The following Restated Bylaws were discussed and amended at the congregational meeting held on Sunday, January 31, at 6:00 p.m.  The amended Restated Bylaws will be voted on at the annual congregational meeting in April.

 

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of the Evangelical Free Church of Cañon City

January 2010 - Restated

Amended on January 31, 2010

 

We believe that it is critical that we be led and directed by the Head of the Church, Jesus Christ. Our structure of government is meant to achieve that end, to produce theocracy (government by God), not democracy (government by the people). Only in that end will our structure of government have meaning. In that spirit and based on our understanding of the pattern of Scripture, we set forth the following on how this church will be governed.

 

Section 1 – THE CONGREGATION

Our government shall be congregational in its form in the sense that all leaders are accountable to the congregation. Under Christ, ultimate authority in the church shall reside in the members. The members shall entrust the policy matters of church leadership to a group of godly men called elders and day-to-day administration to the ministry staff. These will be members who by virtue of giftedness and character can be trusted to act in accordance with Scripture and the mind of Christ. All elders and church officers must be chosen from among members of the church. The board of elders is empowered to make decisions in all matters except the following, which must be brought before the members for approval:

     • Calling full-time ministry staff

     • Approval of the annual budget

     • Changing the Constitution and Bylaws

     • Election of the board of elders and church chairman

     • Buying and selling real estate and approval of any loans.

In addition to the annual congregational meeting, special congregational meetings may be called by announcing the meeting date at two consecutive worship services, one of which must be the morning service preceding the meeting, with the nature of the meeting stated in the announcement. An emergency meeting may be called by majority vote of the board of elders, after which every effort must be made to notify all resident active members.

 

Section 2 – MEMBERSHIP

This congregation receives into its membership those who are determined by the elders to fulfill the standards set forth in Article VII of the Constitution.  New members are received by the congregation at a public service, at which time they may give public testimony of their faith in Christ Jesus.

 

     A. Responsibilities of Membership

         • CONSISTENT ATTENDANCE at regular scheduled worship services

         • CONSISTENT GIVING of financial resources, with the tithe as the Scriptural directive

         • CONSISTENT PARTICIPATION IN SMALL GROUP ministries to nurture accountability, spiritual growth and                  caring.

         • CONSISTENT PRAYER for the Church, staff, members, and community

         • CONSISTENT SERVICE for the purpose of personal and corporate growth.

 

     B. Church Covenant

         We, the members of this church, do covenant together, God helping us . . .

• That as aliens and strangers, we will abstain from sinful desires (1 Peter 2:11) avoiding every kind of evil (I Thessalonians 5:22).

• That we will get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, and be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave us (Ephesians 4:31-32), loving one another from the heart (I Peter 1:22).

• That, as we have opportunity, we will do good unto all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers (Galatians 6:10).

• That we will remember our leaders, who speak the Word of God (Hebrews 13:7).

• That we will submit to the loving oversight and discipline of the members and officers of this church (I Peter 5:5, Hebrews 13:17).

• That we will give as God has prospered us (I Corinthians 16:2), not reluctantly or under compulsion for God loves a cheerful giver (II Corinthians 9:7).

• And may the God of peace who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip us with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever (Hebrews 13:20-21). — Amen

     C. Termination of Membership

1. Requests – For members in good standing, a letter of recommendation to another church or written request for withdrawal of membership shall be granted by the congregation and conveyed or acknowledged by the church secretary. The member's name would then be dropped from the church membership roll.

2. Forfeiture – The membership roll shall be reviewed once each church year. All members who have been absent from the regular services of the church for a period of 12 months and who have failed to communicate with the church within that time shall have their names presented to the elders for consideration for termination of their membership. Final actions shall not be taken until letter of inquiry has been sent to said member and a period of sixty (60) days for reply has been allowed.

3. Dismissal – In case any member of the church shall be discovered living or teaching contrary to the Word of God, the Statement of Faith or the Church Covenant, then shall the church, through the elders, place such a member under corrective discipline according to Scripture. (Matthew 18: 15-20; I Corinthians 5; II Corinthians 2:5-11, 7:5-12; Ephesians 6:1-5; Titus 3:10-11). If said member shall not repent, but shall continue in the same evil way, said member shall be recommended to the congregation for dismissal from membership. A request for withdrawal from membership will not be granted to a member who is currently under discipline by the elders until the disciplinary process has been properly concluded.

4. Restoration – Any person who has been dismissed from membership may again be received into the fellowship of the church when he or she shall be restored from said fall and walk once more in the fear of the Lord. Such restoration shall follow the rules given in Section 2, Article A of these Bylaws.

5. Surrender of Privilege – Any member whose membership has been terminated for any reason thereby surrenders all membership privileges and all rights of any interest in the real estate, personal property and business of this congregation.

 

 Section 3 – CHURCH STAFF

     A. Senior Pastor

1. The senior pastor reports to the board of elders. He shall preach and teach the Word of God, oversee the public worship services of the church, watch over the spiritual welfare of the church, manage the ministry and other staff and lead the congregation in a practical Christian life. In conjunction with the board of elders, he will develop the mission and vision and oversee the ministry of the church. He shall be a voting member of the board of elders and an ex-officio member of all committees and teams.

2. The senior pastor shall be chosen by a three-fourths majority vote at a congregational meeting of the church. The senior pastor shall be an ordained minister in accordance with the standards of the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA). If the candidate for senior pastor is not currently ordained by the EFCA, he agrees to submit to the ordination process within 90 days of the date of hire and be approved on or before four years from the hire date. The vote to call a pastor shall also signify acceptance into church membership for the pastor and his wife. He shall be called for an indefinite period of time.

