CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS THE TENNESSEE BAPTIST CONVENTION CONSTITUTION

Transcription

1 CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS THE TENNESSEE BAPTIST CONVENTION CONSTITUTION ARTICLE I. THE NAME The name of this body is The Tennessee Baptist Convention, hereinafter the Convention. ARTICLE II. COMPOSITION The Meetings of the Convention shall be composed of messengers who are members of cooperating Baptist Churches. Cooperating Baptist Churches are those that contribute financially through the Cooperative Program of the Convention in the fiscal year immediately preceding the annual meeting of the Convention and subscribe to and support the principles, programs, and policies of the Convention. Each cooperating Baptist Church shall be entitled to two messengers. A messenger shall be a member of the church by which he/she is elected. Each cooperating Baptist Church shall also be entitled to one messenger for each one hundred members or fraction thereof beyond the first one hundred subject to a maximum of ten messengers from any one church. ARTICLE III. PURPOSE The mission of the Convention is to fulfill the Great Commission by assisting, encouraging, and strengthening affiliated churches to reach the evangelistic, educational, missionary, benevolent, and other ministry goals in a cooperative relationship with the Southern Baptist Convention. ARTICLE IV. LIMITATION The Convention shall have no ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the churches or associations cooperating with and contributing to the objects of the Convention; nor shall it act as advisory counsel in case of differences between the churches or associations; nor shall it interfere with the constitution of any church or association. ARTICLE V. MEETINGS A. The Convention shall meet annually. The dates and places shall be determined at an annual meeting of the Convention. B. The Convention officers, the Executive Board of The Tennessee Baptist Convention, and the Committee on Arrangements acting in a body may, in case of grave emergency, change the place and time of a regular meeting of the Convention. C. Special meetings of the Convention may be called at any time by action of the Executive Board of The Tennessee Baptist Convention or by the president of the Convention with the concurrence in writing of not less than fifteen percent of the cooperating churches of the Convention as shown by the last annual report, at least three percent of which shall be located in each grand region of the state, as defined by the Executive Board. The call for any special meeting shall state the business to come before the Convention and only such business shall be acted upon. Notice of any special meetings shall be given at least thirty (30) days prior thereto by publication in the Baptist and Reflector and in such other ways as the Executive Board may direct.

2 TBC Constitution & Bylaws Page 2 ARTICLE VI. OFFICERS A. The officers of the Convention shall be a president, a vice president, a second vice president and a treasurer. B. Officers shall be resident members of churches affiliated with the Convention. C. The officers with the exception of the treasurer shall be elected annually and shall take office immediately preceding adjournment of the annual meeting at which elected and shall hold office until immediately preceding the adjournment of the next annual meeting. D. The officers shall be elected by a majority of votes cast. If no person receives majority, a runoff shall be held between nominees receiving the two highest vote totals. Where more than one person is nominated for an office, election shall be by ballot. E. The president shall preside over all sessions of the annual meeting; and shall serve as an ex officio member of all committees, boards, and institutions of the Convention with a voice and vote in the proceedings of such committees and a voice but no vote in the proceedings of such boards and institutions, except he shall have a vote as a member of the Executive Board; and shall perform such other duties as he may be charged with by the Convention. F. The vice-president and the second vice-president shall discharge such duties of the president as requested by the president. In case of death, disability, or other cause making necessary the retirement of the president, the vice-presidents shall succeed in order. The Executive Board shall determine when an office is vacant due to the incapacity of an incumbent to serve. G. The Executive Director-Treasurer of the Executive Board shall be the Treasurer of the Convention. Treasurer shall discharge such customary duties and functions as may be assigned to the position by the Convention or its presiding officer. In addition, the Treasurer is charged with the following specific responsibilities: (1) ensuring arrangements for the efficient and accurate registration of messengers attending the annual meeting; (2) ensuring that accurate records of the proceedings of the annual meeting are collected, maintained, and published for use into perpetuity; and, (3) ensuring that statistical records of Cooperating Churches are collected, maintained, and published for use into perpetuity. The Treasurer may appoint individuals or staff of the Executive Board to carry out these specific duties. ARTICLE VII. THE EXECUTIVE BOARD A. The Executive Board of The Tennessee Baptist Convention, a corporation, shall have charge of all the educational, missionary, benevolent, and other interests of the Convention. During the interim, between meetings of the Convention, the Executive Board shall have all the powers of the Convention except as limited by this Constitution, the Bylaws of the Convention, and specific action taken by the Convention in session. B. The directors shall be resident members of churches cooperating with the Convention. No person shall be eligible for election to the Executive Board as a director if such would result in more than one member of the same church serving as directors. C. The directors of the Executive Board of The Tennessee Baptist Convention shall be ninetynine (99) in number, of which twenty-five (25) shall reside in each of the three grand regions of the state. The remaining twenty-four (24) members shall be, as nearly as possible, distributed in proportion to the Baptist population in these grand regions as most recently reported to the Convention.

