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First
Baptist Church of Moweaqua By-Laws
Article
1. Name and Purpose
The
organization known as First Baptist Church (here in after referred to as FBC) of
Moweaqua, Illinois, is a not-for-profit corporation recorded in the office of
the Secretary of State by the state of Illinois on April 29, 1955, and was
originally founded in 1864. Fiscal year
is January 1st through December 31st.
This
congregation is organized as a church exclusively for charitable, religious,
and educational purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or the corresponding provision of any future
United States Revenue Law. These purposes
include, but are not limited to, the proclaiming of the Gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ, the establishing and maintaining of religious worship, the
educating of believers in a manner consistent with the requirements of Holy
Scripture, and the maintaining of missionary activities in the United States
and any foreign country.
Article
2. Basic Beliefs
Our desire
at FBC is to be both thoughtful and Biblical in all that we teach, believe, and
practice. This document is a summary of
the foundational beliefs of FBC, and our ministry and teaching will be guided
and shaped by the following convictions.
STATEMENT OF
BASIC BELIEF: (Statement of Faith)
FBC stands
in line with Biblical Christianity. Our
Statement of Basic Belief is comprised of core, standard Christian
Beliefs. These essential beliefs must be
affirmed to remain as a member in good standing of FBC.
There is One
Triune God. There is only one true and
living God who is the Creator of heaven and earth. He exists eternally in three distinct
Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
(Gen 1:26; Deut 6:4; Ps 45:6-7; Isa46:9-10; Matt 3:13-17, 28:17-20; John
17:3; 1 Cor 8:4-6; 1 Tim 2:5)
The Bible is
God’s Word. The Bible is God’s written
revelation of Himself to mankind. The
Scriptures are entirely true, completely authoritative, and totally sufficient
for all matters of life and faith. (Ps
19:7-11; 2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20-21)
People are
Created in the Image of God. Humans are
created by God to bear His image. They
are the crowning work of God’s creation worthy of love, dignity, and respect
regardless of matters like age, race, gender, or class. (Gen 1:26-27, 6:5; Ps 51:5, Jer 17:9; Rom
3:23, 5:8, 5:12-21, 7:18; Eph 2:1-3)
People are
in need of Redemption. Because of Adam’s
fall, all people have disobeyed God willfully through sin, thus inheriting both
physical and spiritual separation from God and the need for redemption. Only by the grace of God through Jesus Christ
can sinful humans experience salvation.
(Gen 2:15-17, 3:19; Rom 5:12, 6:23; Jas 1:14-15)
Jesus Christ
Died on a Cross. Jesus Christ is the
eternal Son of God, was born of a virgin, and is both fully God and fully
human. He lived a sinless life and died
on the cross as the sacrificial substitute to pay for the sins of mankind.
(John 1:29, 10:1-18; Rom 5:8; 1 Cor 15:1-4; 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 1:4; 1 Pet 3:18;
Isa 7:14; Luk 1:27)
Jesus Christ
Rose Again. Jesus Christ rose from the
dead, ascended into heaven, and will one day return. (Matt 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-8; Luk 24:1-53; John
14:3; 1Cor 15:12-34; 1 Thess 4:16; Heb 9:28; Rev 1:7)
Jesus is the
only way to Salvation. Salvation comes
only through a faith relationship with Jesus Christ, the Savior and only
mediator between God and man, as a person repents of sin and receives Christ’s
forgiveness and eternal life. This
salvation is wholly of God by grace on the basis of Christ’s life, death, and
resurrection, not on the basis of human works. (John 3:18, 4:16; Eph 2:8-9;
Acts 4:12; Rom 3:21-26; 1 Tim 2:5-6, Joel 2:32)
The Church
is Christ’s Body. The Holy Spirit
immediately places all people who put their faith in Jesus Christ into one
united spiritual body, the Church, of which Christ is the head. (Rom 12:4-5; 1Cor 12:27; Eph 4:12-13; Col
1:17-18)
Jesus Christ
Will Return. God will bring the world to
an end. At that time, Jesus Christ will
return personally and visibly in glory to the earth. Christ will judge both the saved and the
unsaved. Those who have trusted Christ
will receive a glorified body and dwell forever with the Lord. Those who have not trusted in Christ will
spend eternity in hell, the place of everlasting punishment. (Matt 25:31-46, John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15; Rev
19-21, Dan 12:2)
Marriage. Marriage means only a marriage sanctioned by
God which joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union and covenant
relationship. Any other teaching or
definition of marriage is a rejection of and contrary to God and His Word. The Church shall not directly or indirectly
recognize, endorse, promote, or support any other concept, practice, or
definition of marriage. (Genesis
2:18-24; Matthew 19:4-6)
The
Statement of Basic Beliefs represents the core beliefs of the First Baptist Church
of Moweaqua as set forth in the Word of God.
