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HOME DIRECTIONS SALVATION
CONSTITUTION OF
THE CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH OF YUCCA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Revised July 1995
CONSTITUTION
OF
THE CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH OF YUCCA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
PREAMBLE
Confirming our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation, believing in the historic
teachings and practices of the Baptists, and accepting the Bible as our sole and perfect
rule of faith and practice, we, therefore, band ourselves together as a body of baptized
believers in Jesus Christ and adopt for our government and plan of worship and service the
following Constitution and by-laws:
Table of Contents
ARTICLE I
Name
The name
of this corporation shall be "The Calvary Baptist Church of Yucca Valley,
California" incorporated under the laws of the State of California.
Table of Contents
ARTICLE II
Purpose
The purpose of this Church
shall be:
a.
The worship of
Almighty God.
b.
The preaching of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ unto the salvation of the lost.
c.
The teaching and
instruction of the believers and the development in them of
a consistent Christian character.
d.
The promotion of
missionary enterprises at home and abroad.
e.
Effective
service and soul winning.
f.
The conducting and operating of Christian schools.
Table of Contents
ARTICLE III
Character and Government
The
Government of the Church is vested in the Body of believers who compose it. It is subject to the control of no other
ecclestical body, but it recognizes and sustains the privilege of mutual counsel and
cooperation common among Baptist churches.
Table of Contents
ARTICLE IV
Our Church Covenant
Having been led by the Holy Spirit of God to receive Jesus Christ as Saviour and to
confess Him as Lord, and on confession of this 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 covenant with one another, as one body in Christ,
to lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him.
We
promise, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to forsake the ways of sin and to walk together in
Christian love and in the paths of righteousness. With
this in view we engage to strive together for both the peace and purity of this Church; to sustain its worship and steadfastly to cherish
and hold its ordinances, disciplines and doctrines; to contribute, as faithful stewards,
such time, talent and money, in the measure that God prospers each of us, that the
responsibility for the work of the local Church and the world-wide ministry of spreading
the Gospel be faithfully and effectively discharged.
We
engage to maintain a systematic, consistent family altar with Bible reading and prayer; to educate our children in the Christian faith and
personally seek to win them to Christ in the home; to
seek the salvation of our family and friends; to
walk carefully in our actions, conversation and manner of life; to abstain from the use and the sale of
intoxicating liquors as a beverage, and from every form of evil; to be just in our dealings; to avoid tattling gossiping, back-biting, and
excessive anger; and to be zealous in our
personal witness for Christ.
We
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 and feeling and courtesy in speech; to not be easily hurt and offended if things do
not go the way we plan; to be ready for
reconciliation immediately, according to Christ's command in Matthew 18.
We
engage to honor, love and esteem our Pastor and his family;
to pray for him fervently; to support
him in the spiritual exercise of his official authority;
to attend regularly upon his administrations;
to manifest a tender regard for his reputation;
to protect him from malicious gossip and back-biting; and to contribute towards his support in
proportion to our ability.
We
moreover engage that when we move from this place, we will, as soon as possible, unite
with some local church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the
principles of the Word of God.
Table of Contents
ARTICLE V
Doctrinal Statement
Section 1.
The Word of
God.
We
believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the
original manuscript, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has
supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
(II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:21).
Section 2.
The Trinity.
We
believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons; that these are equal in every divine
perfection, and that they execute distinct but
harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption. (II John 5:7).
Section 3.
God, the
Father.
We
believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom,
power and life. We believe that He concerns
Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, and that He hears and answers prayer, and that
He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (John 4:24; John 3:16,17; John 17:24).
Section 4.
Jesus Christ.
We
believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life,
miracles and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily
resurrection, ascension into Heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and His
personal, premillennial and imminent return for His
church. (Isaiah 7:14; John 1:14; John 8:58; I
Corinthians 15:3-6; I John 1:7; II Corinthians 5:21; Acts 1:9-11; Hebrews 7:25; I
Thessalonians 4:13-17).
