Application for fellowship in the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches

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In a climate of ambiguity and compromise, maintaining doctrinal integrity within an association is a critical issue. Recognition councils provide a forum for examination of a church’s doctrinal position.

When a new Baptist church forms, it is customary for that church to call a council of sister churches—including pastors and other messengers—to meet together. They examine the articles of faith, the constitution, the covenant, the practices of the church and the purposes for organizing. If the council finds that all documents and practices are in keeping with Baptist faith and polity and that the purposes for the organization are justifiable, it votes to recognize the church as a Baptist church.

The finding of the council is not binding upon the local church. If the council should decline to recognize the church, it would still have the right to call itself a Baptist church. At the same time, other Baptist churches would have the right not to accept it into associational fellowship.

The purpose of this historical procedure among Baptists is to safeguard the GARBC against the possibility of receiving into fellowship churches that are irregular in doctrine or practice. Without such guidelines, the potential would exist for a group of people to organize as a “Baptist” church and apply for fellowship, offering no other evidence that they are a Baptist church. If a recognition council does not examine the documents and if the fellowship accepts the church, errors may be discovered later. The church in question may not be a Baptist church in doctrine and practice and should not be part of the fellowship.

To receive only Baptist churches with sound doctrine and practice, the Council of Fourteen voted in 1952 to request all newly formed churches to hold recognition councils. In 1962, this rule extended to include all churches applying for fellowship in the GARBC, regardless of the age of the church. These sessions are a blessing to the church and to those who participate. They provide a positive public testimony of the church’s doctrinal position and its Baptist distinctives.

When submitting an application for fellowship in the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches, please attach the report from the recognition council.

Under date of September 20, 1971, the Internal Revenue Service granted the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches a Group Ruling that automatically placed each church in fellowship with the Association on a tax-exempt status, and thus certified that gifts made to these churches were legally tax-deductible contributions. The group exemption number is 2194. If this Group Ruling had not been secured, each local church would have had to go through the arduous task of applying and seeking this provision itself.

Annually each new church coming into the Association will be certified to the IRS as being a truly nonprofit entity, that it is not a foundation, and that it desires to be under the Group Ruling. To be thus certified is a distinct advantage to the local church.

The signature of the pastor or an officer of the local church is required below indicating concurrence with the above.