PREAMBLE
Under the guidance and leadership of the Lord Jesus Christ, we the members of Cowboy Church adopt the following constitution in order to declare and preserve the principles of our faith, the freedom of our church, and the rights and responsibilities of our individual members.
Under the guidance and leadership of the Lord Jesus Christ, we the members of Cowboy Church adopt the following constitution in order to declare and preserve the principles of our faith, the freedom of our church, and the rights and responsibilities of our individual members.
ARTICLE I. NAME
The name of this church is San Angelo Cowboy Church and incorporated under the laws of the State of Texas.
ARTICLE II. PURPOSE
The church is organized and maintained to fulfill the following Mission Purpose Statement: The mission of the San Angelo Cowboy Church is to reach the lost and unchurched people in the western culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ and provide a church home where they can become more like Him.
The church will accomplish this mission by holding to these values:
The name of this church is San Angelo Cowboy Church and incorporated under the laws of the State of Texas.
ARTICLE II. PURPOSE
The church is organized and maintained to fulfill the following Mission Purpose Statement: The mission of the San Angelo Cowboy Church is to reach the lost and unchurched people in the western culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ and provide a church home where they can become more like Him.
The church will accomplish this mission by holding to these values:
Simplicity- The church will strive to keep all things it does as simple as possible.
Non-judgmental approach-
The church will foster a non judgmental atmosphere in all it does,
accepting people just as they are, just as Christ himself does.
Cultural relevance/Western Heritage-
The church will make sure that all it does, including all of its
programming and ministries will be geared
toward reaching people in the western culture and those who love it.
toward reaching people in the western culture and those who love it.
Practice of Biblical Christianity- The church will practice biblical Christianity. This will be practiced by the leadership and the congregation.
Elimination of barriers to the cowboy culture-
The church will do all that it can to lower or eliminate the barriers
preventing the Gospel of Jesus Christ from reaching the western culture.
Empowerment with Accountability-
The church will strive to empower as many people as it can to serve
Christ through the church and bring out the giftedness in them while
holding
them accountable for their actions and commitments.
them accountable for their actions and commitments.
Power of the Gospel- The church believes in the power of the gospel for salvation of souls and healing of body, mind and spirit.
ARTICLE III. DOCTRINE
We recognize the Baptist Faith and Message (1963) as our statement of doctrine with the exception of the description of scriptural officers in (VI. THE CHURCH). In accordance with Acts 14:23 we recognize the Pastor and Elders as scriptural officers.
ARTICLE IV. POLITY AND RELATIONSHIP
Jesus Christ is the head of the church; the true source of all that the church is and does, and His glory is to be the objective of every act, function, and motive of the body, both individually and corporately. It is before Him that all other leadership must bow. He communicates his will for the church through His word, the Bible. He gives additional guidance by means of the specific leading of the Holy Spirit who indwells the heart of each believer. He calls forth leaders for the church to whom He gives responsibility for the oversight of the church body and the shepherding of its members. The government of this church is vested in the body of believers who compose its membership and leadership. Persons meeting the membership requirements and making a written request for membership shall constitute the membership. All internal groups created and empowered by the church shall exist to further the purpose of the church. They will be accountable to the church. As an autonomous local church, this church is not subject to the control of any ecclesiastical body. However, it relates to and cooperates with, the Baptist General Convention of Texas, the Texas Fellowship of Cowboy Churches and other entities of like faith in sharing the gospel with the whole world. If an entity this church cooperates with ceases to agree with or support the mission of this church, this church reserves the right to disassociate with that entity.
ARTICLE V. ORDINANCES
SECTION I. BAPTISM
A church is understood to be a fellowship of baptized believers brought together to carry out the work of Jesus Christ. A baptized believer is one who has been scripturally immersed and understands baptism to be a symbol of the salvation which has already been accepted in their life by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
SECTION II. THE LORD'S SUPPER
The church will observe the Lord's Supper on a regular basis as led by the Pastor.
The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act whereby the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of Christ and anticipate His second coming. This observance is open to anyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior and is seeking His righteousness.
ARTICLE VI. AMENDMENTS
This Constitution may be amended by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the active residents present at a church conference called for that purpose. Amendments may be proposed by the Elders or by written petition signed by 25% of the active resident members and duly presented to the Elders. Proposed amendments for church consideration shall be announced at the regular worship service and made available in written form to the congregation two weeks prior to the called church conference in which they will be voted on.
