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Proposed time
table:
Presented to
the 1st half Congregational meeting December 6, 2009
To be acted
upon 1st half Congregational meeting December 5, 2010
HOPE EVANGELICAL
COVENANT CHURCH
Crystal Lake, Illinois
CONSTITUTION
PREAMBLE
(A
historical statement from the Preamble of the Constitution and Bylaws
of The Evangelical Covenant Church as adopted by the Evangelical Covenant
Church in 2001 and amended in 2003.)
The
Evangelical Covenant Church is a communion of congregations gathered
by God, united in Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to obey the
great commission. It affirms its companionship in faith with other
church bodies and all those who fear God and keep God’s commandments.
The
Evangelical Covenant Church adheres to the affirmations of the Protestant
Reformation regarding the Bible. It confesses that the Holy Scripture,
the Old and the New Testament, is the Word of God and the only perfect
rule for faith, doctrine and conduct. It affirms the historic
confessions of the Christian Church, particularly the Apostles’ Creed
and the Nicene Creed, while emphasizing the sovereignty of the Word
of God over all creedal interpretations.
In
continuity with the renewal movements of historic Pietism, the Evangelical
Covenant Church especially cherishes the dual emphasis on new birth
and new life in Christ, believing that personal faith in Jesus Christ
as Savior and Lord is the foundation for our mission of evangelism and
Christian nurture. Our common experience of God’s grace and
love in Jesus Christ continues to sustain the Evangelical Covenant Church
as an interdependent body of believers that recognizes but transcends
our theological differences.
The
Evangelical Covenant Church celebrates two divinely ordained sacraments,
baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Recognizing the reality of freedom
in Christ, and in conscious dependence on the work of the Holy Spirit,
we practice both the baptism of infants and believer baptism.
The Evangelical Covenant Church embraces this freedom in Christ as a
gift that preserves personal conviction, yet guards against an individualism
that disregards the centrality of the Word of God and the mutual responsibilities
and disciplines of the spiritual community.
The
Evangelical Covenant Church has its roots in historical Christianity,
the Protestant Reformation, the biblical instruction of the Lutheran
Church of Sweden, and the great spiritual awakenings of the eighteenth
and nineteenth centuries. These influences, together with more
recent North American renewal movements, continue to shape its development
and distinctive spirit. The Evangelical Covenant Church is committed
to reaching across boundaries of race, ethnicity, culture, gender, age,
and status in the cultivation of communities of life and service.
This
document, which is in harmony with the above preamble, is the Constitution
and Bylaws of the HOPE EVANGELICAL COVENANT CHURCH of CRYSTAL LAKE,
ILLINOIS.
ARTICLE I
NAME
The name of
this church shall be the HOPE EVANGELICAL COVENANT CHURCH OF CRYSTAL
LAKE. ILLINOIS.
ARTICLE II
AFFILIATION
The church
is a member of the Evangelical Covenant Church and its Central Conference
and is pledged to work in harmony with the Covenant and its decisions
and to support its program, policies, and institutions.
ARTICLE
III
CONFESSION
OF FAITH
The church
believes in the Holy Scriptures, the Old and the New Testament, as the
Word of God and the only perfect rule for faith, doctrine, and conduct.
ARTICLE IV
PURPOSE
We
covenant to cultivate a community of worship committed to prayer, preaching
and study of the Word of God, the celebration of the sacraments, and
fellowship across gender, race, age, culture, and class. In so
doing we covenant to equip loving, giving, growing Christians to reach
out with the good news of Jesus Christ -- leading persons into a saving
relationship with Jesus Christ, ministering to those in need, and seeking
justice for the oppressed.
ARTICLE V
MEMBERSHIP
Membership
in the church is granted on application to those who through faith in
God's Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, have been born anew to a living hope,
have been baptized according to the Holy Scriptures, desire to live
a Christian life, and promise to support the total ministry of the church
and to share its fellowship and obligations.
ARTICLE
VI
GOVERNANCE
The
authority of the government of this church is vested in its membership
acting through duly called congregational meetings. The oversight
of business and spiritual affairs are delegated by the congregation
to appropriate leadership as delineated in the Bylaws. All elected
leadership specified in the Bylaws shall be members of the church.
