Constitution and By-Laws

CONSTITUTION

 

ARTICLE I

Name and Affiliation

 

Section I. This church shall be known as the First Baptist Church of Burden, Kansas. We acknowledge that Jesus Christ alone is the head of the church. The ultimate authority for governance and operation of this Church is the Holy Word of God as revealed in the Scriptures.

 

ARTICLE II

Church Mission

 

Section I. Our church mission is to be a caring, ministering, worshiping, fellowship that prayerfully fulfills the Great Commission by preaching, teaching, witnessing, training, and living spirit-filled, Christ-like lives.

 

ARTICLE III

Doctrines

 

Section I. Claiming to hold the doctrines of the New Testament as the one and only basis for our faith, practices and discipline, we claim that document as the embodiment of our belief and the source of every phase of the church activities.

 

ARTICLE IV

Church Covenant

 

Having been led as we believe by the spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we do now in presence of God 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, doctrines and discipline, to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, and relief of the poor, and spread of the gospel through all nations.

We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to intentionally train up our children, to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances, to walk circumspectly in the world, to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment, and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.

 

 

 

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

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

 

 

ARTICLE V

Polity (Form of Government)

 

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

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

This church is subject to the control of no other ecclesiastical body but it recognizes and sustains the obligations of mutual counsel and cooperation which are common among New Testament churches.

 

 

 

BYLAWS

 

ARTICLE I.

Church Membership

 

Section l. Any person confessing personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, giving evidence of a regenerate heart and adopting the Covenant and views of faith and practice held by this church, after being baptized by immersion in water, and confessing a desire, may be admitted into the fellowship and membership of this church. Baptism shall be by the pastor or whomever the church shall authorize.

 

Section II. Any person being presented for membership by request of a church letter from another New Testament church, or by personal statement of faith in Christ alone for salvation must give evidence of a regenerate heart, and must have been baptized in accordance with New Testament principles of baptism as stated in scripture; and must submit to the authority of scripture.

 

Section III. Any member whose name has been erased from the church roll, or who has been excluded from church membership, may be restored by request upon confession of any error committed or by giving satisfactory evidence to the church of having maintained a Christian character.

 

Section IV. Candidates for membership in this church by baptism experience, restoration, letter, or attendance and confessioning a desire may be examined as needed by the Pastor and Elders and affirmed by the church.

 

Section V. Every member of the church is entitled to vote at all elections and on all questions submitted to the church in conference, provided the member is present or provision has been made for absentee balloting.

 

ARTICLE II

Discipline Procedure

 

It shall be the practice of this church to emphasize to its members that every reasonable measure will be taken to assist any troubled member. The church pastor and elders are available for counsel and guidance. However, if church discipline is needed with a church member, then the model given in Matthew 18:15-17 will be the guide. The attitude during the process shall be guided by a concern for redemption and reconciliation rather than punishment.

 

 

ARTICLE III

Officers of the Church

 

Section I. The officers of the church shall be: Pastor, Elders, Deacons, Trustees, Treasurer, Clerk, and Teachers.

 

Section II. Qualifications

 

Pastor, Elders and Deacons: Must be called of God; must meet qualifications as found in 1Timothy 3:1-13, 2 Timothy 2:2, Titus l:5-9, and Acts 6:2-4; must be regular in Sunday school, Church Training, and Church attendance unless providentially hindered. Be active members of the Sunday school and have strong convictions in the authority of scripture.

 

Trustees: The trustees shall be persons of moral integrity and good report.

 

Teachers: Must be proven faithful in scripture ( 2 Timothy 2:2, 2:15, 1Timothy 3:6, 5:22,

Titus 2:3-5, James 3:1).

 

Other Officers: Should be active in all church activities and willing to fulfill their obligations to the best of their ability. All officers who teach in any capacity will be expected to be faithful to Biblical principles and practices and to teach consistently with scripture and the Church Covenant.

 

 

 

Section III. Duties

 

Pastor and Elders: The duties of the Pastor and Elders shall be to preach the gospel, to administer the ordinances of the gospel, to perform the various other duties incumbent of his office as defined in scripture.

