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AMENDED
ARTICLES OF CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
OF
ETERNAL LIFE BAPTIST CHURCH
PREAMBLE
For
the more certain preservation and security of the principles
of our faith to the end that this body may
be
governed in an
orderly manner consistent with the teaching of the Holy
Spirit and the Holy bible, and
for the purpose of preserving
the liberties, inherent in each individual member of this
Church and the
freedom of action of this body with respect
to its relation to other churches of the same faith, we do
declare
and establish this constitution.
ARTICLE
I
NAME
OF THE CHURCH
The
name of this church shall be Eternal Life Baptist Church.
Its location shall be 8554 E. Hendricks
Country Road
Mooresville, Indiana.
ARTICLE
II
PURPOSE
AND POLICY
The purpose of this church is 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 as taught by
the Holy
Bible, commonly know as the Great Commission.
Matt 28:19-20
This Church may receive and disburse funds or other
property incident to or necessary for the
accomplishment of
the purpose stated above and any and all acts incidental to
the transaction of the
business of this Church or expedient
for attaining the purpose stated herein.
This Church shall have only such powers as are
required by and are consistent with the foregoing
purposes,
including the power to acquire and receive funds and
property of every kind and nature
whatsoever,
whether by
purchase, conveyance, lease, gift, grant, bequest, legacy,
devise, or
otherwise,
and to own, hold, expand, make gifts, grants, and
contributions of, and to convey, transfer,
and dispose of
any funds and property and the income there from for the
furtherance of the purposes
of this Church.
ARTICLE
III
STATEMENT
OF FAITH
Our
Statement of Faith shall be as follows:
1.
Verbal
Inspiration:
We
believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, and that
it is the only infallible rule of faith and practice.
II Tim. 3:16,17; II Peter 1:20,21; Heb. 1:2; John
10:35; Eph. 6:17; Isa. 8:20; Psa. 119:105.
This church subscribes to the doctrinal statement of
“The Baptist Faith and Message” as adapted by the
Southern Baptist Convention in 1963.
2.
The
Trinity:
We
believe that God is Triune and that there are three eternal,
co-equal divine persons in the Godhead and these three are
one God. Luke
3:21,22; I Peter 1:2; II Cor. 13:14; and Deut. 6:4.
3.
The
Person of Christ:
We
believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ and that He
was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin.
John 1:1, 14; Luke 1:35; I Tim. 3:16; Col. 2:9.
4.
Salvation:
We
believe that the only way to be saved is by faith in the
blood sacrifice, vicarious atonement, death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
We
believe in the eternal security of the saints.
John 3:16; John 14:6; Eph. 2:8,9; Acts 4:12; Acts
16:31; Rom. 8:25,26; John 10:28,29; Heb. 7:25; I John
5:12,13.
5.
Intercession:
We
believe that our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and
is now seated at the right hand of the Father and that He is
the only Mediator between God and man.
Mark 16:19; Heb. 9:24; I John 2:1; I Tim. 2:5.
6.
The Church:
We
believe that the church, which is the Body of Christ, began
with the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost;
that each one who receives the Lord Jesus Christ, is
indwelled by the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:1-4; John 7:39; I Cor. 12:13; Rom. 8:9-15; I
John 2:27; I John 4:16.
7.
Our Commission:
We
believe that the Gospel commission is for the church; that
baptism in water and the Lord’s Supper are divine
institutions and that Christ desires us to practice them in
this age. Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:15,16; Luke 24:47,48; Rom.
6:3,4; I Cor. 11:23-26.
8.
The
Lord’s Return:
We
believe that Christ shall at any moment return in the air to
rapture the saints, and that a Tribulation of seven years
will occur; after which He shall come to the earth with the
saints and rule for a thousand years.
After this, the wicked dead shall be judged and cast
into the Lake of Fire. John
14:3; Acts 1:11; I Thes. 4:16,17; Dan. 9:27; Jude 14,15;
Rev. 20:2-6,15.