ARTICLE
VII
OFFICERS
The officers
of the church shall be a chairman, a vice-chairman, a secretary, a financial
secretary, and a treasurer. All
officers shall be members of the Church Council as delineated in the
Bylaws. All elected officers specified in the Bylaws shall be
members of the church. Where law requires action(s) by “trustees”
the officers shall be know as “Trustees” and comprise the “Board
of Trustees”.
ARTICLE VIII
CONGREGATIONAL
BUSINESS MEETINGS
Section
1.
Congregational
business meetings shall be held at stated intervals, but not less than
semi-annually. An annual congregational meeting shall
be held as near the first of the fiscal year as feasible
but no later than 40 days following the end of the prior fiscal year. At the annual meeting, written progress
reports shall be submitted by the pastor(s),
officers, and elected leaders as
delineated in the Bylaws. Officers and Members
of the Council for the ensuing year shall be elected by ballot. The
church budget shall also be submitted for action.
Section
2.
Notice of all
congregational business meetings shall be provided to members not less
than two weeks prior to the meeting and shall include the date, time
of the meeting, and an annotated agenda of business to be transacted.
ARTICLE IX
PROPERTY
Section
1.
The
membership of the congregation shall hold title to its own assets.
Section
2.
In the event
of schism within the church, from which we earnestly pray God to spare
us, the title of all church property, real or personal, shall remain
with the group which abides by this Constitution, as determined by the
executive board of the Central Conference.
Section
3.
The church
may be dissolved by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members
of the church. In the event of dissolution, the property and all assets
of the church shall become and be the property of the Evangelical Covenant
Church and the Central Conference.
ARTICLE X
AMENDMENTS
Amendments
in harmony with this constitution and the Model Constitutions for Local
Covenant Churches and not in conflict with Covenant principles and policies
may be adopted by a two-thirds vote of those present and voting in an
annual meeting of the church, providing the proposed amendment was presented
in written form at the preceding annual meeting. Articles IX and X may
be amended only with the approval of the executive board of the regional
conference.
**************
Proposed
time table:
Presented to
the 1st half Congregational meeting December 6, 2009
To be acted
upon 1st half Congregational meeting December 5, 2010
HOPE EVANGELICAL
COVENANT CHURCH
BYLAWS
ARTICLE I
MEMBERSHIP
Section
1. Purpose
The purpose
of membership is to join with other followers of Christ in building
a community of worship committed to prayer, preaching, teaching, and
study of the Word of God, the celebration of the sacraments, and fellowship
across gender, race, age, culture, and class. In so doing, the
membership covenants together to equip loving, giving, growing Christians
to reach out with the good news of Jesus Christ -- leading persons into
a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, ministering to those in need,
and seeking justice for the oppressed.
Section
2. Responsibilities and Behavior
The members
of this church do covenant together by God’s grace to live lives in
a manner consistent with the standards of biblical teaching, including
the support of this congregation in attendance, prayer, service and
giving, to live lives in word and deed that are an encouragement to
others to know and be like Jesus Christ, to reflect in all our relationships
the servant love of our Lord, and to support the broader mission of
Christ through the Evangelical Covenant Church and its Central Conference.
Section 3.
Admission into Membership.
Membership
in the church is granted to those who through faith in God’s Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ, have been born anew to a living hope through
the Holy Spirit, have been baptized according to the Holy Scriptures,
desire to live a Christian life, promise to faithfully support the mission,
ministries and policies of the church, and to share in its fellowship
and obligations.
A. Application for membership:
A written application shall be placed with the pastor or the Council.
Applicants shall complete a membership course of study, and shall subsequently meet with a committee
appointed by the Council to give testimony to personal faith in Jesus
Christ. Upon completion of such, the committee shall submit its
recommendations on the applications to the Council which shall notify
members of the church of the recommendations. Any member objecting
to or having concerns over the granting of membership to an applicant
shall communicate in writing such objection or concern to the Council
within ten days after notification by the Council.
