BYLAWS OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 1100 Malone Denton, Texas

Bylaws: First Baptist Church Denton, Texas I A. VOTING PRIVILEGES BYLAWS OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 1100 Malone Denton, Texas 76201-2799 ARTICLE I BUSINESS PROCEDURES 1. Each member present is entitled to one vote on all matters that come before the church for action. There is no provision for voting absentee or by proxy. 2. All questions will be settled by a majority of those present and voting, except as otherwise authorized in the Bylaws. B. QUORUM 1. One percent of the resident membership will constitute a quorum at a business meeting except for certain decisions as noted in the following subsections. 2. Attendance of three percent of the resident membership is required for election of officers and church program leadership. 3. Attendance of ten percent of the resident membership is required for the call of a pastor or other executive staff member. A. CHURCH-WIDE MEETINGS ARTICLE II MEETINGS AND ORGANIZATIONS 1. Regular Meetings. For worship, preaching, instruction, and evangelism, regular meetings are scheduled for Sunday morning and evening and each Wednesday evening. These meetings are under the leadership of the pastor or another executive staff member. 2. Business Meetings. a. Business meetings of the church will be held on a quarterly basis. b. The church may conduct called business meetings to consider matters of a special nature or significance. A one-week notice must be given for the called business meeting unless extreme urgency renders such notice impractical. The notice will include the subject, the date, and the time and place; and it must be given in such a manner that all resident members have an opportunity to know about the meeting.

Bylaws: First Baptist Church Denton, Texas II B. CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS 1. Bible study for all ages will be conducted each Sunday morning and at other scheduled times under the direction of the Minister of Education, assisted by the Bible Study Director, and elected officer of the church. 2. Discipleship training for all ages will be conducted on Sunday, Wednesday, and other scheduled times, under the direction of the Minister of Education, assisted by the Discipleship Director, an elected officer of the church. For example, The Men s Ministry and Women s Ministry of the church are a part of this program. 3. The women, girls, and preschool-age boys of the church may be organized as a Woman s Missionary Union under the leadership of the WMU Director, an elected officer of the church. The staff liaison is the Minister of Education. 4. The school-age boys of the church may be organized in a Royal Ambassador program under the leadership of the R.A. Director, and elected officer of the church. The staff liaison is the Minister of Education. C. ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW MINISTRIES 1. Church members are always free to do whatever they believe God has led them to do in the way of ministry. In the context of the church program, they are encouraged to initiate discussion of new ministries they believe will meet needs that are not being met by existing ministries. If they feel the ministry should become a recognized part of the program of the church, certain guidelines need to be followed. 2. Guidelines. a. The proposed ministry must be approved by the church if it will involve any of the following: publicity through any of the standard church publications, including the Beacon; the use of church facilities for meetings and activities; or the involvement of church finances in any way. b. After determining that other members are interested in having such a ministry, the concept should be interactively developed and a written proposal prepared. Then the members should present the idea to the Executive Staff member who is responsible for the existing area of ministry of a similar type, e.g., education, music, missions, singles, and so forth. c. The staff member will help the group determine whether the proposed ministry might readily become an integral part of the existing ministry. If so, then it should be presented to the leaders of the existing ministry for discussion, approval by the church, and implementation. d. After discussion with the staff member, if there is agreement that the goals of the proposed ministry cannot be reached by integrating it with an existing ministry, the staff member will present the proposal to the Church Council for its review. The Church Council will review the proposal and recommend: 1) forwarding it to a church committee or council for consideration and action, leading toward approval by the church;

Bylaws: First Baptist Church Denton, Texas III 2) presenting it to the church for approval; or, 3) dropping consideration of the proposal as an approved program of the church. ARTICLE III SCRIPTURAL LEADERS A. PASTOR, OTHER EXECUTIVE STAFF, AND DEACONS 1. Pastor a. The pastor is responsible for leading the church to function as a New Testament church. The pastor will lead the congregation, program organizations, and church staff and employees to perform their tasks. In keeping with Article VI, RULES OF ORDER, in the Constitution, he will preside at meetings of the church and serve as moderator in all business meetings. b. The pastor will be responsible for the supervision of the church staff. He may delegate responsibilities as he deems appropriate for effective organization and expedient operation. c. The pastor is the leader of pastoral ministries in the church. As such, he works with the lay leadership and other executive staff to direct the church in the performance of its tasks to: 2. Executive Staff 1) engage in a fellowship of worship, witness, education, ministry, and proclamation; 2) proclaim the gospel locally, nationally and worldwide to believers and unbelievers; and 3) minister to the church s members and other persons in the community. a. Other executive staff members will be called and employed by the church as the church approves the need for such positions. (See Article III, B.2., for the employment procedures executive staff positions.) b. A personal call of God to minister must be evident in those whom a search committee recommends. 3. Deacons a. Role The twofold role of the deacons is to minister to the church body and to assist the pastor and church staff in meeting the ongoing needs of the church.

