BOARD OF DEACONS BYLAWS

Transcription

1 Deacon Web site reference: Adopted by Board of Deacons: May 6, 2007 Chairman: Approved by Board of Elders: Chairman:

2 Page 2 of 8 Pages Table of Contents Page A. Mission of the Deacons 3 B. Number of Deacons 3 C. Appointment of Deacons 3-4 D. Qualifications for Deacons 4-5 E. Responsibilities of Deacons 5 F. Organization of the Board of Deacons 5-7 G. Duties of the Officers 7 H. Deacon-Led Committees 7-8 I. Amendment Process 8

3 Page 3 of 8 Pages A. The Mission of the Deacons To minister to the body at Faith Bible Church through various ministries and acts of service. Under the authority of the Board of Elders, the Board of Deacons shall be proactive in identifying needs, praying for God s leading in meeting those needs, and working together to follow God s leading. B. Number of Deacons The board of deacons shall consist of as many deacons as the board of elders deems necessary to assist in the ministry of the church. C. Appointment of Deacons The following procedures shall be used to establish and/or expand the board of deacons: 1. The active elder and deacon boards and the pastors shall nominate men who ostensibly meet the qualifications of Acts 6:3-6 and 1 Timothy 3:8-13 as set forth below: Acts 6:3-6 3 "Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; 4 "but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." 5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, 6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. 1 Timothy 3: Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, 9 holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. 10 But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. 11 Likewise their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. 2. The chairman of the deacon board shall receive the nominations and submit a list of the nominees to the elder board for approval before any candidate is approached.

4 Page 4 of 8 Pages 3. If the number of nominees approved by the elder board exceeds the number of additional deacons needed as determined by the elder and/or deacon boards, then the deacons shall conduct a vote to narrow the list of nominees. The narrowed list of nominees must be approved by a simple majority vote of the attendees at a regular meeting of the deacon board or, if the vote is conducted by other means (e.g., ), then by a simple majority of the active deacons. 4. Officers of the board of deacons or their designees shall conduct a personal interview with each approved nominee to confirm the nominee s qualifications, desire to serve as a deacon, and understanding and acceptance of the deacon bylaws. Prior to making an affirmative commitment, each nominee shall read and accept the deacon bylaws. 5. Name(s) of deacon nominee(s) who are willing and committed to serve according to these bylaws shall be submitted to the congregation via publication in the Sunday worship service bulletin requesting private feedback directly to any active elder.. 6. After submission of the names of deacon nominee(s) to the congregation, and failing negative congregational feedback, the deacon nominee(s) shall be ordained using procedures established by the board of elders. 7. The regular term of office for deacons will be three years, before a deacon is to be considered for sabbatical (see exception under Section F.4.b). D. Qualifications for Deacons The principal qualification of a deacon is to possess a servant attitude towards the church body of FBC. Deacons shall evidence their qualification for office according to provisions set forth above. While no one man shall fit these qualifications 100% of the time, these qualifications should still basically be true of each individual entrusted with the office. Find below a suggested amplification of the terms used in the 1 Timothy 3 reference: 1. Reverent - dignified; serious-minded; worthy of respect. 2. Not double-tongued not saying one thing and thinking or meaning another; not a gossip. 3. Not given to much wine - moderate in his consumption of alcohol (wine was diluted and used with food in the New Testament era, not for entertainment or drunkenness.) 4. Not greedy for money free from attachment to money; fiscally trustworthy. 5. Holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience having accepted Jesus Christ s substitutionary death on the cross, as an atonement for his personal sin. 6. Tested screened as to character and conduct. 7. Being found blameless demonstrating no personal sin, which would impune his office. 8. Husband of one wife a faithful spouse, having been married only once. 9. Ruling their children and their own houses well setting a positive, godly example for their children, while maintaining orderliness in their family. 10. Likewise, their wives : a. must be reverent same as Section D.1, above.

