Covenant
| Name | Purpose | Doctrine | Membership | Discipline | Government
Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God to receive the
Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour; and on the profession of our faith having been
baptized in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; we do now
in the presence of God, angels, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully
enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.
We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spreading of the Gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family and secret devotion; to educate our children in the Christian faith; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, back-biting, and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating drinks; to abstain from all activities contrary to our Biblical faith as stated in the following constitution; and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the Kingdom of our Savior
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.
We moreover engage that when we remove from this place, we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church, where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's Word.
We,
the members of Baptist Church of the
Great Commission, do ordain and establish the following articles, to which
we voluntarily submit ourselves:
The
name of this church shall be Baptist Church of the Great commission.
Our
purpose is to glorify God by conducting a self-supporting, independent, local
Baptist church in accordance with the Word of God--seeking to win the lost to
Christ; assembling for prayer, spiritual fellowship, and worship; preaching and
teaching the whole counsel of God; administering the ordinances; maintaining a
testimony of godliness and good works in the community; carrying on a worldwide
missionary program; standing for the Biblical faith; ordaining qualified men of
like faith to the gospel ministry; exercising Biblical discipline; instituting,
operating, and maintaining associated ministries for evangelism, education,
discipleship, spiritual growth, and any other ministry the church deems
necessary. (Luke 19:10; John 20:31; II Timothy 2:15 and 3:16-17)
So
many in these latter times have departed from the faith, giving heed to seducing
spirits and doctrines of devils; so many have turned away their ears from the
truth, and turned unto fables; so many are busily engaged in scattering
broadcast the seeds of fatal error, directly affecting the honor of our Lord and
the destiny of the soul, that we feel constrained by fidelity to Him to adopt
the following statement of doctrine to which we ask the assent of all applicants
for membership. (II Timothy 3:1-7 and 4:1-4)
We
believe that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God," by which
we understand the whole of the book called the Bible; nor do we take the
statement in the sense in which it is sometimes foolishly said that words of
human genius are inspired, but in the sense that the Holy Ghost gave the very
words of the sacred writings to holy men of old; and that His divine inspiration
is not in different degrees, but extends equally and fully to all parts of these
writings, historical, poetical, doctrinal, and prophetical, and to the smallest
word and inflection of a word, provided such is found in the original
manuscripts. (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:21; I Corinthians 2:13; Mark
12:26-36; Mark 13:11; Acts 1:16 and 2:4)
We
believe that the Godhead eternally exists in three persons, the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God, having precisely the same
nature, attributes, and perfections and worth of precisely the same homage,
confidence and obedience. (Mark 12:29; John 1:1-4; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 5:3-4;
II Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:1-3; Revelation 1:4-6)
We
believe that Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God, which is to say, He
is Himself very God; He took upon Himself our nature, being conceived by the
Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary; He died upon the cross as a
substitutionary sacrifice for the sin of the world; He arose from the dead in
the body in which He was crucified; He ascended into heaven in that body
glorified, where He is now, our interceding High Priest. He will come again
personally and visibly to setup His kingdom and to judge the quick and the dead.
