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BYLAWS
I. Church Membership
Section
1: General
This is s
sovereign and democratic Southern Baptist Church under the Lordship of
Jesus Christ. The membership retains unto itself the exclusive right of
self-government in all phases of the spiritual and temporal life of this
church.
The membership
reserves the exclusive right to determine who shall be members of this
church and the conditions of such membership.
Section
2. Candidacy
Any person may
offer himself/herself as a candidate in this church. All such candidates
shall be presented to the church at any regular church service for
membership in any of the following ways:
[1].
By profession of faith and for baptism according to the policies of this
church.
[2].
By promise of letter of recommendation from another Baptist church of like
faith and practice and after review of membership committee.
[3].
By restoration upon a statement of prior conversion experience and baptism
in a Baptist church of like faith and practice when no letter is
obtainable and after review of church membership committee.
Should there be
any question as to any candidate it shall be referred to the
Deacon’s/Pastor for investigation and the making of a recommendation to
the church within thirty days.
Section
3: New Member Orientation
New members of
this church are expected to participate in the church’s new member
orientation.
Section
4: Rights of Members
[1].
Every member in good fellowship of the church, is entitled to vote at all
elections and on all questions submitted to the church in conference,
provided the member is present.
[2].
every member in good fellowship of the church, is eligible for
consideration by the membership as candidates for elective offices in the
church.
[3].
every member in good fellowship of the church, may participate in the
ordinances of the church as administered by the church.
Section
5: Termination of Membership
Membership shall
be terminated in the following ways:
[1]
death of the member,
[2]
dismiss ion to another Baptist church of like faith and practice,
[3]
exclusion by action of this church, or
[4]
erasure upon request or proof of membership in a church of another
denomination.
Section
6: Discipline
It shall be the
practice of this church to emphasize to its members that every reasonable
measure will be taken to assist any troubled member. The pastor, other
members of the church staff and deacons are available for counsel and
guidance. The attitude of members toward one another shall be guided by a
concern for redemption rather than punishment.
Should some
serious condition exist which would cause a member to become a liability
to the general welfare of the church, the pastor and the deacons will take
every reasonable measure to resolve the problem in accord with Matthew 18.
If it becomes necessary for the church to take action to exclude a member,
a majority vote of the member present is required; and the church may
proceed to declare the person to be no longer in the membership of the
church. All such proceedings shall be pervaded by a spirit of Christian
kindness and forbearance.
The church may
restore to membership any person previously excluded, upon request of the
excluded person, and by vote of the church upon evidence of the excluded
person’s repentance and reformation. [Majority vote of total present].
Section
7: Covenant Fellowship Relationships
All members of
the church are to live and cooperate actively within the church fellowship
as outlined under the church covenant.
Section
8: Termination of fellowship [
Not Membership]
Any member who
has not attended the church for one year shall be considered out of
fellowship; rights and privileges of membership shall be withdrawn.
[Shut-ins excluded].
CHURCH OFFICERS
AND COMMITTEES
All who serve
as officers of the church and those who serve on church committees shall
be members of this church.
Section
1: Covenant for Pastor and Church Relationship.
The
Pastor’s Covenant:
1.
I will establish my ministry upon the Bible as the Word of God.
2.
I will place service to Christ above personal desires.
3.
I will exercise the freedom to preach the gospel responsibly and
respect the freedom of the people.
4.
I will strive to regard all persons with equal love and seek to
minister impartially to the needs of all.
5.
I will handle responsibly all confidences shared with me.
6.
I will seek to exercise my gifts in developing and involving the
membership.
7.
I will strive to remain open to constructive criticism and be
receptive to suggestions intended to strengthen our ministry.
8.
I will use my influence to enlist the cooperation of this church
in support of Southern Baptist Convention emphases
upon Evangelism and Missions.
9.
I will refuse the temptation to enter into unfair competition
with my fellow pastors in order to secure a position.
10.
I will relate in a supportive way to my fellow pastors.
11.
I will exercise the necessary discipline to stay mentally,
spiritually, and physically fit.
12.
I will be honest in my stewardship of money, endeavoring to live
within my income and securing my debts.
13.
I will be fair with my family, giving them the time and
consideration they need.
14.
I will guard my integrity and the integrity of my colleagues by
being open with my past.
15.
I will, when the termination of my pastoral relationship becomes
necessary, continue to serve and strengthen the church until the time of
my departure.
16.
I will, upon my departure, sever my pastoral relations with this
church, recognizing that all pastoral functions should henceforth
rightfully be conducted by my successors.
The
Church’s Covenant
As a church
under the Lordship of Christ:
1.
We affirm that in some unique way God, through His Spirit, brings
church and pastor together.
2.
We will recognize the freedom of the pulpit, acknowledging our
pastor’s right to speak the truth of God in love.
3.