3 TBC Constitution & Bylaws Page 3 D. No director who has served two successive terms shall be eligible for re-election until such director shall have been out of office for three Convention years. E. Any director changing residence from the grand region of the state in which such director resided at the time of election shall continue to serve only until the end of the Convention year. F. Any vacancy on the board shall be filled by election for the unexpired term at the next regular meeting of the Convention. G. The president of Tennessee Woman s Missionary Union, Auxiliary to The Tennessee Baptist Convention, shall serve as an ex officio member of the Executive Board of The Tennessee Baptist Convention with voice and vote. H. The executive director-treasurer of the Executive Board of The Tennessee Baptist Convention shall serve as an ex officio member of the committees of the Board with voice but no vote. ARTICLE VIII. BYLAWS The Convention may adopt such Bylaws, not in conflict with this Constitution, as it deems advisable, provided that any proposed amendment shall be processed in accordance with provisions contained by Bylaw V. ARTICLE IX. AMENDMENTS A. This Constitution, except Article IV which remains forever intact, may be amended at any annual meeting of the Convention by a vote of two-thirds of the messengers present and voting provided: 1. that any proposed amendment shall be presented in writing to the Constitution and Bylaws Committee at least ninety (90) days prior to the annual meeting at which it is to be presented; 2. that any such proposed amendment shall be published in the Baptist & Reflector at least sixty (60) days prior to the annual meeting at which it is to be presented, and such proposed amendment shall also be printed in the Book of Reports for that annual meeting, but the proposed amendment must be introduced at the annual meeting by a messenger in accordance with Article IX. A. 3, hereof, in order to be acted upon; 3. that any such proposed amendment must be introduced on the first day of the annual meeting; 4. that any such amendment must be considered for vote on the second day of the annual meeting; 5. that any amendment shall be approved by the messengers to the annual meeting at which it is presented and by the messengers at the next annual meeting. B. The ninety (90) day notification requirement may be waived by an 80% vote of the messengers, present and voting.

4 TBC Constitution & Bylaws Page 4 BYLAWS BYLAW I. PROCEDURE OF THE ANNUAL MEETING A. Opening Session The annual meeting shall be called to order by the president and, after prayer, the messengers to the annual meeting shall hear the preliminary report of the Committee on Credentials as to the number of messengers present. A quorum shall consist of messengers from no fewer than fifty-four of the cooperating churches as shown by the report of the preceding Convention year, at least seventeen of which shall be located in each grand region of the state. If a quorum is present, the messengers to the annual meeting shall then hear and act upon the report of the Committee on Arrangements and shall thereafter proceed in accordance with such program as adopted consistent with these Bylaws. If a quorum is not present, the annual meeting shall be suspended until a quorum is reached. B. Parliamentary Authority 1. Parliamentary procedure shall be in accordance with Robert s Rules of Order (latest revised edition). 2. Standing Rules a. All motions and resolutions shall be submitted to the presiding officer and recording secretary in writing, legibly signed by the maker and shall include the name, address, church, and contact phone number during the annual meeting of the person submitting the same. Such person may appear before the committee to which the motion is referred to provide supplemental information and shall be available as deemed necessary by the committee. b. In order to obtain the floor, each messenger shall approach a microphone, and when acknowledged by the chair, shall address the chair, give his or her name and church, and state the general nature of his or her reason for wishing to be recognized (For example, stating whether he or she wishes to speak for or against the pending item, asking a question, raising procedural issues or introducing an item of business). The messenger shall then wait to be recognized by the chair. c. All messengers who participate in the business sessions of the annual meeting shall conduct themselves in keeping with the stated purposes in the Constitution of the Convention. d. Discussion, debate, and nominating speeches shall be limited to three minutes for each speaker. e. No messenger shall speak more than once on the same question until all have spoken who wish to do so. f. The chair shall recognize messengers wishing to speak to each side of the question alternately. g. All motions duly made and seconded which are unrelated to business under consideration by the messengers will be referred to the Committee on Arrangements to be scheduled for consideration no earlier than the second day of the annual meeting unless otherwise required by the Bylaws. All such motions must be brought back to the messengers for consideration. Motions introduced