(Colossians 1:15; Philippians 2:5-8; Matthew 1:18-25; I Peter 2:24-25; Luke 24;
Hebrews 4:14-16; Acts 1:9-11; I Thessalonians 4:16-18; Matthew 25:31-46;
Revelation 11:15-17; Revelation 20:4-6 and 11-15)
We
believe that there is a literal hell and a literal fire of hell as a place for
the eternal and conscious punishment of all the unsaved. (Matthew 25:41-46; Mark
9:43-50; Revelation 20:14-15; Revelation 21:8)
We
believe that Satan is a person. He is the unholy god of this age, the prince of
the power of the air, and the prince of this world. The Devil was a murderer
from the beginning. He is a liar and the father of lies. There is absolutely no
truth in him. He is the enemy of God and man and the author of all the power of
darkness. He is a deceiver and blinds the minds of men to the end that the light
of the gospel of the glory of Christ may not dawn upon them. He is destined to
the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire. (John 8:44; John 16:11;
Ephesians 2:2; II Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10)
We
believe that man, originally created in the image and after the likeness of God,
fell from his high and holy estate by eating the forbidden fruit, and as the
consequence of his disobedience the threatened penalty of death was then and
there inflicted, so that his mortal nature was not only grievously injured by
the fall, but he totally lost all spiritual life, becoming dead in trespasses
and sins, and subject to the power of the devil. (Genesis 1:26; Genesis 2:17;
John 5:40; John 6:53; Ephesians 2:1-3; I Timothy 5:6; I John 3:8)
We
believe that this spiritual death, or total corruption of human nature, has been
transmitted to the entire race of man; the man Christ Jesus alone excepted; and
hence that every child of Adam is born into the world with a nature which not
only possesses no spark of divine life, but is essentially and unchangeably bad,
being enmity against God, and incapable by any educational process whatever of
subjection to His law. (Genesis 6:5; Psalm 14:1-3; Jeremiah 17:9; John 3:6;
Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12-19)
We
believe that owing to this universal depravity of death in sin, no one can enter
the kingdom of God unless born again; and that no degree of reformation, however
great; no attainment in morality, however high; no culture, however attractive;
no humanitarian and philanthropic schemes and societies, however useful; no
baptism or other ordinance, however administered, can help the sinner to take
even one step toward heaven; but a new life implanted by the Holy Spirit through
the Word is absolutely essential to salvation. (Isaiah 64:6; John 3:5-18;
Galatians 6:15; Romans 6:23; Philippians 3:4-9; Titus 3:5; James 1:18; I Peter
1:23)
We
believe that our redemption has been accomplished solely by the blood of our
Lord Jesus Christ, Who was made to be sin, and made a curse for us dying in our
room and stead; and that no degree of repentance, no feeling, no faith, no good
resolution, no sincere efforts, no submission to the rules and regulations of
any church or of all the churches that have existed since the days of the
Apostles can add in the very least to the value of the precious blood or to the
merit of that finished work, wrought for us by Him who united in His person true
and proper divinity with perfect and sinless humanity. (Leviticus 17:11; Matthew
26:28; Romans 5:6-9; II Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter
1:18-19)
We
believe that Christ, in the fullness of the blessings He has secured by His
obedience unto death, is received by faith alone, and that the moment we trust
in Him as our Savior we pass out of death into everlasting life, being justified
from all things, accepted before the Father according to the measure of His
acceptance, loved as He is loved, and having His place and portion as linked to
Him and one with Him forever. (John 5:24; John 17:23; Acts 13:39; Romans 5:1;
Romans 6:1; Ephesians 2:4-13; I John 4:17; I John 5:11-12)
We
believe that it is the privilege not only of some, but of all who are born again
by the Spirit through faith in Christ as revealed in the scriptures, to be
assured of their Salvation from the very day they take Him to be their Saviour;
and that this assurance is not founded upon any fancied discovery of their own
worthiness, but wholly upon the testimony of God in His written Word, exciting
within His children filial love, gratitude, and obedience. (Luke 10:20; Luke
12:32; John 6:47; Romans 8:38-39; II Corinthians 5:1; II Corinthians 6:8; II
Timothy 1:12; I John 5:13)
We
believe that all the Scriptures, from first to last, center about our Lord Jesus
Christ, in His Person and work, in first and second coming; and hence that no
chapter even of the Old Testament is properly read or understood until it leads
to Him; and moreover, that all the Scriptures from first to last, including
every chapter of the Old Testament, were designed for our practical instruction.
