Calvary Baptist Church
Durant,
Oklahoma
ARTICLE I - MEMBERSHIP
Section A. Reception of Members. Candidates for membership in this Church by
baptism, statement, restoration, or letter, shall give satisfactory confession
of faith in Jesus Christ before the church.
It shall be the policy of this Church to receive members only in the
following manners:
1. Any
person confessing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; giving evidence of a
regenerate heart; subscribing to the Church Covenant; and adopting the views of
faith and practice held by the church, after having been baptized, may be
admitted into full fellowship of the church.
2. Any
person who has been baptized by immersion upon profession of faith into any
other church of like faith and order, but who, because of some peculiar
circumstances, have no regular letter of dismissal and cannot obtain one may be
received into fellowship upon their statement by giving evidence of a
regenerate heart and Christian conduct, and by subscribing to the Church
Covenant.
3. Members
from other regular Baptist churches holding the same faith may be received into
membership by letter of dismissal from their respective churches and
subscribing to the Church Covenant.
4. Any
member whose name has been erased from the church roll, or who has been
excluded from membership, may be restored upon request by confession of their
error committed, or by giving satisfactory evidence to the church of having
maintained a Christian character.
Section B. Responsibilities of
Members. Membership responsibilities include:
1. Seeking
to lead a Christian life as described in the Holy Bible,
2. Regular
attendance at Church services,
3. Regular
scriptural giving in support of the Church's expenses and the causes that it
sponsors,
4. Sharing
in the work of the Church and its fellowship activities,
5. Acceptance
and support of the Constitution.
6. Acceptance and support of the Church
Covenant.
Section C. Dismissal of Members.
It shall be the policy of this Church to remove names of members from
the roll only in the following manners:
by death, by letter, or by exclusion.
Section D. Letters of Dismissal.
Letters of dismissal for any member who is in good standing with the
church shall be granted to any sister church of like faith and order upon
proper request for letter from said church.
Letters will be mailed directly to the church where the member
joins. In no case will a letter be
granted in blank and given to the individual.
It will be the policy of this Church not to issue letters of dismissal
to churches of other denominations.
Section E. Discipline.
In case a member be guilty of conduct unbecoming a Christian so that the
name of Christ is brought into disrepute, it shall be the duty of the Deacon
body to confer with such person in the hope of restoring such as one. If the member will not hear those brethren,
it shall be the duty of the Deacon body to report the member's attitude to the
Church. If the member will not hear the
Church, it shall be the duty of the Church to exclude such person from its
membership.
Section F. Non-Resident Status.
Any member who has moved from the church field shall be placed in
non-resident status and shall be encouraged to join a church of like faith and
order.
Section A. Pastor.
The pastor shall exercise executive authority for the Church. He shall exercise supervision over the
ministerial and support staff and all church programs not specifically reserved
to others.
1. Emeritus
Status. A Pastor who has retired from faithful
service in the ministry may, by the initiation of the Deacon body, be placed on
emeritus status. This change in status
must be by recommendation of the Deacon body and approval by the Church.
Section B. Succession.
In the absence of the Pastor, succession of the executive authority for
the church shall be: first the ministerial staff member with ministerial
seniority, then the Chairman of the Deacons.
In the absence of the designated successors, the Church Clerk shall call
a business meeting at which the church shall elect a successor.
Section C. Deacons.
1. Number of Deacons. The number of Deacons shall be determined by
the Pastor and Deacon body based on the needs of the Church.
2. Membership.
All active Deacons shall be scripturally qualified men ordained by this
church or another Baptist church of like faith and order. Each shall have been a member of Calvary
Baptist Church for a minimum of six months.
a. Election of Deacons. The Church shall nominate a member, or
members, as prospective deacons to serve for a six month probationary period
with the number nominated to be determined by the Pastor and Deacon body based
on the needs of the Church. During this
probationary period, the prospective deacons shall receive training by the
Pastor and the Deacon body regarding the duties and responsibilities of being a
deacon. At the close of the six-month
period, the Deacon body may recommend the prospects to the church for
ordination based on the scriptural qualifications set forth in 1Timothy 3:
8-13. If the Church by a vote of the
majority of the members present and voting at a business meeting, approve the
recommendation, then it shall authorize and direct the Pastor to assemble an
Ordaining Council of ordained Ministers of the Gospel and Deacons of like faith
and order, who shall examine the candidate and if he is qualified, perform the
ceremony of ordination in the name, and in the presence, of the Church.
b. A
Deacon joining from another church of like faith and order shall not be
activated until he has been a member of this Church for six months and only
upon a recommendation from the Deacon body.
If the Church by a vote of the majority of the members present and
voting at a business meeting approve the recommendation, then the member shall
be added to the active Deacon body.
c. Emeritus Status. A Deacon who has served faithfully but who is
unable to continue to perform the duties of a Deacon may, by the initiation of
the Deacon body, be placed on emeritus status.