5 TBC Constitution & Bylaws Page 5 during the final session of the annual meeting which are unrelated to business under consideration will be considered only if the messengers give their consent by an eighty percent (80%) affirmative vote taken without debate. C. Appeal Ruling of Chair Any ruling of the presiding officer may be appealed to the messengers and changed, reversed, or modified by two-thirds vote of the messengers present and voting. D. Votes by Secret Ballot All votes on major policies and the creating or discontinuing of institutions shall be taken by secret ballot. E. Reveal Vote Totals Vote totals shall be revealed by the presiding officer upon request of the messengers. F. Program Resource Program leaders of all Convention programs shall be authorized to serve as resource persons for discussion of those matters which affect their areas of program responsibility. G. Resolutions 1. Resolutions, including those sent to the Committee on Resolutions prior to the annual meeting, must be submitted during a business session only by registered messengers. 2. Resolutions must be submitted no later than the last miscellaneous business session of the first day of the annual meeting. 3. Only titles of proposed resolutions shall be read into the record when presented, but the full resolution must be in writing and submitted to the presiding officer, recording secretary and the Committee on Resolutions. H. Motions to Amend Committee Reports 1. Motions to amend a Committee on Committees report or Committee on Boards report may be accomplished by doing the following: a. Persons wishing to amend the Committee on Committees or Committee on Boards report are requested, as an act of courtesy, to notify the committee at least twentyone (21) days prior to the first day of the annual meeting. This will allow the committee to properly consider the request to amend, have time to notify the affected institution and nominee, and republish its report with any changes on the first day of the annual meeting. b. The report of the Committee on Boards and the Committee on Committees shall be presented for consideration prior to the first miscellaneous business session on the first day of the annual meeting. c. A messenger may make a motion to amend a committee s report during the time at which the report is presented or during the first miscellaneous business session on the first day of the annual meeting. A motion to amend may address only one (1) person at a time for consideration.

6 TBC Constitution & Bylaws Page 6 2. Once the committee's report has been adopted by the messengers, with any amendments, it shall constitute election by the Convention. BYLAW II. STANDING COMMITTEES The following shall be the standing committees of the Convention: Committee on Arrangements, Committee on Audits, Committee on Boards, Committee on Committees, Committee on Constitution and Bylaws, Committee on Credentials, Committee on Resolutions, and Historical Committee. A. Nominations 1. The Committee on Committees shall nominate persons for membership on the following standing committees: Committee on Arrangements, Committee on Audits, Committee on Boards, Committee on Constitution and Bylaws, Committee on Credentials, Committee on Resolutions, and Historical Committee. 2. The Committee on Boards shall nominate persons for membership on the Committee on Committees. 3. The Committee on Boards and Committee on Committees shall nominate a temporary chairman of any new standing committee to serve until the committee elects a chairman. B. Membership 1. Each of the standing committees shall be composed of fifteen members. 2. Members of standing committees shall be resident members of cooperating Baptist churches of the Convention. C. Term of Service The term of service on these committees shall be for three years. One third of the members of each committee shall reside in each grand region of the state. If a member moves to another grand region he may serve only until the end of the Convention year. One third of the members of each committee shall be elected annually. A term of service shall begin and terminate immediately preceding adjournment of the annual meeting. D. Vacancies Vacancies occurring on a committee during a Convention year caused by death, resignation, moving from the state, or for reasons of a similar nature, may be filled by the Executive Board upon the recommendation of the Committee on Committees or the Committee on Boards. E. Succession A member of a committee who has served a full term shall not be eligible for reelection to any standing committee or institutional board until having been out of such office one Convention year. A member serving on either the Committee on Committees or the Committee on Boards shall not be eligible for election to either the Committee on Committees or the Committee on Boards until having been out of office four Convention years.

