Statutes
International Association of Catholic Missiologists
Back Home Next
 

STATUTES OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CATHOLIC MISSIOLOGISTS

 Article I.         THE NAME OF THE ASSOCIATION

The name of this society shall be “The International Association of Catholic Missiologists” (to be known also by the acronym: IACM).

Article II.        THE PURPOSE OF THE ASSOCIATION

The IACM exists for the purpose of promoting missiological research, studies and educational activities and encouraging collaboration among Catholic missiologists.  Although the Association and its members affirm their specifically Roman Catholic identity, the IACM seeks to promote the unity and common witness of all the disciples of Jesus Christ, to foster true dialogue with all people, with their own religious and cultural traditions, and to participate in interdisciplinary approaches to understanding human beings in their relations to God, to each other and to all of God’s creation.  The Association is at the service of missionary activity in its specific sense, as it has come to be understood since the Second Vatican Council, without, however, losing sight of the missionary dimension of other activities of the Church.

            The specific objectives of the IACM include the following:

1) To foster fellowship among Catholic missiologists, thus encouraging them to contribute personally and collectively to the fulfillment of the objectives of the Association.

2) To promote scholarly studies of questions relating to the missionary nature and activity of the Church, encouraging theologians in their delicate work of developing an inculturated theology, carried out with courage, in faithfulness to the Church’s tradition and in full ecclesial communion (cf. Ecclesia in Asia, 22).

3) To contribute to the content and quality of missiological education and formation, not only in Catholic academic Faculties and Institutes dedicated to this specialization, but also in programs for the initial and continuing formation of the clergy, religious and laity in the local Churches.

4) To be at the service of the diverse local Churches in their mission of evangelizing all peoples and all human situations.

5) To identify, investigate and analyze the missionary challenges present in both perduring and newly emerging human contexts.

6) To further biblical, theological, historical, pastoral, religio-cultural and social science studies related to the evangelizing mission of the Church;

7) To promote mutually enriching relationships with other Christian missiologists and with other scholars dedicated to of mission related studies.

8) To organize academic encounters (scientific congresses, symposia, workshops, etc.) on missiological questions of current and fundamental importance.

9) To cooperate with existing missiological reviews, by means of articles produced by its members, and eventually publish its own Bulletin or Review.

The IACM shall work in close collaboration with other international, regional or national missiological societies.

Article III.      THE MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION

 1) There shall be two types of Members: Individual and Corporate.

2) Individual Members shall be those who hold a graduate or post-graduate degree in Missiology (a Doctorate, Licentiate or Master’s, or the equivalents of these degrees) or in related disciplines, who actually are engaged in missiological education and research, who adhere to these Statutes of the IACM and share in its activities.

3) Corporate Members shall be Catholic missiological Faculties or Institutes that offer graduate programs in this specialization, as well as other centers that engage in missiological research and publication.

4) The Executive Board of the IACM may also designate as Honorary Members those persons who have made a notable contribution to the advancement of the discipline of missiology.

5) It shall be the task of the Executive Board to lay down the particular norms for membership and to admit new Members upon the recommendation one or more persons who already are members.

6) Associates of the IACM shall be students who are candidates for a graduate degree in missiology. These become full members upon earning their degree and upon the recommendation of their moderator, in keeping with the norm above stated.

7) Members shall contribute to the continuing operations of the Association through the payment of an annual membership fee to be determined by the Executive Board.

Article IV.       THE LEADERSHIP OF THE ASSOCIATION

1) The leadership of the IACM shall reside in an Executive Board composed of the President, Vice-president, Executive Secretary, Treasurer, Financial Administrator and a number of Regional Representatives.

2) The duties of the officers shall be as follows:

            a) The President shall be responsible for convening meetings of the entire Association and of its Executive Board and for presiding at these meetings. The President shall be the ordinary official representative of the IACM before other entities.  The President shall work closely with the other officers, particularly the Executive Secretary.  The President shall exercise a particular responsibility for maintaining the Association’s faithfulness to its purpose, shaping its evangelizing thrust, animating its spirit, fostering its unity, and for channeling its activities towards a truly effective contribution to the mission of the Church.

            b) The Vice-president shall take the place of the President in those cases to be determined by the By-laws of the Association.