9.
Satan:
We
believe that Satan is a person, the author of the fall of
mankind and that he shall be eternally punished.
Gen. 3:15; Job 1:6,7; Rev. 20:2,10.
10.
Final
State:
We
believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead, both of the
just and the unjust, and in the eternal
conscious punishment of the lost and the eternal joy of the
saved. I Cor.
15:22-24; John 5:28,29; Matt.
25:46; Rev. 21:4.
ARTICLE
IV
CHURCH
COVENANT
Having
been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive
the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and the profession of
our 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, angels, and this assembly, most solemnly
and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one
body in Christ.
We also engage to maintain family and secret
devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the
salvation of our kindred and friends; to walk circumspectly
in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our
engagements and exemplary in our department; to avoid all
tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; 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 each other in prayer; to aid
each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian
sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; to be slow to
take offense but always ready 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.
BY-LAWS
ARTICLE
V
MEMBERSHIP
A.
Qualifications
1.
By
Public Profession of Faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and
Lord,
Followed
by baptism by immersion and then church membership.
Romans
10:9-10,13 Luke
12:8-9 Acts
8:35-38
B.
Admission
1.
By
letter from any sister church of like faith and order
provided such
person
can give satisfactory evidence of conversion and scriptural
baptism.
2.
By
statement, providing such and individual, due to
circumstances
beyond
his control, cannot obtain a letter from a church of like
faith and
order,
but gives satisfactory evidence of conversion and scriptural
baptism.
3.
By
restoration providing said member gives evidence of
repentance
and
genuine desire to be restored into church fellowship.
Matthew
18:15-17 Luke
17:3-4
C.
Rights
1.
Only
members can vote and hold office in the church.
D.
Duties
Members
are expected to:
1.
Be
faithful in attending Sunday morning worship service, Sunday
evening worship service, and Wednesday evening service.
2.
Give
regularly to the financial support of the church.
3.
Share
in the church’s organizational work, and
4.
Fulfill
the Great Commission by sharing their Christian gifts and
ministries daily with the world around them.
E.
Termination
1.
By
letter of dismissal to a church of like faith and order upon
that
church’s
request.
2.
By
death.
3.
By
dropping from the rolls said individual which is proven to
have united
with
another church of a different faith.
4.
By
exclusion for disciplinary action.
Said action shall be taken only after
much
sincere prayer and counseling.
Matthew 18:15-17
5.
By
member’s request.
F.
Inactive
Members
1.
Members
who fail to support the church in its worship or finances
for a period of one year will be placed on inactive status
until they become active again.
This action will be follow up with a letter to the
member stating they have been put on inactive status.
This action will be taken only after due notice and
effort by the pastor and deacons to restore them to active
status.
G.
Restoration
1.
Any
person whose membership was terminated for any reason can be
reinstated
by
three-fourths majority vote of the church at a business
meeting, upon valid
evidence
of commitment.
ARTICLE
V
CHURCH
DISCIPLINE
Should
any unpleasant difference arise among members, the aggrieved
member shall follow a tender spirit, the rules given by our
Lord in Matthew 18:15-20 I Corinthians 13; and Galatians 6.
If the issue is not resolved, the aggrieved
member then takes the issue before the Deacons.
Should
any case of gross breach of covenant, or of public scandal,
occur, the Deacons shall endeavor to resolve the conflict,
and if this effort fails, shall report the case to the
church.
All
such proceedings shall be pervaded by a spirit of Christian
kindness and forbearance, but should an adverse decision be
reached, the church may proceed to admonish or declare the
offender to be no longer in the membership of the
church.
Any person whose membership has been terminated may be
restored by a majority vote of those present and voting,
upon evidence of their repentance and reformation. The
Deacons shall place this person under watch care for a
period of time as deemed necessary.
ARTICLE
VI
ORDINANCES
A.
Baptism
Baptism
is symbolic of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.
1.
Baptism
shall be by immersion in water.
