THE CONSTITUTION OF STETSON BAPTIST CHURCH, DELAND FLORIDA, INC. PREAMBLE ARTICLE I: MISSION STATEMENT ARTICLE II: NAME

Transcription

1 THE CONSTITUTION OF STETSON BAPTIST CHURCH, DELAND FLORIDA, INC. PREAMBLE For the more certain preservation and security of the principles of our faith, and to the end that this body may be governed in an orderly manner consistent with the accepted tenets of Southern Baptist Churches, and for the purpose of preserving the liberties inherent in each individual member of the Church and the freedom of action of this body with respect to its relation to the churches of the same faith and order, we do declare and establish this constitution. ARTICLE I: MISSION STATEMENT Stetson Baptist Church (the Church ) is a family of Christ-followers whose purpose is to bring the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world; to edify the Church through the teachings of the Holy Bible; to love God with all our hearts, souls and mind; and to love others as we love ourselves ARTICLE II: NAME This body shall continue to be known as, and operate under the corporate name of, STETSON BAPTIST CHURCH OF DELAND, FLORIDA, INC. ARTICLE III: ARTICLES OF FAITH The Holy Bible is the inspired and inerrant Word of God and is the basis of our faith. This Church accepts The Baptist Faith and Message as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention on June 14, 2000 as a true and correct statement of its doctrinal beliefs. The Church is a committed body of baptized believers in Jesus Christ and is committed to personally sharing the good news of salvation to lost mankind. The Church follows our Lord Jesus Christ in the ordinances of baptism and the Lord s Supper. ARTICLE IV: CHURCH COVENANT As members of Stetson Baptist Church, we make the following commitments: 1. To protect the unity of Stetson Baptist Church by acting in love toward other members, by refusing to gossip and, by following the leadership of the Church. 2. To share in the responsibility of Stetson Baptist Church by praying for its growth, by inviting the unchurched to attend by giving regularly and, by warmly welcoming those who visit. Page 1

2 3. To serve the ministry of Stetson Baptist Church by discovering my gifts and talents, by being equipped to serve by my pastors and, by developing a servant s heart. 4. To support the testimony of Stetson Baptist Church by attending faithfully and by living a godly life. ARTICLE V: CHARACTER The government of this Church is vested in the body of believers who compose it (i.e., its rightful members). While this Church recognizes its association and cooperation with other churches, the Seminole Baptist Association, as well as the Florida and Southern Baptist Conventions, this Church is a sovereign, autonomous Baptist church. It is, and shall remain, self-governing on all matters; such governance to be accomplished by a majority of the body of members who compose it (unless otherwise required by the Church s governing documents). Neither cooperation nor affiliation shall ever become one of the doctrines and/or tenets of this Church. ARTICLE VI: DOCTRINE The Holy Bible is the authority of faith and practice. This Church s understanding of Christian truth as contained therein is in essential accord with the belief of Southern Baptist Churches as indicated in the Articles of Faith referred to in Article III. ARTICLE VII: AMENDMENTS Changes to this Constitution may be made at any regular business meeting of the Church, provided each amendment shall have been presented in writing at a previous business meeting and copies of the proposed amendment shall have been furnished to each member present at the earlier meeting. Amendments to the constitution shall require an affirmative vote of threefourths (3/4) of the Church members present and voting. This Constitution was considered by the Church and approved by a vote of to at a meeting properly called for that purpose on or about, Date Moderator Date Pastor Date Chairman of the Deacons Page 2

3 Date Church Clerk Page 3

4 SECTION 1: GENERAL THE BY-LAWS OF STETSON BAPTIST CHURCH, DELAND, FLORIDA, INC. ARTICLE I. MEMBERSHIP Stetson Baptist Church (the Church ) is a sovereign Baptist church under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The membership retains unto itself the right of exclusive self-government under the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all phases of the spiritual and physical life of this Church. The membership reserves the exclusive right to determine who shall be members of this Church and the conditions of such membership, based on the membership s interpretation of the Holy Bible. To that end, and subject to the autonomy referenced and set forth in the Constitution, this Church hereby establishes that it will not allow its property and other assets to be usurped or otherwise taken from it by other individuals or denominations. Thus, the true and rightful members of this Church shall be comprised of individuals who adhere to maintain and propagate the doctrines, faith and practices of the Southern Baptist denomination even though such members may comprise only a minority of the overall membership. To the extent that any vote of this Church is held to disassociate from the Southern Baptist denomination, or the Church otherwise refuses to adhere to, maintain and propagate the doctrines, faith and practices of the Southern Baptist denomination, the equitable and legal title to the Church s property and fixed assets shall vest in and be used for the benefit of the minority who remain true to the teachings and beliefs of the Southern Baptist denomination. SECTION 2: CANDIDACY (QUALIFICATIONS) Any person may offer himself/herself as a candidate for membership to the Church at any regular worship service for membership in any of the following ways: 1. By profession of faith and for baptism according to the policies of this Church. 2. By promise of letter from another Baptist church. 3. Upon statement of prior conversion experience through faith followed by baptism by immersion in a church of like faith. (A church of like faith shall be determined at the discretion of the Senior Pastor.) Any question regarding the qualifications of a candidate shall be referred to the Senior Pastor and, at his discretion, to the Deacon Body for consideration. If there is need for further recommendation to the Church, such recommendation will be made within thirty (30) days. Page 4