This change in status must be by recommendation of the Deacon body and
approval by the Church. A Deacon on
emeritus status will be considered the same as active deacons for all
fellowship activities but shall have no service duties.
d. Inactive Status. Any active
Deacon who elects not to perform the duties of a Deacon or has not attended the
meetings of the Deacon body for a continuous six-month period will be placed on
inactive status. An inactive Deacon may
be restored to active status by recommendation of the Deacon body.
4. Organization.
The Deacon body shall be entirely self-governing. It shall choose a Chairman, Vice-Chairman,
Secretary, and such other leaders as may be required to fulfill its ministries.
5. Responsibilities. The
Deacon body is established to be servants to the church as defined in the New
Testament.
a. In
its servant capacity, the Deacon body shall seek to serve the entire membership
with particular attention given to serving the needs of the widowed, the sick,
the bereaved, and the poor.
b. The
Deacon body is not a governing body. It
may, however, recommend for church consideration and decision any matter it
deems appropriate.
c. The
Deacon body has constitutional responsibility for oversight of the discipline
process of the Church and, in its role, is free to confer corporately or
individually with the Pastor concerning such discipline. In all discipline matters, they are to be
guided by the Biblical principles and practice outlined in Matthew and
Galatians.
d. The
Deacon body shall administer the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper.
6. Meetings. The
Deacon body shall hold regular monthly meetings. Special meetings may be called by the
Chairman as necessary. Meetings shall be
moderated by the Chairman or the Vice Chairman in his absence.
Section D. Church Clerk.
The Church Clerk shall be a church member of two or more years nominated
by the Nominating Committee and confirmed by vote of the Church. The term of office shall be three years. The Church Clerk may be elected to succeed her/himself
any number of times.
The Church Clerk shall:
1. Take,
prepare, and present for approval minutes of each business meeting;
2. Sign
all documents requiring the Church Clerk’s signature;
3. Serve
on the Church Council;
4. Preside,
in the absence of the moderator, over business meetings during the election of
a temporary moderator who shall then preside for the remainder of the meeting.
Section A. General Provisions
1. Types
of Committees. All committees shall be classified
as either standing, ad hoc, or search committees.
a. Standing Committee. A
standing committee shall be listed in the By-Laws and have a list of duties
requiring regular performance. It shall
have a rotating membership with specified term lengths. The standing committee year shall be January
1 through December 31 unless otherwise indicated. Responsibilities and authority of each
standing committee shall be specified in these By-Laws.
b. Ad Hoc Committee. An ad hoc committee shall be constituted
for a special purpose and shall terminate when its defined purpose is
completed.
c. Search Committee. Search committees shall be elected at such
times as additions to the ministerial staff are needed and shall terminate when
their defined purpose is completed.
2. Establishment. All committees, except search committees,
shall be established, changed or terminated by majority vote of the Church upon
recommendation by the Committee on Committees.
Each recommendation shall include the type of committee (standing or ad
hoc), its purpose, membership, and duties.
Approved standing committees shall be added to the By-Laws.
3. Membership. All members having over six months tenure at
Calvary Baptist Church are eligible to serve as a member of any standing committee
or ad hoc committee. In such cases where
effective committee service requires specific member attributes, these are
listed under the By-Law section describing the affected committee.
Standing committee members shall be
elected by the Church upon nomination by the Committee on Committees for
three-year terms with the term periods staggered so that one-third of the
membership of each committee rotates off each year. Committees shall have not less than three or
more than nine members. The pastor shall
be an ex-officio member of all standing committees. He may choose to delegate his ex-officio
membership to other members of the church ministerial staff as he sees
fit. Neither the pastor nor any member
of the ministerial staff shall serve as chair or be a voting member of any
standing committee.
Any member of a standing or ad hoc
committee, who wishes to resign, shall provide a written resignation to the
Committee on Committees. When a
committee member is unable to attend three or more consecutive committee
meetings, that member’s seat shall be considered vacant, and it shall be filled
by procedures specified in these By-Laws.
Any unscheduled committee election shall be to fill the remainder of the
term of the vacating member.
Individual church members may serve
on no more than two standing committees at the same time and may not serve more
than two consecutive terms on any committee except when a specific exception is
provided by these By-Laws or by a vote of the Church.
The church ministerial staff shall
provide resource and counsel to assist committees in fulfilling their
responsibilities as requested.
4. Officers. Committee chairs shall be elected by the
members of the committee at their first regularly scheduled meeting of the
year. The chair shall be elected from
those members of the committee who have at least one year of service on the
committee.
5. Fiscal Responsibilities and Authority. Standing committees are authorized to expend
budgeted funds in pursuit of their defined responsibilities up to 25% of their
budget or $2,000, whichever is greater but limited to budget total, for a
single expenditure without specific approval of the Church. Such authorization shall apply except in the
instance where the Finance Committee has notified all committee chairmen and
staff that austere financial conditions necessitate the limitation of
expenditures.
