Shiloh Constitution & By-laws
Preamble
We declare and establish this constitution to preserve and secure the principles of our faith to govern the body in an orderly manner. This constitution will preserve the liberties of each individual church member and the freedom of action of this body in relation to other churches.
I. Name
This body shall be known as the Shiloh Baptist Church of Malone, New York, located at Webster Street.
II. Objective
To be a dynamic, spiritual organism empowered by the Holy Spirit to share Christ with as many people as possible in our church, community, and throughout the world.
To be a worshiping fellowship, experiencing an awareness of God, recognizing His person, and responding in obedience to His Leadership.
To experience an increasingly meaningful fellowship with God and fellow believers.
To help people experience a growing knowledge of God and man.
To be a church which ministers unselfishly to persons in the community and the world in Jesus' name.
To be a church whose purpose is to be Christ like in our daily living by emphasizing total commitment to life, personality, and possessions to the Lordship of Christ.
III. Statement of Basic Beliefs
We affirm the Holy Bible as the inspired word of God and the basis for our beliefs. This church subscribes to the doctrinal statement as stated in our articles of faith. We voluntarily band ourselves together as a body of baptized believers in Jesus Christ personally committed to sharing the good news of salvation to lost mankind. The ordinances of the church are believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper.
IV. Church Covenant
Having been led as we believe by the Holy Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and, on the profession of faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now in the presence of God and this assembly most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ. (Titus 3:4-6; Eph. 4:4-6; 1Cor. 12:13-14)
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; the expenses of the church, and the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations. (1 Thess. 5:12-13; Phil. 2:1-2; 1 Cor.
13:8-13; 1John 4:11; Matt. 28:19-20)
We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek 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; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale of and use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage; to use our influence to combat the abuse of drugs and the spread of pornography; and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savoir. (1 Tim. 3:16; Matt. 6:6; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Rom. 13:13; Pro.22:6; Prov. 9:10; Num. 6; Lev. 10:9; Prov. 20:1; Luke 1:15)
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 ready f or reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay. (Rom. 12:10-13)
We moreover engage that when 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.
V . Polity and Relationships
The government of this church is vested in the body of believers who compose it. All internal groups created and empowered by the church shall report to and be accountable only to the church, unless otherwise specified by the church action. This church is subject to the control of no other ecclesiastical body.
By-Laws
I. Church Membership
Section 1. General
This is a sovereign and democratic Baptist church under the lordship of Jesus Christ. The membership retains unto itself the exclusive right to self -government in all phases of the spiritual and temporal life of this church.
The membership reserves the exclusive right to determine who shall be members of this church and the conditions of such membership .
Section 2. Candidacy
Any person may offer himself as a candidate for membership in this church. A ll such candidates shall be presented to the church in the following ways:
A) By profession of faith f or baptism according to the policies of this church.
B) By the promise of a letter of recommendation f rom another Baptist Church.
C) By restoration upon statement of prior conversion experience and baptism in a Baptist church when no letter is obtainable. Should there be any dissent as to any candidate, such dissent shall be referred to the membership committee of or investigation and the making of a recommendation to the church within thirty (30) days. A three-fourths vote of the church members present and voting shall be required to elect such candidates to membership.
Section 3. New Member Orientation
New members of this church are expected to participate in the church's new membership orientation.
Section 4. Rights of Members
A ) Every member of the church is entitled to vote at all election and on all questions submitted to the church in conference, provided the member is present or provision has been made f or absentee balloting.
B) Every member of the church is eligible for consideration by the membership as candidates for elective offices in the church.
C) Every member of the church may participate in the ordinances of the church as administered by the church.
Section 5. Termination of Membership
Membership shall be terminated the following ways:
A ) Death of the member
B) Dismissing to another Baptist church
C) Exclusion by action of this church
D) Erasure upon request or proof of membership in a church of another denomination
Section 6. Discipline
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 pastor, other members of the church staff and deacons are available for counsel and guidance. The attitude of members
toward one another shall be guided by a concern for redemption rather than punishment.
