CHURCH CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE 1-NAME AND PURPOSE
SECTION 1-NAME
This congregation of believers
shall be known as the Higher
Ground Baptist
Church
SECTION 2-PURPOSE
(A)
This congregation is organized as a church
exclusively for charitable, religious, and educational purposes within the
meaning of Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, including
but not limited to, for such purposes the establishing and maintaining of
religious worship, the building, maintaining and operating of churches,
parsonages, schools, chapels, radio stations, television stations, rescue
missions, print shops, day-care centers, camps, and nursing homes.
(B)
The church shall also ordain and license men to the
Gospel ministry; evangelize the unsaved by the proclaiming of the Gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ; educate believers in a manner consistent with the
requirements of the Holy Scripture, both in Sunday and weekday schools of
Christian education; and maintain missionary activities in the United States
ARTICLE 2-STATEMENT OF FAITH AND
COVENANT
SECTION 1-STATEMENT OF FAITH
(A)
The Holy
Scriptures. We believe the Holy
Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary inspired
Word of God. The Scriptures are
inerrant, infallible and God-breathed, and therefore are the final authority
for the faith and life. The sixty-six
books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of
God to Man. The scriptures shall be interpreted
according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning. The King James Version of the Bible shall be
the official and only translation used by the church (2 Tim. 3:16 -17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).
(B)
Dispensationalism. We believe that the Scriptures interpreted in
their natural, literal sense reveal divinely determined dispensations or rules
of life which define man’s responsibilities in successive ages. These dispensations are not ways of
salvations, but rather are divinely ordered stewardships by which God directs
man according to His purpose. Three of
these dispensations-the law, the church, and the kingdom-are the subjects of
detailed revelation in Scripture (Gen. 1:28; 1 Cor. 9:17 ; 2 Cor. 3:9-18; Gal. 3:13-25; Eph. 1:10;
3:2-10; Col. 1:24-25, 27; Rev. 20:2-6).
(C)
The
Godhead. We believe in one Triune
God, eternally existing in three persons-Father, Son, Holy Spirit-each
co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and
having the same attributes and perfections (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor.
13:14; John 14:10, 26).
(D)
The Person
and Work of Christ.
1. We
believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without
ceasing to be God, having been conceived
by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal
God and redeem sinful men (Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; 2 Cor.
5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8).
2. We
believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through his
death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice;
and that our justification is make sure by His literal, physical resurrection
from the dead (Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; 1 Peter 2:24; Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter
1:3-5).
3. We
believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at
the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of
Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; Rom.
8:34; 1 John 2:1-2.
(E)
The Person
and Work of the Holy Spirit.
1. We
believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness,
and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration,
baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them
unto the day of redemption (John 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor.
3:6; Eph. 1:13-14).
2. We
believe that He is the Divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and
appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the
saved to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 1:17 -18;
5:18 ; 1 John 2:20 , 27).
3. We
believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every
believer. God uniquely uses evangelists,
pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can
do the work of the ministry (Rom.
4. We
believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and
the gift of healing were temporary. We
believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the
baptism or filling of the Holy spirit and that ultimate deliverance of the body
from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the
resurrection, through God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers
for physical healing (1 Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22).
(F)
The Total
Depravity of Man.
(G)
Salvation. We believe that salvation is the gift of God
brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ, Whose precious blood what shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our
sins (John 1:12; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; 1Pet. 1:18-19).
(H)
The Eternal
Security and Assurance of Believers.
1. We
believer that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are
thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 38-39; 1 Cor.
1:4-8; 1 Pet. 1:4-5).
2. We
believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of
their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which, however, clearly
forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh (Rom. 13:13 -14: Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15).
(I)
The Church.
1. We
believe that the local church, which is the body and the espoused bride of
Christ, is solely made up of born-again persons (1 Cor. 12:12 -14; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22 -23; 5:25 -27).
2. We
believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly
taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27 ; 20:17 ,
28-32; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11).
3. We
believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or
control (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19 -31;
20:28 ; Rom.
4. We
recognize water baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the Scriptural ordinances of
obedience for the church in this age (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41 -42; 18:18 ;
1 Cor. 11:23 -26).
(J)
Separation. We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring
reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation from all religious
apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is
commanded of God (Rom. 12:1-2; 14:13; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 1 John
2:15-17; 2 John 9-11).