Article
3. Membership
Section
1.
1. Members of FBC shall be believers in Jesus
Christ who give evidence of new life in Christ;
2. Who have been baptized as believers by
submersion in obedience to Christ or approval by the Elders, in such case a person
cannot be submerged due to medical a condition;
3. Who hold without reservation the Basic
Beliefs of FBC as expressed within this document;
4. Who promise to keep the commitments expressed
in this document.
Section
2.
1. An applicant shall be received as a member of
FBC upon the recommendation of the Elders and the subsequent agreement of at
least two-thirds of the members present and voting on the question at any
Members Meeting or upon compliance with the following conditions:
2. By letter of transfer from another
Bible-believing church of like faith and practice, or other written statement
of good standing from the prior church, if the applicant has been baptized by submersion
subsequent to a profession of faith;
3. By testimony of faith, having been baptized
by submersion in another Bible-believing church of like faith and practice.
4. No member of this Church shall retain
membership in conjunction with any other Church.
Section
3.
1. Members shall be expected to participate
actively in the life of the Church by regularly attending scheduled worship
services;
2. By submitting to its discipline and
instruction;
3. By attending, as frequently as possible, its
Members Meetings.
4. Only members or others approved by the Elders
shall lead any ministry, hold an office of the Church, or vote on any items.
5. Only members eighteen years and older shall
be eligible to vote in any Members Meeting.
6. Only active members may cast a ballot or vote
in any Members Meeting. A member shall
not willingly absent themselves from regular scheduled worship services for a
continuous period of one year or longer to remain an active member.
Section 4.
1. The Church shall recognize the termination of
a person’s membership following his or her death and may do so following his or
her voluntary resignation (in writing) or joining with another Church.
2. The Church shall have authority to exercise
discipline over its members, which may involve excluding from its membership
any member consistently neglectful of the duties enumerated in Article 3,
Sections 1 and 3, or guilty of scandalous conduct by which the reputation of
Christ or His Church is dishonored. Any
such action shall be conducted in accordance with the instruction of the Lord
Jesus in Matthew 18:15-17 and those of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:1-5
and 2 Corinthians 2:6-8.
3. A member shall be removed from the membership
as a matter of church discipline upon the recommendation of the Elders and the
subsequent agreement of two-thirds of the members present and voting on the
question at any Members Meeting. The
member shall be informed of the meeting and shall be given the opportunity to
defend themselves.
Article 4. Meetings
Section
1.
The Church shall
assemble for public worship each Sunday morning and at other times throughout
the week as the Elders may determine.
Section
2.
1. The Church shall hold a regular membership
meeting at least every three months, with one being an annual meeting, which
shall not be held in place of the regular Sunday worship service.
2. No Members Meeting shall be held until the
date, time, and place of such meeting shall be announced at every public
meeting of the Church for two weeks immediately prior to the Members Meeting in
question.
3. The Elders, whenever they deem it necessary,
or within thirty days of receiving a written request signed by ten percent of
the voting membership, shall call a special Members Meeting.
4. The Chairman of the Elders or his representative
shall preside as the Moderator at all Members Meetings, but shall have no vote,
unless the members be equally divided on a question.