Section 5.
The Holy
Spirit.
We
believe in the Holy Spirit, a person who came forth from the Father and Son to convince the world of sin, righteousness and
judgement; to regenerate, sanctify, and
empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We
believe that the Holy Spirit baptizes and indwells every believer in Christ (I Corinthians 12:13) and that He is their abiding
helper, guide, teacher, seal and interpreter of the Word.
(John 16:8-11; 13-15; Romans 8:14-17; Ephesians 1:13, 14).
Section 6.
Man.
We
believe that man was created in the image of God, that he sinned and thereby incurred no
only physical death, but also spiritual death which is separation from God. (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:17; Genesis 3:6; Romans
5:12).
Section 7.
Regeneration.
We
believe that all men are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under condemnation.
We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour are
born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby become the children of God eternally. This acceptance of Jesus Christ as personal
Saviour is a definite act of the will and is not the result of works, baptism, or church membership. (II Thessalonians 2:7-12; Acts 20:21).
Section 8.
The Church.
We
believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the Head and
of which all regenerated people are members. We
believe that a local church is a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a
credibleprofession of faith, and associated for worship, work and fellowship. We believe that to these local churches are
committed, for perpetual observance, the ordinances of baptism and our Lord's Supper; and that God has laid upon these churches the task
of persuading a lost world to accept Jesus Christ as Saviour and to enthrone Him as Lord
and Master. We believe that all human
betterment and social improvement are the inevitable products of such a Gospel. (Ephesians
5:22-32; Matthew 16:16-18; Acts 2:38-41).
Section 9.
Christian
Conduct.
We
believe in the need of a holy walk and conversation on the part of every member and in his
separation from worldly and questionable habits and amusements, that he may live for the
glory of God and the well-being of his fellowmen; that
he should be a faithful steward of his possessions; and that he should seek to realize for
himself and others the full stature of maturity in Christ. We believe that only a pure
church membership can promote a Christ-honoring program and, therefore, desire that all
leaders and officers of this Church shall be exemplary in the very minutest details of
their lives: (Colossians 3:17; Philippians
2:14-16; II Corinthians 9:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-16).
Section 10.
The
Ordinances.
We
believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church -
baptism and the Lord's Supper - to be observed and administered until His return:
a.
Baptism. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion
of a believer in water: ". . . In the
name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit," to show forth in a solemn and
beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Saviour, with its effect,
our death to sin and our resurrection to a new life.
(Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12).
b.
The Lord's
Supper. We believe that the Lord's Supper
is a memorial service setting forth, in a sacred and symbolical manner, the death of the
Lord Jesus Christ on our behalf. The emblems
used are not literally the body and blood of Christ, nor do they contain His flesh and
blood, but are simply symbols. Participation
is for all believers who, after self-examination in the light of the Word, combined with
confession (I John 1:9), seek to obey the
Lord in this observance. (I Corinthians 11:23-30).
Section 11.
Religious
Liberty.
We
believe that every human being has direct relations to God, and is responsible to God
alone in all matters of faith; that each
church is independent and autonomous and must be free from interference by an
ecclesiastical or political authority; that,
therefore, Church and State must be kept separate as having different functions, each
fulfilling its duty free from the dictation or patronage of the other.
Section 12.
Church
Cooperation.
We
believe that the local church can best promote the cause of Jesus Christ by cooperating
with other churches of like faith and order. Such
an organization, whether a regional or district conference, exists and functions by the
will of the church. Cooperation in a
conference is voluntary and may be terminated at any time.
Churches may likewise cooperate with interdenominational fellowships on a voluntary
independent basis.
Section 13.
Satan.
We
believe in the distinct personality of the fallen angel Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12-17). We
believe that Satan and all unbelievers of all ages will have their final destiny in the
lake of fire, that is Hell, for eternity. (Revelation
20:10-15).
Section 14.
The Last
Things.