(K)
The Second
Advent of Christ. We believe in that
“blessed hope,” the personal, imminent return of Christ Who will rapture His
Church prior to the seven-year tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will
personally and visibly return with His saints, to establish His earthly
Messianic Kingdom which was promised to the nation of Israel (Ps. 89:3-4; Dan.
2:31-45; Zech. 14:4-11; 1 Thess.
1:10; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev. 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6).
(L)
The Eternal State
1. We
believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and
the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28 , 29; 11:25 -26; Rev. 20:5-6, 12-13).
2. We
believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and
present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first
resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever
with the Lord (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; 1Thess. 4:16-17; Rev.
20:4-6).
3. We
believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death in conscious
punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body
reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be
cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting
conscious punishment and torment (Matt. 25:41-46; Mark 9: 43-48; Luke 16:
19-26; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:11-15).
(M)
The
Personality of Satan. We believe
that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the Fall of Man;
that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and, that he shall be
eternally punished in the Lake of Fire (Job 1:6-7; Isa. 14: 12-17; Matt.
4:2-11; 25:41; Rev. 20:10).
(N)
Creation. We believe that God created the universe in
six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age
Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin (Genesis 1-2;
Ex. 20:11).
(O)
Civil
Government. We believe that God has
ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions:1)
the home; 2) the church; and 3) the state.
Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the
authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific
Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the
understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the
other. The home, the church, and the
state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres
of responsibility under God (Rom.
(P)
Human
Sexuality.
1. 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 homosexuality,
lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and
pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. Any employee of the church becoming pregnant
or causing pregnancy as a result of consensual intercourse, outside of the
marriage relationship, shall be terminated from employment. (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5, 13; Gen. 26:8-9; Lev.
18:1-30; Rom.
2. We
believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one
woman. (Gen. 2:24; Rom.
3. We
believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but
that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and
women in the home and the church. The
husband is to be the leader of the home and men are to be the leaders (pastors
and deacons) of the church. Accordingly,
only men are eligible for licensure, ordination, & to usurp authority in
the church. (Gal. 3:28; Col.
(Q)
Divorce and
Remarriage. We believe that God
intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as
adultery except on the grounds of fornication.
Although divorced persons may hold positions of service in the church
and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered
for the offices of pastor, preacher, or deacon (Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12;
Rom. 7:1-3; 1 Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6).
(R)
Abortion.
We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a
living human being. Abortion constitutes
the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of
pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or
population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable (Job
3:16; Psalms 51:5; 139:14-16: Isa.
44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer.1:5; 20:15-18; Luke
1:44).
(S)
Missions. We believe that God has given the church a
great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a
great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethic group, and language group who
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As
ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to the foreign
nations and not wait for them to come to us (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15 ; Luke; 24:46-48; John 20:21 ; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:20 ).
(T)
Lawsuits
Between Believers. We believe that
Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians
or the church to resolve personal disputes.
We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve
personal disputes between members. We do
believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from
another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without
malice or slander (1 Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31 -32).
(U)
Giving. We believe that every Christian, as a steward
of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his
local church financially. We believe
that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every
Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the
support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the
Gospel. We believe that a Christian
relinquishes all right to direct use of the tithe or offering once the gift has
been made (Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37;
1 Cor. 16:2; 2
Cor. 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28; 1 Tim. 5:17-18; 1 John 3:17).
SECTION 2-AUTHORITY OF STATEMENT OF FAITH
The statement of faith does not
exhaust the extent of our faith. The
Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing
statement of faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible, and
therefore, is binding upon all members.
All literature used in the church shall be in complete agreement with
the statement of faith.
SECTION 3-COVENANT
Having been led, as we believe,
by the Holy Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and
on profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of our Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, we do now, in the presence of God, angels,
and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one
another, as one body in 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, discipline and
doctrines; to give it sacred preeminence over all institutions of human origin;
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 private devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the
salvation of our kindred, acquaintances, and all others; to walk circumspectly
in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful to our engagements, and
exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive
anger; to abstain from ungodly amusements (i.e. gambling, exc.); to be free
from all oath-bound secret societies and partnerships with unbelievers; to
abstain from the sale or use of tobacco in any form, narcotic drugs, or
intoxicating drink as a beverage; 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 each other in prayer; to aid each
other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and
courtesy of speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for
reconciliation, and mindful of the rules of our Savior, to secure
reconciliation 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.
