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2025 Proposed Amendments

Date postedApril 22, 2025
Announcements,

Dear CBA Member:

I hereby am notifying you that during the CBA Business Meeting on Monday, August 5, 2025 at Loyola University Chicago and via Zoom, FULL MEMBERS will be asked to vote on two motions to amend the CBA Constitution and By-Laws proposed by the Executive Board. According to Article IX of the CBA Constitution, 

Section 1: This Constitution may be amended by two-thirds of the Full Members present and voting at the annual general meeting, voting to approve proposed amendments, provided that official notice of any proposed amendment shall have been sent by the Executive Director either by mail or by electronic means to the members of the Association at least three months before the annual general meeting at which it is to be considered. Amendments can be proposed by any Full Member and are first submitted to the Executive Board which must approve of the said amendment by a majority vote before the proposed amendment is allowed to go forward for vote by the Full Members.

Section 2: By-laws which are not inconsistent with this Constitution may be adopted, changed, or abrogated by a majority vote of the Full Members present and voting at the annual general meeting, voting to approve proposed changes, provided that the Executive Director has sent notice of the proposed new By-law or of the change or abrogation of the By-law to the members of the Association at least one month before the annual general meeting at which the matter is to be considered.

The CBA Constitution and By-Laws are posted to the CBA website (https://www.catholicbiblical.org/constitution-and-by-laws).


  PROPOSED AMENDMENTS

Proposed Motion 1 – Term for the General Editor of the Biblical Studies from the CBA

Rationale

At the 2024 CBA Business Meeting, Full Members voted to include in the Constitution and By-Laws the General Editor and Editorial Board of the Biblical Studies from the CBA (BSCBA) series. The proposed amendments neglected to include a term for the General Editor. The proposed amendment would rectify that omission.

Motion

That By-Laws 3.5.7. through 3.5.10.* be renumbered in order to include the term for the General Editor of the Biblical Studies from the CBA (BSCBA) in the following manner:

3.5.7. The General Editor of BSCBA shall be elected by the majority vote of the Full Members for a term of four years and may be re-elected once.

*Current CBA By-Laws 3.5.7. – 3.5.10.:
3.5.7. At each annual general meeting at least four Associate Editors of the CBQMS and CBQI, upon recommendation by the Editorial Board, shall be elected by the majority vote of the Full Members for a term of four years. Associate Editors may not serve more than two consecutive terms.

3.5.8. At each annual general meeting at least two Associate Editors of the BSCBA, upon recommendation by the Editorial Board, shall be elected by the majority vote of the Full Members for a term of four years. Associate Editors may not serve more than two consecutive terms.

3.5.9. At each annual general meeting normally eight Associate Editors of the CBQ, upon recommendation by the Editorial Board, shall be elected by the majority vote of the Full Members for a term of four years. Associate Editors may not serve more than two consecutive terms.

3.5.10. Members of other committees shall be elected by the Full Membership at the annual general meeting, or appointed by the President, or elected by the Executive Board, as specified in 4.4 below.

Proposed Motion 2 – Old Testament Abstracts Editorial Board

Rationale

Currently, the Old Testament Abstracts Editorial Board does not exist in the CBA Constitution and By-Laws except in Art. V, Section 6. Membership on the OTA Editorial Board has been largely an honorary role conferred by the General Editor. The proposal is to include the OTA Editorial Board in the Constitution and By-Laws in accordance with the other CBA publications.

Motion

That the CBA By-Laws be amended in the following manner:

    1. the renumbering of Constitution Art. VI, Sections 2, 3 and 4* in order to add the following

Section 2:  Members of the OTA Editorial Board shall be duly elected as specified in the By-laws and serve under the direction of the General Editor of OTA; their function shall be to assist the General Editor in preparing the for publication.

    1. the amendment of By-Laws section 2.6 as follows:
      (The underscore is only for illustration purposes, to show the added phrase.)

2.6. Membership Benefits: All members shall receive, without additional cost, the official organ of the Association. All members shall likewise receive a discount of twenty percent on a subscription to Old Testament Abstracts and on the sale of books that are published by the Association or advertised for sale by the Association.

    1. the renumbering of By-Laws current 3.5.9. and 3.5.10.** in order to add the following

3.5.9. At each annual general meeting normally two Associate Editors of the OTA, upon recommendation by the Editorial Board, shall be elected by the majority vote of the Full Members for a term of four years. Associate Editors may not serve more than two consecutive terms. 

* Current CBA Constitution Sections 2-4
Section 2: There shall be a Committee on Nominations consisting of six members duly selected as determined by the By-laws. This committee, seeking to ensure broad representation of the members and considering the needs of each position, shall solicit nominations from the general membership for all open positions and prepare a ballot with no more than two candidates for each of the elective officers of the Association. It shall refer to appropriate boards and committees others nominated for election to those boards and committees, as provided for in the Constitution and By-laws. The members of the Association at the annual general meeting may also accept nominations from the floor.

Section 3: There shall be a Committee on Finance and Investment consisting of the Executive Director (ex officio) and six members duly selected as determined by the By-laws. This committee shall be responsible for advising the Executive Board on fiscal and investment policy and for implementing the policy determined by the Board. The committee shall also be responsible for securing periodic independent audits of the finances of the Association and for providing regular financial reports to the Executive Board.

Section 4: There shall be a Committee on the Program for the Annual General Meeting consisting of the Executive Director (ex officio) and six members duly selected as determined by the By-laws. This committee shall be responsible for planning and the annual general meeting of the Association and other programmatic activities in support of its mission.

**Current CBA By-Laws 3.5.9 – 3.5.10
3.5.9. At each annual general meeting normally eight Associate Editors of the CBQ, upon recommendation by the Editorial Board, shall be elected by the majority vote of the Full Members for a term of four years. Associate Editors may not serve more than two consecutive terms.

3.5.10. Members of other committees shall be elected by the Full Membership at the annual general meeting, or appointed by the President, or elected by the Executive Board, as specified in 4.4 below.

 

Meeting Invitation
Members are encouraged to attend the 87th International Meeting of the CBA, August 2-5, 2025 either in person at Loyola University Chicago or virtually via Zoom.

All members (and member candidates) have received an email registration invitation. You need to login to the website in order to register for the meeting. Please note that registration for in-person participation will close at 11:59 PM CDT on June 11th. After that point, there will be no way to register for in-person participation. Registration for the virtual participation will close at 11:59 PM CEDT on July 25. Registration information and a link to meeting details are posted: https://www.catholicbiblical.org/meetings/2025-agm.

Thank you for your support of the CBA.

Sincerely,

Archie Wright
Executive Director

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