SAINT GEORGE GREEK ORTHODOX
CHURCH
BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA
PARISH BY-LAWS
2008
These by-laws were last compiled in 2003 and attached to the 1996 edition of the Uniform Parish Regulations (UPR). Since then more amendments have been made to the by-laws and the Archdiocese has updated the UPR with a 2005 edition. An effort will be made to review our current by-laws and cross reference them with the new edition of the UPR.
- Member in good standing:
A member in good standing at our local parish is defined as:
a) One who has Regular/Faithful attendance as defined in the UPR and the By-laws thereof.
b) Members current with their Stewardship obligation/pledge in accordance with the UPR and the By-Laws thereof.
c) Members should live according to the “faith and canons of the Church” and express a genuine interest for the progress and spiritual growth of the community (Metropolitan’s letter 12/5/02)
d) New members are those whose names are enrolled in our Parish registry for the first time. To be considered in good standing , they are required to have fulfilled the basic requirements of a member in good standing for at least the last three months. A parishioner who has pledged in previous years, who for whatever reason experienced an interruption in their pledged membership, and then decides to re-pledge, is not considered a “new member” for they are already in the Parish registry. To be in good standing, a member must, in addition to pledging, fulfill the regulations set forth in the UPR, and the respective by-laws.
- Regular/Faithful attendance at our Parish.
Regular/Faithful attendance at our Parish is defined as: Regular and faithful attendance of the Devine Liturgy on Sundays at our local parish more often than not. This By-Law is made in accordance with the UPR as well as our Bishop’s letters from 06/01/01 and 12/05/02 (see appendix).
- Stewardship
a) The stewardship obligation/pledge program of our parish is based on the understanding that Stewardship is our supporting the mission and life of the parish in an honest and fair manner for everyone, according to the Holy Scriptures and Stewardship teachings of the Orthodox Church.
b) The Stewardship Program for our parish is on an “Annual Member Stewardship Obligation Basis” with a minimum annually of $750.00 per single member and $1200.00 per family. These amounts were ratified on 04/09/06 at the General Assembly and went into effect on 01/01/07. Exceptions (cases of indigence or other special circumstances) are covered in the UPR.
c) A completed pledge card is needed each year. These should normally be filled out at the time of availability in January of each year. For a family membership, Stewardship pledge cards must be signed by the pledging Orthodox Christian, and their spouse (if Orthodox). A family membership (provided that each married member is of the Orthodox faith) enables both husband and wife to be eligible to vote in the Parish assembly and elections, as long as both are in good standing, as a family have completed a pledge card, and when their pledge is current.
d) Certainly, an existing member may pledge at any time of the year, however, it is manifestly contrary to the spirit of our UPR and local By-Laws to fill out a pledge card just before an Assembly or Election an attempt to “purchase” voting privileges. (Bishop’s letter 06/01/01, see appendix).
e) A member’s stewardship pledge is to be fulfilled according to the following options: weekly, monthly, paid in full at the beginning of the fiscal year (January), Quarterly at the beginning of the new quarter of the fiscal year, beginning with January-April-July-October. There is a thirty (30) day grace period to fulfill the previous years pledge in the current year (by January 31st).
f) A parishioner who has not fulfilled their stewardship obligations for the previous year, and/or who is not current in their stewardship obligations for the present year, is ineligible to vote in an Assembly or Election. (Bishop’s letter 06/01/01, see appendix).
- Parish Assemblies:
The regular Parish assemblies shall be convened on the 2nd Sunday of May and the 2nd Sunday of November. In the event that the Parish Council feels that the Parish would be better served, these fixed dates may be changed by a 2/3 majority of those present at the Parish Council meeting. The Parish Council Secretary shall notify the membership by not less than ten (10) days prior to the fixed date, stating the new date.
A quorum for a Parish Assembly of this local parish shall be one-third (33%) of the members in good standing at the opening of the assembly.
- Parish Council:
The Parish Council shall consist of ten (10) elected lay members. (The number was reduced from twelve to ten at the General Assembly on 11/14/04).
The members of the Parish Council are elected for a term of three years by the members of the parish in good standing who are current with their stewardship pledge obligations. Elections shall be held annually no later than the second Sunday in December. We will be electing three and four members on alternating years, and the remaining members will continue to serve out their terms.
- Election of Parish Council:
A) Nominations shall be in writing to the Election Board, signed by two members in good standing, the nominee and the Parish Priest. Nominations must be submitted at least ten (10) days before the Election Day. The Election Board in concert with the Priest shall validate the qualifications of each nominee. Nominations shall also be accepted from the floor of the General Assembly, provided the nominee fulfills all of the qualifications as presented in these By-Laws and the UPR.
B) A new member must be pledged and current with their pledge, for at least three (3) months prior to the elections to be eligible to vote. (See also the UPR and “member in good standing” By-Laws).
C) Voting shall terminate at two o’ clock on the day of elections.