FaithBibleChurch

BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I –MISSION AND CORE VALUES

At FaithBibleChurch our mission is a simple one:

We live to love Christ, love others, and help others to do the same.

Each individual church really shares the same mission which is the Great Commission, what Christ gave to His disciples before His ascension in Matthew 28:18-20. The difference is in how individual churches express that calling. The members of FBC seek to live out the Great Commission in the context of three Scripture passages. The first is Mark 12:28-31. The second is 2 Timothy 2:2 and the third is Acts 1:8. In other words, FaithBibleChurch seeks to live out the Great Commission by first loving Jesus Christ with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and then second, by loving our neighbor as ourselves. At the same time we want to see this mission carried out by the next generation and so we work to love our neighbor so that they will in turn love Christ and love others. We believe the most strategic way to go about this is to start in our own hometown and extend outward to the ends of the earth.

CORE VALUES

What we value is another way to say what we consider to be a priority. Our values determine for us what ministries will take priority over others. The members of Faith Bible Church strive to practice genuine Christian community, community that can be modeled to a lost and hurting world fleshed out in three words.

We value

Maturity: A church of people who can communicate what they believe and why.

Ministry: A church of mission minded individuals who use their gifts inside and outside of the church

Multiplication: A church that multiplies itself and encourages its people to do the same

ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP

Section 1 – ADMISSIONto membership in the church shall be as follows:

A. Applicants for membership will be given a copy of the Constitution and By-laws of the church. The Pastoral Staff or a member of the Elder Board will instruct the applicant in church doctrine and policy.

B. Following such instruction, applicants shall meet with the Elder Board to give personal testimony of their salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, they will have major agreement with the Constitution and the By-laws of the church and commit to abide by the Constitution and By-laws. Prospective members are encouraged to share their testimony with the congregation.

C. The names of the candidates shall be published prior to the date of their acceptance by the church. If any member has a valid reason for objecting to the acceptance of any candidate into the church, the member shall immediately present to the Elder Board their reasons for the objections. The Elder Board shall consider the Scriptural validity of the objections.

D. Candidates will be approved by a unanimous vote of the Elder Board and introduced as new members to the congregation at a subsequent worship service.

Section 2 – MEMBERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

  • To live daily to please the Lord, through the power of the Holy Spirit and in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 6:10, 19-20; Romans 6:13; Colossians 3:1-17).
  • To study the Bible and pray faithfully and diligently (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Colossians 4:2; Psalm 119:9-11; 1 Peter 4:7; 1 Thessalonians 5:17).
  • To be supportive of the people and ministries of the church (1 Peter 4:8; Acts 2:42-47).
  • To be faithful, in so far as possible, in attending worship and prayer services, congregational meetings, and other ministries of the church, which will aid in spiritual growth (Hebrews 10:25).
  • To use the spiritual gifts and abilities God has given to serve others in the church (1 Peter 4:10-11; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11).
  • To give regularly, proportionately, generously, and cheerfully for the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 16:2; 2 Corinthians 9:7).
  • To be accountable to the church for any sin, which might need church discipline (Galatians 6:1; Matthew 18:15-17).

Section 3 - ABSENCE AND WITHDRAWAL

Members may be removed from membership by the Elder Board, at their own request, by informing the Elder Board of their intention to withdraw and the reasons thereof. If a member requests to withdraw because of specific problems or disappointments with the church, the Elder Board shall attempt to resolve those matters so that the member may remain in the church and enjoy greater fruitfulness and personal spiritual growth. If the Elder Board is unable to resolve those matters, it shall offer to assist the member in locating a church of like faith and practice that can respond more effectively to his/her gifts and needs. If it appears to the Elder Board that a member has requested removal merely to avoid church discipline, they will be urged to work through a process of restoration (see Matt. 18:12-20)

A. We expect every member who is absent for a period of twelve months or longer will communicate with the church concerning his/her spiritual life and interest in the Lord's work. Such members shall be listed as inactive, non-voting members.

B. Any person, absent more than one year, from whom no communication has been received, may be dropped from the roll by Elder Board decision after an attempt has been made to contact the absentee member.

Section 4- DISCIPLINE

Church discipline shall be carried out according to the discipline guidelines as found in Matt. 18:15-17; I Cor. 5:11-13; Gal. 6:1-2; Titus 3:10-11; II Cor. 2:5-11.

A. If any member or regular attendee conducts themselves in a manner which, in the studied opinion of the Senior Pastor and the Elder Board, is not in harmony with scriptural principles and for which he/she does not show evidence of repentance, he/she shall be interviewed and counseled by a Pastor and/or Elder Board after the manner clearly indicated in the Word of God. The restoration of the erring member shall be the single purpose and love the sole motivating force in these interviews.

  1. If, however the member should choose to continue in their unrepentant

condition, they shall be deprived of membership, leadership positions, and teaching responsibilities.

C. A person who has been removed from the church membership and desires re-admittance may be restored to membership by giving satisfactory evidence of repentance, restitution and reformation to the Board of Elders. The application shall then follow the regular procedure for church membership.

