NEW YORK's UPSTATE INDEPENDENT BAPTIST PASTOR’S FELLOWSHIP

Ascribing the King James Bible as the only uncorrupted English Bible.
Believing the Pre-Millennial Return of Christ and the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of His Church

Guidelines for Meetings

The following are longstanding guidelines of the New York State Independent Baptist Pastor Fellowships. They are re-written and given new emphasis for the Upstate IBPF (The 'P' stands for Pastor)

1. Upstate Independent Baptist, KJV Preaching Churches should volunteer to host the IBPF meetings on the third Monday evening and Tuesday morning of every other calendar month, Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sep, Nov. Consistency in scheduling helps, and avoids conflicts with other meetings. This is to be a pastor-fellowship and not a special interest meeting or a promotion of an evangelist or special speaker.

2. The host Pastor is to arrange all music and preachers for the Monday evening and Tuesday morning fellowship meetings. Local Pastors who participate in the fellowship should preach. This does not preclude the use of evangelists and missionaries, especially our local ones, but please do not center a pastor's fellowship on special speakers. The host Pastor should not himself preach at his fellowship.

3. The host Church may, at their discretion, provide a modest lunch after the Tuesday meeting. Note that IBPF pastors are expecting to be a blessing to the host church, not a burden. Strive for two Pastors preaching Monday night, and four Pastors preaching on Tuesday morning.

4. No offering is to be taken at fellowship meetings. The expense of hosting a meeting, to include any lunch offered, is intentionally kept minimal to encourage small struggling Churches to host these edifying fellowships. Speaker gratuities are not to be monetary. This does not preclude any special need offerings which occasionally arise.

5. Hobby horses, un-ground axes, whips, and personal agendas are barred from all proceedings. Please be considerate in this area. We do not all dot our “i”s the same way. Don't shove your dot in someone else's eye.

6. Pastors who are NOT Independent, Fundamental, KJV Bible Believing, God called Preachers of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ shall NOT preach at these Independent Baptist Pastor Fellowships. Such are, of course, welcome and encouraged to attend and observe the faithfulness and demeanor of just such pastors.

7. These fellowships are for the purpose of edifying and encouraging. There are many small, young, and struggling Baptist Churches in Upstate New York who need this. Those “measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise;” be edifying and encouraging both in attending and in hosting these meetings.

The Independent Baptist Pastor's Fellowship prides itself in having no president, secretary, officers nor staff, but just the same we do want to be organized and not unruly. Please give due credence to these guidelines. If you want to host a meeting please disclose your intent to follow these guidelines when you schedule with Pastor Rice.

These seven guidelines are not set in stone, and the chairman is not a Tzar. They do reflect the longstanding policy of the fellowship since 1989 when Pastor Marvin Mungle was the appreciated ram-rod of due order. This Policy Letter is about all the ram rod that remains; please us it to pack your powder.

Pastor Ed Rice