We
believe in the personal, premillennial and imminent return of Jesus Christ to rapture the
church. (I Thessalonians 4:16; II
Thessalonians 2:7-12; I Corinthians 15:50-58). We
believe in the second advent of Christ, at which time He will establish His kingdom and
reign in power and glory. We believe in the
bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust; the
final judgement; the everlasting blessedness
of the saved and the endless suffering of the lost. (John
5:28,29; Revelation 20:11-19).
Table of Contents
ARTICLE VI
Membership
Section 1.
Admission.
Any
person subscribing to the Church Constitution, which includes the Church Covenant and the
Doctrinal Statement, may become a member of this Church upon recommendation of the Pastor,
and the favorable vote of the members of this Church by:
a.
Baptism: Confession of faith in Jesus Christ as personal
Saviour and after being baptized by immersion.
b.
Letter: By letter from another church of like faith and
order.
c.
Statement of
Faith: Anyone unable to provide a letter,
but who gives satisfactory evidence to the Pastor of faith in Jesus Christ as personal
Saviour, and of baptism by immersion, if that baptism was not construed to be necessary to
salvation.
d.
Restoration: Any person who has been erased from membership
may, on the recommendation of the Board of Deacons, be restored by vote of the membership.
Section 2.
Duties.
a.
Members shall
strive to keep their Covenant obligations. They
shall honor and esteem their Pastor, pray for him daily, and assist him in carrying out
the program of the Church. They will endeavor
to preserve the unity of the Church and, if at any time they find themselves opposed to
the fundamental doctrines of this Church and the Baptist denomination, they will not seek
to disrupt its fellowship, but will quietly withdraw from the Church.
b.
Every member of the Church is expected to attend its meetings, to work for its
upbuilding, to guard its good name in the community, to contribute regularly and according
to his ability for the expense of the Church, and to keep the Clerk informed as to his
residence.
Section 3.
Status.
a.
Active
Member: A member who, insofar as is
possible, complies with the duties outlined in Section 2 of Article VI.
b.
Non-Resident
Member: A member living beyond the field
of this Church, or changing residence so as to be unable to attend this or any other
Baptist church, may retain membership in this Church by communicating with the Pastor or
Church Clerk at least twice a year.
c.
Inactive Member: A member, to
whom the Church meetings are accessible, who absents himself from all meetings, including
the communion services, for the space of three months, shall be placed on an inactive
roll. Such inactive members may, by faithful
attendance at regular services and communion services of the Church for a period of three
months, be restored to active membership.
d.
Watchcare
Member: When an individual who is not a
permanent resident of the area (such as one who is on military assignment), and who comes
from a church of like faith and order, and who wishes to retain his or her home church membership, desires to unite with
this Church, he or she shall be granted full membership privileges as outlined in this
constitution with the understanding that his or her home church membership shall be
retained and that membership in this Church shall be terminated upon his or her moving
from the area.
Section 4.
Dismissal.
a.
Letters of transfer, for the purpose of uniting with some other Baptist church of
like faith and order, shall be granted to members in good standing, and shall be sent to
the church with which the member wishes to unite.
b.
An inactive
member, lost to the knowledge of the Church for one year, shall be placed on a suspended
list with the understanding that if he is undiscovered by another year his name shall be
erased from the Church roll. A member thus
erased may be restored to full membership upon making satisfactory explanation.
c.
A member who
joins another church without requesting a letter or certificate of Christian standing
shall be erased from the Church roll.
Section 5.
Discipline.
a.
Delinquents: The Pastor and the Board of Deacons shall be and
constitute a committee on delinquents. They
shall seek to interview all members violating their Church obligations or conducting
themselves in such manner as to bring reproach upon the Church, and shall endeavor to
restore them to the path of fellowship. Failing
to receive satisfactory evidence of repentance and reformation, they shall report the
offenders to the Church for discipline.
b.
