Laws By Which Bible Baptist Church Shall Be Governed

 

ARTICLE I

 

Section 1: The Congregation constituting the church adopted for the corporated name, the

Bible Baptist Church, on September 9, 1953.

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ARTICLE II

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Section 1: Bible Baptist Church shall be an independent, sovereign grace church, self-supporting, self-governing and self-propagating.

Section 2: The officers of the church shall be elder, deacons, church clerk, treasurer and

assistant treasurer. They shall, with the elders, oversee any material, financial and

legal matters that are in conformity to the laws of Missouri.

Section 3: The elders, or elder, shall have general supervision over all the affairs of the church and

over the other officers and shall perform all such other duties incidental to his office.

Section 4: An elder shall be a member of every committee in the church.

Section 5: All temporary committees, such as nominating committees etc., shall be appointed

under the consultation of the elders.

Section 6: The elders, deacons, church clerk, treasurer and assistant treasurer shall be

elected by a majority vote of the active members present.

Section 7: The board of deacons shall consist of the particular number of men needed to meet the

 church’s need and elected by the church (Acts .6:1-7). Each deacon shall serve an indefinite term,

 according to the following provisions:

a - So long as his life and testimony remain true to scripture and the witness and unity of

this congregation.

b - So long as his service as deacon is satisfactory to the church at large, the deacons

themselves, and the elders.

c - So long as he shall feel led of the Holy Spirit to retain the office, the other conditions

continuing to be met.

Periodically at regular business meetings, the church shall have the opportunity by secret

ballot to either approve or disapprove the membership and work of the committee of

deacons. If, at the meeting, one-third of those present and voting shall express their

disapproval, all men holding the office of deacon shall be re-submitted to the church by secret ballot, along with whomever else the church shall nominate, and a new deacon committee of the number needed shall be elected by the church within sixty (60) days. Whenever a deacon shall resign his office, the church shall be given the opportunity by secret ballot to elect a replacement within sixty (60) days.

Section 8: All men who serve as deacons must be required to be faithful to the qualifications

given in the First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to Timothy, the third chapter, and verses 8

through 13, and the sixth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. They shall also be required to

be faithful to the Deacon's Covenant which they shall affirm at the time of their installation,

and at any time a deacon is found not being faithful to any of the above he will be

automatically retired.

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DEACON'S OATH OF OFFICE

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I do most solemnly promise, by the grace of God, to be faithful to the office of Deacon; and

to execute the duties according to the precepts of God's Word and in the best interest of this

church.

Furthermore, I shall endeavor to conduct myself in a manner which shall be consistent with

this office and which shall be an example to the people of this church, and those without.

I also promise, that, if at any time during the term of my office as Deacon my Christian

testimony should fall into disrepute so as to bring reflection upon this office and this

church; that I shall of my own volition resign my office as Deacon.

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ARTICLE III

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Section 1: The church shall be congregational in government. All members over 14 years of

age who has a Christian profession, and witness, shall be eligible to vote. A public announcement of all business meetings shall be made at least two services prior to the meeting in question. Section 2: All business matters of consequence shall be brought before the church. All decisions shall be made by a 2/3 majority vote of the active membership attending the meeting.

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ARTICLE IV

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Section 1: The board of deacons shall be composed of baptized members of the church at a

called business meeting. These members shall be nominated by a nominating committee

and recommended to the church.

Section 2: Special meetings of the Board of Deacons may be called by the Elders.

Section 3: A Quorum for the transaction of business at any regular meeting of the Board shall consist in 2/3 of the active members.

Section 4: All officers of the church and Sunday School shall be baptized members and qualified for their offices. All appointments in the Sunday School shall be made with the approval of the elders.

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ARTICLE V

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Section 1: The Bible Baptist Church shall designate at least 15% of its total income to the

support of missions as the church votes to support individual missionaries or missionary

projects.

Section 2: The elders shall have the authority to periodically review the

missionaries and missionary projects of the church as to the continuation of support, the

raising or lowering of support, to take appropriate action as may be required; that the

church shall then be given the opportunity to ratify their decisions.

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ARTICLE VI

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Section 1: The elders may be authorized by the church to procure loans

whenever necessary for the purchasing of property and financing of the erection of

buildings, to make, execute and deliver notes of the corporation evidencing such

indebtedness and to secure the payment thereof by executing on behalf of the corporation

mortgages or deeds of trust on any property, real or personal, owned by the Bible Baptist

Church or pledge the same as collateral security for any such loans and to execute in behalf

of the cooperating extension agreements with reference thereto or renewals thereof.

Section 2: When authorized by the church to procure loans whenever necessary, the elders have the right to delegate the work itself to the deacons who shall faithfully execute all that the church has agreed upon.

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ARTICLE VII

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Section 1: These by-laws may be amended, repealed, or altered in whole or in part by a

majority vote of the church at any regular or called meeting.

Section 2: The church, under the leadership of the elders, may adopt additional by-laws in

harmony herewith at any regular or called meeting.

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ARTICLE VIII

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Section 1: The Bible Baptist Church shall be in general agreement with the Second London Baptist

Confession of 1689, the Philadelphia Confession of Faith, and with other historic

confessions of Calvinistic Baptists.

