Metro East Baptist Church ByLaws

ARTICLE I - MEMBERSHIP

1. Qualifications:

The membership of the church shall consist of:

a. Such persons as confess Jesus Christ to be their Savior and Lord must answer the following questions in a satisfactory manner:

1) Have you been baptized by immersion upon the authority of a New Testament church?

2) Do you endorse the Articles of Faith adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention?

3) Will you complete a church membership class before being presented for membership to Metro East Baptist Church?

b. If coming from other Baptist churches of like faith and order, upon letters of dismissal or satisfactory substitutes thereof.

c. Additionally, all candidates for membership shall be accepted by vote of the church at a church business meeting.

2. Duties:

Members are expected to be faithful in all duties essential to the Christian life, to attend the services of this church, to give regularly for its support and causes, and to share in its organized work.

3. Voting rights of members:

The government of this church is vested in the body of believers (members) who compose it. This church will be, and is always to be, a sovereign, autonomous Southern Baptist church, self-governing on all matters by a majority of the body of believers (members) who compose it.

Every member of this church is entitled to one vote at any election and on any questions submitted to the church provided the member is present.

4. Quorum:

Five percent of the resident roll of the membership shall constitute a quorum, except for:

• Ten percent – election of officers
• Twenty five percent:
• The call of senior pastor or pastoral staff
• The adoption of the annual budget
• A termination vote on senior pastor or pastoral staff
• An amendment to the constitution or by laws

5. Termination:

A member’s membership may be terminated in one of these several ways:

a. By death;

b. By letter to a sister church of like faith and order;

c. As a last resort in cases of disciplinary nature and in conformity with scriptural principles;

d. By a member uniting with another church to which we cannot grant a letter of recommendation.

6. Restoration:

Any person whose membership has been terminated for any reason may be restored upon recommendation of the senior pastor and by majority vote of the church, upon evidence of their repentance and reformation, or upon satisfactory explanation.

7. Election criteria:

Only members are entitled to be elected as committee members, officers, or teachers.

ARTICLE II - MEETINGS

1. Worship:

Public services will be held on the Lord’s Day and as the church otherwise determines. The Lord’s Supper shall be celebrated at least quarterly. All believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are encouraged to participate.

2. Business:

a. Moderator: The church shall annually elect an individual who will act as moderator at all church business conferences.

b. Regular Business Conference: Shall be held on a Sunday evening of January, April, July, and October. Quarterly reports from all committees shall be presented at these quarterly business conferences.

c. Annual Elections: The annual election of officers and other leaders of the church as presented by the Nominating Committee shall be held at the regular business conference in October.

d. Annual Business Conference: The Annual Business Conference shall be held on a Sunday in November of each year. Acting on behalf of and in consultation with the church council, the finance committee shall present to the church the next year’s annual budget for the church’s review, consideration and vote.

e. Special Business Conferences: The senior pastor may, and shall when requested by the deacons or the church council, call from the pulpit a special business conference and state the particular subject matter of the conference. When required by these bylaws, written notice shall also be provided to each member household.

f. The 9th edition of Robert’s Rules of Order is the authority for parliamentary rules of procedure for all business meetings of the church.

ARTICLE III - CHURCH FINANCE

This church recognizes and adopts the Scriptural method of “Tithes and Offerings” as its plan of finance. It shall operate with a unified budget, with one treasurer. All necessary expenses of the church shall be incorporated in the budget.

ARTICLE IV - CHURCH COUNCIL

1. Purpose:

The church council will correlate and coordinate the activities and organizations of the church and shall have final authority for all matters which do not require congregational vote.

2. Membership:

The council shall be composed of the senior pastor, pastoral staff, council coordinator, one representative of the deacons, one representative of the trustees, clerk, treasurer, moderator and chairpersons of the standing church committees.

Every member of the church council is entitled to one vote at any council election and on any questions submitted to the council provided the council member is present.

Church members are encouraged and welcomed to attend all church council meetings but shall not have voting privileges unless they are a current serving member of the council.

3. Meetings:

The council shall meet monthly or on the call of the senior pastor at any time deemed necessary.

All matters agreed upon by the council, requiring congregational vote, shall be referred to the church for approval or disapproval.

ARTICLE V - COMMITTEES

The church will have standing committees necessary for the ministry of the church and shall from time to time select other committees as its ministry needs call for. The church council will nominate the nominating committee chairperson and members. All other committee members and chairpersons of these standing and all other committees shall be nominated by the nominating committee. All committee chairpersons shall be recommended by the senior pastor and elected by the church to serve a one year calendar term.

The following are standing committees:

• Finance
• Hospitality
• Missions
• Nominating
• Personnel
• Property

Each standing committee shall have a charter which will define committee’s purpose, membership and responsibilities. These charters will be presented to the church council and membership for approval at any church council or church business meeting. Such charters will be approved by a majority vote first by the church council and then by the church membership.

Using this process, committees may present such charters for adoption or amendment at any time deemed appropriate by the committee membership.

The approved charters will be available in the church office and available to church members for their review.