            c) The Executive Secretary, personally or with the aid of appointed assistants, shall keep an accurate record of the membership, keep the minutes of its meetings, send out mailings in coordination with the President and the Executive Board and perform other duties incumbent on this office. 

            d) The Treasurer shall be in charge of receiving and disbursing of the funds of the Association, solicit membership dues and perform other duties of a financial nature.  A financial administrator may assist the Treasurer.

            e) The Regional Representatives shall promote the objectives and activities of the IACM in the geographical or ecclesial areas assigned to them and communicate the apostolic experiences, activities or concerns of these areas in meetings of the Executive Board as well as in other instances. 

            f) The Executive Board shall have two types of meetings: reduced operative meetings of certain officers on a regular and frequent basis and plenary meetings of the entire Board to be held at times established by the By-laws of the IACM or otherwise decided by its appointed officers.

3.  For the purpose of relating the IACM to other entities and other aspects of effective leadership, the seat of the Association shall be the habitual residence of the President, normally where an academic institution can offer the needed infrastructure for efficient operations. 

Article V.  MEETINGS OF THE ASSOCIATION

1. The Association shall have a plenary Assembly in which all Members have the right and duty to attend, normally at intervals of every four years.

2. This plenary Assembly shall elect the Executive Officers of the IACM, make decisions relating to its Statutes and modifications of the same and establish the mayor policies, which guide the operations and activities of the Association.

3.  The Executive Board shall meet at times and places established by the By-laws or otherwise decided by its President and Executive Secretary in a process that involves proper consultation and dialogue with the other members of the Board.

4. The President and Executive Secretary shall meet on a regular and frequent basis to ensure the most effective and properly coordinated operations of the Association.

Article VI.       THE ELECTION OF THE OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION

1. A full majority (more than 50%) of the Members present at the plenary Assemblies of the Association shall elect the Executive Officers of the IACM.  The By-laws of the Association shall determine the quorum needed for elections and other decisive actions of the Assembly.  

2.  All individual Members shall have an active vote in these Assemblies; the modality and weight of the votes of corporate Members shall be determined by the By-laws.  Associates do not have the right to vote for Officers, approve or modify Statutes or determine the major policies of the IACM, but shall otherwise be able to participate actively in the deliberations and activities of the Association as determined by the By-laws.

3. A Nominations Committee may be asked to prepare “straw ballots” or employ other means to present the names of persons or slates of persons to be voted on as Officers of the Association.

4. The detailed modalities of elections and the manner of filling vacancies shall be determined by the By-laws of the IACM.

Article VII.     THE COMMITTEES OF THE ASSOCIATION

The Executive Board of the IACM may designate “Standing Committees”, for Missiological Faculties or Institutes, for Publications, for Nominations and for the organization of scientific missiological congresses or similar encounters.  “Ad hoc” committees may be named to carry out specific tasks.

Article VIII.    THE APPROVAL AND MODIFICATION OF THE STATUTES

The formal approval and modification of the Statutes are the competency of the plenary Assembly of the Association.

Appendix: THE BY-LAWS OF THE ASSOCIATION

 A point that should enter into the By Laws of the IACM:

The normal operating language of the IACM shall be English, with particular attention given to the need to facilitate the full participation of its members of continental areas where another language (e.g. Spanish) is widespread.

 Recapitulation of other items to be included in the By Laws:

 1.        The determination of those cases in which the Vice-president shall take the place of the President (IV, 2, b).

2.        The determination of the frequency of the plenary meetings of the entire Executive Board (IV, 2, f; V, 3).

3.        The determination of the modality and weight of the votes of corporate Members in the Assemblies (VI, 2).

4.        The determination of the modalities for the participation of Associates in the activities of the Association (VI, 2).

5.        The determination of the detailed modalities of elections and the manner of filling vacancies (VI, 4).

6.        The modalities for the designation of the “Standing Committees” of the Association (VII).

Recapitulation of matters of policy to be established by the Executive Board:

 1.        The determination of the particular norms for membership and the admission of new Members (III, 7).

2.        The determination of the amount of the annual membership fee to be paid by the Members of the IACM (III, 7).

This is the version presented to the First Plenary Assembly of the Association and approved by it in Rome on 21 October 2000 and revised the following day by the “ad hoc” committee charged with this task on the basis of the amendments recommended. 

2004 Assembly English Italiano Español Member's Papers Statutes In Memoriam