ARTICLE III – GOVERNMENT

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We believe that it is critical that we be led and directed by the head of the Church, Jesus Christ. Our structure of government is meant to achieve that end, to produce theocracy (government by God), not democracy (government by the people). Only in that end will our structure of government have meaning. In that spirit and based on our understanding of the pattern of Scripture, we set forth the following on how this Church

will be governed.

Section 1 - THE CONGREGATION

Our government shall be congregational in its form in the sense that all leaders are accountable to the Congregation. Under Christ, ultimate authority in the church shall reside in the members. The members shall entrust the policy matters of church leadership to a group of godly men called the Elder Board and day-to-day administration to the Pastoral Staff. These will be members who by virtue of giftedness and character can be trusted to act in accordance with Scripture and the mind of Christ. All Elder Board Members, and Chairpersons of ministry teams must be chosen from among members of the church. The Elder Board is empowered to make decisions in all matters except the following, which must be brought before active members 18 years and older for approval.

·Hiring and termination of the Senior Pastor or elder

·Approval of nominated Elders and affirming the continuation of their service

·Approving the church annual budget

·The acquisition or selling of land or buildings

·Approve any unexpected opportunity/emergency expense that exceeds 2% of the annual budget per fiscal year and any necessary loans involved

·Changing the Constitution and /or By-Laws

·Additional business deemed necessary for church approval by the Elders

Section 2 - PASTORAL STAFF

A. Senior Pastor

1. The Senior Pastor shall preach and teach the Word of God, oversee the public Worship services of the church, watch over the spiritual welfare of the church, manage the church pastoral and administrative staff, lead the congregation in a practical Christian life. In conjunction with the Elder Board, develop the mission and vision of the church and discharge all the functions of the ministry. He will be a voting member of the Elder

Board and a ex-officio member of all committees and teams.

2. The Senior Pastor shall be chosen, by a three-fourths majority vote at any regular or special Congregational meeting of the church membership. The vote to call a pastor shall also signify acceptance into church membership for the pastor and his wife. He shall be called for an indefinite period of time.

3. The Senior Pastor’s employment may be terminated per the Elder discipline and dismissal guidelines as found in Article 3, section 4, F.

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B. Pastoral Staff

  1. The Pastoral Staff shall consist of people who are called of God to dedicate their lives to vocational ministry. They shall give servant leadership to the area of ministry where they have been called to serve.
  1. Pastoral Staff will work under the direction of the Senior Pastor and will be employed and dismissed by the unanimous consent of the Elder Board.
  1. Other Staff will work under the direction of the Senior Pastor, and will be employed and dismissed by the unanimous consent of the Elder Board.

Section 3 - CHURCH OFFICERS

  1. Chairman (appointed by the Elder Board from its members) shall:
  • Lead Elder Board meetings and activities
  • Preside over Congregational meetings of the church
  • Ensure that all decisions of the church are fully carried out

B. Vice Chair (appointed by the Elder Board from its members) shall fill the role of Chair in the Chair's absence.

  1. Church Secretary (appointed by the Elder Board from its members) shall keep an accurate record of the proceedings and decisions at all Congregational Meetings of the church and meetings of the Elder Board.

Section 4 – THE ELDER BOARD

The Elder Board shall act as a Board of Directors or a Board of Trustees for this corporation. The Leadership Board Member shall be publicly recognized as desiring to serve as a Leader, fulfilling the Biblical requirements of leaders. They shall provide leadership and promote the spiritual welfare of the church.

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The Elder Board shall annually appoint from within its membership a Chair a Vice-Chair and a Church Secretary. This Board shall meet at least once a month or whenever called together by the Chair, Senior Pastor, or any two members of the Elder Board. In all cases the Chair will set the meeting times and place.

  1. Elder Qualifications: All elders should have the qualifications prescribed in

I Timothy 3:1-3; Acts 6:3; and Galatians 5:22-23 .

  1. Term and elections.
  • The term of an Elder Board Member shall be 3 years.
  • Elder candidates will be nominated by existing elders as needed. The names of the candidates shall be published prior to the date of a congregational meeting. If any member has a valid reason for objecting to the approval of any Elder candidate into the Elder Board, the member shall immediately present to the Senior Pastor and/or a member of the Elder Board their reasons for the objections. The Senior Pastor and the Elder Board shall consider the Scriptural validity of the objections.
  • Elder candidates will be confirmed by three-fourths majority of the congregation of a duly constituted quorum.
  • Elders may resign upon approval of his fellow elders.

C. Elder Board Duties

The Elder Board shall be charged with the following responsibilities:

  • To provide scriptural direction for the church.
  • To be a primary source of encouragement, support and counsel for the senior Pastor as he provides spiritual leadership.
  • To conduct an annual review with the Senior Pastor and approve pastoral expenses
  • To evaluate church programs in light of Biblical principles and the church's Credo, Mission and Statement of Faith.
  • To review ministry goals and direction to ensure that they are consistent with the Scriptures.
  • To administer confidential or sensitive matters of church discipline.
  • To determine what shall be the doctrinal teaching of the church beyond the Statement of Faith.
  • To oversee the church membership process.
  • To serve as a council of appeal to determine scriptural appropriateness

whenever members dispute an action taken or a decision made by the Pastoral staff or a ministry team.

