BYLAWS OF THE BETHEL EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH

BYLAWS OF THE BETHEL EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH ARTICLE I: MEMBERSHIP SECTION A: Qualifications Any person who confesses faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who has personally received Him as his or her own Savior, whose conduct is in accord with his confession, who subscribes to the Confession of Faith as set forth in Article III of the Constitution, and who is willing to support the Church with faithful attendance, prayer, and material means, shall be eligible to become a member of The Bethel Evangelical Free Church, hereinafter referred to as the Church or, in Article IX and Article X of the Bylaws, the organization. 1. NON-ACTIVE MEMBERS Members who may be unable to continue to fulfill all of the above conditions of membership but still desire to retain membership at Bethel shall be designated Non-active Members in order to more easily obtain a quorum to conduct the business of the Church at meetings of the membership. 2. ASSOCIATE MEMBERS Any Youth between the ages of sixteen (16) and eighteen (18) who satisfies the above conditions for membership and desires to become a member shall be eligible to do so as an Associate Member. 3. ACTIVE MEMBERS Active Members shall be those members who are eighteen (18) years of age or older and who are able to continue to fulfill all of the above conditions of membership. Only Active Members shall be eligible to vote at meetings of the membership. SECTION B: Admission to Membership Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ shall become members of the Church as follows: 1. Application for membership shall be made to the Elder Board. 2. Applicants shall be required to attend membership classes. a. The Elder Board may waive the membership class requirement in specific cases such as transferring from another Evangelical Free Church. b. Applicants transferring from another Evangelical Free Church shall be encouraged to present a letter of transfer from their former church. 3. All applicants for membership shall be examined by the Elder Board. 4. All applicants who have successfully completed steps 1-3 above shall be listed in the Church bulletin at least two (2) weeks prior to the vote of the membership. If any member has a Scriptural reason for opposing the membership of the applicant, he shall immediately appear before the Elder Board and state said Scriptural reason. The Scriptural reason for opposition shall be considered by the Elder Board to determine the validity of the reason and an appropriate course of action. 5. Each satisfactory applicant shall be recommended by the Elder Board at any business meeting of the Church for approval and admission. Each applicant shall be approved and admitted into membership by a two-thirds vote of the members present. 6. New members shall be publicly welcomed into the membership at a subsequent worship service of the Church. 1

SECTION C: Conduct 1. Regular attendance at the services of the Church, daily reading of the Bible, private and family devotions, personal and public testimony, and the winning of others to Christ shall be urged upon each member. 2. It shall be the sacred duty of parents to provide Christian instruction for their children. 3. Each member shall consider it his sacred duty and privilege to make full use of his talents for the Lord s service whenever opportunity affords. 4. All members shall be encouraged to remember each other in prayer, to aid each other in sickness and distress, to be courteous in speech, and to be slow to anger. 5. Each member shall be urged to pledge himself to a systematic contribution of a portion of his income for the support of the Church according to the principles of I Cor. 16:2. 6. Each member shall be exhorted as follows in the name of the Lord: a. Do not love the world or anything in the world ; I John 2:15 (NIV). b. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, Romans 12:2 (KJV). c. Set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity, I Timothy 4:12b (NIV). d. Abstain from any act or practice which may be harmful in its influence or a stumbling block to the weak. (cf. Romans 14:13, 21; II Corinthians 6:13 7:1) SECTION D: Absence 1. Each member who is absent twelve months or longer shall communicate with the Church annually respecting his spiritual life and interest in the Lord s work. 2. Any member who is absent more than two years and from whom no communication has been received, shall be contacted by the Elder Board. In the absence of communication from the member, he shall be dismissed in accordance with Article I, Section F of the Bylaws. SECTION E: Withdrawal Any member who no longer desires or is unable to associate with the Church as a member shall submit a written request for withdrawal of membership. He shall receive a letter of disassociation from the Senior Pastor with the approval of the Elder Board. All letters of disassociation shall be reported to the Church at the next regular business meeting. SECTION F: Dismissal Any member who no longer meets the requirements for membership to associate with the Church as a member shall receive a letter of disassociation from the Senior Pastor with the approval of the Elder Board. All letters of disassociation shall be reported to the Church at the next regular business meeting. SECTION G: Discipline 1. If any member shall conduct himself in a manner contrary to any of the Scriptural principles embodied in Article I, Sections A and C and for which he does not show evidence of repentance, he shall be interviewed and counseled by the Elder Board in accordance with Matthew 18:15-17 and Galatians 6:1. Restoration of the erring member shall be the single purpose of the interview which shall be motivated by love and conducted gently. 2. If the member should choose to continue in his unrepentant condition, he shall be deprived of his membership as follows: 2