- Granting
of membership: Final action on applications for membership shall
be taken by the Council within 60 days of receiving the recommendations
of the interview committee. Such action may be appealed by a member
at the next congregational meeting where the action of the Council may
be overturned by a majority vote of members present and voting.
C. Transfer of membership: Applicants
from other Christian churches shall submit letters of transfer when
available, to the pastor and/or the Council, who shall act upon the
application according to the requirements of paragraph A. and B.
of this section. Completion of a membership course of study may be waived at the
discretion of the Council for transfers from other Evangelical Covenant
churches.
D. Reception of new members: Applicants
who are received into the membership of the church
shall be welcomed at a subsequent service and shall make public confession
of their Christian faith, as outlined in The Covenant Book of Worship.
Section 4. Children.
Children of the church and
its constituency shall be nurtured under its spiritual care. After completing
the confirmation course, normally
using the confirmation/discipleship material of the Covenant, and on
or after age 13, they shall
be eligible for church membership according to the procedure stated
in Section 3, paragraph A. of this Article. Completion
of a membership course of study may be waived at the
discretion of the Council if the applicant has completed the Confirmation
Course not more than twenty-four months prior to application for membership.
Section 5. Discipline, Dismissal of Members.
A. Discipline
of members: The Council shall be responsible for admonishing members
who willfully neglect their responsibilities to the church or err in
doctrine or conduct.
B. Erring members: Any member
known to err in doctrine or conduct shall be counseled according to
the procedure outlined in Matthew 18: 15-18 and Galatians 6: 1. Any
member having knowledge of such error shall, in the spirit of Christian
love, seek to restore the brother or sister. If he or she does not heed
this counsel, the matter shall be brought to the attention of the church
Council, which shall in meekness and gentleness seek to restore the
member. If he or she fails to heed the counsel of the Council, the error
shall be brought before a congregational business meeting. Discipline
shall then be administered in the spirit of Christ with due regard for
the welfare of the individual as well as the church.
C. Dismissal of members: After the above process
has been completed, dismissal
of a member remaining
in gross error in doctrine or conduct may result by a two-thirds vote
of all current Council members. Such action may be
appealed by such member or any member to the congregation for consideration
and reversal at the next congregational meeting.
D. Forfeiture of rights: A member
who has been properly dismissed from the church, or has withdrawn membership,
has forfeited all rights and privileges of membership in the church.
Section
6. Withdrawal,
Transfer, and
Removal of Membership.
Requests for change
in membership status may
be made in writing to the pastor or the Council. (1) Letters
of transfer for a member in good standing shall be issued by the pastor
or the Council if so requested. (2) Letters of withdrawal
may be submitted to the pastor or the Council. (3)
Members who have become inactive, have had no communication with the
local church, and have not expressed an interest in maintaining membership
for a period of one year or more, shall be considered for removal from
membership. The church Council shall send a letter of inquiry to members
described as
inactive in this section
to ascertain their desire to continue church membership. Upon affirmative
response, membership may be continued. If no response or
a negative response is
received, the Council may
remove such inactive members from membership. The names
of those joining and terminating membership shall be duly recorded and
reported to the next annual meeting.
Section 7. Non-member Friends.
Non-member church friends shall
be enrolled by the church as a part of its total constituency. The church
and its pastor shall serve them in all their spiritual needs, and they
shall be encouraged to consider this as their church home. They shall
be kept informed of the activities of the church.
ARTICLE II
PASTOR(S)
Section 1. Qualifications.
The pastor(s) of the church
shall meet the qualifications
for character, giftedness, and call set forth in the Holy Scriptures. The
Senior Pastoral Staff shall be ordained pastor(s) in good standing with
the Evangelical Covenant Church. Other pastors shall
be credentialed by the Evangelical Covenant Church as may be necessary
and in accordance with their qualifications and duties.
They shall by virtue of their call be members of the church.
Section 2. Duties.
