Business Proceedings

Friday, June 8, 1951, at 9:30 a.m., messengers of the Missionary Baptist Churches

of California met in special session at the McFarland Missionary Baptist Church.

Services opened with congregational singing led by Bro. Troy Mize. Moderator

C. C. Middleton in the chair. Prayer by Bro. John Cooper. Bro. E. E. Crawford, pastor of

McFariand Church, gave a welcome address.

Motion and second that all duly elected messengers of the Churches be seated, car-

ried. Letters were called for and reading clerks appointed: Bro’s. Homer Tidwell and Allen

Tabor. Letters for the following Churches were read: El Nido, Centerville, New Hope, Ford

City, Bakersfield, McFarland, Roseville, Dominguez, Armona, Wasco, Oakdale, Salinas,

Sanger, Valley Center, Norwalk, Ventura, McKinley, Tracy, Gloria Gardens, Yuba City,

Santa Ana, Corcoran, South Sacramento, Ontario, Pixley, Merced, Riverbank, Manteca,

Oakland, Woodbridge, Friendship, Antioch, Brentwood, Martinez (letter only), La Habra,

Stockton, Fresno lst, Tulare, Airport, Winton, Modesto 1st.

Motion and second that the messengers be seated, carried. The clerk read the mo-

tion and second made at Redlands stating the purpose of the meeting at McFarland. Sis.

John Cooper recognized as a messenger from Centerville. The Moderator stated the order

of business. This order was objected to and appealed to the body. The body sustained die

Moderator’s ruling on the order of business to be taken up. Motion and second to rescind

the act of sustaining the Moderator in his ruling on the order of business, lost: 42 for, 46

against.

There was a motion and second to retain Statements of Cooperation, Numbers 1,

2, 3, 4, 5, 6, as they are written in the present minutes, carried. Motion and second to retain

Statement of Cooperation Number 7 as written. Spoken to by Bro’s. M. J. Duncan, Richard

Harless. Motion and second to recess until 1:00 p.m., carried. Dismissed in prayer by Bro.

C. E. Hunt.

1:00 P, M. FRIDAY

Services opened with prayer. Moderator C. C. Middleton in the chair. Discussion

of Statement No. 7 resumed. Motion spoken to by Bro’s. Martin Canavan, Ernest Bennett,

M. J. Duncan, J. W. Scott, C. R. Lyon. Substitute motion offered: That No. 7 be changed to

read: “Churches may be admitted into the Association by a two-thirds vote of the messen-

gers present, such Churches to furnish satisfactory evidence of their soundness in the faith.

Objection, Motion out of order. Objection overruled by the Moderator. Appealed to the

body. The body sustained the Moderator’s ruling. Substitute motion spoken to by Bro. E.

E. Crawford. Substitute motion lost, requiring a two-thirds majority vote to pass. Original

motion further spoken to by Bro’s. C. E, Hunt, George Walton, C, R. Lyon, M. B. Hubbard,

A. A. Harris. Substitute motion offered: That Churches in harmony with the principles of

this Association, who vote in their conference to cooperate with the same, shall be admitted

by a majority vote into the Association. Spoken to by Bro’s. C. E. Hunt, M. J. Duncan, E.

J. Martin, E. E, Crawford, John Cooper, R. R. Harris, Martin Canavan, A. A. Moore, Rich-

ard Harless, Substitute motion lost, requiring a two-thirds majority vote to pass, 46 for, 45

against.

Further discussion of the original motion by Bro’s. C. R. Lyon, Troy Mize, W.

Lovelady. Substitute motion offered: That Churches in harmony with the principles of this

Association may be admitted by a unanimous vote. If a unanimous vote is not received a

committee will be appointed by the Moderator to investigate the petitioning Church and

report their findings to the messenger body present. The Church may then be admitted by

a two-thirds majority vote into the fellowship of this Association. Spoken to by Bro’s. A.

Tabor, A. Harris, J. Barnett, A. Moore, M. Canavan, R. Harless. The substitute motion lost,

requiring a two-thirds majority vote to pass: 47 for, 42 against.

The question was called for on the original motion: To retain Statement No. 7 as

written. The motion lost by a vote of 43 for, 46 against, the Moderator ruling that it required

only a simple majority vote, his ruling sustained by the body.

Motion and second that the Moderator appoint a committee to write a change of

Statement No. 7 and submit it at the earliest possible time to the body present. Spoken to by

Bro. E. J. Martin. Motion to recess for supper until 7:00 p.m., carried. Dismissed in prayer

by Bro. D. Burch.

7:15 P. M., FRIDAY

Services opened with singing led by Bro. E. E. Crawford. Moderator C. C. Mid-

dleton in the chair. Prayer by Bro. Smart.

Substitute motion offered: That a statement concerning No. 7 be presented to the

Churches, to be acted upon by the Churches before our next meeting to add to No. 7, “That

an objection to receive a Church into the Association must be on scriptural grounds.” Spo-

ken to by Bro’s. E. Bennett, C. E. Hunt, M. J. Duncan. Motion lost by a vote of 49 against:

17 for. Sis. Tabor recognized as a messenger from Oakdale. Motion and second that the

original motion, a committee be appointed to write a new No. 7, be carried or lost by a

simple majority vote, carried. Original motion discussed again briefly, motion lost.