Grievances: In all cases of grievances between members, the
offender shall be dealt with in accordance with the rules laid down in the 18th chapter of
Matthew, and no public complaint shall be preferred until thiscourse shall have been
pursued. Charges then made shall be in
writing and shall be submitted to the Board of Deacons for proper recommendation to the
Church.
Section 6.
Rights.
All
members in good standing shall have equal rights, except that those under twenty-one (21)
years of age shall be ineligible to vote on corporate matters. Voting age on other than
corporate matters shall be eighteen (18) years of age. Individual members of this Church
have no property rights and upon termination of membership they shall be entitled to no
interest in the assets.
Table of Contents
ARTICLE VII
Governing Body
Section 1.
Elected
Officers.
a.
Pastor
b.
Board of
Deacons, consisting of seven (7) or more members
d.
Clerk
e.
Head Usher
Section 2.
Qualifications.
a.
Pastor. The Pastor shall be an ordained minister. He must believe in the personal, premillenial and
imminent return of Jesus Christ to rapture the Church before the beginning of Daniel's
seventieth (70th) week. (I Thessalonians
4:16; II Thessalonians 2:7-12; I Corinthians
15:50-58). All prospective candidates must be sent a copy of the Statement of Faith (Article
V, Constitution) and be in full agreement, by letter, before being considered as a
candidate for the pastorate of this Church.
b.
Deacons. The qualifications of Deacons are set forth in I
Timothy 3:8-13, and their duties in Acts 6:1-6.
c.
All officers and
committee members shall be active members and in good standing who subscribe gladly to the
Constitution of this Church.
Section 3.
Delinquent
Officers.
a.
Delinquent
Officers shall be dealt with as members in Article VI, Section 5a, and this action shall
take place if any Board member absents himself from the Church fellowship for a period of
three (3) weeks of meetings or absents himself from three (3) monthly Board meetings
without valid reason.
Table of Contents
ARTICLE VIII
Duties of Officers
Section 1.
Pastor.
a.
He shall perform
all of the Scriptural duties of his office and, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit,
have freedom of the pulpit to preach the Word to the edification of the saints and the
regeneration of the lost.
b.
He shall be in
complete charge of the stated services of public worship; administer the ordinances; and
perform such other duties in connection with the work of the Church as generally appertain
to the office of Pastor.
c.
He shall be
moderator at all meetings of the Church, Chairman of the Board of Deacons, and ex-officio
member of all other boards, committees and auxiliary organizations. He shall be consulted in all matters affecting the
life of the Church.
d.
He shall present
to the Church at the annual meeting a written report summarizing his works.
Section 2.
Deacons.
The
Board of Deacons shall be responsible in the following areas:
1.
Worship.
2.
Christian
Education.
3.
Trusteeship.
(The
Board of Deacons may choose to subdivide itself into committees for the more efficient and
effective administration of these areas, but all committees must receive Board approval
for final action.)
Matters of Worship
a.
They shall
assist the Pastor in his oversight of the spiritual welfare and life of the church.
b.
They shall
assist the Pastor at the observance of the Lord's Supper, and with the baptismal services.
c.
They shall visit
the sick and care for the poor in the church fellowship, and shall have complete charge of
the expenditure of the fellowship funds.
d.
They shall be
active in calling upon new members and shall help the Pastor to enlist them in the church
program.
e.
They shall
arrange for temporary supply of the pulpit; and
shall compose the Pulpit Committee.
f.
The Vice
Chairman of the Board of Deacons shall be Vice President of the Church Corporation and
Vice Moderator.
Matters of Christian Education
a.
They shall be
responsible for the organizing, administering and supervising of the total educational
program of the Church as it relates to the Bible School and the youth.
b.
They shall be
responsible to the Church for the unification or correlation of all the educational
interests of the Church, including the Bible School, young people's work, leadership,
education, enlistment of leadership, Vacation Bible School, stewardship education, and all
other lines of study, worship, evangelism, recreation and service included in a
comprehensive program of Christian education.
Matters of Trusteeship
a.