5. Members Meetings shall proceed according to a
reasonable order. The members present shall constitute a quorum of a minimum of
fifteen voting members to do business.
Motions shall be adopted upon the agreement of a majority of the members
present and voting on the question, except on matters otherwise provided for in
these by-laws.
6. For the purpose of these by-laws, “present”
shall be defined as physically present to cast a ballot or vote.
7. In the event that legal orders by local,
state, or federal officials would prevent the Church from holding normal Members
Meetings as required by these by-laws, and the Elders agree to abide by those
orders, the Moderator shall declare duly called meetings to be “virtual”. In that case, all requirements in these
by-laws for physical presence at Members Meetings shall be waived, and the Church
shall gather and conduct business by any technological means available to the
majority of the Church. No other rule
shall be affected by a virtual meeting.
Section
3.
1. The Church, duly assembled in a Members Meeting,
shall be responsible to elect officers;
2. To receive Applicants into church membership;
3. To recognize termination of membership due to
death, transfer of membership, or voluntary resignation;
4. To exercise church discipline;
5. To annually approve a Church budget;
6. To hear reports from the Elders and Deacons;
7. To take any other action the Church deems
necessary or desirable.
Article
5. Leadership
Section
1.
The Biblical
offices in the Church shall be Elders and Deacons, but final earthly authority
is vested in the assembled membership.
Section
2. Elders
1. Oversight of the ministry, resources, and
facilities of the Church shall be vested in a Board of Elders (Elders), which
shall be comprised of not fewer than three men who satisfy the qualifications
set forth in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9.
2. Elders shall be selected as follows: The Elders shall at any regular Members Meeting
present to the Church a list of nominees to the office of Elders. For a period of at least one month, the Church
shall consider whether such nominees are qualified for the office. If any member believes one or more of the
nominees to be unqualified, that member shall express such concern to the
Elders in private, who may on the basis of that advice remove names from the
list of nominees. No name shall be added
to the list of nominees which was not included on the initial list. When a period of one month has elapsed, the
Elders shall at the next regular Members Meeting present the final list of the
nominees to the Church, who shall vote by secret ballot, Yea or Nay, on each of
the nominees in turn. The Moderator or
his delegates shall count the votes, and any nominee having the approval of at
least three-quarters of the members present and voting on his nomination shall
be appointed an Elder, which the Church shall in due haste publicly recognize
and set apart as such.
3. At least once every year, the Elders shall at
any Members Meeting solicit from the congregation recommendations for the
office of Elders, which recommendations shall be given to the Elders in
private, not publicly. The Elders shall give
due consideration to any recommendation received.
4. In accordance with 1 Timothy 2:12 and 3:2,
men shall serve as Elders.
5. A majority of the Elders shall be laymen,
that is, church members not in the regular pay of the Church.
6. With the exceptions of the Senior and
Associate Pastors, as defined in Articles 5.3 and 5.4 of these by-laws, Elders
shall be reaffirmed by the Church every three years in accordance with the
process described in Article 5.2.2 of these by-laws.
7. No Elder shall hold the office of Deacon
during his tenure.
8. The Elders shall choose their Chairman and
other Officers. In compliance with the
nonprofit corporation laws of Illinois, the Elders shall also serve as the
Board of Directors of the Corporation. The
Chairman of the Elders shall serve as the President of the Corporation, and
Secretary of the Elders shall serve as the Secretary of the Corporation.
9. The Elders shall, in keeping with the
principles set forth in Scriptures, especially Acts 6:1; 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 5:17;
Titus 1:5-9; James 5:14; and 1 Peter 5:1-4, undertake the responsibility of
shepherding God’s flock by devoting themselves to prayer and the ministry of
the Word. They shall have particular authority
to plan and oversee worship services;
10. Oversee the ordinances, namely Baptism and
the Lord’s Supper;
11. Examine and instruct prospective members;
12. Oversee the process of church discipline as
found in Matthew 18:15-17 and those of Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 and
2 Corinthians 2:6-8;
13. Examine and nominate candidates for all
offices and positions;
14. Oversee the work of the Deacons/Deaconesses
and other offices or officials of the Church;
15. Hire, oversee, and evaluate the performance
of, and as necessary, terminate paid church staff.