This Constitution may be amended by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the active residents present at a church conference called for that purpose. Amendments may be proposed by the Elders or by written petition signed by 25% of the active resident members and duly presented to the Elders. Proposed amendments for church consideration shall be announced at the regular worship service and made available in written form to the congregation two weeks prior to the called church conference in which they will be voted on.
BYLAWS
ARTICLE I. MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1. ESTABLISHING MEMBERSHIP
Membership in the San Angelo Cowboy Church is open to anyone who meets the following qualifications:
A. A member must have personal commitment of faith in Jesus
Christ for salvation.
B. A member must have been baptized by immersion after faith in
Christ as a
testimony of salvation.
C. Membership may be established in the following ways:
1. Statement
Candidates may join by affirming that they are baptized
(immersed)
believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, holding to
the historic
teachings of Christianity. Members joining by
statement of
faith that hold membership in another church are
responsible for notifying
their former church of their new
membership in the San Angelo Cowboy Church.
2. Baptism
Candidates accepting Christ as their Savior and requesting
believer's baptism by immersion will be accepted as
members upon baptism.
D. All candidates for membership shall give a verbal
testimony of
their conversion, baptism, walk with Christ and acceptance of the
church's mission
statement to the pastor or designated member of leadership.
SECTION 2. TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP
A person’s membership in the San Angelo Cowboy Church may be terminated in one of the following ways:
A. Death
B. Transfer of Membership
C. Exclusion
If a member conducts himself in a manner which brings the
name of Christ and the church
into disrepute, or is found to be undermining
church unity, it will be the
responsibility of the elders under the guidance of the pastor to attempt
to restore the member in a spirit of love according to the guidelines
set forth in Matthew 18:15 -17. If the member fails to respond
positively to these attempts, exclusion will require a consensus of
the elder body and a written account signed
by the elder body outlining the process laid out
by Matthew 18:15-17 that they followed with the member. This written
account will be available to members of the congregation upon request.
D. Erasure
If a member requests erasure or offers proof of membership
in a church of another
denomination, his name will be removed from the roll.
SECTION 3. RIGHTS OF MEMBER
Each active resident member present, 16 years of age and
older, shall be entitled to one (1) vote on
each matter submitted for a vote at any called church
conference. The right of a
member to vote shall cease upon the termination of his membership in the
church. The right of a member to vote may be suspended if the member is
involved in an unresolved elder intervention or if the member is no
longer an active resident member. An active resident member is a member
on the church roll who lives in or around the San Angelo area and
attends the church’s regular worship services at least 6 times in a 90
day period. Active resident members have the right to vote on the
following matters: the call of the pastor and other professional
ministerial staff, the election of elders, the annual church budget,
indebtedness associated with land acquisition and/or building
improvements, cumulative indebtedness
for all other aspects of church business that exceeds 20% of the annual
church budget, the disposition of all or substantially all of the assets
of the church, the merger or dissolution of the church, and any other
matter submitted by the elders to the church for a vote.
ARTICLE II. MINISTERIAL LEADERSHIP
SECTION 1. PASTOR
A. Call
Upon the pastor’s termination, a church
conference will be called and the
church will elect a pastor search team. This team will consist of no
fewer than three and no more than
eight active resident members. This team will
seek out and evaluate prospective pastoral candidates until they achieve
complete consensus on a single
candidate. Potential candidates will not be
presented to the congregation as a
part of the pastor search process unless
a call is being extended. When
consensus is reached on a single
candidate,
the team will report to the elders who will set a time and dated for the
candidate to be received by the church. On that date, a church
conference shall be called
and after a full discussion, a vote will be taken by secret ballot. A
three-fourths (3/4) vote of the active resident members of the church
present and voting is required to extend a call.
If a call is not extended by the church to the candidate, or if the candidate declines to accept, then the pastor search team will be disbanded and a new search elected the process will continue until a pastor is secured.
If a call is not extended by the church to the candidate, or if the candidate declines to accept, then the pastor search team will be disbanded and a new search elected the process will continue until a pastor is secured.
B. Duties
The pastor shall be the spiritual leader of the
congregation. In that capacity,
under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the leadership of the Holy
Spirit, he shall preach and teach the word of
God, lead the church in regular worship services, administer the
ordinances of the church, serve as moderator at church conferences,
provide leadership to the ministerial staff, serve as over all
administrator of the church, work to implement the model of church structure and function
laid out in this constitution and
generally fulfill all his pastoral duties as set forth in Scripture.