6. Meetings and Minutes. Committees will meet as they deem necessary,
but in no case less often than semi-annually.
Each committee shall establish its own operating procedures and record
them in their minutes. A copy of each
meeting’s minutes shall be filed in the church office for central reference and
permanent record.
Section B.
Standing Committees
1. BAPTISM COMMITTEE
a. Purpose. To prepare for and assist
in the baptismal services.
b. Membership. The committee will have three members each
elected for three-year terms.
c. Responsibilities.
i. Prepare
baptistry for services including monitoring water level and heating.
ii. Provide
assistance to baptismal candidates as needed.
iii. Responsible
for the upkeep and/or replacement of baptismal robes.
2. BAPTIST COLLEGIATE MINISTRIES (BCM)
COMMITTEE
a. Purpose.
To coordinate the church’s involvement with the BCM.
b. Membership. The committee will have
three members each elected for three-year terms.
c. Responsibilities.
i. Coordinate
church support and participation in activities at the BCM.
ii. Recommend
to the Finance Committee a level of support for the BCM.
3. BEREAVEMENT COMMITTEE
a. Purpose. To assist the church in
ministering to church families at the time of the death of a member or a death
in the immediate family of a member.
b. Membership. The committee will have
five members each elected for three-year terms.
Members of this committee should be selected with consideration given to
their ability to respond quickly when notified of a death. Members may serve more than two consecutive
terms.
c. Responsibilities.
i. Use
established guidelines to determine when the church should respond by providing
food for a person or family in our membership who has experienced the death of
a loved one. Limited to the husband,
wife, mother, father, child, or others living in the home.
ii. Contact
the bereaved families to assess the extent of the need and to determine what
other groups might respond to the need (i.e. churches to which other members of
the family belong, etc.)
4.
CHURCH FELLOWSHIP COMMITTEE
a. Purpose. To coordinate church-wide
fellowships.
b. Membership. The committee will have
three members each elected for three-year terms.
c. Responsibilities.
i. Coordinate
the food, decorations, and setup for church-wide fellowships.
ii. Enlist
workers as need to assist with the fellowships.
5. COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES
a. Purpose. To provide oversight for all standing committees and recommend
nominees for committee membership for election by the church.
b. Membership. The committee will have
five members. Members of this committee
shall be appointed by the Church Council and confirmed by the church body to
serve for three-year terms.
c. Responsibilities.
i. Select,
interview, and nominate church members to serve as members of all standing
committees in accord with the church committee calendar.
ii. Maintain
familiarity with the responsibilities of all standing committees and provide
oversight for the activities of those committees.
iii. To
nominate Trustees for church approval as vacancies arise and to provide
oversight of the Trustees.
iv. Maintain
the integrity of the committee structure by providing recommendations to the
church for additions or deletions of committees or for modifications to the
stated responsibilities of all standing committees. Proposals to establish new committees would
include a statement of purpose, a proposal for membership, and a list of
responsibilities.
6. FALLS CREEK COMMITTEE
a. Purpose. To coordinate the use,
lease, and maintenance of the Falls Creek cabin.
b. Membership. The committee will have
five members each elected for three-year terms.
c. Responsibilities.
i. Coordinate
the lease process for the cabin including approval or denial of lease requests.
ii. Establish
policies and procedures for use and maintenance of cabin.
iii. Maintain
an inventory, updated annually, of all cabin equipment and assets.
iv. Secure
cooks, transportation, and alternative lodging (if needed) for camp.
v. Develop
menu and obtain food supplies for camp.
7. FINANCE COMMITTEE
a. Purpose. To provide oversight and planning of the church
budget and all financial matters.
b. Membership. This committee shall be composed of five
members each elected for three-year terms.
The chair of the committee shall be elected by the committee from among
its members annually during its January meeting. The Church Treasurer shall
serve as an ex-officio member of the Finance Committee.
c. Responsibilities.
i. Compile
in coordination with the Church Council and present to the church for approval
an annual budget.
ii. Notify
the staff and all committee chairmen at such time as available funds
necessitate limitation of expenditures.
In such cases, the committee shall develop and communicate a priority
for expenditures as shall be necessary to conform to the restricted financial
circumstances. First priority shall be given to salaries, insurance and
utilities.
iii. Maintain
stewardship oversight of all church assets and debts and make recommendations
for church action as necessary.
iv. Provide
a monthly financial report to the church and to each regularly scheduled
business meeting.
v. Determine
a schedule for and supervision of church financial audits. Review the auditor’s findings and make
recommendations to the church for implementation of changes as may be
identified by such audits.
vi. Recommend
any necessary transfer of funds between budget line items.