5 The membership of this Church shall consist of such persons as confess Jesus Christ to be their Savior and Lord, and who meet the following qualifications: 1. Entrance into the Church covenant found in Article IV of the Constitution 2. Successful completion of a New Member orientation 3. Acceptance by affirmative vote of the Church in a business meeting 4. Presentation to the Church for membership SECTION 3: DUTIES Members are expected to be faithful and obedient in all areas of the Christian life, as it relates to the Church covenant. This includes both participation in church worship, ministries and work, and giving monetary gifts to support the Church. SECTION 4: RIGHTS Members in good standing as defined above may participate in the leadership of the ministries of the Church, vote in church business meetings, and hold office in the Church, provided the member: 1. is present; 2. is over the age of sixteen (16) years old (except as otherwise required below); 3. has been a member for no less than six (6) months; and 4. has actively attended one or more Sunday School classes or served alongside a Church staff member or leader in one or more capacities in the preceding twelve (12) months. SECTION 5: TERMINATION Page 5

6 Membership shall be terminated in the following ways: 1. Death 2. Transfer of letter to another Baptist church 3. By erasure due to becoming a member or otherwise affiliated with a church of another faith or denomination 4. Exclusion by action of the Church. (Matthew 18:15-17) 5. By request of member desiring his/her termination. Any request for termination of a member under item four (4) shall be brought to the attention of the Senior Pastor. He shall, if needed, confer with the individual subject to said termination request. If efforts to bring such member to repentance are unsuccessful, the Senior Pastor shall refer to the deacons who may, upon their approval, recommend to the Church that the membership of said person be terminated. The member subject to termination will be notified in writing at least thirty (30) days prior to the recommendation that his/her membership be terminated. Such recommendation will be presented to the Church at a Church business meeting. Action to terminate will be taken upon an affirmative vote of a majority of Church members present and voting. SECTION 6: RESTORATION Any person whose membership has been terminated under Section 5, Item 4 may be restored upon evidence of his/her repentance and reformation by recommendation of the Senior Pastor and the deacons. Restoration shall become complete upon an affirmative vote of a majority of Church members present and voting in a business meeting. SECTION 7: RECORD OF MEMBERSHIP An accurate roll of all members, and insofar as possible, an up-to-date record of contact information will be kept in the Church office. Any member who fails to attend and/or give a tithe, offering or other financial gift to the Church for a period of one (1) year, shall be subject to having their name moved from the active membership roll to the inactive membership roll. Such member shall be contacted (via U.S. mail to the last known address), or in person, regarding whether they wish to remain a member of the Church. If the Church does not receive a response to such letter within thirty (30) days of its postmark, (or the member cannot be located), then the member is deemed to have consented to his or her removal from the membership roll. Upon such removal, all rights and privileges of membership shall cease. SECTION 8: BIBLICAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION Page 6

7 The Church recognizes that disputes among members (as well as disputes between members and the Church staff) are inevitable. All Church members will use their best efforts to resolve such disputes, claims, questions, or disagreement in a manner that befits Christians, and they shall consult and negotiate with each other in good faith; recognizing their mutual interests not to disgrace the name of Christ and seeking to reach a just and equitable solution. To that end, all disputes, claims, questions, or disagreements arising out of or relating to these bylaws or any other matter involving members shall be subject to the dispute resolution framework laid out in these bylaws. In an effort to follow the scripture s mandates regarding legal actions against fellow-believers while simultaneously preserving the right to have one s dispute heard and decided the membership of this Church agrees to handle all disputes in the following manner: 1. Personal Attempts When any dispute arises between one or more members of this Church, the involved member(s) will take time to pray about the basis for the dispute as well as the other members involved. After such prayer, the member(s) will approach the other member(s) with whom they have the disagreement and attempt to work through the dispute in a spirit of love and understanding. If the attempt to address the dispute directly does not result in a resolution, one or more of the members involved will approach the most senior member of the Church Pastoral staff not involved in the dispute (or if the entire staff is involved the most senior member of the deacon body not involved in the dispute), and explain the dispute. The person(s) approached will select an appropriate Church leader to meet with the disputing members separately. If this effort does not result in a resolution of the dispute, the members involved will proceed to follow the formal dispute resolution procedure set forth in sections 2 through 7 below. 2. Submission to Mediation Should the dispute resolution steps found in section a. above not lead to a full and complete resolution of the issues in dispute, the parties shall submit any remaining dispute to mediation. The mediation (i.e., where a neutral third person acts to encourage the resolution of a dispute) is an informal, non-adversarial process with the objective of helping the disputing parties reach a mutually-acceptable and voluntary agreement. Such mediation shall take place within thirty (30) days from the date any member involved in the dispute submits a written request for mediation (but not before the procedure set forth in section a. has been completed). The mediation shall be conducted and facilitated by a neutral third-party, chosen by the parties to the dispute. Should the parties not be able to agree upon a mediator, the Senior Pastor provided he is not a party to the dispute shall pick a mediator to facilitate a resolution. Should the Senior Pastor be a party to the dispute, the person to select a mediator will be the first in the following list to not be involved in the dispute: a member of the Pastoral staff, in order of seniority, Chairman of the Deacons, and then each deacon (such deacons listed in order of seniority). Page 7