SECTION 2. PROFESSIONAL MINISTERIAL STAFF
A. Selection
If
it is determined by the pastor and or elders and confirmed by the
leadership
team that additional professional ministerial staff other than the
pastor is needed for fulfilling the church’s mission they may be
employed by the church. After getting budget approval for the
compensation package the personnel team will seek out candidates to fill
the position, the top three candidates will be presented to the
pastor.
The pastor will make the final selection for the staff position.
The pastor will make the final selection for the staff position.
B. Duties
Professional
ministerial staff persons will have specific and written job
descriptions as outlined by the pastor and
or elders and or the personnel team.
C. Termination
The minister's duties with the church may be
terminated by resignation,
death, or dismissal. Dismissal can be made by the Pastor and or the elders and or the personnel team.
SECTION 3. LAY PASTORS
A. Purpose and Function
Lay pastors shall serve as:
Extensions of the Pastor
They are directed by the pastor to help him
carry out ministry duties.
They are appointed and replaced by the pastor at his discretion.
Resource People
Lay Pastors may be attached to one or more
ministry teams. Lay Pastors do
not run or lead the teams, they resource the team and act as a liaison
between the team and the
pastor.
Ministers in Worship
Lay Pastors may be called on to participate in
the worship service, i.e.
announcements, prayer requests, administering ordinances, assisting in
baptism etc. Lay Pastors may
also be called upon to bring devotions,
preach, pray or lead bible
studies depending on their gifts, talents and
spiritual maturity.
Ministers to the Congregation
Lay Pastors help the pastor minister to the
needs of the congregation in
many ways, such as, visitation, meeting member's physical needs as well
as the physical needs of the
church.
C. Selection
Lay pastors shall be appointed as needed by the
senior pastor. If there is no
pastor they may be appointed by the elders.
D. Qualifications of Lay Pastor
Lay pastors must be active resident members in
good standing, be growing in the
Lord and have an active daily relationship with Jesus. Lay pastors
must have a stable home life and
be respected by others in the western
culture and the community and not
engage in activities that would bring
reproach to the Lord or the
church. Divorce alone is not grounds for
disqualification.
E. Term of Office
Lay pastors will be appointed to a one year term, but may
serve multiple terms by mutual consent of
the senior pastor, the elders, and the lay pastor
involved.
F. Removal
A Lay pastor may be removed before their term
of office expires by death,
resignation, or dismissal by the pastor and or elders.
SECTION 4. ELDERS
A. Purpose and Function
Elders shall serve to provide spiritual leadership and
accountability to the church in accordance
with scripture. They will provide a brotherhood of
support and accountability for the pastor, assist the
ministry teams with difficult issues, serve as arbiters in matters of
conflict or church discipline, and in general provide spiritual
leadership, guidance, and assistance wherever and whenever appropriate.
The elder body shall be made up of three elected elders plus the
pastor, who is the lead elder.
Spiritual Leadership
Elders model what it means to be Christ like.
Elders are an example for the
congregation of how to live a Christian life, this includes how to
relate to other
Christians, how to relate to non-believers, how to be a godly
an active personal relationship
with Jesus.
A Brotherhood of Support and Accountability for the Pastor
Elders must be committed to the Pastor. Elders
act as a buffer between the Pastor
and his critics; they also are an accountability group for the pastor,
prayer partners for the pastor and
friends of the pastor. Elders are to meet
with the pastor on a
consistent regular basis for consultation, prayer and
fellowship.
A Limited Decision Making Body
The only time when the elders become a decision
making body is when (1) they
are called on by the Pastor to help him make a decision, (2) when
a ministry team cannot reach
consensus on an issue or asks for the elders
help, (3) when the
functional structure does not exist or breaks down,
(4) in matters of church discipline.
(4) in matters of church discipline.
Limited Visible Involvement
Elders do not have ongoing roles in the worship
service and are not overly
involved in the various ministry teams. Elders are not an oversight
body for the finances, personnel
or pastor unless it is determined that unbiblical,
immoral or unethical behavior has
occurred. They can be enlisted by the
pastor, personnel team or
the audit team if it is deemed necessary by any
of these.
