THE DESIGN of the FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF DALLAS, OREGON (as revised and approved by the congregation on October ) CONSTITUTION

Transcription

1 THE DESIGN of the FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF DALLAS, OREGON (as revised and approved by the congregation on October ) The Design Pg. 1 CONSTITUTION PREAMBLE We, the members of the First Christian Church of Dallas, Oregon, a congregationally governed body, in order to promote the work of the Church in the spirit of Christ and thus advance His Kingdom, do hereby adopt this document to be called The Design. I NAME The name of this congregation shall be the First Christian Church of Dallas, Oregon, affiliated with the brotherhood known as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). II PURPOSE The purpose of this congregation is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ in faithful response to God s will and purposes as revealed through Jesus Christ in the world; to win people to faith in Jesus Christ and commit them actively to the Church; to help them grow spiritually so that they may increasingly know and do Christ s will; to serve the community of which it is a part; to bring the gospel message to bear upon society; to sustain and be sustained by the General and Regional manifestations of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and committed to its historic principles; to work for the unity of all Christians; to seek the oneness of the Body of Christ; and in all ways to seek to make known the love of God. We have no creed by Christ, no book but the Bible. III MISSION STATEMENT "We want to know God, love each other, and bless our community". IV - VISION STATEMENT: "We are a community of believers in Dallas, Oregon. As a part of the Body of Christ we worship the living God. We seek to serve and support each other with love and grace and to reach out to the surrounding community, demonstrating the love of Christ to the hurting, the displaced and anyone seeking God and a loving church home". V MEMBERSHIP The membership of this congregation shall consist of the following: 1. Those who are now members of the congregation. 2. Those who shall unite with it by public confession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, giving expression of their faith through baptism by immersion and commitment to Him.

2 3. Those who unite by transfer of membership, reaffirming their faith and commitment to Christ. VI RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CONGREGATION The congregation shall manage its affairs under the Lordship of Jesus Christ; determine its faithfulness to the gospel with respect to the basis of membership; own, control and encumber its property; organize and carry out the mission and witness of the congregation; establish its budgets and financial policies; call its minister(s) and other staff and participate through voting representatives, in Regional and General Assemblies of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in forming the corporate judgments of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). VII. The Church Calendar Year A. Shall be from January 1 through December 31 B. The year or years of the term of office of all elected officers shall coincide with the calendar year or years. VIII OFFICERS, CHURCH BOARD, CABINET, ELDERS, DEACONS, DEACONESSES, TRUSTEES, COMMITTEES SECTION A OFFICERS The congregation shall elect from its members a Moderator, Vice Moderator, Board Secretary, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Clerk, and Historian. These officers shall be elected at the annual meeting of the congregation and shall serve as officers of the congregation, the Church Board and Cabinet. II. Officers of the Congregation A. Election and Term 1. The congregation, at its annual meeting, shall elect for terms of one year the following officers: a) Moderator. b) Vice-Moderator. c) Board Secretary. d) Treasurer. e) Financial Secretary. f) Clerk g) Historian. 2. Any officer unable to complete their term of office shall turn in a written resignation to the Moderator or the Church Board. The Design Pg. 2

