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Preaching the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4:2 - |
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RESTATEMENT OF THE BY-LAWS ARTICLE I: MEMBERSHIP A. Admission
into membership: The membership of this
church shall consist only of those who give clear evidence of faith in Jesus
Christ as Savior and who sincerely desire to live a Godly Christian life for
the glory of God. Any person desiring to
unite with this church shall be examined by the Pastor and/or Elders to
determine that individual's qualifications for the church membership. Each
prospective member shall be acquainted with the Constitution and doctrines of
the church. It shall be the responsibility of the Pastor and/or Elders to
adequately instruct prospective members in regard to the constitution and
doctrines of the church. After having examined a prospective member, and upon
the approval of the Board of Elders, the prospective member shall be received
into the membership of the church. On the following Sunday, the new member
shall be presented to the rest of the membership at the close of the morning
service to be publicly welcomed into the church membership. Believer's baptism by
immersion is required for church membership. A believer's baptism from
another church is acceptable. B. Voting
Membership: An individual who is 18
years of age, or over, and who is received into membership of this church
shall automatically be entitled to vote at any congregational meeting
providing he is an active member. C. Duties of Members: It shall be the duty of
each member of this church: 1. To recognize the Holy Scriptures as
authoritative in every aspect of daily life and to read, study, and apply
those Scriptures in an effort to know and to do the will of God. 2. To
love and respect the spiritual leadership of the Pastor, Board of Elders, and
church family. 3. To
sincerely endeavor to maintain a Christian testimony in the home, community,
and church which is consistent with the doctrine set forth in this constitution. 4. To
cheerfully support the church in a financial and a sacrificial way as God
enables. 5. To
actively support the services, programs, and spiritual ministry of the church
in an effort to accomplish the purposes set forth in this constitution. D. Active and Inactive Members: An active member is one who regularly
attends at least a portion of the various services of the church. An active
member is one who contributes in a consistent way to the financial needs of
the church. An inactive member is one
who for some legitimate reason is unable to attend the services of the church
regularly or one who makes no attempt to attend or support the ministry of
the church in a consistent way. The
Board of Elders shall have the authority to determine when a member should be
placed on the inactive roll of the church. If a member does not attend or
support the ministry of the church over one year period, he/she will be
automatically placed on the inactive roll, before the annual business
meeting. E. Termination
of Membership: Any member desiring to
sever relations with the church may be granted a letter of termination and
standing. Upon uniting with another church, any member shall be automatically
dropped from the membership of the church. Any member who is inactive for two
years will receive a letter from the Board of Elders requesting whether he
desires his membership to be continued. If the member fails to respond,
termination of membership will follow. ARTICLE II: BOARD
OF ELDERS A. The
Board of Elders shall fulfill all the duties and have all the power of the
Official Church Board specified in the Certificate of Incorporation. The
Board of Elders shall be composed of spiritually qualified men who meet the
qualifications expressed in I Tim. 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. In keeping with the clear
teaching in God's Word concerning women being in a position of leadership or
authority over men (I Tim. 2:12), no woman may serve in the capacity of a
pastor or be a member of the Board of Elders. B. The
Board of Elders shall be composed of from two (2) to twelve (12) members. The
number constituting this Board shall be determined each year by the Board of
Elders. C. All
Board members shall be elected by the membership at the annual meeting for a
three year term of office. Each Board
member may succeed himself for an additional three year term, but then will
be required as a general rule to be off the Board of Elders for at least one
year before serving additional terms. However, should the Board of Elders be
in unanimous agreement that an
elder who has completed two terms of office could best serve the church by
remaining on the Board of Elders, this requirement to retire for one year can
be waived by a two-thirds majority vote of the congregation upon such
recommendation to the annual meeting of the congregation by the Board of
Elders. Such a re-elective procedure would occur on a yearly basis for an
indeterminate number of years. There are two ways to remove
a person from the Board of Elders of Grace Bible Church. They are: 1. Resignation from the Board 2. Two-thirds vote by the Board of
Elders In the event an elected
board member or other elected position in the church resigns from the
position before completing his full term, the Board of Elders shall appoint
someone to complete that term. Nominations for elected
positions will be presented to the board from a committee consisting of the
pastor, one board member, and one member from the church membership at large. D. The
Board of Elders shall have the legal right to hold in the corporate name of
the church, the deeds, titles, etc., of any and all property and funds used
to carry on the ministry of this church. The Board of Elders, in the corporate
name of the Church, may purchase, lease, own, use, manage, control, maintain,
improve, encumber, sell, exchange any real or personal property necessary for
the best interest, welfare, and development of the church and its membership.
