“'Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which is translated, 'God with us.” Matthew 1:23
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“'Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which is translated, 'God with us.” Matthew 1:23
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| Article One Offices The principal office of [church name], hereinafter referred to as the Corporation, shall be located at the address set forth in the Articles of Incorporation. The Corporation may have such other offices, either within or without the State of Incorporation, as the board of trustees may determine.1 ____________________ Article Two Membership Members shall be all people who contribute financially to the Corporation (church). Membership is granted and recognized with voting powers when a person has attended the church long enough to receive an annual contributions statement. A contribution statement is the certificate of membership. Should one year pass without a record of contribution, membership is automatically terminated. Members’ voting rights are described in Article Nine, Paragraph 5, relating to nominations for the board of elders and Article Five, relating to the selection of a new senior pastor. Members shall have no other voting rights.2 ____________________ Article Three Statement of Faith3 Holy Bible: The Holy Bible, and only the Bible, is the authoritative Word of God. It alone is the final authority for determining all doctrinal truths. In its original writing, the Bible is inspired, infallible and inerrant (see Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21). Trinity: There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit. These three are coequal and coeternal (see Genesis 1:26; Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 28:19; Luke 1:35; Hebrews 3:7-11; 1 John 5:7). Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. On earth, Jesus was 100 percent God and 100 percent man. He is the only man ever to have lived a sinless life. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the Cross for humankind and, thus, atoned for our sins through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return again in power and glory (see Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1, 14; John 20:28; Phil. 2:5-6; 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 Tim. 3:16). Virgin Birth: Jesus Christ was conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity) in the virgin Mary’s womb; therefore, He is the Son of God (see Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18, 23-25; Luke 1:27-35). Redemption: Humanity was created good and upright, but by voluntary transgression, it fell. Humanity’s only hope for redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God (see Genesis 1:26-31; Genesis 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21). Regeneration: For anyone to know God, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential (see John 6:44, 65). Salvation: We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ: His death, burial and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human effort (see Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Galatians 2:16; Galatians 3:8; Ephes. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 9:22). Repentance: Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, through repentance we receive forgiveness of sins and appropriate salvation (see Acts 2:21; Acts 3:19; 1 John 1:9). Sanctification: Sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ’s character in us. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a godly life (see Romans 8:29; Romans 12:1-2; 2 Cor. 3:18; 2 Cor. 6:14-18; 1 Thes. 4:3; 1 Thes. 5:23; 2 Thes. 2:1-3; Hebrews 2:11). Jesus’ Blood: The blood Jesus Christ shed on the cross of Calvary was sinless and is 100 percent sufficient to cleanse humankind from all sin. Jesus allowed Himself to be punished for both our sinfulness and our sins, enabling all those who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death (see John 1:29; Romans 3:10-12, 23; Romans 5:9; Col. 1:20; 1 John 1:7; Rev. 1:5; Rev. 5:9). Jesus Christ Indwells All Believers: Christians are people who have invited the Lord Jesus Christ to come and live inside them by His Holy Spirit. They relinquish the authority of their lives over to Him, thus making Jesus the Lord of their lives as well as Savior. They put their trust in what Jesus accomplished for them when He died, was buried and rose again from the dead (see John 1:12; John 14:17, 23; John 15:4; Romans 8:11; Rev. 3:20). Baptism in the Holy Spirit: Given at Pentecost, the baptism in the Holy Spirit is the promise of the Father. It was sent by Jesus after His Ascension to empower the Church to preach the gospel throughout the whole earth (see Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 3:11; Mark 16:17; Acts 1:5; Acts 2:1-4, 17, 38-39; Acts 8:14-17; Acts 10:38, 44-47; Acts 11:15-17; Acts 19:1-6). The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the Church, demonstrate the validity of the Resurrection and confirm the power of the gospel. The lists of these gifts in the Bible are not necessarily exhaustive, and the gifts may occur in various combinations. All believers are commanded to earnestly desire the manifestation of the gifts in their lives. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in violation of biblical parameters (see Romans 1:11; Romans 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:1-31; 1 Cor. 14:1-40; Ephes. 