8. FLOWER COMMITTEE
a. Purpose. To act for the church in
providing flower arrangements for the Church Sanctuary.
b. Membership. The committee will have
three members each elected for three-year terms. Members may serve more than two consecutive
terms.
c. Responsibilities.
i. Plan,
with appropriate staff members, for the flower arrangements to be used in the
Church Sanctuary.
ii. Expend
allocated funds of the flower budget.
9. HOUSE AND GROUNDS COMMITTEE
a. Purpose. To act for the church in the care and
maintenance of all church-owned equipment (non-licensed), buildings, and
grounds.
b. Membership. This committee will have six members elected
for three-year terms. At least two-thirds
of the committee’s members shall be selected with consideration given to their
knowledge and/or skills in the construction or maintenance of buildings,
equipment, or grounds.
c. Responsibilities.
i. Develop
and recommend to the Finance Committee a budget for the maintenance and repair
of buildings, equipment, and grounds.
ii. Regularly
inspect buildings, equipment, and grounds to determine condition and provide
care of maintenance.
iii. Be
pro-active in providing preventative maintenance of buildings and equipment in
order to limit the need for expensive repairs.
iv. Work
with church staff to review space and furnishing needs to determine additional
requirements or needed modifications.
v. Administer
the budget approved for additions, repair, or maintenance of buildings,
equipment, and grounds after determination (with the Finance Committee) that
such funds are available for use. Budget
approved individual expenditures of $2000 shall be approved by committee
authority. The church shall approve
major individual expenditures over the above amount unless they represent
emergency repairs to facilities or equipment necessary for the safety, comfort,
and/or proper functioning of the church.
Such emergency repairs may be authorized with the concurrence of the
Finance Committee.
vi. Supervise
and oversee the work of any contractor hired to provide maintenance or upkeep
of buildings and/or grounds.
vii. Work
with the appropriate church staff member to contract for pest control in
buildings or grounds.
viii. Establish policies, after consultation with staff, regarding use
of buildings, grounds and/or equipment.
ix. Develop
a written inventory of all church property which shall be kept current and
reviewed at least annually.
10.
INSURANCE COMMITTEE
a. Purpose. To oversee insurance
coverage of the church.
b. Membership. The committee will have
three members each elected for three-year terms.
c. Responsibilities.
i. Provide
oversight to assure adequate insurance coverage for all church properties as
well as liability insurance. This shall
be reviewed annually during the budgeting process.
11.
KITCHEN COMMITTEE
a. Purpose. To act for the church in
the overall operation of the church kitchens and their equipment.
b. Membership. The committee will have
three members each elected for three-year terms.
c. Responsibilities.
i. Establish
policies and procedures for use and maintenance of the kitchens and their
equipment.
ii. Maintain
an inventory, updated annually, of all kitchen equipment and assets.
iii. Develop
and recommend to the Finance Committee a budget for operation of the kitchens
and for the acquisition of needed equipment and supplies.
12. NOMINATING COMMITTEE
a. Purpose. To act for the church in
staffing of all leadership positions filled by volunteers within the
educational ministry programs of the church.
b. Membership. The committee will have
five members each elected for three-year terms. Ministerial staff involved in
the educational ministry of the church will serve as ex-officio members of this
committee.
c. Responsibilities.
i. Determine,
with the ministerial staff, the positions within the educational ministry of
the church for which nominations need to be made.
ii. Assist
in discovering and enlisting qualified persons to fill such positions.
iii. Approve
persons considered for such positions before they are approached for
recruitment.
iv. Submit
to the church for election at its July business meeting each year the names of
the members who have been enlisted and who have agreed to serve as the Sunday
School Director, Discipleship Training Director, all Sunday School Division
(Adult, Youth, Children, and Pre-School) Directors, Church Clerk, Church
Treasurer, Assistant Check Signer, Pianist, Organist, Music Assistants, and
Executive Board Members.
v.
Recommend
to the church, at the July business meeting, nominations of those people who
accept the invitation to serve as Department Directors and teachers. Such elections is for the church educational
year beginning September.
13. PERSONNEL COMMITTEE
a. Purpose. To act for the church in
matters concerning the called ministerial staff and all other paid employees.
b. Membership. The committee will have
five members each elected for three-year terms.
c.
Responsibilities.
i. Survey
periodically the needs of the church in regard to church personnel.
ii. Prepare
and recommend to the church an organizational chart for all church employees
and review annually.
iii. Prepare
and maintain accurate job descriptions for all church employees.
iv. Recruit
and hire qualified persons to fill vacancies on the non-ministerial paid staff
of the church. (The committee has no
responsibility for the selection of the ministerial staff. Such responsibility is reserved for specially
elected search committees whose selection and responsibilities are covered in
Section D of these By-Laws.)
v. Recommend
compensation and benefits for the paid staff after determining with the Finance
Committee the cost feasibility of the recommendation.
vi. Recommend
to the church such policies as govern sick leave, vacation benefits, holidays,
hours of work, etc.
vii. Prepare
and maintain a personnel manual which outlines such policies.
viii. The committee shall exercise evaluation and oversight of all staff
and shall interview confidentially, not less than annually, each member of the
church staff to review their job description to determine progress being made
and any adjustments that might be needed.
ix. Investigate
grievances of and/or against ministerial and other paid staff and take or
recommend necessary action.
x. Work
with the pastor to coordinate vacation, revival, convention, and other leave
schedules for church ministerial and staff personnel and to provide adequate
coverage during such periods of absence.
xi. Monitor
all staff records of accrued vacation and sick leave.