8 The basic process for conducting the mediation shall be as adopted by the pastor and the body of deacons, as found in the church policy & procedure manual. 3. Notice of Arbitration If the dispute is not resolved through the procedure set forth above within a period of sixty (60) days from the date mediation is requested, then either party may notify the other party (ies) of their desire to submit the disputes, claims, questions, or differences to binding arbitration. Arbitration, as used here, means a process by which a dispute is heard by an impartial third person (or several persons), chosen by the parties, whose decision the parties have agreed to accept. 4. Limitations on Arbitration Decisions Should any dispute involve matters of Church discipline, the arbitrators shall be limited to determining whether the procedures for Church discipline as outlined above were followed. Should any dispute involve the removal from office of the pastor or any Church staff member or officer, the arbitrators shall be limited to determining whether the procedures set forth above were followed. 5. Arbitration Procedures The Procedures for Arbitration shall be as adopted by the Senior Pastor and the deacons. 6. Disputes Involving Parties Who Are Not Members The Church and its members hereby agree that the dispute resolution procedure outlined above is the way in which the Holy Scriptures would have Christians resolve disputes. Therefore, the Church and its members all agree to endeavor to employ these procedures in every situation in which a dispute arises regardless of who or what may be the adverse party. While it is possible that nonmembers may refuse to abide by some or all of these procedures, the Church and its members will make every effort to encourage the use of these procedures. In no event will a member refuse any non-member s offer to follow the framework set forth above. 7. Disputes Involving Former Members The Church and its members hereby agree that the dispute resolution procedure outlined above shall apply to all members and shall survive the termination of their membership in the Church. Specifically, all members of the Church recognize and acknowledge that, should they resign their membership or be removed from membership pursuant to these Bylaws such resignation or removal shall not negate that member s obligation to follow the dispute resolution framework set forth above for any and all disputes arising out of their membership in the Church. THE MEMBERS OF THIS CHURCH EXPRESSLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS DISPUTE RESOLUTION FRAMEWORK INCLUDES A Page 8

9 WAIVER OF ANY AND ALL RIGHTS IN LAW AND EQUITY TO BRING ANY CIVIL DISAGREEMENT INVOLVING THIS CHURCH OR ANY OF ITS MEMBERS BEFORE A COURT OF LAW, EXCEPT THAT ANY JUDGMENT UPON AN AWARD RENDERED BY AN ARBITRATOR MAY BE ENTERED IN ANY COURT HAVING JURISDICTION THEREOF. SECTION 1: GENERAL ARTICLE II: CHURCH ORGANIZATION The Church is both a spiritual body and a non-profit corporation under the laws of the State of Florida. The Church is subject to the authority of the Holy Bible in all matters and subject to the rules of duly constituted public authority (Romans 13:1-7). The church organization is to provide the mechanism for the orderly activity of the church body. SECTION 2: CHURCH MEETINGS The Church shall meet in regular worship services each Sunday at such times and place as may be determined by the Senior Pastor. Additionally, the Church may meet at such other dates and times as may be deemed appropriate by the Senior Pastor for purpose of worship, edification and proclamation. The Church shall meet in regularly scheduled or duly called business meetings for the purpose of conducting the business of the Church. Regular business meetings are to be held during a designated day of the fiscal quarter, as determined by the Senior Pastor. Business meetings (regular or special called) may be called by giving at least seven (7) days notice by either through the mailing of a notice of meeting to the membership or through announcement during two regular scheduled worship services. Such meetings may be called to handle any urgent matters of business that, based solely on the discretion of the person(s) calling such meeting, cannot wait until the next regular scheduled business meeting. Page 9

