The SCBaptist Annual Meeting accomplishes four major items that benefit our cooperative missionary efforts.

Worship and Fellowship - Fellowship, worship, lunches, and exhibits provide an atmosphere of spiritual encouragement and challenge. This is a significant aspect of our Annual Meeting as relationships are built and strengthened around the Word of God.

Networking and Training - A selection of auxiliary meetings, alumni gatherings, and after-hours fellowships are the highlight of the week.

Accountability - While this is not the major portion of the time the convention is meeting, it is important for us to hear a report from the ministries we support all year. These reports can also be very encouraging as we see the work of God accomplished as we join for the sake of His Kingdom.

Business - The election of officers and committees, the passage of a budget, and a variety of other decisions make possible the ministry accomplished between sessions. While these times of discussion and voting usually take only a small portion of the time the Convention is gathered, they are indispensable to the work of the Convention.

Messengers are chosen by friendly cooperating churches to attend on behalf of the congregations and can be any member in good standing of the friendly cooperating church. In fact, many of our Convention messengers are lay leaders of SCBaptist churches. We do not refer to them as "delegates" because they act according to their own consciences and discernment rather than representing an agenda sent from their particular congregations. According to the SCBaptist Constitution, each friendly cooperating church may elect from one to twenty-five messengers to the Annual Meeting based on the number of church members. Messengers can register online or in person at the Annual Meeting and are entitled to vote, make motions, and speak to Convention Business.

While only registered messengers to the Annual Meeting can participate in Convention business, guests are welcome to attend and participate in the sessions and events other than business sessions.

Trustees are entrusted as guardians of the Convention's interests while serving one of our seven ministry partners. They represent the Convention to the institution as well as the institution to the Convention. Members of trustee boards serve five-year terms. Our seven institutional ministry partners are Anderson University, Charleston Southern University, North Greenville University, Connie Maxwell Children's Ministries, South Carolina Baptist Ministries of Aging, The Baptist Foundation of South Carolina and The Baptist Courier.

The Convention President
Each year, a Convention President is elected by messengers from affiliated SCBaptist churches. The President appoints committees and moderates sessions at the Annual Meeting. 

The Convention Officers
In addition to the Convention President, the messengers of the Convention elect four officers: a President-Elect, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, and Registration Secretary. All elected officers become ex-officio members of the SCBaptist Executive Board.

The President appoints two parliamentarians to assist in keeping the conduct of the Convention business orderly and to ensure the rights of all messengers as they participate in the business of the Convention. You'll see them on stage often standing by the President during business sessions.

• Motions call for bringing action on the part of the Convention (a new initiative, a bylaw change, etc).
• Motions are introduced by registered messengers during the times designated for the introduction of business.
• Introduced motions are then evaluated by the Committee on Order of Business for parliamentary validity. The committee or the Convention’s Executive Board can schedule the motion for discussion and vote by Convention messengers.

• Resolutions express the opinion of the Convention messengers on timely issues. They do not direct the convention or its churches to action. They encourage action or attitudes, affirm a person or action, express agreement or disagreement with an action or cultural trend, or otherwise state an opinion deemed consistent with a biblical worldview.
• Resolutions are submitted by members of affiliated churches at least thirty days prior to the Annual Meeting.
• The Resolutions Committee considers submissions before the Annual Meeting, recommending those most appropriate for consideration by messengers.

The Executive Board is made up of members from every association, including laypeople and ministers. The Nominations Committee intentionally seeks to recommend members who represent the great diversity around our state.

Much work is done behind the scenes to make everything come together during the annual meeting. A diverse group of people serves on committees related to the SCBaptist Annual Meeting. SCBaptist Committees are the Committee on Committees, Resolutions Committee, Enrollment and Credentials Committee, Bylaws Committee, Christian Life and Public Affairs Committee, History Committee, Nominations Committee, and the Executive Board.

This committee’s work is to recommend the Nominations Committee and all standing and procedural committees. Those committees are the Resolutions, Enrollment and Credentials, Bylaws, Christian Life and Public Affairs and History. This committee also selects the chairperson for each of the standing committees. Having a committee on committees serves to involve more people in the important work of filling vacancies on standing committees. This fifteen-member committee is appointed by the President on a yearly basis.

This committee does most of its work before the meeting begins. They consider resolutions appropriate to the times and beneficial to the work of the Convention. Once a slate of resolutions has been prepared, it is submitted to the messengers for consideration and vote.

During the Convention, they assist with answering any questions regarding the qualifications of a messenger or sending church.

The Bylaws Committee is responsible for reviewing the bylaws of the Convention and recommending changes as needed.

It is the responsibility of this committee to study the moral, social, and cultural conditions of society and bring reports and recommendations to the Convention. This committee is also available to assist associations and local churches in educational programs to inform Baptists about being salt and light.

This committee is responsible for the Convention’s historical archives. They also help develop appropriate recognition of the Convention’s anniversaries and assist churches in maintaining and producing historical materials.

The Nominations Committee recommends people to fill open slots on the Executive Board and the trustee boards of SCBaptist-affiliated entities. One-third of this committee rotates off each year and new members are recommended by the Committee on Committees, elected by Convention messengers.

Committee on Committees, elected by Convention messengers.