By-Laws - Calvary Baptist Church
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ARTICLE 1 - ROLES IN THE CHURCH
Section 1 –
The Leadership Body
The leadership body shall be made up of the Pastors,
Elders and Deacons who shall meet together as is necessary to execute the
responsibilities of the leadership body or for the purpose of disseminating
information between the leaders. Meetings shall be called by the Senior Pastor. The leadership body shall have the power to
buy, sell, mortgage, lease or transfer real property subject to the vote of the
church. The leadership body shall have
the right to engage or dismiss a paid employee of the church. The office of Senior Pastor and Associate
Pastor(s) are not considered to be a “Paid Employee”. The leadership body shall recommend the salary and raises of the Pastors
for a church vote. The leadership body
has the power to call church meetings following the proper protocol found in
these by-laws. The leadership body shall
appoint two (2) men each year to be the official representatives of the Church
and will designate such as “trustees”.
A - The Senior
Pastor
The Senior Pastor shall give himself primarily to the ministry of preaching,
teaching, and care for the spiritual needs of the congregation. He shall be
responsible for the training of all new members in special session at whatever
time he deems most advisable and profitable. He shall be available for
counseling and calling, which would include individual and family counseling
and pastoral care to families. It shall be the privilege of the Senior Pastor
to review all commissions and subordinating organizations as to their proper
function in the local body of Christ. He shall be an ex-officio member
of all commissions and may call any body or any commission together at any
time. He shall be a member of the elder body. He, in agreement with the
leadership body, may call the church together for special business.
B – Associate
Pastors
Associate Pastors must be particularly gifted and called to the full-time
ministry of preaching and teaching. In
the absence or incapacity of the Senior Pastor for defined periods of time
(such as sabbatical or illness), the Associate Pastor(s) shall assume the
responsibility for his duties under the oversight of the Elders.
C – Lay
Pastors
Lay
pastors must be gifted and called to the ministry of preaching and teaching. Lay pastors fulfill a specific need or role
in a part-time volunteer position. Lay Pastors shall be under the oversight of
the Elders.
D – Elders
Elders
must be a member of the church for at least one (1) year, and a professing
Christian for at least five (5) years, and have demonstrated a mature Christian
life and proven character. Elders shall meet regularly to execute their duty of
caring for the spiritual needs of the congregation in conjunction with the
Senior Pastor. Such responsibilities
shall include but are not limited to prayer, teaching, exhortation, visiting
the sick, and conducting devotional services.
They shall be responsible for the worthiness of all candidates for
church membership to ensure they meet all requirements and recommend membership
of qualified candidates to the Church.
They shall regularly survey the church roll and at any duly-called
meeting or the annual meeting submit recommendations to the church regarding
necessary revisions. The Elder’s wife
shall also be of good Christian character and be willing to help her husband in
whatever way necessary to perform his duties.
E - Deacons
Deacons must be a member of the church for at least
one (1) year, and a professing Christian for at least three (3) years, and have
demonstrated a mature Christian life and proven character. Deacons shall
meet regularly to execute their duty of caring for the property of the
church, minister to widows, visiting the sick, and administration of the
benevolence fund Deacons are to serve
the church under the direction of the church leadership. They are authorized to
spend up to the annual budgeted amount for routine maintenance under the
supervision of the Deacon Chairman, but will retain the liberty to spend more
than this in emergency repair and replacement of church property without
consent of the Church. All donated items
become the property of the church and, as such, their use is governed by the
deacons.
Section 2 –
Other Officers
A - Worship
Coordinator
He/she must be a member of the church, a professing Christian for at least three
(3) years, and have demonstrated a mature Christian life and proven
character. The Worship Coordinator is to
possess the necessary abilities to lead the worship of the church through
music. He/she will chair the worship
commission and head up the worship team as well as coordinate the choirs,
musicians, and performers that are involved during the times of musical
worship.
B - Treasurer
The qualifications for Treasurer: He/she must be a member of the church, a
professing Christian for at least one (1) year, and have demonstrated a mature
Christian life and proven character. He/she must have demonstrated ability in
accounting skills. The Treasurer shall receive a report from the Financial
Secretary of all funds contributed and shall disburse the same as directed by the
leadership body. He/she shall present a written report of itemized
disbursements at the regular business meetings showing the actual financial
condition of the church.
C - Financial Secretary
The qualifications for
Financial Secretary: He/she must be a member of the church, a professing
Christian for at least one (1) year and have demonstrated a mature Christian
life and proven character. He/she must have demonstrated ability in accounting
skills. It is the financial secretary’s express duty to audit all monies of the
church after they have been counted and recorded on standard record slips by
the Deacons. A record of the counting shall be kept by the Financial Secretary
with copies given to the Treasurer, church office, and Senior Pastor. The
Financial Secretary will keep an accurate set of books which record the names
and amounts of all known donations, and will send out statements at the end of
the year to the givers of record.
