From a long series of experiences, we, the United Baptist Churches of Jesus Christ, being regularly baptized upon the profession of our faith in Christ, are convinced of the necessity of a combination of churches in order to perpetuate union and communion among us and to preserve and maintain a correspondence with each other in our union.  We, therefore, purpose to maintain and keep the orders and rules of an association, according to the following plan or form of government.

1st:  The Association to be composed of the members duly chosen by the churches in our union, and sent to represent them in the Association who are to be members whom they may judge best qualified for that purpose, and producing letters from their respective churches certifying their appointments, are entitled to a seat.

2nd:  The letters from the different churches to express their number in full fellowship – Increase: those baptized, received by letter, restoration, and recommendation. – Decrease: by death, letter, dismissed or excommunicated, since last Association.

3rd:  The members thus chosen and convened to be denominated THE CENTRAL MISSOURI ASSOCIATION OF UNITED BAPTIST, being composed of sundry churches, who are to have no power to lord over God’s heritages; nor are they to have classical power over the churches, nor to infringe on any of the internal rights of the churches in our union; nevertheless, it becomes necessary in some cases to have a uniform rule of proceeding; this is, in case where an offense may be committed either by an individual church, or an individual member of a church which affects any of the sister churches in the union, that the church or individual so offending may be brought to trial, and their case determined upon by the rules prescribed in the Gospel, referred to in Mathew XVIII, and other Scriptures concerning discipline for the bringing to trial and determining upon the case of an individual or and individual church.

4th:  The Association, when convened, is to be governed and ruled by a proper decorum, which they are authorized to form for themselves.

5th:  The Association to have a moderator and clerk who are to be chosen by suffrages of the members present.

6th:  New churches may be admitted into this Association who are to petition by letter and delegate, and upon examination, if found orthodox and orderly, may be received by the Association, and manifested by the Moderator giving the right hand of fellowship.

7th:  Every church in this union is entitled to representation in the Association.

8th:  Every query presented by any church in the Association is to be read, and before it is debated the delegates from said church are to state or open the nature of the query to the Association; then the Moderator is to put the vote, and if there be a majority for its being debated, it may be taken into consideration and be debated, but if a majority is against it, it is to be withdrawn.

N.B. – We advise the churches not to send any query to this Association but what has been debated in their own churches and cannot be determined upon with satisfaction.

9th:  Every motion made and seconded is to come under the consideration of the Association except it be withdrawn by the member who made it.

10th:  The Association is to furnish the churches with the minutes of the Association, the best method for effecting that purpose to be at the discretion of the future Associations.

11th:  We think it is necessary that we should have an Association fund for defraying the expenses of the same: for the raising and supporting of which we think it the duty of the churches in the union to contribute such sums of money as they think proper and send by the hand of their delegates to the Association: and those moneys thus contributed by the churches are to be deposited into the hands of the Treasurer, by the Association appointed, who is to be accountable to the Association for all monies received by him and paid out according to the directions of the Association.

12th:  The is to be an Association book kept where in the proceedings of every Association are to be regularly recorded by a secretary appointed by the Association, who may receive a compensation yearly.

13th:  The minutes of the Association to be read and corrected, if need be, and signed by the Moderator and Clerk before Association arises.

14th:  It is the business of the Association:

1. To provide for the general union of the churches.
2. To observe inviolably a chain of communion amongst the churches in order to attain the desired end.  We think it most advisable that the churches be constituted by presbyteries from at least two churches in the union among whom there are at least two ordained ministers and that ministers be ordained by at least two ministers in the union who have the pastoral care of churches or who affiliate in the office of pastor.
3. To give the churches all necessary advice in matters of difficulty; and if the church or churches to whom the Association gives such advice cannot receive it, they may send it back again to the next Association with their objections and it is to be reconsidered.
4. To inquire into the cause why the churches do not represent them selves in the Association.
5. To appropriate those monies by the churches contributed for an Association fund to anything they may think proper.
6. To appoint any member of members by and with their consent to transact any business they may think necessary.To inquire into the cause why the churches do not represent them selves in the Association.To appropriate those monies by the churches contributed for an Association fund to anything they may think proper.
7. The Association has power to withdraw from any church in this union which may violate the rules of the Association, or deviate from the orthodox principles of religion, whose determination is to be by a majority of members present.
8. To admit any of the distant Brethren in the ministry and assistants, who may be present at their sitting, whom they may judge qualified.
9. This Association agrees to do all her business by a majority, except in the reception of churches but in that case by unanimous vote.
10. The Association has power to adjourn to any future time and place they may think most convenient to the churches.
11. Amendments to this plan or form of government may be made at any time by a majority of the churches when they may think necessary.

15th:  Resolutions Adopted:

1. Adopted October 11, 1976: We resolve that there shall be no women ordained as ministers or deaconesses.
2. Adopted October 11, 1976: We resolve that we take a firm stand against abortion.
3. Adopted October 15, 1979: We resolve that our Association go on record as denouncing the doctrine of second works of grace.  “Following regeneration and calling it the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, speaking in tongues as unsound doctrine.”  We advise any church endorsing such or having members as advocating such to purge out or risk losing their place in the Association.
4. Adopted October 15, 1979: We resolve that the churches of this Association call pastors from our own faith and order.  If they have problems finding a pastor, they are to ask the Credentials Committee to help locate them a pastor.
5. Adopted October 15, 1979: We resolve that we print in the Minutes the order of business of how to ordain ministers and deacons.  Also the procedure of organizing churches.
6. Adopted October 15, 1979: We resolve that the Credentials Committee be selected on the following basis:  One for a five(5) year term; one for a four (4) year term; one for a three (3) year term; one for a two (2) year term; one for a one (1) year term; with the moderator to automatically serve on the committee.  Each year hereafter, one to be appointed to a five (5) year term.
7. Adopted October 9, 1989: We resolve that the churches in our Association abstain from the teaching of the Premillennialist views on the tribulation and the thousand year reign of Christ.
8. Adopted October 15, 1990: The Bill of Arrangements as a permanent Bill of Arrangement.
9. Adopted October 11, 1993: We resolve that all business for 5^th Sunday Meeting be done on Saturday.
10. Adopted October 10, 1994: We resolve that our evening services start at 7:00 o’clock.
11. Adopted October 13, 1997: The Central Missouri Association of United Baptist is on record as being opposed to the using of oil to anointing the sick for spiritual reasons.
12. Adopted October 14, 2002: We resolve that the churches call for the Credentials Committee to examine all persons who are to be ordained as a deacon or minister.
13. Adopted October 14, 2002: (1975 motion) We resolve the Association form a Credentials Committee of six, for the purpose of examining Ministers and Deacons of other faiths seeking membership in any of our churches.
14. Adopted October 13, 2003: We resolve that none other than an ordained minister of our Association serve as Moderator of our quarterly meetings, or fifth Sunday meetings, or the annual Association.
15. Adopted October 11, 2004: We resolve that ministers need to preach at least 2 years after they announce their calling to preach before they are ordained.
16. Adopted October 11, 2004:  We resolve that ministers and deacons that are to be ordained must meet the qualifications in I Timothy chapter 3; Titus chapter 1: Romans chapter 7, verses 1 thru 5; I Corinthians chapter 7, verses 1 thru 11, and verse 17; St. Mathew chapter 5 verse 32; and chapter 19, verses 4 thru 9.
17. Adopted October 10, 2011: We the Central Missouri Association of United Baptist go on record as being strongly opposed to homosexuality.  Therefore we DO NOT extend the right hand of fellowship for membership to these individuals into our churches, except they repent and completely renounce the practice of homosexuality.  Furthermore, if we have an individual in one of our churches who submits to this ungodly lifestyle, this individual must be excluded immediately.  We do not allow any person who practices the homosexual lifestyle to fill our pulpits for any reason.