Working Agreement Between the Salem Baptist Association and the Director of Missions 1) Employment a) The Director of Missions ( DOM, hereafter) shall be employed by the Executive Board of the Association upon recommendation of the DOM Search Committee. i) The Salem Baptist Association when gathered for the annual meeting or the Executive Board in the months between will be the final authority on all matters pertaining to the work of the DOM. b) It shall be required that seventy-five percent (75%) of those present and voting of the Executive Board must vote in favor of the recommendation before the DOM can be employed. c) Conditions of the Call and Termination i) Qualifications of the DOM: (1) Calling: The DOM will be a man called of God into the gospel ministry. He shall have a sense of being called of God into the ministry of an Associational DOM. (2) Character: He should be of unquestionable Christian character, an example of Christian discipleship, and a Christian gentleman. (3) Maturity: He should be a leader capable of making mature judgments. It is important that the cooperative spirit, in carrying out the work of the Association, be maintained in a reciprocal fashion. (4) Accountability: He should be a member in good standing with a local Southern Baptist church and upon moving to the field here, place his membership in an Association church. (5) Experience: His experience should be such that he is well equipped and has the necessary training to carry out the work of the Association. His experience does not necessarily need to be in pastoring, but in leading others to reach the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He should have strong previous experience in personal evangelism. (6) Preaching: The DOM should be an effective preacher who is able to rightly handle the Word and passionately point people to Jesus Christ. (7) Education: The DOM will possess experience or educational qualifications such that he will be able to effectively carry out the duties of the DOM of the Association. 1
(8) General Outlook: He should be receptive to the will of God. He should be able to relate and communicate with persons from all walks of life. (9) Scriptural Qualifications: He shall possess the qualifications as outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-7. (10) Marital Status: He shall not be, or have been, divorced and remarried. ii) Conditions of Employment and Termination (1) The DOM shall be employed for an indefinite period of time. If at any time the Association or DOM wishes to terminate employment, they may do so. A two (2) week notice shall be given by the DOM to the Association. A seventy-five percent (75%) majority vote of those present and voting of the Executive Board at any regular or special called meeting will dismiss the DOM. If dismissed by the Association, the DOM will receive a sixty (60) days severance pay, unless the reason for termination is moral failure. d) The financial agreement shall be agreed upon by the last annual session of the Association. If the DOM should resign, then it would become the responsibility of the Executive Board upon recommendation of the Finance Committee to reach a financial agreement with the new DOM. Adjustments to the financial package will be presented to the Association by the Finance Committee at the presentation of the annual budget. e) During the first year of employment, the DOM and the Executive Board will meet quarterly for a twoway dialogue to share successes and disappointments in his ministry in an effort to evaluate the DOM s and the Association s ministry performance so that both may be better servants of the Lord. After the first year, the DOM and Executive Board will meet annually for this purpose. 2) Personnel Policy a) Work Week i) Normally the work week for the DOM shall be five (5) working days within the Association for a total of forty (40) hours, unless more time is required. ii) Paid holidays will include New Year's Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, July 4 th, Labor Day, two (2) days at Thanksgiving, two (2) days at Christmas, and the DOM s birthday. b) Vacation i) After the DOM has been employed by the Association for six (6) months, he shall have ten (10) days of vacation per year. ii) After the DOM has been employed by the Association for five (5) years, he shall have fifteen (15) days of vacation per year. iii) After the DOM has been employed by the Association for ten (10) years, he shall have twenty (20) days of vacation per year. iv) Vacation time is not accumulative from year to year and renews upon the anniversary of the DOM s date of hire. c) Revivals i) The DOM may serve in two (2) revivals outside the Association and as many revivals inside the Association as the Lord would give opportunity during one (1) Association year as long as they do not interfere with any associational responsibilities or Executive Board meetings. 2
ii) Revivals inside the Association are considered to be part of his work and no honorarium is necessary, but if any church is led by the Lord to give an honorarium, it may be kept by the DOM. d) Denominational Meetings, Conferences, and Clinics i) The DOM is expected to attend all denominational meetings that support his role and responsibilities in the Association, including the annual Tennessee Baptist Convention. Furthermore, he may attend any conferences or clinics that would better equip him in his role. e) Time Away from the Associational Field i) The DOM shall not be allowed any more than three (3) consecutive weeks away from the Association field without permission of the Executive Board. f) Honorarium i) When the DOM teaches a study course, conducts a Vacation Bible School, helps in a clinic or census, or preaches when the pastor is present, that work is to be considered part of his DOM role, and no honorarium is necessary. ii) When the DOM pulpit supplies at a church in the absence of the pastor, the DOM should receive an honorarium. This honorarium is to be kept by the DOM. g) Pulpit Supply i) Sunday Mornings The DOM shall be available for pulpit supply only two (2) Sunday mornings in a calendar month unless approved by the Executive Board of the Association. ii) Sunday & Wednesday Nights The DOM may pulpit supply every week at these times but shall be limited to two (2) successive times of pulpit supply in one (1) church except as approved by the Executive Board of the Association or the Missions Committee. h) Disability or Long-Term Illness i) In the event that the DOM becomes disabled or develops a long-term illness which will keep him from his DOM duties for an extended time, the Executive Board will determine what action should be taken. 