ARTICLE 3-MEMBERSHIP
SECTION
1-QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP
Upon a majority vote of the
members present at any church service or meeting, membership shall be extended
to all who have had and whose lives evidence a genuine experience of
regeneration through faith in an acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ as
personal Savior; who renounce sin’ who endeavor to live a consecrated life
wholly unto the Lord; who fully subscribe to the statement of faith contained
herein; and who enter into the church covenant contained herein; and compliance
with any one of the following conditions:
(A)
By baptism (immersion) as a true believer in Christ
Jesus as personal Savior;
(B)
By letter of transfer from another Bible-believing
church of like faith and practice, or other written statement of good standing
from the prior church if the applicant has been baptized by immersion
subsequent to a profession of faith;
(C)
By testimony of faith, having been baptized by
immersion; or
(D)
By restoration, if having been removed from
membership, upon majority vote of the congregation after confession is made
publicly before the church membership of the sin or sins involved, and
satisfactorily evidence repentance to the pastor (or the deacons if the office
of pastor is vacant).
SECTION 2-DUTIES OF A MEMBER
On becoming a member of this
church, in addition to the covenant contained in Article II, Section 3, each
one further covenants to love, honor, and esteem the pastor; to pray for him;
and to recognize his authority in spiritual affairs of the church; to cherish a
brotherly love for all members of the church; to support the church in prayer,
tithes, offerings and with other financial support as the Lord enables; and in
accordance with Biblical commands to support through a life-style walk
affirmation of the beliefs and practices of the church.
SECTION 3-PRIVILEGES OF MEMBERSHIP
(A)
This congregation functions, not as a pure democracy,
but as a body under the headship of the Lord Jesus Christ and the direction of
the pastor as the undershepherd with the counsel of the deacons. Membership in this church does not afford
those individual with any property, contract, or civil rights based on
principles of democratic government.
Determination of the internal affairs of this church are ecclesiastical
matters and shall be determined exclusively by the church’s own rules and
procedures. The pastor shall oversee
and/or conduct all aspects of this church.
The deacons shall give counsel and assistance to the pastor as requested
by him. The membership of the church has
certain limited areas of exercising a vote.
Members may not vote to initiate any church action, but rather the vote
of a member is to confirm and ratify the direction of the church as determined
by the pastor and deacons.
(B)
Each member of the church shall be entitled to vote
on all matters except those pertaining to the disciplining of members, the
purchase or sale of real property, and the dismissal or calling of a pastor, in
which matters, only members at least eighteen years of age shall be entitled to
vote.
SECTION 4-DISCIPLINE OF A MEMBER
(A)
There shall be a discipline committee consisting of
the pastor and the deacons. These men
shall have sole authority in determining heretical deviations from the
statement of faith and violations of the church covenant. If the pastor or a deacon is the subject of a
disciplinary matter, he shall not sit as a member of the discipline committee. He shall be entitled to the same steps as
other church members and be subject to the same discipline.
(B)
Members are expected to demonstrate special loyalty
and concern for one another. When a
member becomes aware of an offense of such magnitude that it hinders spiritual
growth and testimony, he is to go alone to the offending party and seek to
restore his brother. Before he goes, he
should first examine himself. When he
goes, he should go with a spirit of humility and have the goal of restoration.
(C)
If reconciliation is not reached, a second member,
either a deacon or the pastor is to accompany the one seeking to resolve the
matter. This second step should also be
preceded by self-examination, and exercised in a spirit of humility with the
goal of restoration.
(D)
If the matter is still unresolved after the steps
outlined in subsections (B) and (C) have
been taken, the discipline committee, as the church representatives Biblically
responsible for putting down murmuring, shall hear the matter. If the matter is not resolved during the
hearing before the discipline committee, the committee shall recommend to the
members of the church that they, after self-examination, make an effort
personally to go to the offending member and seek that member’s restoration.
(E)
If the matter is still unresolved after the steps
outlined in subsections (B), (C), and (D) have been taken, such members who
refuse to repent and be restored are to be removed from the membership of the
church upon a majority vote of the membership present at a meeting called for
the purpose of considering disciplinary action.
(F)
No matter may be heard by the discipline committee
or the church unless the steps outlined in subsections (B) and (C) have been
taken, except in the case of a public offense.