3 B. Qualifications 1. Officers must be members of the congregation 2. Officers must be active in the congregation s life and give evidence of seeking to grow in their own understanding and practice of the Christian life. Such evidence would include the following: a) Conduct of one s life in light of the teachings of Jesus Christ. b) Promotion of good will and Christian fellowship in the congregation and community. c) Attendance at the worship services and stated meetings of the congregation. C. Responsibilities 1. The Moderator shall preside at all meetings of the congregation, Church Board and Cabinet and perform such other duties normally associated with the office of Moderator. The Moderator shall be an ex-officio member of all committees. 2. The Vice-Moderator shall serve to support the Moderator, preside in his/her absence at the meetings of the congregation, Church Board and Cabinet and perform such other duties normally associated with the office of Vice-Moderator. 3. The Board Secretary shall keep accurate minutes of all meetings of the congregation, Church Board and Cabinet and provide for these minutes to be reviewed and approved by their respective bodies. 4. The Treasurer shall disburse all funds of the Church according to the authority designated by the Church Board and under the direction of the Trustees. He/she shall serve as a member of the Stewardship Committee; and make reports at each regular meeting of the Church Board. The Treasurer shall also receive and maintain records of memorial gifts to the Church, providing information to the Moderator and others as appropriate. 5. The Financial Secretary shall receive all income of the congregation, keep accurate records of the source and amount of such income, deposit such income to the proper accounts, provide the Treasurer of the congregation with copies of all deposit receipts, make regular written reports of income received to the Church Board, publish the amount of monthly income in the Family Visitor, send out statements as directed by the Church Board and serve as a member of the Stewardship Committee. 6. The Clerk shall keep a complete record of the Church membership and such vital statistics as births, deaths, baptisms and weddings; receive all applications for Church letters regarding transferring membership and issue them under authority delegated by the Church Board. ) 7. The Historian shall gather and preserve data pertaining to the history, life and work of the Church, making available for any publication any historical material authorized by the Church and present to the Church Board the annual historical statement. The Design Pg. 3

4 SECTION B CHURCH BOARD The congregation shall have a Church Board, which shall be responsible to the congregation and have authority to act on behalf of the congregation when it is not in a congregational meeting. The Church Board shall be responsible for receiving reports from its minister(s), officers and the various organizations within the congregation. It shall establish by its action the program and budget of the congregation, subject to action by the congregation at its annual meeting. It shall be responsible also for conducting all legal business matters of the congregation. A. Membership 1. Membership of the Church Board shall be composed of the officers of the Congregation, all Elders, Deacons, Deaconesses, Trustees, Chairs of standing committees, leaders of auxiliary organizations and youth. 2. The minister(s) of the congregation shall serve as member(s) ex-officio of the Church Board. B. Election and Terms of Office 1. Officers of the congregation shall serve on the Church Board by virtue of office held and for their current term of office. They shall serve the Church Board and Cabinet, as well as the Congregation. 2. the Elders, Deacons, Deaconesses and Trustees shall be elected by the congregation to membership on the Church Board each year for a term of one, two, or three years as necessary so that the terms for 1/3 of each group will end each year. 3. Chairs of standing committees established by the Church Board and the leaders of auxiliary organizations and youth shall be members of the Church Board by virtue of office and for the current terms of office. C. Authority 1. The Church Board shall perform its duties according to the authority granted in The Design or otherwise delegated to it by the congregation. 2. In keeping with the traditions of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the ultimate authority of the congregation shall rest with the congregation. All organizations within the congregation shall be responsible to and report regularly to the Church Board and through it to the congregation. 3. The Church Board shall concern itself with policy rather than administrative matters, taking into full account the responsibility of the congregation to the total nurture, witness and mission of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the needs of the immediate community in which the members of the congregation live. 4. All business meetings of the Church Board shall be governed by Robert s Rules of Order (Newly Revised) %of the members of the Church Board shall constitute a quorum. The Design Pg. 4