7 TBC Constitution & Bylaws Page 7 F. Limitation on Individual Service to One Committee An individual shall not be eligible to serve on more than one standing committee. This restriction shall not limit service on special committees. An individual completing a term on any committee must be off for one year before serving on any committee or board. G. Committee Officers 1. Each committee is authorized to elect its own officers and will, at its last meeting before the annual meeting, elect a chairman for the next year. Such chairman or temporary chairman of new standing committees, in consultation with the executive director-treasurer, shall call a meeting of the committee at the earliest practical date. 2. If a vacancy occurs in the office of the chairman or any other committee office after the organizational meeting, the committee is authorized to elect a replacement from its membership. H. Ex Officio Member The executive director-treasurer of the Executive Board and the president of the Convention shall serve as ex officio members of all committees. I. Duties 1. Committee on Arrangements a. Prepare the order of business (agenda) for and serve as the Committee on Order of Business during the annual meeting and any called meetings of the Convention. b. Arrange for the speakers and special events on the program. c. Consult with the annual meeting host pastor and committees. d. Recommend to the messengers the preacher and alternate preacher. e. Recommend to the messengers the time and place of the annual meeting five years in advance. f. Assign responsibility for music coordinator for the annual meeting to the church music specialist of the Executive Board. 2. Committee on Audits a. Examine all audits of the Convention and its subsidiary units. b. Report on this examination early in each annual meeting. c. Submit an evaluation of the annual audit to the Administrative Committee of the Executive Board. 3. Committee on Boards a. Nominate persons for membership on Convention boards and governing bodies of agencies and institutions sponsored by the Convention. b. Nominate persons for membership on the Committee on Committees. c. Publish its report in the Baptist and Reflector sixty (60) days before the first day of the annual meeting. d. Refrain from nominating themselves to serve on other boards or the Committee on Committees.

8 TBC Constitution & Bylaws Page 8 e. Make nominations within the limitation of Bylaw IV of these Bylaws. f. Obtain suggestions for nominations for membership on the various boards from as many sources as possible, such as the following: i. Individual Tennessee Baptists. ii. Tennessee Baptist institutions (other than the Executive Board), specifically asking them to suggest one person for each vacancy. g. Perform its work within the limitations of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Convention and in consideration of the requirements of the accrediting agencies which are related to the hospitals, colleges, academy, and children s homes. h. Recognize the desirability of the principle of broad representation for membership on all boards and the Committee on Committees. i. Upon the recommendation of this committee and in accordance with Bylaw IV C. 1., the Executive Board may fill an unexpired term when vacancies occur during the year caused by death, resignation, moving from the state, or by procedures showing just cause and involving due process. j. Persons wishing to amend the Committee on Boards report are requested to do the following: i. As an act of courtesy, notify the committee at least twenty-one (21) days prior to the first day of the annual meeting. This will allow the committee to properly consider the request to amend, have time to notify the affected institution and nominee, and republish its report with any changes on the first day of the annual meeting. ii. The report of the Committee on Boards shall be presented for consideration prior to the first miscellaneous business session on the first day of the annual meeting. iii. A messenger may make a motion to amend a committee s report during the time at which the report is presented or during the first miscellaneous business session on the first day of the annual meeting. A motion to amend may address only one (1) person at a time for consideration. k. Once the committee's report has been adopted by the messengers to the annual meeting, with any amendments, it shall constitute election by the Convention. 4. Committee on Committees a. Nominate persons for membership on all standing committees of the Convention except the Committee on Committees. b. Publish its report in the Baptist and Reflector sixty (60) days before the first day of the annual meeting. c. Nominate or appoint, as instructed in each instance, persons for membership on special committees as authorized by the Convention or the president of the Convention. d. Refrain from nominating themselves to serve on other standing committees or special committees. e. Refrain from nominating any individual who receives a part or all of his or her salary from the Convention or one of its subsidiary units. f. Encourage others to make suggestions for the nominating of persons for membership on the standing committees.