Dual Roles
Elders cannot have dual leadership roles. When
a candidate for elder is
nominated he must be willing to step down from any other role in
leadership that he
occupies. Other leadership roles include; lay pastor,
team leader, and team member, paid
staff or band leader.
Confidentiality
All discussions between the elders are strictly
confidential; this includes not
discussing elder issues with the spouses of elders or other church
members. Breaking
confidentiality is grounds for removal. Elders do not
meet without all the elders
present including the pastor if this is possible
and absolutely never meet
to discuss problems about the pastor or another
elder without them present. The
Pastor-Elder and Elder-Elder
relationships must be 100% transparent.
B. Qualifications
Gods
Word gives us specific qualifications, in 1 Timothy 3:1-12, for men who
are called to serve as
leaders in our church. Below are the biblical and culturally
relevant qualifications that
apply to Elders in the_San Angelo Cowboy Church.
Verse
1 - Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an
overseer, he desires a noble task.
1. Elder must acknowledge the importance and respect God gives to someone called to lead the church.
Verse 2 - Now the overseer must be above reproach…
2.
Elder must be someone with a good testimony in his home, the church,
and in the culture God has called this church to reach. The church
acknowledges that none are without sin; an Elder must be someone who is
seeking righteousness.
Verse 2 – the husband of but one wife…
3.
If an Elder is married, he must have only one wife and love her as
Christ loves the church. Previous divorce alone is not grounds for
disqualification.
Verse 2 – temperate & self-controlled
4.
Elders are called to handle very difficult situations at times and must
be able to control their personal feelings, emotions, and actions in
order to seek what God would have them do and not their own desires.
Verse 2 – respectable…
5.
An Elder must be a man who is respected in the church, at home, and in
the culture. An Elder must respect people in his family, the church, and
his community.
Verse 2 – hospitable…
6. An Elder must be willing to open his home and give of his time to meet and the serve the people in the church.
Verse 2 – able to teach…
7. An Elder must spend time in Gods Word and be comfortable and willing to instruct others in the church in studying the Bible.
Verse 3 – not given to drunkenness…
8.
An Elder must not be controlled by alcohol or anything else that
impairs his ability to make sound decisions or damages his testimony in
the church, home, or culture.
Verse 3 – not violent but gentle…
9. An Elder must be able to handle situations calmly without becoming verbally, physically, or emotionally abusive.
Verse 3 – not quarrelsome…
10. An Elder must never be involved in matters that cause dissension in the church.
Verse 3 – not a lover of money…
11. An Elder must be someone who is willing to put the needs of the church above his own desire for worldly possessions.
Verse 4 – He must manage his own family well and see that
his children obey him with proper respect…
12. An Elder must be leading his family the way God directs in Scripture and be involved in the lives of his family.
Verse 6 – He must not be a recent convert…
13.
An Elder must not be new Christian or someone who is not maturing in
his faith. While Spiritual maturity is something none of us will
completely attain until we are in the presence of God, it is also
something that takes time. An elder must meet a minimum level of
maturity as outlined in Hebrews 6:1-2.
Verse 7 – He must have a good reputation with outsiders…
14.
An Elder must be in good standing with people who are not a part of the
church. He must have credibility with the rural/western culture we are
seeking to reach.
Verse 9 – They must keep hold of the deep truths of the
faith with a clear
conscience
15. An Elder must look to Gods Word for the direction and words used to lead our church.
Verse 10 – They must first be tested…
16.
An Elder must be someone who has led others in our church, (ministry
teams, worship, etc.) or is active in church events/services.
17.
The following qualification will go into effect no sooner than 5 years
following adoption of this constitution. An Elder must be an active
resident member of the San Angelo Cowboy Church for no less than two (2) years and be in good standing with the Church.
18. An Elder must a have an understanding and desire to see that the Mission of the
San Angelo Cowboy Church and its values are upheld.
San Angelo Cowboy Church and its values are upheld.
19. An Elder can not have a spouse or family member who serves as paid
or volunteer staff
including but not limited to church clerk, church secretary or church finance secretary.
20. Elders must be willing to rearrange their daily schedules or do
whatever it takes to
ensure the Mission of the Church and any business necessary is
fulfilled.
21. If arguments and disagreements arise in the church an Elder must be
able to take a neutral
position, suspend judgment, hear both sides, and seek only Gods
direction based on
Scripture.
22. Elders must be men of age and maturity.
C. Selection and Term of Office
Thereafter on or about January 1st of each year, the church will be
asked to submit in
writing the names of men to serve as elders.