16. Elders
are to maintain the membership roll should any questions arise as to the
eligibility of the members, following Article 3.3.7;
17. Give spiritual comfort to members who are
sick, sorrowing, aged, and infirmed;
18. Take any other action which shall be
necessary and proper for faithfully overseeing and shepherding the Church.
19. An Elder shall be removed from office upon
the vote of two-thirds of the members present and voting on the question at any
Members Meeting. Any such action shall
be done in accordance with the instruction of the Lord Jesus in Matthew
18:15-17 and those of the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 5:17-21.
20. In the event that the Church has no Elders,
the Church shall at the next regular Members Meeting elect an Interim
Moderator, who shall at each subsequent regular Members Meeting nominate one or
more men to serve as Elders, pursuant to Article 5.2.2 of these by-laws, until
an Elder is selected. The office of Interim
Moderator shall dissolve immediately upon the election of an Elder.
Section
3. Senior Pastor
1. Primary responsibility for preaching and
teaching the Scriptures in public meetings of the Church may be vested in a
Senior Pastor. Only one Senior Pastor
may be recognized at a time.
2. A Search Committee consisting of at least one
Elder and one Deacon/Deaconess in conjunction with up to five church members
shall be tasked with searching available Senior Pastor candidates to be presented
to the Elders for recommendation to the Church.
3. The Senior Pastor shall be elected as
follows: The Elders shall at any Members
Meeting present to the Church the name of one nominee to the position of Senior
Pastor. For a period of at least two
weeks, the Church shall consider the nominee’s gifts in preaching and teaching,
and his commitment to minister personally to the members of FBC. If any member believes the nominee to be
unqualified, that member shall express such concern to the Elders in private. When a period of two weeks has elapsed, the Elders
shall at the next Members Meeting present the nominee for Senior Pastor to the Church,
who shall vote (by ballot) Yea or Nay on this selection as such. The Moderator or his delegates shall count
the votes, and if the nominee receives the approval of at least three-quarters
of the members present and voting on the question, he shall be a member of the Church,
an Elder, and the Senior Pastor, whom the Church shall in due haste publicly
recognized as such.
4. The Senior Pastor shall meet all the
qualifications and hold all the rights and responsibilities of a member of FBC. He shall satisfy all the qualifications and
hold all the duties and responsibilities of an Elder. In terms of formal authority, there shall be
no distinction between an Elder and Senior Pastor.
5. The Senior Pastor shall not be subject to a
reaffirmation vote nor to any term limit.
6. The Senior Pastor’s employment shall continue
until termination by personal request accompanied with a thirty-day written
notice or upon recommendation of the Elders and upon a two-thirds vote at a
Members Meeting. A thirty-day notice or
a thirty-day compensation must be given by the Church before the relationship is
terminated. Any such action shall be
done in accordance with the instructions of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 18:15-17
and those of the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 5:17-21.
Section
4. Associate Pastor or Assistant Pastor
1. Other pastoral responsibilities expected to
be of a long-term nature may be vested in one or more Associate Pastors. Other pastoral responsibilities expended to
be of a short-term nature may be vested in one or more Assistant Pastors.
2. An Associate Pastor or an Assistant Pastor
shall be selected as follows: The Elders
shall at any regular Members Meeting present to the Church the name of one
nominee to the position of Associate Pastor or Assistant Pastor. For a period of at least two weeks, the Church
shall consider the nominee’s gifts in the particular area of service to which they
are being called, and their commitment to minister personally to the members of
the Church. If any member believes the
nominee to be unqualified, that member shall express such concern to the Elders
in private. When a period of two weeks
has elapsed, the Elders shall at the next Members Meeting present the nominee
for Associate Pastor or Assistant Pastor to the Church, who shall vote (by
ballot) Yea or Nay, on this selection as such.