Should some serious condition exist which causes a member to become a liability to the general welfare of the church, the pastor and the deacons will take every reasonable measure to resolve the problem in accord with Matthew 18. if it becomes necessary f or the church to take action to exclude a member, a two-thirds vote of the members present is required; and the church may proceed to declare the person to be no longer in the membership of the church. All such proceedings shall be pervaded by a spirit of Christian kindness and forbearance. The church may restore to membership any person previously excluded, upon request of the excluded person, and by vote of the church upon evidences of the excluded person's repentance and reformation.
II. Church Ordinances
Section 1. Baptism
This church shall receive for baptism any person who has received Jesus Christ as Savior by personal faith, who professes Him publicly at any worship service, and who indicates a commitment to follow Christ as Lord.
A ) Baptism shall be by immersion in water.
B) The pastor or whomever the church shall authorize to administer the baptism. The deacons shall assist in the preparation for and the observance of baptism.
C) The baptism shall be administered as an act of worship during any worship service of the church.
D) A person who professes Christ and is not baptized after a reasonable length of time shall be counseled by the pastor and/or staff or deacons. If negative interest is ascertained on the part of the candidate, he shall be deleted from those awaiting baptism.
Section 2. The Lord's Supper
The church shall observe the Lord's Supper quarterly, the first Sunday of the quarter, unless otherwise scheduled by the church. The pastor and deacons shall administer the Lord's Supper.
III. Church Officers and Committees
All who serve as officers of the church and those who serve on church committees shall be members of this church.
Section 1. Church Officers
The officers of this church shall be the pastor, the church staff, the deacons, a moderator, a clerk, a treasurer, and trustees.
A ) The pastor is responsible f or leading the church to function as a New Testament church. The pastor will lead the congregation, the organizations, and the church staff to perform their tasks. He is the spiritual leader of the church, and is the leader of the pastoral ministries in the church. As such, he works with the deacons and church staff, to (a) lead the church in the achievement of its mission,
(b) proclaim the gospel to believers and unbelievers, and (c) care f or the church's members and other persons i n the community.
He is an ex officio member of all standing committees and an ex officio trustee. He is also coordinator and supervisor of the church staff, as
applicable, and as such shall interview and approve all staff personnel prior to their being offered a position in the church.
A Pastor shall be chosen and called by the church whenever a vacancy occurs. The election shall take place at a meeting called f or that purpose, of which at least one week's public notice has been given. A pastor selection committee shall be elected by the church to seek out a suitable pastor, and its recommendations will constitute a nomination. The committee shall bring to the consideration of the church only one name at a time. Election shall be by ballot, an affirmative vote of three-fourths of those present being necessary f or a choice. The pastor, thus elected, shall serve until the relationship is terminated by his request or the church's request. He shall preside at meetings of this church, and if so designated may serve as moderator in all business meetings in keeping with the rules of order authorized in these bylaws.
The pastor may relinquish the office as pastor by giving at least two weeks' notice to the church at the time of resignation. The church may declare the office of the pastor to be vacant. Such action shall take place at a meeting called for that purpose, of which at least one week's public notice has been given. The meeting may be called upon the recommendation of a majority of the deacons or by written petition signed by not less than one-fourth of the resident church members. The moderator f or this meeting shall be designated by the members present by majority vote, and he shall be someone other than the pastor. The vote to declare the office vacant shall be by secret ballot; an aff irmative vote of two-thirds of the members present being necessary to declare the off ice vacant. Except in instances of gross misconduct by the pastor so excluded from off ice, the church will
compensate the pastor with not less than one-twelf th of the total annual compensation. The termination shall be immediate and the compensation shall be rendered in not more than thirty days.
B) The ministerial staff shall be called and employed as the church determines the need for such offices. A job description shall be written when the need for a staff member is determined.
C) The church shall elect deacons by ballot at regular business meetings of the church. They will be elected as needed or available. n accordance with the meaning of the work and the practice the New Testament, deacons are to be servants of the church. Their task is to serve with the pastor and staff in performing the pastoral ministries tasks of (a) leading the church in the achievement of its mission, (b) proclaiming the gospel to believers and non-believers, (c) caring for the church members and other persons in the community.