The Board of Elders may spend, without consulting the church body up to
$10,000.00; subject to funds being available from non-borrowed sources. The
Board of Elders may also spend designated donations of any given amount, if
the desired project is approved by the Board of Elders. Any purchase
involving land or long-term obligation, of any type, must be approved by a
majority vote of the church membership. It shall be the duty of the
Board of Elders to choose from its number, a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary,
Church Treasurer, and Mission Chairman. The Board shall determine and specify
the duties of each of these officers. However, other officers and special
committees may be appointed when necessary. It shall be the
responsibility of the Board of Elders to oversee all of the executive matters
of the church and to see to it that the church is provided with spiritual
leadership at all times. The Board of Elders shall
meet at regular intervals as determined by the members of the Board. All
business of the Board shall be decided by a majority vote, except as
otherwise stated herein. Matters of church business may be presented by any
member of the church at any of the regular meetings of the Board. All members of the Board of
Elders must be active members of the church and must be in full agreement
with the doctrines of the church as specified in Section 1 of the Statement
of Biblical Faith, and respectful of the position taken by the church in
regard to doctrines specified in Section 2 of the Statement of Biblical
Faith. Each Board member shall be elected by at least a majority vote of the
church membership present at an official business meeting of the church. All officers,
organizations, boards, and departments within the church shall be subject to
the authority of the Board of Elders. E. OFFICES
1. Chairman: a. He
shall preside at all meetings of the congregational business assembly and the
Board of Elders. b. He
shall represent the congregation in conducting all business affairs of the corporation,
as directed by the voting members. He may delegate at his discretion, his
duties in conducting the business affairs of the corporation to other duly
constituted officers, who shall conduct such delegated duties under his
supervision, and subject to the approval of the voting membership of the
church. c. The chairman shall, on
behalf of the corporation, sign all deeds, bills of sale, mortgages, notes,
and other, contracts and legal documents, upon the approval of the voting
membership, EXCEPT his signature shall not be necessary for the validity of
any checks or drafts issued by the corporation. 2. Vice-Chairman: The vice-chairman shall assume all
the duties of the Chairman in his absence. 3. Secretary: a. The secretary shall be responsible for the safe keeping of all
permanent minutes, past and present, of the congregation. b. He shall faithfully record in permanent records all minutes of
the congregational business meetings and the Elder Board meetings. c.
He shall conduct official correspondence of the church membership or
the Board of Elders. d.
He shall provide a copy of the constitution and by-laws to all new
members. e.
He shall maintain an accurate list of all voting members of the
corporation. f. He shall be responsible for notifying members of the voting
membership of the date, time, and place of special meetings. g. He shall submit a list of amendments to the constitution and
by-laws passed during the past year in the annual congregational meeting. h. He shall affix the corporate seal to all legal documents
signed by the Chairman as authorized by the voting membership, and shall
attest to the signature of the chairman thereon. i. He may appoint a member to serve as church clerk, to assist
in proper maintenance of the official records. 4. Church
Treasurer: a. He
shall approve any bills to be paid by the Financial Secretary. b. He
shall request a church financial statement from the Financial Secretary for any
official meeting, such as annual, special, or board. c. He
may appoint a financial secretary to assist in the financial transactions of
the church. 1. The Financial Secretary shall keep
accurate and up-to-date records of all financial transactions of the church. 2. The Financial Secretary shall have the
authority to write and sign checks and to pay all bills of the church out of
the church bank account, subject to approval by the Church Treasurer. 3. The Financial Secretary shall submit a
financial report to the Board of Elders by way of the church treasurer, at
the regular Board meetings, special business meetings, and shall report the
financial condition of the church at the annual congregational meeting. 5.