4:16; 1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:5-16; Hebrews 2:4; 1 Peter 4:10). The Church: The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus’ Great Commission. Every person born of the Spirit is an integral part of the Church as a member of the Body of believers. There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ (see John 17:11, 20-23; Ephes. 1:22; Ephes. 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23). Two Sacraments: Healing of the Sick: Healing of the sick is illustrated in the life and ministry of Jesus, and included in Jesus’ commission to His disciples. Healing of the sick is given as a sign that is to follow believers. It is also a part of Jesus’ work on the cross and one of the gifts of the Spirit (see Psalm 103:2-3; Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:16-17; Mark 16:17-18; Acts 8:6-7; Romans 11:29; 1 Cor. 12:9, 28; James 5:14-16). God’s Will for Provision: The Father’s will is that believers become whole, healthy and successful in all areas of life. But because of the Fall, many may not receive the full benefits of God’s will while on earth. That fact, though, should never prevent all believers from seeking the full benefits of Christ’s provision in order to serve others. Resurrection: Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead in a glorified body three days after His death on the cross. As a result, both the saved and the lost will be resurrected—they that are saved to the resurrection of life, and they that are lost to the resurrection of eternal damnation (see Luke 24:16, 36, 39; John 2:19-21; John 20:26-28; John 21:4; Acts 24:15; 1 Cor. 15:42, 44; Phil. 1:21-23; Phil. 3:21). Heaven: Heaven is the eternal dwelling place for all believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ (see Matthew 5:3, 12, 20; Matthew 6:20; Matthew 19:21; Matthew 25:34; John 17:24; 2 Cor. 5:1; Hebrews 11:16; 1 Peter 1:4). Hell: After living one life on earth, the unbelievers will be judged by God and sent to hell where they will be eternally tormented with the devil and the fallen angels (see Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:43-48; Hebrews 9:27; Rev. 14:9-11; Rev. 20:12-15; Rev. 21:8). Second Coming: Jesus Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for the second time to establish His kingdom. This will occur at a date undisclosed by the Scriptures (see Matthew 24:30; Matthew 26:63-64; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thes. 4:15-17; 2 Thes. 1:7-8; Rev. 1:7). ____________________ Article Four Government [Church name] is governed by the congregation, the trustees of the Corporation, the office of the senior pastor and the overseers. The congregation determines the spiritual tone, strength and direction of the church by wisely selecting the senior pastor. The trustees are to serve the church by setting policy in the management of the church Corporation and making the major financial decisions for the church. The senior pastor’s office is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day ministry of the church, and the board of overseers is to protect the church through counsel, prayer and, if required, the discipline of the senior pastor.5 ____________________ Article Five Congregation Should the church need a new senior pastor, two methods are provided for the congregational selection of a new senior pastor. One method involves the participation of the departing pastor; the other method does not. The founding pastor of the church need not be officially confirmed by the congregation; therefore, he is exempted from Article Five. (Paragraph 1) Departing Pastor Participates in Replacement If the senior pastor is in good standing with the church and is removing himself because of retirement or relocation, the following is the selection process: The senior pastor may choose up to two candidates. The first candidate is to speak in three or more of the primary church services. Then the senior pastor is to formally recommend this candidate during a Monday night meeting of the membership. The meeting is to be announced in the primary services of the church and held eight days later on a Monday night. Any meeting of the membership for pastoral selection requires that members bring their contribution records from the previous year and display them at the door in order to verify membership. At that meeting, the departing senior pastor and the candidate must leave. Then the secretary/treasurer is to conduct a secret ballot vote and, with a minimum two-thirds (2/3) vote, the candidate shall be accepted. If that candidate fails, the second candidate chosen by the senior pastor is afforded the same opportunity as the first. If the second ballot fails, the process outlined in Section 3 shall be followed. (Paragraph 1) Departing Pastor Unavailable If the senior pastor is removed by the overseers, is deceased, or cannot or will not participate in the selection process of the new senior pastor for any reason, the following shall be the process for selecting a new senior pastor: The secretary/treasurer or another person appointed by the board of trustees is to immediately call a meeting of the membership by making an announcement during the primary service(s). The meeting is to be held in the church building on a Monday night, eight days later. At the meeting of the membership, a Pastoral Selection Committee of nine people will be elected by the membership—to include three men and three women from the general