(Luke 24:27,44; John 5:39; Acts 7:2-3; Acts 18:28; Acts 26:22-23; Acts 28:23;
Romans 15:4; I Corinthians 10:11)
We
believe that the Church is composed of all who are united by the Holy Spirit to
the risen and ascended Son of God, that by the same Spirit we are all baptized
into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, and thus being members one of
another, we are responsible to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace, rising above all sectarian prejudices and denominational bigotry, and
loving one another with a pure heart fervently. (Matthew 16:16-18; Acts 2:32-47;
Romans 12:5; I Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:20-23; Ephesians 4:3-10;
Colossians 3:14-15)
We
believe that the Holy Spirit not as an influence, but as a Divine Person, the
source and power of all acceptable worship and service, is our abiding comforter
and helper, that He never takes His departure from the Church, nor from the
feeblest of the saints, but is ever present to testify of Christ, seeking to
occupy us with Him, and not with our selves nor with our experiences. (John
7:38-39; John 14:16-17; John 15:26; John 16:13-14; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:9;
Philippians 3:3)
We
believe that we are called with a holy calling to walk, not after the flesh, but
after the Spirit, and so to live in the Spirit that we should not fulfill the
lusts of the flesh; but the flesh, being still in us to the end of our earthly
pilgrimage, needs to be kept constantly in subjection to Christ, or it will
surely manifest its presence to the dishonor of His name. (Romans 8:12-13;
Romans 13:14; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:1-10; I Peter
1:14-16; I John 3:5-9; Titus 2:1-15)
We
believe that the souls of those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for
salvation do at death immediately pass into His presence, and there remain in
conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body at His coming, when soul and
body reunited shall be associated with Him forever in the glory; but the souls
of unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery until the final judgment
of the Great White Throne at the close of the millennium, when soul and body
reunited shall be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to be
punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the
glory of His power. (Luke 16:19-26; Luke 23:43; II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians
1:23; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Revelation 20:11-15)
We
believe that the world will not be converted during the present dispensation,
but is fast ripening for the judgment, while there will be a fearful apostasy in
the professing Christian body, and hence that the Lord Jesus will come in person
to introduce the millennial age, when Israel shall be restored to their own
land, and the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord; and that this
personal premillennial and imminent advent is the blessed hope set before us in
the Gospel for which we should be constantly looking. (Luke 12:35-40; Luke
17:26-30; Luke 18:8; Acts 15:14-17; II Thessalonians 2:3-8; II Timothy 3:1-5;
Titus 1:11-15)
We
believe that it is the obligation of all believers to witness by deed and word
to these precious truths stated above. We are ambassadors of Christ and it is
our duty to proclaim the Gospel to all the world. We believe it is impossible to
be thoroughly loyal to Christ without active participation in the spread of the
Gospel to lost humanity everywhere. We believe that obedience to the missionary
call of Christ requires study, intercessory prayer, and the consecration of our
time, talent, and money. (Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; II
Corinthians 5:20; Romans 10:14-15)
We
believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water to show
forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried, and
risen Savior, with its effect in our death to sin and our resurrection to a new
life. It shall be pre-requisite to membership in this church. (Matthew 3:16;
John 3:23; Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12)
We
believe that the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion is the commemoration of His
death until He comes, and should be preceded always by solemn self-examination.
The Lord's Table is not a barrier to separate believers, but rather a sacred
place where all true Christians meet. (I Corinthians 11:23-28).
The
true church is composed of the body of believers who have been called out from
the world, and who are under the dominion and authority of Jesus Christ. (Romans
12:5; II Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:27)
We know that the church visible may be weakened and cursed through unregenerate
church membership. Therefore, we shall strive with the help of Almighty God to
enroll no name that is not already written in the Lamb's book of life.
(Revelation 20:12-15; Revelation 21:27)
Any sincere child of God (John 1:12) will be welcomed to membership regardless
of wealth or social position. (II Corinthians 10:17-18; James 2:9) if he meets
the following requirements:
1. Any person desiring to unite with this church shall have accepted
the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior. He shall have confessed his faith by
being baptized by immersion.
2. The candidate desiring to unite with this church shall have a
lifestyle free from any activities or attitudes which would be considered worthy
of church discipline according to the Scriptures or this constitution.
3. The candidate shall, in one or more conferences with the pastor and
deacons, be interviewed regarding his Christian experience and the basis of his
salvation. (I Peter 3:15)
4. The candidate shall have been given a copy of the Constitution of
this church so that he may ask questions concerning any part of our doctrine or
government. It is our prayer and earnest desire that each person may be fully
informed and in full agreement before joining our fellowship.
5. The candidate will be required to assent,
without reservation, to the statement of doctrine contained in Article III, and
agree by the Constitution and By-Laws of this church.
6. Anyone regardless of age, who has met all the requirements of Article IV, Section 1 may be accepted as a member upon majority vote of the congregation.
1. Each member should endeavor to lead a godly life, observe the
ordinances of God's house, be diligent in prayer, and for his own edification,
attend the meetings of our public worship, including prayer meetings.
2. Heads of families should pray with their
families and set before them a godly example in all the Christian virtues.