They shall hold
in trust all properties belonging to the Church and take all necessary steps for its
protection, management and upkeep, including adequate insurance coverage.
b.
They shall have
power to buy, sell mortgage, lease, or transfer property valued in excess of $500.00 (five
hundred dollars) only upon specific approval vote by the active Church membership. They shall be empowered to draw and execute all
legal instruments for and on behalf of the Church upon proper authorization by the Church.
c.
They shall have
control of all use of the Church properties.
d.
They shall
decide upon the use of the Church buildings and premises for unscheduled meetings by
organizations within the Church and the use of the church buildings and premises by those
outside the Church membership.
e.
They, with the
Treasurer and the Financial Secretary, shall outline all procedures relative to the
handling of all moneys, including the designation of the bank where funds of the Church
shall be deposited. They shall also outline
procedures for the use of purchase orders, including a list of authorized signatures.
f.
They shall
engage a Custodian and such other employees as they deem necessary to the upkeep of the
Church property and shall define their duties.
g.
They shall
perform such other duties as are outlined in other sections of this Constitution or as may
be directed by the Church.
Section 4.
Church Clerk.
a.
He shall keep
the minutes of all business meetings of the Church, receive all reports from officers and
committees, and give a written report at all quarterly business meetings.
b.
He shall keep
and maintain the official membership roll.
c.
He shall take
care of the correspondence assigned to him in the name of the Church, including the
issuing and signing of letters of recommendation and dismissal of Church members.
d.
He shall keep a
copy of the Church Constitution current as to amendments, etc.
Section 5.
Treasurer. He shall be appointed by
the Deacons.
a.
He shall keep an
accurate account of all moneys received and disbursed. A weekly receipt record is to be
furnished by the Financial Secretary.
b.
He shall
disburse all funds by check only. Missionary,
benevolent, and all other designated funds shall be disbursed as designated by the donor,
or, as in the instance of undesignated funds, as directed by the Church. All disbursements not included in the Church
budget and not designated by the donor must be approved by the Board of Deacons before
such payment is made.
c.
He shall present
a written report of all receipts, expenditures, etc., at each quarterly business meeting,
and an annual report, a copy of which is to be distributed to each member at the annual
meeting.
d.
He shall meet
with the Board of Deacons at their request.
Section 6.
Financial
Secretary. He shall be appointed by the
Deacons.
a.
He shall count
all offerings of the Church in the company of the Assistant Financial Secretary or one
Deacon.
b.
He shall keep a
record of the amount received for each fund and shall furnish the Treasurer with a
detailed weekly record of receipts.
c.
He shall make a
weekly deposit of all funds at a depository designated by the Board of Deacons.
d.
He shall keep a
record of contributions made by members who have so requested, providing Church envelopes
are used.
Section 7.
Head Usher.
a.
He shall be in
charge of the ushering at the regular Church services, and any other services of the
Church upon the request of the Pastor or of the Board of Deacons.
b.
He shall be
responsible for the proper ventilation of the Church auditorium and the provision of
adequate seating at the above services, and of other physical needs as the situation
warrants.
c.
He shall be
responsible for enlisting an adequate corps of ushers to serve with him, and shall meet
with them at least once each quarter.
Section 8.
Moderator.
a.
He shall preside over all business sessions of the Church.
b.
Vice-Moderator
shall preside in the absence of the Moderator.
Table of Contents
ARTICLE IX
Terms of Office
Section 1.
The Pastor shall
serve for an indeterminate term.
Section 2.
The Board of
Deacons shall be elected for a term of three (3) years, and, as far as practicable,
one-third of the Board shall be elected each year.
Section 3.
Other officers
and standing committee members shall serve for the term of one (1) year or until their
successors have assumed office.
Table of Contents
ARTICLE X
Elections
Section 1.
Time.
a.
The annual
election of officers shall be held in the middle of December on a Wednesday night
established by the Board of Deacons.
Section 2.
Procedure.
a.
