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CHURCH CONSTITUTION FOR BETHANY BAPTIST CHURCH
ARTICLE I ORGANIZATION 1. NAME: The name of this Church is Bethany Baptist Church, located in Harwood Heights, Illinois 60706 2. ORGANIZATION: Bethany Baptist Church was organized August 26, 1979. 3. INCORPORATION: Bethany Baptist Church is a religious corporation incorporated according to the regulations for non-profit religious organizations in the State of Illinois on August 6, 1979 as Document No. 38876. 4. AFFILIATION: This Church will maintain affiliation with the MidAmerica Baptist Conference and the Baptist General Conference. 5. CORPORATE SEAL: The corporate seal shall be circular in form and have inscribed thereon “Bethany Baptist Church, Harwood Heights, Illinois” and the words “Corporate Seal.” 6. PREAMBLE: “Let all things be done decently and in order” (I Corinthians 14:40). We, as members of the Bethany Baptist Church commit ourselves to obey this exhortation. Also, we agree to be guided in all our ministry for the purpose “to be found approved of God as workmen that need not be ashamed” and to conduct our ministry, inasmuch as we are able, with the following serving as our guidelines. ARTICLE II PURPOSE 1. The Bethany Baptist Church exists for the purpose of glorifying God. Our goals are threefold. (1) The Church will express the joy of the Lord through the exaltation of praise in worship of the triune God which will develop a daily sensitivity of the daily presence of the Lord Jesus in the life of the believer. (Psalms 99:5, 9; Psalms 100:4; and John 4:23-24). (2) The Church will establish believers in a mature relationship with Jesus Christ through the Word of God which will develop Christian character and produce disciples. (Ephesians 4:14-15; Hebrews 5:14; and Colossians 1:28). (3) The evangelism of lost sinners into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ is primary in producing new converts within the fellowship. (II Peter 3:9; Acts 1:8; and Mark 16:15). The strategy of each board and committee will be to motivate the visible body of believers both locally and globally to achieve the above-outlined purpose. 2. In addition, the Bethany Baptist Church will take, secure, accept, hold or acquire, by gift, purchase, legacy or otherwise, real and personal property, whenever it may deem the same proper, necessary and expedient in the ministry and purposes for which this body was organized an incorporated; and to hold, rent, lease encumber, exchange or sell and transfer and dispose of the same, in part or in whole, when it deems such action expedient, necessary or beneficial in promoting and advancing the work and purposes for which this corporation is formed, and to do or accomplish such as this body of believers will deem necessary or incidental thereto; all such acts to conform to the laws of this state. ARTICLE III GOVERNMENT Section 1 – Policy Recognizing Jesus Christ as the only head of the Church, this congregation of believers will seek to ascertain and to obey the will of our Lord in all matters of faith and practice. The government of this Church is vested in the body of members who compose it. Thus, the final authority will be the congregation. Section 2 - Liability No officer or any member of a Board or committee appointed and/or elected by this Church will be personally or individually liable for any error or mistake, act or omission for or on behalf of this Church, occurring within the scope of his or her duty as an officer, board, or committee members, excepting only for his or her willful misconduct or violation of the law. Section 3 – Fiscal Year The fiscal year of this Church will begin on the first day of January and close on the last day of December. ARTICLE IV MEMBERSHIP Section 1 – Admission of Active Members and Student Members A. A person desiring to unite with this Church as an active member will meet and share with the Deacons his or her personal testimony describing how he or she entered into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, and: 1. Be in agreement with the faith and practice of this Church; 2. Give satisfactory evidence of faith in Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord; 3. Have been baptized by immersion upon subsequent to his or her profession of faith in Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord. B. Membership in this Church may be acquired by: 1. BAPTISM as outlined in Article IV, Section 1 (A) 2. LETTER. Any person baptized by immersion following their conversion may be received by a word of confession of faith and by letter from another Baptist Church of like faith and practice. 3. EXPERIENCE. Any person giving a satisfactory statement of his or her experience of faith in Christ, and having been baptized by immersion may be received. 4. RESTORATION. Members of this Church from whom the hand of fellowship has been withdrawn, may upon recommendation of the Board of Deacons and vote of the Church, be restored. C. Church membership will be granted upon: 1. Recommendation of the Board of Deacons, and 2. Majority approval of a quorum of members present and voting at a regular or special called business meeting. D. Student Membership. Students who desire Christian fellowship and opportunity to worship while pursuing their education, may upon request to the Board of Deacons, and in compliance with Article IV, Section 1 (A), be granted a student membership. 1. A student member is entitled to all the rights and privileges of Church membership except the right to hold Church elected offices and in accord with Article II, Section 5 of the By-Laws. 2. A student member is subject to the same responsibilities, rights, and discipline as an active member. Section 2 – Responsibilities and Rights of Active Members A. Every active member of the Church is expected to attend its meetings, to serve for it’s growth, to fittingly represent his or her Lord and Church in the community, and to contribute regularly and according to his or her ability. B. Active members will strive with God’s help to keep their Church obligations. They will hold their Pastor(s) and staff in esteem and pray for them as well as all the other leaders who minister within the multiple program of the Church ministry. They will endeavor to preserve the unity of the Church and, if any time they find themselves opposed to the fundamental doctrines of this Church, they will not seek to disrupt its fellowship but will quietly withdraw from it’s membership. C. All active members in good standing will have equal rights, except those under sixteen years of age will be ineligible to vote on items of major business, (Article II, Section 4 (B) of the By-Laws). Members of this Church have no property rights and upon termination of membership will be entitled to no interest in the assets. Section 3 – Dismissal of Active and Student Members A. Any active or student member desiring to sever his or her membership will be dismissed upon request. Such