In
accordance with Acts 14:23 the elder body will appoint the new
elder(s)
from the list of nominees.
3. The first slate of elected elders will have a one, two and
three year term.
These first terms will be determined by lottery.
Thereafter all terms will be
three years and only one new elder is
to be elected each year. After an elder has rotated off for a
year he will be eligible to be a
candidate for elder again if it is determined that he is still
qualified.
D. Removal
Any
active resident member of the church may bring a written scriptural
reason for removal of an elder
if they have two witnesses.
Elders
other than the Pastor may be removed from office by their own
decision or by consensus
decision of the other elders. Removal shall be
based upon being spiritually
unqualified, the inability to serve or as a
result of the process laid out
in Matthew 18:15-17 or failure to fulfill their
commitments as an elder.
E. Vacancies
Elder vacancies can occur by death, resignation, or
removal. When a vacancy occurs, the
existing elders shall select an interim to fill the vacancy until the
next election.
ARTICLE IV TEAMS
SECTION 1 GENERAL MINISTRY TEAMS
A. Purpose and Function
Ministry teams shall be organized to carry out the
specialized ministries of the church. Each ministry team shall have
specific functions and responsibilities as assigned or approved by the
pastor and/or elders.
B. Structure
Ministry teams will be made up of team
representatives and team members.
There will be no less than 4 no more than 10 team representatives and as many members as needed to carry out the mission of the ministry team. Team representatives are responsible for attending regularly scheduled ministry team meetings and reaching consensus on decisions. Team members will have individual functions and responsibilities as assigned by the team representatives. A staff member or lay pastor will be assigned to each team to offer assistance and serve as a liaison between the team and the senior pastor and the team leader and will be responsible for ensuring that the team functions properly. Teams will function by consensus, not majority vote. Teams must arrive at decisions that can be supported by each member of the team. If consensus cannot be reached, the matter shall either be tabled or placed before the pastor and elders for a final decision. Ministry teams that have their own budget line must make a justified budget request to the Audit Team for the annual budget. The ministry team is responsible for staying within their budget and giving an account of all of their activities at the monthly leadership team meeting. The teams make their own decisions about what they will do in their particular areas of ministry and they will choose how to allocate their budget dollars, however, all major decisions that could affect church direction or church sponsored activities should be brought before the leadership team before being implemented. Teams will hold firmly to the Mission Statement of the church and filter everything they do through this mission statement and each team will have its own Purpose Statement to help guide its direction.
There will be no less than 4 no more than 10 team representatives and as many members as needed to carry out the mission of the ministry team. Team representatives are responsible for attending regularly scheduled ministry team meetings and reaching consensus on decisions. Team members will have individual functions and responsibilities as assigned by the team representatives. A staff member or lay pastor will be assigned to each team to offer assistance and serve as a liaison between the team and the senior pastor and the team leader and will be responsible for ensuring that the team functions properly. Teams will function by consensus, not majority vote. Teams must arrive at decisions that can be supported by each member of the team. If consensus cannot be reached, the matter shall either be tabled or placed before the pastor and elders for a final decision. Ministry teams that have their own budget line must make a justified budget request to the Audit Team for the annual budget. The ministry team is responsible for staying within their budget and giving an account of all of their activities at the monthly leadership team meeting. The teams make their own decisions about what they will do in their particular areas of ministry and they will choose how to allocate their budget dollars, however, all major decisions that could affect church direction or church sponsored activities should be brought before the leadership team before being implemented. Teams will hold firmly to the Mission Statement of the church and filter everything they do through this mission statement and each team will have its own Purpose Statement to help guide its direction.
C. Qualifications
Team representatives are members who represent the team in
reaching consensus about decisions, team
representatives must be: active resident
members of the church in good standing, love the Lord and have a desire
to see his kingdom grow, have credibility with other church members,
have a passion for the mission of the team, be determined to make the
team a top priority in their lives (this means that they are willing to
rearrange their daily schedules or do
whatever it takes to participate in team
meetings and activities), and desire to use their talents and abilities
to accomplish the team’s mission. Team members
must be willing to practice biblical Christianity. Non church members
can be active on ministry teams but cannot be representatives that reach
consensus on decisions.
D. Formation of Teams
General Ministry teams may be formed as needed by the
pastor and/or elders, by the Leadership
Team, or by any lay pastor, ministry team
leader, or church member with the
pastor’s approval.