(G)
If an unrepentant offending party is removed from
the church membership, all contact with him from that point forward must be for
the sake of restoration (except family members).
SECTION 5-TRANSFER OF MEMBERSHIP
Members, not under the
disciplining process of Section 4, may request that letters of transfer be sent
to another church.
SECTION 6-TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP
(A)
See Note on Membership
(B)
No member of this church may hold membership in
another church. If any member unites in
membership with another church, that person is automatically terminated without
notice from membership in this church.
(C)
A member may resign at any time, but no letter of
transfer or written statement of good standing will be issued upon such
resignation, except at the discretion of the pastor.
ARTICLE 4-OFFICERS
SECTION 1-CHURCH
OFFICERS
The church officers are pastor (see Article V, Section 1),
deacon (Article V, Section 2), records director (see Article V, Section 3),
director of finance (see Article V, Section 4), minister of Sunday school (see
Article V, Section 5, and minister of hospitality (see Article V, Section
6). One person may hold two or more
offices, except that of pastor. The
pastor, from time to time as he deems appropriate, may appoint other church
officers, subject to a confirmation vote of the church membership.
SECTION 2-DESIGNATION
OF CORPORATE OFFICERS
As an accommodation to legal relationships outside the
church the pastor shall serve as president of the president of the corporation;
the director of records shall serve as secretary of the corporation; director
of finance shall serve as treasurer of the corporation; and a deacon shall
serve as the vice president of the corporation.
SECTION 3-ELIGIBILITY
FOR THE CONTINUANCE IN OFFICE
(A) All
church officers shall affirm their agreement with the statement of faith (as
set forth in Article II) annually in the presence of each other.
(B) All church officers must be approved initially and thereafter annually by the
pastor in order for them to continue in their offices.
(C) Only
church members are eligible for election or appointment to any church office or
position.
SECTION 4-TERMS OF
OFFICE
The length of terms of office shall be as follows:
(A)
The relationship between the pastor and the church
shall be permanent unless dissolved at the option of either party by the giving
a month’s notice, or less by mutual consent.
The severance of the relationship between the pastor and the church may
be considered at any regular church administration meeting, provided notice to
that effect shall have been given from the pulpit to the church two Sunday’s
prior to said regular administration meeting.
A three-fourths majority of the members present and voting shall be
required to decide the matter.
Disciplinary removal of the pastor from the office automatically
terminates his membership. A restoration
to membership after disciplinary removal will be subject to the requirements of
Article III, Section 1(D).
(B)
Deacons may be removed from office for unbiblical
conduct, as determined by the other board members, upon a majority vote of the
remaining members of the deacons and pastor.
SECTION 5-PASTORAL
OVERSIGHT OF OFFICERS AND STAFF
(A)
Subject to the approval of the church membership
and on the condition that they shall become a member of the church upon
assuming their duties, the pastor may hire associates and assistants to assist
the pastor in carrying out his God-given responsibilities.
(B)
All church staff, whether paid or volunteer, shall
be under the supervision of the pastor who has the sole authority to hire,
appoint, or dismiss the same.
ARTICLE 5-DUTIES OF OFFICERS
SECTION 1-THE PASTOR
(A)
The pastor shall preach the Gospel regularly and
shall be at liberty to preach the whole counsel of the Word of God as the Lord
leads him. He shall administer the
ordinances of the church, act as moderator at all church meetings for the
transaction of church matters, supervise the teaching ministries of the church,
and tenderly watch over the spiritual interests of the membership.
(B)
The pastor shall appoint the members of the various
committees at the annual church administration meeting. He shall serve as the president of the
corporation. He shall publicly inform
all newly elected officers of the particular function and the responsibilities
of their respective offices. He shall
extend the right hand of fellowship to all new members on behalf of the church
and perform such other duties as generally appertain to such a position. The pastor shall be free to choose the means
and methods by which he exercises the ministry that God has given him.
(C)
All appointments for public worship and Bible study
and the arrangements thereof including time and place and the use of the
property belonging to the church for the purposes other than the stated
appointments shall be under the control of the pastor.
SECTION 2-THE DEACONS
(A)
The deacons shall assist the pastor, in such a
manner as he shall request, in promoting the spiritual welfare of the church,
in conducting the religious services, and in performing all other work of the
church. They shall make provision for
the observance of the ordinances of the church.
