ANNUAL REPORT BYLAWS COMMITTEE

Transcription

1 ANNUAL REPORT BYLAWS COMMITTEE Members: Pastor Don Wiggins (transitional pastor), David Ding, Susan Harrison, Elaine Lacksonen, Layne Pitt In January 2019, the Committee reviewed the current Bylaws and met to prepare recommendations for changes for presentation at the March 2019 business meeting. Respectfully submitted, The Bylaws Committee Motions from the Bylaws Committee for the Annual Report presented March 2019 Strikethrough indicates deletion. sample Bold indicates addition. sample Comments are in italics. Motions are in bold italics. At the General Council in 2017, revisions to the Uniform Constitution for Accredited Churches of The Christian and Missionary Alliance, was adopted. Our By-Laws must follow that newly adopted Uniform Constitution. The new Constitution replaces the current Uniform Constitution published in our Constitution & By-Laws booklet dated March 6, MOTION #1 That language in Section One: Membership, D. Membership Records, 3. Removal of Membership be modified as shown. The Constitution added a new section regarding circumstances for removal of membership. The proposed language adds a reference to that new section. Section One: Membership D. Membership Records 1. Administration of Records 2. Transfer of Membership 3. Removal of Membership Persons may be removed from membership for reasons outlined in the Constitution. In addition, A a member of the Committee on Membership shall attempt to connect MOTION #2 That language in Section Three: Local Church Governance Authority, parts B, F, and G be modified as shown. Section Three: B. Governing Board Members specifically states the number of elders to serve on the Governing Board rather than providing a range. A larger range was necessary when individual elders were appointed as liaisons representatives to the various ministries. In recent years, liaisons were no longer appointed and the Leadership Round Table (LRT), composed of the leaders of various ministries, was developed. Communication between the

2 LRT and the Board has been maintained by at least two GB members attending the LRT meetings. B. Governing Board Members The Governing Board shall consist of the Senior Pastor and from six (6) to 12 members elected by the Congregation from the Council of Elders. Section Three: F. Responsibilities of the Governing Board states that elders on the GB shall consitute the Committee on Membership. However, the Constitution specifically states that the elders from the Committee on Membership, not a subset of the elders. In addition, the Constitution states that All officers, committees, and organizations except the Nominating Committee are amenable to the collective oversight of the elders through the governance authority. - In the opening paragraph, the word final has been deleted and the Committee on Membership reference removed from the Responsibilities of the Governing Board. - In The Governing Board shall: list of responsibilities, #3 specifing internal appointments (more procedural and liaisons replaced by the Leadership Round Table) and #7 reference to the Committee on Membership (elders now form the Committee on Membership and the governance authority is charged with disciplemaking as per the Constitution) were modified and #8.vi. reference to the Disciple-making Ministries Council (Council duties are assumed by the Governing Board as per the Constitution) was deleted. Reference to Student Ministries Council was deleted as the council has not been used for the last few years; Pastor Kyle has a leadership team. F. Responsibilities of the Governing Board The Governing Board shall have final authority over all church administrative decisions except those precluded by the Constitution and the Bylaws of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. The elders on the Governing Board shall constitute the Committee on Membership. The Governing Board Shall: 1. Have 2. Conduct 3. Decide who shall serve as the Secretary of the Governing Board, Finance Elder, and Liason Representatives to the ministries of the church. Shall maintain two-way communication with the leaders of the Leadership Round Table by ensuring at least two members of the Governing Board are present at each meeting of the Leadership Round Table. 4. Develop 5. Ensure 6. Review 7. As the Committee on Membership, maintain membership records and review the membership list annually. Specify how disciplemaking is to be pursued in order to bring people to a saving knowledge of Christ, teach biblical principles emphasizing missions and the centrality of Christ as Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King, and equip people for evangelism and Christian service.

3 8. Solicit nominations but are not limited to: i. one person to the Nominating Committee; ii. one person to the Bylaws Committee; iii. members to the Audit Committee to audit the Treasurer s records and prepare a report for the Congregation; iv. lay delegates, certified by the Senior Pastor, to the General Council and District Conference; and v. chair and members of the Missions Committee; vi. chair and members of the Disciple-making Ministries Council; and vii. Members of the Student Ministries Council. Section Three: G. Responsibilities of the Governing Board Members is more procedural. Since individual members are no longer serving as Liaison Representatives or given specific duties as currently listed, this section was removed to allow the GB to best distribute duties within its body. The section that followed was relettered. G. Responsibilities of the Governing Board Members Governing Board Members when possible. GH. Committees of the Governing Board. MOTION #3 That language in Section Four: Pastoral Staff be modified as shown. The practice of requiring resignations from all pastoral staff upon the calling of a new Senior Pastor and his acceptance of the call is not required by the Constitution. The practice puts undue stress on the remaining pastoral staff as they try to minister to the congregation during the time of transition. The proposed language removes the required resignation process while maintaining timely required conversations between the Governing Board and the remaining staff members. Section Four: Pastoral Staff Within 30 days of the resignation of the Senior Pastor, the Governing Board shall meet with each of the other pastoral staff to discuss his current status of employment, future role on the pastoral staff, and the required resignation process for moving forward. Upon the calling of a new Senior Pastor and his acceptance of the call, all other pastoral staff shall tender their resignation to the Governing Board. The Governing Board, in consultation with the new Senior Pastor, shall consider other pastoral staff roles and employment these resignations as soon as possible. MOTION #4 That language in Section Six: Committees and Organizations be modified as shown. Language changes in the opening statement reflect changes in the updated Constitution. - Reference to Titus within the Council of Elders section corrected.