14. PRE-SCHOOL COMMITTEE
a. Purpose. To act for the church in
the staffing and operation of its nurseries for children three years old and
younger.
b. Membership. The committee will have
five members each selected for three-year terms. The Pre-School Department Director will serve
as an ex-officio member of the committee.
c. Responsibilities.
i. Develop
and present nursery and pre-school policies for church approval.
ii. Administer
approved policies and promote the work of the pre-school area to the
membership.
iii. Develop
and recommend to the Finance Committee a budget for operation of the nurseries
and for acquisition of needed equipment.
iv. Administer
approved expenditures.
v. Oversee
the maintenance and/or disposition of present equipment and the cleanliness and
care of the pre-school facilities.
vi. Assist
the Personnel Committee in securing paid church nursery workers.
15. PUBLICITY & PROMOTION COMMITTEE
a. Purpose. To coordinate publicity
and promotion of church activities.
b. Membership. The committee will have
four members each elected for three-year terms.
c. Responsibilities.
i. Coordinate
promotion of church activities.
ii. Contact
newspaper and radio or television stations as needed for publicity of events.
iii. Prepare
publicity items as needed including flyers, signs, or bulletin boards.
16. SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE
a. Purpose. To administer the special
scholarship funds provided by special offerings of the membership of Calvary
Baptist Church.
b. Membership. The committee will have four members each
elected for three-year terms. Members of
this committee should exhibit sensitivity to and interest in the needs of
students. The Minister of Students will
serve as an ex-officio member of the committee.
c. Responsibilities.
i. Follow
guidelines outlined in each scholarship agreement.
ii. Solicit
applications from qualified students that will be due by the first of April.
iii. Review
received applications and award scholarship(s) by the first of May.
17. SOUND COMMITTEE
a. Purpose. To act for the church in
the operation, care, and maintenance of audio, video, and lighting equipment.
b. Membership. The committee will have
three members each elected for three-year terms. Members should be selected from among those
church members with knowledge and/or expertise in operation of audio or video
equipment.
c. Responsibilities.
i. Establish,
oversee, and record policies for use and care of church-owned audio, video, and
lighting equipment.
ii. Develop
and recommend to the Finance Committee a budget for maintenance and acquisition
of audio, video, and lighting equipment.
iii. Coordinate
the scheduling and training of volunteer personnel to insure availability for
regular services and special events.
iv. Administer
church funds to maintain in proper working order the church-owned audio, video,
and lighting equipment and make new and replacement acquisitions as budget
funds allow.
v. Responsible
for scheduling technicians for Sunday morning and night, Wednesday night,
weddings, funerals, and special services.
18. TELLER COMMITTEE
a.
Purpose.
To count and deposit church offering receipts.
b. Membership. This
committee shall be composed of three members each elected for three-year terms.
Members may serve more than two consecutive terms. The Treasurer will serve as
an ex-officio member of the committee.
c. Responsibilities.
i. To
count all church receipts.
ii. Prepare
deposit and submit to bank with at least two signatures from the committee.
19. TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
a. Purpose. To administer the usage, care, inspection, and
acquisition of such licensed motor vehicles as are owned by the church.
b. Membership.
The committee will have five members each elected for three-year
terms. At least two-thirds of the
committee’s members shall be selected with consideration given to their
knowledge and/or skills in the maintenance of vehicles.
c. Responsibilities.
i. Develop and recommend to the Finance Committee a budget for the operation and maintenance of such licensed vehicles.
ii. Establish, and review annually, a set of guidelines covering the priority for and use of each vehicle. Guidelines for use of vehicles shall include the following minimum requirements:
1. Driver
must be 21 years of age or older
2. Driver
must hold a valid driver’s license
3. Driver’s
license number must be on file in the church office
4. Driver
must be listed and approved on church insurance
iii.
Ascertain
that the church is adequately protected by insurance.
iv.
Oversee
the care and maintenance of all church licensed vehicles including inspection
stickers, tags, insurance, etc.
v.
Establish
a plan for and recommend church action when major unit replacement or repair is
appropriate.
vi.