E. Selection and Term of Office
Members of general ministry teams may be appointed by the
pastor and/or elders, or be enlisted by a lay pastor or
ministry team leader. The term of office for general ministry team
members will be one year, but members may serve multiple terms by
mutual consent of the team leader, lay pastor, and team member involved.
All selections of team representatives must
be approved by the Pastor.
F. Removal
If a team member causes conflict, fails to carry out his or
her responsibility to the
team including meeting participation, or otherwise
hampers the work of the team, every effort
should be made by the team leader and assigned staff person to
rectify the issue in a positive redemptive manner. However, if the
problem persists, a team member may be removed by the pastor and/or
elders, or by consensus decision of the
other team representatives.
SECTION 2 STANDING TEAMS
A. Purpose and function
Standing
teams shall be in place to assist in finding and providing the
tangible resources necessary to
effectively carry out the church’s ministries and business.
B. Structure
Standing ministry teams shall be composed of six members
serving two year terms with (3) members
rotating off each year. A staff member or lay
pastor will be assigned to each team to offer assistance and serve as a
liaison between the team and the
senior pastor and elders. Each year, one
member of the team shall be designated by the pastor, lay pastor or
staff member to be team leader and will
be responsible for ensuring that the
team functions properly. Teams will function by consensus, not majority
vote. This means that teams must arrive at
decisions that can be supported by each member
of the team. If consensus cannot be reached, the matter
shall either be tabled or placed before the
pastor and elders for a final
decision.
C. Qualifications
Qualifications for standing ministry team members will be
the same as those of general ministry
team representatives. (Article IV., D.
Standing Teams
Standing Teams
The standing teams of the church shall be:
1. Personnel Team
The Personnel Team will have 6 members and will
be responsible to ensure that
the church has adequate support staff to effectively
carry out its ministries. They
will fill staff vacancies after a need is
determined by the team
associated to the position and is directed
by the leadership team,
conduct periodic staff evaluations, make
salary recommendations,
and mediate church/staff disputes,
terminate staff based on
poor evaluations or as directed by the
elders and or the leadership team.
2. Facility Team
The Facility Team will be made up of 6
members. This team is
responsible to ensure that the church has adequate facilities to
effectively carry out its
ministries. They will oversee the care,
maintenance, and use of all facilities and grounds except
the arena. They will not oversee paid
staff. Any concerns the facilities team
may have with paid staff are to be taken to the personnel
team and the personnel team
will interact directly with paid staff. The
Facility Team will also assist the pastor and
elders with long range planning
which will ensure that the church has adequate facilities to meet future
needs.
3. Audit Team
The Audit Team is made up of no
less than 3 no more than 7
members. They meet once a month to audit the financial
records. They only
verify and report. They have no decision making
authority
about how money is spent. It is the Audit Team's
responsibility to get budget requests from all of the various
ministry teams and church administrators and put together an
annual budget to be
presented to the church for a vote. When
putting together the
budget the team will take into account
projected church income
based on history and realistic growth
potential, church mission statement, church
needs and priorities. A
proposed budget will be presented at a monthly leadership team
meeting for
discussion. The leadership team must reach
consensus on the budget
before it is presented to the church for a vote. The
budget will then
be put up for a vote at a called business meeting
where it will
be voted on by the congregation. The budget can
only be adopted by a
2/3 majority vote of the congregation. The
Audit Team may be
enlisted by the Pastor and Elders to come up
with some policies related to finances, these
polices can only be
adopted by a 2/3 majority vote of the congregation.
4 ARENA TEAM
The arena team shall be responsible for the oversight, care,
maintenance, and use of the
arena. They will work with the Leadership Team as well as
other ministry teams to develop
strategies and plan events that will utilize
the arena to effectively
reach the cowboy/western culture for Christ and
provide the hub for
family life in the church.
The Arena Team will be structured and function the same as a general
ministry team as described
in Article IV, Section 1, B. It may be
determined that the
arena team needs a separate checking account to
handle incoming and outgoing
funds. Any financial accounts are subject
to the audit team and finance
secretary and all financial activity is subject
to the policies and procedures
set forth by this church for the handling of
finances.
The qualifications for the arena team will be the same as for the
general ministry teams as
described in Article IV, Section 1, C.
Formation of the Arena Team
The formation of the arena team will be the same as for a general
ministry team as described in
Article IV, Section 1, D.