10 Special business meetings may be called by the Senior Pastor, Chairman of the Deacons, or the Church Clerk. Should a petition for a special meeting be signed by no less than 50 members of the Church eligible to vote, the Church Clerk shall call the requested meeting within fourteen (14) days of his or her receipt of such fully-signed petition. Announcements of special meetings shall always include a description of the item of business to be discussed and voted upon. No special business may be voted on during a regular scheduled service unless it has been offered for discussion at a previous business meeting. Urgent matters of a routine nature, such as election of messengers to conventions, may be handled, without prior notification, at a special business meeting convened during any regularly scheduled worship service. Such business meetings shall be called only in situations where delay would result in hardship or inconvenience. No proxy votes shall be allowed for any Church business. Absentee ballots, upon request, shall be furnished to shut-ins (homebound, nursing homes, hospitals). To be valid, these ballots must be signed and returned in a sealed envelope to the Church prior to the meeting. A duly-elected moderator, elected by the membership annually upon recommendation by the Church Council, shall preside over all Church business meetings. All duly-elected moderators shall have the authority to serve in that capacity until their replacement is elected. The elected Moderator shall make provision for a replacement moderator in his absence. Should a meeting be convened where such provision has not been made, the members present and eligible to vote shall vote to appoint a moderator for that meeting. Neither the Senior Pastor nor any other staff member shall serve as the duly-elected moderator. Any moderator may be required to step down and another elected upon such moderator s request or upon a motion by any member present and approval by a simple majority of the membership in attendance at the meeting. The moderator is to utilize the most recent and up-to-date version of Robert s Rules of Order for the purpose of conducting meetings. In his/her sole discretion, the Moderator may appoint a parliamentarian to advise the Moderator as to specific rules of procedure. However, the parliamentarian shall be present in an advisor role only. The Moderator shall retain ultimate authority to run the meeting as he/she deems appropriate. The Moderator may serve consecutive terms so long as the membership desires (i.e., re-elects him or her). The moderator may bring such matters before the meeting as determined by the moderator to be appropriate. At least annually the following matters shall be brought before the Church: 1. A proposed slate of candidates for replenishment of the Church Council in accordance with Article II, Section A proposed slate of candidates for the replenishment of the Trustees in accordance with Article II, Section A proposed slate of candidates for replenishment of the deacon body in accordance with Article II, Section 6. Page 10

11 4. A proposed slate of committee members as may be necessary to fill vacancies in those committees. 5. A slate of messengers to represent the body before local, state and national conventions of the Southern Baptist denomination. 6. An annual Church budget or any proposed change to the Church s current budget. 7. An annual Christian school budget or any proposed change to the school s current budget. 8. Election of the Church Moderator 9. Election of the Church Clerk Additionally, the following matters are to be brought to the Church: 1. Any proposed change to the Church Constitution and By-Laws. 2. Any proposed action on a duly constituted Committee. 3. Membership admissions and terminations. 4. Financial reports. 5. Ministerial Staff hiring or termination. Any matter presented to the Church for action shall require a majority vote of those in attendance unless otherwise required within the Church s governing documents. Members in attendance at a duly called or regular business meeting of the Church shall be deemed to constitute a legal quorum. Eligible voting members are defined in Article I, Sections 2 and 3 of these bylaws. SECTION 3: CHURCH COUNCIL The Church Council shall consist of ten persons from the Church membership, along with the Pastoral Church Staff, SBCS Administrator and Church Administrator. The Senior Pastor shall serve as Chairman of the Council and shall be a voting member only in the event a tie-breaking vote is needed. All other members of the Council engaged in leadership positions, either by employment or through appointment by the Church, shall serve as ex-officio (non-voting) members of the Church Council. Page 11

