Today, I received a copy of a motion that a messenger to the annual meeting of the SBC intends to make:
“I move that this convention requests the Executive Committee to reexamine Article 3 of the SBC Constitution and Article 30 of the SBC Bylaws to determine the following:
1. Whether or not Article 3 of the SBC Constitution contains a sufficient list of qualifying and disqualifying provisions to seat messengers from churches at our annual conventions; and
2. Whether or not Article 30 of the SBC Constitution contains sufficient provisions to govern the full and fair representation of each state convention and territory.
I further move that the Executive Committee be requested to report on these matters and bring any proposed amendments to the next annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention.”
The Baptist Blogger 
Being unfamiliar with Articles 3 & 30…could you give us the bottom line of what this motion is getting at?
Michael A. Jordan, Pastor
Mulberry Grove Baptist Church
Buckingham, Virginia
I like this motion. It could open up a lot of possibilities.
BYLAWS
In order to carry out the provisions of the Constitution, the following Bylaws are adopted for the government of the Convention:
. . .
30. Representation From Qualified States and Territories:
A. When the cooperating Baptist churches in a state or defined territory have fifteen thousand (15,000) members, an initial application may be filed for representation on the Executive Committee, the Committee on Committees, and the Committee on Nominations.
B. When the cooperating Baptist churches have twenty thousand (20,000) members, an updated application may be filed for representation on the International Mission Board, North American Mission Board, and LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, unless otherwise provided in the Board’s charter.
C. When the cooperating Baptist churches have twenty-five thousand (25,000) members, an updated application may be filed for representation on the Annuity Board, the commissions, and institutions, unless otherwise provided in the commission’s or institution’s charter, and on the standing committees of the Convention, all as provided by the Bylaws of the Convention
D. The application in each instance shall be filed with the Executive Committee, through its president, prior to its February meeting. The application shall contain information as specified by the Executive Committee.
E. Upon receiving the initial application, the Executive Committee shall investigate all matters pertaining to the request and make a recommendation to the Southern Baptist Convention at its next annual meeting. If the recommendation of the Executive Committee is favorable to the application, a copy of the recommendation shall be forwarded to the president of the Southern Baptist Convention and the chairman of the Committee on Committees prior to the next annual meeting of the Convention.
F. Upon receipt of the favorable recommendation of the Executive Committee on the initial application in (1) above, the president of the Convention, in conference with the vice presidents, shall appoint two (2) persons from the state or territory to serve as members of the Committee on Committees, and the Committee on Committees shall nominate two (2) persons from the state or territory to serve on the Committee on Nominations, all conditional upon the approval of the application by the Southern Baptist Convention.
G. Those elected by the Convention shall be immediately eligible to begin their appropriate terms of service.
http://www.sbc.net/aboutus/legal/bylaws.asp
CONSTITUTION
The messengers from missionary societies, churches, and other religious bodies of the Baptist denomination in various parts of the United States met in Augusta, Georgia, May 8, 1845, for the purpose of carrying into effect the benevolent intention of our constituents by organizing a plan for eliciting, combining, and directing the energies of the denomination for the propagation of the gospel and adopted rules and fundamental principles which, as amended from time to time, are as follows:
. . .
Article III. Membership: The Convention shall consist of messengers who are members of missionary Baptist churches cooperating with the Convention as follows:
1. One (1) messenger from each church which: (1) Is in friendly cooperation with the Convention and sympathetic with its purposes and work. Among churches not in cooperation with the Convention are churches which act to affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior. And, (2) Has been a bona fide contributor to the Convention’s work during the fiscal year preceding.
2. One (1) additional messenger from each such church for every two hundred and fifty (250) members; or for each $250.00 paid to the work of the Convention during the fiscal year preceding the annual meeting.
3. The messengers shall be appointed and certified by the churches to the Convention, but no church may appoint more than ten (10).
4. Each messenger shall be a member of the church by which he is appointed.
http://www.sbc.net/aboutus/legal/constitution.asp
If I remember correctly, and I do, then a reexamination of this article would very much appeal to the ABA group (who later divided in 1948/1950 to become the ABA and NABA [later known as the BMAA]) who left the SBC in the early 1900s over many things (i.e., Whitsitt Controversy) including messenger representation.
Be careful in backing this examination or someone might begin to think that you have Landmarkist tendencies. (grin)
Amy Karen Downey
2:17 p.m. at my work desk at SWBTS
Qualifications to make this statement:
1. Typist and researcher on an upcoming book on the history of Baptist theology and his (JLG) primary research source for issues related to the BMAA as my father was one of their pastor’s until his death in 2000.
2. Researcher on the various denominational Baptist groups for Karen Bullock in 1999.
3. History degree from East Texas Baptist University and Who’s Who in History from ETBU and member of Phi Alpha Theta.
4. Who’s Who in History from Jacksonville College (a BMAT junior college).