The pastor(s) shall devote
themselves to the service of the church, preaching and teaching the
Word of God, administering the sacraments, providing
missional leadership, and
faithfully giving themselves to pastoral work. They shall provide the
church with an accurate record of their pastoral acts and present a
written report to the congregational annual business meeting. They shall
practice good administrative procedures and cooperate with the church
Council. The senior pastor shall be an ex-officio member of the Council
and an
ex-officio member of all ministry teams or committees of the church. When there is more
than one Senior Pastoral Staff member, the duties set forth in this
section shall be divided as agreed between them. All Senior Pastoral
Staff members shall strive to establish and accomplish objectives and
strategies in conjunction with the vision, mission and purpose of the
church.
Section
3. Duties of Additional Pastors and Ministry Staff Members.
Additional
pastors and ministry staff members shall carry out specific areas of
ministry under the direction of the Senior Pastoral Staff. They
may be designated by the Council to be the leader or member of one or
more ministry teams.
Section 4. Cooperation.
The pastor(s) shall, both in
word and precept, work in harmony with the Covenant, the regional conference,
and other Covenant ministers.
Section 5. Call.
The pastor(s) shall be called
at a regular or special congregational business meeting, the purpose
of which shall be announced two weeks in advance. The pastor(s) shall
be nominated by a pastoral search committee established
by the Council and elected
at a congregational business meeting. It shall be representative of
the congregation and have five (5) to nine (9) members and shall work
closely with the regional conference superintendent. The pastor(s) shall
be called by ballot with a two-thirds vote required for a call. The
call shall be for an indefinite period of time with a minimum of six
weeks notice required by the church or the pastor(s) for termination
of pastoral duties.
Section
6. Call of Additional Pastors and Credentialed
Ministry Staff.
Additional
staff members to hold ministerial credentials shall be called at a congregational
business meeting, the purpose of which shall be announced at least two
weeks in advance. The meeting shall include the budget implications
of the proposed position. The Council will recommend one candidate
for a call, and the vote shall be by written ballot, with two-thirds
required for call. The Council acts as or establishes a search
committee for this purpose.
Section 7. Charges Against the Pastor(s).
Charges against pastor(s) shall
be submitted in writing to the church Council, charging pastor(s) with
indiscretion, immorality, doctrinal error, unethical behavior, or disloyalty
to the Covenant (Matthew 18: 15-18). If in the judgment of the church
Council there is substance to the charges, the case shall be referred
to the regional conference superintendent. The superintendent shall
confer with the Covenant executive secretary of the ministry. These
two officers shall confer and determine the order of responsibility
in pursuing the matter according to the Rules for the Ordered Ministry
of The Evangelical Covenant Church regarding discipline, prior to further
action by the church.
Section
8. Dismissal
The dismissal
of a pastor or ministry staff member should be undertaken only after
avenues of remediation have been pursued.
A.
Dismissal of Senior Pastoral Staff: Dismissal of Senior Pastoral
Staff shall be by congregational vote at a special meeting called for
that express purpose. Such an agenda item cannot be a part of,
or added to, the agenda of any other meeting. The congregational
meeting for such a vote may be called by the two-thirds vote of the
Council, or through the request of the congregation accomplished by
a petition for such a meeting signed by 20% of the membership.
The quorum for such a meeting shall be 30% of the membership.
The grounds for dismissal shall be presented. Members shall be
allowed to speak to the matter. The pastor shall be allowed to
speak to the matter. The vote shall be by written ballot.
A majority vote of members present and voting is necessary to dismiss
Senior Pastoral Staff. Further action by the church shall be subject
to the provisions of Section 7 of this article, if applicable.
B.
Dismissal of Additional Pastors and Ministry Staff: Additional
pastors and ministry staff called by the congregation may be dismissed
by the two-thirds vote of the Council, subject to the provisions of
Section 7 of this article, if applicable. A meeting to overturn
the action of the Council may be called through the request of the congregation,
accomplished by a petition signed by 20% of the membership. The
quorum for such a meeting shall be 30% of the membership. The
grounds for dismissal shall be presented. Members shall be allowed
to speak to the matter. The pastor or ministry staff member in
question shall be allowed to speak to the matter. The vote shall
be by written ballot. A majority vote of members present and voting
is necessary to overturn the action of the Council.