9 TBC Constitution & Bylaws Page 9 g. Recognize the desirability of the principle of broad representation for membership on all committees. h. Persons wishing to amend the Committee on Committees report are requested to do the following: i. As an act of courtesy notify the committee at least twenty-one (21) days prior to the first day of the annual meeting. This will allow the committee to properly consider the request to amend, have time to notify the affected nominee, and republish its report with any changes on the first day of the annual meeting. ii. The report of the Committee on Committees shall be presented for consideration prior to the first miscellaneous business session on the first day of the annual meeting. iii. A messenger may make a motion to amend a committee s report during the time at which the report is presented or during the first miscellaneous business session on the first day of the annual meeting. A motion to amend may address only one (1) person at a time for consideration. i. Once the committee's report has been adopted by the messengers to the annual meeting, with any amendments, it shall constitute election by the Convention. 5. Committee on Constitution and Bylaws a. Periodically review the Convention s procedures concerning its boards of trustees and its standing committees, reporting to the Convention as it deems necessary. b. Study matters concerning the Convention s Constitution and Bylaws which may be referred to it by messengers to the annual meeting or by other sources, reporting its findings or recommendations to the messengers to the annual meeting. 6. Committee on Credentials a. Consult with the registration secretary on arrangements for the registration of messengers. b. Confirm credentials of messengers. c. Make recommendations to the messengers to the annual meeting regarding any question relative to the seating of messengers. d. Determine when a quorum has been reached and report to the messengers to the annual meeting. e. The chairman or authorized committee member will announce balloting procedure that will be used. f. Collect and count ballots and report results, including vote totals, to the presiding officer. Vote totals shall be revealed by the presiding officer upon request of the messengers. 7. Historical Committee a. Recommend appropriate measures for the preservation of Baptist history. b. Seek to preserve minutes and records of all Baptist bodies, churches, associations, and conventions, historical manuscripts, printed materials, including correspondence, and museum objects.

10 TBC Constitution & Bylaws Page 10 c. Encourage the writing and publication of histories of individuals, churches, associations, institutions and conventions. d. Recommend what historic sites, including buildings, should be properly marked and preserved when these are related to Baptist history. e. Report annually to the Convention and cooperate with the Historical Society of The Tennessee Baptist Convention. 8. Committee on Resolutions a. Receive written resolutions from messengers to the annual meeting, when referred by the presiding officer. b. Review, comment on, draft, and recommend to the messengers to the annual meeting any memorials or resolutions it may deem wise from among those referred to it by the presiding officer. BYLAW III. SPECIAL COMMITTEES Special committees may be created by the messengers to the annual meeting, Executive Board, or the president to provide for any need not met by a standing committee. BYLAW IV. BOARDS AND INSTITUTIONS A. Identification The following shall be the boards and institutions of the Convention whose trustees, directors, or governing body shall be elected by the Convention: 1. Executive Board of The Tennessee Baptist Convention (as provided by the Constitution) 2. Tennessee Baptist Foundation 3. Carson-Newman University 4. Union University 5. Harrison-Chilhowee Baptist Academy 6. Baptist Memorial Health Care System, Inc. (Tennessee members) 7. Tennessee Baptist Children s Homes, Inc. 8. Tennessee Baptist Adult Homes, Inc. B. Limitation of Service 1. An individual shall not serve on more than one of the governing bodies of such institutions, etc., simultaneously, excepting the Baptist Memorial Health Care System, Inc., whose board members may serve on two boards. 2. An individual serving on the Executive Board may not be elected to any other Convention board or standing committee. 3. An individual may not serve as a trustee or director who receives a salary from the Executive Board, the Convention or any of its institutions. 4. An individual serving on a Convention standing committee may not at the same time serve on a governing board of a Convention institution.

11 TBC Constitution & Bylaws Page 11 C. Nominations 1. Trustees and directors shall be nominated by the Committee on Boards of the Convention. The names of potential nominees shall be presented to the Committee on Boards by each institution of the Tennessee Baptist Convention (other than the Executive Board). In the event that a potential nominee is not acceptable to the Committee, then the institution shall be notified and such process repeated with a different potential nominee until a mutually agreeable candidate for nomination is confirmed or another arrangement mutually agreeable to the institution and the Committee is determined. If an institution declines to participate in the nominating process or fails to submit an acceptable explanation for any vacancy, then the Committee on Boards has the sole authority to submit nominations to the messengers for trustees or directors of said institution. 2. The Convention shall have the right to determine the number of trustees and directors it will elect, to propose their terms of office, and to satisfy itself as to their qualifications. 3. Trustees and directors must be resident members of cooperating Baptist churches of the Convention, excepting the educational institutions, whose boards may include up to 20% of their respective board membership from Baptist churches outside the State of Tennessee. Out-of-state trustees and directors must be members of churches in cooperation with their respective Baptist state convention and the Southern Baptist Convention. A majority of the educational institution s trustees shall come from its grand region of the state. No more than three (3) members of the board of any institution (other than the Executive Board) may be from one Tennessee Baptist church. 4. The Committee on Boards, in nominating persons for membership on the Executive Board, shall give serious consideration to areas from which there is no representation. D. Vacancies 1. The Convention, after showing just cause and by procedures involving due process, may, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the messengers following a study, report, and recommendation of the Executive Board, declare the office of an individual trustee or director vacant. In such case, messengers, pursuant to the procedures described in these bylaws for the election of trustees or directors, may elect a successor to fill that unexpired term of the office declared vacant. 2. If a trustee or director of an educational institution leaves the state and the institution already has the maximum number of out-of-state trustees allowed, that person may serve until the end of the Convention year. Members of the Executive Board moving from one grand region to another shall serve only until the end of the Convention year. 3. Upon recommendation of the Committee on Boards and in accordance with Bylaw IV C1, the Executive Board may fill an unexpired term when vacancies occur during the year caused by death, resignation, moving from the state, or by procedures showing just cause and involving due process. 4. Messengers to the annual meeting may not by a single vote declare the office of more than one trustee or director vacant.