The deacon body does not constitute a governing body, but it has the responsibility for and should feel f ree to make suggestions and recommendations concerning the welfare of the church. t has no authority other than that given by these bylaws. There shall be no obligation to constitute as an assigned deacon on who has been a deacon in another church; but in such instances as one might be chosen by this church of like faith and order shall suffice f or this church.
Deacons shall serve on a rotation basis. Each year the assigned term of office of one-third of the number of deacons shall expire, and elections shall be held to fill vacancies and to add to the deacons such number as the church size warrants.
Any man nominated to the office of deacon shall meet the New Testament qualif ications for deacons, specif ically 1 Timothy 3:8-13, as determined by the church. Any man receiving the requisite number of votes to become an active deacon will be presumed to meet these qualif ications. He must have been a member of the church at least one year prior to election.
D) The pastor shall serve as moderator of all business meetings. In the absence of the pastor the clerk shall call the church to order and preside for the election of an acting moderator.
E) The church shall elect annually a clerk as its clerical officer. 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 letter 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.
F) The church shall elect annually a church treasurer as its financial officer. t shall be the duty of the treasurer to receive, preserve, and pay out, upon receipt of vouchers approved and signed by authorized personnel, all money or things of value paid or given to the church, keeping at all times an itemized account of all receipts and disbursements. t 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 month.
G) The church shall elect three or more trustees to serve as legal officers f or the church. They will serve on a rotating basis to meet requirements of New York State law. They will serve for one (1) year, two (2) years, and three (3) years with each year a new trustee being elected by the church. They shall hold in trust the church property. Upon a specif ic vote of the church authorizing each action, they shall have the power to buy, sell, mortgage, lease, or transfer any church property.
Section 2. Church Committees
The committees of this church shall be a nominating committee, a finance committee, a missions committee, and such other regular and special committees as the church shall authorize. Additional regular committees may be added by the amendment procedure prescribed within these bylaws. A ll church committee members shall be recommended by the church nominating committee and elected by the church unless otherwise specified within these bylaws. They will serve for one (1) year.
A) The nominating committee coordinates the staff ing of all church leadership positions filled by volunteer workers, unless otherwise specif ied herein. The nominating committee shall present to the church for election all who accept the invitation to serve.
B) The finance committee develops and recommends an overall stewardship development plan, a unified church budget, and budget subscription plans. t advises and recommends in the administration of the gifts of the church members and others, using sound principles of financial management.
C) The missions committee seeks to discover possibilities for local mission projects, shares findings with the church, and serves the church in establishing and conducting such mission projects as may be assigned to it.
IV. The Church Program Organizations
The church shall maintain programs of Bible teaching; church member training; church leader training; new member orientation; mission education and support; and music education, training and performance. A ll organizations related to the church programs shall be under church control, all officers being elected by the church and reporting regularly to the church, and all program activities subject to church coordination and approval. The church shall provide the human resources, the physical resources, and the financial resources for the appropriate advancement of these programs.
A ) The Sunday school shall be the basic organization for the Bible teaching program. Its tasks shall be to teach the biblical revelation, reach persons for Christ and church membership and perform the functions of the church within its constituency. The Sunday school shall be organized by departments and/or classes, as appropriate for all ages, and shall be conducted under the direction of the Pastor
V . Church Meetings
Section 1. Budget
The stewardship committee, in consultation with the church council, shall prepare and submit to the church f or approval an inclusive budget indicating by items the amount needed and sought for all local and other expenses. Off ering envelopes will be provided for member's use.
It is understood that membership in this church involves financial obligation to support the church and its causes with regular,
proportionate gifts. Annually there shall be opportunity provided to secure worthy commitments of financial support f rom the church members.
Section 2. Fiscal Year
The church fiscal year shall run concurrently with the church year which begins on October 1st and ends on September 30th.
VII. Amendments
Changes in the constitution and bylaws may be made at any regular business meeting of the church provided each amendment shall have been presented in writing at a previous meeting and copies of the proposed amendment shall have been furnished to each member present at the earlier meeting. Amendments to the constitution shall be by two-thirds vote of the church members present. Amendments to the bylaws shall have a concurrence of a majority of the members present and voting.