RULES GOVERNING THE OFFICE OF ADVISOR AND COUNSEL TO THE PATRIARCH AND CHIEF APOSTLE
The Mystical Order of Spiritual Baptist Inc.
ARTICLE I — ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OFFICE
Section 1.01 — Creation of the Office The Office of Advisor and Counsel to the Patriarch and Chief Apostle is hereby established as a sacred and distinguished position within the ecclesiastical structure of The Mystical Order of Spiritual Baptist Inc. This office exists to provide wise, prayerful, and informed counsel to His All Holiness, the Most Anointed Cosmopolitan Patriarch and Chief Apostle in the governance and spiritual oversight of the Order.
Section 1.02 — Authority This office operates under the direct authority of the Patriarch and Chief Apostle and is accountable solely to said office. The Advisor and Counsel shall function in harmony with the Supreme Council, the Archbishop, the Apostolic Head, and other officers of the Executive Council, while maintaining a primary loyalty and responsibility to the Patriarch and Chief Apostle.
Section 1.03 — Sacred Nature of the Office This office is not merely an administrative appointment but a sacred calling. The Advisor and Counsel is expected to approach all duties with the full acknowledgment that they serve not only the Patriarch and Chief Apostle but also the spiritual mission and divine purpose of the Mystical Order. As the Patriarch is recognized as a Living Instrument of Power and the voice of the Holy Spirit within the Order, the Advisor and Counsel must at all times uphold and protect that sacred mandate.
ARTICLE II — QUALIFICATIONS FOR OFFICE
Section 2.01 — Spiritual Requirements No person shall be appointed to the Office of Advisor and Counsel unless they satisfy the following spiritual qualifications:
(i) Must be a committed, baptized, and consecrated member of the Mystical Order of Spiritual Baptist in good standing;
(ii) Must demonstrate evidence of a mature and disciplined prayer life, grounded in the spiritual traditions and customs of the Spiritual Baptist faith, including but not limited to knowledge of the mourning rites, thanksgiving ceremonies, and liturgical practices of the Order;
(iii) Must be recognized by the Patriarch and Chief Apostle and the Executive Council as possessing a genuine anointing for the office of counsel and wisdom;
(iv) Must be a person of proven moral character, walking uprightly before God and the brethren.
Section 2.02 — Academic and Ecclesiastical Requirements (i) Must hold at a minimum the rank of ordained Minister, Elder, Shepherd, or equivalent office within the Mystical Order or a recognized affiliate body of the Spiritual Baptist faith;
(ii) Must demonstrate a working knowledge of the Articles of Faith, the Bylaws, the Ordinances, and the governance documents of The Mystical Order of Spiritual Baptist Inc.;
(iii) Demonstrated knowledge of scripture and Spiritual Baptist doctrine is required.
Section 2.03 — Character Requirements (i) Must be known as a person of exceptional discretion, able to hold in confidence matters of the highest ecclesiastical and personal sensitivity;
(ii) Must be free of any unresolved disciplinary actions, censures, or ecclesiastical sanctions within the Order;
(iii) Must be recognized as one who is free from personal ambition in matters of church governance and who seeks the good of the Order above self-interest.
ARTICLE III — APPOINTMENT AND TENURE
Section 3.01 — Appointment The Advisor and Counsel shall be appointed solely by the Patriarch and Chief Apostle, who may consult the Archbishop and Apostolic Head prior to making the appointment. The appointment shall be confirmed in writing, sealed under the authority of the Patriarchal Office, and recorded in the Minutes of the Executive Council.
Section 3.02 — Term of Office The Advisor and Counsel shall serve at the pleasure of the Patriarch and Chief Apostle. There is no fixed term of office; however, the appointment shall be subject to review whenever a new Patriarch assumes office. The incoming Patriarch may confirm the continuation of the Advisor and Counsel or appoint a new person to the office.
Section 3.03 — Removal from Office The Patriarch and Chief Apostle reserves the sole authority to remove the Advisor and Counsel from office. Grounds for removal shall include, but not be limited to, breach of confidentiality, conduct unbecoming of the office, disloyalty to the sacred mission of the Order, or failure to uphold the Articles of Faith and Bylaws of the Mystical Order of Spiritual Baptist Inc. The removal shall be communicated in writing and recorded accordingly.
ARTICLE IV — DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Section 4.01 — Primary Advisory Function The Advisor and Counsel shall be available to provide timely, prayerful, and well-considered guidance to the Patriarch and Chief Apostle on all matters referred to him or her. This includes matters of doctrinal interpretation, ecclesiastical governance, inter-clergy relations, church policy, and the spiritual well-being of the membership.
