DEAF BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP OF AMERICA


THE GUIDELINES FOR CHURCH
HOST
THE DEAF BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP OF AMERICA


GUIDELINES

  1. CONFERENCE:

    1. Date of conference:  Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America shall hold at least one (1) annual national fellowship per year on the fourth week of June unless the Executive Board designates another date.  If a host church wants to move the conference to different date, it must submit a written request to President and receive the Executive Board's approval.

    2. Election of next conference location:  The Executive Board should choose the next conference location three years in advance of the proceeding conference.  The location is selected with the majority of vote.

    3. Host Church or Location:

      1. The host church for the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America must be a deaf ministry or church that has been in the ministry to the deaf five (5) years or more before they can be qualified to make such a bid.

      2. In order for a church to make a bid to host Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America, the church must be an independent fundamental Baptist church.

      3. To be eligible to host the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America, a representative for each bidding church must submit a letter of full approval and cooperation from the head pastor of that church to the Executive Board for verification.  This should be done two (2) years before the fellowship.

      4. If a local church desires to use rented or borrowed facilities to host the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America, the representative should still have a letter of approval from his pastor.  The letter must state that the local church will fully cooperative with the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America Team in hosting the fellowship.

      5. The representative of the already chosen host church or location must comply with the rules and by-laws of Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America.  The representative must attend the fellowship for support and promotion for the two years prior to hosting the fellowship.

        6. An appointed member of the Deaf Baptist Felllowship of America Team is responsible for sending out all information about the fellowship. Directors of the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America Executive Board must choose a theme for the week of the fellowship.&nbps; The president should be informed of the theme by February first (1st) of that year's fellowship. The Music Director is to select a song leader that is approved by the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America Executive Board. The Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America Team is to give a list of speakers and the song leader along with their addresses and preaching times to the President by February first (1st) of their fellowship year.  The Fellowship Secretary will send out letters inviting the speakers to preach during the upcoming fellowship on behalf of the President. Everyone is encouraged to send the registration fee by May first (1st).  A late fee will be charged for each registration received after the May first (1st) deadline.  No refunds allowed. The registration fee must include workshops for all people who register beginning Tuesday morning and ending on Thursday afternoon. The Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America Interpreter Coordinator will schedule interpreters for all speakers. One member of the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America Team must send a final copy of the preaching schedule to the Executive Board one week before the fellowship or give to the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America Executive Board upon their arrival at the fellowship. Approval must be given from the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America Executive Board first if a new speaker is to be added to the schedule during the fellowship. If possible, it is recommended that an emergency person be at the conference each day (example Registered Nurse, LPN, Paramedic, etc.) in case of an emergency. One member of the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America Team must senda financial report to the Fellowship Secretary within two (2) months after the fellowship has ended.  The Fellowship Secretary will send a copy of the report to each Director of the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America. Any proceeds and offerings left over froom the fellowship registration fees are to be put back into the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America fund by sending the money to the Treasurer.

      6. If there are no bids by any host churches, the Directors of the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America Executive Board can choose a location to host the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America as 'board-led' fellowship.  The Directors of the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America Executive Board can designate a representative to act on behalf for the Directors of the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America Executive Board.

    4. Guidelines for hosting the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America:

      1. To help the local church prepare to host the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America, the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America Executive Board has selected the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America Team to help organize the fellowship.  The Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America Team will work in conjunction with the local church to give instruction and to assist the local church in any way needed.

      2. The Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America will be responsible for the handling of the fellowship, registration, offerings, special devotions, and other income.  The Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America will be solely responsible to pay for the financial costs generated by the fellowship.  The host church shall assume the occupancy cost of this fellowship when said meetings are held in host church's building.

      3. The Directors of the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America Executive Board will decide the registration fee.

      4. The Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America Team must have a tentative plan one (1) year in advance for workshops and a list of guest speakers.  The workshops and speakers are to be approved by the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America Executive Board.

      5. The host church should continually communicate their conference planning with President, Vice President, and Conference Coordinator.  The Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America Budget Committee will act as advisor to the host church regarding all financial planning.