membership and the three most senior full-time pastoral staff members. If there are not three full-time pastoral staff members, the membership may elect people who are familiar with the day-to-day work of the church. The committee itself is to vote and select a chairperson and cochairperson. The duty of the Pastoral Selection Committee is to provide an interim pastor or guest speakers to conduct church services. However, neither an interim pastor nor a replacement speaker shall have the corporate powers of the president. The committee is to recommend a new senior pastor as soon as an acceptable candidate is available. That person must be a licensed or ordained minister of the gospel. He must be approved by three of the five members on the board of overseers before being presented to the church. Once the committee recommends a senior pastoral candidate, that person may speak to the church in every service for three weeks or in at least three of the primary church services. Afterward, a meeting of the membership shall be publicly called on a Monday night, chaired by the secretary/treasurer or by a member of the board of trustees selected by that board. At that meeting church members shall vote by secret ballot to either accept or reject the pastoral candidate. Trustees and their spouses are to count the ballots. A minimum two-thirds (2/3) vote of those attending the meeting is required to elect the next senior pastor. When a two-thirds (2/3) majority in favor of the candidate does not occur, the Pastoral Selection Committee shall seek another candidate. During the selection process, members of the church staff are to continue in their positions. Should staff or financial problems arise, the secretary/treasurer has authority to alter the roles of staff members, including dismissal if necessary in the judgment of the secretary/treasurer. When the new senior pastor is in place, he has full authority to select his own staff, replacing existing staff members, if he should choose, according to the severance agreements (Article Seven, Section 2, Paragraph 5).9 ____________________ Article Six Trustees of the Corporation The major financial affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by the board of trustees, hereinafter referred to as the trustees, whose members shall have a fiduciary obligation to the Corporation. (Paragraph 1) Provide Facilities The trustees vote in accordance with these Bylaws in order to conduct the major business decisions of the Corporation. The trustees oversee the provision of the physical facilities needed by the church Body. They also coordinate any construction projects that require a loan. The trustees are the only body within the Corporation or church Body with the authority to (1) buy and sell real estate, (2) borrow money and/or (3) secure real estate leases. The trustees are to provide counsel to the senior pastor regarding the major financial affairs of the church. Any employee of the church requesting financial assistance from the church in the form of a loan must first obtain permission from the senior pastor to apply for the loan. The trustees shall then review the application. All terms and conditions of the loan must be approved by a majority (four or more) of the trustees. No loans shall be made to any officer or trustee of the Corporation. (Paragraph 1) Moneys Available to Trustees In order to provide for the physical needs of the church, the trustees have available to them 100 percent of all unrestricted moneys accumulated in any type of savings account (including stocks, bonds, CDs, mutual funds, etc.) and all assets in land and property. In addition, the trustees may direct any expenditures up to 35 percent of the unrestricted income of the church from tithes, offerings, interest and investments. (Current undesignated income is 90 percent of the undesignated income of the previous year.) From the 35 percent of church income at the trustees’ disposal, payment must be made on all debts and real estate leases of the Corporation. Before the trustees may authorize the church to borrow money or incur a lease obligation, the following conditions must be met: (Paragraph 3) Annual Audit If the income of the church exceeds $250,000 per year, the trustees shall obtain an annual audit performed by an independent public accounting firm in accordance with Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS), with financial statements prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The trustees shall appoint the secretary/treasurer and two other members of the trustee board to serve as an audit review committee. After reviewing the annual audit, committee members are to report their findings at a trustee meeting. In order to avoid a conflict of interest, all the following criteria must be met to complete any business transaction between a trustee and the Corporation: (Paragraph 1) Number and Selection The trustees shall be composed of seven members, who are appointed by the senior pastor and approved by the board of elders. Trustees may not be employees of the Corporation or staff members of the church, nor can they be related or married to employees or staff members. Any trustee appointed after [insert appropriate date] shall be approved by the board of elders (see Article Nine). The term of office for each trustee shall continue until such trustee resigns from office or from membership in the church, dies or is removed. All trustees must be selected from the membership of the church. The