Administer
the budget approved for operation, maintenance, and repair of vehicles after
determination (with the Finance Committee) that such funds are available for
use. Budget approved individual
expenditures of $2000 shall be approved by committee authority. The church shall approve major individual
expenditures over the above amount unless they represent emergency repairs to
vehicles necessary for the safety, comfort, and/or proper functioning of the
vehicle. Such emergency repairs may be
authorized with the concurrence of the Finance Committee.
20. USHER COMMITTEE
a.
Purpose. To
provide ushers for each service of worship at Calvary Baptist Church.
b.
Membership. The committee will have three members each
elected for three-year terms.
c.
Responsibilities.
i.
Enlist
and organize ushers to perform the following functions:
ii.
Greet
and help seat people attending worship services.
iii.
Collect
and in sure security of offerings received in worship services of the church
according to established procedures.
iv.
Be
available to aid when needed during services, i.e. to carry messages to parents
from the nursery, to assist when someone becomes ill, and to be alert to the
general security needs of the congregation.
v.
Enlist
a coordinator to organize volunteers to greet and distribute bulletins to
visitors arriving for Sunday School and to escort them to appropriate Sunday
School classes.
21. VBS COMMITTEE
a. Purpose. To plan and coordinate
Vacation Bible School.
b. Membership. The committee will have
three members each elected for three-year terms.
c. Responsibilities.
i. To
enlist teachers and workers.
ii. Develop
curriculum for each VBS.
iii. Coordinate the supplies needed in each area.
Section C. Ad Hoc Committees.
Ad Hoc committees are elected to fulfill a specific, temporary purpose
as a need is identified. Recommendations
for the election of ad hoc committees shall come from the Committee on
Committees. Such recommendations will include
a statement of purpose, membership, responsibilities, and tenure of service for
the proposed committee.
Section D. Ministerial Search
Committees. When a vacancy occurs in the ministerial
staff, the church shall elect a search committee to seek a suitable
replacement.
The Search Committee shall be
composed of five members with two members designated to be alternates. There shall be no nominations to the Search
Committee. Each church member shall vote
by secret ballot at a business meeting for five people of their choice. Those members receiving the greatest number
of votes, and who are willing to serve, shall be elected, first the committee,
then the alternates. Only one member
from each immediate household shall be allowed to serve. The ballots shall be
kept confidential and preserved for use to select new alternates as alternated
may succeed to the committee. The
ballots shall be destroyed when the committee has completed its work. The election shall be administered by the
Deacon Officers, Tellers Committee, and the Church Clerk. All church members in good standing are
eligible to serve on the Search Committee except members of the church staff
and their immediate families.
The Search Committee shall elect its
own officers, determine its manner of operation, and shall be responsible
solely to the Church. The Search
Committee is authorized to use Church facilities and funds in the conduct of
its mission.
Search Committee meetings shall be
closed executive sessions. The Committee
may seek the advice and counsel from other ministerial staff as they see
fit. Alternates shall have no active
role in the committee unless called to fill a vacancy.
The Committee shall nominate one
candidate at a time. The nomination of a
candidate shall be accompanied by a proposed job description and compensation
package developed in conjunction with the responsible committees. Church action on the committee’s nomination
shall be by secret ballot. An
affirmative majority vote of those Church members present and voting shall be
required in order to extend a ministerial call from the Church. If a large percentage of votes are cast
against the candidate but not a majority against, the Committee shall review
the decision of the Church and discuss it with the candidate prior to extending
a call.
The Committee shall nominate for
church approval all candidates for any interim ministerial staff position.
Section A. Church Council
1. Purpose. To act for the Church in matters delegated to the Council in
these By-Laws.
2. Membership. The Church Council shall
be made up of the Ministerial Staff, Chairman of the Deacons, Sunday School
Director, Brotherhood Director, Women’s Missionary Union (WMU) Director,
Treasurer, and Clerk.
The Church Council shall be chaired
by the Pastor with the Vice Chairman being the Chairman of the Deacons. The Church Clerk shall act as the secretary
for the Church Council and in the absence of both the Chairman and the Vice
Chairman, the Church Clerk shall convene the Church Council with the first
order of business to elect a Church Council Moderator from among the Council
members present who will then preside over the meeting.
A Church Council quorum shall be one
half of the currently qualified members excluding vacancies.
3. Responsibilities.
a. To
prepare an annual coordinated church calendar.
The Church Council is responsible for coordinating all church-wide
events. The adopted church calendar is
to be maintained in the Church office where individual events may be added on a
first-come, first-served basis as long as they do not conflict with church-wide
events.
b. To
nominate, for church approval, members of the Committee on Committees and to
provide oversight of that committee.
c. To
evaluate all purposed church-wide designated funds and recommend for approval
those it considers appropriate. The
recommendation shall specify whether the fund is to be permanent, or, if not,
to include its expiration date.
d. To
conduct short and long range planning for worship services in coordination the
pastor.
e. To
develop, and propose for church approval, church policies and procedures it
considers appropriate.
f. Review
and make recommendations for such changes in the constitution or by-laws as
shall be necessary to maintain such orderly functioning.