The selection and term of office will be the same as for a general
ministry team as described in
Article IV, Section 1, E.
Grounds for removal are the same as for a general ministry team as
described in Article IV, Section 1,
F.
E. Selection and Term of Office
Members of standing ministry teams may be appointed by the
pastor and/or elders, or be enlisted
by others who have been given that authority by the pastor and elders
and do so under their supervision. The term of office for standing
ministry team members will be two years with three members rotating off each year.
F. Removal
If a standing team member causes conflict, fails to carry
out his or her responsibility to the
team, or otherwise hampers the work of the team,
every effort should be made by the team
leader and assigned staff person to rectify the issue in a positive
redemptive manner. However, if the problem persists, a team member may
be removed by the pastor and/or elders, or by consensus decision of the
other team members.
SECTION 3. LEADERSHIP TEAM
A. Purpose and Function
The Leadership Team will serve to provide a forum in which
the various ministry teams can brainstorm,
coordinate activities and events, share
resources, and generally work together to enhance the overall
effectiveness of the church’s ministries. It will be responsible for
setting the church calendar and holding all ministry teams accountable
to the church's mission statement,
values and constitution.
It will be responsible for making decisions that do not fall under specific ministry teams and decisions affecting church direction or involve multiple ministries. The leadership team may be used by the pastor to help him make decisions involving church direction or ministry.
It will be responsible for making decisions that do not fall under specific ministry teams and decisions affecting church direction or involve multiple ministries. The leadership team may be used by the pastor to help him make decisions involving church direction or ministry.
B. Structure
The Leadership Team will consist of the team leaders from
each ministry team, the pastor, the elders,
the lay pastors, and staff. In addition, its
meetings will generally be open to the
participation and input of the entire church membership, however, the
leadership team may meet in closed meetings but this cannot take the
place of the monthly leadership team meeting which is open to the
congregation. Leadership team meetings
shall be moderated by the senior pastor or a person whom the senior
pastor will designate.
C. Meetings
The Leadership Team will meet as often as necessary to
effectively plan and coordinate the
activities and events of the church. At a minimum the
leadership team will meet once every 2 months.
ARTICLE V. CORPORATE OFFICERS
SECTION 1. PRESIDENT
The senior pastor shall serve as the president and overall
administrator of the corporation. He
will serve as moderator at church conferences and be responsible
for ensuring that the daily business affairs of
the church are appropriately and effectively executed.
SECTION 2. TRUSTEES
A. Purpose and function
Trustees shall sign the title to church property; all legal
documents involving the sale,
mortgage, purchase, or rental of property; all notes
and loan instruments; and such other
legal documents as may require
execution on behalf of the church. There shall be 3 trustees.
B. Selection and Term of Office
The trustees will be the current elders.
C. The trustees will have no decision making authority, they
will only execute the will of the church in
legal matters.
SECTION 3. CLERK/SECRETARY
A. Purpose and function
The Church Clerk shall serve as secretary of the
corporation. The
responsibilities of the clerk will be to keep the minutes of all church
conferences, insure that a proper
file of all members is maintained.
B. Selection and Term of Office
A volunteer may be appointed by the pastor and
elders. A paid staff
position can be filled by the Personnel Team. The Church Secretary
shall serve as Church Clerk.
SECTION 4. VACANCIES
In the event a vacancy occurs in any corporate office, the
elders shall appoint a successor to fill
the unexpired term.
ARTICLE VI. CHURCH BUSINESS
SECTION 1. FINANCES
A. Fiscal year
The fiscal year of the church will be on a calendar year
basis beginning on January 1 and ending on December 31 of
each year.
B. Accounting Procedures
A system of accounting that will adequately provide for the
handling of all funds shall be the
responsibility of the Audit Team.
C. Budget
The Audit Team, in consultation with the pastor and
ministry team leaders, shall
prepare and submit a budget for congregational approval
prior to the beginning of each fiscal
year as outlined in (Article D.
Checks, Drafts, Etc.
Checks, Drafts, Etc.
All checks, drafts or orders for the payment of money,
notes or other evidences of
indebtedness issued in the name of the church shall be signed
by at least two people who have been designated
by the Audit Team for that purpose. The pastor and or the pastor's
spouse, an elder and or an elder's spouse or other relations of conflict
of interest may not serve as check signers.