dismissal of an active member, if so requested, may be accompanied by a letter of commendation. Any active member who becomes a member of another Church will be dismissed from the membership of this Church. B. Active or student members of this Church who have absented themselves for a period of one year, without explanation, having been contacted by the Deacons without an active response, will upon the recommendation of the Deacons have their name placed on a list of inactive members and therefore will forfeit their voting rights. Should this absence continue for another full year their name will be dropped from the Church roll by action of this Church upon the recommendation of the Board of Deacons. C. Any dismissal will be effective only after the approval by a majority vote of a quorum of members present and voting at a Business meeting of the Church. Section 4 – Discipline of Active and Student Members 1. Members who persist in living unchristian lives and who habitually neglect their Church obligations may be removed from the membership. The Pastor(s) and Deacons will seek to meet with all such person in order to attempt to restore them to fellowship. Failing to see satisfactory evidence of repentance and reformation, the Deacons will recommend to the Church removal from membership. 2. In all cases of grievances between members, the offenders will be dealt with in accordance with the rules set forth in Matthew 18:15-20, and in the spirit of Galatians 6:1-2. If necessary, written charges will be submitted by the Board of Deacons to the Church for further action. ARTICLE V DOCTRINE A. This Church believes that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. The CHURCH STATEMENT OF FAITH drawn up and adopted by this Church is regarded as an expression of the essential doctrines of faith as set forth in the Scriptures. This Church has also adopted a covenant as a means by which its members may express their intent to accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ in the life of the Church and in the affairs of daily living. B. We affirm that the Bible is the infallible Word of God with "supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct," and that "a Christian should live for the glory of God." The Scriptures teach that there are absolutes and that there is such a thing as right and wrong. We believe that the timeless truth of Holy Scripture gives us the authoritative blueprints for life. 1. We believe that heterosexuality is God's revealed will for humankind and that, since God is loving—a chaste and faithful expression of this orientation (whether in singleness or marriage) is the ideal to which God calls all people. 2. We believe that a homosexual orientation is a choice and the result of the fall of humanity into a sinful condition that pervades every person. Despite whatever biological or familial roots of homosexuality that may be discovered, we do not believe that these would sanction or excuse homosexual behavior, though they would deepen our compassion and patience for those who are struggling to be free from sexual temptations. 3. We believe there is hope for the person that chooses a homosexual lifestyle and/or behavior and that Jesus Christ offers a healing alternative in which the power of sin is broken and the person is freed to know and experience their true identity in Christ and in the fellowship of His Church. 4. We believe that this freedom is attained through a process which includes recognizing homosexual behavior as sin, renouncing the practice of homosexual behavior, rediscovering healthy, non-erotic friendships with people of the same sex, embracing a moral and chaste sexual lifestyle, and in the age to come, rising from the dead with a new body free from every sinful impulse. This process parallels the similar process of sanctification needed in dealing with heterosexual temptations as well. We believe that this freedom comes through faith in Jesus Christ by the power of His Spirit. 5. We believe that all persons have been created in the image of God and should be accorded human dignity. We believe, therefore, that hateful, fearful, unconcerned harassment of persons choosing a homosexual lifestyle and/or behavior should be repudiated. We believe that respect for persons choosing a homosexual lifestyle and/or behavior involves honest, reasoned, non-violent sharing of facts concerning the immorality and liability of homosexual behavior. On the other hand, endorsing behavior which the Bible specifically and clearly disapproves endangers persons and dishonors God. 6. We believe that Christian churches, such as ours, should reach out in love and truth to minister to people that have chosen the homosexual lifestyle, and that those who contend Biblically against their own sexual temptation should be patiently assisted in their battle, not ostracized or disdained. The more prominent a leadership/modeling role a person holds in a church, however, the higher will be the expectations for God's ideal of sexual obedience and wholeness. We affirm that both heterosexual and homosexual persons should find help in the church to engage in the Biblical battle against all improper sexual thoughts and behaviors. We further endorse the following affirmation as an implication of the previous six beliefs. Since beliefs about the sinfulness of homosexual behavior, like beliefs about the sinfulness of lying, stealing, murder, greed, etc., are an essential part of our commitment to the supreme authority of the Bible in all matters of faith and conduct—a person who believes that lying, stealing, murder, greed or homosexual behavior, etc. are Biblically acceptable lifestyles would not and should not be deemed qualified for membership or to serve in the leadership (including staff) of our Church or teach in its ministries. Biblical References: Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 2:18-25; Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 10:4-9; Ephesians 5:25-33; 1 Corinthians 7:2-3, 10-16; 1 Timothy 3:2, 12; Genesis 19:1-11; Genesis 3:14-15; Romans 3:23; 6:23; Leviticus 18:21-23; 20:13; Judges 19:22-30; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:8-11; 1 Timothy 1: 9-10; 2 Peter 2:6-10; Jude 7. The Bible also condemns all types of fornication which would therefore include homosexuality (Matthew 15:19; Mark 7:21; John 8:41; Acts 15:20,29; Galatians 5:19-21; I Thessalonians 4:3; Hebrews 13:4) ARTICLE VI AMENDMENTS Any member of the Church is eligible to make recommendations for amendments to the constitution. This constitution may be amended only at a business meeting of the Church with forty (40) percent of the voting membership present and with a three-fourths majority support. Notice of such amendment will be given from the pulpit on three (3) consecutive Sundays in advance. The effective date of the amendment will be set by the Church at the time of approval.
(Revised 01/27/08) |
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