pastor may dismiss trustees without cause, but at a rate that does not exceed one dismissal every six months. The elders are not required to approve pastoral dismissals of trustees. In the event that the office of pastor is vacant, the secretary/treasurer may appoint or dismiss trustees subject to the same limitations that apply to appointments and dismissals by the senior pastor in accordance with this paragraph and Article Six, Section 4, Paragraph 1. Because the trustees are responsible for the major financial decisions of the church, they must resign their positions on the board if they ever become staff members or take any other paid position within the church. Volunteer work within the church is encouraged, but paid positions may constitute a conflict of interest. (Paragraph 1) Frequency of Meetings A meeting of the trustees shall be held at least twice a year. The senior pastor, or any trustee may call a meeting at any time, under the condition that a majority (four or more) of the trustees attend the meeting. If at all possible, the senior pastor is to attend and lead each trustee meeting. If not possible, the secretary/treasurer shall lead the meeting. If neither the pastor nor the secretary/treasurer is able to lead the meeting, the trustees must choose a leader for that meeting and proceed in order, with an appointed member keeping minutes for the record. Any motions passed and recorded in a meeting without the pastor or the secretary/treasurer may not take effect until the following meeting with either the pastor or the secretary/treasurer present when the minutes of the previous meeting are approved. Any meeting of the trustees may be held at such place or places as shall from time to time be determined by the trustees or fixed by the senior pastor and designated in the notice of the meeting. Whenever a written notice is required to be given to any trustee, these three rules apply: (1) Such notice may be given in writing by fax or by mail at such fax number or address as appears on the books of the Corporation and such notice shall be deemed to be given at the time the notice is faxed or mailed. (2) The person entitled to such notice may waive the notice by signing a written waiver before, at or after the time of the meeting. (3) The appearance of such person or persons at the meeting shall be equivalent to signing a written waiver of notice. The trustees may establish regular meetings. No notice shall be required for any regular meeting. Any action that could be taken at a meeting of the trustees may be taken without a notice if at least four of the trustees participate with either the pastor or secretary/treasurer present. Such action shall be effective as of the date of the meeting. At any meeting of the trustees, any person may participate in the meeting by telephone provided all members of the trustees present at the meeting or by telephone can hear and speak to each other. Participation by telephone shall be equivalent to attending the meeting in person. A majority (four or more) of the trustees shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting. The act of a majority of the trustees shall be the act of the board of trustees. In the absence of a quorum at any meeting, a meeting of the trustees present may adjourn the meeting without further notice until a quorum shall be established. Trustees, as such, shall not receive any salaries for their services. ____________________ Article Seven Senior Pastor of the Church/President of the Corporation (Paragraph 1) The Dual Role Because [church name] has two complementary branches-the spiritual Body of believers and the legal Corporation-it is the senior pastor who administratively bridges the gap between the two branches. This dual role can sometimes be awkward: The senior pastor is primarily responsible for the spiritual life of the church, therefore, he must be in a position corporately to ensure that financial strength is directed toward the ministries of his choice. It is the senior pastor’s responsibility to: (Paragraph 3) The Pastor’s Spiritual Leadership The senior pastor may work with overseers, elders, deacons or anyone serving in the functions or offices as outlined in Ephes. 4:11-13 in whatever way he determines is biblical to serve the spiritual needs of the congregation. Additionally, the senior pastor may budget moneys, hire staff, develop projects, create cell groups, programs or other ministries according to his convictions and biblical understanding. He shall have the authority to appoint and approve any assistants necessary to properly carry on the work of the church. Times, order of services and the leadership of services are to be determined by the senior pastor or by the spiritual church structure he establishes. No person shall be invited to speak, teach or minister at a service held in church-owned facilities, or in the name of the church, without the approval of the pastor or the appropriate member of the established church ministry team. (Paragraph 1) The President The Corporation finds its leadership under the Lord Jesus Christ and in its president. The senior pastor shall serve as the president and chief executive officer of the Corporation. If possible, he shall preside at all meetings of the board of trustees and shall see that all orders and resolutions of the board are put into effect. He shall execute in the name of the Corporation all deeds, bonds, mortgages, contracts and other documents authorized by the board of trustees. He