laws shall also refer to mission or missions.

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ARTICLE IV: Representation

Section 1: Each district association shall be entitled to one delegate for each hundred members or fractional part thereof.

Section 2: Each church shall be entitled to two delegates regardless of the number of its membership.

Section 3: Regularly ordained ministers and deacons and wives of the same who are qualified members of this association shall be entitled to vote in all sessions of the association.

Section 4: Elected delegates to the state association shall be retained as standing delegates for special called meetings.

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ARTICLE V: Finances and Statistics

Section 1: It shall be required of all district associations that they represent themselves by delegates and communicate by letter their standing, prospects, and statistics at each annual convention of this association. Any district association belonging to this association which shall fail to report itself for two successive sessions may be dismissed from the association by a two-thirds vote of the members present in a regularly constituted session.

Section 2: It shall be required of all churches belonging to this association that they communicate by letter of greeting, naming their delegates. It is strongly urged of each church or mission that it represent itself by delegates.

Section 3: The letter of each district association shall be accompanied by a registration fee with the amount to be determined from year to year for each church or mission which is a member of that district.

Section 4: The letter of each church or mission shall be accompanied by a registration fee with the amount to be determined from year to year.

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ARTICLE VI: Discipline

Section 1: The state association shall investigate any question of discipline, doctrine, or practice that may come before it from any of the bodies comprising this association and make recommendations to correct such erroneous views.

Section 2: In the event of any question of discipline, doctrine, or practice on the part of an associate association, delegates of that association or church shall not be seated until such error or erroneous views have been corrected.

Section 3: Decisions of the Credentials Committee may be appealed: (1) to the state association sitting as a committee of the whole, or (2) to a special committee.

Section 4: The state association cannot discipline a local church, churches or members of a local church except to discipline the district of which they are members. The association does not have the right to refuse to seat ministers or churches against whom charges are pending.

Section 5: This association reserves the right to withdraw fellowship from any member district until such time as this association is satisfied that discipline, doctrine, and practices are in conformity with the doctrine and practices of the association, but in no case shall the association assume authority to reverse the decisions or abrogate the autonomy of local churches or district associations.

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ARTICLE VII: Date and Location of the Annual Convention

Section 1: This association shall convene with a worship service on Wednesday night before the second Sunday in June. The Executive Committee has the right to change the time or place of this meeting if the need or an emergency arises.

Section 2: Each district shall have the privilege of entertaining the state association according to the length of time since it last entertained it, according to the orderly revolving list of all the districts. Any new association becoming a member of the state association shall automatically be placed at the bottom of the list. If the district next in turn to entertain this association does not desire to exercise its privilege, it may voluntarily forfeit its privilege until the next regular turn to entertain.

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ARTICLE VIII: Officers

Section 1: The officers of this state association shall consist of moderator, assistant moderator, clerk, assistant clerk, Hillsdale trustee and executive secretary.

Section 2: These officers shall be elected at each regular annual session of the association except the executive secretary and the clerk, who shall be elected every two years, and the trustee to Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College who shall be elected every three years.

Section 3: The officers shall be elected on the last day of the state meeting.

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ARTICLE IX: Duties of Officers

Section 1: The moderator shall preside over all sessions of the state association and the Executive Board. He shall work to promote the general welfare of the association. The moderator shall appoint committees as provided in this constitution.

Section 2: The assistant moderator shall serve in all capacities of the moderator in his absence or upon the request of the moderator.

Section 3: The clerk shall make a legible, complete, and accurate record of all proceedings of the association and prepare a manuscript of the same for printing of the minutes. He shall make and keep on file minutes of all regular and called sessions of the association and the Executive Board. He shall proofread any minutes recorded by himself prior to relinquishing this responsibility to any duly elected successor.

Section 4: The assistant clerk shall work with the clerk in every capacity when called upon to do so by the clerk or moderator.

Section 5: The trustee to Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College from the state of Texas is to act at the board meetings of the college in behalf of the state of Texas. He is to give an annual report to the state association of Texas on the progress of the college. He will subscribe to the standards set forth in the Hillsdale Faculty Handbook and the Doctrinal Questionnaire for faculty members.

Section 6: The executive secretary shall perform the duties listed below:

Representation: The executive secretary is the official spokesman to and or Texas Free Will Baptists. He represents state and national programs to the Texas state association, district associations, and local churches. He represents Texas Free Will Baptists to other organizations as needed. He shall assist in coordinating and promoting the activities of our state boards. He is responsible to coordinate that which relates to the state association meeting. He shall be an ex-officio member of all the boards of the Texas state association.