5 D. Responsibilities 1. The Church Board shall conduct its affairs in harmony with The Design of the Congregation. 2. The Church Board shall be responsible for conducting the business affairs of the congregation and providing the planning, coordination, resourcing, evaluation and implementation of the work and activities of the congregation. 3. The Church Board shall establish standing committees as needed, such as: Education, Membership, Outreach, Evangelism, Personnel, Property, Stewardship and Worship. a) The membership of each committee shall be selected in the following manner, subject to the confirmation of the Church Board: (1) The moderator, Vice-Moderator and the Senior Minister shall constitute a committee to select the respective Committee Chairs. (2) Committee members will be selected from volunteers and/or the chair will ask people to become members of the committee. (3) All Chairs of the committees, if not otherwise a member of the Church Board, shall become Board members. (4) Chairs and members of each Committee, shall be selected on the basis of their qualifications for the task. (5) All Chairs of the committees must be members of the Church. Church membership of committee members is optional. (6) Each committee should have a representative from the Elders, the Diaconate and Youth. All committees may activate subcommittees as needed to handle specific tasks and/or special events. b) The Church Board shall establish, when necessary, a Pulpit Committee for the purpose of securing the minister(s) for the congregation (1) A representative committee of seven nominated by the Moderator and selected by the Board shall serve as a Pulpit committee and be responsible for recommending a prospective minister. It shall consist of a representative from the Elders, the Diaconate and major groups of men, woman and youth. (2) The Pulpit committee shall utilize the services of the congregation s Executive Regional Minister for information and counsel concerning prospective candidates. (3) The Pulpit committee shall consult only one prospective minister at a time; however, information may be secured on several persons in a given period. (4) The Pulpit committee shall recommend a prospective minister to the Church Board. (5) The Church Board at a stated or called meeting may approve the recommendation of the Pulpit committee by at least two-thirds majority of those present and voting. Upon approval, the Church Board shall recommend employment of the prospective minister to the congregation. The Design Pg. 5

6 SECTION C CABINET (6) The congregation, in a stated or called meeting, may approve the recommendation of the Church Board by at least a two-thirds majority of members present and voting. (7) Upon approval of the congregation, a call shall be extended to the prospective minister by the Church Board on behalf of the Congregation. 4. The Church Board shall establish other committees as needed for the conduct of its work. 5. The Church Board shall receive the proposed budget of the congregation from the stewardship committee and recommend its approval or approval with amendment, to the congregation at its annual meeting. Subsequent over-expenditure or requests for additional funds from organizations within the congregation shall be approved or disapproved by the Church Board. A. The congregation shall have a cabinet, which shall be responsible for coordinating the program and work of the congregation and generally assisting the minister(s) in administering the same. It may also initiate programs. It shall be the purpose of the Cabinet to plan and administer the church program in keeping with the policies of the Church Board. B. It shall be responsible for: 1. Studying the needs of the Church, evaluating its present activities and planning future programs. 2. Correlating plans and activities of committees and groups for the most efficient program. 3. Arranging the calendar of activities. 4. Administering the program approved by the Church Board. 5. Performing such other duties as may be assigned. C. It shall be composed of: 1. The Moderator, the Vice-Moderator, the Board Secretary, the Treasurer, the Financial Secretary, the Chair of the Elders, Deacons, Deaconesses, Trustees, the Chair of each committee, the leaders of auxiliary organizations and youth, as well as the heads of organizations not otherwise officially represented, and others as may be needed and assigned by the Church Board. D. It shall be served by the Officers of the Church Board. E. It shall meet monthly with the exception of the months in which the Church Board meets; the Moderator will call special meetings as may be necessary. F. It shall perform its duties under the direction of the Church Board. SECTION D ELDERS, DIACONATE III. A. Election and Term of Office 1. The congregation, at its annual meeting, shall elect for terms of one, two, or three years, as necessary, so that the terms 1/3 of each group shall expire each year, the following: Elders, the Diaconate, and Trustees. The Design Pg. 6

