Horizon

Early convention officer nomination process

Church Administration / The Baptist Horizon / Canadian Baptist Builders

Early convention officer nomination process

By Bob Shelton

COCHRANE, AB—At the 2008 CNBC annual convention in Prince Edward Island the National Leadership Board presented an idea to adjust the way CNBC officers are nominated. The Board followed up on this idea and instructed the CNBC national staff to implement the following policy:

The National Leadership Board instructs the CNBC national staff to invite early nominations for the positions of CNBC president, first vice president and second vice president. These nominations will be published in the June issue of the Baptist Horizon. The desire is to insure forethought and prayer has gone into electing those who will lead and represent the convention.

Qualifications to consider in nominating a person as an officer:

  • The nominee exemplifies Christ-like character in leadership.
  • The nominee embraces the mission, vision and values of the CNBC.
  • The nominee is a member of a CNBC church.
  • The nominee’s church participates in giving through the Cooperative Program.
  • The nominee is in agreement with the spirit of the CNBC Church to Church Covenant

Process of early nominations:

  1. Prayerfully consider whom God would have to serve as an officer for the CNBC.
  2. Contact the prospective nominee to confirm they are willing to let their name stand if nominated.
  3. If the person agrees, send your recommendation to National Ministry Leader, Gerry Taillon (gtaillon@cnbc.ca) with a brief bio and a short statement as to why you are nominating this person.
  4. All nominations will be published in the June Baptist Horizon prior to the convention.
  5. The individual you have recommended will still need to be nominated from the floor at the convention meeting.
  6. Convention messengers may also nominate, from the convention floor, a person whose name has not been published.

The process of electing officers does not change. The early nominations plan is a way to seek God’s direction beforehand and give individuals a chance to consider the responsibility carried by serving as an officer of the CNBC.

 

Rob Blackaby, former CNBC president, comments

I have often thought that as our convention of churches matures we would adopt a more effective way of making nominations for the position of president convention.

While the spontaneity of nominations from the floor during the annual convention present messengers with immediate options, those nominations are as often riddled with lack of sufficient forethought, consent, or universal recognition of the person being referenced.

A preferable practice might be an invitation for members of our Canadian National Baptist Convention churches to publish their nominations in the Baptist Horizon in advance of the annual meeting each year. This would allow all of us to become familiar with the nominee, the reasons for nomination, and the motivation of the one doing the nominating.

As we continue to expand the geographic scope of our ministry in Canada, and the size of our convention of churches, surely this would ensure informed voting on the part of future messengers, and eliminate the awkwardness that has sometimes accompanied less planned proceedings.

Rob Blackaby, is now president of the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary & College,  and previously served as CNBC president.