Bylaws: First Baptist Church Denton, Texas IV b. Selection Nominees for deacon are to meet the qualifications specified in Article III, B.1, of this church s Constitution and other qualifications established by the deacons. Those being nominated as deacons will be announced in the publication sent to church members at least one week prior to the church business meeting when the deacons recommendations will be made. At the meeting, the church will vote on which of those who are not already ordained will become candidates for ordination and which of those who have been ordained previously will become active deacons. The church is not obligated to recognize as an active deacon one who has been a deacon in another church. However, if elected to serve as a deacon, his ordination by another Baptist church will be recognized. Service as a deacon is generally for a lifetime, terminated only by death, transfer of membership, removal, or physical incapacity to serve. In the later case, the status of Deacon Emeritus may be granted by the church. (See III, A.4.) c. Selection of Officers The deacons will elect the following officers: chairman, vice-chairman, and secretary. Their term of office will be one year. Vacancies in any of these offices are to be filled by a majority vote of the members present and voting at a deacons meeting following the occurrence of the vacancy. The deacons will decide on the method and timing for election of new officers. d. Ministry Tasks The deacons will work with the pastor and executive staff members in accomplishing ministry tasks including, but not limited to, the following primary areas: 1) Hospital Visitation: Deacons are assigned to visit hospitalized church members. This should be done on at least a weekly basis. 2) Bereavement Visitation: In concert with the church staff, deacons are assigned to minister to the bereaved of the congregation. During the assigned period, the deacon(s) on call for this task should be available at all times to visit in the homes of church families where a death has occurred. 3) Family Ministry: Ministry by individual deacons to older church members and others with continuing needs will be by assignment. Ministries may include (but are not limited to) special remembrances (birthdays, holidays, etc.); encouragement and visitation (particularly during illnesses and/or bereavement); as well as any needed spiritual enrichment where church attendance is no longer possible.

Bylaws: First Baptist Church Denton, Texas V 4) Pulpit Prayer: Deacons are assigned to lead the offertory prayer in worship services as needed. The assigned deacon should also be available to assist the pastor as needed during the worship service. 5) Church Prospect Visitation: Deacons are assigned to contact and visit, if possible, those who are considered to be prospects for church membership, particularly those who have visited a church worship service. 6) The Lord s Supper: Deacons are assigned to prepare and to serve the Lord s Supper. Other ministries may be undertaken by the deacons as needs are recognized. e. The deacon chairman will be responsible for leading and organizing the deacons to fulfill their role as stated in A.3.a. above. Following election, the incoming chairman will promptly appoint chairmen and members for the appropriate ministry teams, the standing Membership Committee, and other organizational committees that he deems necessary. Their terms of office will be one year (normally beginning in January), but they may be reappointed to more than one term. Vacancies in any of these positions may be filled by appointment at any time by the deacon chairman. 4. Deacon Emeritus Any deacon who has faithfully served as a deacon for many years may, because of age or infirmity, be recommended to the church by the deacons for recognition as Deacon Emeritus. This position may be held for the lifetime of the deacon with all rights and privileges that would be accorded active deacons. 5. The Ordination of Candidates for the Ministry and Deacons a. When a member or former member of the church gives evidence of a call of God to the ministry, and that person has been asked to assume a definite role of ministry requiring ordination or making ordination advisable, and that person requests ordination from the church, the Pastor will confer with the deacons to determine if a recommendation should be made to the church concerning this request. If such a recommendation is to be made, it will be announced in the publication sent to church members at least one week prior to the church business meeting when the recommendation will be made. At the meeting the church will vote on whether to designate the person as a candidate for ordination. b. The Ordination Procedure for Ministers and Deacons 1) At the ordination service, those being ordained will share with the congregation their testimony concerning the work of God in their lives, both in bringing them into a personal relationship with Him and in leading them to the decision to be available for ordination. 2) The church will then vote on whether or not to proceed with the ordination.