12 TBC Constitution & Bylaws Page 12 E. Term of Service The term of service for each member shall be three years. The persons elected by the Convention will assume office according to the charter and bylaws of the institution. With the exception of the Executive Board whose members are limited to two (2) successive terms, a member of an institutional board may serve up to three (3) successive terms and shall not be eligible for re-election to any other Board or Standing Committee until having been out of office for one Convention year. Except for the Executive Board, the filling of an unexpired term with more than eighteen (18) months remaining shall be considered a full term. F. Relationship of Boards and Institutions to the Convention 1. The relationship between the Convention and the affiliated boards and institutions is grounded in mutual trust for the purpose of common ministry. The affiliated institutions are autonomous nonprofit corporations, neither owned nor operated by the Convention. Governance of the institutions is vested in their respective boards of trustees or directors in all matters. 2. Boards and institutions whose trustees, directors, or governing body are elected under these Bylaws shall: a. Act as Christian boards and institutions and in a manner consistent with the program statements of the Convention as they relate to their respective institutions. b. Keep the Convention informed by making detailed reports of operations, programs, indebtedness, and finances for inclusion in the annual meeting s Book of Reports, and provide this information at other times if requested by the Executive Board. c. Obtain prior approval of the Convention in session, or in the interim of the Executive Board, before engaging in any campaign to raise funds from Tennessee Baptist churches. d. Be solely responsible for their own debt and shall not obligate the Convention for any indebtedness. G. Establishment or Termination of Relationships with Boards and Institutions The establishment or termination by the Convention of relationships with boards and institutions shall require approval of the messengers to the annual meeting following a study, report, and recommendation of the Executive Board to the messengers to the Convention s next regular or called meeting. H. Provisions for Withholding Cooperative Program Allocations In the event of the violation of any of the provisions contained in the Convention s Constitution and Bylaws, policies, or programs, the treasurer, at the direction of the messengers to the annual meeting, or in the interim of the Executive Board, may withhold any Cooperative Program allocations. At the discretion of the messengers or the Executive Board, these allocations may be placed in a reserve fund and may be released upon resolution of the violation.

13 TBC Constitution & Bylaws Page 13 I. Ex Officio Member The executive director-treasurer of the Executive Board shall serve as an ex officio, nonvoting member of the boards of trustees, directors, or governing bodies of the Convention s institutions. BYLAW V. BAPTIST FAITH AND MESSAGE No person shall be nominated to serve on the governing bodies of the boards and institutions of the Convention, on committees of the Convention, or in any other elected leadership roles in and with the Convention, unless the person has agreed that he or she will, if elected, covenant to serve in accordance with, and not contrary to, the Baptist Faith and Message BYLAW VI. AMENDMENTS A. These Bylaws may be amended at any annual meeting of the Convention in any manner not in conflict with the Constitution by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the messengers present and voting provided: 1. The amendment is presented in writing to the Constitution and Bylaws Committee at least ninety (90) days prior to the annual meeting at which it is to be presented. 2. That any such amendment shall be published in the Baptist and Reflector at least sixty (60) days prior to the annual meeting at which it is to be presented, and such proposed amendment shall also be printed in the Book of Reports for that annual meeting, but the proposed amendment must be introduced at the annual meeting by a messenger in accordance with Bylaw VI. A. 3., hereof, in order to be acted upon. 3. Any such amendment must be introduced to the messengers on the first day of the annual meeting. 4. Any such amendment must be considered for vote on the second day of the annual meeting. B. The ninety (90) day notification requirement may be waived by an 80% vote of the messengers, present and voting.