Constitution

CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS

for THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BAPTIST PROFESSORS OF RELIGION

Article I. Name

The name for this association shall be The National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion.

Article II. Purpose

The purpose of the NABPR shall be to pro­mote communication and cooperation among professors of religion, to provide opportunities for consideration of methods, techniques, and procedures in the teaching of religion, to aid in the sharing of curricular concepts, and to exchange new approaches in the study of reli­gion. Accordingly, the NABPR is organized exclusively for nonprofit educational and scholarly advancement, as described under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

Article III. Membership

Section A.

oting membership shall be open to any person who qualifies in one of two catego­ries: Member and Retired Member.

  1. Persons holding teaching appoint­ments who are engaged in the teaching of religion or related subjects at accredited colleg­es, universi­ties, seminaries, or divinity schools may apply for Member status in the Associa­tion. Applica­tions for membership shall be referred to the Executive Committee for re­view. The Execu­tive Committee will report on and recommend candidates for membership to the Association in any annual meeting. The Association will vote upon each candidate for membership.

  2. Persons retired from teaching appointments who were engaged in the teaching of religion or related subjects at accredited colleges, universi­ties, seminaries, or divinity schools may apply for Retired Member status in the Association. Applications for retired membership shall be referred to the Executive Committee for re­view. The Executive Commit­tee will report on and recommend candidates for membership to the Association in any annual meeting. The Association will vote upon each candidate for membership. Members in good standing at the time of their retirement need not re-apply for Retired Member status.

Section B.

Non-voting membership shall be open to any person who does not qualify for Member or Retired Member status. Two cate­gories of non-voting membership are possible: Associate Member and Student Mem­ber.

  1. Persons interested in the work of the Associ­ation who do not qualify for Member or Re­tired Member status are eligible for Associ­ate Member status. Associate Members may in­clude persons with administrative ap­pointments at colleges, universities, seminaries, or divinity schools, persons involved in parish ministry, or other interested persons. Applica­tions for associate membership shall be referred to the Executive Committee for review. The Execu­tive Committee will report on and recom­mend candidates for associate membership to the Association in any annual meeting. The Associ­ation will vote upon each candidate for associ­ate membership.

  2. Persons interested in the work of the Associ­ation who are actively enrolled in any accredit­ed college, university, seminary, or divinity school are eligible for Student Member status. Applications for student membership shall be referred to the Executive Committee for re­view. The Executive Committee will report on and recommend candidates for stu­dent member­ship to the Association in any annual meeting. The Association will vote upon each candidate for student membership.

Section C.

Participation in the NABPR consti­tutes participation in one of its regional sections and vice versa. Membership categories in the national and regional groups are the same.

Article IV. Regional Sections

Regional sections may be formed when twen­ty or more persons agree to draft a regional constitu­tion consistent with the Constitution for The National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion and to meet annually.

## Article V. Meetings

An annual, national meeting will be held in conjunction with the national meeting of the AAR/SBL. Regional sections will meet annual­ly at the discretion of each region, and may meet in conjunction with the regional AAR/ SBL meeting.

Article VI. Officers and Committees

Section A.

President of the NABPR. This person shall be elected from the membership of the NABPR upon nomination by a nominating committee appointed by the President. This person shall serve a term of one year and shall deliver a major paper at the next annual meet­ing after being elected.

Section B.

Vice President. This person shall be elected from the membership of the NABPR upon nomination by a nominating committee appointed by the President. This person shall serve a term of one year and shall be responsible for an annual program consistent with the purpose of The National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion.

Section C.

Executive Secretary‑Treasurer. This person shall be elected from the member­ship of the NABPR upon nomination by a nominating committee appointed by the President. This person shall be elected for a six year term, and may serve more than one term. This person is designated as the chief executive officer of the NABPR and as chairperson of the Executive Committee.

Section D.

Assistant Executive Secretary‑Tre­asurer. This person shall be elected from the membership of the NABPR upon nomination by a nominating committee appointed by the President. This person shall be elected for a six year term, and may serve more than one term. This person will assist the Executive Secretary‑Treasurer in ways that are mutually agreed upon.

Section E.

Director of Development. This person shall be elected from the membership of the NABPR upon nomination by a nominating committee appointed by the President. This person shall be elected for a six year term, and may serve more than one term. This person will seek, solicit, and oversee grants and fundraising activities.

Section F.

Executive Committee. The Execu­tive Committee of The National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion shall be com­posed of (1) the officers of The National Asso­ci­ation of Baptist Professors of Religion; (2) the editor of Perspective in Religious Studies and the chairperson of the Editorial Board; (3) the editor of each series authorized by the Editorial Board; (4) one at‑large member elected by each regional section at its annual regional meeting. The Executive Secretary‑Trea­surer shall be responsible for the ad interim operation of The National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion in consultation with the executive committee.

Section G.

Dissertation Scholarship Committee. The Dissertation Scholarship Committee of the NABPR shall consist of three members who are nominated by the NABPR Nominating Committee and elected by the NABPR membership. The Committee shall announce the scholarship recipient(s) at the NABPR annual meeting.

Article VII. Functions

The NABPR (1) will conduct an annual meeting; (2) publish a newsletter containing information of interest to the membership; (3) will publish a journal—Perspectives in Religious Studies—and other materials such as mono­graphs, dissertations, etc., as authorized by the editorial board of Perspectives; (4) encourage the work of the regional sections.

Article VIII. Dues

The annual dues of the membership of The National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion shall be due on January 1 of each year. The amount and distribution of the mon­ies so collected shall be determined by The National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion at its annual meeting upon recommen­dation by the executive committee. National and regional dues, and subscription charges, shall be the same for all members of The Na­tional Association of Baptist Professors of Religion regardless of geographical location and regional membership.

Article IX. Constitutional Changes

Alterations or amendments to this Constitution may be made at any annual meeting of the NABPR upon two‑thirds vote of the members present provided that the change has been given a first reading at the previous annual meeting.

Article X. Endowment Fund

At the direction of the Association, endow­ment funds shall be raised to underwrite the purposes of the Association. Funds so raised shall be not spent but rather invested, at the direction of the Executive Committee. A por­tion of the resulting return on these investments may be budgeted to support the work of the Association as approved by the Executive Committee.

Article XI. Public Statements

In rare and extreme situations that call for a public response, members of NABPR can vote, through an online process, to make a public statement based on the following guidelines: 1) the issue(s) should impact members of NABPR, Baptist scholarship, and/or teachers of religion; 2) individuals may recommend statements to the executive committee; 3) the executive committee will vet all potential statements before rejecting or commending them to the membership; 4) members may discuss statements at national gatherings; 5) a timely online vote approved by three-fourths (75%) of total, current, dues-paying members of NABPR will be required to make the statement public.

Article XII. Dissolution

Upon the dissolution of this organization, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose.

  • Emended 21 November 1993
  • Emended 18 November 2006
  • Emended 22 May 2018
  • Emended 18 August 2022
  • Emended 21 May 2024

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