One month before
the election of officers, the congregation shall have the opportunity to nominate any
member eligible and willing to serve. The
nominees will be submitted to the nominating committee who will then screen the list of
nominees and then vote on each nominee regarding recommendation to the congregation. Pastor will then contact those receiving unanimous
approval from the Nominating Committee. Two
weeks before the election, the Nominating Committee shall present to the Church the names
of one or preferably two or more persons for each office and standing committee
(Nominating and Budget Committees excepted) to be filled.
Section 3.
Mode of
Election.
a.
All elections
shall be by ballot, a plurality vote of the ballots cast being necessary for the election
of any officer.
b.
There being no
objection, the voters may empower a single person to cast the vote for the body.
c.
All officers
shall assume their duties at the beginning of the fiscal/calendar year.
Table of Contents
ARTICLE XI
Committees
Section 1.
Nominating
Committee.
a.
A Nominating
Committee consisting of five (5) members, two (2) of whom shall be Deacons, shall be named
by the Board of Deacons. The nominations
shall be presented to the Church for approval at the annual Report Business Meeting in
January. The Nominating Committee shall serve
one (1) year.
b.
The Nominating
Committee shall present to the Church their nominations according to the procedure
outlined in Article X, Section 2, and Article XII, Section 2.
c.
The Nominating
Committee shall promptly note all vacancies occurring during the year in any elective
position and submit nominations at once to fill the same, election of which is to be held
at any regular business meeting of the Church.
Section 2.
Auditing
Committee.
The
Auditing Committee shall consist of three (3) members and shall audit the books of the
Treasurer and Financial Secretary once a year, and at such other times as the Board of
Deacons may direct, and shall submit a written report to the Church at the first quarterly
meeting of the next fiscal year. This
committee shall be elected at the annual business meeting of the Church.
Section 3.
Budgeting
Committee.
The
Budget Committee shall consist of the members of the Board of Deacons, Treasurer,
Financial Secretary, Christian Education Director, and the Commander of the AWANA program. This Committee shall prepare a budget forthe
coming year and present it to the Church for approval at the annual business meeting. Any additions or revisions to the budget during
the year shall be reviewed by the Committee and recommended to the Church for action. The Chairman of the Deacon Board shall preside as
Chairman of the Budget Committee.
Table of Contents
ARTICLE XII
Meetings
Section 1.
Devotional
Meetings.
a.
The Church shall
meet regularly each Lord's Day for worship and the preaching of the Gospel.
b.
The Church shall
meet for the observance of the Lord's Supper upon the first Lord's Day of each month, or
at such other times as the Church may decide.
c.
The Church shall
meet at least once each week for prayer, testimony and conference.
d.
The Church shall
meet each Lord's Day for Christian instruction (the study and teaching of the Bible) and
at such other times as the Church may decide.
e.
In view of the
confusion existing regarding various translations of the Bible, we believe it is in the
best interest of the Church that the King James version be the Basis for Bible study and
reading from the pulpit.
Section 2.
Business
Meetings.
a.
The fiscal year
of the Church shall be from January 1 to December 31, inclusive.
b.
The annual
Report Business Meeting of the Church shall be held as near January 15th as conveniently
possible.
c.
The annual
election of officers of the corporation and Church shall be held in the middle of December
on a Wednesday night established by the Board of Deacons.
d.
Business
meetings of the church shall be held at least once each quarter as near to the 15th of the
month following the close of the quarter as possible.
e.
Any ordinary
matter of business requiring action by the Church may be presented and acted upon at any
ordinary meeting of the congregation.
f.
Any
extraordinary business involving the buying and/or selling of Church property shall be
publicly posted on the bulletin board and announced from the pulpit at two regular Church
services at least two (2) days before such meetings.
g.
Special business
meetings of the Church may be held at any time by order of the Board of Deacons, the
Pastor, or upon written request of a quorum of the membership.
h.
All matters of
business to be considered by the Church membership must be presented to the Deacon Board
for consideration prior to such meetings.