The Moderator or his delegates shall count the votes, and if the nominee
receives the approval of at least two-thirds of the members present and voting
on the question, they shall be a member of FBC, and an Associate Pastor or
Assistant Pastor, whom FBC shall in due haste publicly recognize as such.
3. An Associate Pastor or Assistant Pastor shall
meet all the qualifications and hold all the rights and responsibilities of a member
of the Church. They shall not become an
Elder until recommended by the Elders and voted on as an Elder at a Members Meeting.
4. An Associate Pastor shall not be subject to a
reaffirmation vote, nor to any term limit.
An Assistant Pastor shall be subject to the provisions of Article 5.2.6 of
these by-laws.
5. The Associate Pastor or Assistant Pastor(s) employment
shall continue until termination by personal request accompanied with a
thirty-day written notice or upon recommendation of the Elders and upon a two-thirds
vote at a Members Meeting. A thirty-day
notice or a thirty-day compensation must be given by the Church before the
relationship is terminated. Any such
action shall be done in accordance with the instructions of the Lord Jesus in
Matthew 18:15-17 and those of the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 5:17-21.
Section
5. Deacons
1. The Deacons/ Deaconesses shall serve the Church
and be comprised of not fewer than three members and the number of which shall
vary as the Church has need. Deacons shall
satisfy the qualifications set forth in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. Deaconesses shall satisfy the qualifications
called out in 1 Timothy 3:11.
2. The Deacons/Deaconesses shall meet regularly with
the Elders for the purpose of unity in planning and cooperation on assigned
tasks. Deacons/Deaconesses
can recommend creating or to dissolve committees that serve a particular need
of the Church upon the agreement of the Elders and the subsequent agreement of
a majority of the members present and voting on the question at any Members Meeting.
3. Deacons/Deaconesses shall be selected as
follows: The Elders shall at any regular
Members Meeting present to the Church the list of nominees for the office of
Deacons/Deaconesses. For a period of one
month, the Church shall consider whether such nominees are qualified for the
office. If any member believes one or
more of the nominees to be unqualified, that member shall express such concern
to the Elders in private, who may on the basis of that advice remove names from
the list of nominees. No name shall be
added to the list of nominees which wasn’t included on the initial list. When a period of one month has elapsed, the
Elders shall at the next regular Members Meeting or at a special Members Meeting,
present a final list of nominees to the Church, who shall vote (by ballot) Yea
or Nay, on each of the nominees in turn.
The Moderator or his delegates shall count the votes, and any nominee
having the approval of two-thirds of the members present and voting on his
nomination shall be a Deacon/Deaconess, which the Church shall in due haste
publicly recognize and set apart as such.
4. At least once a year, the Elders shall at any
regular Members Meeting solicit from the membership recommendations for new Deacons/Deaconesses
and for qualified persons to fill new or vacant positions, which
recommendations shall be given to the Elders in private, and not publicly. The Elders shall give due consideration to
any recommendation received.
5. No Deacon/Deaconess shall hold the office of
Elder.
6. Deacons/Deaconesses shall be reaffirmed by
the Church every three years. Each year
the Deacons/Deaconesses shall elect from its number a Chair and Secretary.
7. In keeping with the principles set forth in
Acts 6:1-6, Deacons/Deaconesses shall support the Elders’ ministry of the Word,
work to maintain the unity of FBC, and care for the physical needs of FBC.
8. The
Deacons/Deaconesses shall submit a budget to the Elders for approval a minimum
of 30 days prior to the fourth quarter Members Meeting of the fiscal year which
shall be voted upon by the Church at the final regular Members Meeting of every
fiscal year. If the Church fails to
approve a new budget by the beginning of the new fiscal year, church staff
shall continue to be compensated based off the most recent adopted budget. Unless approved by the Leadership Council, no
other spending shall be authorized until a new budget is adopted by the Church. Once adopted, the total amount budgeted must
not be overspent nor any category within the budget without an approved
amendment. Amendments to the budget up
to ten percent of a line item can be approved by the Deacons/Deaconesses. Amendments above ten percent must be recommended
by the Deacons/Deaconesses and approved by the Elders with the subsequent
agreement of a majority of the members present and voting on the question at
any Members Meeting.