Matthew 3:13-17
2.
Baptism
shall be administered by a pastor or by a properly
authorized member of the church.
3.
Prerequisites
for baptism shall be: repentance of sins, receiving Jesus
Christ as Savior,
Lord,
and Master and a public profession of Him.
Acts 26:16-23
B.
Lord's
Supper
The
Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby
members, through partaking of the bread and fruit of the
vine, commemorate the death of Jesus Christ and anticipate
his second coming. I
Corinthians 12:23-24
Jesus
said to partake of his body and blood was spiritual.
John 6:53-63
He
said to do this in remembrance of me.
Luke 22:14-20
This
supper shall be observed as often as the members so desire
it.
ARTICLE
VII
CHURCH
OFFICERS
All
church officers must be members of Eternal Life Baptist
Church and in good standing.
A.
The
Pastor
A
pastor shall be chosen and called by the church whenever a
vacancy occurs. The qualifications for pastor shall be
consistent with those listed in 1st Timothy 3: 1- 7. His
election shall take place at a meeting called for that
purpose, of which at least one (1) weeks notice shall be
given to the church membership.
1.
Qualifications
Our
minister must be a sincere Christian who feels both called
of God to the Gospel Ministry and humbly dedicated to the
Divine Mission. Love for his fellowman ought to create
within him the desire to associate and work with all people,
regardless of position of prestige, in church and community
activities. His beliefs and philosophy must recognize that
God is the source of all man's faculties and that the Bible
is the authority and inspiration for faith and practice of
the Christian life. On his pastoral care, we hope our
minister will have a deep compassion for unsaved people
everywhere.
It
is necessary that he have the capacity for personal
counseling and the willingness to help those who are in need
of such assistance. In his preaching, our minister will be
expected to represent God, the Risen Christ, and the Holy
Spirit in such a manner that his messages will be conducive
to a worship experience. Relative to church administration,
the minister should recognize the value of lay leadership
and encourage such participation through his own dynamic
spiritual influence.
2. Call
A
pastor shall be chosen and called by the church whenever a
vacancy occurs. His election shall take place at a meeting
called for the purpose, of which at least one week's public
notice shall be given (announced in the regular morning
worship service at least one week before). A pulpit
committee shall be elected by the church to seek out a
suitable pastor, and their recommendation will constitute a
nomination. The committee shall bring to the church for
consideration only one man at a time.
He
shall
be rejected before another candidate is presented.
Election shall be by secret vote, an affirmative vote
of three-fourths (3/4) of those present and voting.
3. Duties
The
Pastor is recognized as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ
and is responsible to preach the
Word
of God, shepherd the church, and lead it in the fulfillment
of its sacred responsibilities.
He
shall reside at all business meetings, unless the church
voices a contrary procedure and shall
serve
as an ex-officio member of all committees.
The
pastor shall give himself to the ministry of the Word and to
the leadership of the congregation and shall have in charge
the welfare and oversight of the church. He
shall be ex-officio, member of all organizations,
departments and committees. He
may call a special meeting of the deacons or any committee
according to procedures which may be set forth in the
By-laws. He
shall conduct religious services on stated and special
occasions, administer the ordinances, minister to members of
the church and community, and perform other duties that
usually pertain to that office.
He
shall serve as counselor of all departments of the church
and he shall seek to maintain a godly standard at all times
so that no reproach may come through him upon the church.
He shall have charge of the pulpit ministry of the church,
provide for pulpit supply when he is absent.
He shall arrange for revival speakers.
He shall be the administrative head of the church and
responsible for the administration duties of all paid staff.
In his absence
the deacons will administer these duties.
B.
The Deacons
Number,
Election, Terms of Service
1.
The number shall be whatever the church deems necessary to
effectively carry on the work of the church,
preferably an uneven number at all times.
2.
The deacons shall be selected and ordained by the church
body, except when already ordained by
a church of like faith and order and accepted after
examination by the church.