Missions Chairman: a. An
Elder appointed annually by the Board of Elders will function as chairman of
the missions committee. b. It
will be the responsibility of the Missions Chairman and Missions committee to
actively promote missionaries and missionary organizations that are dedicated
to the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ in accordance with the
doctrinal statement and missions policy of Grace Bible Church. F. PASTOR: 1. It
shall be the responsibility of the Board of Elders to extend calls to
prospective Pastors and to see that the church is provided with supply
Pastors when without a regular Pastor. 2. Calling
a Pastor: A pulpit committee chosen by the Board
of Elders shall be responsible for making contact with prospective Pastors. After
examining the qualifications of the prospective pastors, the pulpit committee
shall send the prospective Pastor a copy of the constitution for his
prayerful consideration. If he is in accord with the declarations of the
Constitution and By-laws he may be invited to the church to preach in the
Sunday services before the congregation. The prospective Pastor shall then
meet with the Board of Elders for examination. If the Board of Elders
approves him unanimously, then they shall call a special business meeting of
the church membership for the purpose of voting on the prospective Pastor. If
a seventy five (75) per cent favorable vote of members present is cast, the
prospective Pastor shall be called to the pastorate of the church. If the
vote is unfavorable, the candidate shall be notified and a new candidate
shall be called. The Pastor shall serve so long as it is
mutually agreeable to him and the church. When either the Pastor or the
church wishes to terminate the pastorate, the party desiring such a change
shall give the other party sufficient notice. Insofar as possible, two months
notice of such action shall be given. 3. Duties
of the Pastor: It shall be the duty of the Pastor to
preach regularly at the church, to administer the ordinances of the gospel,
and to perform the various duties incumbent on his office. He is to serve as
a voting member of the Board of Elders. He may not be called upon to serve as
Chairman of the Board of Elders. He shall assume, with the Board of Elders,
the spiritual leadership of the church, working closely and directly with
various officers of the church and supervising, with the Board of Elders, the
spiritual program of the entire ministry of the church. The pastor is in charge of and responsible
for the pulpit and shall see that the preaching ministry is provided for in
his own absence, subject to approval by the Board of Elders. ARTICLE III: BOARD
OF DEACONS A. The
membership of the Board of Deacons shall be subject to similar qualifications
regulating the Board of Elders. B. The
Board of Deacons shall be composed of up to six (6) members. They shall be
elected for a two year term of office. C. It
shall be the responsibility of the Board of Deacons to meet monthly and care for
the physical needs of the church property and such other physical duties that
the Board of Elders brings to their attention. They shall report the
activities of the Board of Deacons to the Board of Elders along with
appraisals of upcoming needs and activities as far as possible. D. They
shall be allowed to purchase necessary materials or services not to exceed
one hundred dollars ($100) if available for the maintenance and repair of the
church property. E. They
shall advertise, organize, and supervise all approved repair, maintenance,
construction, alteration, or work day activities of church property. F. The
Board of Deacons shall organize themselves and elect a Chairman,
Vice-Chairman, and Secretary. G. The
secretary shall keep minutes of each meeting and shall provide one copy of
the minutes of each meeting to the Chairman of the Board of Elders. H. If
a Deacon resigns from his position before completing his full term, the Board
of Elders shall appoint someone to complete that term. (See Article II, B.) ARTICLE IV: CHRISTIAN
EDUCATION BOARD A. Each
member of the Christian Education Board shall be active members of Grace
Bible Church. B. Each
member of the Christian Education Board shall be elected for two year term with
the exception of the Pastor who is always a member of this board. C. It
shall be the responsibility of the Christian Education Board to coordinate
the entire teaching ministry of the church. The Christian Education Board