They shall, if requested by the pastor, consider applications for church
membership. They shall, in cooperation
with the pastor, disburse the benevolence fund.
They shall assist the pastor in visitation and all other evangelistic
efforts of the church. They shall
provide the pulpit supply and act as leaders for church meetings if the office
of pastor is vacant. The deacons shall
assist the pastor in caring for the administrative needs of the church’s
various ministries as requested by the pastor.
(B)
The deacons shall constitute the board of trustees
of the corporation. The board of
trustees shall exercise only the following specific powers:
1.
To purchase, hold, lease, or otherwise acquire real
and personal property on behalf of the church, and to take real and personal
property by will, gift, or bequest on behalf of the church.
2.
To sell, convey alienate, transfer, lease, assign,
exchange, or otherwise dispose of, and to mortgage, pledge, or otherwise
encumber the real and personal property of the church, and to borrow money and
incur indebtedness, in the name of the church, promissory notes, bonds,
debentures, or other evidence of indebtedness; and to secure repayment by deeds
of trust, mortgages, or pledges.
3.
To exercise all powers necessary for the
dissolution of the church corporation, if such action is mandated by a vote of
the church membership.
SECTION 3-RECORDS
DIRECTOR
The director of records shall:
(A)
Certify and keep at the office of the Church, the
original bylaws or a copy, including all amendments or alterations to the
bylaws.
(B)
Keep at the place where the bylaws or a copy are
kept a record of the proceedings of meetings of the deacons, with the time and
place of holding, the notice of meeting given, the names of these present at
the meetings.
(C)
Sign, certify, or attest documents as may be
required by law.
(D)
See that all notices are duly given in accordance
with the provisions of these by-laws. In
case of the absence or disability of the Secretary, or his or her refusal or
neglect to act, notice may be given and served by the Pastor, or by the deacons.
(E)
Be custodian of the records of the church,
including the membership roll, baptisms, and certificates of ordination,
licenses and commissions.
(F)
See that the reports, statements, certificates, and
all other documents and records required by law are properly kept and filed.
(G)
Exhibit at all reasonable times to proper persons
on terms provided by law the by-laws and minutes of proceedings of the deacons
or the minutes of the meetings of the church members.
(H)
Keep an account of any special events in the life
of the church which are of historical interest and give a report at the annual
church administration meeting of the status of the church membership roll in
the past year.
(I)
Keep all records at the office of the Church and
deliver them to any successor upon leaving office.
(J)
Serve as the secretary of the corporation.
SECTION 4-DIRECTOR OF
FINANCE
The director of finance shall:
(A)
Have chard and custody of, and be responsible for,
all funds of the Corporation, and deposit all funds in the name of the Church
in banks, trust companies, or other depositories as shall be selected by the
Pastor.
(B)
Receive, and give receipt for all contributions,
gifts, and donations to the Church.
(C)
Disburse, or cause to be disbursed, the funds of
the Church as may be directed by Pastor, or the budget adopted by the members
of the church at the annual church administration meeting, taking proper vouchers
for the disbursements.
(D)
Keep and maintain adequate and correct accounts of
the Church’s properties and business transactions including account of its
assets, liabilities, receipts, disbursements, and capital.
(E)
Make all expenditures of the church (except miscellaneous
petty cash disbursements) by check.
(F)
When and as requested, render to the Pastor accounts
of all his transactions as director of finance and of the financial condition
of the Church.
(G)
Present a written report of itemized disbursements
at the regular quarterly church administration meetings and make a general
report for the year at the annual church administration meeting.
(H)
Keep all church financial records at the office of
the Church and deliver them to any successor upon leaving office.
(I)
Serve as treasurer of the corporation.
SECTION 5-DIRECTOR OF
SUNDAY SCHOOL
The minister of Sunday school shall supervise the Sunday
school. In consultation with the pastor
he shall recommend the appointment of the teachers of the Sunday school. He shall preside at teachers’ meetings, and
report the condition of the Sunday school at the annual church administration
meeting.
SECTION 6-DIRCTOR OF
HOSPITALITY
The minister of hospitality, in cooperation with the pastor,
shall appoint a sufficient number of assistants to care for the work of
ushering and extending the official hospitality of the church to its members
and visitors.
SECTION 7-ASSOCIATE
PASTORS
Under the direction and guidance of the pastor, the
associate pastors of the church shall assist the pastor in carrying out the
ministries of the church.