      6. The host Church must submit its list of speakers to President on January, six months before Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America.  The host church should decide whether to provide lodging for speakers or choose to not provide lodging and clarify so in the invitation letters to speakers.  Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America Secretary will send out invitation letters to speakers on behalf of President and the host church.

      7. All registrations and payments must be sent to Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America Treasurer who will forward the money to the host church.  The seventy percent (70%) of the registration income will be deducted and deposited into Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America fund.

      8. The host church of Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America is not required to provide luncheon and/or banquet.  However, the host church can choose to provide luncheon and/or banquet and should assume full financial responsibility.

      9. Registration should be sent before or on May 1st.  A late fee will be charged for each registration received after the May 1st deadline.  All registration will be regarded as nonrefundable and no refunds will be issued after the end of conference.  This should be stated in the brochures.

      10. All helpers or workers for Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America must be member of Independent Fundamental Baptist churches.

      11. Fundraising should start in two years in advance to provide the host church additional financial resources.

      12. Children and Teenagers' program must be restricted to age group of seventeen years or less to protect from the dangers of stationary rape.

      13. If church has PowerPoint equipment available or will provide for the Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America, someone with technical experience and spiritual discernment should be appointed to oversee.

      14. If the host church has remaining funds from fund raising or profits from registration can choose to donate the remaining funds to Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America.

      15. If possible, it is recommended that an emergency person be at the conference each day (i.e. Registered Nurse, LPN, Paramedic, etc.) in case of an emergency.

      16. The host church must send a financial report to the Secretary within two (2) months after the conference.  The Secretary will forward the copies to President and the Budget Committee.

      17. Approval must be received from the President if the host church had to change or add new speaker to the schedule.

  2. STANDARDS:

    1. The Teaching and Preaching of the Bible.
      Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America supports and allows only the King James Version of the Bible as the sole English authority of faith and practice in Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America.  Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America declares its purpose as follows:

      1. To proclaim earnestly the Gospel message and to urge its personal acceptance, both privately and publicly.

      2. To promote systematic Bible study and teach soul winning, discipleship and Christian service.

      3. To train Christian leaders and workers of deaf ministries/churches spiritually and academically for their share of service at home and abroad.

      4. To cooperate heartily by prayer, giving, and service in the effort of seeing the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached to everyone throughout the world.

      5. To promote Christian fellowship.

    2. The Fellowship in the Midst of Apostasy.
      Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America will give special emphasis to the need of returning to Bible doctrine, fellowship, discipline, holy living for every believer, and the exposure of religious apostasy which is ever engulfing and polluting Christianity.  The fellowship is to uphold and teach what the Bible reveals.  Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America is never to cooperate or unite with forces of apostasy in any way or form whatever (Romans 16:17-18; II Corinthians 6 and 11:10-15; II Thessalonians 3:6-7).


      • Calvinism

      • Inter-Denomination Movement

      • Neo-Orthodoxy

      • Pentecostalism

      • Charismatic Movement

      • Inter-Faith Movement

      • New Evangelism

      • Ecumenical Movement

      • Modernism

      • Non-Denomination

    3. Speakers should be dressed in proper attire when preaching or speaking at workshop.

    4. Women preachers are not allowed at all.  Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America will allow women only to teach to ladies' workshop and children program.

    5. Drums in any way (music, choir, drama, etc.) are prohibited.  No music that has a worldly appearance or beat to be used at all.  Any music or songs from Christian Rock group or Contemporary Christian Music are not allowed.

    6. The use of 'Amen' response by the audience should be done calmly and expressed properly.  There is various expressions of 'Amen' regarded acceptable by Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America - (1) 'A' handshape on the palm; (2) 'Chop' motion that is using one arm to move upward; (3) Picking and using Bible to move upward; (4) foreign sign language versions of 'Amen.'; but there should be no standing up, jumping, waving both arms, yelling or loud noises, or any motion/actions that would attract attention away from the preaching.