Motion and second made that Churches in harmony with the principles of this

Association may be admitted by a unanimous vote of the messengers. If a unanimous vote

is not received, a committee will be appointed by the Moderator to investigate said Church

and report their findings to the messenger body. After such investigation a two-thirds ma-

jority vote will admit such a church into the fellowship of this Association. Spoken to by

Bro’s. M. Canavan, E. Bennett, R. Harless, E. Crawford, A. Harris, C. R. Lyon, M. J. Dun-

can, H. R. Beam. The motion carried with a vote of 45 to 28. Bro’s. A. Moore and R. Har-

less requested to go on record as objecting to a simple majority vote ruling on this motion.

Motion and second that Statements 8, 9 and 10, remain as written in the minutes,

carried. Motion and second to add to Statement No. 11 the words, “if necessary”. Motion

to amend the motion, to change the position of the words and make Statement No, 11 read,

“and if necessary continue through Saturday”, carried. Motion and second to retain State-

ments 12, 13 and 14, as written in the minutes, carried. Motion and second the resolution

concerning Statement No. 16 be lifted from the table for discussion, carried. The resolution

of proposed change in No. 16 was read and spoken to by Bro. A. Harris.

Motion of amendment offered, that No. 16 read as follows: “These statements

may be added to, or amended or abrogated by a two-thirds vote of the Churches of this

Association at the regular meeting of the messengers. When the announcement of such

action has been made in writing and submitted by a Church of this Association to all sister

Churches two months before the messengers meet. The Churches will send their vote either

by letter or instructed messengers. Two-thirds of the Churches thus reporting their desire

for the change, the change shall be made. This amendment spoken to by Bro’s. G. Walton,

R. Harless, C. E. Hunt, A. Harris, D. C. Cooper, A. Moore. The resolution as amended was

adopted. Motion and second to retain No. 17 as written in the minutes, carried.

Motion and second to accept the invitation of the Riverbank Church to entertain

the 1952 session of the Association, carried. Motion and second that the minutes be read

as the last order of business, carried. Motion and second a standing vote of appreciation be

given the McFarland Church for their fine entertainment, unanimous vote by all present.

Motion and second that a request be granted that the meeting be ended with a season of

prayer in behalf of a better united work in California, carried.

Bro. and Sis. Buttram introduced as visitors. Motion and second that minutes of

this meeting be printed and distributed, carried. Minutes read and approved. Motion and

second to adjourn, the meeting closed with a good season of prayer.

CHARLES CROUCH, Clerk.

Messengers:

Armona—M. J. Duncan, Haskel Dane, Green Parker.

Airport—Richard Harless, E. G. Ward, Alberra Harless.

Antioch—-Letter only.

Bakersfield—Henry Cloud, Basil Brandon, Wanda Dotson.

Brentwood—Letter only.

Centerville—John Cooper, Sis. Cooper.

Corcoran—Martin Canavan, L. S. Cotton, Dorothy Canavan.

Ceres—Travis Hubbard

Dominguez—C. R. Lyon, Sis. Lyon, Sis. Sneed.

EI Nido—Herbert Schuh, Henry Nance, Jacob Schuh, Jr.

Ford City—Lee Collum, Porter Garrett, Walter Smith.

Fresno 1st—C. E. Hunt, Maude Hunt, D. C. Cooper.

Friendship—Charles Crouch, John Knight, Meredith Cruise.

Gloria Gardens—C. C. Middleton, Leonard Ford, Frank Carlton.

La Habra—A. A. Harris, J. G. Ashlock, J. B. Presson.

McFarland—E. E. Crawford, A. L. Beene, M. H. Hampton.

Manteca—George Walton.

Modesto 1st—M. B. Hubbard, Charles Burleson.

Martinez—Letter only.

Merced—A. A. Moore, Elva Moore, Carol Moore.

McKinley—Bro’s. Harness, Hendrix, Burns.

New Hope—Luther Cooper, Willard Lovelady, Lee Doddle.

Norwalk—-Merton Canfield, L. B. Shaver, L. A. Logue.

Oakdale—Allen Tabor, Dee Burch, Troy Ward.

Ontario—Homer Tidwell, Ora Holloway, Clara Holloway.

Oakland—Ernest Bennett, Elizabeth Bennett, Georgia Brown.

Pixley—J. W. Scott, Stella Scott, Artie Miller.

Riverbank—Ben Crawford, W. S. Goulding, Anna Crawford.

Roseville—H. B. Beam, Chester Hunt, H. E. Hart.

Santa Ana—E. J. Martin.

Sanger—Taylor Reese, L. M. Branch, Naomi Branch.

Salinas—D. O. Ross, A. L. Purcell, Sis. Purcell.

South Sacramento—J. F. Barnett, Alice Marler, Sue Harty.

Stockton—J. T. Talley.

Tracy—Ezra Mize, Abbigail Swepston.

Tulare—Troy Mize, Gloria Mize, Robert Yarbrough.

Valley Center—W. E. Dickerson, Virgil Casey, Sis. Diskerson.

Ventura—Raymond Mouser, Julia Mouser, Charles Maki.

Winton—J. A. Ashcroft, C. H. Case, Edna Case.

Woodbridge—O. E Hall, Sis. Hall, James Albritton.

Wasco—A. P. Shoemake.

Yuba City—H. R. Cole.