The Committee on Resolutions (By Law 20) is actually easy and complicated at the same time. A lot of help, huh? It’s easy to understand the process, but can get complicated when submitting a resolution of your own. Because of this, I will break this post into these two areas.
GENERAL PROCESS
The President and VP’s appoint this committee and publish the names of its members at least 75 days before the convention. It consists of 10 people, 2 of whom have served this committee before and 3 of whom serve on the current Executive Committee. The chair, this year, is TC “Tommy” French, as has been noted by Dorcas Hawker.
The committee receives resolutions from April 15 until 15 days before the convention [Monday, May 29, 2006 - for this year's convention]. The committee sorts through the resolutions and recommends some of them to the convention.
The Titles of every Resolution properly submitted are printed in the convention Bulletin. This means that all of the convention will see every submitted resolution, whether the committee chooses to bring it to the floor or not. If the committee chooses not to bring a properly submitted resolution, the convention can, with a 2/3 vote, bring a resolution to the floor for discussion and a vote. I have heard it said that the only man ever to accomplish this is Wiley Drake – known by some as “Mr. Resolution.”
The fallout is this: Only properly submitted resolutions can be voted on by the convention. Any resolution brought from the floor of the convention will be ruled out of order. If you want a resolution brought to the floor that the committee didn’t want passed, then a motion, second and 2/3 vote will get it to the floor. Presumably, if you get it to the floor with 2/3 of the voting messengers, you will be able to get it passed unless a persuasive argument is made not to pass it. In other words, once you get it there, it is your vote to lose.
Resolutions are not binding. Nobody has to do anything that a resolution calls for, but they are supposedly a “snapshot” of the convention. Media picks up on the resolutions [remember Disney?] and so do the pastors and therefore the churches.
Moreover, if the convention passes a particular resolution and an entity of the convention has policy or procedure that is in conflict with that resolution, which supposedly expresses the “will and mind of the convention,” then during the question and answer time of that entity’s report to the convention, the entity may be asked to account for the discrepancy. Egg on the face does have an impact.
PROPERLY SUBMITTING A RESOLUTION
Resolutions must fit a certain formula to be properly submitted.
1. They must be submitted between April 15 and May 29 for this year’s convention.
2. They must be addressed to the Committee on Resolutions in care of the Executive Committee of the SBC at it’s Nashville address: 901 Commerce Street, Nashville, TN 37203 OR you can email your submission. In fact, sbc.net has an online submission form that you can use.
3. The resolution must be typewritten, titled and dated.
4. The resolution must be accompanied by specific contact information for the person submitting and the person’s church. This information is compiled into a form verifying the church’s credentials as qualifying to send a messenger to the convention. You do not have to use the credential form, but it makes it easier. This form can be found at sbc.net. If you choose to submit your resolution online, the credentials are part of the form.
5. The resolution must also be accompanied by a letter from your church validating that you are a member in good standing. If you submit the resolution online, you must send this letter in the mail following your online submission.
6. You can only submit 3 resolutions per year.
7. The committee will date the resolution when they receive it. Since they require you to date it also, this, apparently, is to validate that it was received within the appropriate window of time.
The wording of resolutions is also somewhat technical. How to Frame a Resolution is a helpful page found at sbc.net.
Again, while not binding, resolutions often reveal the heart of the convention to those at home and to the outside world. They also might shed some light on our hearts to those who are in certain leadership positions within the SBC, letting them know that we are paying close attention and are active. They also might reveal to us just how many leaders within the convention are in agreement with us.
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Kevin
on Apr 13th, 2006
@ 4:21 pm:
Art
I have looked at the resolution page at sbc.net and do they still pick and chose what they will bring before the convention and will this not also be away of keeping a voice silent even if they met all of the requirements? If a resolution is passed and in that resolution it states that the SBC as a whole will be open to descent from every agency of the SBC including the IMB and the NAMB as well as all of our Seminaries including all trustees and those affected buy the decisions of those same boards. Which would over rule the actions of the IMB policies. I really don’t know how to put it in words that are appropriate and would make a impact I thought maybe you our someone else could and if they write it and e-mail it to me I would submit it. Just a thought.
In Him
Kevin Lancaster
art rogers
on Apr 13th, 2006
@ 9:55 pm:
Kevin,
Yes, the committee will choose certain resolutions to present.
However, a 2/3 vote from the floor could bring a properly submitted resolution to the floor. Since 2003, resolutions may no longer be brought during the convention, but must be submitted a minimum of 15 days in advance.
No resolution is binding on anyone, particularly agencies of the convention.
Any attempt to force an agency to do anything, either through resolution or motion, will be ruled out of order.
The power of the resolution is to make a statement, based on Scripture, heritage and whatever else is appropriate and call for the convention to live up to such and such standards – such as the ability to withstand principled dissent at any time.
Then, when an agency gives its report, it can be asked for an explanation of being in contrast to the public resolve of the convention.
It is not binding, but it shows those in certain positions the mind of the convention and lets everyone know that they are accountable for their leadership.
art
Villa Rica
on Apr 13th, 2006
@ 10:15 pm:
Brother Art,
It is my prayer for you tonight that God give you great power as you preach Easter morning.
Villa Rica