The selection shall be based
on the scriptural procedures as in Acts 6:1-6 and I Timothy
3:8-13.
3.
The duties of the deacons shall be to share the
burden of the spiritual welfare of the church
with
the pastor. A
deacon is a servant of the Lord and shall have powers and
authority as granted
by
the church. A
deacon should strive at all times to maintain a Godly
department that no reproach may
come through him upon the church.
4.
Should a Deacon not fulfill his duties, the Board of
Deacons shall take appropriate actions.
5.
When a deacon vacancy occurs, the Pastor may announce
an election that will be held during a called church
meeting.
Qualifications
a.
The qualifications of a Deacon shall be consistent
with those listed in 1st Timothy 3: 8-13.
b.
A deacon must be
a member in good standing, and not a woman, in order to be
eligible to serve as a deacon.
c.
No member can
serve as a deacon of this church until he has been elected
at a duly called business meeting as defined above. If a
member is elected to serve as a deacon, and has never served
before in this or any other Southern Baptist Church, that
deacon, upon election, shall be ordained by the pastor. The
Pastor shall assemble an ordaining council for the
ordination of qualified and recommended candidates.
d.
A candidate for
deacon must be a member of Eternal Life Baptist Church for a
period of one (1) year prior to the starting date of his
term.
e.
The Deacons
shall be organized as a unit for the consideration of
all-larger problems and general policies, and shall meet at
least monthly.
f.
Each deacon
shall freely confer with the Pastor about all matters and
problems of the church, and this shall be handled in a
confidential manner.
g.
The Pastor or
Chairman of Deacons may call the Deacons into special
session whenever the need arises.
Duties
a.
Deacons are to
be servants of the church. They are to guard the unity of
the spirit within the
bonds of peace.
b. They shall
serve as counsel to advise and confer with the pastor in all
matters pertaining to
the welfare and work of the church. With
the pastor, they are to consider and formulate plans
for the constant effort and progress of the church in all
things pertaining to the saving of souls,
the development of Christians, and the growth of the Kingdom
of God.
c.
They are to
establish and maintain personal relationships with, and a
watchful supervision
of, all the membership of the church. They
are to seek to know the physical needs, the moral
needs, and the spiritual struggles of the members of the
congregation. They
are to serve the
whole church
in
relieving, encouraging, and developing all that are in need.
d.
All active
deacons should attend all scheduled and called business
meetings of the board.
e.
In counsel with
the pastor, the deacons are to have watchful supervision of
the discipline of
the church. In administering, they are to be guided by the
principles set forth in Matt
18:15-17, 1 Cor 5:9-13, and 1 Thes 5:12-14.
f.
The deacons shall aid the pastor in the observance of the
ordinances, visiting the sick and
aged, and in all the spiritual affairs of the church.
C.
Secretary
The church Secretary shall be nominated by the Nominating
Committee and elected annually
by the church membership. The
church secretary will assist the Pastor in church
administration; maintain records of attendance at all
functions. This
involves maintaining
records of Sunday school and worship attendance and
distribution of literature and mailings.
The secretary is responsible for keeping an accurate
record of all business-meeting transactions
of the church. The
secretary shall keep a register of the names and addresses
of the church
members, with dates of admission, dismissal, and deaths of
members of this church family. The
secretary shall issue letters of dismissal voted by the
church, and write letters of transfer of
membership. The
secretary will also distribute to all new members the
church’s policies and
Constitution/Bylaws. The
secretary will be required to give the church quarterly and
annual
reports.
D. Treasurer
The Treasurer shall be nominated by the Nominating Committee
and elected annually by the
church
to keep a record of all monetary transactions for the
church, keeping at all times an
itemized
account of all receipts and disbursements. The
Treasurer shall give an itemized report
of receipts and disbursements quarterly to the members of
this church, and this report shall be
printed for distribution to the members. All
books, records, and accounts kept by the Treasurer
shall be considered the property of this church and except
for individual accounts of
contributions, shall be open for inspection at all times by
the members of this church. The
Treasurer shall keep an individual record of all gifts and
provide an annual statement to all
contributing donors. All
gifts shall be confidential and not made public. The
Treasurer shall
maintain a record of receipts and disbursements with proper
vouchers.