We will inform our pastor of illness and other special needs
requiring pastoral care.
4.
We will call on our pastor for weddings, funerals, and other
pastoral services and only with his concurrence, request him
to invite other ministers to share in such services.
5.
We will seek to support our pastor without comparing him to
previous leadership.
6.
We will encourage and provide opportunity for our pastor to have
sufficient time for study.
7.
We will recognize our pastor’s need for physical and spiritual
renewal by providing him an adequate vacation period and
enabling him to attend helpful conferences.
8.
We will recognize our responsibility to our pastor, to the best
of our ability, cooperation and support of his daily work.
9.
We will, in calling a man as our pastor, take into consideration
his past years of service.
10.
We will respect the time and talents of the pastor’s family and
require no more rigid standard of conduct for his wife and children than
we set for ourselves.
11.
We will pray for our pastor, encourage and support him as he
seeks to lead us in our task and as he participates in the larger
ministry of this church.
12.
When our pastor terminates his services with us we will cease to
look to him for pastoral care.
13.
We will observe these principles in relation to other members of
our church staff, consistent with their responsibilities.
The
Pastor and Church’s Covenant:
With
the knowledge that the advancement of the cause of Christ, on earth
depends upon our cooperative efforts:
1.
We will strive cooperatively to create and sustain an effective
ministry that will renew and strengthen each member. To that end, we will faithfully witness in every area of life.
2.
We will actively seek and welcome into membership with us all
persons without regard to their economic or social status, race or nationality.
3.
We will accept our responsibility for moral and spiritual
development in our community by striving to live up to the standards of
citizenship consistent with Christian principles.
4.
We will be sensitive to the moral and ethical soundness of every
project we are asked to support.
5.
We will honor our financial obligations and endeavor to maintain
a high credit standing in the community.
6.
We will acknowledge and affirm the presence of other churches and
denominations within our community, seeking understanding and
communication with them commensurate with our respective beliefs.
7.
We will affirm the right of other churches to claim the loyalty
of their people.
8.
We will periodically evaluate constructively our church’s
fellowship and ministry.
9.
We will, in the event of problems within our fellowship, seek
promptly a solution in the spirit of Christian brotherhood and personal
respect of all concerned.
10.
We will, when it appears necessary to the mutual effectiveness of
pastor and church, terminate the pastoral relationship in the spirit of
Christian understanding and love.
11.
We will, as a cooperating church, participate in and support
our Mission Program And
our Southern Baptist Cooperative Program.
Section
2: Church Officers
The officers
of this church shall be the pastor, the deacons, a moderator, a clerk, a
treasurer, and trustees.
[1]. The
pastor is responsible for leading the church to function as a N. T.
church. The pastor will lead the congregation, the organizations, and to
lead them to perform their tasks.The pastor is
leader of pastoral ministries in the church; as such he works with the
deacons and comittees to:
[1]
lead the church in the achievement of its mission,
[2]
proclaim the gospel to believers and unbelievers, and
[3]
care for the church’s members and other persons in the community. A
pastor shall be chosen and called by the church whenever a vacancy
occurs. The election shall take place at a meeting called for that
purpose, of which announcement has been made from the pulpit [2] times.
A pastor
selection committee shall be elected by the church to seek out a
suitable pastor, and its recommendations will constitute a nomination.
The committee shall bring to the consideration of the church only one
name at a time. Election shall be by vote, and affirmation vote of a
majority of those present being necessary for a choice. The pastor, thus
elected, shall serve until the relationship is terminated by his request
or the church’s request. He shall preside at meetings of this church,
and if so designated may serve as moderator in all business meetings in
keeping with the rules of order authorized in these by-laws.
The pastor may
relinquish the office as pastor by giving at least 30 days notice to the
church at the time of resignation. The church may declare the office of
pastor vacant. Such action shall take place at a meeting called for that
purpose, of which at least [2] notices from the pulpit has been given.
The meeting may be called upon the recommendation of a majority of the
church council or the deacons. The moderator for this meeting shall be
the assistant moderator. The vote to declare the office vacant shall be
by show of hands an affirmative vote of a majority of members present
being necessary to declare the office vacant. Except in cases of gross
misconduct by the pastor so excluded from office, the church will
compensate the pastor with not less than one twelfth of his total annual
compensation. The termination shall be immediate and the compensation
shall be rendered in not more than [30] days.
Pastor
Selection Committee:
This committee
will consist of [3] active members and one alternate, male and female.
All committee members will be elected by the church from nominees
presented from the floor.
The pastor
after being called shall be permitted a two week vacation during each
twelve month period. He shall have two revivals each year, and the
pulpit supply minister shall be chosen by him. The church will pay the
supply minister. If pastor is sick, if possible, notice will be given
for supply of pulpit and pay to supply will be paid by pastor.
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