3. Every one should strive to walk as in the
presence of God and maintain at all times a close communion with God. He should
never speak evil of his fellowmen, but practice love toward all men, and
endeavor to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
4. We believe that the Christian is to separate
himself unto Christ in true holiness (I John 12:1,2), to separate himself from
any participation in or endorsement of sin or worldliness (I John 2:15,16), from
ecclesiastical organizations and religious personalities that deny the faith or
compromise its message (II Corinthians 6:14-18), and from brethren who walk
disorderly or who continue in sin. (II Thessalonians 3:6; I Corinthians 5:4,5;
Titus 3:10-11).
5. Members of this church should study and
practice the principles of Christian stewardship and in recognition of God's
ownership, devote at least a tithe of their income to the Lord's work, and
fulfill the conditions mentioned in Malachi 3:8-12 and Matthew 6:33 for enlarged
blessings from God.
6. It is the duty of every member of the church to
contribute for the support of the local church, and all its missionary
interests. It is earnestly required that all our members practice the Biblical
method of systematic giving. (I Corinthians 16:2)
7. Inasmuch as the Lord has commanded us not to be
conformed to this world (Romans 12:2), but to put away all filthiness and
overflowing of wickedness (James 1:12), and as the principles were taught by
both the precepts and examples of our Savior, we humbly beseech and admonish the
members of this church to observe these precepts. We believe that each member
must remain separate from such ungodly practices as sodomy, pornography,
fornication, adultery, gambling, the illegal use of drugs, and other such vices
prominent in the world system in which we live.
8. Let us be deeply sensible of all the evil of a
division in principle, spirit, or practice, and of its tragic consequences to
ourselves and others.
Therefore:
1. Let us each one study to show himself approved unto God, a workman
that needeth not to be ashamed.
2. Let us pray earnestly for one another, and speak freely to one
another.
3. When we meet, let us not part without prayer, if prayer is at all
practicable.
4. Let us take care not to despise one another's gifts.
5. Let us never speak lightly of one another.
6. Let us defend one another's character in
everything as far as is consistent with the truth.
7.
Let us labor, in honor each preferring another before himself.
9. We
believe that the foregoing rules are founded upon the Word of God, and that
their observance is incumbent upon all members. Should any violate or habitually
neglect these rules, he shall be admonished to reformation by the pastor and
deacons.
Any matter of
discipline should be brought to the attention of the pastor and the deacons, who
shall be governed by Matthew 18:15-17, with the goal of repentance and return to
the Lord. If such repentance and return do not take place, the pastor and
deacons are to proceed according to the following stipulations:
1.
Should any member be absent from the church for a period of three months, and
fail to communicate with the pastor or clerk during that time, his name may be
excluded from the roll of church members. A two-thirds vote of members present
at a regularly called business meeting is necessary for exclusion of a member.
2. Should
any member be accused of assenting to such doctrine or such conduct as shall in
the judgment of the pastor and deacons be so opposed to the Word of God as to
threaten the life and faith of the church by destroying the possibility of our
fellowship, that member's name may be excluded from the roll of the church by a
two-thirds vote of the members present at a regularly called business meeting.
The right to
exclude members or the withdrawal of fellowship is in harmony with the teaching
of the New Testament (Matthew 18:15-17; II Corinthians 5:2; II Thessalonians
3:6). The apostolic church had, also, the right to restore excluded members who
gave satisfactory evidence of being penitent (II Corinthians 2:6-8). The object
of exclusion having been accomplished, the pastor and deacons shall recommend to
the church to restore the penitent member. A two-thirds vote of the members
present at a regularly called business meeting is necessary for the restoration
of the member's name.
The customary
usage of interchange of letters with churches of like faith and practice will be
observed and letters granted by a majority vote of members present at a
regularly called business meeting.
Non-resident members are strongly urged to keep in touch with
the church through correspondence with the pastor or clerk.
The
government of this church is vested in the body of believers of which this
church is composed.
The church acknowledges only the Lord Jesus as its head, the
Holy Scriptures as the only infallible guide to matters of faith, discipline,
and order; the Holy Spirit as its teacher, and is not and never shall be
amenable of or under the jurisdiction or supervision of any other ecclesiastical
body of any kind or nature whatsoever.
The officers
of this church shall be the Pastor, the Deacons, the Trustees, the Clerk, the
Financial Secretary, the Church Treasurer, the Sunday School Superintendent, and
such other officers as the church shall deem advisable.