Section 4.02 — Attendance at Patriarchal Proceedings The Advisor and Counsel shall, when requested by the Patriarch and Chief Apostle, attend sessions of the Executive Council, ceremonial functions, and other gatherings in an advisory capacity. The Advisor and Counsel shall not hold voting rights on the Executive Council by virtue of this office alone, unless otherwise granted by the Patriarch.
Section 4.03 — Written Counsel When requested by the Patriarch and Chief Apostle, the Advisor and Counsel shall prepare written opinions, recommendations, or reports on any matter before the Patriarchal Office. All written counsel shall be submitted promptly, accurately, and in confidence.
Section 4.04 — Liaison Function The Advisor and Counsel may serve as a liaison between the Patriarch and Chief Apostle and other officers of the Order, including the Archbishop, the Apostolic Head, Divisional Patriarchs, Bishops, Mothers, Abbesses, Provosts, Trustees, and Cardinals, for the purpose of communicating the mind and direction of the Patriarch and facilitating unity within the leadership of the Order.
Section 4.05 — Support During Patriarchal Absence In instances where the Patriarch and Chief Apostle is temporarily unable to attend to matters of governance, the Advisor and Counsel shall, in consultation with the Archbishop and Apostolic Head, ensure that critical matters are appropriately attended to and communicated, in accordance with the protocols and Patriarchal Orders already established.
Section 4.06 — Upholding the Year of Unity and Annual Decrees The Advisor and Counsel shall actively support the decrees, declarations, and spiritual directives issued by the Patriarch and Chief Apostle — including the observance of declared sacred seasons such as the Year of Unity, annual fasting and prayer periods, and other Patriarchal proclamations — and shall assist in ensuring their communication and implementation throughout the Order.
ARTICLE V — CONDUCT AND ETHICS
Section 5.01 — Oath of Office Upon appointment, the Advisor and Counsel shall take a solemn Oath of Office before the Patriarch and Chief Apostle, pledging faithfulness to God, loyalty to the Order, and adherence to these rules and the Bylaws of the Mystical Order of Spiritual Baptist Inc.
Section 5.02 — Confidentiality The Advisor and Counsel shall hold in strict and perpetual confidence all matters discussed with or revealed by the Patriarch and Chief Apostle in the exercise of the advisory function. This obligation of confidentiality shall survive the conclusion of the appointment.
Section 5.03 — Conflict of Interest The Advisor and Counsel shall disclose to the Patriarch and Chief Apostle any personal, financial, familial, or ecclesiastical conflict of interest that may arise in connection with any matter on which counsel is sought. Upon such disclosure, the Patriarch shall determine whether the Advisor and Counsel shall continue to advise on that matter.
Section 5.04 — Prohibition Against Personal Advancement The Advisor and Counsel shall not use their proximity to the Patriarch and Chief Apostle to pursue personal ecclesiastical advancement, financial gain, or influence over matters beyond the scope of this office. Any evidence of such conduct shall constitute grounds for immediate removal.
Section 5.05 — Dress and Protocol The Advisor and Counsel shall observe all liturgical dress codes, protocol within the Order, and ceremonial customs as prescribed by the Mystical Order of Spiritual Baptist Inc., particularly in the presence of the Patriarch and Chief Apostle, and at all official functions of the Order.
ARTICLE VI — RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER OFFICES
Section 6.01 — Subordination to the Patriarch At all times, the Advisor and Counsel is subordinate to and serves at the direction of the Patriarch and Chief Apostle. Nothing in these rules shall be construed to grant independent authority to the Advisor and Counsel over any other officer or member of the Order.
Section 6.02 — Cooperation with the Executive Council The Advisor and Counsel shall work cooperatively and respectfully with the Archbishop, the Apostolic Head, the Divisional Patriarchs, and all other members of the Executive Council, recognizing that the spiritual strength of the Order lies in unity of purpose and submission to rightful authority.
Section 6.03 — Non-interference The Advisor and Counsel shall not interfere in the duties and prerogatives of any other office within the Order, nor shall they seek to undermine the authority of any duly appointed officer of the Mystical Order of Spiritual Baptist Inc.
ARTICLE VII — AMENDMENTS
These rules may be amended only by decree of the Patriarch and Chief Apostle, in consultation with the Archbishop and the Executive Council, and in accordance with the amendment procedures set forth in the Bylaws of The Mystical Order of Spiritual Baptist Inc.
Issued under the authority of the Patriarchal Office of The Mystical Order of Spiritual Baptist Inc. “The King is coming. Go ye out to meet Him.”