5 Page 5 of 8 Pages b. not slanderers - not gossips. c. must be temperate not given to excess; moderate in their behavior. d. faithful in all things: trustworthy; responsible. E. Responsibilities of Deacons 1. Toward God a. Develop a consistent walk with God built upon Scripture and prayer. b. Exhibit character qualities outlined in the aforementioned 1 Timothy 3:8-13. c. Maintain a proper balance of priorities - God, family, church, and career. d. Exercise one s spiritual gifts in a prudent and Biblically-consistent manner. 2. Toward Faith Bible Church a. Be a member in good-standing of the church. b. Support the planning, initiating, and leading of new and existing ministries in the church, under the authority of the board of elders and in coordination with the work of the church staff. c. Assist in serving Communion to the congregation. d. Perform scheduled deacon duties. e. Participate in church work days and other church-related functions. f. Give financially to the support of the church. g. Attend FBC Sunday worship services on a consistent basis. h. Regularly attend Adult Community, Small Group, or similar such fellowship/accountability activities. 3. Toward Fellow Deacons a. Encourage and support one s fellow deacons through fellowship and prayer. b. Arrange for a replacement, when unable to carry-out scheduled duties. c. Serve on at least one deacon-led committee. d. Attend at least 2/3 of the meetings of the board of deacons. Circumstances that prohibit this should be communicated to the board in a timely manner. F. Organization of the Board of Deacons 1. Election of Officers a. The board of deacons shall include two officer positions - a chairman and a vicechairman/secretary. These positions do not confer more authority than that held by other deacons and are meant to facilitate organization and communication with other deacons, the board of elders, the church staff, and the congregation in general. b. Sometime mid-year, the officers of the board of deacons shall solicit and receive nominations for a new vice-chairman/secretary. c. The position of vice-chairman/secretary shall be filled by simple majority vote of deacons present in a regularly scheduled meeting of the board of deacons, sometime toward the latter part of summer each year.

6 Page 6 of 8 Pages d. The newly-elected vice-chairman/secretary shall his occupy his office at the first scheduled meeting following his election, while the outgoing vicechairman/secretary shall advance to the office of chairman at the same time. 2. Meetings a. The board of deacons shall meet as frequently as necessary to conduct businessat-hand. Meetings may be called by an officer of the board of deacons or by the board of elders. b. Adequate minutes should be kept and subsequently distributed to the board of elders, the deacons, as well as church staff liaison. 3. Removal of Deacons a. A deacon may be removed, if he discontinues meeting the Biblical qualifications for the office of deacon outlined herein. Furthermore, he may be removed, if he no longer has the desire to serve or is unable to adhere to the specific responsibilities outlined in Section E herein. b. Final removal of a deacon is the sole responsibility of the board of elders with or without a recommendation from the chairman of the Board of Deacons. c. A deacon may resign from the board of deacons for personal reasons or if he deems that he can no longer serve in this capacities outlined herein d. In all such cases when a deacon has been removed or resigns, he is subject to the full process outlined in Section C herein, if he later seeks to be reinstated. 4. Sabbatical a. Approximately one-third of the active deacons will be placed on sabbatical each year. Sabbatical rotation shall be managed and facilitated by the officers of the board of deacons. b. Deacons with the most seniority generally have priority for sabbatical. Exception to this procedure shall be any elected officer who has not completed his full rotation of duties from vice-chairman to chairman to past chairman, as defined under Section F.1. c. The length of sabbatical will be approximately one year. Before the end of such sabbatical year, officers of the board of deacons or their designees shall meet individually with each deacon whose one-year sabbatical is ending to confirm the deacon s qualifications, desire to serve as an active deacon, and understanding and acceptance of the deacon bylaws. Prior to making an affirmative commitment, each such deacon shall re-read and re-commit to serving in accordance with the deacon bylaws. Deacons who decline an invitation by the active deacon board to return to active duty after their one year sabbatical will be considered to have retired. If a deacon retires and later wishes to serve again on the board of deacons, he is subject to the full appointment process outlined in Section C.