Section
B. Missions
Council
a. Purpose. To provide oversight and
planning of the Church’s mission program.
b. Membership. The Council shall be
composed of the current heads of all church missions organizations and one
person designated by each of the continuing active mission ministries of the
Church. The Council will be chaired by
the pastor. Members will serve for the
duration of their term in office.
c. Responsibilities.
i. Develop
and recommend to the Church Council annually a calendar of mission activities
for the year.
ii. Recommend
goals to the Church for each of the annual mission offerings taken by the
Church.
iii. Publicize
and promote mission giving and special offerings related to missions.
iv. Develop
and recommend to the Finance Committee a budget for mission organizations and
regular missions ministries of the Church.
v. Provide
oversight of the mission ministry activities of the Church including all
continuing mission activities.
vi. Recommend
to the Church participation in new mission opportunities. Such a recommendation should include an
estimate of budget required and a proposed method of financing.
ARTICLE
V - TRUSTEES
Section A. Purpose.
To serve as the entity among the Church membership whose signature, in
accordance with church instructions, obligates the Church to fulfill the terms
of the agreement entered into.
Section B. Membership.
There shall be three trustees elected by the Church for three-year terms
upon the recommendation of the Committee on Committees. A trustee must be a member of the Church for
five years before being eligible to serve.
No member of the Church staff may serve as a Trustee.
Section C. Responsibilities. The sole function of the Trustees is to affix
their signature to legal documents in accordance with the instructions of the
Church. The signatures of the three
trustees, acting in accordance with church instructions, are required to
obligate the Church. The Trustees shall
be held harmless by the Church for all signatory acts they perform in
accordance with the instructions of the Church.
ARTICLE VI - MEETINGS
Section A. Worship Services.
Church worship services will be held regularly on Sunday morning, Sunday
evening, and Wednesday evening, and will be used for preaching, Bible study,
instruction, education, evangelism, prayer and worship. Special services shall be planned, promoted,
and held within the framework of the Church calendar and budget.
Section B. Business Meetings.
A regular business meeting shall be held once each calendar
quarter. All church business meetings
shall be conducted in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order. Five percent of the Church’s present resident
membership shall constitute a quorum.
Special business meetings may be called by the Pastor or Chairman of
Deacons as the need requires after two weeks notice has been given to the
members.
The moderator of business meetings
shall be the pastor or, in his absence, the ministerial staff member with
ministerial seniority, then the Chairman of the Deacons. In the absence of a moderator, the Church
Clerk shall preside over the business meeting during the election of a
temporary moderator who shall then preside for the remainder of the meeting.
Section C. Suspension of Regular
Services. Suspension of
regular services will be by vote of the Church unless it is in emergency
circumstances in which case the pastor, in consultation with the Chairman of
Deacons, may suspend any scheduled service.
ARTICLE VII - GENERAL POLICIES
Section A. The
policies described in these by-laws are binding upon all members of Calvary
Baptist Church.
Section B. Authority
to act for the Church within the limits specified by these by-laws is vested in
the committees and councils of the Church.
Committees and councils are autonomous within their defined areas of
responsibility. Requests for and
expenditures from budget line items shall be controlled by the responsible
committee. When no standing committee
exists with designated responsibility to govern the needed expenditures, the
ministerial staff shall act for the Church to request budget allocations and to
approve expenditures from budget line items for their area of ministerial
responsibility.
Ad hoc committees shall have the
same fiscal authority as standing committees within their designated area of
responsibility during their lifecycle.
Section C. A
by-law may be suspended by a motion to “suspend the rules” providing such
motion is in order and passes by a two-thirds majority at a business
meeting. A motion to suspend the rules
must be pertinent to the business to be acted upon, suspends only the specific
by-law identified in the motion, and expires upon adjournment of the meeting at
which it was approved. There is no
provision to suspend the rules for the constitution.
Section D. Proposed
changes to these by-laws shall be considered by the Church Council and
recommended for approval to the Church as needed.
Section E. The
pastor is vested with supervisory authority over the ministerial staff.
Section F. Calvary
Baptist Church vests in its ministerial staff the authority to conduct those
ministries, which have been approved by the Church and for which they have been
called. Proposals for new ministries
must be approved through a process outlined by these by-laws.
Section G. Proposals
for new ministries are to be examined by the Church Council with consideration
for their need and merit and with a view toward their effect upon previously
established ministries and committees/councils affected by the proposal. If the Church Council reaches a favorable
decision, it will present its recommendation to the Church for approval.
Section H. When
unforeseeable circumstances arise which require decisions on policy questions
not covered by these by-laws, the Church Council shall adopt and act upon
interim policies in order to respond to the emergency.