E. Deposits
All funds of the church shall be deposited from time to
time to the credit of the church in such
banks, trust companies or other depositories as
determined by the Audit Team.
SECTION 2. CHURCH CONFERENCES
A. Annual Church Conference
There shall be one annual church conference called in January of each
year to vote on the annual
budget, elders and other major decisions.
B. Special Church Conferences
Any church conference other than the Annual Church conference must be
called for a specific purpose.
Church conferences may be called by the
elders or by written petition
of 25% of the active resident members
presented to the elders,
unless it is a conference to be called to vote on
termination of he pastor; in this
case refer to (Article II, Sec 1, C). An
active resident member is one who
lives in or around the
San Angelo area and has attended the
church’s regular worship
services at least 6 times in the 90 days preceding the circulation of
the petition and is currently on the membership role.
B. Notices
Notices of the time and place of all church conferences
shall be given no later than the Sunday prior
to such meetings by publication in the church
newsletter or worship bulletin, or by
public announcement at a regular Sunday
morning worship service.
C. Place of Church Conferences
All church conferences shall be held on the premises of the church.
D. Quorum
The active resident church members present at any duly
called church conference shall
constitute a quorum.
E. Proxies
Voting by proxy at any church conference shall not be
allowed or recognized.
F. Will of the Church
All Ministry Teams, officers, and organizations of the
church shall carry out the will of the
church on any given matter, duly expressed by its vote.
G. Rules of Procedure
The order of proceedings at church conferences shall be
determined by the rules of practice contained in
Robert's Rules of Order, Revised.
H. Conduct of Church Business
All business of the church shall be conducted in a manner
that honors Christ and respects others.
The church shall strive to seek the will of God by prayerful
deliberation and common consensus.
SECTION 3. CONTRACTS
The Trustee’s shall execute and deliver any contract or
instrument in the name of the church which may
be authorized by the church to be so executed and
delivered. In this
connection, the church body as a whole shall be the ultimate
authority for all actions taken by
the church and no other person, organization or
corporate officer shall have any
authority to contract or otherwise bind the church
without express authorization from
the church body.
SECTION 4. BOOKS AND RECORDS
The church shall keep and maintain a complete and accurate
record of all financial accounts,
membership lists, and church conference minutes at its
principle office. All books and
records of the church may be inspected by any active resident member, or
his agent or attorney, for any purpose at any reasonable time.
SECTION 5. PROHIBITION AGAINST SHARING IN CORPORATE EARNINGS
No member, officer, or person connected with the
corporation, or any other private
individual shall receive at any time any of the net earnings of
pecuniary profit from the operations of the
corporation, provided that this shall not prevent the payment to any
such person of a reasonable compensation for services rendered to or for
the corporation in effecting any of its purposes as shall be fixed by
the church; and no such person persons shall be entitled to share in
the distribution of any of the
corporate assets upon the dissolution of the corporation.
All members of the church shall be deemed
to have expressly consented and
agreed that upon such dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the
corporation, whether voluntary or
involuntary, the assets of the corporation, after all debts
have been satisfied, then remaining in the hands
of the officers of the church shall
be distributed, transferred, conveyed, delivered, and paid over, in
such amounts as the church may determine or as
may be determined by a court of competent
jurisdiction upon application of the church, exclusively to charitable,
religious, or educational organizations
which would then qualify under the provisions on Section 501 (C)(3) of
the Internal Revenue Code and its regulations as they now exist or as
they may hereafter be amended.
SECTION 6. EXEMPT ACTIVITIES
Notwithstanding any other provision of these by-laws, no
member, officer, or representative of the
corporation shall take any action or carry on any activity by or on
behalf of the corporation not permitted to be taken or carried on by any
organization exempt under Section 501 (C) (3) of the Internal Revenue
Code and its Regulations as they now exist or as they may hereafter be
amended, or by any organization contributions to which are deductible
under Section 170 (C)(2) of such code and regulations as they now exist
or as they may hereafter be amended.
ARTICLE VII. AMENDMENTS
These Bylaws may be amended by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the active
resident members present at a church conference called for that
purpose. Amendments may be proposed by the elders or by written
petition of 25% of the resident membership presented to the elders.
Proposed amendments for church consideration shall be announced at the
regular worship service and made available in written form to the
congregation two weeks prior to the church conference in
which they will be voted on. Amendments will be numbered, dated and
attached to the original instrument.
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