Article I – Name and Definitions
A. Name
This body shall be known and called the “Nigerian Baptist Convention”, The title of the corporate body shall be “The registered Trustees of Nigerian Baptist Convention”.
B. Definitions
The following terms when used in this constitution shall be understood as follows:-
1. Convention: Shall be understood (unless the context determines otherwise) to mean Nigerian Baptist Convention.
2. Committee: Shall be a duly elected group charged with specific responsibilities in different areas of Convention work, e.g. Nominating Committee, Programme Planning Committee, etc.
3. Board: Shall be a duly elected group to oversee and or advice an institution, department or business concern which belongs to the Convention, e.g. Christian Education Advisory Board, Baptist Bookstore Board, Boards of Governors of Schools, etc.
4. Messenger: Shall be a member of a Baptist Church cooperating with the Association, Conference and Convention elected and certified by the church to attend any of the denomination sessions.
5. Church: Shall be understood to mean a group of baptized believers in Christ who have covenanted to worship, to fellowship, to teach and evangelize, and organized in a place and co-operating with the Nigerian Baptist Convention with the sole aim of propagating the gospel of Jesus Christ.
6. Association: A group of Baptist Churches that are geographically contiguous formed by local Churches for the purpose of doing missions and evangelism. It shall consist of not less than six organized Baptist churches, all geographically contiguous, with at least five Baptist trained pastors out of which at least three must be full time; and one of whom must be ordained. An organized Local Church shall not less than 25 baptized believers, trained pastoral leadership, be self-governing, self funding and self propagating; and must have functional key ministerial and educational organs of a local Baptist Church.
7. Conference: Shall consist of local Baptist churches in a given wider geographical area or state organized into at least six Baptist associations with not less than eighteen fulltime Baptist trained pastors of whom at least twelve shall be ordained.
8. Written Notice: In relation to amendments of the Constitution and Regulations, written notice is a communication in writing giving notice of an amendment recommended for the Constitution or Regulation.
9. The pronoun “he” is used generically in this document to include male and female.