ARTICLE
III
The
Council
Section
1. Purpose.
The Council
shall be responsible for building, maintaining and overseeing the spiritual
welfare of the congregation and for directing and overseeing all ministries
and business affairs of the church
Section
2. Composition.
The Council
shall be comprised of not less than 5 nor more than 14 voting members
consisting of the following:
A-E.
The elected officers of the church (Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Financial
Secretary and Treasurer;
F. \
G.
|
H. | -
Ministry Teams Leaders
I.
|
J. /
K-M. Three
at-large members of the congregation; and
N. One
ex-officio Senior Pastoral Staff member.
The Council
may appoint other pastors or staff members as non-voting advisors, and
may remove the same.
Section
3. Qualification.
Any member
of the church demonstrating the biblical standards of character and
giftedness for church leaders may be nominated and elected to the Council.
Section
4. Election.
Council members
shall be nominated by the Nominating Committee and elected by a majority
vote of those members voting at a meeting of the congregation called
for that purpose.
Section
5. Term of Office. Council members shall be elected
for a term of 2 years and shall not be elected for more than two consecutive
terms to
the same position.
After at least one year off, a person may be eligible for subsequent
service in
the previously held position,
subject again to the terms stated in this article. Excluding vacancies
for uncompleted terms, the various Council positions, including officers,
should have staggered terms so that no more than half of the Council
is elected new each year.
Section
6. Vacancies and Removal. A Council member may resign.
A Council member may be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of
congregational members voting at a meeting called for that purpose.
Vacancies created by resignation or removal may be filled by appointment
through the two-thirds vote of the Council. A Council member appointed
to serve an unexpired term of no more than half the remaining term shall
not be precluded from being elected thereafter to two full consecutive
terms.
Section
7. Notification of Meetings. All Council members shall
receive a minimum 3-day advance notification of any
meeting, including time and place of the meeting. In emergency
situations, the 3-day notice may be waived by the two-thirds vote of
the entire Council.
Section
8. Quorum. A majority of Council members shall constitute
a quorum.
Section
9. Voting. The Council shall strive for unanimity.
Matters shall be determined by a majority vote of a Council quorum,
unless on a matter in which the Constitution and Bylaws require a different
percentage.
Section
10. Organization. The elected officers of the church
shall serve respectively as the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Financial
Secretary and Treasurer of the Council.
A. Chair:
The Chair shall preside at all business meetings of the church and of
the Council. The Chair shall confer with the Senior Pastoral Staff
in preparing the agenda for such meetings, and shall utilize the counsel
that the Senior Pastoral Staff can give by virtue of training, experience,
and calling.
B.
Vice-Chair: The Vice-Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair
in the Chair’s absence, assist in the Chair’s duties, and chair
the Mutual Ministry Committee.
C.
Secretary: The Secretary shall keep and preserve the minutes of
all business meetings of the church and of the Council, conduct and
preserve all official correspondence as shall be delegated, and be responsible
for the official seal and documents of the church.
D.
Financial Secretary: The financial secretary shall receive, record,
and transmit to the church treasurer all funds contributed to the church.
- Treasurer.
The Treasurer shall be the financial officer of the church, and as
such shall
ensure proper policies, processes, reporting, and reviewing of all matters
related to the finances of the church, including the submission of monthly
financial reports to the Council.
Section
11. Responsibilities of the Council. In being responsible
to the congregation for building, maintaining and overseeing the spiritual
welfare of the church and for directing and overseeing all ministries
and business affairs of the church, the Council shall:
1.
Present annual mission and ministry goals and objectives to the congregation;
2.
Determine the ministries needed to carry out the church’s mission;
3.
Approve church policies;
4.
Be responsible for representing the congregation in certain staff relationships,
Hiring and dismissal of staff subject to the provisions of these Bylaws.
Providing godly counsel or discipline as required to the Senior Pastoral
Staff
- Annual
review and approval of staff compensation and compensation for new staff;
and other personnel expenses for any staff member or activity;
iv. Establishment
of personnel policies;
vi. Maintenance
of current job descriptions for all staff members.
5.
