For 2021 CSBC will use a hybrid registration approach – online pre-registration and registration at the annual meeting by presenting a verified messenger card at registration.
Messenger Cards
Messenger cards for the 2021 California Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting are available in association offices. Valid messenger cards are blue. Only blue cards dated 08/2021 will be accepted at registration.
Messenger cards are available through Associational offices or may be requested by emailing Beth Ketcheside or calling 559.256.0831.
Online Pre-registration
The online pre-registration system will be available Monday, September 13 and close at 5 p.m. on Monday, October 25. To pre-register online, go to SBCWorkspace (ca.sbcworkspace.com) and login using the username and password which was emailed to eligible churches on Friday, September 10.
Questions about pre-registration can be addressed to Steve Foss by emailing sfoss@csbc.com, or by calling 559.256.0819.
Messenger Requirements
Churches must elect and certify messengers to the annual meeting, according to Article III (Membership) of the CSBC constitution.
Section 1. This Convention shall be composed of Messengers who are members in good standing of Baptist churches cooperating with the Convention and who have been elected and certified by those churches.
Section 2. As an independent Baptist Group, the Convention reserves the right to determine what constitutes a cooperating Baptist church. Churches shall be considered cooperating which are in sympathy with the purpose of this Convention, having contributed financially to the work of the Convention through the Cooperative Program and/or California Mission Offering during the 12 months previous to the month of the annual meeting, and who are in agreement with The Baptist Faith and Message as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention. The Convention shall be the final judge of the qualifications of its members.
Section 3. The Cooperative Program is defined as undesignated, unrestricted financial gifts through the state convention for world missions.
Section 4. Each cooperating Baptist church having two hundred (200) members or less shall be entitled to three (3) Messengers; each having more than two hundred (200) shall be entitled to an additional Messenger for each additional one hundred (100) members or fraction thereof until the maximum of ten (10) is reached.
Section 5. Messengers shall be the members of the California Southern Baptist Convention. The membership of a Messenger shall commence upon the beginning of the session of the Convention to which the Messenger is elected and certified, and shall expire upon the final adjournment of that session.
The pastor or church clerk must sign the messenger’s blue registration card before presentation at the Convention registration desk.
Convention Credentials Procedures
Procedures dealing with the seating of messengers at the California Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting have been announced. They provide direction concerning possible challenges to the seating of messengers.
The committee will follow challenge procedures, along with guidelines contained in the CSBC Constitution (specifically Article III, Membership) and Bylaws.
The follow summarizes the challenge procedure:
- The committee on resolutions and credentials will not challenge messengers, thus avoiding the conflict of challenge and resolution within the committee.
- The committee on resolutions and credentials may consider only challenges made by recognized messengers.
- Self-challenges will not be considered since they do not permit challenge and dispute.
- All credential challenges must be submitted in writing and presented to the convention registration desk. A challenge form is available for this purpose at the registration desk. Verbal challenges may not be submitted.
- Written challenges will be considered only after verification that the challenger is a registered messenger.
- Written challenges must be supported by a personal appearance at the request of the Credentials Committee.