a. The Elder Board shall submit a recommendation to the Church at an Annual, Semiannual, or Special meeting of the Church. b. Upon a two-thirds vote of the members present, the Church shall rescind the membership of the erring member. SECTION H: Property Rights: 1. Any person who is no longer a member of the Church shall lose all rights of access to property of the Church. 2. Private property of members of the Church shall be exempt from corporate debt. SECTION I: Membership Rights 1. The Church shall function under the headship of the Lord Jesus Christ with the guidance and direction of the senior pastor and Elder Board. Determinations of the internal affairs of the Church are ecclesiastical matters and shall be determined exclusively by the Church s rules and procedures. The Church shall not function as a pure democracy. 2. Membership in the Church shall not afford members with any property, contractual, or civil rights based on principles of democratic government. Although the general public is invited to all of the Church s worship services, the Church property remains private property. The senior pastor or an individual designated by the Elder Board has the authority to suspend or revoke the right of any person, including a member, to enter or remain on Church property. In the event a person chooses to enter or remain on Church property after being notified of such a suspension or revocation, said person shall be treated as a trespasser until such time as the suspension or revocation has been rescinded by the senior pastor or an individual designated by the Elder Board. 3. A member may inspect or copy the prepared financial statements of the Church and the minutes of the proceedings of Church meetings and of board meetings provided he shall have submitted a written request to the Church and the Church has received the written request at least five business days before the requested inspection date. A member may not, under any circumstances, inspect or copy any record relating to individual contributions to the Church, the list of names and addresses of the Church members, or the accounting books and financial records of the Church. ARTICLE II: PASTORAL AND MINISTERIAL STAFF POSITIONS SECTION A: Senior Pastor 1. Qualifications a. The Senior Pastor shall be a man of established and true Christian character, and qualified to preach and teach the Word of God as described in I Timothy 3:1-7, 4:12-15, II Timothy 2:15 and Titus 1:5-9. b. The Senior Pastor shall be in full accord with the Church s statement of faith and shall be willing to perform his duties in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Church. 2. Duties a. It shall be the duty of the Senior Pastor to devote his full time to the work of the Lord through the Church and its interests. b. The Senior Pastor shall preach and teach the Word of God in complete agreement with the Confession of Faith, (Article III, Constitution). c. The Senior Pastor shall also: i. Provide leadership for the public Church services, 3

