Cedar Crest Southern Baptist Church

constitution

Preamble

We declare and establish this constitution to preserve and secure the principles of our faith and to govern the body in an orderly manner.  This constitution will preserve the liberties of each individual church member and the freedom of action of this body in relation to other churches.

  • NAME

This body shall be known as the Cedar Crest Southern Baptist Church of West Monroe located in West Monroe, Louisiana.

 

  • OBJECTIVES

To be a dynamic spiritual organism empowered by the Holy Spirit to share Christ with as many people as possible in our church, community, and throughout the world.

To be a worshiping fellowship, experiencing an awareness of God, recognizing his person, and responding in obedience to his leadership.

To experience an increasingly meaningful fellowship with God and fellow believers.

To help people experience a growing knowledge of God and man.

To be a church which ministers unselfishly to persons in the community and the world in Jesus’ name.

To be a church whose purpose is to be Christ-like in our daily living by emphasizing total commitment of life, personality, and possessions to the lordship of Christ.

 

  • STATEMENT OF BASIC BELIEFS

We affirm the Holy Bible as the inspired Word of God and the basis for our beliefs.  This church subscribes to the doctrinal statement of The Baptist Faith and Message as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1963.  We voluntarily band ourselves together as a body of baptized believers in Jesus Christ personally committed to sharing the good news of salvation to lost mankind.  The ordinances of the church are believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper.  

 

  • CHURCH COVENANT

Having been led as we believe by the Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now in the presence of God and this assembly most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body of Christ.

We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, doctrines, and discipline; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.

We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagement, and exemplary in our behavior; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage; to use our influence to combat the abuse of drugs and the spread of pornography; and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.

We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.

We moreover engage that when we remove from this place we will as soon as possible unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word.

 

  • POLITY AND RELATIONSHIPS

The government of this church is vested in the body of believers who compose it.  Persons duly received by the members shall constitute the membership.  (See Article I of the Bylaws.)

All lateral groups created and empowered by the church shall report to and be accountable only to the church unless otherwise specified by church action.

This church is subject to the control of no other ecclesiastical body, but it recognizes and sustains the obligations of mutual counsel and cooperation which are common among Baptist churches.  Insofar as is practical, this church will cooperate with and support the Northeast Louisiana Baptist Association, the Louisiana Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention.

 

  • STATEMENT ON MARRIAGE, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY

We, the membership of Cedar Crest Southern Baptist Church, believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female.  These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Gen 1:26-27) Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.

We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. (Gen 2:18-25) We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (1 Cor 6:18, 7:2-5; Heb 13:4) We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.

We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. (Matt 15:18-20; 1 Cor 6:9-10)

We believe in order to preserve the function and integrity of Cedar Crest Southern Baptist Church as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to Cedar Crest’s members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by Cedar Crest Southern Baptist Church in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, agree to and abide by the Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality. (Matt 5:16; Phil 2:14-16; 1 Thess 5:22)

We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Acts 3:19-21; Rom 10:9-10; 1 Cor 6:9-11)

We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect and dignity. (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31) Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of Cedar Crest Southern Baptist Church.

bylaws

Church Membership

Section 1. General

This is a sovereign and democratic Baptist church under the lordship of Jesus Christ.  The membership retains unto itself the exclusive right of self-government in all phases of the spiritual and temporal 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.

Section 2. Candidacy

Any person may offer himself as a candidate for membership in this church.  All such candidates shall be presented for membership to the church at any worship service or any of the following ways.

  • By profession of faith and for baptism according to policies of this church; or,
  • By a statement of prior conversion experience and immersion consistent with the faith and practice of this church; or
  • By a promise of a letter of recommendation from another Southern Baptist church.

Should there be a dissent as to any candidate, such dissent shall be referred to an investigating committee and the making of a recommendation to the church within thirty (30) days.  A three-fourths vote of those church members present and voting shall be required to elect such candidates to membership.

Section 3. New Member Orientation

New members of this church are required to participate in the church’s new member orientation which includes a 2-week introduction to the history, vision, ministries and places of service at Cedar Crest and a personal interview of the new member(s) with the senior pastor.

