Credentials Committee Process of the Long Beach Harbor Southern Baptist Association

The process for becoming a member of this Association is as follows:

1. If you desire to start the process of applying, please write a letter to the Association requesting that the Credentials Committee proceed with the process.
2. After the letter or contact is received, at least two of the Moderator, Chairman of the Credentials Committee, and the Director of Missions will schedule a meeting with the Pastor at his church or convenient location.
3. If an agreement to proceed is reached, we will schedule a meeting with the Pastor and his leadership team, along with members of the Credentials Committee.
4. If the Pastor and his leadership team desire to continue the process, the Moderator, Chairman of the Credentials Committee, and/or the Director of Missions will meet with the entire church family (to be scheduled at the church desiring membership) for a period of discussion, question and answer time concerning what is expected of the church, and what is available to the church from the Association, and the State and National Convention of the SBC.
5. The church must ask for membership in this Association by vote of the entire body, exception: elder-led churches.   At the time of the vote, a percentage (%) amount will be agreed upon designated to support the budget of this Association and a percentage (%) designated to support the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention.  The associational support is to be sent directly to the association.  The Cooperative Program support is to be sent directly to the state convention.
6. The church agrees to do either a study of the Baptist Faith and Message or have one or more of its leaders to take the CLD course Baptist Faith and Polity within one year of becoming a member of the association.
7. A signed application for membership shall be sent to the office of the Association. Upon receipt of that signed application, the Credentials Committee will present it to the Executive Board of the Association in session for discussion and final approval. After vote of the Executive Board the church becomes a participating member of the Association.
8. The church is encouraged to be full partners of the association (1) by electing and sending congregational members to be members of the Executive Board and its meetings.  The pastor is automatically a member of the Executive Board when a church becomes a member of the association.  (2) taking part as much as possibly in the events, training and otherwise, of the association.  (3) financially supporting the association as indicated in #5 above.  The church is also encouraged to fill out and send the Annual Church Profile (ACP) to the association and the state convention.