SECTION 8-DUTIES OF
ALL OFFICERS
(A)
All officers shall prepare a written report of
their work for the annual church administration meeting and shall surrender any
records in their possession to the director of records at the close of their
term of office to be filed as a permanent record of the work of the
church. All records are the property of
the church and must be kept in the church office.
(B)
Any officer who neglects his duties as outlined in
the Bylaws for a period of three months may be removed from his office at the
discretion of the pastor and another may be appointed by the pastor to serve
the unexpired term.
ARTICLE 6-MEETINGS
SECTION 1-MEETINGS
FOR WORSHIP
Unless otherwise determined by the pastor, the church shall
meet each Sunday for public worship both morning and evening and at least once
during the week for Bible study and prayer.
Except when circumstances forbid it, the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper
shall be observed on the first Sunday evening of each month.
SECTION 2-SPECIAL
MEETINGS
Bible conferences, missionary conferences, and revivals may
be held as the pastor deems beneficial.
SECTION 4-FISCAL YEAR
The fiscal year of the church shall begin January 1st
and end December 31st.
ARTICLE 7-ORDINATION
SECTION 1-ORDINATION
QUALIFICATIONS
Any male member of this church or its mission churches, who
gives evidence of a genuine call of God into the work of the ministry and
possesses the qualifications stated in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9, may be
ordained as a minister of the Gospel.
SECTION 2-ORDINATION
PROCEDURE
(A)
Upon a conference with the pastor and after the
pastor has approved the candidate for ordination, the pastor shall call a
council to examine and pass on the qualification of the candidate. The ordination council shall consist of
ordained ministers of like faith invited to participate in the examination of
the candidate.
(B)
If the candidate is found worthy of the ordination
by the council, the ordination council may ordain the candidate on behalf of
the church.
(C)
The pastor shall arrange for the ordination
service.
ARTICLE 8-INDEMNIFICATION
SECTION 1-ACTIONS
SUBJECT TO INDEMNIFICATION
The Church may indemnify any person who was or is a party or
is threatened to be may a party to any threatened, pending or completed action,
suit, or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative,
including all appeals (other than an action by or in the right of the Church)
by reason of the fact that the person is or was a pastor, deacon, officer,
employee, or agent of the Church, against expenses, including attorneys’ fees,
judgments, fines, and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably
incurred by him in connection with the action, suit, or proceeding; and if that
person acted in good faith and in a manner her reasonably believed to be in or
not opposed to the best interest of the Church and, with respect to any
criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct
was unlawful. The termination of any
action, suit, or proceeding by judgment, order settlement, conviction, or on a
plea of nolo contendere or its
equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not
act in good faith and in a manner that he reasonably believed to be in or not
opposed to the best interest of the Church and, with respect to any criminal
action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct
was unlawful.
SECTION 2-EXPENSES
SUBJECT TO INDEMIFICATION
To the extent that a pastor, deacon, officer, employee, or
agent has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action,
suit, or proceeding referred to in this Article, or in defense of any claim,
issue, or matter in that action, suit, or proceeding, he or she may be indemnified
against expenses, including attorneys’ fees, actually and reasonably incurred
by him or her in connection with the action, suit, or proceeding.
SECTION 3-LIMITATIONS
OF INDEMNIFICATION
Any indemnification made under this Article, may be made by
the Church only as authorized I the specific case on a determination that
indemnification of the pastor, deacon, officer, employee, or agent is proper in
the circumstances because he has met the applicable standard of conduct set
forth in Section 1 of this Article. The
determination shall be made (a) by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of
the pastor and deacons who were not and are not parties to, or threatened with,
the action, suit, or proceeding; (b) if the described quorum is not obtainable,
or if a majority vote of a quorum of disinterested deacons so directs, by
independent legal counsel in a written opinion; or (c) by a majority vote of
the members of the church.
SECTION 4-TIMING OF
INDEMNIFICATION
Expenses of each person seeking indemnification under this
Article, may be paid by the Church as they are incurred, in advance of the
final disposition of the action, suit, or proceeding, as authorized by the pastor
and deacons in the specific case, on receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf
of the pastor, deacon, officer, employee, or agent to repay the amount if it is
ultimately determined that he or she is not qualified to be indemnified by the
Church.