Bylaws: First Baptist Church Denton, Texas VI B. SEARCH COMMITTEES AND THE SEARCH PROCESS 1. Pastor a. When the pastorate becomes vacant, a Pastor Search Committee of eight members and two alternates will be elected by the church. Formation of the committee will be as follows; the Committee on Committees and the Personnel Committee will prepare a list of 30 nominees for the search committee. The nominees will be representative of the church membership as to age, gender, and areas of participation in the church s activities. In addition, the nominations should not include persons currently serving or who have served on a pastor or executive staff search committee within the past two years. The persons under consideration will be contacted and must agree to serve if elected. b. The congregation will be provided a list of the nominees by means of the regular church publications at least one week in advance of the regular or special business meeting when the election will be held. At the meeting, the congregation may nominate additional persons who have consented to be nominated. Ballots will be provided and members will mark their ballots for a maximum of ten of the nominees. c. The ballot sheets will then be collected and tabulated. Personnel Committee members will be responsible for tallying the votes, but they may recruit members to assist. The search committee personnel will be determined by listing them in descending order on the basis of the number of votes for each of the nominees. The Search Committee must include at least two men and at least two women. If either gender has less than two in the top eight, then the top two of that gender will be placed on the committee along with the top six of the other gender. After the eight have been identified, the man and woman with the next highest number of votes will become alternates to fill a vacancy created by the loss of a man or woman, respectively, from the committee, should such a vacancy occur during the period prior to the narrowing of the search to only a few candidates. d. The Personnel Committee chairman will contact the newly elected search committee members to arrange an organizational meeting. From time to time during the search period the Pastor Search Committee chairman will be expected to report progress to the church. e. After the committee has narrowed its search to one candidate, the Chairman of the Deacons and the Finance and the Personnel Committee chairmen will participate in the search committee s final conference(s) with the candidate and in the deliberations to develop a salary and benefits proposal. f. The Pastor Search Committee will recommend only one candidate at a time to the church for consideration. g. The vote to extend a call will take place at a meeting called for that purpose. At least one week s notice must be given of the meeting through public announcements at prior services and in the standard church publications.

Bylaws: First Baptist Church Denton, Texas VII h. Elections will be by ballot. Provided the number present meets the quorum requirements as stated in Article I, B., an affirmative vote of the majority of those voting will result in the issuing of a call. The candidate will be given the information about the number of votes for and against the issuing of the call. i. While the pastorate is vacant, the Personnel Committee will be responsible for enlisting speakers to supply the pulpit and recommending to the church the calling of an interim pastor. 2. Other Executive Staff a. When a vacancy occurs or when the church, under God s leadership, perceives a need for an additional position, a search for an executive staff member will begin. For a new position, a study of the proposed position will be made by the Personnel Committee. A job description adopted by the committee will be placed in the standard church publications at least one week prior to the meeting at which it will be voted on by the church. b. The size of the search committee for any executive staff member and the selection of nominees to serve on the committee will be made by the Personnel Committee. 1) When a search committee is to be selected, a notice will be placed in the publication sent to church members requesting names of individuals to serve on the search committee. At least one week later, the names of the individuals to be nominated by the Personnel Committee will be printed in the publication sent to church members each week. After at least one more week, the nominees will be voted on by the church in a regular business meeting or one called for that purpose. Additional nominations may be made from the floor, but all nominees must have been contacted and have agreed to serve if elected. 2) The search committee designation will be Minister of depending on the position being filled. 3) The Personnel Committee chairman will contact the newly-elected search committee members to arrange an organizational meeting. From time to time during the search period the Search Committee chairman will be expected to report progress to the church. c. Composition of the search committee. 1) In the committee nomination process, the nominations should not ignore general church representation but should draw heavily from the ministerial area. For example, the committee searching for a Minister of Youth would have a strong youth and/or youth worker representation. 2) The Pastor will serve as an ex-officio member of any Executive Staff Search Committee.