ii. Watch over the spiritual welfare of the Church, iii. Administer the ordinances, and iv. Instruct members in true and practical Christian living. d. The Senior Pastor shall be a voting member of the Elder Board. e. The Senior Pastor shall maintain cognizance of and provide appropriate leadership to the staff as defined in Article II, Section B. f. The Senior Pastor shall communicate regularly to the Elder Board his assessment and recommendations regarding the overall effectiveness and harmony of the staff and his ministry. 3. Authority and Accountability a. The authority of the Senior Pastor shall be the teaching authority of the scripture (cf. II Tim. 4:1-2). b. The Senior Pastor shall be accountable to the Church through the Elder Board for the performance of his duties. He shall report to the Elder Board at their meetings and to the Church at the Annual and Semi-Annual meetings. He shall submit a comprehensive written report for the Annual meeting of the Church. 4. Selection a. Whenever a vacancy occurs in the Senior Pastor position, a Pulpit Committee consisting of five (5) members shall be established and organized in the following manner: i. Two (2) Elders shall be appointed by the Elder Board to serve on said committee as long as said committee continues to function without respect to the terms of the appointed Elders. ii. The nominating committee shall prepare a ballot from which three (3) members shall be elected by the Church at any business meeting of the Church to serve on said committee. iii. Said committee shall elect its own chairman. iv. Said committee shall follow the procedure recommended by the Elder Board for presentation of the candidate. v. Said committee shall function until a new Senior Pastor is installed. vi. Only one (1) candidate shall be presented to the Church for consideration until said candidate shall have been accepted or rejected. vii. Election and calling of the Senior Pastor shall be decided by secret ballot at a business meeting of the Church; an affirmative two-thirds vote of those members present shall be required for acceptance. viii. The Senior Pastor shall be called for an indefinite period of time. 5. Termination of Service a. The Senior Pastor shall give written notice of his intent to resign to the Elder Board at least three (3) months prior to his desired termination date. The aforementioned three (3) month minimum notification period may be waived by mutual agreement of the Elder Board and the Senior Pastor. b. Dismissal of the Senior Pastor shall be initiated only by the Elder Board in the following manner: 4

i. The Elder Board shall take such actions as prescribed in the Bylaws, Article I, Section G, Paragraph 1. In the event of restoration, dismissal action against the Senior Pastor shall terminate. ii. If the issue is related to sin and he refuses to repent, the dismissal action against the Senior Pastor shall continue as follows: (a) The Elder Board shall submit a recommendation for dismissal of the Senior Pastor to the Church at an Annual, Semi-annual, or Special meeting of the Church. (b) Dismissal of the Senior Pastor and termination of his ministry at the Church shall require an affirmative vote by secret ballot of the majority of Members present at said meeting of the Church. (c) Upon affirmation of the dismissal action against the Senior Pastor, the Elder Board shall submit written notice of termination to the Senior Pastor. (d) The Elder Board shall determine the amount and disbursement method of severance pay. iii. If the issue is related to job performance, the Church Chairman shall provide sufficient documentation to the Elder Board of the Senior Pastor s failure to fulfill responsibilities according his job description to warrant disciplinary action. (a) All possible avenues to correct the lack in performance will be explored at the expense of the church including, but not limited to instruction, mentoring, coaching and class work. The amount of time given to the Senior Pastor to make necessary changes in performance will be at the discretion of the Elder Board. (b) If the Senior Pastor continues to perform below expectations, adequate documentation has been submitted to the Elder Board, and multiple avenues of behavioral correction have been attempted, a unanimous vote by secret ballot of the of Elders (excluding the Senior Pastor) present at a meeting of the Elder board is required to terminate the employment of said Senior Pastor. (c) The Elder Board shall determine the amount, if any, and disbursement method of severance pay as well as the date of termination. (d) All communication to the church body regarding the termination of the Senior Pastor will be at the Elder Board s discretion and will be shared in such a way as to protect the integrity of both the terminated Senior Pastor and the Church. 6. Pastoral Absences The Elder Board shall be responsible for pulpit supply and the continuance of other duties of the Senior Pastor during periods wherein the Senior Pastor is absent or incapacitated. SECTION B: Staff Positions 1. Types of Staff Positions a. Pastoral (full-time: greater than 30 hours per week) b. Pastoral (part-time or interim) c. Ministerial d. Office e. Other 2. Qualifications Formatted: Font color: Auto 5