12 The term of office for the ten (10) elected Council Members shall be five years, based on the Church s fiscal year (July 1 thru June 30). After serving a five-year term, at least one year must elapse before a Council Member is eligible for re-election. Upon approval of these bylaws, nominations will be received from the Church by the current Committee on Committees (hereafter referred to as the Nominating Committee). The Nominating Committee will then designate two Council Members to serve 5 year terms, two to serve 4 year terms, two to serve 3 year terms, two to serve 2 year terms and 2 to serve 1 year terms. Annually during the month of April, or as vacancies occur on the Church Council, up to 6 nominations from the Church will be received to fill such vacancies. The Council will review all nominations and will determine their top choice(s) to fill the vacant position(s). A slate of the top choice(s) will be presented to the Church for approval to fill the vacancy on the Church Council. The slate of candidates presented to the Church will be equal to the number of people needed to fill the expected vacancies. Approval of the slate as a whole by at least a three-fourths (3/4) majority of those members present and voting will be required to serve on the Council. Upon Church approval of the slate, the Council will determine which candidates will actively serve on the Council and which candidates will serve as alternates. Alternates will be activated upon the discretion of the Council, as vacancies occur. Should the slate of candidates fail to receive a three-fourths (3/4) majority of those members present and voting, the Church Council will go back to the original nominations and bring another slate of candidate(s) to the Church for approval. Voting will be determined by secret ballot. Any member of Stetson Baptist Church over the age of 21 years who has been a member for at least two years and has been actively involved in ministry at Stetson Baptist Church for at least one year may be elected to the Council. Further, all council members are required to meet the non-gender specific qualifications of an overseer as outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. The duties of the Council are: 1. The Church Council will evaluate the spiritual and practical effectiveness of the organization and make recommendations to the Church body and/or the Senior Pastor as to how this effectiveness might be improved. 2. All recommendations pertaining to permanent changes, including but not limited to the policy, program, ministries, budget or ministerial staff of Stetson Baptist Church will be submitted to the Church Council for consideration and evaluation prior to presentation to the Church. When presented to the Church, it will include the recommendation or opinion of the Council. Page 12

13 3. The Church Council will make at least one written report annually to the Church in the 1 st Quarter business meeting. SECTION 4: TRUSTEES The corporate officers and legal representatives of the Church shall be the Trustees. The Trustees are made up of six people. The Trustees are to serve for a three-year term and two positions are to become vacant each year. The Nominating Committee shall submit a slate of Trustees to fill vacancies for church approval. After serving a term of three years, no Trustee shall be eligible for reelection for at least one year. 1. To execute deeds, debentures, mortgages, liens, contracts and other legal documents for the Church. All such authority to buy, sell, mortgage, lease, or otherwise acquire or dispose of any Church property must be based on prior approval of the Church (such approval coming in the form of a properly conducted and recorded vote of the membership). Title to all properties shall be vested in the Church. While not all actions by the Council or Trustees require Church involvement or vote, all actions are subject to the review and oversight of the Church body. Should a disagreement arise between the Church body and the Council or Trustees, the will of the Church (as evidenced by a properly called and recorded Church vote) shall prevail. SECTION 5: SENIOR PASTOR By virtue of his calling and office, the Senior Pastor is the primary spiritual leader and Bible teacher of the Church. He shall exercise general and active management of the operation of the corporation. He shall be responsible for the administration of the corporation, including general supervision of the policies of the corporation. He shall be elected for an indefinite period of time and may resign his position with the Church by a notice of 30 days. Should the Church feel the need to terminate the pastor s service, the deacons, in coordination with the Personnel Committee, shall council with the pastor and make any necessary recommendations to the Church. A business meeting for a termination vote shall be called and constituted in the same manner as a meeting to call a pastor. A three-fourths (3/4) majority vote of Church members present and voting shall be required to hire a pastor; a simple majority will be required to declare the position of Senior Pastor vacant. Voting shall be by secret ballot. In the event of a vacancy in the position of Senior Pastor, a replacement shall be sought-out by a Senior Pastor Search Committee. Such committee shall consist of five (5) persons and two (2) alternates recommended by the deacons and elected by the Church from nominations made from the Church for members in good standing willing to serve. This committee shall consider the scriptural qualifications of potential Senior Pastors. Acting in concert with other committees, such as Stewardship and Personnel, the committee is authorized to represent the Church and Page 13

14 make commitments and arrangements with the pastoral candidate pursuant to a possible call, subject to final approval of the Church. After due consideration, the Senior Pastor Search Committee shall recommend a man to the Church for approval or disapproval by written ballot. Only one name will be considered at a time. The Senior Pastor shall be considered an ex-officio member of all committees. Except as stated otherwise in these Bylaws, such ex-officio position shall be a non-voting position. The Senior Pastor shall oversee the total ministry of the Church. The Senior Pastor is responsible for the Church Staff who assume his delegated responsibilities. The Senior Pastor may remove, replace, or realign existing staff positions, in cooperation with the Personnel Committee according to the procedures defined in the Personnel Policy & Procedure Manual of Stetson Baptist Church. Such changes are subject to the recommendation of the Church Council and final Church approval. SECTION 6: DEACONS In accordance with the meaning of the word deacon as practiced in the New Testament, deacons are to be servants of the Church. The function of the deacon is to support and assist the Pastoral Staff in developing, supporting and performing the ministerial tasks of the Church as is outlined in Acts 6:1-6 and as defined in the Deacon Ministry Team Handbook. The number of deacons shall be based on the needs of the Church and the total membership of the Church. The needs of the Church in regard to the number of deacons shall be recommended by the current year s Chairman of Deacons for the next term with input from the current year s active deacon body and presented to the Senior Pastor as a recommendation. The deacon body shall serve on a rotating basis and each term will be based on the Church s fiscal year. After serving a term of three years, no deacon shall be eligible for service until a lapse of at least one year, unless he has been elected to complete an unfulfilled term of a deacon who has resigned or has terminated his office. Elections to the deacons will be conducted as defined in the Deacon Ministry Team Handbook. Elections to fill unexpired terms may be held at any time, at the discretion of the Church upon the recommendation of the Deacons. Any deacon, who during his term of office feels he can no longer serve the Church actively, spiritually and scripturally, should feel an obligation to resign the office. A deacon who accumulates three unexcused absences from regular deacons meetings during the course of a year automatically terminates his service as a deacon. The Deacon Nominating Committee shall consist of a sufficient number of active deacons, including the Chairman of Deacons and other members, to be chosen by the Senior Pastor and Chairman of Deacons. The Senior Pastor acts as a non-voting moderator; however, the Senior Pastor shall reserve a final veto of any candidate if a candidate does not qualify for reasons only known by the Senior Pastor. It is preferred for the Committee to consist of deacons who are in their second or third year of deacon service or, if in their first year of service have served as Page 14