Section 3.
Quorum.
A
quorum for Church business and elections shall be 20% of the active Church membership.
Table of Contents
ARTICLE XIII
Pastoral Relations
Section 1.
Pulpit
Committee.
When it
is necessary to call a Pastor, the Board of Deacons shall appoint a Pulpit Committee,
consisting of five (5) of its members, which shall take necessary steps to secure a
Pastor. In seeking a suitable man, the
Committee may take suggestions from members of the Church.
The Committee shall investigate the merits of every man under consideration in
regard to personal character, education, ministerial record, and preaching ability in
determining his fitness for said pastorate, and report to the entire Board. When a suitable man has been found, the Board of
Deacons shall recommend him to the Church for its consideration. Only one candidate shall be considered at a time.
Section 2.
Calling a
Pastor.
The
calling of a Pastor shall come before the Church at a specially called business meeting,
notice of such meeting and its purpose having been read from the pulpit at all services
for one week preceding the meeting, and each active member of the Church notified of such
meeting by mail. A vote, by ballot, of
three-fourths of the active members present and qualified to vote shall be necessary to
extend a call to anyone under consideration. Only
one candidate shall be presented to the Church at a time.
Section 3.
Pastor's
Salary.
The
salary shall be fixed at the time of the call and may be changed upon recommendation of
the Board of Deacons and vote of the Church at any regular business meeting. The Pastor shall be entitled to an annual paid
vacation of four (4) weeks. The Pastor will
not be compensated for vacation not taken. The
time of his vacation is to be agreed upon by the Board of Deacons. The Pastor shall be allowed two (2) weeks of
outside meetings per year and he shall arrange for his supply in his absence. The Pastor shall be entitled to an annual conference
expense allowance.
Section 4.
Termination
of Pastorate.
a.
The term of this
office may be ended upon thirty (30) days notification in writing on the part of the
Pastor or the Church. The Pastor shall first
give his resignation to the Board of Deacons before it is presented to the Church.
b.
All action to
dismiss the Pastor shall be referred to the Board of Deacons
for its consideration before action is taken by the Church. The Board of Deacons shall consider the merits
of any written request when signed by one-tenth of the active and voting membership of the
Church and shall act accordingly in presenting the matter to the Church. Such action shall be taken at a regular or called
business meeting, but only after the notice and the opportunity of a hearing has been
given the Pastor, and shall be by written ballot with three-fourths majority vote of the
active members present necessary to carry a motion for dismissal.
c.
In the event the
Pastor wins a vote of confidence of the Church at such an election, all officers signing
such a petition mentioned above in Section 4b of this Article shall automatically
relinquish their office.
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ARTICLE XIV
Other Employees
Section 1.
Qualifications.
This
Church shall engage as salaried staff for the spiritual emphasis of the Church only those
who have accepted Christ as their Saviour and are living consistent Christian lives.
Section 2.
Call.
The
assistant to the Pastor and other employees, such as those listed in this section, may be
called at any regular or called meeting of the membership.
A majority of the members present and qualified to vote shall be necessary
to extend a call to anyone under consideration. All
employees shall work under the direction of the Pastor and Board of Deacons and shall be
responsible to them except where the Constitution definitely states otherwise. In all questions of dispute or dissatisfaction
employees shall have the right to appeal directly to the Board of Deacons. Upon the resignation of the Pastor, the
assistants, whether Assistant Pastor, Youth Director, or Director of Christian Education,
may continue in their respective positions only upon review of their individual positions
by the Board of Deacons who shall make recommendation to the Church accordingly.
Section 3.
Salary.
Salaries,
vacations and other benefits shall be fixed at the time of employment and may be changed
upon recommendation of the Board of Deacons and by vote of the Church.
Section 4.
Other
Employees.
The Board
of Deacons shall be authorized to employ, on behalf of the Church, persons for such
positions as nursery workers, secretary, custodian, and others rendering support services. The Deacons shall be further authorized to determine
their salaries, within the limits approved by the congregation in the official Church
budget.