Bylaws: First Baptist Church Denton, Texas VIII 3) Nominees should not include persons currently serving or who have served on a pastor or executive staff search committee within the past two years. d. Once the committee has narrowed its search to one candidate, the recommendation process will be the same as that for a pastor. (See B.1.e through h) C. VACANCIES IN POSITIONS 1. The Pastor. a. The pastor may resign at any time by giving at least two weeks notice to the church. b. The position of pastor may be declared vacant by the church. This action may only take place at a meeting called for that purpose. Such meeting may be held only after public notice has been given at regular services and in the church publication that is mailed to the members at least one week prior to the meeting time. The notice must include as a minimum the time, place, and the purpose of the meeting. 1) The meeting may be called upon the recommendation of a majority of the Personnel Committee and the deacons, or by written petition signed by not less than one-fourth of the resident church members. The moderator for such a meeting is to be selected by a majority vote of those members present, and will be someone other than the pastor. The vote to declare the office vacant will be by ballot; an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members present is necessary to declare the office vacant. The termination will become effective immediately. 2) Compensation Except in the instance of gross misconduct by the pastor so removed from office, the church will compensate the pastor with not less than one-twelfth of his total annual compensation. The compensation will be rendered within 30 days. 2. Executive Staff a. A vacancy in an executive staff position may occur in the same way as for the pastor: by resignation, with at least two weeks notice, or by being declared vacant by the church. In declaring a vacancy, the precise procedures detailed for declaring the pastorate vacant are to be followed, except the pastor may serve as moderator for the meeting. The procedures are detailed in Article III, C.1.b. b. Compensation for an executive staff member whose position has been declared vacant will be decided on the same basis as that stated for the pastor in Article III, C.1.b. (2).

Bylaws: First Baptist Church Denton, Texas IX A. ELECTIONS ARTICLE IV CHURCH TRUSTEES, OFFICERS AND PROGRAM LEADERS 1. Except for the moderator, all church trustees, officers and program leaders will be elected by the church for one year terms and are eligible for reelection. All nominees must be resident members of the church. In addition to names submitted by the Nominating Committee, other nominations may be made from the floor. A majority vote will elect. 2. Church program leaders should be presented by the Nominating Committee for election before assuming their responsibilities. 3. Nominees for church officers and for leaders in Bible Study and Discipleship programs should be presented by the Nominating Committee for election prior to the beginning of the new church year. B. TRUSTEES 1. At least four trustees will be elected by the church to serve as legal officers. They will hold in trust the real property of the church. After authorization of the church for major transactions, they will have the power to buy, sell, mortgage, lease, or transfer real property. 2. When the signatures of the trustees are required, they are to sign legal documents involving the sale, mortgage, purchase, or rental of property, or other legal documents related to churchapproved matters. The signatures of three trustees will be required on any document. 3. Nominations of trustees will be made by the Nominating Committee. C. CHURCH OFFICERS 1. Moderator The Moderator for church business meetings will be the Pastor. In the absence of the Pastor, the Chairman of the Deacons will serve as Moderator. In the absence of both the Pastor and the Deacon Chairman, the Church Clerk will call the meeting to order and a Moderator Pro Tem will be elected. 2. Clerk The Church Clerk will take minutes of all church business meetings and submit them to a member of the church office staff for typing into a permanent record for safekeeping. 3. Treasurer The Treasurer will assist the Minister of Administration in the financial matters of the church, serve as an ex-officio member of the Finance Committee, and sign checks as needed. D. CHURCH PROGRAM LEADERS 1. Bible Study Director The Bible Study Director will assist the Minister of Education in overseeing the Bible study programs of the church. 2. Discipleship Director The Discipleship Director will assist the Minister of Education in overseeing the Discipleship Training Program and other discipleship programs (e.g., Men s and Women s Ministries), as needed.

Bylaws: First Baptist Church Denton, Texas X 3. Woman s Missionary Union Director The Woman s Missionary Union Director, with assistance from the Minister of Education and the WMU Leadership Team, will oversee the WMU organization. ARTICLE V CHURCH COMMITTEES AND COUNCILS A. TYPES OF COMMITTEES AND COUNCILS 1. Standing Committees a. Standing committees are permanent committees of the church, although members serve on a rotating basis. All members are elected annually, but they may serve a total of three years. (See section D, ELECTIONS AND TERMS OF SERVICE.) b. A member may serve on only one standing committee at a time. After three years of serve on a standing committee, one year must elapse before the member can be nominated to any standing committee. c. When new standing committees are formed, they will be composed of either six or nine members. One-third of the members will be designated to serve only one term, one-third will be eligible to serve two terms, and one-third eligible to serve three terms. 2. Service Committees These committees are permanent committees of the church, with members elected by the church, but members do not serve on a rotating basis. Such committees usually relate to a particular service performed by the church, as providing for weddings, recreation programs, and so forth. Nominees for service on these committees may be selected by the committee, or the committee may request assistance from the Committee on Committees. The nominees are to be reported to the chairman of the Committee on Committees for submission to the church for election. 3. Special Committees Special committees may be approved by the church to perform a specific task, e.g., to plan a special celebration or to revise the Bylaws. Members serve for the life of the committee. 4. Councils Councils may be formed, as needed, to represent specific areas of work of the church, e.g., Missions and Music. Most of the members serve because of their leadership role in one of the areas related to the function of the council, but members-at-large may also be approved, as desired. B. FUNCTION OF COMMITTEES/COUNCILS 1. The necessary committees/councils and their duties for the work of the church will be approved by the church. A listing of their members will be printed when new committees are elected. Committees and councils will be added and deleted by vote of the church upon recommendation by the Committee on Committees. 2. At least one Executive Staff member will be assigned as a liaison to each committee and council.