a. All members of the staff shall be in full agreement with the Church s statement of faith and shall be willing to perform their duties in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Church. b. The Pastoral and Ministerial Staff shall be people of established and true Christian character as described in I Timothy 3:1-7, 4:12-15, II Timothy 2:15 and Titus 1:5-9 and have the necessary gifts to perform the ministry for which they are hired. c. Pastoral and Ministerial Staff may or may not be licensed or ordained clergy. 3. Duties The duties of staff members shall be set forth within their respective job descriptions and shall be reviewed and revised annually by the Senior Pastor in consultation with the Elder Board. 4. Accountability a. The staff shall be organized under and accountable to the Senior Pastor with oversight by the Elder Board. b. The performance of each staff member shall be evaluated annually and reported to the Elder Board. 5. Selection a. Whenever the Elder Board has approved an opening for a full time Pastoral staff position and there is not a member of the staff qualified and desirous of moving to the available position, a Search Committee consisting of five (5) members shall be established and organized in the following manner: i. If the Senior Pastor position is not vacant, the Senior Pastor or his designee from the Elder Board and one (1) Elder shall be appointed by the Elder Board to serve on said committee as long as said committee continues to function without respect to the term(s) of the appointed Elder(s). If the Senior Pastor position is vacant, the Elder Board shall appoint two (2) Elders to serve on said committee. ii. The nominating committee shall prepare a ballot from which three (3) members shall be elected by the Church at a business meeting of the Church to serve on said committee. iii. The Senior Pastor, his designee, or another appointee from the Elder Board shall serve as chairman. iv. Said committee shall follow the procedure recommended by the Elder Board for presentation of the candidate. v. Said committee shall function until the new Pastoral staff member is installed. vi. Only one (1) candidate shall be presented to the Church for consideration until said candidate has been accepted or rejected. vii. Election and calling of the Pastoral staff member shall be decided by secret ballot at a business meeting of the Church; an affirmative two-thirds vote of those members present shall be required for acceptance. b. Whenever the Elder Board has approved an opening for a full time Pastoral staff position and the Elder Board has determined there is a member of the staff qualified and desirous of moving to the available position, the Elder Board shall submit a recommendation for the change of positions to the membership; an affirmative twothirds vote by secret ballot of those members present at a business meeting of the church shall be required for approval. 6

c. All other staff positions be hired by the Elder Board upon recommendation from the Senior Pastor. 6. Termination of Service a. A staff member shall submit a written resignation to the Senior Pastor at least one (1) month prior to the desired termination date. The aforementioned one (1) month minimum notification period may be waived by mutual agreement of the Senior Pastor and the staff member. In the event the Senior Pastor position is vacant, the Church Chairman shall fulfill the role of Senior Pastor as outlined in this paragraph. b. Dismissal of a staff member shall be initiated by the Senior Pastor in the following manner: i. If the issue is ongoing, unrepentant sin, then the Senior Pastor shall take such actions as prescribed in the Bylaws, Article I, Section G, Paragraph 1. (a) In the event of restoration or repentance, dismissal action against the staff member may terminate at the discretion of the Elder Board. (b) If the staff member should choose to continue in an unrepentant condition, the dismissal action shall continue as follows: (1) The Senior Pastor shall submit a recommendation for dismissal of the staff member to the Elder Board. (2) Dismissal shall require an affirmative vote by secret ballot of the majority of Elders present at a meeting of the Elder Board. (3) Upon affirmation of the dismissal action against the staff member, the Elder Board shall submit written notice of termination to the staff member. (4) The Elder Board shall determine the amount, if any, and disbursement method of severance pay. (5) All communication to the church body regarding the termination will be at the Elder Board s discretion and will be shared in such a way as to protect the integrity of both the terminated staff member and the Church. ii. If the issue is related to job performance, the Senior Pastor shall provide sufficient documentation to the Elder Board of the staff member s failure to fulfill responsibilities according his or her job description to warrant disciplinary action. (a) All possible avenues to correct the lack in performance will be explored at the expense of the church including, but not limited to instruction, mentoring, coaching and class work. The amount of time given to the staff member to make necessary changes in performance will be at the discretion of the Elder Board. (b) If the staff member continues to perform below expectations, adequate documentation has been submitted to the Elder Board, and multiple avenues of behavioral correction have been attempted, an affirmative vote by secret ballot of the majority of Elders present at a meeting of the Elder board is required to terminate the employment of said staff member. (c) The Elder Board shall determine the amount, if any, and disbursement method of severance pay as well as the date of termination. 7