Section 4. Rights of Members

  • Every member of the church is entitled to vote at all elections and on all questions submitted to the church in conference, provided the member is present or provisions had been made for absentee balloting.
  • Every member of the church is eligible for consideration by the membership as candidates for elective offices of the church.
  • Every member of the church may participate in the ordinances of the church as administered by the church.

Section 5. Termination of Membership

Membership shall be terminated in the following ways:

  • Death of the member;
  • Dismission to another Baptist church;
  • Exclusion by action of the church; or
  • Erasure upon the request or proof of membership in a church of another denomination.

Section 6. Discipline

It shall be the practice of this church to emphasize to its members that every reasonable measure will be taken to assist any troubled member.  The pastor, other members of the church staff, and deacons are available for counsel and guidance.  The attitude of members toward one another shall be guided by a concern for redemption and restoration rather than punishment.

Should some serious condition exist, which would cause a member to become a liability to the general welfare of the church, the pastor and the deacons will take every reasonable measure to resolve the problem in accordance with Matthew 18.  If it becomes necessary for the church to take action to exclude a member, notice of the motion to exclude shall be given to such member and the general membership two weeks before voting on such action; a two-thirds vote of the members present is required; and the church may proceed to declare the person to be no longer in the membership of the church.  All such proceedings shall be pervaded by a spirit of Christian kindness and forbearance.

Church Officers and Committees

All who serve as officers of the church and those who serve on church committees shall be members of this church and meet the leadership requirements as adopted by Cedar Crest Baptist Church

Section 1. Church Officers

The officers of this church shall be the senior pastor, associate pastors, deacons, a moderator, a clerk, a treasurer, and trustees.

(1) The senior pastor is responsible for leading the church to function as a New Testament church.  The pastor will lead the congregation, the organizations, and the church staff to perform their tasks.

The senior pastor is leader of pastoral ministries in the church.  As such, he works with the associate pastors, the deacons and church staff to: (1) lead the church in the achievement of its mission; (2) proclaim the gospel to believers and unbelievers, and (3) care for the church’s members and other persons in the community.

A pastor shall be chosen and called by the church whenever a vacancy occurs.  The election shall take place at a meeting called for that purpose, of which at least one week’s public notice has been given.

A Pastor Search Committee composed of not less than five (5) members of the church and two (2) alternates shall be elected by the church to seek out a suitable pastor, and its recommendation will constitute a nomination.  The Pastor Search Committee shall be automatically discharged upon the acceptance of a tendered call by a pastor or upon the resignation of a majority of the search committee.  The committee shall bring to the consideration of the church only one name at a time.  Any church member has the privilege of making other nominations according to the policy established by the church.  Election shall be by secret ballot, an affirmative vote of three-fourths of the voting members present being necessary for a choice.

The senior pastor, thus elected, shall serve until the relationship is terminated by his request or the church’s request.  The senior pastor shall preside at meetings of this church, and unless otherwise designated by the church, shall serve as moderator in all business meetings in keeping with the rules of order authorized by these bylaws.

The pastor may relinquish the office as pastor by giving at least two weeks’ notice to the church at the time of resignation.  The church may declare the office of pastor to be vacant.  Such action shall take place at a meeting called for that purpose, of which at least two week’s public notice has been given.  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 shall preside at this meeting; but if the pastor has been designated as moderator, he shall stand aside and the church shall elect, by majority vote, a moderator other than the pastor to preside over the proceedings.  The vote to declare the office vacant shall be by secret ballot; the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members present being necessary to declare the office vacant.  Except in instances of gross misconduct by the pastor so excluded from office, the church will compensate the pastor with not less than one-sixth of his total annual compensation.  The termination shall be immediate, and the compensation shall be rendered in not more than thirty days.