7 2. There shall be a minimum of six and a maximum of twelve active elders. The Deacons and Deaconesses will be part of the Diaconate. There shall be a minimum of 20 members. B. Qualifications The qualifications for Elders, Deacons, Deaconesses and Trustees shall be the same as described for the officers of the congregation C. Responsibilities 1. The Elders, in cooperation with committees, shall promote the growth and welfare of the church, give spiritual oversight to the members with respect to the regular attendance at the Lord s supper, visitation of the sick, and concern for the morally delinquent and spiritually indifferent, give thoughtful consideration to policies of the church that will enable it to fulfill its complete mission, encourage by example and word the missionary, evangelistic, education and stewardship responsibilities of the church, serve at the Lord s table, and perform such other duties as may be assigned. a) The Elders shall be responsible for developing within the membership an understanding of the full meaning of Christian stewardship. b) The Elders shall be responsible for keeping alive in the congregation the realization of its stewardship obligations, promoting stewardship education. c) The Elders shall be responsible for administering scholarship funds. (See scholarship guidelines for more information.) 2. The Diaconate, in cooperation with committees and the Elders, shall promote the growth and welfare of the church, assist in the greeting and ushering of the worshipers, prepare communion, distribute the Lord s supper and receive the offering, assist in financial canvasses, visitation projects, minister to families in time of sickness or bereavement, counsel and serve in the business affairs and program activities of the church, oversee baptisms give counsel and serve in the business affairs and program activities of the church and perform such other duties as may be assigned. a) Junior Deacons and Deaconesses, of high school age and members of the church, may be recommended by the Diaconate for a one-year (renewable) term, under guidance of Diaconate chair, and approved by the Church Board. Junior Deacons and Deaconesses are not board members and therefore do not vote at Board meetings. 3. The Trustees shall act as the legal agents of the church in all business matters, under the direction of the Church Board. a) They shall work closely with the Property Committee in regard to major up-keep of the church building, subject to the approval of the congregation. b) They shall hold legal title to all church property and handle all business transactions related thereto. c) They shall annually review the signatures for access to the safety deposit box and recommend to the Board any necessary changes. d) They shall have supervision over all endowments and trust funds, oversee the disbursement of memorial funds and perform such duties as are required by the laws of the State of Oregon. The Design Pg. 7

8 e) They shall oversee the writing of all checks by the Treasurer. All checks are to have two signatures the Treasurer (if available) and one Trustee, or two Trustees. SECTION F COMMITTEES AND AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS A. As described in Section B, D, 4, the Church Board shall establish committees. Committee chairs will be selected by the Moderator, Vice-Moderator and Senior Minister working together. Committee members will be selected by the Committee chair. B. Each committee shall organize itself to conduct the business for which it is responsible, meet regularly to attend to its business and plan a general program, which shall be presented to the Church Board for approval. Upon approval by the Church Board, the committee shall administer its program in cooperation with other committees. Regular written reports shall be made to the Church Board. 1. All decisions should be made with the approval of the majority of the committee members. 2. Approval of expenditures over $200 per project or item shall be made by the Board. C. The purpose and duties of the committees shall be as follows: 1. Education Committee a) It shall be the purpose of this committee to enrich the spiritual lives and develop and/or maintain an effective program of religious education for the entire constituency of the church. b) It shall be responsible for planning and administering the total education programs, leadership education, distribution of Christian literature and fostering Christian home life. It shall cooperate with other groups of the church such as the World Outreach Committee in planning for an education program. (1) It shall be responsible for administration of the Sunday School program, securing teachers for each class, and arrange special events for children as needed. (2) It shall be responsible for Vacation Bible School, and special education projects for all age groups. (3) It shall be responsible for leadership training programs to develop leaders for every phase of church life and encourage participation in seminars and workshops. (4) It shall be responsible for maintaining a church library, encourage reading of worthwhile literature and provide literature for various needs, such as devotional booklets and brotherhood periodicals and books, help families find practical Christian aids for the betterment of home relationships, and sponsor classes and institutes on family life. 2. Membership Committee a) It shall be the purpose of this committee to maintain the closest possible contact with the entire church membership to the end that each member may function effectively in the life of the church, and develop a spirit of fellowship and love within the congregation founded on a common life for Christ. The Design Pg. 8