4 - Language in the Council of Elders section modified to reflect changes specified in the Constitution (general elder responsibilities, responsibility for the Committee on Discipline, and the GB s responsibility for disciplemaking). - Language referencing the role of the Deacons and Deaconesses modified to reflect the Constitutions emphasis of the elders role for shepherding the flock, not the Deacons or Deaconesses. The Bible charges elders with the tasks of teaching and leading the church; deacons role is more service-oriented. They are to care for the physical or temporal concerns of the church freeing up the elders to focus on shepherding the spiritual needs of the congregation. - Language modified to reflect two individual groups the Deacons and the Deaconesses as in the Constitution. - Reference to the Constitution s new section on Missions Mobilization incorporated into the description of the Missions Committee. - Description of the Student Ministries Council removed as (a) such a council is not mentioned in or required by the Constitution and (b) the Council, as described, has not been active for years. - Existence of Leadership Round Table recognized; role and purpose clarified. The establishment of the LRT allows women leaders and non-elder leaders to consistently communicate with and provide insight to members of the Governing Board. Section Six: Committees and Organizations In reference to Article X of the Church Constitution All committees, boards, councils, and similar functioning ministries, except the Nominating Committee, are amenable to the collective oversight of the elders through the Governing Board. A. Terms of Office B. Vacancies C. Elected or Appointed Positions 1. Council of Elders a. Elders shall be active male members in good standing and shall meet the qualifications for the office of elder as outlined in I Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:1-5-9, and have completed or be currently engaged in the elder training/application process established by the Governing Board. b. The Council of Elders shall be available to assist in the serve with the senior pastor to oversee both the temporal and spiritual ministries of the church as needed in order to acccomplish Christ s mission. c. Elders shall be elected by the congregation and form the Council of Elders, the Disciple-making Ministries Council (DMC) Committee on Membership, and the Committee on Discipline. An elder approved to serve on the Council of Elders shall continue to serve until he or the Governing Board requests his removal. d. The Senior Pastor or his designee shall serve as chair. Other members of the pastoral staff may attend Council of Elders meetings. 2. Deacons and Deaconesses a. Deacons shall be active members in good standing and shall meet the qualifications for the office of Deacon as outlined in 1 Timothy 3:8-13.

5 b. Deacons shall assist in the spiritual life of the church. They shall serve as people helpers by identifying congregational needs and seeking to care for, nurture and assist in meeting those physical and financial needs. They shall oversee the collection and distribution of benevolent funds meeting with people from the congregation or community who request such funds, assessing their needs, and determining how to respond. ce. The Deacons and Deaconesses shall be elected by the congregation and shall form the Deaconate. df.the chair of the Deaconate Deacons shall be elected at the appropriate business meeting for a term of one year and must be a current member of the Deaconate Deacons. 3. Deaconesses ac. Deaconesses shall be active members in good standing and shall exhibit the spiritual qualities stated for a Deacon s wife found in 1 Timothy 3:11 and Titus 2:3-5. bd. Deaconesses shall assist in the spiritual life of the church. They shall serve as helpers in communion, baptism, prayer, counseling and any other ministry that the Senior Pastor deems necessary. c. The Deaconesses shall be elected by the congregation. d. The chair of the Deaconesses shall be elected at the appropriate business meeting for a term of one year and must be a current member of the Deaconesses. 34. Trustees 45. Missions (Here, There, and Everywhere) Committee a. The primary ministry of the Missions (HTE) Committee is Missions Mobilization, as outlined in Article XI of the Constitution, to assist the pastor in by administering the year-round missions program, planning and promoting the annual Missions (HTE) Conference, recruiting candidates and promoting the financial and prayer support of the worldwide ministry of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. b. c. 56. Alliance Women Ministries 67. C&MA Men s Ministry 7 Student Ministries A. Student Ministries Council shall be organized a. The Council shall b. The Council shall c. The members of the Council... d. The chair of the Council shall be the pastor in charge of Student Ministries. 8. Leadership Round Table a. The Leadership Round Table (LRT) shall be organized to provide a practical means of networking among the major ministries and to facilitate two-way communications between the Governing Board and ministry leaders of the church. b. The LRT shall consist of the leaders of all major ministries of the church.

6 Ministries to be represented on the LRT shall be identified by the pastoral staff or the Governing Board. c. A member of the pastoral staff shall facilitate the LRT meetings. At least two Governing Board members shall be present at each LRT meeting. All members of the pastoral staff and Governing Board may attend. MOTION #5 That language in Section Seven: Nominating Committee modified as shown. Motion #4 proposed to separate references to Deacons and Deaconesses, eliminating the use of the term Deaconate. Reference to the Deaconate in the instructions to the Nominating Committee needs to be updated. Section Seven: Nominating Committee A. Committee Report The Nominating Committee shall. The report shall indicate those nominees who are willing to serve as chair of the Deaconate Deacons, Deaconesses, and the Trustees. MOTION #6 That references to Articles of the Constitution be updated as shown. With changes to the Constitution, reference numbers to specific Articles have changed. Section Seven: Nominating Committee In reference to Article XIII XIV of the Church Constitution Section Eight: Elections In reference to Article XIV XV of the Church Constitution Section Seven: Bylaws In reference to Article XVI XVII of the Church Constitution