Changes

==Organization==

==Organization==

In accordance with the traditional Baptist principle of church autonomy, the lowest level (or highest, depending on your perspective) of the SBC is the local church.  With the exception of a "mission church",<ref>A mission church is one sponsored by another congregation, either to start a congregation in an area without a church (such as a new subdivision) or to minister to an ethnic group in their own language.</ref> every congregation is autonomous of every other.<ref>In the case of a multi-site arrangement, all sites are considered to be one congregation,</ref>  Furthermore, no higher organization has any authority to fire ministers, discipline members, or force the congregation to cease operations; their only power is that they can choose not to seat the congregation's delegates (called "messengers") at the annual meeting, for such matters as failing to support the Cooperative Program or for holding views not in accordance with the association's statement of faith (e.g. having a female pastor, ordaining a practicing homosexual, or having a known sexual predator on staff).

In accordance with the traditional Baptist principle of church autonomy, the lowest level (or highest, depending on your perspective) of the SBC is the local church.  With the exception of a "mission church",<ref>A mission church is one sponsored by another congregation, either to start a congregation in an area without a church (such as a new subdivision) or to minister to an ethnic group in their own language.</ref> every congregation is autonomous of every other.<ref>In the case of a multi-site arrangement, all sites are considered to be one congregation,</ref>  Furthermore, no higher organization has any authority to direct a church to hire/fire ministers, discipline members, or force it to cease operations; their only power is that they can choose not to seat the congregation's delegates (called "messengers") at the annual meeting, for such matters as failing to support the Cooperative Program or for holding views not in accordance with the association's statement of faith (e.g. having a female pastor, ordaining a practicing homosexual, or having a known sexual predator on staff).

The next level is the local association.  These are usually organized by county in the larger metro areas; less populated counties are usually combined into one association.  These groups handle matters involving local issues, such as operating a food pantry or supporting a [[pregnancy resource center]].

The next level is the local association.  These are usually organized by county in the larger metro areas; less populated counties are usually combined into one association.  These groups handle matters involving local issues, such as operating a food pantry or supporting a [[pregnancy resource center]].