  • To oversee the finances of the church by establishing financial policies and ensuring compliance with the church approved budgets and these

by-laws

  • To appoint and oversee Ministry Teams.
  • To appoint ad-hoc teams as appropriate to advance the work of the Lord at Faith, such as: Personnel, By-laws, Next Steps, Budget, or Search
  • To ensure that job descriptions are available for each office, each staff, and appointed position in the church.
  • To ensure that a procedure manual is complete, up-to-date, and available,

detailing the operating procedures of the church.

  • In conjunction with the Senior Pastor develop the Credo, Mission, Vision and Core Value statements of the church
  • Appoint financial officers as needed.
  • Preside over church ordinances.

The Elder Board shall provide a written report to the congregation annually regarding their activity during the past year and their plans for the upcoming year.

D.Church Records

1. The Elder Board shall ensure that the following records are kept:

·Minutes of its meetings

·Minutes of the meetings of the congregation

·Rolls of the members in the congregation with the dates of reception

·Appropriate accounting records

·Constitution currently in effect

·By-laws currently in effect

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2. A member shall be entitled to inspect and copy, at a reasonable time and location specified by the Elder Board, any of the church records described above, provided the Elder Board finds that the member has a proper purpose and is acting in good faith. The Elder Board may limit access to any records that contain confidential information about a particular person or persons.

E. Conflict of Interest

If a conflict of interest by an Elder Board Member or Pastor should arise, that Board member or Pastor shall abstain from being involved in the decision in which there is a conflict of interest.

F. Discipline and dismissal of an elder.

1. Elder discipline shall be carried out according to the discipline guidelines as found in Matt. 18:15-17; I Cor. 5:11-13; Gal. 6:1-2; Titus 3:10-11; II Cor. 2:5-11. Any elder of this church who is found to walk in a way unworthy or contrary to the Word of God or the Statement of Faith of this church, or who fails to perform his prescribed duties shall be lovingly admonished according to the Word of God, by his fellow Elders.

If any member has cause to bring a charge or accusation against an Elder, they must bring such charge or accusation to an Elder or to the Elder Board.If hearings are necessary, the Elder Board, witnesses, and the offending elder shall meet in closed session. If the elder board finds the charges valid and if there is no repentance, the Elder Board, upon unanimous vote, shall forward a recommendation of dismissal of the offending elder to the church membership. An Elder may be dismissed by a three-fourths vote of a constituted quorum at a duly called congregational meeting. Upon the approval of the dismissal recommendation the offending elder will be deprived of membership, leadership positions, and teaching responsibilities.

2. An elder who has been removed from the church membership and desires re-admittance may be restored to membership by giving satisfactory evidence of repentance, restitution and reformation to the Board of Elders. The application shall then follow the regular procedure for church membership.

ARTICLE IV – CHURCH MINISTRIES

Section 1 –Leadership of Ministry Teams (Pastors, Deacons and Ministry Directors)

  1. Purpose

The functions and ministries of the church shall be led, directed, developed, and administered by designated Pastors, Deacons, Ministry Directors, and their respective ministry teams. The Elders will create ministry teams as needed such as but not limited to:

Children’s MinistryMen’s Ministry Team

Women’s Ministry TeamMusic & Worship Ministry

Mission and Outreach Ministry TeamProperty Ministry Team

FinancialMinistry TeamYouth Ministry Team

  1. Ministry Leader selections and qualifications.

The Elder Board will appoint all ministry team directors and deacons and assign them duties as appropriate. Deacons and ministry team directors will be members in good standing who meet the qualifications set forth in I Timothy 3:8-10

C. Ministry Team Membership

Each pastor, deacon, or ministry team director, with the approval of the Elder Board, shall recruit individuals to serve with them in carrying out the ministry.

Section 2 - OTHER CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS

  1. Formation of church organizations

No organization shall be formed or considered to be a part of the church activities before the sponsors have submitted their plans to the Pastoral Staff and/or the Elder Board for their approval and sanction.

  1. Fund Raising for approved church organizations

Methods of raising funds shall be subject to the approval of the Leadership Board.

ARTICLE V - MEETINGS

  1. The Annual Business Meeting of the church shall be held in June each year. The Elder Board will decide the time and will notify the congregation of the meeting specifics at least two weeks prior to the meeting. At this meeting, annual reports shall be received, elected offices filled, and other necessary business transacted.

B. The fiscal year shall end June 30th.

C. Special Congregational meetings may be called by the Chair of the Elder Board, on request of the Senior Pastor or by a request signed by a quorum of church members. The Elder Board Chair will set specific time, date and place. Notice of a special meeting shall be given either by announcement at the regular Sunday services of the church at least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting, or by written notice mailed in time to reach all resident members at least two weeks prior to the date of the meeting.