  3. GUIDELINES FOR ONSTAGE PROMOTION

    1. Requests to promote college, ministry, camp, etc. should be made out to President or Host Church Representative.

    2. Any promotion of Bible/Christian colleges must be limited to less two minutes and only one representative.  Drama performance, choir, group of students, PowerPoint, movie, or television program are not acceptable representatives.  Speeches by representatives should direct message to be about their college instead of a comparison or competition with other colleges.

    3. Any missionary testimony before or after speaker must be limited to two minutes.  Missionary should not use PowerPoint, slides, display or family's musical presentation if they can't be limited to less than two minutes.

    4. If college choir or missionary family's musical presentation wishes to share something about their work prior musical presentation, it must be limited to thirty seconds.

    5. Missionaries, ministry, camp, or college representatives should have acceptable attire in order to come onstage.

  4. GUIDELINES FOR EXHIBITION BOOTHS

    1. Exhibit forms must be filed out and submitted to Conference Coordinator.

    2. Exhibition booths or spaces are only allowed for Independent Fundamental Baptist churches, missionaries, organizations, or businesses.

    3. Each one (1) table will be twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for non-profit business and one hundred dollars ($100.00) for profit business.  Only Missionary Display will be free.

    4. Spaces or booths are limited and on a first come first served basis.  Additional late fee charge ($25.00) will be assessed for past deadline on June 1st.

    5. Displays or exhibits are subject to approval by President.

    6. Exhibition Room Policy:

      1. Please pay your exhibition space fees at registration table before you set up.

      2. No Multi-Level-Marketing (MLM) businesses are permitted.

      3. Material that does not please God is not permitted.

      4. No gambling, contest, sweepstakes, raffles, or games are permitted.

      5. Keep your booth neat and clear trash out around your area.

      6. Please do not block the walking area, please ask someone to come closer to your exhibit area as possible as you can.

      7. Do not disturb other display area, which is considered not your business.

      8. If you need something for your display, please ask the Conference Coordinator.

      9. Please do not use Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America's Logo, "Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America" or "DBFA" on any material without permission.

    7. Display, Exhibits, TV, Movies, PowerPoint, or Slides are all acceptable demonstration.

  5. STATEMENT OF FAITH:
    All Executive Board members and participants of conference will conform to this statement of faith in order to be able participate into Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America.

    1. We believe that the Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God as given in the Original Manuscripts and is the sole authority in all matters of faith and practice.

    2. We believe there is only one true God, existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  These three are co-equal from all eternity, each with distinct personalities but of one essence.

    3. We believe that Adam was created without sin but fell by disobedience.  Thus, the whole race fell and is by nature spiritually dead and lost.

    4. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, co-existent with the Father and the Holy Spirit, that He came to the world born of a virgin, shed His blood on Calvary as a vicarious substitute for all sin that He was buried and rose again bodily and ascended to the right hand of the Father.

    5. We believe in the personal work of the Holy Spirit which includes conviction of sin, regeneration of sinners, and the indwelling of believers.

    6. We believe that a soul is saved when repentance occurs, Christ is accepted as personal Savior and Lord and the Holy Spirit imparts eternal life.

    7. We believe in the eternal security of the saints.

    8. We believe in the immersion of the believer in water to signify Christ's death, burial, and resurrection and the believer's identification with Him.

    9. We believe that a New Testament Church is a local group of baptized believers whose job is to evangelize and proclaim the Word of God.  We believe that it is completely self-determining and responsible only to Christ, the Head of the church.  We believe it to be completely independent with no other person, group, or body having any authority, right of intervention, or control in any form whatsoever over or within a local church.  Baptism and the Lord's Supper constitute the only two ordinances of the church.

    10. We believe in the pre-millennial Second Coming of the Lord, in the bodily resurrection of the righteous dead at His coming, and in an eternal Heaven for all the redeemed and an eternal Lake of Fire for the lost.

    11. We support and allow only the King James Version of the Bible as the sole English authority for faith and practice in Deaf Baptist Fellowship of America.

UPDATED:  03/01/2017