7 Page 7 of 8 Pages d. In cases of personal hardship, any deacon may request a voluntary sabbatical in writing to the chairman of the board of deacons. Depending upon the circumstances of the request, the chairman may grant the request or recommend to the board of elders the removal of the applying deacon per conditions stated in the aforementioned Section 3.A. 5. Temporary leave of absence Due to extenuating circumstances, a deacon may be unable to fulfill his duties for a short period of time. The chairman should be notified of the need and expected duration of the temporary leave of absence to facilitate rescheduling of duties and responsibilities. G. Duties of the Officers In addition to all duties of office previously stated herein, the officers of the board of deacons shall also be responsible for the following: 1. Chairman (one-year term) a. Plan and provide an agenda for all regular board of deacons meetings. b. Preside over all board of deacons meetings. c. Oversee any committees and hold committee chairs accountable. 2. Vice Chairman (one year term) a. Serve as Chairman in the Chairman s absence. b. Oversee updating and/or amending the board of deacon bylaws. c. Prepare to succeed the current Chairman at the aforementioned time or upon the unexpected vacancy of the chairmanship. d. Oversee the nomination process for new deacons. e. Act as recording secretary at regular board of deacons meetings. f. Maintain historical records and reports relating to board of deacons business. 3. Former Chairman (one-year term) a. Serve in an advisory capacity to the current chairman. b. Follow-through on projects in transition between chairmen. H. Deacon-Led Committees Deacon-led committees are established to minister to the FBC body pursuant to these bylaws and/or as directed by the active deacon and/or elder boards. At the discretion of the respective committee chairman, who must be an active deacon, FBC members who are not active deacons may participate as members of a deacon-led committee provided that a simple majority of the committee s members are active deacons. Deacons are encouraged to recruit non-deacon FBC members to serve on deacon-led committees. The following is a non-exhaustive list of deacon-led committees: 1. Benevolence This committee oversees the church Benevolence Fund. The purpose of the fund is to meet urgent and critical financial needs of church members and regular attendees. The committee convenes as needs arise to prayerfully consider each case and how best to assist the applicant.

8 Page 8 of 8 Pages 2. Finance Reports to the board of deacons on financial matters, relating to Faith Bible Church. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following: a. oversees preparation of the annual budget for Faith Bible Church. b. submits prepared budget to the board of elders for their approval. c. reviews financial reports prepared by the treasurer. d. assists the board of elders in matters of finance, treasury, and general office administration. e. monitors the overall financial condition of Faith Bible Church and makes recommendations to the board of elders as necessary. f. reviews and approves requests for expenditure not included in the annual budget, which are subsequently reviewed and approved by the board of elders. 3. Communion Organizes deacons and non-deacons to serve Communion, as scheduled by the church staff; ensures that the elements are prepared for service and an adequate number of servers are available; responsible for keeping the current list of Communion duties updated on the deacon Web site at the church s Web site, and also posted in the deacon/staff liaison s office. 4. Deacon-on-Duty Works with the deacon/staff liaison to prepare list of duties for deacon-on-duty responsibilities; prepares, circulates, and updates the deacon-on-duty schedule; responsible for keeping the current list of deacon duties updated on the deacon Web site at the church s Web site, and also posted in the deacon/staff liaison s office. 5. Visitor Follow-Up Contacts visitors in accordance with processes established by and under the guidance of the board of elders. 6. Building and Grounds Assists the church Staff in the maintenance and improvement of physical facilities and grounds of Faith Bible Church; organizes deacon-led, church-wide work days. 7. Creekside Assists deacons at Creekside Church in their duties. I. Amendment Process By-law amendment(s) must be approved by an affirmative vote of more than 50% of the active deacons after such deacons have received 15 days advance written notice of the proposed amendment(s). Additionally, by-law amendment(s) must be approved by the Elder Board.