Constitution and By-Laws
Amended October 5, 1997 and January 26, 1999, superceding all others
Preamble
Confessing our faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ for salvation, believing in the teaching and the practices of the
Scriptures and these distinctives.
1.The Lordship of Jesus Christ,
2.The Bible, the inerrant Scriptures and our standard for faith and
practice,
3.A membership of born again believers,
4.Believer's baptism by immersion,
5.Progressive sanctification, (The continual cleansing of each believer
from sin and continued growth in Christ likeness.),
6.The priesthood of believers, (Every believer in Jesus Christ is a
priest and has individual responsibility to God.),
7.A free church in a free state, (A church which is obedient to the laws
of the land while remaining autonomous in church policy and ultimately
obedient to God.),
we, therefore, band ourselves together as a body of believers in Jesus
Christ and adopt for our government the following declaration of faith,
constitution and bylaws.
Declaration of Faith
We believe that a scriptural church is a
body of believers meeting in some local place, sovereign and autonomous
in deciding matters of church policy and affiliation, and composed only
of persons who profess to have been born again and have been immersed in
water declaring their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ as their personal
Saviour.
We believe the Bible, the only infallible authoritative rule for faith
and practice, to be inspired by God in its entirety; in the
pre-existence, the incarnation through His Virgin Birth and essential
Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ; in His substitutionary and atoning death
providing redemption through His shed blood, and His bodily
resurrection; in His ascension and exaltation into heaven; His present
mediatorial High Priestly office; in the gift of and the Person and work
of the Holy Spirit; and in our Lord's personal, visible return and His
ultimate Kingdom and reign.
Member
Responsibilities
Having received Christ as my Savior, having been baptized, being led by
the Holy Spirit, being willing to submit to the Word of God and this
Church's Constitution and Bylaws, I unite with the family of First
Baptist Church of Milwaukie. In doing so, with God's help, I shall seek:
1.TO PROTECT THE UNITY OF THIS CHURCH
. . . By acting in love toward other members (I Peter 1:22)
. . . By refusing to use divisive words or actions (Ephesians 4:29,
Romans 15:5-6)
. . . By following the leaders (Hebrews 13:17)
2.TO SHARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THIS CHURCH
. . . By praying for its growth and spiritual maturity (I Thessalonians
1:2)
. . . By inviting the unchurched to attend (Luke 14:23)
. . . By giving cheerfully and regularly (I Corinthians 16:2, Leviticus
27:30)
3.TO SERVE IN THE MINISTRY OF THIS CHURCH
. . . By discovering my gifts and talents (Ephesians 4:11-12)
. . . By finding a service area and serving (I Peter 4:10)
. . . By developing a servant's heart (Philippians 2:3-5)
4.TO SUPPORT THE TESTIMONY OF THIS CHURCH
. . . By attending faithfully (Hebrews 10:24-25)
. . . By living a godly life (Philippians 1:27)
. . . By welcoming those who visit (Romans 15:7)
5.TO INFLUENCE THE COMMUNITY OF THIS CHURCH
. . . By being a source of truth (2 Timothy 4:1-2)
. . . By being a positive moral influence (Matthew 5:14-16)
. . . By being a practical contributor (Mark 9:41)
6.TO ENCOURAGE THE GROWTH OF THE CHURCH WORLDWIDE
. . . By becoming involved in missions and personal witnessing (Matthew
28:19-20)
. . . By pursuing the unity of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:3-6)
. . . By working with other believers locally and globally (John
17:20-21)
Until with the redeemed of the ages from all nations, we meet at the
throne of God in perfect worship.
Article 1 - Name
The name of this organization, a corporation, shall be the FIRST BAPTIST
CHURCH of Milwaukie, Oregon in willing association with the Conservative
Baptist Northwest Association.
Article 2 - Purpose
The purpose of this organization shall be to promote the Glory of God
by:
1. Reflecting His Light
By clearly presenting the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ locally and
globally with the intention of winning and nurturing people toward a
mature faith in Him as Savior.
2. Growing In His Likeness
Through authentic worship, committed discipleship, active service, and
the teaching of the whole counsel of the Word of God.
Article 3 - Officers
The officers of this church shall be elders (servant leaders) and
deacons (servant workers). The lay elders of the church must be members
who have served long enough to demonstrate the qualifications of an
elder. They must have knowledge of the history and practice of this
church and have earned the respect, trust, and support of members and
elders prior to seeking the office. The elders shall appoint a team of 5
to 7 members, consisting of at least one elder but not a majority of
elders, to prayerfully seek those who, by God's leading, "aspire to the
office" of elder. They shall, with the consent of those selected,
present them to the elders for examination. Those meeting the
qualifications of I Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 will be presented by
the elders to the church for confirmation and may remain elders for so
long as they meet the qualifications, desire that office, and are
reconfirmed by the membership every three years.
