Rules of Decorum
1. The Association shall be opened and closed with prayer unless otherwise determined by the body in session.
2. The members who are regularly chosen in churches within our union shall compose the Union Baptist Association of the Primitive Order.
3. Those members thus chosen shall produce letters from their respective church, certifying appointment, together with the number of members in fellowship, also their number received by baptism, by letter, by vouches, restored, dismissal by letter, excommunicated and dead since the last Association.
4. This Association shall have no power to “lord over God’s heritage” nor infringe on the internal rights of any of the churches.
5. The Association shall have a Moderator and Clerk, who shall be chosen by the members present.
6. It shall be the duty of the Moderator to preserve order, explain and set forth the question. He may have the same rights to speak in debate as any other member provided that the chair is filled, but shall not vote except the Association is equally divided; in all cases he shall give the deciding vote.
7. When it shall be necessary to take the vote of the Association by rising from their seats, it shall be the duty of the Moderator to announce the decision before he resumes his seat.
8. Any church petitioning by letter and delegates for admission into this body, who, upon examination, shall be found orthodox and orderly shall be received by the Moderator extending the right hand of fellowship to her delegates.
9. Each church in this Association shall have the right to send three (3) ordained messengers.
10. Any church presenting a grievance to this body shall fairly state the same in writing in their church letter which shall be approved by a majority of the members present before taken up.
11. Every motion made and seconded shall come under the observation of the Association unless withdrawn by the mover.
12. Any person wishing to speak in debate shall rise from his seat and address the Moderator only, and shall not be interrupted while speaking unless he departs from the subject or casts personal reflections.
13. No person shall speak more than three times on the same subject without leave of the Association.
14. There shall be no talking or whispering or other disorder in the time of public speech or reflection cast on the speaker.
15. No person shall absent himself from the Association without the leave of the Moderator.
16. The Rules of Decorum shall be read as often as may be deemed necessary.
17. If any person violates these Rules of Decorum he shall be subjected to reproof by the Moderator.
18. It shall be the duty of this Association to promote the general union of the churches, and keep up correspondence with other Associations of the same faith and order so that a chain of communication may be preserved among the churches.
19. It shall be the duty of the Association, when applied to, to give the best advice she can in matters of difficulty among churches and use her best endeavors to remove the same. But if it cannot be removed, then the Association may withdraw from any church which she may find unsound in faith or immoral in practice.
20. It shall be the duty of the churches composing this Association when any difficulty exists among them and a Sister church, that the aggrieved shall labor with the aggressor for satisfaction, according to the 18th chapter of Matthew, and failing to obtain satisfaction, then to state their grievance in their letter to the next Association.
21. The Treasurer of the Association shall take charge of the Association’s funds. As ordered by the Association, he shall receive and pay out any sum of money specified for payment and he shall be accountable for all money put in his hands by the Association.
22. It shall be the power of this Association to change or correct these Rules of Decorum at any session when a majority of those present deem it necessary.
23. It shall be the duty of the Clerk to keep a correct record of the proceedings of the Association and shall read and correct the minutes if necessary, which shall be signed by the Moderator and Clerk before the Association adjourns.
24. This Association may adjourn to meet at any time and place she may think proper.
2. The members who are regularly chosen in churches within our union shall compose the Union Baptist Association of the Primitive Order.
3. Those members thus chosen shall produce letters from their respective church, certifying appointment, together with the number of members in fellowship, also their number received by baptism, by letter, by vouches, restored, dismissal by letter, excommunicated and dead since the last Association.
4. This Association shall have no power to “lord over God’s heritage” nor infringe on the internal rights of any of the churches.
5. The Association shall have a Moderator and Clerk, who shall be chosen by the members present.
6. It shall be the duty of the Moderator to preserve order, explain and set forth the question. He may have the same rights to speak in debate as any other member provided that the chair is filled, but shall not vote except the Association is equally divided; in all cases he shall give the deciding vote.
7. When it shall be necessary to take the vote of the Association by rising from their seats, it shall be the duty of the Moderator to announce the decision before he resumes his seat.
8. Any church petitioning by letter and delegates for admission into this body, who, upon examination, shall be found orthodox and orderly shall be received by the Moderator extending the right hand of fellowship to her delegates.
9. Each church in this Association shall have the right to send three (3) ordained messengers.
10. Any church presenting a grievance to this body shall fairly state the same in writing in their church letter which shall be approved by a majority of the members present before taken up.
11. Every motion made and seconded shall come under the observation of the Association unless withdrawn by the mover.
12. Any person wishing to speak in debate shall rise from his seat and address the Moderator only, and shall not be interrupted while speaking unless he departs from the subject or casts personal reflections.
13. No person shall speak more than three times on the same subject without leave of the Association.
14. There shall be no talking or whispering or other disorder in the time of public speech or reflection cast on the speaker.
15. No person shall absent himself from the Association without the leave of the Moderator.
16. The Rules of Decorum shall be read as often as may be deemed necessary.
17. If any person violates these Rules of Decorum he shall be subjected to reproof by the Moderator.
18. It shall be the duty of this Association to promote the general union of the churches, and keep up correspondence with other Associations of the same faith and order so that a chain of communication may be preserved among the churches.
19. It shall be the duty of the Association, when applied to, to give the best advice she can in matters of difficulty among churches and use her best endeavors to remove the same. But if it cannot be removed, then the Association may withdraw from any church which she may find unsound in faith or immoral in practice.
20. It shall be the duty of the churches composing this Association when any difficulty exists among them and a Sister church, that the aggrieved shall labor with the aggressor for satisfaction, according to the 18th chapter of Matthew, and failing to obtain satisfaction, then to state their grievance in their letter to the next Association.
21. The Treasurer of the Association shall take charge of the Association’s funds. As ordered by the Association, he shall receive and pay out any sum of money specified for payment and he shall be accountable for all money put in his hands by the Association.
22. It shall be the power of this Association to change or correct these Rules of Decorum at any session when a majority of those present deem it necessary.
23. It shall be the duty of the Clerk to keep a correct record of the proceedings of the Association and shall read and correct the minutes if necessary, which shall be signed by the Moderator and Clerk before the Association adjourns.
24. This Association may adjourn to meet at any time and place she may think proper.