(d) All communication to the church body regarding the termination of the staff member will be at the Elder Board s discretion and will be shared in such a way as to protect the integrity of both the terminated staff member and the Church. ARTICLE III: SERVICES, MEETINGS AND ELECTIONS SECTION A: Worship Services and Other Services for the Congregation 1. Worship services shall be conducted at such times as determined by the Church. All worship services and special services other than those regularly scheduled shall be approved by the Elder Board. 2. The Elder Board shall approve the cancellation of services except in the case of inclement weather. In consultation with the Church Chairman and/or Church Vice Chairman, the Senior Pastor shall determine when to cancel services because of inclement weather. SECTION B: Church Business Meetings: 1. The Church shall have a minimum of two business meetings each year: an Annual Meeting and a Semi-annual Meeting. a. The Annual Meeting of the Church shall be organized in the following manner: i. The Elder Board shall schedule the meeting to occur each year during the month prescribed in the Constitution. ii. Written reports to be included in the Annual Report are due in the Church office no later than three weeks prior to the date of the Annual Meeting. iii. The Annual Report shall be published two weeks prior to the Annual Meeting and distributed two Sundays prior to the Annual Meeting. iv. During the meeting the following business shall be conducted: (a) Written and oral reports shall be accepted and approved; (b) Elders and At-large Nominating Committee members shall be elected; (c) The annual budget shall be approved; and (d) Other business shall be transacted including but not limited to the following: (1) Voting to admit new members; and (2) Amending the Constitution and Bylaws. b. The Semi-annual Meeting of the Church shall be organized in the following manner: i. The Elder Board shall schedule the meeting to occur each year during the month prescribed in the Constitution. ii. Written reports to be included in the Semi-annual Report are due in the Church office no later than three weeks prior to the date of the Semi-annual Meeting. iii. The Semi-annual Report shall be published two weeks prior to the Semi-annual Meeting and distributed two Sundays prior to the Semi-annual Meeting. iv. During the meeting the following business shall be conducted: (a) Written and oral reports shall be accepted and approved; and (b) Other business shall be transacted including but not limited to the following: (1) Voting to admit new members; and 8

(2) Amending the Constitution and Bylaws. c. Special meetings of the Church shall be organized in the following manner: i. The Elder Board shall schedule special meetings of the church in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws as deemed appropriate. ii. Members shall be notified of special meetings as follows: (a) By announcement in conjunction with Sunday Services of the Church at least three days prior to the date of the meeting; (b) By written notice delivered to each active member at least three days prior to the date of the meeting; or (c) According to State Law where applicable. iii. The purpose and agenda of special meetings shall be included with the notice and/or announcement of said meeting. iv. The business of special meetings shall be limited to the published and/or announced agenda included with the notice and/or announcement of said meeting. 2. The protocol for the Annual, Semi-annual, and Special meetings shall be as follows: a. All Active Members shall be eligible to vote. b. Absentee Voting shall apply to the election of Elders and Nominating Committee members at the Annual Meeting only. An absentee ballot may be requested by an Active member who is unable to attend the Annual Meeting due to: i. Travel outside of the county; ii. Sickness; or iii. Disability. Said request shall be received at least 2 weeks prior to the Annual Meeting. A ballot listing the names of those nominated by the nominating committee shall be sent to the member requesting an absentee ballot approximately 2 weeks prior to the Annual Meeting. The ballot shall be returned to the Church office in time to be counted at the Annual Meeting. c. Twenty percent (20%) of the total active membership shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Once a quorum has been declared by the Secretary, business on the adopted agenda may be conducted until the meeting is adjourned. Any recess during a meeting shall be limited to ten (10) minutes. d. The Church Chairman shall conduct the meetings in the following order unless the majority of those members present vote to change it: i. Reading of God s Word and Prayer ii. Minutes of previous meeting(s) read and approved iii. Adopt an agenda for the meeting iv. Presentation and admission of prospective new members v. Reports from pastors and various officers vi. Reports from committees vii. Old, unfinished or tabled business 9 Formatted: Font color: Auto