shall be an ex-officio member of all standing committees, and shall have the general powers and duties of supervision and management usually vested in the office of the president of a corporation. The president is the nonvoting chairman of the board of trustees. He calls meetings and determines the agenda in consultation with the trustees. The president shall make selections to the board of trustees from the church membership at a rate not to exceed one new appointment every six months in accordance with Article Six. The president may also dismiss trustee members, but at a rate that does not exceed one dismissal every six months in accordance with Article Six, Section 4, Paragraph 2. The president is the senior administrator of the church. He is ultimately responsible for all day-to-day administrative decisions of the church. The president hires, directs and dismisses staff. As the senior pastor, his call is confirmed to the church through the congregation, and those hired by him are to assist him in fulfilling this calling. The president determines all salaries and writes pay scales for full-time salaried employees. Pay scales shall be explained to new full-time salaried employees. Changes in pay scales will be given in writing to the affected employees. If a severance-pay agreement is established, that too must be given to the employee in writing. In addition, all part-time salaries and hourly wages are variable and are to be determined between the president and the employee. The salary of the president is to be on the same pay scale consistent with the pay scale established for the other members of the pastoral team with the following two exceptions: (Paragraph 7) Optional Benefits After the senior pastor has served for a minimum of 10 consecutive years, the trustees may provide additional benefits unique to the senior pastoral position. They may, for example, choose to provide an additional retirement benefit to compensate for the senior pastor’s inability to build equity in a home while living in a church-owned parsonage. The trustees may also choose to reduce the amount of time the senior pastor is required to keep a vehicle before replacing it. These benefits and others like them must be initiated by the trustees rather than the senior pastor because these benefits are optional and not required. They are purely an attempt to reward many years of faithful service. After the church is one year old, an annual budget must be prepared. The budget is to be based on 90 percent of the previous year’s undesignated income. The president is to write the budget for 65 percent of the 90 percent in order to finance the basic ministry needs of the church (salaries, taxes, bills, missions, benevolence, department financial allocations, etc.). He is free to reflect his values and wisdom in his budget portion. Then, the president is to work with the trustees to add their 35 percent to the budget. Budgeted amounts are not to be considered actual moneys available. The president can only spend actual funds that are available, and those moneys are to be spent according to the budget. The president may not borrow money, sign leases, buy or sell real estate, or make any agreements that could force indebtedness upon the church. Should the church borrow, the trustees may give the president authority to spend those moneys on the project for which the funds were borrowed. All undesignated moneys available to the Corporation above budgeted amounts are deemed discretionary and are available to be spent by the president, but he may only obligate funds currently on hand. ____________________ Article Eight Overseers23 The members of the board of overseers must be active senior pastors of respected congregations who know and love [church name] and the pastor. They must agree to make themselves available at their own expense to serve [church name] if requested by the elders (Article Thirteen, Section 2), and must be willing to provide spiritual protection to the church through prayer and by exemplifying honorable Christian lives. "Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap" (1 Tim. 3:2-7). A board of overseers will be nominated by the pastor and confirmed by the elders. The pastor will be accountable to the overseers in the event of alleged misconduct in compliance with Article Thirteen. The senior pastor and the elders may replace overseers at the rate of one per year and enter that change into the minutes of a trustees meeting. If disciplinary action is being considered, changes in the board of overseers may not be made until its work is completed. ____________________ Article Nine Elders24 The elders are to serve the congregation and the senior pastor for the development of the spiritual life of the church. These people and their spouses are to help create a positive spiritual climate within the church Body. They are neither a governing or corporate board, but a spiritual body called to create and maintain stability in potentially negative situations. The elders are people who function within the local church but are not members of the pastoral staff of the church. They meet the biblical qualifications for eldership and function in that calling, but derive their income from sources other than the church. The number of elders shall be determined by the senior pastor but shall not be less than 12. The functions of the elders are to: (Paragraph 4) Biblical Qualification for Eldership "An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable; one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it" (Titus 1:6-9). Selection of the elders will be preceded by the senior pastor’s teaching on the biblical requirements for eldership at a Sunday service. Each adult present at the service will make one anonymous nomination for the position of elder in writing immediately after the sermon on eldership. The pastor and his associates will tally these nominations, and the elders will be selected from those with the largest number of nominations. The senior pastor can veto anyone’s nomination. This nomination process should occur once every four years unless needed to add additional elders to complete a four-year cycle. Once selected to serve on the elder board, the elder and spouse are to serve for four years. After that time of service, the selection process is to be repeated and anyone renominated and appointed may serve as many times as the congregation and pastor choose. However, should the congregation fail to renominate any certain elder, the pastor may not select that person for service. Should anyone in the congregation, including a staff member or another elder, bring accusation against an elder, charging that the person does not qualify for eldership, a seven-member group from the staff and the elder board may hear the accusations and any response from the accused elder. Three of the seven-member group are to be chosen by the accused elder, and four are to be chosen by the senior pastor. The senior pastor may not serve on the panel judging the elder, but may oversee the procedures if he chooses. Then, in an anonymous vote, if five or more agree that the elder does not meet the qualifications for eldership, that elder may no longer serve on the elder board. During the four years of service, those elders who are no longer able to serve for any reason need not be replaced unless the total number of elders is decreased to less than twelve. ____________________ Article Ten Officers The officers of the Corporation shall be a president and a secretary/treasurer and any other officers that the trustees may authorize from time to time. (Paragraph 1) Appointment of the President The appointment responsibilities of the president are listed in Articles Five and Seven. The secretary-treasurer is to be nominated by the president and approved by the trustees. The term of this office is indefinite. Should the trustees fail to approve of the nomination from the president, other nominations must be made until a candidate suitable to the trustees is nominated. The president may remove the secretary/treasurer. New offices may be created and filled at any meeting of the board of trustees. Each officer shall hold office until his successor has been duly elected and qualified. (Paragraph 1) Overseers’ Responsibility for the President The overseers of the church may discipline or remove the president according to Article Thirteen. Any officer elected or appointed by the board of trustees may be removed by the board when the best interests of the Corporation would be served thereby, but such removal shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the officer so removed. (Paragraph 1) The President The powers of the president are listed in Article Seven. As secretary, the secretary/treasurer shall attend all sessions of the board of trustees, and shall act as clerk thereof to record (or have recorded) all votes and the minutes of all proceedings in a book to be kept for that purpose. This person shall oversee the keeping of the membership rolls of the Corporation, and in general perform the duties usually incident to the office of secretary, and such further duties as shall be prescribed from time to time by the board of trustees or by the president. As treasurer, the secretary/treasurer shall oversee the keeping of full and accurate accounts of the receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Corporation. The secretary/treasurer shall also oversee the deposit of all moneys and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in such banks and depositories as may be designated by the president. The secretary/treasurer does not determine expenditures, but does oversee the disbursement of the funds of the Corporation as may be ordered by the trustees or the president. This person shall perform the duties usually incident to the office of treasurer and such other duties as may be prescribed from time to time by the board of trustees or by the president.28 The secretary/treasurer shall serve on the Audit Review Committee and report to the trustees after its review of the annual audit. If the church does not have an annual audit, the secretary/treasurer is to provide to the board a report on the previous year’s income and disbursements. The secretary/treasurer is to work with the president to provide an annual cash flow statement that must accompany all giving receipts to members. That report is to include the specific amounts of cash remuneration received from the church to specific pastoral staff members. Benefits, support staff salaries and other items may be grouped together, but the cash portion of the pastoral pay packages must be itemized individually.29 The secretary/treasurer shall insure that current audited financial statements are available to anyone upon written request, and that the previous year’s cash flow statements are available to all contributors to the church. In the absence of any officer of the Corporation, except the president, or for any