ARTICLE VI - LICENSING AND ORDINATION

The church shall have the authority to issue a Certificate of License to Preach, or to ordain any person recommended and approved by the deacons.

ARTICLE VII - AMENDMENTS

This constitution and bylaws may be amended by the church. The proposed change must be presented by a church member in writing to the church council coordinator who will receive such amendment on behalf of the church. If the church council coordinator is unavailable to receive such amendment, the proposed change can be presented to the support staff in the church office and the staff shall promptly provide the amendment to the church council coordinator. The church council coordinator shall inform the senior pastor and council of the amendment and it shall be placed on the agenda for the next regularly scheduled business conference

The church council coordinator or moderator shall make the church aware of the amendment with a reading of the proposed action during the regular worship services of the church for the two weeks prior to the business conference at which the amendment will be considered.

This constitution and bylaws will be amended by a two-thirds vote of members present and voting in the affirmative for the proposed change at the regular business conference at which the amendment is considered and at which a twenty five percent quorum is present.

ARTICLE VIII - CHURCH OFFICERS

The officers of the church shall be: senior pastor, pastoral staff, deacons, trustees, clerk, church council coordinator, treasurer, moderator, and the chairpersons of the standing committees. All organizations of the church shall be under the control of the church and report regularly to the church. The term of the elected officers shall be from January to December.

ARTICLE IX - SENIOR PASTOR

The senior pastor is responsible for leading the church to function as a New Testament church. The senior pastor will(1) proclaim the Gospel to believers and unbelievers, (2) lead the church to engage in a fellowship of worship, witness, education, ministry, and application, (3) care for the church’s members and other persons in the community, and (4) lead the congregation, the organizations, and the church staff to perform their tasks.

The senior pastor shall preside at all conferences of the church, except as herein provided. The senior pastor shall be an ex-officio member of the deacons, all church committees, and all church organizations.

A senior pastor shall be chosen and called by the church whenever a vacancy occurs. His election shall take place at a specially called business conference of which at least two weeks written notice shall be given. Election by an affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of those present and voting shall be required with a quorum present of at least 25% of the resident members.

A pulpit committee of seven (7) members from the church as a whole shall be nominated by the deacons and elected by the church to seek a suitable senior pastor. This committee shall report to and make its recommendations to the deacons. The deacons shall consider the recommendations of the pulpit committee and determine whether to recommend the candidate to the church. If so determined, the deacons shall recommend the man chosen to the church for election.

The senior pastor shall be employed by the church with supervision provided by the personnel committee in consultation with the church council.

The senior pastor, thus elected, shall serve until termination. The relationship may be terminated by the church or the senior pastor upon thirty (30) days written notice or such other period as may mutually be agreed upon by the church and the senior pastor.

The senior pastor may be terminated by the church by one of the following two methods:

• By the church only upon a majority vote of the personnel committee, church council and deacons, ratified by a majority vote within two (2) weeks by the church as a whole at a specially called business conference;

• Or by a majority vote of the church as a whole at a specially called business conference of which at least two (2) weeks written notice to all members is given.

A 25% quorum is required for such special business conferences.

ARTICLE X - CHURCH PASTORAL STAFF

The church shall call or employ such pastoral staff members as the church shall require. It is the responsibility of the senior pastor to recommend pastoral staffing needs to the personnel committee. All proposed pastoral staff must be recommended and approved first by the senior pastor, personnel committee, church council and then by a majority vote of the members present at a business conference with a quorum of 25 percent.

All ministerial staff personnel shall be employed by the church and supervised by the senior pastor in consultation with the personnel committee.

Pastoral staff members are automatically ex-officio members of the committees pertaining to their areas of ministry.

The pastoral staff, thus elected, shall serve until termination. The relationship may be terminated by the church or the pastoral staff member upon thirty (30) days written notice or such other period as may mutually be agreed upon by the senior pastor, personnel committee, church council, and pastoral staff member.

A pastoral staff member may be terminated by the church by one of the following two methods:

• By the church upon a majority vote of the personnel committee and church council, ratified by a majority vote within two (2) weeks by the church as a whole at a specially called business conference; or

• Or by a majority vote of the church as a whole at a specially called business conference of which at least two (2) weeks written notice to all members is given.

A 25% quorum is required for such special business conferences.

ARTICLE XI – CHURCH SUPPORT STAFF

The church shall employ support staff as required by the needs of the church. The senior pastor shall recommend the creation of new support staff positions to the personnel committee for their consideration and determination whether to present such requests to church council for their review and to the church for their decision.

The church will approve or disapprove such new staff positions by a majority vote at either a regular or special business conference.

All support staff personnel shall be employed by the church and supervised by the senior pastor in consultation with the appropriate pastoral staff member and personnel committee.

ARTICLE XII - DEACONS

1. Qualifications:

Those who hold the office of deacon shall meet the qualifications set forth in Acts 6:3-8, I Timothy 3:8-13, and I Peter 4:19 through 5:4, and be or have been ordained upon the authority of a Southern Baptist Church.