viii. Election of Elders and Nominating Committee if appropriate. ix. New Business in the following order: (a) Business occasioned by reports from the pastors, officers and committees (b) Business proposed by members at the meeting x. Adjournment with prayer. e. All matters shall be decided by majority vote of the members present unless otherwise specified in the Constitution or Bylaws or approved at the meeting. All major or sensitive issues as determined by the members present shall be decided by secret ballot. f. The Annual Budget shall not be modified at the Annual Meeting but shall be either approved or rejected in its entirety. Approval requires a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the voting members present. If rejected, the Elder Board shall be required to present a revised budget at a subsequent Special Meeting to be convened by the Elder Board. g. Parliamentary procedure not specified herein shall be in accordance with Robert s Rules of Order (Revised). h. Accurate minutes of the proceedings of all meetings of the Church shall be recorded by the Secretary and shall be submitted to and maintained in the Church office as a permanent record of said meetings. SECTION C: Meetings of the Elder Board, Committees and Ministry Teams. 1. Agendas shall be provided by the respective chairman. 2. The protocol for regular and special meetings is as follows: a. The members of the board, committee or ministry team may vote. Voting on sensitive issues shall be by secret ballot. When persons other than members are present for any business, final discussions and voting shall be carried out with only voting members present unless waived by majority vote. b. A quorum shall consist of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the total voting membership at any regular or special meeting of the Elder Board, Committees and Ministry Teams. Issues shall be decided by a majority vote of those present unless otherwise approved at that meeting. c. Order of Business and Parliamentary Procedure shall apply to these meetings. d. Accurate minutes of all meetings shall be maintained by the elected or appointed secretary for the Elder Board, Committees or Ministry Teams. Copies of the minutes shall be sent to the Elder Board and the church office. A permanent record of all meetings shall be maintained in the Church office. 3. Decisions arising from the subject meetings shall be communicated to the Church either by written notice or by oral report at the next business meeting of the Church. SECTION D: Requirement for Church Elections: 1. Elections shall take place at the Annual Meeting unless otherwise required to fill a mid-term vacancy. 2. Qualifications and Eligibility for Elected Positions a. All nominees for elected positions shall meet the spiritual requirements for leadership as stated in Acts 6:3, Timothy 3, and Titus, and they shall be in full accord with the Church s Statement of Faith. 10

b. No Elder shall immediately succeed himself after having served two consecutive full terms in that position. He shall be eligible for another position. c. Eligibility for a full term of office shall not be affected by filling a partial term. d. Only Active Members who have been members of the Church for at least one year are eligible for elected positions. e. No person shall simultaneously hold two (2) elected positions. 3. Nominations and Elections Candidates for elected positions shall be nominated and elected in the following manner: a. The nominating committee shall present a suitable number of eligible candidates for each office. b. The church membership shall have the opportunity to suggest candidates to the nominating committee prior to presentation and publication of the ballot. c. The ballot shall be presented for approval to the Elder Board no later than the December meeting of the Elder Board. d. The ballot shall be distributed to all Active Members at least two (2) weeks prior to the Annual Meeting. e. Active members may vote for as many candidates as there are positions open on each ballot. f. The candidates receiving the most votes shall be elected. 4. Filling Vacancies a. Offices vacated with more than 6 months of the term remaining shall be filled by special election at either an Annual or Semi-annual meeting of the Church using a ballot prepared by the Nominating Committee. b. Offices vacated with less than 6 months remaining may be filled by Elder Board appointment as deemed appropriate by the Elder Board. ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH The election and duties of the Officers of the Church are set forth in the Constitution and Articles IV and V of the Bylaws. SECTION A: Church Chairman The Church Chairman shall be elected from within the Elder Board each year at their first regular meeting. He shall prepare the agenda for and serve as Chairman of the Elder Board. He shall provide for formal minutes to be taken at all Elder Board meetings. The Chairman may call meetings of any Committee or Ministry Team of the Church. The Chairman shall prepare an agenda for and preside at all business meetings of the Church. SECTION B: Vice-Chairman The Vice-Chairman shall be elected from within the Elder Board each year at their first regular meeting, shall assist the Church Chairman in all his duties, and shall perform the full duties of the Chairman in the event of the Chairman s absence. ARTICLE V: ELDER BOARD The Elder Board maintains oversight of the ministries of the Church as set forth herein. SECTION A: Composition and Organization 1. The Elder Board shall consist of the six (6) elected Elders and the Senior Pastor. a. An elected Elder s full term shall be for three years. 11