3. The senior pastor’s employment may be terminated by a three-fourths majority decision of the complete board of elders. If the senior pastor has committed an act of grievous misconduct, the board of elders may terminate him immediately.

     B. Ministry Staff

1. The ministry staff shall consist of men and women who will give servant leadership to the area of ministry where they have been called to serve. The titles given to each ministry staff member shall be determined by the board of elders based on the nature of their ministry, their training and background and the policies and procedures of the EFCA.

2. Ministry staff will work under the direction of the senior pastor and may be dismissed by him with concurrence of the board of elders.

Section 4 – CHURCH OFFICERS

The officers of the church are elected or appointed to two-year terms and may serve two consecutive terms. The officers of the church have vested in them all the powers and authority usually ascribed to officers of a corporation and will have authority to use these titles when necessary in handling corporate or civil matters involving the church. The church is incorporated under the laws of the State of Colorado as a non-profit religious organization, and the officers of the corporation are stated as follows:

A. Church chairman (elected by the congregation): The chairman of the church shall preside over congregational meetings and ensure that all decisions of the church are fully carried out. He shall be considered as a church elder and be subject to all governing policies of the same. He will preside over all meetings of the board of elders.

B. Elders (elected by the congregation): An elder shall be publicly recognized as desiring to serve as an elder, fulfilling the Biblical requirements of 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9. The board of elders shall provide leadership and promote the spiritual welfare of the church.

C. Treasurer (appointed by the board of elders): The treasurer shall have charge of accurate recording and reporting of church funds. The treasurer shall make all disbursements and pay all bills according to the budget of the church or those that have been approved by the elders.

D. Church secretary (appointed by the board of elders from within its own membership): The church secretary shall ensure that an accurate record of the proceedings and decisions at all business meetings of the church shall be kept; such records are to be approved at the following business meeting. The secretary shall also ensure that an accurate record of the decisions of the board of elders is kept. The secretary shall preserve in a safe place all church records (not including financial records) as may be required by the State of Colorado.

E. Church financial secretary (appointed by the board of elders): The financial secretary shall ensure the proper receipting of all money received by the church and keep proper records of the source and the purpose for the money given. The financial secretary shall preserve in a safe place all financial records including records as may be required by the State of Colorado and the Internal Revenue Service.

 

Section 5 –BOARD OF ELDERS

The board of elders shall consist of six men elected by the congregation, the chairman of the church, the senior pastor and one associate pastor. One elder shall be appointed by the board of elders to serve in the absence of the church chairman.

     A. Duties

     The board of elders shall be charged with the following responsibilities:

1. To provide scriptural direction for the church.

2. To be a primary source of encouragement, support and counsel for the senior pastor as he provides spiritual leadership.

3. To evaluate church programs in light of Biblical principles and the church’s philosophy of ministry.

4. To review ministry goals and direction to ensure that they are consistent with the Scriptures.

5. To interview and approve new members on behalf of the congregation and administer confidential or sensitive matters of church discipline.

6. To determine doctrinal teaching is consistent with the Statement of Faith found in the Constitution of the church.

7. To oversee the church membership process.

8. To serve as a council of appeal to determine scriptural appropriateness whenever members dispute an action taken or a decision made by the ministry staff or a ministry team.

9. To oversee the finances of the church by establishing financial policies and ensuring compliance with the church-approved budget.

10. To appoint ad hoc teams as appropriate to advance the work of the Lord at the Evangelical Free Church of Cañon City (examples: personnel, bylaws, budget, technology).

11. To appoint a nominating committee. a. The nominating committee submits nominations for elders and the church chairman. This team shall consist of four to six members as follows: one from the elder board, the senior pastor, the church chairman and up to three from the church membership (at-large). b. All proposed nominees must be approved by the board of elders before being contacted as a qualified candidate for office. c. The nominating team shall contact the candidates to obtain their final consent to serve and place their names on the ballot to be voted on at the annual congregational meeting.

12. To ensure that job descriptions are available for each elected office, staff position, and appointed position in the church.

13. To ensure that a policy and procedure manual is complete, up-to-date and available detailing the operating procedures of the church.

14. To provide a written or oral report to the congregation annually regarding their activities during the past year and their plans for the upcoming year.

     B. Church records

     1. The elder board shall ensure that the following records are kept:

a. Minutes of the meetings of the congregation

b. Roll of the members in the congregation with the dates of their approval

c. Resolutions adopted by the elder board

d. Appropriate accounting records

e. Articles or restated Articles of Incorporation and all amendments to them currently in effect

f. Constitution or restated Constitution and all amendments to it currently in effect

g. Bylaws or restated Bylaws and all amendments to them currently in effect

C. Conflict of interest

If a conflict of interest by an elder or pastor should arise, that elder or pastor shall abstain from being involved in a decision in which there is a conflict of interest.

 

Section 6 – MINISTRY TEAMS

The ministries of the church shall be developed, directed and administered by designated pastors, ministry directors and their respective ministry teams. Ministry teams shall operate according to the ministry team policies as written in the Ministry Handbook. The Ministry Handbook will be reviewed periodically by the senior pastor and board of elders. Examples are:

• Adult ministries                              • Caring ministry

• Children’s ministries                       • Deacons & deaconesses                      

• Youth ministries                             • Outreach and evangelism

• Music and worship                         • Facility and grounds maintenance

Each ministry shall recruit teams and individuals whom they deem qualified to serve with them in carrying out the ministry. The chairperson of a ministry team shall be a member of the church.

 

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