9 b) It shall organize the social functions for the whole church fellowship, promoting smaller group activities to incorporate new and inactive members into the fellowship. c) It shall serve luncheons, etc. as needed to families when there is illness or bereavement. d) It shall maintain a working roll of church membership and visitors. e) It shall be instrumental in publishing the Church Directory at such a time it is deemed necessary. f) It shall plan and provide all general publicity for the church in keeping with the dignity of the church and assist and encourage all groups in an adequate publicity program such as promoting, registering for, and attendance at conventions, conferences and retreats. g) It shall appoint a person to oversee kitchen supplies and maintain the kitchen in an orderly fashion. 3. Outreach Committee a) It shall be the purpose of this committee to create and foster a world vision within the church and its auxiliary organizations and to lead in planning and administering the world outreach program of the church. b) It shall be responsible for planning and promoting a definite program of missionary education in every committee of the church, recommending the church s annual missionary and benevolent budget, enlisting support for missions and brotherhood causes, caring for local and general benevolent needs not otherwise provided, for sponsoring inter-denominational activities and projects of social actions, promoting conventions, conferences and retreats, recruiting and supporting life-work recruits, and keeping records of all missionary giving and action in the Church. 4. Personnel Committee a) The Personnel Committee is responsible for developing and reviewing personnel policies such as vacation and sick leave accrual rates, deciding which are paid holidays, etc. The personnel policies will be approved by the Church Board whenever a change is made and a copy will be kept in the church office. b) It shall be the purpose of this committee to review semi-annually with each staff member, salary and benefits, workload and other related matters of responsibilities and concerns as they relate to his or her duties and to the general welfare of the church. c) It shall be responsible, in cooperation with the Senior Minister for the hiring of other staff members and in conjunction with the Property Committee, supervise the work of the custodian. 5. Property Committee a) It shall be the purpose of this committee to take care of all properties and equipment of the church, and to plan for the church s future needs. The Design Pg. 9

10 b) It shall be responsible, in cooperation with the Trustees, for the necessary maintenance and repair of both property and equipment of the church, for studying needs and making recommendations for improvements, superintending the work of the custodian, caring for grounds and keeping the properties adequately insured against possible loss or damage. (1) It shall be responsible for making repairs to all equipment except musical instruments (care of musical instruments to be handled by the Worship Committee) and for securing additional equipment as needed. (2) Supervision of the work of the custodian will be in conjunction with the Personnel Committee. 6. Stewardship Committee a) The membership of this committee shall consist of the Chairs of each committee, the Treasurer and Financial Secretary, as well as leaders of the auxiliary organizations. b) It shall be the purpose of this committee to direct the financial program of the church so that it will not only supply the financial needs, but also prove a means of spiritual enrichment and character building for each one participating. c) It shall be responsible for supervising the preparation and subscribing the church budget, keeping accurate records, providing for an annual audit of the records and encouraging endowments for future development in the church and world work. 7. Worship Committee a) It shall be the purpose of the committee to lead the membership in a genuine experience of worship in the public service and to enrich personal and family devotional life, to create an evangelistic spirit within the church and to plan and administer an evangelistic program. b) It shall be responsible for public worship of the church, the pulpit supply of the church, the administration of baptism and the Lord s supper, music, ushering, midweek and special prayer services, and the encouragement of the devotional life among individual members and homes of the church. (1) When special communion services are planned, the Worship Committee will make sure that the Deaconesses know what to provide. (2) It shall secure preachers in the absence of the Minister and recommend speakers for special occasions. (3) It shall be responsible for the music of the church. It shall recommend salaried music personnel to the Church Board, if needed. It shall prepare an annual music budget and be responsible for maintenance and repair of all musical equipment (the property Committee is responsible, in cooperation with the Worship Committee, for the purchase of musical equipment.) (4) It shall encourage personal and family devotions. It shall also cooperate with the Minister in planning and promoting public worship and devotional services. The Design Pg. 10