b. The terms of office of the elected Elders shall be arranged such that one-third (1/3) of the Elder Board positions shall expire each year. 2. The Officers of the Elder Board are elected by the Elders from within the Elder Board at their first meeting each year. 3. The Officers of the Elder Board shall be the Officers of the Church as designated in Article IV of the Bylaws. SECTION B: Responsibilities The Elder Board shall consistently model Christ-like behavior as they supervise and promote the spiritual welfare, worship, and overall ministry of the Church. Discharging said responsibility shall encompass but shall not be limited to the following: 1. Continuing to Learn and Grow 2. Teaching Biblical Truth 3. Exhorting the Church to Love and Good Works 4. Overseeing Ministry 5. Assessing the Effectiveness of Each Ministry 6. Maintaining Doctrinal Purity 7. Disciplining Unruly Believers 8. Overseeing Financial Matters such as: a. The preparation of the annual budget b. Compensation ranges and schedules for all paid positions within the church c. Personnel policies and benefit practices d. Government statutes affecting religious corporation e. The benevolence fund 9. Fulfilling the role of the Board of Trustees as indicated in Article IX of the Bylaws. 10. Praying for the Afflicted, Exhausted, or Ill SECTION C: Meeting Schedule The Elder Board shall meet regularly and post a schedule of meetings publicly. SECTION D: Accountability The Elder Board shall be accountable to the Church for all its actions. SECTION E: Termination of Service: 1. An Elder shall give written notice of his intent to resign to the Church Chairman at least three (3) months prior to his desired termination date. The aforementioned three (3) month minimum notification period may be waived by mutual agreement of the Elder Board and the resigning Elder. 2. Dismissal of an Elder shall be initiated only by the Elder Board in the following manner: a. The Elder Board shall take such actions as prescribed in the Bylaws, Article I, Section G, Paragraph 1. In the event of restoration, dismissal action against the Elder shall terminate. b. If the Elder should choose to continue in his unrepentant condition, the dismissal action against the Elder shall continue as follows: 12

i. The Elder Board shall submit a recommendation for dismissal of the Elder to the Church at an Annual, Semi-annual, or Special meeting of the Church. ii. Dismissal of the Elder and termination of his ministry at the Church shall require an affirmative vote by secret ballot of the majority of Members present at said meeting of the Church. iii. Upon affirmation of the dismissal action against the Elder, the Elder Board shall submit written notice of termination to the erring Elder. ARTICLE VI: COMMITTEES OF THE CHURCH SECTION A: Nominating Committee: The Nominating Committee shall consist of five (5) members: The Senior Pastor or his designee from the Elder Board, one (1) Elder who shall serve as Chairman of the Nominating Committee, and three (3) members elected from the Church during the Annual Meeting each year. Said committee shall carry out the responsibilities as outlined in Article III, Section D of the Bylaws. SECTION B: Special Committees: Special Committees shall be established as deemed necessary by the Elder Board. SECTION C: Ministry Teams: Ministry Teams shall be established as deemed necessary by the Elder Board and shall adhere to the guidelines set forth herein. 1. Composition and Organization a. Ministry Teams shall consist of the Team Chairman and as many team members as necessary to fulfill the proposed ministry. The Team Chairman and team members shall be appointed by the Elder Board for one year and may be re-appointed for five succeeding one year terms. Extended service beyond six years shall be by mutual agreement of the Elder Board and Ministry Team Chairman. All appointments shall be approved by the Elder Board upon the Recommendation of the Ministry Team Chairman. b. The Chairman shall provide an agenda for meetings of the Ministry Team. c. The Chairman shall ensure accurate minutes are taken at all Ministry Team meetings. 2. Responsibilities Ministry Teams shall oversee and coordinate the all aspects of the assigned area of ministry as directed by the Elder Board. 3. Meeting Schedule a. Ministry Teams shall meet as determined by the Team Chairman and members of the Team. b. Special meetings may be called by the Elder Board, the Chairman of the Ministry Team or two members of the Team. 4. Accountability: a. Ministry Teams shall be accountable to the Church through the Elder Board. b. Reports shall be given to the Elder Board for all regular meetings of the Ministry Team. ARTICLE VII: QUALIFICATIONS FOR SERVICE IN THE CHURCH SECTION A: Provision for Non-member Service Opportunities 13

