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1. Any man who feels his calling as a minister of the gospel should be liberated by his church for at least one year by

exhorter's license and prove himself as a teacher and worker, as well as a Preacher, in his church before being recommended to the Presbytery for licensing, His attitude and committed activity should portray his sincerity and spirituality and be supporting evidence of his calling and capabilities.

2. During this period, the candidate shall comply with the Illmo Presbytery study course requirements, These courses are to be provided by the church and supervised and accredited by the Presbytery of Illmo Association.

3. He must meet scriptural and denominational qualifications and the pastor of the church holding his membership shall submit written reports to the Examining Committee about the specifics of his preparatory work.

1. The minister must have held a license for no less than one year prior to ordination, and during the license period

he must work for a period of three to six months under the supervision of a pastor other than his own, if feasible. During this time, he should actively participate in the preaching, teaching, and serving ministries of that church. The supervising pastor will submit a written report to the Examining Committee about the work accomplished by the applicant.

2. The licensed minister must meet the Illmo study course requirements.

3. There must be a demand for the minister's services. This is commonly interpreted to mean serving as pastor of a

church. However, when the referring church feels that the applicant's work in other than a pastorate would be severely

hindered without ordination, the Presbytery may be petitioned for special consideration,

4, He must meet scriptural and denominational qualifications.

1, The candidates shall be chosen and placed in training by their respective churches for a period of no less than twelve

(1 2) months before being sent to the Presbytery. (An exception can be made for newly organized churches.)

2. He must meet scriptural and denominational qualifications.

3. He must complete the video training course 'A Deacon Ministry that Works" by Herbert L. Peterson. (This program is administered through the assistant clerk.)

1. All licensed and ordained ministers must make an annual written report to the Presbytery to be eligible for good

standing card. This report will be limited to names, address, phone number, and type of license held.

2. Affiliation with another denomination or sect automatically forfeits the rights and privileges of membership of any

deacon or minister. (This information may be authenticated by the church or the Investigating Committee.)

3. Members lettering out of a church have no more than one year in which to get a letter from this Presbytery,

4. Members unable to attend regular meetings of the Presbytery must give a reason for an absence. (Information should be given in writing to an officer of the Presbytery, or by the Pastor. Failure to notify the Presbytery will be considered contempt and such member will be expected to make a public statement concerning his absence.)

1. Requirements for licensing: A minimum of twelve credits must be earned from the Ministers' Home Study Booklet provided by the General Baptist Christian Education Board. Theology of General Baptists (category 2) and Doctrines and Us-ages (Category 2) are required. The remaining nine credits must be obtained from the first five categories, with three credits from each category.

2. Requirements for ordination: A minimum of twenty-four additional credits must be earned with General Baptists In

Church History (Latch) being required. The remaining twenty-three credits will be elective studies.

3. College/university studies will be credited as follows:

This Presbytery shall be known as the Presbytery of the Illmo Association of General Baptists.

II. COMPOSITION

The Presbytery shall be composed of all ordained ministers and deacons, in good standing in the churches and the

Illmo Home Mission Board-sponsored missions of the Illmo Association. Licensed ministers, even though associated with the Presbytery, cannot properly be voting members. The Presbytery is subsidiary and answerable to the association. (The Presbytery shall maintain an honorary membership roll as follows: ministers or deacons who are limited in their capacity to serve by reason of age, poor health, or temporary physical handicaps, may with their consent be placed on an honorary membership roll, with a good standing card being issued annually, free of charge, and no yearly report required. If, at any time, such a member's work is resumed, he shall request readmission to active membership, This plan is under the administration of the Investigating Committee. The Investigating Committee shall make contact with those on the honorary membership roll to offer encouragement to them, and then make a report to the Presbytery.)

Ill. PURPOSES

The purposes of this Presbytery are to train, qualify, ordain, and improve the ministers and deacons within the association; to provide protection against hostile forces. And maintain the highest standard possible by the reformation or dismissal of unworthy members.

Fifteen members (five of whom shall be ministers) in good standing in their respective churches, representing no less

than seven churches in good standing in the association, shall constitute a quorum to transact business in regular or called sessions. Eight members (three of whom shall be ministers) in good standing in their respective churches, representing no less than three churches in good standing in the association, may ordain candidates who have been approved in a regular or called session. For representation purposes, the Illmo Home Mission Board will be considered as a church, however, no member of the lllmo Home Mission Board shall be entitled to dual representation.

V. SESSIONS

There shall be two regular meetings of the Presbytery each year. The annual meeting shall be held on Saturday following the sitting of the association at the place of the associational meeting unless otherwise designated, and the semiannual meeting shall be held on Saturday before the fourth Sunday in September. Both regular sessions shall begin at 9:00 a.m. Called meeting can be held at the direction of the moderator, by a vote of the body, or by a written request of two members,

The officers of the Presbytery shall be moderator, assistant moderator, clerk/treasurer, and assistant clerk/treasurer, The

officers (except the moderator) shall be nominated and elected at the fall session for a period of one year. (The assistant moderator automatically progresses to the office of moderator at the end of the fall session.) All tenures shall begin at the close of the fall session.