(2) Other ministerial staff shall be called and employed as the church determines the need for such offices.  A job description shall be written by the Personnel Committee when the need for a staff member is determined.  Those staff members of whom the church requires evidence of a personal call of God to minister shall be recommended to the church by one of the two following procedures: 1) a search committee, elected to confirm such call, composed and elected in the same manner as the Pastor Search Committee and called by church action to consider outside candidates, or; 2) should a qualified individual already be a member in good standing of Cedar Crest, upon recommendation of the Senior Pastor and confirmed by the approval of the current deacon body, the membership of the Church could vote to suspend the Search Committee requirement and have the Personnel Team serve in that capacity.  The Personnel Team would interview the member and assess qualifications and suitability for the staff position that is vacant. The Personnel Team would bring the recommendation before the church in a duly called business meeting.  Election would require a three fourths’ votes of approval just as with any other pastor called by the church.  At the time of resignation at least two weeks’ notice shall be given to the church.  The church may vote to vacate such positions upon recommendation of the Personnel Committee, such termination being immediate and the compensation conditions being the same as for the pastor, except that the amount should relate to the individual’s compensation.

Non-ministerial staff members shall be employed as the church determines the need for their services.  The church Personnel Committee shall have the authority to employ and terminate services of non-ministerial staff members. Such employment and termination of services shall be with the recommendation of the supervising staff member and, as appropriate, with the consultation of related committees of the church.

(3) In accordance with the meaning of the word and the practice of the New Testament, deacons are to be servants of the church.  Their task is to serve with the pastor and pastoral staff in performing the pastoral ministry tasks of (1) leading the church in the achievement of its mission, (2) proclaiming the gospel to believers and unbelievers, and (3) caring for the church’s members and other persons in the community.

The active deacons shall function as a ministering body, not as a business oversight committee.  They may make recommendations to appropriate committees or to the church from time to time.  The qualifications of a deacon are set forth in 1 Timothy 3:8-13 and Acts 6:1-5.

Deacon elections shall be held by the church as needed.  The manner of deacon election shall be as follows:  The pastoral staff shall make recommendations to the deacon body of men at least 21 years of age who have exhibited qualifications according to biblical guidelines as stated above and who have expressed a willingness to serve in this capacity. Those men willing to serve shall be required to complete a one-year leadership development training program administered by the pastoral staff and then serve alongside the deacon body for a period of not less than 6 months. During the six-month period, the candidates will be allowed to serve in all capacities as ordained deacons but will not be eligible to vote on any official deacon business matters.  At the conclusion of the 18-month training period, if the candidate has fulfilled the obligations of deacon service and continues to sense a call to this ministry, the deacon body will make a formal recommendation to the church body to vote to confirm the candidate as a deacon of Cedar Crest Southern Baptist Church.  An ordination service for all confirmed candidates will be held at the convenience of both the candidate and the church.

Cedar Crest Southern Baptist Church recognizes no obligation to install as a deacon of this church one who has been a deacon in another church, but should one be chosen by this church to serve as a deacon, his previous ordination by another church of like faith and order shall suffice.

(4) The church shall elect annually a moderator as its presiding officer.  In the absence of the moderator, the chairman of deacons shall preside; or in the absence of both, the clerk shall call the church to order and preside for the election of an acting moderator.

(5) The church shall elect annually a clerk as its clerical officer.  The clerk shall be responsible for keeping a suitable record of all official actions of the church, except as otherwise herein provided.  The clerk shall be responsible for keeping a register of names of members, with dates of admission, dismissal, death, or erasure, together with a record of baptisms.  The clerk shall issue letters of dismissal, preserve on file all communications and written official reports, and give required notice of all meetings where notice is necessary, as indicated by the bylaws.  The clerk shall be responsible for preparing the annual letter of the church to the association. The church may elect assistant clerks to assist the discharge of these duties.  The church may delegate some of the clerical responsibilities to a church secretary who will assist the elected clerk.  All church records are church property and shall be kept in the church office when an office is maintained.

(6) The church shall elect annually a church treasurer as its financial officer.  It shall be the responsibility of the treasurer to work with the Finance Committee and the financial secretary to oversee financial matters related to the operation of the church and all its programs.  The treasurer will review reports each month showing both receipts and disbursements from the preceding month. Once approved, this report will be available for the church body to review on a quarterly basis or more frequently if requested by a church member.  Annually, the treasurer will report to the church body a comprehensive report of tithes and offerings as well as expenditures.  The treasurer will also introduce to the church body the upcoming year’s budget as approved by the Finance Committee.  The church may elect assistant treasurers to assist in the discharge of those duties.