shall function within the guidelines of the accepted Christian Education
Board policy. D. The
Christian Education Board shall be comprised of five persons with the
following titles: Pastor, Chairman of Events, Chairman of Youth, Chairman of
Committees, and Sunday School Superintendent. E. The
Christian Education Board shall organize themselves with the stipulation that
the Chairman be a male. The Chairman will appoint a Secretary. F. The
Secretary shall keep minutes of each meeting and provide one copy of the
minutes of each meeting to the Chairman of the Board of Elders. 1. Sunday School Superintendent: The Sunday School Superintendent must be
a male and an active member of the church and in full agreement with the
doctrines of the church. It shall be the responsibility of the
Sunday School Superintendent to appoint as appropriate, a Sunday School
Secretary, a Sunday School Treasurer, a Sunday School Pianist, and teachers
for each class. Each of these appointments shall be approved by the Christian
Education Board. The Sunday School Superintendent shall see to it that each
part of the Sunday School Ministry is cared for in a proper manner. He shall
work closely with the Pastor to develop and maintain a Bible-teaching
ministry in the Sunday School that will be effective in producing spiritual
results in the lives of individuals. a. Sunday
School Secretary: The Sunday School Secretary may be
appointed by the Superintendent on an annual basis. The Secretary must be an
active member of the church and must be approved by the Christian Education
Board. It shall be the responsibility of the
Secretary to keep a proper record of the entire ministry of the Sunday
School, including a record of enrollment and attendance. It shall be the duty
of the Secretary to keep a record of Sunday School materials and supplies as
needed. The Secretary shall work closely with the Superintendent and the
Pastor in regard to materials and supplies ordered for the Sunday School. b. Sunday
School Treasurer: The Sunday School Treasurer may be
appointed by the Superintendent on a yearly basis. The treasurer must be an
active member of the church in full agreement with the doctrines of the
church. The treasurer's appointment must be approved by the Christian
Education Board. The treasurer shall keep an accurate record of all money
received into the Sunday School. He must keep an accurate and up-to-date
record of all financial transactions of the Sunday School. He shall be responsible for the deposit
of all Sunday School funds and bills into the hands of the Financial
Secretary. c. Teachers:
(1). Appointment of Teachers: All Sunday School teachers
shall be appointed by the Sunday School Superintendent. Each appointment shall be approved by the
Christian Education Board and shall be for a period of one year. (2). Duties of Teachers: All Sunday School teachers, youth
leaders or other persons responsible in a teaching ministry in any department
of the church shall be a member of the church in full agreement with the
doctrines and constitution. 2. Youth
Chairman: The Youth Chairman will be a male,
elected by the congregation and will be an active member in full agreement with
the doctrines of Grace Bible Church. 3. Chairman of Events: The Chairman of Events shall be elected
by the congregation and will be an active member in full agreement with the
doctrines of Grace Bible Church. 4. Chairman
of Committees: The Chairman of Committees shall be elected
by the congregation and will be an active member in full agreement with the
doctrines of Grace Bible Church. ARTICLE V: MEETINGS A. Annual
Meeting: The regular annual meeting shall be held
during the month of January each year, as determined by the Board of Elders.
The regular annual meeting shall be held for the purpose of electing members
of the Board of Elders, Board of Deacons, Board of Christian Education,
standing committees and all other elected positions; and for submitting
reports from each department of the church. B. Special
Business Meetings: Special business meetings
may be called at any time by the Pastor or the Board of Elders. The same
rules and regulations shall apply to the special business meetings as are
applied to the annual business meetings, with the exception of a special
meeting called for the purpose of calling a Pastor. In the case of a business
meeting called for the purpose of calling a Pastor, there need be no
announcement made of the meeting two Sundays prior to the date thereof.