Any person serving in ministry and representing the Church in an elected position, an appointed position, an invited position, or a hired for ministry position shall meet the following qualifications: 1. Has confessed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; 2. Conducts himself in accord with his confession; 3. Subscribes to the Confession of Faith found in Article III of the Constitution; and 4. Is willing to perform his duties in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Church. SECTION B: Construction Article VII, Section A shall not be construed to waive the requirement for Church membership as specified in the Bylaws for certain offices or positions in the Church. In addition, nominees for elected positions in the Church shall meet the requirements of Article III, Section D, Paragraph 2, Sub-paragraph a of the Bylaws. ARTICLE VIII: NEW ORGANIZATION WITHIN THE CHURCH SECTION A: Elder Board Approval The sponsors of new organizations shall submit plans for the new organization to the Elder Board and shall gain approval of said plans before said new organization shall be formed within, function under, or be considered part of the Church. SECTION B: Elder Board Oversight The sponsors of all organizations shall confer with the Elder Board from time to time regarding their plans and activities and all matters which may affect the Church shall be submitted to the Elder Board for approval prior to enacting said matters. SECTION C: Chairman shall be Member The Chairman or Supervisor of said organization shall be a member of the Church. SECTION D: Disposition of Funds All funds and properties received by and disbursed by organizations of the Church shall pass through the Church financial system. SECTION E: Fund Raising Methods of raising funds shall be subject to approval of the Elder Board. ARTICLE IX: CHURCH PROPERTY SECTION A: This Church shall have the power to receive, either by gift or purchase, and to hold such real, personal, or mixed property as is authorized by the laws of the State of Minnesota, and is deemed necessary for the business of the Church, and shall have the power to dispose of such property by mortgage, deed, or otherwise, All such property shall be held in the name of the Church. The Board of Trustees shall have the power to receive, purchase, acquire, sell, lease, convey, mortgage, deed, or otherwise transfer property of the Church, but only after having been duly authorized by the Church at a regular or special called business meeting. All contracts, notes, mortgages, conveyances, assignments, leases, releases and other documents and papers in behalf of the Church shall be executed by the Board of Trustees. SECTION B: In case of division of the Church (from which we pray God by His mercy to preserve us) the property of the Church shall belong to those who abide by this Constitution. SECTION C: In case of dissolution of the Church organization the Property shall be assigned to the North Central District Association of the Evangelical Free Church of America. The Church shall be considered dissolved if so decided by the organization, or when the Church has not held an annual meeting for three years, or when less than six members remain. 14

ARTICLE X: AUTHORITY AND AFFILIATION SECTION A: Authority: The Church, at its annual, semi-annual and special business meetings is the legislative and governing body of this organization. SECTION B: Affiliation: This Church shall be affiliated with the North Central District Association and its parent organization, the Evangelical Free Church of America and its branches, and shall send delegates to their conferences, support their Home and Foreign Missions, and unite in all mutual efforts for the furtherance of the Gospel of Christ in the measure that the Church itself may officially decide. ARTICLE XI: AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS SECTION A: These Bylaws except as stated in Section B of this Article may be changed and altered by the Church when deemed necessary. Such changes must be submitted to the members in writing and adopted at a regular business meeting by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the members present and voting. SECTION B: Articles IX, X and XI are irrevocable and unalterable. Their contents can never be changed. 15