Bylaws: First Baptist Church Denton, Texas XI In making these assignments, attention should be paid to the staff members work load as well as their relationship to the specific committee or council responsibilities. C. CHURCH COUNCIL 1. The Church Council will serve the church by: a. leading in planning and coordinating church-wide programs and emphases; b. serving as an advisory board to the Executive Staff on major church issues; c. recommending to the church suggested objectives and church goals; d. reviewing and coordinating ministry and program plans recommended by church officers, organizations, and committees; e. recommending to the church the use of leadership, calendar time, and other resources according to program priorities; and f. evaluating achievements in terms of church objectives and goals. 2. The regular members of the Church Council will be the Pastor, Senior Associate Pastor, Minister of Business Administration, Minister of Music, Chairman of the Deacons, Chairman of the Personnel Committee, Chairman of the Finance Committee, WMU Director, Chairmen of each of the Councils of the Church, and a lay member-at-large. 3. The lay member-at-large will be nominated by the Committee on Committees and will be elected to serve a two-year term. 4. The Church Council will meet at least quarterly with other meetings being called as needed. All matters agreed upon by the council that require congregational approval will be presented to the church for action via an appropriate church committee, or directly when no appropriate committee exists. D. ELECTIONS AND TERMS OF SERVICE 1. The Committee on Committees will present a slate of nominees for all standing and service committee personnel and council members-at-large at a business meeting in the fall of the year for the next calendar year. Nominations may also be made from the floor, and the majority of votes cast will be required for election. All committee and council members will be resident members of First Baptist Church. 2. Each church committee will have a designated number of members. (See A.TYPES OF COMMITTEES AND COUNCILS). 3. When unusual circumstances indicate the need for a member to remain on a committee after three years, the Committee on Committees may approve a request for an exception. The request from the member s committee must include the reason for the request. No extension may be for more than one year. E. TRAINING The Committee on Committees will conduct an all-committee workshop during January. All committees will meet during this time to select a chairman, vice-chairman, and a secretary for the year, acquaint new members with the objective, operation, and organization of the committee; and establish

Bylaws: First Baptist Church Denton, Texas XII the time, place, and frequency of their meetings. F. VACANCIES The Committee on Committees will nominate individuals for vacancies that occur during the year. Nominations may be made from the floor. A. MEMBERSHIP ARTICLE VI CHURCH MEMBERSHIP 1. Membership of this church will consist only of those persons who have made a public profession of their faith in Christ as Savior and Lord and have subsequently been baptized by immersion according to the beliefs and practices of this church. The membership reserves the exclusive right to determine who will be members of this church and the conditions of such membership. 2. Resident members are those who live close enough to the church to attend on a regular basis. Nonresident members are those who have moved away from the area of the church and have not moved their church membership to another Baptist church, or whose current address is unknown. B. PRESENTATION AND ACCEPTANCE FOR MEMBERSHIP 1. Persons may present themselves as candidates for membership in this church at any regular church service in any of the following ways: a. by profession of faith in Christ as Savior and Lord and by requesting baptism as administered by this church; b. by transfer of membership from another Baptist church that is in agreement with this church on the meaning and method of baptism; c. by statement of a previous conversion experience and baptism by immersion in a church in which the meaning and method of baptism agrees with the beliefs of this church; d. by request made publicly to the congregation for restoration following evidence of the correction of the reason(s) for prior removal from the membership (see Article VI, F.2. and 3.); or e. in absentia, when the persons desiring membership cannot, for valid reasons, present themselves for membership. They may be presented by a member of the family or a close friend. 2. Persons presenting themselves for membership will be interviewed by the Pastor, deacons or their designees, and will be asked to share the testimony of their conversion experience. The Pastor, deacons or their designees will determine that the prospective members baptism is in accordance with the provisions in Section A above. Candidates meeting requirements for