Be responsible for overseeing the preparation and submission of a proposed
budget for each fiscal year, to be presented to the membership at least
2 weeks prior to the Annual Meeting and approved at that meeting.
Upon approval of the budget by the membership, the Council shall be
responsible for seeing that the budget is carried out as approved.
The Council shall have the authority to appropriately adjust budget
items and amounts where ministry objectives necessitate but in no event
shall total expenditures exceed the total authorized budget without
prior notification of the membership. The Council shall appoint
two members of the church as financial secretaries (not necessarily
Council members) who shall be authorized to receive and count monies
on behalf of the church, in the presence of a Council member or a person
appointed by the Council. The financial secretaries shall not
serve more than 3 consecutive years. The Treasurer shall disburse
funds for church purposes in accordance with standard accounting procedures
for non-profit organizations. The Council shall annually appoint
an independent review of the financial records of the church and report
such findings to the congregation.
6.
Hear and respond appropriately to concerns of members;
7.
Be responsible for action on applications for membership as outlined
in Article I,
8.
Be responsible for church discipline as outlined in Article I, Section
5 of these Bylaws;
9.
Act as the trustees of the church for the advancement and protection
of its assets. The Council shall designate those Council members
and any other members of the church who shall be authorized to sign
legal documents on behalf of the church.
Section
12. Unity: Action by the Council shall be taken in such
manner as to preserve the unit of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Article
IV
Ministry
Teams
Section
1. Establishment.
Ministry Teams
shall be established as required to implement the varied ministries
of the church. The configuration of Ministry Teams shall be reviewed
regularly by the Council, in accord with the church’s purpose, strategies,
and objectives for mission and ministry.
Section
2. Duties.
The duties
of the Ministry Teams shall be:
A.
Meet as required to plan and execute specific mission and ministry objectives;
B.
Recruit and train ministry personnel;
C.
Define and provide the necessary materials required for ministry;
D.
Submit annually to the Council proposed budgets and objectives for the
forthcoming year and manage consistent with approved budgets; and
E.
Report as requested to the Council.
Section
3. Ministry Team Structure
A. The
Council member assigned responsibility for a ministry, in consultation
with the pastor(s), shall appoint the Coordinator of specific Ministry
Teams.
B. The
Ministry Team Coordinator will serve as liaison to the Council to provide
reports and information when requested, and to forward requests to the
Council when necessary. The Council may remove a Ministry
Team Coordinator.
C.
Ministry Team members may be selected by the Ministry Team Coordinator.
A Council member may serve as a member of any Ministry Team, and may
also serve as that Ministry Team’s Coordinator.
D.
Each Ministry Team shall organize itself as required to perform its
ministry.
ARTICLE V
COMMITTEES
Section 1. Executive committee.
The Executive committee, consisting
of the
church officers together
with the senior pastor of the church, shall strive to promote effective
working relations and communications in the church. The committee shall
have no legislative power, but shall function in an advisory capacity
to the Council, unless specific responsibilities shall have been assigned
to it by the Council or the church.
Section 2. Nominating Committee.
A.
Composition: The Nominating Committee shall consist of 1 Council
member designated by the Council, 1 member of the Senior Pastoral Staff
or staff member designated by the Senior Pastoral Staff, and at least
3 members at large elected by a majority of the members voting at a
congregational meeting.
B.
Terms: The terms of the member from the Council shall be at
the pleasure of the Council. The at-large members shall serve
three-year terms. The initial terms of the at-large members shall
be arranged and staggered so that at least one at-large member shall
be elected each year.
C.
Responsibilities: The Nominating Committee shall be responsible
for nominations to fill the offices of the Council, the at-large members
of the Nominating Committee, the at-large members of the Mutual Ministry
Committee, and any other positions assigned to it either by the Council
or the congregation. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a
ballot for the election at the Annual Meeting, and shall mail a sample
ballot to members at least 2 weeks prior to the election.
D.
Nominating procedure. Any member of appropriate character, giftedness,
and call may be considered for any position. One or more candidates
may be nominated for any position.
E.