15 deacon at Stetson Baptist Church before. It is our desire to select men who meet the Biblical qualifications (1 Timothy 3:8-12) to serve as deacons in our Church. Any person recommended by the deacons and approved by the Church to serve as a deacon that has not been previously ordained to deacon ministry may be ordained. An ordination time will be arranged with the Church leadership, deacon leadership, and the candidate. SECTION 7: CHURCH STAFF All employees of the Church are considered ministerial staff, due to their relationship and representation of the Church in performing their job duties. They may be Pastoral Staff members or Support Staff members, and may or may not be ordained, as determined by their job description established by the Personnel Committee. Pastoral Staff members, as needed to serve the Church, shall be called or terminated by the Church upon the joint recommendation of the Senior Pastor, Personnel Committee, the Church Council, and the Deacons. A three-fourths majority vote of the Church members present and voting at any regular or called business meeting of the Church shall be required to authorize a call to a candidate for any Pastoral Staff position or to terminate same. Announcement of such pending action shall be made in at least two regularly scheduled worship services of the Church at least one week prior to such action. Voting for either call or termination shall be by secret ballot. Support Staff employees are employed upon the approval of the Senior Pastor and the Personnel Committee and shall be under the Senior Pastor s, or designee s, supervision. Employment shall be terminated upon the approval of the pastor and the personnel committee or by resignation. SECTION 8: CHURCH CLERK The Church Clerk shall be elected by the membership annually upon recommendation by the Church Council. The Clerk shall be responsible for keeping records of the proceedings of Church business meetings to be read and approved at the next regular business meeting. A copy of these proceedings shall be kept in the Church office. The Clerk shall write the annual Church letter to the association and keep a record of the Church membership. When a special committee is constituted, the Clerk shall furnish the chairperson of such committee a copy of the resolution under which the committee was authorized along with a list of its members. The Clerk may delegate the performance of certain of his or her clerical duties to a member of the church staff. However, the Clerk retains ultimate responsibility for the performance of such duties. The Clerk may serve consecutive terms so long as the membership desires (i.e., re-elects him or her). ARTICLE III: ORDINANCES AND THEIR OBSERVANCE The two ordinances as provided by the New Testament are Baptism and the Lord s Supper. These shall be observed by our Church at regular intervals. Page 15

16 Baptism: Believer s Baptism shall be practiced. It shall be by immersion and shall be administered subsequent to the candidate s experience of repentance and faith and his/her public profession of faith. This ordinance shall be observed as often as needed. The Lord s Supper: Instituted by Christ, it shall be observed with the use of bread and grape juice. This ordinance shall be observed as often as needed. All born-again Christians may participate. ARTICLE IV: COMMITTEES All committee members defined in Article IV shall be elected to serve for three years with 1/3 of the members rotating off each year, unless otherwise indicated. After serving a term of three years, no committee member shall be eligible for service until a lapse of at least one year. All committee members term shall be based on the Church s fiscal year. Each committee will elect its own chair. In addition to the committees listed below, the Church may form ad hoc committees as necessary through the Nominating Committee s recommendation and Church election. Such ad hoc committees shall exist for a finite duration, or until task completion, as specified by the Nominating Committee and approved by the Church. All Ad Hoc Committees shall provide a report at the Church Quarterly Business meeting regarding task status. SECTION 1: NOMINATING COMMITTEE The Nominating Committee is a six-member committee of Church members elected by the Church upon recommendation by the Deacons. The function of the Nominating Committee is to examine and propose nominations for vacancies in the following bodies or committees, subject to the recommendation of the Church Council, for the Church approval. It is recommended each committee, as well as the Church-at-Large, propose prospective candidates to the Nominating Committee for any known vacancy. a. Church Council (See Article II, Section 3) b. Trustees (See Article II, Section 4) c.stewardship Committee (See Article IV, Section 2) d. Personnel Committee (See Article IV, Section 3) e.school Board (See Article IV, Section 4) f. Benevolence Committee (See Article IV, Section 5) g. Properties Committee (See Article IV, Section 6) Page 16