E.
Trustees
The church
shall have a minimum of three (3) trustees and the number
shall always be an
uneven number. The trustees shall have charge of all church
property and physical equipment.
They
shall represent the church in necessary legal matters but
shall in no wise encumber or
obligate the church, nor sell any property of
the church without the approval of the church
body. They
may, when necessary, make any emergency repairs for the
continuing of the church
services.
They shall make a report to the church at each
business meeting.
F. Organist/Pianist
The organist/pianist assists the worship leader in providing
musical accompaniment for the
church music program. This
position may be a volunteer.
Membership of Eternal Life Baptist
Church is expected.
G. Sunday School Superintendent
The Sunday School Superintendent will do the recruiting and
nominating of all Sunday school
officers and teachers.
All organizations of the church shall be under church
control, all officers being elected by the
church and reporting regularly to the church. It
is understood that the pastor is, ex-officio, a
member of all organizations named, and his leadership is to
be recognized in them all. The
duties of all officers, leaders, and committees shall be
those designated in the approved
denominational standards.
H.
Other needed officers
All of the other needed offices and officers shall be
selected and approved by the church as
deemed
necessary.
ARTICLE
VIII
COMMITTEES
A. Board of
Trustees
The
Board of Trustees shall consist of a minimum of three (3)
members and the number shal
always
be an uneven number. The
trustees act as legal representatives of the church to take
such
action and execute any documents necessary to accomplish the
purpose of any matter,
which
concerns any real, personal, or intangible property of the
church. They are
responsible
for
maintaining adequate insurance coverage on all church
property to include liability and
property
coverage. The
trustees have no legal authority to buy, sell, mortgage,
lease, or
transfer
property without specific church action and approval.
B. Nominating Committee
Consists
of a minimum of three (3) members plus the Sunday School
Superintendent. A
committee
member must be a member of Eternal Life Baptist for at least
one (1) year. This
term
of service of the Nominating Committee will be from January 1
through December 31 to ensure
continuity
of activities. This
Committee shall canvass the church rolls and seek to
discover
persons
suitable for appointment as officers, teachers and committee
members. This
Committee
shall bring nominations for officers, teachers, and
committee members to the
church
for approval by vote. The
church shall be notified of these nominations for election
by
the
first Sunday in September. The
Nominating Committee shall be responsible for filling any
vacancies,
except paid staff, in church leadership during the committee
term and presenting
the
candidate to the church for approval by vote.
C. Property &
Grounds Committee
The
P&G Committee shall be nominated by the Nominating
Committee and serve a three (3)
year
term; the church will elect one new member each year by the
church membership. The
P&G
Committee shall consist of not less than three (3) members.
This Committee shall have
general
charge and upkeep of the building and property exterior.
D. Budget &
Finance Committee
Consists
of the pastor and treasurer as ex-officio members and three
(3) members at large. A
member
must be twenty-one (21) years of age and a member of this
church for a period of at
least
one (1) year. This
Committee shall prepare and submit to the Deacons an
inclusive
budget
indicating by items the amount needed. After
being reviewed and approved by the
Board
of Deacons, this budget shall be distributed to the members
of this church at least one
(1)
week prior to the business meeting for final approval.
This committee shall have the responsibility of assuring
that the adopted budget is adhered to
and approving all contracts pledging the credit of the
church and payment by the treasurer of
vouchers for unbudgeted materials and supplies. Committee
members are responsible for
counting and securing offertory money each week. Treasurer
shall be responsible for
depositing offertory money each week.
All Committee meetings shall be conducted in a
confidential manner.
Finance team members will serve a three (3) year term; the
church will elect one each year. In
the case where the church elects a member to fill an expired
term, this member will rotate off
at the schedule of the one they replaced. This
committee shall annually elect its chairman.