Upon rendering the annual account at the end of each fiscal year and its acceptance and approval by the church, the records shall be delivered by the treasurer to the church clerk, who shall keep and preserve the account as part of the permanent records of the church.

(7) The church shall annually elect five or more trustees to serve as legal officers for the church.  The duties and powers of the Trustees are those set out in Articles of Incorporation, particularly Articles IV, V, VIII, X and XI.  They shall hold in trust the church property.  Upon a specific vote of the church authorizing each action, they shall have the power to buy, sell, mortgage, lease, and transfer any church property.  When the signatures of trustees are required, they shall sign legal documents involving the sale, mortgage, purchase, or rental of property, or other legal documents related to church-approved matters.

Section 2. Church Standing Committees

The standing committees of the church shall be the Committee on Committees, Personnel Committee, and Finance Committee.  Additional standing committees may be added by the amendment procedure described within these bylaws.  Members of all church committees, standing or ad hoc shall be recommended by the Committee on Committees and elected by the church, unless otherwise specified within these bylaws. Members to serve on the Committee on Committees come from the Personnel Committee.  In every case, however, nominations from the floor shall also be in order.  Committee members shall serve on a three-year rotation schedule, with one-third to be elected each year, except in the case of those committees with other terms of members as stated in the following committee descriptions.  The pastor, or his designee, shall serve ex-officio on all committees.

The Committee Chairperson shall from time to time establish a meeting hour and date for regular committee meetings. Failure of an elected committee member to attend three consecutive regular committee meetings without notifying the chairman of his intended absence will constitute actual resignation from that committee.

At all committee meetings which are regularly convened or duly called, a quorum shall consist of the members of that committee who are present.

(1) The Committee on Committees shall nominate, train, supervise, and evaluate all standing or permanent committees.  It may also recommend adding committees as needed and eliminating committees no longer needed.  This committee shall also nominate the chairman of each church committee annually.  No member of this committee shall succeed himself in office.

(2) The Personnel Committee assists the church in matters related to employed personnel administration, including those called by church action.  Their work includes such areas as determining staff needs, employment, salaries, benefits, other compensation, policies, job descriptions, and personnel services.

(3) The Finance Committee develops and recommends an overall stewardship development plan and budget subscription plans.  It advises and recommends in the administration of the gifts of church members and others, using sound principles of financial management.  It works with the financial secretary and the treasurer in the preparation and presentation to the church of required reports regarding the financial affairs of the church.

Church Program and Organizations

The church shall maintain programs of Bible teachings, church member training, church leader training, new member orientation; mission education, action and support; and music education, training and performance.  All organizations related to the church programs shall be under church control, all officers being elected by the church and reporting regularly to the church, and all program activities subject to church coordination and approval.  The church shall provide the human resources, the physical resources, and the financial resources for the appropriate advancement of these programs.

(1) The Sunday School shall be the basic organization for the Bible teaching program.  Its tasks shall be to teach the biblical revelation, reach persons for Christ and church membership, perform the functions of the church within its constituency, provide and interpret information regarding the work of the church and denomination.  The Sunday School shall be organized by classes, as appropriate for all ages, and shall be conducted under the direction of the Associate Pastor of Discipleship and Sunday School Director.

(2) Woman’s Missionary Union and Girl’s in Action shall be the mission education, mission action, and mission support organization of the church for women, young women, girls, and preschool children.  Its tasks shall be to teach missions, engage in mission action, support world missions through praying and giving, and provide and interpret information regarding the work of the church and denomination.  Woman’s Mission Union shall have such offices and organization as the program requires.

(3) The Royal Ambassador’s shall be the church’s organization for mission education, mission action, and mission support for men, young men, and boys.  Its tasks shall be to teach missions, engage in mission action, support and provide and interpret information regarding the work of the church and denomination.  

