Jason McNair

Draper, UT – The Utah-Idaho Southern Baptist Convention Constitution Committee has voted to recommend changes to the Resolutions process. These recommendations are being announced thirty days prior to the annual meeting and can be found below and in PDF form here allowing messengers who will be attending the annual meeting at Mountain View Baptist Church, Layton, Utah on Friday, October 28, 2022 to consider.  

The recommendation is to bring clarification to the process of making resolutions and to give time consider them. The past few years there has been an increase in the number of resolutions being presented for the annual meeting. This has caused the Resolutions Committee to spend most of the annual meeting discussing proposed resolutions. The Resolutions committee role is to present resolutions during the annual meeting for a vote.  With the annual meeting being a single day, the changes would give more time for their consideration. The changes would also allow the Resolution Committee members to attend the annual meeting sessions instead of spending it in committee considering potential resolutions.

Here is the language found in our current By-Laws regarding Resolutions:

GUIDELINES FOR THE RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE (Revised 9/1/2002)

Resolutions of courtesy should originate from the Resolutions Committee.

Resolutions should be called for at the opening of the Annual Meeting to be directed to the Resolutions Committee. Representatives may present resolutions to the recording secretary for direction to the Resolution Committee or may present them directly to the committee chair.

The Resolutions Committee should consider the appropriateness of each resolution presenting all appropriate resolutions to the Convention at the designated time.

Other than the resolutions of courtesy the Resolutions Committee is under no obligation to initiate resolutions except as exercising their own prerogative as a messenger and representative of their church.

The UISBC Resolutions Committee is appointed by the convention president—

ARTICLE II – COMMITTEES
Section 1. The newly-elected president and the first and second vice-presidents shall serve as a committee on committees and shall annually appoint the following committees in time to have the names of each committee’s members included in the Convention Annual.
(a) A committee on nominations, of not less than five members, exclusive of current Executive Board members, charged with the responsibility of selecting nominees for the Executive Board.
(b) A committee on order of business.
(c) A committee on time, place, and preacher.
(d) A committee on resolutions.

Proposed Change during the upcoming UISBC Annual Meeting at Mountain View Baptist Church to be voted on Friday, October 28, 2022:

GUIDELINES FOR THE UISBC RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE [reformatted]

Resolutions of courtesy should originate from the Resolutions Committee.

The Resolutions Committee shall consider the appropriateness of each resolution presenting all appropriate resolutions to the Convention at the designated time.

Other than resolutions of courtesy, the Resolutions Committee is under no obligation to present any resolution received from a messenger and/or representative or to initiate resolutions except as exercising their own prerogative as a messenger and representative of their church.

In order to facilitate thorough consideration and to expedite the Committee’s work, all proposed resolutions shall:

1. Be submitted to the Committee on Resolutions for review and consideration at least 30 days before the scheduled annual meeting.
2. Be addressed to the Committee on Resolutions in care of the UISBC at its registered mailing or e-mail address (electronic copies are preferred),
3. Be concise, typewritten, titled, and dated, 
4. Be accompanied by a letter from a church qualified to send a messenger to the annual meeting of the UISBC certifying that the person submitting the resolution is a member in good standing,
5. Include complete contact information for both the person submitting it, and his or her church.

A proposed resolution:

1. Should be pertinent and relevant to the mission and ministry of the UISBC and its churches and relate specifically to matters which can be addressed locally by the cooperating churches of the UISBC.
2. Should avoid repetition. If a proposed resolution is similar to a previously passed resolution, the new resolution must contain a clear statement on how the proposal is new or different than previous resolutions.
3. Will not be considered which is in any way an attack against any person or entity and the resolution will not contain personal references.
4. Should be positive in nature and seek to build up the cooperating churches of the UISBC.

The Committee on Resolutions shall prepare and submit to each annual meeting of the Convention only such resolutions the Committee recommends for adoption. Such resolutions may be based upon proposals received by the Committee or may originate with the Committee.

For resolution proposals rejected by the Committee, the Committee will contact the presenter and give their reasoning for declining the resolution proposal. Only resolutions recommended by the Committee may be considered by the Convention.