SECTION 5-EXTENT OF
INDEMNIFICATION
The indemnification provided by this Article shall be deemed
to be discretionary unless otherwise required as a matter of law or under any
agreement or provided by insurance purchased by the Church, both as to action
of each person seeking indemnification under this Article in his official
capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding that office, and
may continue as to a person who has ceased to be a pastor, deacon, officer,
employee, or agent and may inure to the benefits of heirs, executors, and
administrators of that person.
SECTION 6-INSURANCE
The Church may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of
any person who is or was a pastor, deacon, officer, employee, or agent of the
Church against any liability asserted against him and incurred by him in that
capacity or arising out of his status in that capacity, whether or not the
Church would have the power to indemnify him against liability under the
provisions of this Article.
ARTICLE 9-TAX-EXEMPT PROVISIONS
SECTION 1-PRIVATE
INUREMENT
No part of the net earnings of the church shall inure to the
benefit of, or be distributable to, its members, trustees, officers or other
private persons, except that the church shall be authorized and empowered to
pay reasonable compensation for the services rendered and to make payments and
distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article I, Section 2
hereof.
SECTION 2-POLITICAL
INVOLVEMENT
No substantial part of the activities of the church shall be
the carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation. The church shall not participate in, or
intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any
political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
SECTION 3-DISSOLUTION
Upon the dissolution of the church, the trustees shall,
after paying or making provision for payment of all the liabilities of the
church, dispose of all assets of the church to such organization or
organizations formed and operated exclusively for religious purposes as shall
at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section
501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or the corresponding provision
of any future United States Internal Revenue Law), as the trustees shall
determine. Assets may be distributed
only to organizations which agree with the church’s statement of faith.
SECTION 4-RACIAL
NONDISCRIMINATION
The church shall have a racially nondiscriminatory policy
and therefore shall not discriminate against members, applicants, students, and
others on the basis of race, colot, or national or ethnic origin.
SECTION 5-LIMITATION
OF ACTIVITIES
Notwithstanding any other provision of these Bylaws, the
church shall not, except to an insubstantial degree, engage in any activities
or exercise any powers that are not in furtherance of the purposes stated in
Article I, Section 2.
ARTICLE 10-BINDING ARBITRATION
SECTION 1-SUBMISSION
TO ARBITRATION
Believing that lawsuits between believers are prohibited by
Scripture, all members of this church agree to binding arbitration any matters
which cannot otherwise be resolved, and expressly waive any and all rights in
law and equity to bringing any civil disagreement before a court of law, except
that judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any
court having jurisdiction thereof.
In the event of any dispute, claim, question, or
disagreement arising out of or relating to these Bylaws or any other church
matter, the parties shall use their best efforts to settle such disputes,
claims, questions, or disagreement as befits Christians. To this effect, they shall consult and
negotiate with each other in good faith and, recognizing their mutual interests
not to disgrace the name of Christ, seek to reach a just and equitable solution. If they do not reach such solution within a
period of sixty (60) days, then upon notice by either party to the other,
disputes, claims, questions, differences shall be finally settled by
arbitration as described in Section 1, above, and such Procedures for
Arbitration as are adopted pursuant to the following two sections.
SECTION 3-LIMITATIONS
ON ARBITRATION DECISIONS
(A)
Should any dispute involve matters of church
discipline, the arbitrators shall be limited to determining whether the
procedures for church discipline as outlined under Article 3, Section 4, were
followed.
(B)
Should any dispute involve the removal from office
of the pastor or any church officer, the arbitrators shall be limited to
determining whether the procedures set forth in Article 3 were followed.
SECTION 4-ARBITRATION
PROCEDURES
The procedures for arbitration shall be as adopted by the
Pastor and the deacons.
ARTICLE 11-AMENDMENTS
This Constitution and Bylaws may be revised or amended by a
majority vote of the members present and voting at any regular church
administration meeting, provided that said revision or amendment has been
submitted in writing and announced from the pulpit fourteen (14) days before
the vote is taken.
ADOPTION
This Constitution and Bylaws was adopted by a two-thirds
majority vote of the members present and voting at a duly-called meeting of the
church in which a quorum was present.
This Constitution and Bylaws supersede any other
Constitution and Bylaws of Higher Ground Baptist Church of Rutledge.
__________________ __________________________________________
Date Director
of Records