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ARTICLE IX

RECEPTION OF MEMBERS:

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Section 1: Any person professing personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, giving evidence of a

regenerate heart, adopting the covenant and the views of faith and practice held by this

church, after being baptized by immersion in water, may he admitted into the fellowship

and membership of this church.

Section 2: Members from other Baptist churches holding the same faith as we, may be

received into membership by letter of dismissal from their churches. Any member having

been excluded for reasons of immoral or unchristian conduct, and desiring fellowship with

us, must be reinstated by the church from which they have been excluded and come with

letter of dismissal.

Section 3: This church shall accept Baptist baptism only, and retain the privilege of rejecting

any baptism proven by the scriptures as being unscriptural. Baptist baptism consists of

immersion in water upon the authority of the local Baptist church authorizing the baptism.

Section 4: Those who have been baptized upon profession of faith by the authority of a

Baptist church holding the same faith, but who in honorable consequence of peculiar

circumstance have no letter of dismissal, may be received into the membership by

statement of faith, giving satisfactory evidence of a regenerate heart and former baptism.

Section 5: Those coming for church membership either by letter or statement shall be

questioned by the elders at the time of their coming as to their salvation and baptism.

Section 6: Should any member object to the admission of a candidate, said candidate shall

be referred to the elders for further consultation and if again

presented by them after sufficient investigation shall be received into the church

membership by majority vote.

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DISMISSAL OF MEMBERS:

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Section 7: Any member in good standing shall be entitled to a letter of dismissal and

recommendation from this church to any other Baptist church of the same faith. It shall be

the duty of all members removing from this church to unite as soon as practicable with

another Baptist church of like faith. A letter of dismissal shall not be granted except to a

Baptist church to which the individual has made application for membership.

Section 8: If a member in good standing requests to be released from his or her covenant

obligation to this church for reasons which the church may finally deem satisfactory, after it

shall have patiently and kindly endeavored to secure his or her continuance in its

fellowship, such request may be granted and his or her fellowship terminated.

Section 9: No letter of membership shall be granted to a leaving member for personal

possession.

Section 10: Since the members of this church have become so by freely entering

into a most sacred spiritual Covenant, and this not without the mutual consent of the

church officers and congregation, they have therefore implicitly agreed not to end this

relationship unilaterally, but only by honorable and mutual consent with the

aforementioned parties.

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ARTICLE X

DISMISSAL OF MEMBERS FOR NON ATTENDANCE:

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Section 1: There shall be a membership committee composed of the elders and deacons.

Section 2: The church recommends to each, and every, member that they enter the

Lord's blessing by being faithful in all duties essential to the Christian life, to attend the

services of this church, to give regularly for its support and cause, to share in its organized

work, and to uphold the doctrines of faith and practice held by this church.

Section 3: The membership rolls shall be revised periodically, and the body of the

committee shall attend to such revision when deemed necessary.

Section 4: Any person whose name is on the membership roll of the church, who has for one

year continued in unexplained absence and shown no interest in church activities, or has

removed themselves out of knowledge of the church shall be considered to have sufficient reason

for examination as to the cause thereof. If no satisfactory reason can be obtained the committee

shall instruct the church clerk to mail a copy of this rule to the last known address of the

delinquent member at least six weeks prior to any further action. If by the end of this period

no satisfactory response is received, it shall be the further duty of the membership

committee to report all such cases to the church for disciplinary action. The church may

terminate the membership of said delinquent member.

Section 5: The membership of no person shall be terminated except by a statement of

charge at the meeting when the recommendation of such action is made, however, the disclosure

 of every personal detail shall not always be necessary.

Section 6: Any person whose membership has been terminated may be restored by the vote of the

church upon recommendation of the body of elders, upon evidence of his or her repentance and

reform, or upon satisfactory explanation.

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ARTICLE XI

DISCIPLINE:

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Section 1: The elders shall constitute a committee on discipline.

Section 2: Should a member become an offense to the church and its good name by reason

of immoral or unchristian conduct, (1) by persistent breach of the covenant vows, the

articles of faith, (2) the holding and teaching of false doctrine, (3) or the promotion of

dissension and diversity in the church (4). (I) I Cor. 5: (2) II Thess. 3:6,11,14,15; (3) Titus

3:10: (4) Rom. 16:17

The committee shall seek an interview with the one in violation and with kindness and

concern endeavor to persuade him to repentance and reformation. Failing to receive

satisfactory evidence of repentance and reform, the committee shall report the offender to

the church with a recommendation of termination of membership. The church may

terminate his membership.

Section 3: The membership of no person shall be terminated except by a statement of

charges at the meeting when the recommendation of such action is made. Personal details

may not be required to be made known to the church, except it be deemed absolutely

necessary by the committee on discipline.

Section 4: Any person whose membership has been terminated for any offense may be restored by

 the vote of the church upon recommendation from the disciplinary committee,

upon evidence of his repentance and reform and upon his confession of error. Matthew

18:15-17 being used as basic scripture.

Section 5: Should any unhappy difference arise between members, the aggrieved member

shall follow, in tender spirit, the rules given by the Lord in Matthew 18.

Section 6: We, the members of Bible Baptist Church, will not pursue legal action or sue the

elders, deacons, or church staff in connection with the performance of their official duties (I

Cor. 6:1-8).