  • Spiritual leaders -1Timothy 4:13-4, 5:17-20
  • Responsible for doctrine & discipline - Titus 1:9-11
  • Shepherd & guard the flock spiritually - Acts 20:28-31. Colossians 1:28-29, James 5:14-15

 

Deacons: It shall be the duty of the Deacons, and Pastor and Elders if needed, to visit the sick, needy and afflicted, to keep well informed of the spiritual welfare of each member, to admonish and reprove the wayward, to encourage the weak, and to do all in their power to advance the interest of the church.

 

Trustees: It shall be the duty of the trustees to see that the church property is in good repair, to see that all property is properly insured, and to transact such business as the church may designate.

 

Clerk: The clerk shall be responsible for keeping a suitable record of all official actions of the church, except as otherwise herein provided. The clerk shall be responsible for keeping a register of names of members, with dates of admission, dismission, death, or erasure, together with a record of baptisms. The clerk shall issue letters of dismission voted by the church. Preserve on file all communications and written official reports, and give required notice of all meetings where notice is necessary. The clerk shall be responsible for preparing the annual letter of the church to the Association. The church may delegate some of the clerical responsibilities to a church secretary who will assist the elected clerk. All church records are church property.

 

Treasurer: It shall be the duty of the treasurer to receive, preserve, and pay out upon proper authorization, all money or things of value paid or given to the church, keeping at all times an itemized account of all receipts and disbursements. It shall be the duty of the treasurer to render to the church at each regular business meeting an itemized report of the receipts and disbursements of the preceding quarter. The treasurer’s report and records shall be audited annually by an auditing committee or public accountant. Upon rendering the annual account at the end of each fiscal year and its acceptance and approval by the church, the records shall be placed on file at the church office.

 

Section IV. Election of Officers

 

Pastor: When the office of pastor becomes vacant, the church shall elect a pulpit committee to search for a pastor. Two-thirds of the members present and voting at any meeting of which public notice from the pulpit has been given shall be required for election.

 

Elders: Elders are appointed by existing Elder(s) and Pastor following fasting and prayer as the Lord selects. (Acts 14:23, Titus 1:5)

 

Deacons: When more deacons are needed, they shall be nominated by a nominating committee or from the floor in a regular business meeting. All nominees shall be examined by a committee consisting of the Pastor, Chairman of Deacons, and one other member, then presented for election at a regular business meeting. Election will require two-thirds vote of the members present and voting. Upon authority of the church those elected shall be ordained for service.

 

Trustees: The church shall elect the trustees at a regular business meeting to serve for a period of three years. One-third of the total number shall be elected annually in order to secure a system of rotation.

 

Other Officers: The church shall elect all other officers annually in the August business meeting, except when an office becomes vacant at other times of the year.

 

ARTICLE IV

General Rules

 

Section I. The church shall use “Robert’s Rules of Order” for Parliamentary procedure.

 

Section II. The church shall give at least 10% to outside causes.

 

Section III. The Pastor shall not be ordained as a Deacon or serve as such.

 

Section IV. Each member shall be furnished a copy of this Constitution, as well as a copy of all amendments.

 

Section V. The church year shall be from September 1st to August 31st.

 

Section VI. Regular quarterly business meetings shall be held during the second week after the first Sunday in August, November, February and May unless otherwise scheduled by the church. Special business meetings must be announced at all regular church services beginning at least one week in advance of the meeting. Granting a request for church letters may be made in regular church service without any prior notice required.

 

Section VII. This constitution may be amended at a regular business meeting of the members, provided one month advance notice shall be made of the amendment to the church, meeting in a regular quarterly business meeting. The amendment must be favored by two-thirds of those voting in the regular business meeting.

 

  1. VIII. The church shall observe the Lord’s Supper quarterly unless otherwise scheduled by the church. The Pastor and Deacons unless otherwise authorized by the church, shall administer the Lord’s Supper, the Deacons being responsible for the physical preparations.