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ARTICLE XV
Auxiliary Organizations
Section 1.
No organization
shall be formed or considered a part of the Church activities before its sponsors have
submitted their plans to the Pastor and the Board of Deacons for sanction or approval, and
such sanction or approval has been granted. The
constitutions of auxiliary organizations shall not conflict with the Constitution of this
Church. Meetings of auxiliary organizations
shall be held so as not to conflict with the regular meetings of the Church.
Section 2.
The various
organizations are requested to confer with the Pastor from time to time regarding their
plans and activities. All matters of
importance that affect the Church shall be submitted to the Board of Deacons for approval.
Section 3.
The Presidents
and Treasurers of all auxiliary organizations, including organized Bible School classes,
and all regular Bible School teachers, sponsors of youth groups, and children's
activities, must be members in good standing.
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ARTICLE XVI
Finances
Necessary
finances for conducting the Church, its program and missionary outreach shall be obtained
through voluntary freewill offerings. Additional
freewill offerings may be taken as deemed advisable by the Board of Deacons. No
entertainment, suppers, bazaars, or other projects shall be held by the Church or
auxiliary organizations with the intent of making a profit.
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ARTICLE XVII
Christian School
Section 1.
Name.
The
name of the school shall be "Calvary Baptist Church School".
Section 2.
Legal and
Financial Standing.
The
School shall operate fully under the provisions of the charter, constitution, corporate
number, and tax exempt status of the Calvary Baptist Church of Yucca Valley, California,
and is an integral part of the same.
Section 3.
Governance.
a.
The School is to
be governed and operated under the following provisions:
1. The senior Pastor
of the Calvary Baptist Church of Yucca Valley, California is the Superintendent of Calvary
Baptist Church School.
2. The Board of
Deacons of the Calvary Baptist Church of Yucca Valley, California will be the Board of
Education of Calvary Baptist Church School. (Henceforth, the terms "senior
pastor" and "superintendent" and the terms "board of deacons" and
"board of education" shall be synonymous.
b.
The Board of
Education shall exercise supervision over the operation and development of Calvary Baptist
Church School. It is further authorized to
sign all legal documents necessary to the operation of the school.
c.
The
Superintendent, Board of Education, and the Administrator shall set operational procedures
and establish all educational policies basic to the operation of the School, and shall be
responsible for the employment, promotion, and dismissal of all members of the school
staff. They shall be responsible for the
oversight of all budgetary and capital expenditures.
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ARTICLE XVIII
Disposition of Church Property
Section 1.
Division.
In case
of organic division of the Church membership, the Church property shall belong to those
members who abide by this Constitution.
Section 2.
Dissolution.
Should conditions arise where, for any reason, the Church work can not continue, the
Church property shall be transferred to churches or missionary organizations which uphold
the spirit as well as the letter of the doctrinal statement of this Church as set forth in
this Constitution.
Section 3.
Consolidation.
Should conditions arise where a consolidation with another church of the same denomination
be advisable, the Board of Deacons shall be authorized by the Church to negotiate the
terms of such a consolidation in so far as the property is concerned. A report of such agreement must be made to the
Church, and approval granted by the Church, before any legal papers are signed.
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ARTICLE XIX
Amendments
This
Constitution may be amended at any regular or called business meeting of the Church by a
two-thirds vote of those qualified, present and voting, provided a quorum is present and
voting; and provided that notice of such amendment, stating the proposed change, shall
have been given from the pulpit on the previous two successive Sundays at both morning and
evening services; and provided a copy of the proposed amendment shall have been posted. At no time can any amendment be adopted that would
be contrary to historic Baptist beliefs and practices as outlined in the Statement of
Faith.
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ARTICLE XX
Rules of Order
The rules
contained in Robert's Rules of Order, Newly revised, shall govern the business proceedings
of this Church in all cases where they are not inconsistent with this Constitution.