11 8. Evangelism Committee It shall be responsible for developing an evangelistic church, sponsoring a yearround program of evangelism, which reaches into every age group and every phase of the church life, compiling a list of prospective members and planning and directing special evangelistic programs. 9. Nominating Committee a) The Nominating committee composed of seven persons shall be created with one Elder appointed by the Chair of the Elders, one Deacon and one Deaconess appointed by the Chair of the Diaconate, and four members from the congregation at large appointed by the Moderator. The membership of the Nominating Committee shall be approved by the Church Board. They shall remain a committee to assist the Moderator in filling vacancies that occur during the year. b) The Moderator shall, as soon as practical, call a meeting of the Nominating Committee, at which time they shall elect one of their members as Chair and one of their members as secretary. c) The Nominating Committee Chair should be advised of the requirements of the Committee he/she will chair and make sure he/she is informed as to the responsibilities of that committee. d) All suggestions from the congregation for nominees shall be in the hands of the Nominating Committee at least one month prior to the Annual Meeting. The Committee shall then consider qualifications, secure consent from the nominees to serve if elected, and prepare a slate of nominees for each office. The Committee shall make a progress report to the Board. e) The Nominating Committee shall report the nominations to the congregation at least one week prior to the Annual Business meeting. The congregation will have the opportunity at the Annual Business meeting to nominate additional candidates prior to voting. A majority of those present and voting will be required to elect officers. D. Auxiliary Organizations 1. Auxiliary organizations such as Christian Women/Men s Fellowship, etc. may be formed as desired, with the leader of each organization being a member of the Church Board and Cabinet. a) The purpose and responsibility of each of these groups shall be outlined in their own constitution, by-laws or plan of procedure. b) These organizations shall cooperate with the committees of the church not only in planning and administering the total program of the church, but also shall develop their individual programs in the best interest of the total program. The Design Pg. 11

12 IX MEETINGS SECTION A CHURCH BOARD Meetings of the Church Board shall be held at least four times each year. The meeting date, time and place to be determined by the Church Board. All meetings shall be open meetings with voting privileges to Board members only. Special meetings of the Church Board shall be called by the Moderator of the Board upon request of the Minister(s) or three members of the Board. Notice of special meetings shall be made by telephone or by announcements at a Sunday morning worship service or by mail or The purpose, date, time and place of the meeting shall be indicated in each notice. Voting on issues will be by secret ballot, if requested. Each member is entitled to only one vote. Approval will require a majority vote of those present. SECTION B CONGREGATION An annual business meeting of the congregation shall be held in the month of October. Notice of all slated or special congregational meetings shall be announced at a regular Sunday morning worship service of the congregation at least one week in advance of the meeting and by means of the Church newsletter or a written notice sent to active members through the mail or at least ten days before the meeting. Purpose, date, time and place of the meeting shall be indicated in each notice. Voting shall be by secret ballot. A quorum shall be members in attendance. Members must be at least eighteen years of age to be eligible to vote. There will be no absentee ballots accepted. Approval will require a majority vote of those present. SECTION C CABINET Cabinet meetings should be held monthly with the exception of the months in which the Church Board meets. X STAFF A. Ministers 1. Responsibilities a) The senior minister of the congregation shall be the chief administrator of the congregation, and in cooperation with the Moderator of the congregation and the Church Board, encourage orderly procedures in the life and work of the congregation in compliance with The Design and the policies and procedures of the congregation and Church Board. b) The senior minister shall give special attention in the selection and training of the congregation s leaders. c) The minister(s) shall be ex-officio members, without vote, of all boards, committees, commissions, task groups and auxiliary groups of the congregation. When there is an associate minister, both ministers should not be absent at the same time, without approval of the Elders. The Design Pg. 12