other reason that may seem necessary to the board, the board of trustees, by a majority vote, may delegate the duties and powers of that officer for the time being to any other officer, or to any trustee. ____________________ Article Eleven Business Practices The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be the calendar year. The board of trustees may authorize any officer or officers, agent or agents of the Corporation, in addition to the officers so authorized by these Bylaws, to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation. Such authority may be general or may be confined to specific instances. All checks, drafts, orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Corporation shall be signed by such officer or officers, agent or agents of the Corporation, and in such manner, as shall from time to time be determined by resolution of the board of trustees. In the absence of such determination by the board of trustees, such instruments may be signed by either the secretary/treasurer or the president of the Corporation in accordance with their duties outlined in these Bylaws. All funds of the Corporation shall be deposited to the credit of the Corporation in such banks, trust companies or other depositories as the board of trustees may select in accordance with these Bylaws. The president/pastor may accept on behalf of the Corporation any contribution, gift, bequest or device for any purpose of the Corporation. The Corporation shall keep correct and complete books and records of account. The Corporation shall also keep minutes of the proceedings of its members, board of trustees, committees having and exercising any of the authority of the board of trustees and any other committees. It shall keep at the principal office a record giving the names and addresses of all board members entitled to vote. ____________________ Article Twelve Church Ministry (Paragraph 1) Role of the Board of Elders The elders may ordain and/or license a person as a minister of the gospel after first examining the applicant’s background, moral and religious character, and previous Bible courses and/or independent studies completed. Final determination shall be within the absolute discretion of the board of elders. Application for ordination and/or licensing as a minister of the gospel shall be supplied on the form provided by the elders. An application shall be either approved or denied within 90 days of the completion of the investigation of the applicant by the board of elders. Those applicants who are approved shall receive a certificate evidencing the approval. The spiritual leadership of the church may at its own discretion limit any licensee ordained to an area of special emphasis. The senior pastor and his staff may establish a School of Ministry, setting forth a prescribed curriculum and course of study leading to ordination and licensing of ministers. The School of Ministry shall prepare students in the knowledge of the Word of God and in ministering to people’s needs through the gospel of Jesus Christ. ____________________ Article Thirteen Church Discipline Only members are subject to church discipline. (Paragraph 1) Criteria for Discipline Should the senior pastor demonstrate immoral conduct, financial practices or theological views, which the majority of the elders believe may require either personal correction or termination of his position, the elders shall contact the senior pastor and then, if the problem remains, be the overseers for investigation and evaluation of any appropriate discipline. (See Article Nine, Paragraph 3.) Should the overseers be asked to investigate alleged pastoral misconduct, a consensus of three of the five overseers is required to take disciplinary action. With such a consensus, the overseers shall assume complete authority over the senior pastor. They may decide to remove him from his position or to discipline him in any way they deem necessary. The overseers have no authority in [church name] unless contacted by the elders, and then only insofar as permitted under these Bylaws. It is the intention of the Corporation to protect the hearts of all involved in matters of pastoral discipline. Using the method outlined in these Bylaws, the "sheep" never have to pass judgment upon their "shepherd." ____________________ Article Fourteen Amendment of Bylaws33 These Bylaws may be altered, amended or repealed, and new Bylaws may be adopted, by a five-to-seven (5/7) vote of the board of trustees at any regular board meeting. At least five days advance written notice of said meeting shall be given to each member of the board. The written notice must explain proposed changes. These Bylaws may also be altered, amended or repealed, and new Bylaws may be adopted by consent in writing signed by all members of the board of trustees. Bylaws were approved by the board of trustees of [church name] on [date]. [Attach names of officers and trustees.] ____________________ The information in this chapter should give you a starting point. Remember, take what will prove useful to you and discard the rest. We think it works well as a package and has philosophical continuity. However, each church is unique and state laws do differ. Now you have a strong philosophical basis for a life-giving church. In addition, you have a brief overview of some of the ministries and a foundation for the business of the church. The foundation is ready, now let’s give life together. |
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