(4) The Church Music organization, under the direction of the church-elected Music Director (also referred to as Worship Leader), shall be the music education, training, and performance organization of the church.  Its tasks shall be to teach music, train people to lead, sing, and play music, provide music in the church and community, and provide and interpret information regarding the work of the church and denomination.  The Church Music program shall have such officers and organization as the program requires.

Church Ministry Teams

There are many discipleship, outreach, and service opportunities to bless and be blessed in the Cedar Crest family.  These opportunities to serve are numerous and primarily centered around a team approach to ministry.  Therefore, Cedar Crest has established a number of ministry teams, each with its own respective leadership team, to carry out many of the ministry functions needed in the church.  The Leadership Council oversees the establishment of teams, addition of new teams, deletion of teams, when necessary, enlistment of the leadership of each team, and training of the leadership of each ministry team.  The Leadership Team of each ministry will have oversight of their team including enlistment of members to serve on their respective teams, train workers, pray for and encourage team members, etc.  Current ministry teams include: Outreach, First Impressions, Follow-up, Audio/Visual/Lighting, Praise and Worship, Students, Children, Nursery, Small Groups, Men’s, Women’s, Missions, Prayer, Medical, and Marketing/Merchandising. 

Church Leadership

The Pastoral Ministry Staff, led by the Senior Pastor, shall serve the church by leading in planning, coordinating, conducting, and evaluating the ministries and programs of the church and its organizations.

The Pastoral Ministry Staff will be composed of the Senior Pastor, Associate Pastors called by the church, ministers in the area of Music and  Missions, Coordinators for areas such as Children and Nursery and all associated administrative assistants. 

The Pastoral Ministry Staff will recommend to the church leadership team objectives and church goals; will review and coordinate ministry and program plans recommended by trustees, officers, organizations and committees of the church; will recommend the use of staff, calendar time, and other resources according to program priorities; and will evaluate ministry achievements in terms of church goals and objectives.

The overall Leadership Team will be comprised of the Pastoral Staff as outlined above (Senior Pastor, Associate Pastor, Ministry Leaders, Ministry Coordinators, Deacons, Officers, Trustees, Committee Chairpersons, Sunday School leaders, and Ministry Team leaders.  Matters of significant impact and importance to the church will be brought by the Pastoral Ministry Staff before the church’s Leadership Team for additional discussion and input.

Requirement to serve on the church Leadership Team include:  1) confession of Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior; 2) confirmation of believer’s baptism; 3) member in good standing at Cedar Crest; 4) faithful attendance in worship services; 5) faithful attendance in Life Group class; 6) participating in the church’s 24/7 prayer ministry; 7) financially invested in the church; and 8) actively seeking to share their faith with those around them. 

All matters agreed upon by the entire Church Leadership Team, which calls for action requiring church body approval, will be brought before the congregation as a whole at the next regularly scheduled business meeting or at a special called business meeting as outlined in these by-laws.

Church Ordinances

Section 1. Baptism

This church shall receive for baptism any person who has received Jesus Christ as Savior by personal faith, who professes this publicly at any worship service, and who indicates a commitment to follow Christ as Lord.

(1) Baptism shall be by immersion in water.

(2) The pastor, or whomever the church shall authorize, shall administer baptism.  The deacons and their wives shall assist in the preparation for and the observance of baptism.

(3) Baptism shall be administered as an act of worship during any worship service of the church.

(4) A person who professes Christ and is not baptized after a reasonable length of time shall be counseled by the pastor and/or staff or deacons.  If negative interest is ascertained on the part of the candidate, he shall be deleted from those awaiting baptism.

Section 2. The Lord's Supper

The church shall observe the Lord’s Supper at least once a quarter.  The observance may alternate between the morning and the evening services of worship.  The pastor and deacons shall administer the Lord’s Supper, the deacons being responsible for the physical preparations.

Church Meeting

Section 1. Worship Services

This church shall meet regularly each Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening for the worship of Almighty God.  Prayer, praise, preaching, instruction, and evangelism shall be among the ingredients of these services.  The pastor shall direct the services for all the church members and for all others who may choose to attend.