The elders shall give themselves to prayer and the study of God's Word
so that they may give Biblical leadership to the oversight of the church
and the equipping of the members for the work of the ministry. They
shall all be "apt to teach" and therefore be able to share in the
teaching and/or preaching ministry of the church. They shall organize
themselves as they choose to meet legal obligations and to achieve
optimal effectiveness and efficiency. They shall designate one elder who
will preside as leader of the elders and serve as president of the
corporation. They shall also designate a secretary. The elders shall act
as, and in all respects be, the Board of Directors of this corporation.
The role of the pastors in guiding and ministering to and through the
church is recognized. The majority of the elders shall be other than
those in occupational (paid) service. However, priority is to be given
to the selection of qualified men rather than the need to have a
majority lay leadership.
Those desiring to give their occupational time in ministry in this body
shall be called as follows:
The elders shall appoint a team of 5 to 7 members, consisting of at
least one elder but not a majority of elders, to prayerfully seek those
who, by God's leading, desire to give their occupational time in
leadership to our body. Those selected shall meet the qualifications of
an elder or deacon and will be so placed upon their confirmation. They
shall have conscientiously accepted the Constitution and Bylaws of this
church and become members of this body upon confirmation. They may or
may not be licensed or ordained (such licensing or ordination affords no
other rank or privilege beyond the biblical position of elder or
deacon).
The membership shall consider only one (1) prospective candidate at a
time and may, by church authorization, extend a "call" for ministry. In
accordance with I Timothy 5:17, those giving their occupational time to
the ministry of this body shall be compensated so that they may continue
in undistracted service. The scope of their ministry, and respective
compensation shall be decided by the elders. They shall be excluded from
elder decisions involving the conditions of their occupational service.
Members who seek to be licensed or ordained for ministry will be
considered by the elders according to the credential guidelines and
philosophy of the Conservative Baptist Northwest Association.
The lay deacons (male and female) of the church must be members who have
served long enough to demonstrate the qualifications of a deacon. All
deacons are to be nominated from among the membership by elders or by
individual members of the congregation. The elders shall appoint a team,
lead by an elder, to examine the qualifications of those who desire to
serve as a deacon. After examination, the team shall present men meeting
he qualifications of I Timothy 3:8-13 and Acts 6:2-3 and women meeting
the qualifications of I Timothy 3:11 to the body for approval. Those
approved shall be presented to the elders who shall publicly appoint
them for leadership (see Acts 6:6). They may remain deacons for so long
as they meet the qualifications and desire the office.
The deacons shall have service as their primary responsibility relieving
the elders of many serving duties so that they may devote a maximum
amount of time to the Word, prayer, and to leading and equipping members
for ministry. They may meet individually or in groups as needed to
facilitate their service, but they shall not be a second board having
competitive authority with the elders. For purposes of effectiveness in
meeting the many needs of the church the number of deacons shall be
limited only by the number of qualified people and needed ministries.
Article 4 - Membership
Privileges
Membership shall consist of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who have
been immersed, have acknowledged agreement with the Declaration of
Faith, and Covenant, and have been received into the fellowship by the
decision of the elders.
Membership may be ended by the member's request for a letter of transfer
to another church, lack of regular attendance for three months or more,
or discipline. Members who are unable to attend regularly due to health,
or temporary relocation for military, missionary or educational reasons
may retain their membership but will not be counted in the requirement
of quorums. In accordance with scriptural teaching, members may be
dismissed from the membership for disciplinary reasons following the
application of Matthew 18:15-17, I Corinthians 5:9-13, II Thessalonians
3:6-15, and I Timothy 5:17-22. A person may be restored to membership in
keeping with the spirit of II Corinthians 2:5-8 and Galatians 6:1-2.
The elders shall be responsible for the business of the church. They are
to seek counsel from the membership in the following areas where a
seventy-five percent (75%) majority is needed for passage:
Confirmation for the selection of elders and deacons may be by absentee
ballot or by voice poll, hand count, or ballot of those present at any
business meeting.
Authorization for the following will be by absentee ballot or by voice
poll, hand count, or ballot of those present at any business meeting:
1. The call or dismissal of occupational elders and deacons.
2. The purchase, sale, assignment, lease, or hypothecation (pledge) of
real property.