9. Deacons/Deaconesses shall attend to the
normal care and maintenance of the church properties;
10. Receive, hold, and disburse a fund for
benevolence, and report from time to time on the use of such funds to both the
Elders and the Church;
11. Attend to the accommodations for public
worship including music ministry;
12. Serve in other specific capacities as the Church
has need.
13. Deacons/Deaconesses may assist in
distributing the elements of the Lord’s Supper.
14. The Deacons/Deaconesses shall have general
responsibility for the financial affairs of the Church under oversight of the
Elders and shall prepare a budget annually to be submitted and approved for
voting at the fourth quarter Members Meeting.
15. A Deacon/Deaconesses may be removed from
office upon the recommendation of the Elders and the subsequent agreement of two-thirds
of the members present and voting on the question at any Members Meeting.
16. In the event a Deacon/Deaconess position
becomes vacant, the Elders may appoint a person to fill that position and
assume its responsibilities, until such time as some person can be duly
recognized by the Church as a Deacon/Deaconess, but no longer than two
consecutive Members Meetings.
Section 6. Leadership Council
1. The
Leadership Council shall meet a minimum of once a quarter or more as needed and
consist of Elders, Senior Pastor, Deacons, and Deaconesses;
2. Shall act as the unifying agent for all
phases of the work of the Church.
3. The Leadership Council may act on behalf of
the Church in matters of urgency or immediate need, subject to approval of the
Church at the next Members Meeting.
Article
6. Committees
Section 1. Missions Committee
1. The Missions Committee shall be comprised of
not fewer than three members and the number of which shall vary as the Church
has need. The Missions Committee shall be
reaffirmed every three years by a two-thirds vote and shall elect from its
number a Chair and a Secretary and shall meet periodically. Under the oversight of the Leadership Council,
this Committee is responsible to discover possibilities for mission projects,
promoting annual offerings, and educating the Church on its role in missions;
2. Plan and execute the Hospitality ministry
providing meals for the families who have lost a loved one; the Fellowship
ministry aligning meals for planned church family events, and maintaining the
needs of the kitchen and supplies; the Flower ministry displaying arrangements
for holidays, altar and church family funerals.
3. The Missions Committee shall meet regularly
with the Deacons/Deaconesses for the purpose of unity in planning and
cooperation on assigned tasks;
4. Shall submit budget expectations to the
Deacons/Deaconesses during the budget process.
Section 2. Christian Education Committee
1. The Christian Education Committee shall be comprised
of not fewer than three members and the number of which shall vary as the Church
has need. The Christian Education
Committee shall be reaffirmed every three years by a two-thirds vote and shall
elect from its number a Chair and a Secretary and shall meet periodically. Under
the supervision of the Elders and Senior Pastor, the Christian Education
Committee shall appoint and lead Adult, Youth, and Primary Sunday school
teachers in curriculum, training, arranging substitutes, and promoting skills
and ideas;
2. Coordinate Vacation Bible School along with
any other educational ministries of the Church.
3. The Christian Education Committee shall meet
regularly with the Elders for the purpose of unity in planning and cooperation
on assigned tasks;
4. Shall submit budget expectations to the
Deacons/Deaconesses during the budget process.
Section
3.
Article 7. Administration
Section
1. Church Clerk
1. The Church Clerk shall serve under the
direction of the Deacons/Deaconesses to record the minutes of all regular and
special Members Meetings of the Church, participate in maintaining an accurate
roll of the membership, and give reports as requested by the Elders, Deacons/Deaconesses,
or the Church.
2. The Church Clerk shall record the events in
the life of the Church that are to be of historical value, thus making the
Church records a continuous history of the Church.