17 h. Transportation Committee (See Article IV, Section 7) i. Other ministries, as referred to in Article V As appropriate, due to the needs and circumstances, the Nominating Committee is to meet at the request of the Senior Pastor and to prepare proposals for consideration of the Church. In the event of any vacancy on a committee, the nominating committee will nominate a candidate to fill that vacancy. At least one member of the Nominating Committee shall be an active deacon, who will serve as Chair. SECTION 2: STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE The Stewardship Committee is a nine-member committee of Church members elected by the Church upon recommendation by the Nominating Committee. The primary function of the Stewardship Committee is to continuously review the financial affairs of the Church to provide a level of stewardship accountability for the Church staff to the Church membership, as defined to in the Church operating procedures. They will maintain supervision over and maintenance of any deeds, bonds, insurance policies and important papers of the Church. They will assure that the financial investment of the Church in its buildings, furnishings, and equipment is protected through a well-planned and managed insurance program. Types of coverage to be provided will include property, public liability, workmen s compensation and necessary personnel insurance. They will review the insurance program annually to insure that adequate values are maintained on the property and that coverage is kept current. They are further authorized to receive and disburse monies in accordance with terms of wills, items given in a will, and instruments wherein the Church is named beneficiary, as directed by the Church Council. This committee meets monthly (or as required by its Chairman) to review the financial statements prepared by the Staff, to examine prior approved disbursements, to consider the accounting and financial systems of the Church, to measure actual financial operations to budgeted amounts, and to advise the Church Council of any action needed by the body in the financial area. The Stewardship Committee also meets annually to develop a proposed budget for the next Church fiscal year. Utilizing staff input and through interviews of Staff submitting budget request and recommendations of various committees and ministry heads, the Stewardship Committee formulates a proposed budget, which is then presented to the membership for Church membership approval. The Stewardship Committee is to submit desired revisions in the current budget to the Church as deemed appropriate by the committee and with approval of the Senior Pastor. A member of the Church Council, designated by the Council, shall serve as an ex-officio member, without vote, of the Stewardship Committee. Page 17

18 SECTION 3: PERSONNEL COMMITTEE The Personnel Committee is a six-member committee. The function of the Personnel Committee is to assist the Senior Pastor in the recruitment & retention of church staff and the administration of the policies and procedures of the Personnel Manual & Employee Handbook. SECTION 4: SCHOOL BOARD The School Board is a ten-member committee. The School Board is responsible for directing and operating the Stetson Baptist Christian School, as defined in the Church operating procedures. The term of office for the ten (10) elected School Board Members shall be five years, based on the Church s fiscal year (July 1 thru June 30). After serving a five-year term, at least one year must elapse before a School Board Member is eligible for re-election. Upon approval of these bylaws, nominations will be received from the Church by the Nominating Committee for the purpose of increasing the total membership of the School Board to 10 members. The Nominating Committee will then designate two Board Members to serve 5 year terms, two to serve 4 year terms, two to serve 3 year terms, two to serve 2 year terms and 2 to serve 1 year terms. The Christian School administrator, under the supervision of the Senior Pastor, will be responsible to the School Board for the performance of the school. The Christian School administrator and a member of the Church Council, designated by the Council, will serve as exofficio members. The School Board shall recommend to the Church Council policies necessary for effective operation of the school. SECTION 5: BENEVOLENCE COMMITTEE The Benevolence Committee is a nine-member committee. The Benevolence Committee is responsible for administering the benevolence fund, as defined in the Church operating procedures. The Benevolence Committee is also responsible for the organization and distribution of food from the Church food pantry. SECTION 6: PROPERTIES COMMITTEE The Properties Committee is a six-member committee. The Properties Committee is responsible for caring for the properties and physical plant of the Church, as defined in the Church operating Page 18