These persons shall organize themselves as they deem best
for this part of their work, calling
to their assistance other members of the church as they see
fit.
The
duties of this finance committee shall be:
a.
To
supervise the raising of all money in the church and have
supervision over the expenditure of the same, which includes
the preparation of the annual budget.
b.
Under no circumstances is a member to solicit funds from an
outsider without authorization of the finance committee.
This is to eliminate embarrassment to the church and the
outsider. This does not preclude individuals making special
offering at any time the Spirit of God may move them.
c.
To approve all contracts pledging the credit of the church,
for supplies, materials, and/or services unless such
contracts are authorized by direct vote of the church.
d. To approve for payment by the Treasurer all vouchers for
such supplies, materials and/or services as approved by the
church. This
does not pertain to items listed in the budget.
e.
To make available all books and accounts of the church
annually at the beginning of the church year and such other
times as deemed necessary.
E. Social
Committee
The
Social Committee shall be nominated by the Nominating
Committee and elected annually
by
the church membership. It will consist of a minimum of three
(3) members. This Committee
will
oversee the use and decoration of the church at events other
than regularly scheduled
services.
The social committee shall be responsible for arranging
church wide social activities
for
members and guests of the church. They will be responsible
for the church fellowship
facilities.
All social events in these facilities shall be cleared
through this committee. The
Social
Committee shall also handle the administration and
reimbursement of the bereavement
memorials,
hospitalization floral arrangements and cards.
F.
Transportation Committee
The
Transportation Committee shall be nominated by the
Nominating Committee and elected
annually
by the church membership. It will consist of a minimum of
three (3) members to
oversee
the operation of the church vehicles. The
committee is responsible to insure that
maintenance
and inspections are performed. They also evaluate and
approve drivers and
establish
rules and guidelines for the use of the vehicles.
G. Church
Leadership Council
This committee consists of all church leaders, chaired by
the pastor, to coordinate the activities
and organizations of the church in an advisory capacity. The
council meets quarterly to review
the planned activities and programs of all organizations to
develop a church activity calendar
to be posted in the church for membership information.
ARTICLE
IX
MEETINGS
A. Worship
Services
The
Church shall meet regularly each Sunday morning and Sunday
evening for preaching,
instruction,
and evangelism and for the worship of Almighty God.
These meetings will be
open
for the entire membership of the church and for all people
and shall be conducted under
the
direction of the Pastor.
Midweek services for prayer and Bible study shall
normally be
held
on Wednesdays. Special
services such as revival, vacation bible school. etc. shall
be
places
in the church calendar.
B. Business
Meetings
Regular
business meetings shall be held quarterly at a date and time
designated by the church
on
the church calendar. Special
call business meetings shall be at the option of the church.
ARTICLE
X
CHURCH
FINANCING
a.
The church
shall adopt a general budget annually which shall provide
for current local expenses, missions, and benevolences
outside the church.
b.
The church
shall be financed only through tithes and offerings.
c.
All funds
contributed by members of this church shall be deposited in
the treasury of the church, subject to the order of the
church. No money
shall be taken from the church treasury except as it is
appropriated by the church at regular business meetings and
ordered paid by the church, or so provided for by previous
action of the church.
d.
No individual
member of the church shall incur a bill chargeable to the
church without the expressed order of the Pastor of the
church.
ARTICLE
XI
LICENSING
AND ORDAINING
a.
Any male member
of this church who gives evidence by his piety, meal,
doctrinal soundness,
aptness
to teach and that is called of God to the work of the
ministry, may be licensed to preach the gospel by a majority
vote of the members present at a regular business meeting or
one called for that purpose, providing he has brought a
message in the hearing of the church and has been
recommended by the pastor and or deacons.
b.