3. The establishment of official church relationships.
4. Issues brought by the elders to the membership.
5. The change of the constitution.
Any member who has been in active attendance (present at least three
times a month for no less than three consecutive months) or is a shut in
member (is confined to a care facility or has medical proof of his/her
inability to be in regular church attendance), may vote by absentee
ballot if the member:
1. Requests a ballot at least seven days prior to the announced vote.
2. Gives a written statement as to why he/she cannot attend the vote in
person.
3. Returns the ballot with his/her signed signature in a sealed envelope
to the church office at least 24 hours prior to the day of the vote.
In such cases, his/her ballot may be included in the vote and opened at
the time of vote by those counting the ballots.
Members have no rights to real or personal property of the church. Any
member at least sixteen (16) years of age shall be qualified to
participate in church business.
Article 5 - Meetings
Meetings for worship, prayer, praise, fellowship, business, and special
purposes shall be held as set forth below:
1. Weekly meetings will be held for public worship as scheduled by the
elders.
2. The meeting of the members to select officers shall be held annually.
3. Notice of all meetings where confirmation or authorization of members
is needed shall be given at least two weeks in advance of the meeting at
regular Sunday services, or by special mailing to all members.
4. A quorum shall be the number of members present unless the business
requires authorization by members and then it shall be twenty-five
percent (25%) of the qualified voters.
5. Roberts Rules of Order may be used to govern church business meetings
and forums upon the decision of the elders.
Article 6 - Associations
Believing in the sovereignty of the local church as an autonomous body
of believers under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, this church shall
determine the maintaining of fraternal fellowship and co-operation with
churches of like faith and practice when our beliefs will not be
compromised. To such groups this church may send statistical reports and
may be represented in meetings.
Article 7 - Organizational
Procedures
The organizational procedures set forth in this document are designed to
be the servant of the church, never its master. They are intended to aid
the membership in managing its affairs with "decency and order." A
"Manual of Standard Practices" concerned with the most expedient way to
fulfill the church's purpose will serve as a guideline in the day-to-day
functioning of the church. All standard practices related to finances
shall be guided by the Evangelical Council For Financial
Accountability's "Standards of Responsible Stewardship." It is
recognized that changes in these standard practices may be necessary
from time to time. The elders will oversee such changes.
Article 8 - Authority
The elders shall have the responsibility and authority for the direction
and ministries of the church. They may delegate such authority as is
necessary to deacons, and others as appropriate to carry out assigned
ministries. They may appoint commissions, special committees, ministry
teams, and individuals to serve as long as needed to help carry out the
ministries of the church.
In accordance with the laws of the State of Oregon, at least three
elders shall be designated to serve as the legal "trustees" of the
church and be responsible to the membership and the State of Oregon for
all church assets and financial decisions and be nts of the church. They
have no authority to mortgage, or otherwise encumber the assets of the
church unless so authorized by the members under the provisions set
forth in Article 4.
Elders may authorize expenditures for church expenses as allowed by the
church's trustees. The elders will inform the members of goals,
estimated expenses, and expenditures by means of quarterly forums and an
annual business meeting. Elders will lead by example, listening,
praying, deciding, and informing.
Any two or three members are encouraged to come to the elders on any
issue of concern for mutual evaluation. In the event of serious
disagreement with a decision of the elders having exhausted all other
avenues of approach, twenty-five or more qualified voters may, by
written petition, ask for a hearing with the elders. Upon receipt of the
petition, the head elder shall call the elders together within one week
to meet with the petitioners in an endeavor to solve the conflict.
An elder or deacon may, at any time, take a temporary leave of absence
from duties or resign, as personal circumstances may dictate. An elder
or deacon may be dismissed from office for disciplinary reasons. Removal
of an elder or deacon from office shall be effected in accordance with I
Timothy 5:19-21 and Galatians 6:1.
The corporation shall indemnify, to the fullest extent provided in the
Oregon Nonprofit Corporations Act, any elder or officer who has or is a
party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceeding (other than
an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of or arising
from the fact that he is or was an elder or officer of the corporation.
The determination and authorization of indemnification shall be made as
provided in the Act.
All those who are remunerated shall be given by the elders the delegated
authority needed to fulfill their assigned responsibilities.
Deacons shall serve under the authority of the elders.
In the event of the dissolution of the Corporation, property of the
Church shall be distributed for evangelical purposes as determined by
the elders. If that is not possible, the Conservative Baptist Northwest
Association will be given the responsibility.
Article 9 - Amendments
This document may be amended by a seventy five percent (75%)
authorization vote of the members present at any special meeting called
for this purpose, provided such amendments have been submitted in
writing to the membership at least four (4) weeks preceding the meeting. |