3) Job Description a) Missionary: The DOM s primary role is that of a missionary to the Association field. In this capacity, he shall: i) Lead in the planning of local, state, national, and international missions efforts that our churches may participate in to further the Kingdom of God. ii) Preach as many evangelistic rallies and revivals in the Association as the Lord would give opportunity. iii) Provide training in the Association to equip our churches and its members to evangelize the world. iv) Be a resource to help individual churches find ways to get on mission with God. b) Visionary: The DOM is to provide vision and direction for the Association and communicate it. i) Our churches need an associational vision and purpose to rally around and buy into. The DOM must lead in developing that combination. He not only needs to communicate where we have been but, 3
more importantly and with great passion, where we are going and why we can accomplish it better together as an Association. (1) He is to communicate this vision personally whenever he visits an Association church service, at the regular Executive Board meetings, and the annual meeting of the Association. (2) He is to see that a monthly associational newsletter is published and distributed to Association churches to communicate the vision and upcoming events. (3) He shall see that the Association website is up-to-date and an effective resource in communicating the vision and purpose of the Association. ii) The DOM must lead to make the Association as efficient and as effective as possible in reaching our world for Christ. Therefore, he must be willing to lead toward change when areas of associational organization are no longer functional. iii) The DOM should lead in the promotion of all Association ministries. iv) He shall demonstrate and encourage cooperation and support of the TBC, the SBC, and all SBC agencies. v) The DOM shall develop and promote an awareness of stewardship growth to undergird the work of the Association and other causes through the Cooperative Program. c) Encourager: The DOM is to be the chief encourager of the churches and their pastors. i) To the pastors: (1) The DOM shall become personally acquainted with every pastor within the Association and shall visit with them on their fields at times other than during worship services to help encourage them in their work and to build the associational relationship. (2) He shall lead and promote regular fellowship among both full-time and bi-vocational Association pastors and their families. ii) To the churches: (1) The DOM should recognize that each church is an autonomous body. (2) He shall visit in the Sunday morning worship services of all churches and missions on a regular and equal basis for the purpose of encouraging that congregation in the Lord and promoting the associational relationship with that congregation. (a) Priority should be given to those churches who have a weaker relationship with the Association so that they may be made stronger. (3) He shall work to promote a harmonious relationship and encourage cooperative endeavors between our Association churches in the areas of missions, evangelism, and education. d) Equipper: The DOM is to work to equip Association officers, committees, leaders, and churches to effectively serve the Lord in their capacity. i) For Association officers, committees, and leaders (1) He shall be an ex officio member of all committees and recognized as such by these committees. (2) He shall encourage and assist all elected officers in performing their duties. 4
(3) He shall work with the Nominating Committee to find capable volunteers to serve in the other various leadership roles and committees. (4) He shall provide materials and training for those in positions of associational service. ii) For churches (1) He shall plan and coordinate opportunities for training and development for ministry here in the local association (2) He shall promote opportunities for training and development for ministry that has been planned by others, such as the TBC or other associations (3) He shall develop and oversee the Associational Resource Center to provide supplies, studies, equipment, consultation, and other assistance as offered by the Association. e) Administrator: The DOM shall provide supervision over the Association office and all Association ministries. i) The Executive Board and the DOM shall meet quarterly to evaluate and plan the work of the Association. (1) He shall see that an associational calendar is developed and distributed to the churches through the monthly associational newsletter or another form of consistent and timely communication. ii) He shall work closely with the Treasurer to insure that the Association budget is being executed accordingly. iii) He shall assist officers, committees, and leaders in planning ministries and budget requests to implement these ministries. iv) He shall oversee that officers, committees, and leaders are active in their roles and doing all things well. v) The DOM shall outline the duties of the office secretary and supervise his/her work if the Association chooses to employ one. 4) Agreement a) This agreement shall be recorded annually in the associational minutes and may be amended as necessary by the Association in its annual session provided such an amendment has been approved by the Executive Board before the annual meeting of the Association. 5) Exceptions a) Any exceptions to these guidelines must be approved by the Executive Board of the Association. 5