If a licensed
minister, who is an active member of this church, has given
evidence of being worthy of ordination and has been called
to a definite field of service, the church may, upon
recommendation of the pastor and deacons, at a regular
business meeting, or one called for that purpose, authorized
the calling of a council of ordained ministers and deacons
from sister Baptist churches to examine the qualifications
of the candidate. The
church may authorize ordinations upon recommendation of said
council.
ARTICLE
XII
CHURCH
COUNCIL
The
church council shall include the Pastor, Secretary,
Treasurer, Sunday School Superintendant, and the Chairman
of Deacons.
The
Church Council shall seek to correlate and coordinate the
activities and organizations of the church, with advisory
powers only. It
shall have the duty of planning the church budget.
ARTICLE
XIII
REAL
ESTATE TRANSACTIONS
Except
as otherwise provided in this Article XIII, no real estate
of the Church may be purchased, sold, mortgaged, or
otherwise encumbered including purchase of sale on contract
for deed without the consent of two-thirds majority of
ballots of voting members cast at any business meeting of
the Church provided a quorum is present and voting.
Notice of such action shall be given to all members
at least two weeks prior to the meeting at which such action
shall be considered. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, real estate that is not used in the active
operations or ministries of the Church, including, but not
limited to real estate received as a result of a gift,
grant, bequest, legacy or devise, may be conveyed, sold or
leased upon the majority vote of the Board of Elders.
ARTICLE
XIV
TAX-EXEMPT
PROVISIONS
A.
Private
Inurement
No
part of the net earnings of the Church or its related
ministries shall inure to the benefit of or be distributable
to its members, trustee, officers, or other private persons,
except that the Church shall be authorized and empowered to
pay reasonable compensation for the services rendered and to
make payments and distributions in furtherance of the
purposes set forth in Article II, of the Constitution and
any amendments thereto.
B.
Political
Involvement
No
substantial part of the activities of the Church shall be
for the perpetrating of propaganda or otherwise attempting
to influence legislation.
The Church shall not participate in or intervene in
(including the publishing or distribution of statements) any
political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public
office.
C.
Dissolution
Being
a unincorporated church and having no affiliation with a
religious hierarchy and mere voluntary associations of
persons and may dissolve on our own initiative by a vote of
the membership, by abandonment of the church, or by
withdrawal of all members from the church, assuming that all
applicable provisions in the church's bylaws or other
internal rules are followed. The property is in the name of
trustees. In
accordance of the Internal Revenue Service to be eligible
for exemption from federal income taxes all assets held in
trust for the use and benefit of the church will pass to
another charitable, tax-exempt organization upon dissolution
of the church. Neither
trustees nor former members have any personal claim to trust
assets following the dissolution of the church.
This is based on the fact that the Internal Revenue
Code prohibits tax-exempt status to any organization whose
net earnings or assets are payable to or for the benefit of
any private individual. If
the church fails to include a provision in its
organizational document providing for disposition of trust
assets following dissolution of the church, a court may
nonetheless direct that all trust assets pass to another
charitable organization having similar purposes to those of
the dissolved church.
This power of the courts to determine the status of
the trust assets of a dissolved church is known as the cy
pres doctrine.
D.
Racial Nondiscrimination
The
Church shall have a racially nondiscriminatory policy and
therefore shall not discriminate against members,
applicants, students, and others on the basis of race,
color, national or ethnic origin.
Interpretation
The Pastor and Deacons shall interpret all parts of this
constitution and by-laws: therefore, it is necessary that
they familiarize themselves with its contents.
Adoption
The
forgoing Constitution and Bylaws of Eternal Life Baptist
Church of Mooresville are so adopted this day May
1, 2010
by an affirmative vote of a majority of all members of the
church present, replacing the previous edition.
The
church secretary will maintain possession of one copy of
this document, a second copy will be kept in the church
office, and a third copy will be place on the church
website.
ARTICLE
XVI
AMENDENTS
Changes
in this 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 is
furnished to each member present.
Amendments to the constitution and bylaws shall be by
two-thirds vote of all
members of the church present entitled to vote.
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