However, a written notice of the meeting must be sent to each member as soon
as possible, announcing the meeting, its purpose, and the date. C. Notice
of Annual Meeting: Notice of the annual business meeting
shall be announced in the church, during both Sunday School and Church
services, on the last two Sundays prior to the date thereof. D. Business: All business shall be conducted with a
quorum of at least one fourth of the active membership of the church. E. Amendment
of the Constitution: For amending the constitution, notice
of such meeting and the amendments to be voted upon must be submitted to the
church member in writing at least two Sundays in advance of the meeting.
Amendments can only be adopted by two-thirds majority vote of the membership
present. ARTICLE VI: ORDER OF BUSINESS A. The
rules contained in the "Robert's Rules of Order" shall govern the
basic meeting procedures at all regular meetings of the voting membership,
except where these may be inconsistent with the by-laws of the corporation. B. The
following shall be the order of business for regular business meetings of the
voting membership: 1. Devotion 6. Pastor's Report 2. Roll Call 7. Unfinished Business 3. Reading of minutes 8. New Business 4. Recognition of New Members 9. Adjournment 5. Reports of Officers and Boards 10. Closing
Prayer ARTICLE VII: FINANCIAL POLICY A. The
financial needs of this church shall be raised by free-will offerings. No
canvass of members or of persons outside the church shall be made for
financial support. Neither shall pressure of any kind be brought to bear upon
members of this church for financial support. However, each member of the
church shall be expected to bear his share of the financial needs of the
church with a willing heart. An annual audit shall be made of the
financial records of the church by a committee appointed by the Board of
Elders. B. The
Board of Elders shall determine to whom authority shall be given for the
purpose of purchasing materials and supplies. Only those persons who have
been granted authority by the Elder Board shall purchase items for the
church. ARTICLE VIII: MISSIONS This church shall be a missionary church
with a missionary fund being established and maintained especially for the
purpose of supporting missionaries and missionary organizations that are
dedicated to the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ in a Scriptural
way. The Board of Elders shall have authority to administer and care for the
missionary ministry of the church. ARTICLE IX: DISSOLUTION All funds and properties of disbanded
or dissolved organizations or classes of this church and Sunday School shall
automatically become the property of the church to be dispersed by
recommendation of the Board of Elders and members of the church. In the event
that this church organization should cease to exist and function as a church,
all properties and funds would be disposed of and distributed to some other
organization of a similar nature as designated by the United States
Department of Internal Revenue. Dissolution of the corporation shall
require the following: A. An
affirmation vote of 75% of the membership at a regular or special meeting and
following such affirmative vote the matter shall be referred to the Board of
Elders. B. Should
75% of the Board of Elders vote for dissolution, the Board shall have the
authority to proceed to dissolve the corporation in accordance with these
by-laws. In the event of dissolution
other than incident to merger or consolidation, the assets of the corporation
shall be transferred to an organization of similar purpose so long as that
organization is exempt under the provisions of Title 26, United States Code;
Section 501 (C), (3), and contributions to which are deductible under Title
26, United States Code; Section 170 (C), (2). AMENDMENT To the By-Laws of Grace
Bible Church AWANA STAFF Levels of leadership were
ordained by God, and there are many illustrations of such leadership
organization in the scriptures. An effective AWANA leader will be: 1. A saved person with a consistent Christian
testimony and Godly walk who will be able to graciously handle, guide, and
work with boys and girls, other leaders, and the administration of the local
church. 2. A person with a burden and a vision that
many boys and girls will trust Christ as Savior and become established in the
Christian faith. 3. A person with a youthful attitude (not
necessarily a youth). 4. A person who is patient and gentle, yet
firm in his convictions (II Tim. 2:24-25). 5. A person who is interested in others.
(Phil. 2:4). 6. A humble person who is willing to do
anything for the Lord (Acts 20:19). 7. A person who loves God's word and lives it
(II Cor. 6:1-10). |