3. The Church Clerk shall be elected or
reaffirmed yearly by two-thirds vote with no limit to successions.
4. The Church Clerk shall be removed from office
upon the recommendation of the Elders and the subsequent agreement of a two-thirds
of the members present and voting on the question at any Members Meeting.
Section 2. Financial Secretary
1. The Church Financial Secretary shall serve
under the direction of the Deacons/Deaconesses to ensure that all funds and
securities of the Church are properly secured in such banks, financial
institutions, or depositories as designated by the Church.
2. The Church Financial Secretary shall ensure
that full and accurate accounts of the receipts are kept in books belonging to
the Church, and that adequate controls are implemented to guarantee that all
funds belonging to the Church are appropriately handled by any officer,
employee, or agent of the Church. The Church
Financial Secretary shall issue to each donor a confidential yearly statement
of their contributions;
3. Shall be elected or reaffirmed yearly by
two-thirds vote with no limit to successions.
4. Paid staff members of the Church are not
eligible for the office of Financial Secretary.
5. The Church Financial Secretary shall be
removed from office upon the recommendation of the Elders and the subsequent
agreement of a two-thirds of the members present and voting on the question at
any Members Meeting.
Section 3. Church Treasurer
1. The Church
shall select a Church Treasurer, who shall receive
a weekly record from the Financial Secretary of the funds received for the Church. The Church Treasurer shall disburse the Church
funds as directed by the Deacons/Deaconesses and the Church, as well as
maintain and keep a record of all disbursements, and adequate controls are maintained
to guarantee that all funds belonging to the Church are appropriately handled. The Church Treasurer shall also be
responsible for presenting regular reports of the account balances, revenues,
and expenses of the Church at regular Members Meetings;
2. Shall be elected or reaffirmed yearly by
two-thirds vote with no limit to successions.
3. Paid staff members of the Church are not
eligible for the office of Church Treasurer.
4. The Church Treasurer shall be removed from
office upon the recommendation of the Elders and the subsequent agreement of a two-thirds
of the members present and voting on the question at any Members Meeting.
Article
8. Designated Contributions
From time to
time, the Church, in the exercise of its religious, educational, and charitable
purposes, may establish various funds to accomplish specific goals. All
contributions to these funds shall be deemed advisory rather than mandatory in
nature and shall remain subject to the exclusive control and discretion of the Leadership
Council. No fiduciary obligation shall
be created by any designated contribution made to the church other than to use
the contribution for the general furtherance of any of its tax-exempt purposes.
Article
9. Conflict of Interest
It is
imperative that the Church avoid any conflict of interest between the interests
of the Church on one hand, and personal, professional, and business interests
on the other. This includes avoiding actual conflicts of interest as well as
perceptions of conflicts of interest.
In order to
protect the integrity of the Church’s decision making process, to enable our membership
to have confidence in our integrity, and to protect the integrity and
reputation of the Church, its staff, its officers, and the membership, in the
course of all meetings and activities, members must disclose any interests in a
transaction or decision where they, their family, significant other, or close
associates will receive a benefit or gain, and after disclosure, must leave the
room for the discussion and will not be permitted to vote on the question.
Article 10. Indemnification
To the
extent that a pastor, officer, or employee of the Church has been successfully
on the merits or otherwise in defense of any suit, claim, issue, proceeding, or
matter of action, shall be indemnified against expenses, including attorney’s
fees, actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with the
suit, claim, issue, proceeding, or matter of action.
Article 11. Ratification
Once the By-Laws
are approved by the membership, it shall become effective ninety days following
its approval. This will allow proper time for the appointment of Elders,
Deacon(s), Deaconess(es), and nominations of all officers of the church. Voting
shall be held by secret ballot with three-quarters needed for approval.
Article 12. Amendments
These
by-laws may be amended by three quarters vote at any Members Meeting provided a
prior notice of at least sixty days has been given at a previous Members Meeting. Voting shall be held by secret ballot.