Nothing in this section shall preclude a member of the congregation
from making a nomination from the floor at the congregational meeting
called for such election purposes, except that such nominations must
be of a member in good standing who is present at the meeting and willing
to serve if so elected. Ballots shall be designed to allow such
nominations.
Section 3. Mutual Ministries
Committee
A. Composition
and Terms: The Mutual Ministry Committee shall be made
up of the Vice Chair of the church (who shall chair this committee),
and 3 at-large congregational members elected by the congregation at
the Annual Meeting. Elected at-large members shall serve a three-year
term and may not succeed themselves. The at-large terms shall
be staggered with at least one at-large member elected each year.
B. Responsibilities:
The Mutual Ministry Committee shall work toward a vital, healthy, mutually
beneficial relationship between the congregation and the pastors and
ministry staff. The Mutual Ministry Committee shall have five
main areas of responsibility:
i. Care and encouragement
for the pastors, ministry staff, and their families;
Section
4. Audit Committee.
The Audit Committee
shall consist of two church members elected by the membership for a
term of two years, such that one member is elected annually, and no
one may serve consecutive terms without at least one year in between
terms.
The Audit Committee
shall yearly audit the financial records of the church and submit to
the membership a letter certifying their findings. The Council
may, at its discretion hire professional auditing services.
Section 4. Ad-hoc Committees and Task Forces.
Ad-hoc committees or task forces for specific
purposes may be appointed by the congregation at
a congregational business meeting
or by the Council according to need. All
such committees or task forces shall be reviewed annually and shall be terminated upon completion
of its task as determined by the body which formed it.
ARTICLE VI
MEETINGS
Section 1. Public Services.
Public services shall be conducted
regularly for worship, the preaching and teaching of God's Word, and
prayer.
Section 2. Celebrating Sacraments.
The sacrament of Holy Communion
shall be celebrated monthly or as determined by vote of the church.
The sacrament of baptism shall be celebrated in keeping with Covenant
policies and according to the needs of the constituency.
Section 3. Congregational
Business Meetings.
Congregational business meetings
shall be held regularly not less than two times per calendar year, as
specified in Article VIII of the Constitution. Special congregational
business meetings may be called by the chair of the church in consultation
with the senior pastor, or by the Council.
Section 4. Church
Council and Administrative Committee Meetings.
Regular meetings of the Council
shall be held not less than monthly. Administrative committees, ad-hoc
committees, and task forces shall meet at a frequency which may be specified
by the Council. Special meetings of the Council, the executive committee,
the administrative committees, and the task forces may be called by
their respective chair.
Section 5. Organizational
Meetings.
Meetings and activities of
the organizations of the church shall be coordinated with the Council.
They shall be conducted regularly under the direction and supervision
of the Council.
Section 6. Other Meetings.
Use of the church facilities
for any meetings or activities by organizations not created by the church
Council or by action of a congregational business meeting shall be reviewed
and approved by the church Council.
ARTICLE VII
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 1. Quorum.
A. Twenty
(20) percent of the membership,
but not less than thirty (30) members, present and voting at a
congregational business meeting properly called shall constitute a quorum.
B. The quorum for the Council, ministry team, all
other committee, and task
force meetings shall be a majority (more
than half) of their respective
memberships.
Section 2. Rules of Order.
All business meetings of the
church and of the Council, ministry
teams, committees, and
organizations of the church shall be conducted according to Robert's
Rules of Order.
Section
3. Final voice.
The congregation
reserves for itself final authority in any matter of its choice. A member
may advance an item to the agenda of a congregational meeting by the
majority vote of the membership at that meeting, providing that the
item is not in conflict with other provisions of the constitution and
by-laws. An item brought to the agenda in this way shall be decided
by a majority vote of the membership, unless the item requires a different
percentage as outlined elsewhere in the Constitution and Bylaws, in
which case that percentage shall be used.
ARTICLE VIII
AMENDMENTS
Amendments to these Bylaws
not in conflict with the Constitution may be adopted in the following
manner:
1) Amendments must be presented
in writing to the church Council at a Council meeting;
2) Then must be presented in
writing at the next congregational business meeting;
3) And finally, they may then
be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at
the next congregational business meeting.