D - Clerk
The qualifications for
Clerk: He/she must be a member of the church, a professing Christian for at
least one (1) year, and have demonstrated a mature Christian life and proven
character. He/she must have demonstrated ability in secretarial skills and have
some knowledge of parliamentary law. The Clerk shall keep a record of the
proceedings of the church and shall have charge of all documents, papers, and
letters except as otherwise provided. The Clerk shall issue letters of
dismissal and recommendation. He/she shall keep a register of the church
membership.
E - Chief Usher
The qualifications for
Chief Usher: He must be a member of the church, a professing Christian for at
least one (1) year, and have demonstrated a mature Christian life and proven
character. The Chief Usher shall be responsible for maintaining proper order in
the sanctuary during worship. He shall see to the seating of the congregation
at all regular meetings of worship, and he shall see that offerings are taken
as directed by the leadership body. He
shall have the right to appoint any such assistants as needed, and he is
directly responsible to the Senior Pastor and the Deacon Chairman.
F - Bible Fellowship Director
The qualifications for
Bible Fellowship Director: He/she must be a member of the church, a professing
Christian for at least three (3) year, and have demonstrated a mature Christian
life and proven character. The Bible Fellowship Director shall approve all
Bible Fellowship teachers, Directors of Vacation Bible School and Bible clubs,
and all other advisors and leaders involved in teaching that are not under the
direct supervision of a Pastor. The Bible Fellowship Director shall review all
educational interests of the church to ensure doctrinal agreement with the church. The Bible Fellowship Director shall promote
study classes for the training of workers and appoint and create the
organization for the Sunday Morning classes.
G - Building Superintendent
The qualification for
Building Superintendent: He/she must be a member in good standing, faithful to
the life and ministry of Calvary Baptist Church. The Building Superintendent
shall have demonstrated an ability in the general maintenance and oversight of
facilities and equipment. He/she shall be selected by the congregation each
year.
Section 3 –
The Congregation
It is the
responsibility of the membership to examine closely who should or who should
not be in positions of authority and leadership (Acts 6:1-6), to be discerning
about what is taught (Acts 17:11), and to participate in decisions dealing with
finances and other monumental importance (1 Cor. 16:3, 2 Cor. 8-19). Assemblies
are to discipline their own members (Math. 18:15-17, 1 Cor. 5:1-5), commission their own
missionaries (Acts 13:1-3), and provide accountability in ministry efforts
(Acts 14:27). The congregation is to: submit to the elders in
the area of spiritual leadership and church ministry (Heb. 13:7,17); submit to
the Deacons in the areas of the physical sphere of ministry; submit to lay
leaders, leading in the areas of their ministry strengths and giftedness (Eph 5:21).
ARTICLE 2 – COMMISSIONS
Section 1 - Nominating Commission The Nominating Commission shall post the
nominations for congregation appointed positions four weeks before the annual meeting
of the church. All other persons nominated must be contacted and permission
obtained and posted two weeks before the annual meeting of the church.
Nominations for Deacons/Elders must be approved by the Nominating Commission.
Section 2 - Pulpit Commission It shall be the responsibility of the
Pulpit Commission to present candidates to the church to fill the office of Senior
Pastor. Only one candidate may be presented at a time, and he must be voted
upon before another candidate is considered. They shall present in writing to
the church the name of one candidate at a time and only such as they are
unanimously agreed upon as a desirable candidate.
Section 3 - Missions Commission The responsibilities of the Missions
commission shall be to:
1.
Plan ahead and
coordinate the yearly Missions Convention in conjunction with the Leadership
Body.
2.
Make
recommendations to the church for all allocation of mission funds.
3.
Maintain
communication with missionaries supported by the church.
Section 4 - Worship Commission The responsibilities of the Worship commission shall be to:
1.
Glorify God
through the administration of music in the total music program of Calvary Baptist Church.
2.
Appoint the
pianist, the organist, musical director and choir leader with the approval of the
Leadership Body.
3.
Purchase music
for the choir and the Church.
Section 5 - Finance Commission The responsibilities of the Finance commission shall be to:
1.
Prepare a
yearly Church budget.
2.
Present the
budget for adoption by the Church at the Annual Meeting.
3.
Have charge of
the Church’s financial affairs, always subject to the Church and to the
regulations prescribed by the laws of the State of Arizona.
4.
Set sound
financial policy and monitor adherence to it.
Section 6 - Auditing Commission The responsibilities of the Auditing commission shall be to:
1.
Audit the
books of the Treasurer of the church.
2. Present a report to the church at the first
business meeting of the year.
ARTICLE 4 -
SUBORDINATE ORGANIZATIONS
Section 1 The Church
shall have power of general oversight and control of all subordinate
organizations.
Section 2 The head of each
organization shall be responsible for their organization.
Section 3 The heads of these organizations shall be members of this Church
in good standing.
Section 4 Any subordinate organization desiring the use of church
property for any except their regular services shall arrange for same with the
Property Deacon. Any member desiring to use the church property for any reason
other than meeting of subordinate organizations shall secure permission from
the Deacons and pay a fee for such use. Fee schedules for the use of any and
all church properties shall be set by the Deacons, with separate schedules for
members and non-members. Gratuities for the custodian shall not be included in
the fee schedules.