The pastor
shall be a male, called by God to preach, and meeting the Scriptural demands set
forth in I Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-11. He must believe and adhere to the
articles of faith and practice of the church, and be uncompromising in the
preaching and exercise of these truths.
The pastoral relation shall be formed and dissolved upon the
recommendation of the deacons by a three-fourths majority of the voters present
at a specially called business meeting, the purpose of which has been announced
on the two (2) Sundays preceding the meeting.
Only one candidate shall be recommended for consideration at
one time.
If either party desires to dissolve the pastoral relation, at
least thirty days' notice shall be given the other party.
Deacons shall
be males and shall meet the Scriptural qualifications of the office as set forth
in I Timothy 3:8-13 and Acts 6. They shall have been active members of the
church for at least three years prior to their election to the office.
There shall be not less than three or more than nine deacons.
They shall be elected by the church for a term of three years on a rotation
basis so that the terms of approximately one-third of the members of the Board
shall expire each year. A deacon who has served one full term shall not be
eligible for re-election to the same office until the expiration of one year.
The chairman of the deacons shall be elected by a majority vote of the deacons
at the first Board meeting following the church election of officers.
Trustees
shall be men of God according to the spirit of Biblical leadership. They shall
have been active members of the church for at least three years prior to their
election to office.
There shall be not less than three or more than seven
trustees. The term of office, manner of election and eligibility for re-election
shall be the same as for the deacons. The chairman of the trustees shall be
elected by a majority vote of the trustees at the first Board meeting following
the church election of officers.
The Clerk,
the Financial Secretary, the Church Treasurer, and the Sunday School
Superintendent shall be elected annually by the church (see Article VI, Section
3, Paragraph a, and Section 6, Paragraph a-4).
1.
Nomination of candidates for offices will be received from the church
congregation by nominating form no less than two weeks prior to the annual
election of officers and shall be reviewed for recommendation to the church by a
nominating committee comprised of the pastor and deacons. The final slate of
candidates will be presented to the church for vote, and those having the
largest number of votes shall be elected.
2.
Election of all officers shall be by ballot.
1. No
person shall be elected or appointed to fill any unpaid office or position in
either the church or any of its ministries until he has been a member of the
church for at least three months, and is in regular attendance at the meetings
of our public worship, including prayer meeting (see Article IV, Section 2,
Paragraph a).
2. If
a question is raised concerning the competence of a person to hold office in
either the church or any of its ministries, the matter shall be referred to the
pastor and deacons.
3. If
any officer of the church shall absent himself from three regular business
meetings which it is his duty to attend, without presenting a reasonable cause
to the pastor and deacons, his name may be removed from the office and his
successor appointed in the manner described in Article VI, Section 5.
It shall be
the duty of the pastor to preach and teach the Word, administer the ordinances,
and perform other duties incumbent to his office. He shall be an ex-officio
member of all boards and committees.
The duties of
the deacons shall include, but not be limited to visiting the sick, preparing
and distributing the elements of the Lord's Supper, and acting as a pulpit
committee, obtaining supply pastors in the absence of the pastor, and
recommending to the church changes in the pastoral relation. The chairman of the
deacons shall assist in maintaining communication and mutual understanding
between the pastor and deacons. In the absence of a senior pastor, he shall be
responsible to report the recommendations of the deacons to the church
congregation.
It shall be
the duty of the trustees to be custodians of the church property in accordance
with the will of the local body and provisions of the Act of the Legislature of
Indiana relative thereto, and they shall make necessary purchase for the
operation and maintenance of the church property. New projects and all
expenditures thereto shall be authorized by the church at a regular or special
business meeting (Article VI, Section 6, Paragraph a and b). The chairman of the
trustees shall assist in maintaining communication and mutual understanding
between the pastor and trustees.
It shall be
the duty of the clerk to keep accurate record of the proceedings in all business
meetings of the church and advisory board.
It shall be
the duty of the financial secretary to accurately record all monies received
from donors for current expenses and missions. He shall be responsible for
reporting to individuals in the church their personal donations at the end of
the calendar year. He shall make a report when called up by the pastor and
advisory board.
It shall be
the duty of the treasurer to keep an accurate account of all receipts and
expenditures and present a report at each monthly business meeting of the church
or when called upon by the pastor and advisory board. He shall submit his books
for an annual audit in such a manner as may be directed by the pastor and
advisory board.