Bylaws: First Baptist Church Denton, Texas XIII membership will then be presented to the church for acceptance at any regular church service. New members will be expected to participate in an orientation for new members. 3. Any questions about acceptance of a candidate for membership should be discussed with the Pastor or his designee before the candidate is presented for membership. The reasons set forth will then be investigated for validity by the Pastor or his designee and the deacons. Depending upon the outcome of the investigation, the matter will be presented to the church within 30 days. A vote of at least three-fourths of those church members present and voting will be required to accept such a candidate for membership. C. RESPONSIBILITIES AND PRIVILEGES OF MEMBERSHIP 1. Primary responsibilities of members are to: a. be faithful in the Christian life; b. attend services of the church regularly, inasmuch as possible; c. represent the church in any official capacity, such as messenger to a convention. 2. Church membership is not required: (a) to participate in any activity of the church or any of its organizations, (b) to host an organizational meeting, or (c) to hold an office in an organization whose officers are not elected by the church, such as a Bible Study class. D. WATCH CARE Individuals who, for valid reasons, do not wish to become members of this church, but desire to be under the spiritual care and nurture of this body of believers may, after consultation with the Pastor and a deacon assigned this responsibility, present themselves requesting watch care association with the church. E. TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP Membership will be terminated in the following ways: 1. by transfer of membership to another Baptist church; 2. by death of the member; 3. by exclusion as a result of specific action of this church; 4. by erasure, upon request, or by proof of membership in another church or denomination; or 5. by erasure, if there is evidence of regular attendance in another church for at least a year. Persons with regular attendance at another church will not be terminated without their permission. F. DISCIPLINE 1. In matters of church discipline, the basic plan of action of this church will be to emphasize to its members that every reasonable measure will be taken to assist any troubled member. The Pastor, other Executive Staff members, and deacons will be available for counsel and guidance. Redemptive rather than punitive action will be the motivating factor governing the relationships between members. 2. Should some serious circumstances arise which would cause a member to become a liability to

Bylaws: First Baptist Church Denton, Texas XIV the general welfare of the church, every reasonable measure will be taken by the Pastor, other Executive Staff, and the deacons to resolve the problem, in keeping with biblical principles. All such proceedings will be pervaded by a spirit of Christian kindness forbearance. However, if the Pastor, Executive Staff and deacons come to an agreement that the welfare of the church and/or the member would best be served by the exclusion of the member, the church may agree to exclude the member by a vote of at least three-fourths of the members present and voting at a regular or special meeting of the church called for this purpose; and the church may proceed to declare the person no longer to be a member. 3. Persons whose membership has been terminated for any condition which made it necessary for the church to exclude them may, upon their request, be restored to the membership by a vote of the church upon evidence of their repentance and reformation. (See Article VI, B.1.d.) G. IMPLEMENTATION The deacons and the Pastor will be responsible for the implementation and interpretation of the provisions of the Constitution and Bylaws sections on membership. Since not every situation can be anticipated, the church membership will expect the Pastor and deacons to carry out the membership provisions consistently and according to their intended purposes. A. BAPTISM ARTICLE VII ORDINANCES Baptism shall be administered by the church as specified in the Constitution, Article IV. B. THE LORD S SUPPER The Lord s Supper shall be organized and served by the deacon body under the direction of the pastor. It shall be observed in a regular worship service at least quarterly. ARTICLE VIII COOPERATION Unless providentially hindered, the Church shall send messengers to the meetings of the Denton Baptist Association, the Baptist General Convention of Texas, and the Southern Baptist Convention. A. OFFERINGS ARTICLE IX FINANCIAL POLICY Opportunity shall be given in suitable ways for the members and congregation to give tithes and offerings to the Church. B. CONTRACTS

Bylaws: First Baptist Church Denton, Texas XV All contractual agreements will be approved by the Minister of Business Administration. In the absence of the Minister of Business Administration the chairman of the finance committee may approve contracts. C. FISCAL YEAR The calendar year shall serve as the fiscal year for the church. ARTICLE X AMENDMENTS Changes in the 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 amendment shall have been furnished to each member present at the earlier meeting. Amendments to the Bylaws shall have the concurrence of a majority of the members present and voting. FIRST AMMENDMENT ADOPTED 6/14/2015 Marriage is a Biblical institution established by God as described in Scripture. We believe Biblical marriage can only occur between one man and one woman. This church recognizes that marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment. Accordingly, this church s pastors and staff will not officiate in any type of marriage or union that does not meet this Biblical definition, nor will its property or resources be used for such purposes.