Section 2. Special Services

Revival services and any other church meeting essential to the advancement of the church’s objectives shall be placed on the church calendar.

Section 3. Regular Business Meetings

The church shall hold an annual business meeting on a designated Wednesday night.

Section 4. Special Business Meetings

The church may conduct called business meetings to consider matters of special nature and significance.  A one-week notice must be given for the specially called business meeting unless extreme urgency renders such notice impractical.  In such cases, the church body will be notified by all means possible of the need to conduct this meeting.  Such methods of notification may include electronic text messages, electronic newsletters, church web site postings and other media avenues as they may become available in the future.  The notice shall include the subject, the date and time and place; and it must be given in such a manner that all resident members have opportunity to know of this meeting.

Section 5. Quorum

The quorum consists of those members who attend the business meeting, provided it is a stated meeting or one that has been properly called.

Section 6. Parliamentary Rules

Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised, is the authority for parliamentary rules of procedure for all business meetings of the church.

Church Finances

Section 1. Budget

The church shall elect and install Finance Committee members in January of each year.  The treasurer will serve ex-officio on this committee.

In consultation with the Pastoral Staff, Ministry Leaders and Coordinators and Ministry Team Leaders, the Finance Committee shall prepare and submit to the church at least by the annual business meeting, an inclusive budget, indicating by items the amount for all local and other expenses.  This budget shall be presented for discussion and amendment on a designated Wednesday night and held over for vote without discussion on the following Sunday.

It is understood that membership in this church involves a financial obligation to support the church and its causes with regular, proportionate gifts.  Offering envelopes will be provided for member’s use.

Section 2. Accounting Procedures

(1) All funds received for any purpose shall be received by the financial secretary and be properly recorded on the books of the church.

(2) Enlisted members shall serve as a counting committee to assist the financial secretary in counting and recording all monetary gifts to the church.

(3) The Finance Committee Chairman or designee and/or the treasurer shall review and authorize all disbursements and payment of all accounts payable. 

(4) A system of accounting that will adequately provide for the handling of all funds shall be the responsibility of the Finance Committee.

Section 3.   Fiscal Year

The church fiscal year shall run concurrently with the church year which begins on January 1 and ends of December 31. 

Church Year

Section 1. 

The church program organization year shall be October 1 to September 30.

Section 2.

Except as provided in Section 1, the church year shall be January 1 to December 31 and all teachers, committees, and officers shall serve such year or multiples thereof.

Elections

Section 1. 

The Finance Committee, Personnel Committee and Committee on Committee’s shall be elected at the annual business meeting and shall take office  on January 1st and serve until their successors are elected and installed.

Section 2.

The officers and trustees shall be elected at the annual business meeting and shall serve until the following year’s annual business meeting.

Section 3.

All elections shall be determined by a simple majority vote unless these Bylaws or Articles of Incorporation require a greater majority.  If no candidate receives the required majority for election on the first ballot, a runoff shall be conducted between the highest candidates for the election of the office.  (The number of vacancies to be filled times 2 shall be the formula to determine the number of persons who qualify for the runoff.  If more people receive a majority than there are vacancies to fill, those who receive the highest majorities shall be elected.)

Church Operations Manual

The Administrative Pastor of the church shall develop and maintain a church operation manual to include church policies and procedures and organization charts depicting line of responsibility in the administration of the church.  The manual shall be kept in the church office and made available for use there by any member of the church.   The Administrative Pastor shall review the manual at least annually, with authority to recommend changes for the church to consider.  Any church member or church organization may initiate suggested changed in the manual.

Additions and revision, or deletions of church policies requires:

  • the recommendation of the Pastoral staff, ministry leader, church officer, committee, team or organization to whose areas of assignment the policy relates,
  • approval by the church, if necessary.

Amendments

Changes in the Constitution and 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 may also be made in accordance with Article VIII of the Articles of Incorporation.  Amendments to the constitution shall be by two-thirds vote of the church members present.  Amendment to the by-laws shall have a concurrence of majority of the members present and voting.

 

Revised 4/2022

Reviewed 12/2025