19 procedures. Any property needs that cannot be met by the Church staff during the course of their normal assigned duties will be referred to this committee. SECTION 7: TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE The Transportation Committee is a six-member committee. The Transportation Committee is responsible for maintaining in proper running order all Church-owned vehicles, as defined in the Church operating procedures. This committee will also recommend to the Church the purchase or sale of any Church-owned vehicles as need may arise. ARTICLE V: CHURCH MINISTRIES The ministries of the Church are to be consistent with the Church Covenant and Articles of Faith. They are to be under the supervision of the Senior Pastor or his designee. In order for a ministry to be considered as a ministry of the Church it must be under the Scriptural authority of the Church so as to insure appropriate accountability, integrity, and management of said ministry. A directory of Church ministries and organizational chart is to be maintained in the Church office. The directory shall describe the ministry name, the defined ministry objective, the person having responsibility, and the staff designee for that ministry. The person having that ministry responsibility may create such organizational structure as is needed with the approval of the Senior Pastor. SECTION 1: INDEMNIFICATION ARTICLE VI: GENERAL Should any member(s) of the Church Staff or volunteer be faced with actual or threatened litigation as a result of the performance of their proper and normal duties, the Church will provide a sufficient and appropriate legal defense and/or indemnify such staff member(s) for costs and expenses relating to such actual or threatened litigation. This obligation to indemnify and/or provide a defense shall cease if at any time it is discovered that the staff member(s) or volunteer(s) in question acted contrary to the Holy Bible, in violation of law or otherwise acted in any way that was dishonest or lacking complete candor. SECTION 2: USE OF CHURCH FACILITIES The Church Staff shall oversee implementation of a church facilities use policy. Such policy will ensure that the facilities of the Church are used in a manner which is consistent with our beliefs as Southern Baptists (e.g., in accordance with the Holy Bible and the Baptist Faith and Message). The Staff shall also be charged with ensuring that any use of all or part of the Church grounds or facilities (whether by members or by outside interests or entities) will be done in a manner Page 19

20 consistent with our beliefs as Southern Baptists. Moreover, any and all use of Church property shall be sufficiently documented and memorialized so as to protect the Church from unnecessary exposure to liability. SECTION 3: ACCESS TO CHURCH RECORDS All Church members will be granted access to Church records in a manner consistent with applicable Florida law. However, the Church reserves its statutory right to confirm the requesting member s proper purpose in seeking access to Church records. Any member of the Church who wishes to obtain access to information regarding Church finances or other issues shall speak to the Chairman of the appropriate committee. SECTION 4: REMOVAL OF CHURCH OFFICERS AND/OR COMMITTEE MEMBERS Any Church officer, committee member or other member in leadership may be removed from his or her position in the same manner as he or she was placed into that position (i.e., by vote of the membership if it is an elected position, or removal by the appointing party if the position is appointed). SECTION 5: ACCEPTANCE AND HANDLING OF DESIGNATED GIFTS The Church will accept designated gifts from members and other benefactors provided that such gifts are designated for existing accounts/works/ministries of the Church. Any gifts designated for accounts/works/ministries that do not currently or cease to exist will be deemed to be advisory gifts (i.e., gifts intended to encourage the Church to explore the work/ministry associated with the gift). While the Church may choose to use advisory gifts in the manner suggested by the donor, the Church is free to use advisory gifts in any manner approved by the Church Council. SECTION 6: LICENSING AND ORDINATION OF MINISTERS Ordination is a process of being set apart for service by Jesus Christ. As the Body of Christ in the world, the Church is the acting presence of Christ in the process of ordination. Ordination occurs after a candidate is thoroughly examined by an Ordination Council. Any person recommended and approved by the Senior Pastor having given evidence that he is called to the work of the ministry, may be licensed to the Gospel ministry upon an affirmative vote at any Church business meeting. The Senior Pastor shall possess the right to convene an Ordination Council to examine the qualifications of a candidate and, in turn, advise the Church as to the propriety of ordination. The final action to ordain such minister shall rest with the Church upon recommendation of the Ordination Council. SECTION 7: ADOPTION OF CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS Page 20

21 These By-Laws, were considered by the Church and adopted upon an affirmative vote of twothirds (2/3) or more of the members present and voting at a Church business meeting called on or about. The adoption of these Bylaws repealed and replaced all previously adopted Bylaws. SECTION 8: FISCAL YEAR The Church hereby adopts a July 1-June 30 fiscal year. SECTION 9: BYLAW REVIEW AND AMENDMENTS The Bylaws shall be reviewed by the Church Council as needed from time to time (but in no event less than once every two years). Changes to these Bylaws may be made at any regular business meeting of the Church provided each amendment shall have been presented in writing at a previous business meeting and copies of the proposed amendment shall have been furnished to each member present at the earlier meeting. Amendments to these Bylaws shall require an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members present and voting. A copy of this Constitution and By-Laws shall, at all times, be kept in the Church office, along with amendments to or revisions thereof, and will be made available to any Church member upon request. These Bylaws were considered by the Church and approved by a vote of to at a meeting properly called for that purpose on or about, Date Moderator Date Pastor Date Chairman of the Deacons Date Church Clerk Page 21

22 Page 22