Section 5 Subordinate organizations shall disburse all their funds
through the church Treasurer.
ARTICLE 5 - BUSINESS
MEETINGS AND ORDINANCES
Section 1 The annual business meeting shall be held on a
date to be selected by the leadership body on or around the end of January and
announced to the congregation at least one month prior to the date. Other
business meetings may be called with proper notice by the leadership body
during the year as business arises that requires the consent or advice of the
church. Proper notice for other business
meetings requires two (2) weeks of notice (such as the weekly bulletin,from the
pulpit, or by way of written notice). Special meetings involving the sale or
purchase of property, the calling or dismissal of Pastors, the amending of our Constitution,
shall require written notice at least one (1) week (7 days) prior to the
meeting. Special meetings for matters determined serious enough by the
leadership body may be called by written notice at least 3 days before the
meeting.
Section 2 At all business meetings, a quorum shall consist of one-tenth
(1/10) of the active church membership; however, the leadership body may
determine when a quorum shall consist of 51% when not otherwise stated in the
By-Laws.
ARTICLE 6 -
FUND-RAISING
Section 1 It shall be the policy of this church that no
individual or organization shall engage in any activity on or off Church
properties, and in the name of the church, that:
1. Would in any
way suggest the raising of funds that circumvents God’s plan of giving.
2. Would suggest
to people giving to the activity that they are endearing themselves to
God, and therefore, promoting works as a means of salvation.
3. Would allow
for selling or trading for personal profit.
Section 2 Any fund-raising project must first be presented to the
leadership body for approval of the means and cause of the fund-raising effort.
Article 7 - Concerning Church
Discipline and Restoration (Biblical accountability to Godly behavior)
Section
1 - The Four Steps of Church Discipline:
1.
Admonition/Correction
by a single individual.
- When
the problem involves one believer sinning against another the goal must
be reconciliation and restoration. The person who has been offended
should first individually approach the offender seeking reconciliation
and restoration.
(Matt 18:15, Matt
5:23-24)
- When
the sin of a believer is witnessed by another believer they are to
lovingly admonish and correct with the purpose of restoration (and
reconciliation if the sin was against the witness).
(Gal 6:1)
2.
Collective
attempt of admonition/correction. If the individual attempt at reconciliation
and/or restoration is unfruitful the first person to confront as well as one to
two members of the Leadership Body are scripturally required to go to the
sinning party. (Matt 18:16-17, I Tim
5:19, II Tim 4:2, I Thess 5:12-13, Tit 2:15, 3:10)
3.
Admonition/correction
from the entire Church. If the collective attempt at reconciliation and/or
restoration is unfruitful the sin is presented before the church for the call
of repentance and reconciliation. (II
Thess 3:14-15, Matt 18:17, I Tim 5:20, I Cor
5:9-13)
4.
Disassociation/disfellowship.
If the sinning party refuses to heed the call of the church to repentance and
reconciliation it is the responsibility of the church to remove the
individual(s) from intimate fellowship and revoke their membership. (II Cor
2:6, I Cor 5:4, Matt 18:18-19, II Thess
3:14-15)
After disassociation/disfellowship the church shall
notify other like-minded congregations concerning the action (not the reason)
for the discipline. (Rom 16:17, II Jn
1:9-11, I Cor 5:9-13, II Tim 3:1-5)
In cases where a sin involves a transgression that
is against the whole body or if it is a threat to the unity of the Church the
Leadership Body may move directly to admonition and correction from the Church.
Section 2 - Procedures for Restoration:
1.
For
restoration to the Church body there must be genuine repentance which is
evidenced by actions and attitudes. The repentant person(s) must:
a.
Freely
acknowledge the sin.
b.
Cease the
activity for which discipline was administered.
c.
Make
restitution and/or ask for forgiveness from those hurt as applicable.
d.
Demonstrate a
genuine change of heart and a real concern and godly sorrow over the actions,
not in order to be forgiven, but because of the harm caused to the glory of God
and the hurt caused to others.
e.
Demonstrates a
yielding to the Spirit so that His fruit is manifested. (I Jn 1:9, Prov 28:13,
Gal 6:1, Jam 5:19-20, Phil 18-19, Matt 5:23-24, II Cor 7:8-11, Ps 51:17, Gal
5:22)
2.
The role of
the believer(s) is to show Christ’s love by reaching out to them, with support,
encouragement, exhortations and challenges to spiritual maturity. (II Cor 2:7-8, Lk 22:31-32, Heb 10:24)
ARTICLE
8 – AMENDMENTS
The By-Laws may be amended by two-thirds
(2/3) vote of the church members present at any business meeting where a quorum
is present.
ARTICLE 9 -
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, we state this church was
organized as an autonomous BAPTIST CHURCH, and shall remain the same until Jesus comes.
ARTICLE 10 - DISSOLUTION
In case this church ceases to function as a
church, all real property, including all finances, shall be given to the
Southwest Conservative Baptist Association, or it’s successor organization qualifying
as a non-profit corporation under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue
Code, as amended.