A majority vote of the members present shall constitute a business transaction, except in the reception of members

which should be unanimous. If a vote is cast against an applicant, the Presbytery has a right to demand that the rea-

son for the negative vote be stated, and it has the right to evaluate that reason. The Presbytery may override the negative vote if it considers an injustice has been done, Every motion made and seconded shall be acted upon unless with drawn by the mover.

A church desiring the licensing or ordination of a minister shall furnish recommendations and make request for his licensing or ordination. If, upon examination by the Presbytery, he is found worthy and qualified, the Presbytery shall proceed to issue license or to ordain. A church desiring the ordination of a deacon shall furnish recommendation and make request for his ordination. If, upon examination by the Presbytery, he is found worthy and qualified, arrangements shall be made for his ordination. The pastor and church should be certain that candidates have met all qualifications and requirements of the Presbytery before requesting licensing and/or ordination. (All churches, except newly organized churches, shall select and train candidates at least twelve months prior to requesting ordination of a deacon.) All petitionary letters for licensing and/or ordination are to be received by the clerk thirty days prior to the sitting of the Presbytery. The clerk shall assign these letters to the appropriate committee for their action before the sitting of the Presbytery. All such letters to be read. All petitionary letters received too late shall be tabled until the next regular session.

The Presbytery will not issue license, ordain, or accept into this body any man having two living companions or married to a woman having another living companion unless he or she can prove there is scriptural evidence for divorce. The Presbytery urges churches not to recommend candidates for licensing or ordination until they prove themselves. The ordination of deacons shall be held in the churches they are chosen to serve on a date favorable to the church and Presbytery. (The persons to give the charge to the deacons and pray the ordinations prayer will be decided upon by the moderator and the candidates for ordination.) The ordination of ministers shall be held at the sitting of the Presbytery unless otherwise requested by the candidates for ordination. Licenses shall be issued at the sitting of the Presbytery. All questioning of candidates for ministers and/or deacons shall be conducted by the Examining Committee. All incoming ordained ministers and deacons are required to meet with and be recommended by the Credentials Committee. Individuals who are making applications for membership into this Presbytery, but who do not have up-to-date credentials and cannot obtain them, are required to prove themselves in the local church for at least one year, after which they may reapply for membership. Any minister or deacon who has been excluded from another Presbytery or conference shall not be received until Christian fellowship has been restored in the offended Presbytery or conference. Any minister coming from another association and accepting the pastorate of a church in this association shall, at the first regular session of the Presbytery, present his credentials for inspection. In case of loss or destruction of his credentials, time may be extended for recovery or reissue. A member transferring from another Presbytery to this Presbytery shall present a recommendation from the church in this association holding his membership, A proper letter of transfer from his former Presbytery is also required before the transfer of his membership is completed. Any person making application for membership into this Presbytery, who has not acquired the credits required by the Presbytery for license and ordination, or equal thereof, is requested to obtain such study course credits as the Credentials Committee may deem necessary or advisable, Persistent refusal or neglect to comply with the above provisions nullifies a person's work and he shall be considered out of order. A minister or deacon shall be held in good standing and issued a certificate on an annual basis until such time that formal charges are brought by the church or Presbytery into the moral, Christian, and official character of the member in question. A minister or deacon without such certificate is not in good standing and should not be accepted into membership of any other Presbytery until he can present such a certificate. The Presbytery, when in annual session, shall have the power to grant or refuse to grant re-licensing of a licensed minister without his having to come before the Examining Committee, or without his having a petitionary letter from his church. His church has the privilege of requesting his license be revoked. Any minister desiring to start a new church must clear the work with the Illmo Home Mission Board so as to avoid a duplication or injurious effect to the churches already established. All members of the Presbytery should actively support home mission work in our area and urge the members of our churches to do the same. Members of the Presbytery should teach our churches to share in the ministries to the less fortunate and disadvantaged peoples of the world and bring to the attention of our churches specific areas where Christian gifts may be well used. In doing so, we should take care that our gifts are administered in a Christian manner and by those who will make certain that the gifts go to those actually in need. A member transferring from this Presbytery to another shall be entitled to a letter of recommendation and transfer if he is in good standing in his church and this Presbytery. Any minister or deacon leaving this Presbytery and surrendering his credentials may request that his credentials be marked 'void' and returned, or credentials may be received by the Presbytery with no responsibility for the preservation of them.

X. AMENDMENTS

This constitution can be amended or altered by a three-fourths majority vote of members present at any regular session.