Section I. All
gifts received by the Church shall be credited to either the general fund or to
an already designated fund. A designated
fund is one that has been approved by the Church to be used exclusively for the
purpose designated. If a gift (including
non-monetary gifts) is offered for a designated purpose for which no previously
designated fund exists, the matter will be referred to the Church Council for
consideration and recommendation to the Church.
Should the Church terminate any designated fund, the Church Council
shall determine the disposition of any residual funds in accordance with the
Church constitution. Designated funds
may be established as permanent funds or may be established for a limited time
period. Designated funds shall be
accounted for in financial reports segregated from budget line items. In the event a gift is offered for which a
designated fund is not recommended by the Church Council, or is rejected by the
vote of the Church, the gift shall be declined.
Section J. In
the case of a designated fund which covers a multiplicity of expenses, i.e.
church sponsored mission trips, a projected budget shall be provided to the
Church as a part of the promotion of the fund and an expenditure account shall
be provided to the Finance Committee for accountability purposes.
Section K. Once
the budget has been adopted by the Church, there shall be no changes in line
item amounts without church approval, except that the Finance Committee may
approve overruns of line items of not more than 10% providing excess funds are
available for use and the approval for the overrun is given by the Finance
Committee prior to expenditure of such overrun.
Section L. Donors
of gifts made to the Church shall not be publicly identified. There shall be no display of memorial plaques
within the Church property. Gift books
given to the library may include memorial acknowledgments on their
flyleaves. Sanctuary flowers given in
memory or honor of an individual shall be publicized in the Church bulletin
upon request but without reference to the donor.
Section M. Proposals
for solicitation of church-wide contributions, except for those offerings
traditionally received for missions and for benevolence, must first be
presented to the Church Council for recommendation to the Church. All such proposals, which are approved by the
Church for solicitation of contributions, whether monetary or in kind, shall be
deemed dedicated funds and shall be used only for the purpose solicited.
Section N. The
church shall not align itself with any partisan political activity. It shall serve as an information channel for
Christian moral and spiritual issues on a non-partisan basis.
Section O. Six
months tenure is required before any member (except ministerial staff) may be
placed in a position of leadership or teaching.
Section P. The
church shall employ only one member of any family to the second degree of blood
relationship or marriage.
Section Q. Weddings
held in church facilities shall be conducted by ordained ministers of the
Baptist faith.
Section R. When
it appears that changes or additions to the ministerial staff positions are
warranted, the Church Council shall evaluate the need and recommend to the
Church such revisions in the ministerial staff positions as deemed appropriate.
Section S. Use
of church facilities, equipment, furnishing or vehicles will be in accordance
with policies established by the responsible committee. Such policies shall include an appropriate
fee structure and avoid conflicts with church needs.
Section T. Calendaring
of Events
1. Regular
church services and continuing activities shall be calendared by the
ministerial staff on an annual basis.
2. Calendaring
of other events by church entities is done when a request is made to the Church
office in writing and in accordance with church office procedures. Requests are accepted on a first come, first
served basis and may not conflict or preempt regular church services and/or
activities.
3. Events
requested by church organizations or individually calendared events, i.e.
weddings, receptions, etc., for use of church facilities will be considered in
the order received by the Church office and automatically approved if in
conformance with established usage policies and if the date is open.
4. Once
an event is calendared, it cannot be preempted.
5. Where
fees for use of facilities are required, the fee must be paid at the time of
calendaring and will become non-refundable thirty days prior to the date
reserved for the event. Exceptions may
be approved by the responsible committee.
Section U. When
questions arise regarding overlapping or confusing jurisdictional authorities
or responsibilities between church committees or between church committees and
ministerial staff, the Church Council shall act to resolve the question. When appropriate, the Council may then
propose any amendments needed to clarify such jurisdiction in these by-laws.
Section V. Fiscal
transactions which involve real property or which obligate the Church to debt
require approval by the Church and signature by church trustees. Fiscal transactions, including contracts for
services, may be entered into by the designated church authority if the
obligation is covered by an approved budget line item and the obligation does
not exceed the spending authorized or the period of the approved budget. All other fiscal actions require prior church
approval.
Section W. When
proposals involving policy questions not covered by these by-laws are presented
in business meetings and are approved by vote of the Church, they shall become
effective according to the content of the motion approved, recorded in the
business meeting minutes, and added to these by-laws in accord with the
required procedures. In the event that
the motion does not include a provision for immediate effectiveness, the motion
shall constitute the first reading for the new by-law.
Section X. Whenever
a church organization or approved program, funded by the Church budget, has an
overrun in its expenditures, any funds generated by that activity shall be
first applied to the overrun. If the
function and/or program generates funds and remains within its approved budget,
those generated funds may be used to enhance the approved program.
Section Y. Any
non-member group or individual invited to participate in services at Calvary
Baptist Church must be approved by the Church Council prior to the invitation
to come.