It shall be
the duty of the Sunday school superintendent to have general supervision of the
Sunday school. He shall make a report when called upon by the pastor and
advisory board.
There shall
be an advisory board consisting of the pastor, the deacons, the trustees, the
clerk, and the treasurer. This board shall meet before each business meeting of
the church and at other times when necessary.
Thought not
vested with executive power, it shall have the right to make recommendations to
any of the various departments or to the whole church, with the understanding
that the vote of the church shall constitute the final decision.
Should the
office of any officer become vacant before the expiration of his term of office,
his successor shall be appointed by the pastor and the advisory board. The term
of such appointment shall be only until the next meeting of election, at which
time his successor shall be elected for the remainder of the unexpired term, if
any, in manner prescribed for his office.
1. Regular
Sunday services shall be held, including, but not limited to, Sunday school and
morning and evening preaching and worship services.
2.
Mid-week prayer services shall be held.
3. A
monthly business meeting of all church members shall be held on the Wednesday
following the monthly board meeting unless otherwise stated.
4.
The annual election of officers and the annual business meeting shall be held in
October, the date and time to be announced on two consecutive Sundays preceding
the meeting. Terms of officers, except for the pastor, shall begin upon
election. The annual reports shall be based on the fiscal year and given by the
officers of the past year. The October monthly business meeting shall be
combined with this meeting unless otherwise announced.
5. The
Lord's Supper shall be observed the first Sunday of every other month, in either
the morning or evening service, and at such other times as the pastor and
deacons deem advisable.
Special
business meetings of the church may be called by the pastor, by a majority vote
of the deacons or trustees, or by the presentation of a petition to the clerk
containing the names of at least 40 active members of the church. Notice of such
meeting must be given at regular services on two consecutive Sundays proceeding
the day appointed.
The fiscal
year of the church shall begin on the first day of July. In all meetings, the
voting members present shall constitute a quorum, providing such a meeting has
been called according to the constitution of this church.
Roberts Rules
of Order shall be used as the standard in all business sessions.
1. Since
it is our hope that Spirit-filled men will be called out from among us to
proclaim the Gospel of the grace of God, such men may be given a commission to
preach and perform all duties of the ministry by a two-thirds vote of the
church, provided that the candidate has the suitable gifts; and provided that
their judgment is based upon his experiential success, rather than on their
hopes of what he may do; and provided his experience shall have covered a period
of at least one year of public preaching.
2. When
the church decides that one of its candidates possesses the Scriptural
qualifications for ordination, as provided for in Section 7, Paragraph a, the
church shall call a council of ministers and brethren to examine the
qualifications of the candidate, to which council the propriety of and
arrangements for ordination shall be referred.
3. In
the matter of commissioning missionaries to represent our church in the harvest
fields of the world, we believe that the local church is the sending agency for
the missionary (Acts 13:1-3), working in cooperation with mission boards
approved by the pastor and advisory board.
We believe
that the Bible teaches that the proper method of financing the Lord's work is by
the offerings of a consecrated heart, in systematic proportionate giving of
money (II Corinthians 9:6-7). Therefore, this church will under no circumstances
consent to the collection of money through bazaars, suppers, entertainments, or
any similar method.
All
ministries of the church are subservient parts of the church and shall under no
circumstances be considered as separate and apart from the church.
This church
shall have the right to own, buy, or sell tangible properties, both real and
personal in its own name and through properly elected and authorized officers.
No profit shall ever accrue to the benefit of any persons from the assets,
holdings, or other transactions in which this corporation may become involved.
All the
facilities and properties of the church are dedicated to Jesus Christ and shall
be used only for those activities that are approved by the church as being
consistent with the Word of God and the ministry purposes of the church.
1.
Amendments to this Constitution may be adopted by a three-fourths vote of the
church at any business meeting called for the purpose, provided that such
amendment shall be distributed in written form to the membership at least two
weeks prior to the meeting.
2.
No part of Article III shall ever be amended or changed in any respect.
In the event
of the dissolution of this corporation, all of its debts shall be fully
satisfied. None of its assets or holding shall be divided among the members, but
shall be irrevocably dedicated by the trustees to such non-profit religious
corporations as are in agreement with the letter and spirit of this
constitutional statement of faith, and in conformity with the requirements of
the U.S. Internal Revenue Service code of 1954 (Section 501 c-3) or any
subsequent amendment thereto.