Communication: The executive secretary is responsible to keep Texas Free Will Baptists informed. He shall present a complete written report to each annual session of the association of all work which he has done. He shall edit The Texas Challenge to inform, encourage, and instruct. He shall initiate ideas and programs to present to the state association and produce motivational materials relating to these approved programs. When he represents the state association to other organizations, he is responsible to report the response and reaction. He is responsible for keeping us informed on all news that relates to Texas Free Will Baptists, from an international to a local level.

Counselor: The executive secretary shall be a competent and confidential consultant to all Texas Free Will Baptist churches and pastors as needed. He shall assist churches which are seeking a pastor. He shall be available to assist churches which are having problems. He shall be available to assist ministers seeking churches or counsel as needed. He shall conduct and I or provide for seminars, workshops, and conferences.

Treasurer: The executive secretary shall receive, hold, and disburse all monies made available by the state association to the various boards, offices1 and departments as directed by the state association. He shall present a complete written and audited financial statement to the state association of all monies received and disbursed to each board, national board, etc.

Accountability: The work of the executive secretary shall be under the supervision of the State Executive Board. If for any reason the executive secretary should be relieved of this office by the Executive Board, we shall have only a ninety (90) days obligation to him. If the executive secretary should be relieved of his office for moral or doctrinal reasons, the Executive Board has not obligation for continuing salary and / or expenses, nor is he eligible for any severance pay.

A part-time executive secretary, working under the direction of the Executive Board, will be expected to perform as many of the above functions as time permits.

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ARTICLE X: Standing Boards

Section 1: The standing boards of the state association shall include the Executive Board, Missions-Church Extension Board and the Christian Education Board.

Section 2: Unless provided for elsewhere, all standing boards shall be composed of five (5) members each, who shall be elected to serve for terms of three (3) years.

Each board shall elect a chairman and clerk-treasurer to act for one year and be elected at the close of each annual state convention. The board members shall be elected at the time of the adoption of their board report.

Section 3: It shall be the duty of all boards to receive, disburse, and account for all monies allocated to them from the state, or provided from any other source. Each board shall keep a record of all meetings, all activities, and all work done under its jurisdiction and shall make a full and complete report in writing to the annual convention of the state association. No board shall purchase or sell any real estate property without the approval of the state association, or except by approval of the Executive Committee.

When a board member absents himself from a board meeting without providential reasons, his membership shall be automatically terminated from the board. The remaining members of said board shall elect someone to fill the vacancy until the next state meeting.

Section 4: The Executive Board shall consist of the moderator, assistant moderator, clerk, assistant clerk, Hillsdale trustee and executive secretary. It shall act on behalf of the association when not in session and shall have the power to receive funds, to report and superintend such work for the state as may seem best and the means at hand may warrant in order to fulfill the plans and undertakings of the state association. It shall also make nominations for the position of executive secretary. Nominations for the position of executive secretary may also be made from the floor.

The moderator and executive secretary of said Executive Board shall sign all deeds, bonds, notes, etc., and any other papers by which the state association is to become legally responsible. The Executive Board shall have the power to call the association into conference by notifying each associate district association at least ten (10) days prior to conference. Such notification shall consist of a registered letter sent to the moderator and clerk of each association.

Minutes of all meetings are to be recorded and reported to the association in the next regular convention, and the report of the Executive Board shall be printed in the minutes of the association.

Section 5: The Missions-Church Extension Board shall promote an active home and foreign missions program in and for the state of Texas.

Section 6: The Christian Education Board shall promote all phases of Christian education through the Sunday School, Church Training Service, workshops, institutes, and Free Will Baptist related colleges.

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ARTICLE XI: Committees

Section 1: The moderator shall appoint a Committee on Committees and a Nominating Committee during the first business session of the first day of each annual convention.

Section 2: The Committee on Committees shall nominate the following committees consisting of three members each: Resolutions and Obituary.

Section 3: The Nominating Committee shall present nominations for the standing boards and the state officers with the exception of the executive secretary, but the association shall in no wise prevent members from making nominations from the floor.

Section 4: The moderator shall appoint other committees as necessary, or as otherwise provided for, which shall hold office until their assigned work is completed or until their successors are appointed.

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ARTICLE XII: Alterations and Amendments

This constitution may be altered or amended at any regular session of the association by a two-thirds vote of all members present and voting provided the proposed alteration or amendment has been read before the body and has been placed on the table one day in advance of the time the vote is to be taken. Written copies must be provided to the voting membership at the time the amendment is tabled.