2. Number:

The number of active deacons shall be established according to the church needs as recommended by the senior pastor and finally approved by the active deacon body.

3. Election:

When directed by the senior pastor and the active deacon body, the nominating committee shall ask the church at large to submit recommendations of prospective candidates at least ninety (90) days prior to the church election of deacons, but the nominating committee is not restricted to those candidates and can consider other prospective candidates. The senior pastor shall be consulted concerning each candidate.

All deacon candidate(s) shall be interviewed by a deacon review committee established by the active deacons for the reason of approving such candidates prior to their submission to the church for election.

The election of deacons shall require a ten percent quorum and a majority vote by those present and voting.

Additionally, any candidate for deacon, who has not previously been ordained, shall be ordained prior to beginning service as an active deacon.

4. Duties

The deacons shall be responsible for serving in any and all tasks as requested by the senior pastor and pastoral staff in performing pastoral ministries; assisting the senior pastor in obtaining eligible individuals to lead the worship service when the senior pastor is absent; and shall be responsible for the preparation and serving of the Lord’s Supper.

ARTICLE XIII - TRUSTEES

There shall be three (3) trustees nominated by the nominating committee and elected by the church to serve a three (3) year term on a rotating basis so that one new trustee is elected each year. A trustee must have attained an age of twenty-one (21) before his election.

The trustees shall elect a chairman, vice-chairman, and secretary annually. All trustees are ex-officio members of the church finance committee so that they are knowledgeable about the church’s finance program.

The trustees shall meet as frequently as necessary to fulfill their responsibilities.

The trustees are the legal representatives of the church in all legal matters directed and approved by the church. They will hold in trust the church property. They shall have no power to buy, sell, mortgage, lease, or transfer any property without a specific vote of the church authorizing each action, except in the case of gifts to the church in which the donor specifically directs the action he desires to be taken, provided such designations are in keeping with the policies, faith, and practices of the church. It shall be the function of the trustees to affix their signatures to legal documents involving the sale, mortgage, purchase, or rental of property or other legal documents where the signatures of trustees are required.

ARTICLE XIV - CHURCH CLERK

1. Term

The church clerk shall be a member recommended by the nominating committee to be elected by the church. The church may or may not provide an employee in the church office to assist the clerk in performing the work required. An assistant church clerk shall be elected in the same way to assist and to assume the responsibilities of the church clerk when the church clerk is unable to serve.

2. Duties

Accurately record and maintain a record of all church business conferences and church council meetings. Such records to be brief and factual. The records are the property of the church and shall be kept in a secure location at the church.

Maintain a register of the names of members, with dates of admission, dismissal, resident or non-resident, or death, together with a record of baptisms, and to submit a statistical report quarterly to the church council for submission to the church.

Maintain other official church records such as marriages, ordination of deacons, and men ordained or licensed to preach.

Issue letters of dismissal voted by the church.

Authenticate with the church seal, official church action or authorized actions of trustees and other church officers or committees whenever necessary.

Preserve on files all communications and written official reports.

Give legal notice of all meetings where such notice is necessary.

Issue messenger certificates to members approved by the church to attend conferences separate and apart from this church.

ARTICLE XV - CHURCH COUNCIL COORDINATOR

Church Council Coordinator: The church shall annually elect an individual who will act as church council coordinator. This individual shall be nominated by the nominating committee, recommended by the senior pastor and elected by the church membership to serve a one year calendar term.

Church Council Coordinator duties: The church council coordinator shall moderate church council meetings under the parliamentary rules of procedure as defined in the 9th edition of the Roberts Rules of Order. At the direction of the senior pastor, the church council coordinator shall ensure the church’s organizations, activities and business be conducted by the church council in the matter prescribed by the church bylaws.

ARTICLE XVI - TREASURER

1. Term

The church treasurer shall be a member recommended by the nominating committee to be elected by the church body to serve a term of office of one year and if reelected can serve a maximum of three (3) consecutive years, after which there is to be a lapse of at least one year before being eligible for reelection. The church may or may not provide an employee in the church office to assist the treasurer in performing the work required. Two assistant church treasurersshall be elected in the same way to assist and to assume the responsibilities of the church treasurer when the church treasurer is unable to serve.

2. Duties

The treasurer shall be an ex-officio member of the finance committee and committees that may arise for stewardship or other financial matters of the church.

The church treasurer shall be thoroughly acquainted with the church financial program, unified budget, good Biblical business procedures, bookkeeping, and accounting. He/she shall understand and be committed to the Biblical principles of stewardship.

The principal responsibility of the church treasurer shall be to sign all checks for authorized obligations of the church and to help receive and preserve money or things of value paid or given to the church.

The assistant church treasurers shall cooperate with, assist, and assume the duties of the church treasurer when the treasurer is unable to serve and shall also have the authority to sign all checks for authorized obligations of the church.

ARTICLE XVII - MODERATOR

The moderator shall be nominated by the nominating committee, recommended by the senior pastor, and elected by the church membership to serve a one-year term. The term of the moderator shall be the calendar year.