13 2. Terms of Employment a) The Pulpit committee, in consultation with the Elders, Personnel and Stewardship committees, shall prepare an agreement of employment setting forth a package plan of salary and other conditions of the call. The agreement is to be approved by the Church Board. Copies of the agreement shall be given to (1) minister, (2) one filed in the church office, (3) one sent to the Regional Office. b) The term of ministry shall be for an indefinite period and may be terminated upon thirty days notice. 3. Resignation or retirement B. Other Church Staff a) Notice of retirement or voluntary resignation of the minister shall be submitted to the Church Board in writing, after consultation with the Moderator and the Elders. b) Involuntary resignation of the minister shall be dealt with confidentially between the minister, the Moderator, the Elders and the Regional Executive Minister. c) The Church Board shall approve the resignation, voluntary or involuntary, of the minister by at least a two-thirds majority of members present and voting and recommend approval to the congregation. Retirement of the minister does not require Board approval. d) The Congregation, in a stated or called meeting, shall take final action in approving or disapproving the resignation of the minister. 1. The Church Secretary a) Responsibilities The church secretary shall perform such duties as are normally associated with the work of a church office, under the direction of the minister(s) b) Selection the Personnel Committee and senior minister shall form a committee to interview and recommend the hiring of the church secretary, and recommend such to the Church Board. Church membership is not a requirement for the employment of the secretary. c) Terms of employment (1) An agreement of employment setting forth the hours, salary and other conditions of the job shall be furnished by the Personnel Committee, with a copy given to the secretary and one filed in the church office. The Design Pg. 13

14 2. The Custodian (2) A thirty day notice shall be given for termination of job by either the Church or the secretary. a) Responsibilities the custodian shall perform such duties as are normally associated with the work of a church custodian, under the direction of the Property and Personnel Committees. b) Selection the Property and Personnel committees shall form a committee to interview and recommend the hiring of the church custodian and recommend such to the Church Board. Church membership is not a requirement for the employment of a custodian. c) Terms of Employment (1) An agreement of employment setting forth the hours, salary and other conditions of the job shall be furnished by the Personnel committee, with a copy given to the custodian and one filed in the church office. (2) A thirty day notice shall be given for termination of job by either the Church or the custodian. 3. Other employees shall be secured upon recommendation of the respective committee(s) concerned. The Church Board shall designate the proper committees to recommend back to the Board the employment or release of such employees as shall be deemed necessary from time to time. 4. Final authority in all such matters, except the calling of the minister(s) shall reside in the Church Board. 5. Employment shall be by a majority vote of the Board members present and voting, each employee to be responsible to the Church Board in consultation with the proper committee A written statement covering terms of employment shall be included in the minutes, a copy of which shall be given to the employee. Upon resignation of a staff member, written notice is to be given to the Personnel Committee as soon as possible, so the committee has time to do an exit interview. (This is beneficial if there are any problems that need to be addressed.) The Design Pg. 14

15 XI - Memorial Funds C. Gifts given to the First Christian Church in memory of another person are defined as memorial gifts. Receipt of such funds shall be deposited and accounted for in a designated memorial account. D. Within ninety days of the receipt of such funds, contact with a representative of the family shall be made by the senior minister or church clerk advising them of the individuals who contributed to the fund and the total amount of funds received, asking their suggestions concerning use of the funds. E. Memorial funds are to be administered by the Trustees, with advice from the senior minister. If the family has no suggestions for their use, requests for use of memorial funds may be made by any church committee by submitting a written request to the Trustees. XII AMENDMENTS Any member of the Church desiring to amend The Design may appear before the Church Board in a regular meeting, or at a special meeting called for the purpose, read his proposed amendment, and file it with the Board Secretary. At the next regular meeting of the Church Board, or at a special meeting called for that purpose, at least one month subsequent to the time of filing, the Church Board will consider the proposed amendment and determine its recommendation to the congregation. The proposed amendment will then be read to the congregation at the next regular Sunday morning worship service and will then be filed with the Board Secretary for a period of two weeks, at which time it will be presented to the congregation for action in a regular or special business meeting. If approved by two-thirds of the congregation members, present and voting, the amendment shall be adopted. The Design Pg. 15