ARTICLE III CHURCH OFFICERS

Eligibility. Only persons who are members in good standing shall be eligible for election.

Section 1--Pastor
a)    Qualifications. At the time of his call, he shall be a member of a Baptist church or be in complete accord with Baptist church doctrine, and shall, upon call to this pastorate, become a member of this church. He shall uphold and carry out the spirit and letter of this constitution. He must be spiritually and educationally qualified to lead the church as an undershepherd of God, to preach, teach, and administer the ordinances, and to provide leadership to carry out the spirit and letter of the New Testament through the local church.

b)    Duties. The Pastor shall preach the Gospel regularly, administer the ordinances, be a member ex-officio of all committees and boards, supervise the teaching ministry of the church, tenderly watch over its membership and spiritual interests, and organize and develop its strength for the best possible service.

c)    Call and Termination. Whenever a vacancy occurs, a Pulpit committee shall be elected which shall be composed of: the Lay Elders, three members of the Diaconate, at least one of whom shall be a woman, one Trustee, and two members of the church at large, one of whom shall be a woman. They shall be elected from the floor at a special business meeting within three weeks after the resignation has been read from the pulpit. The Pulpit Committee shall bring to the church for consideration only one candidate at a time. His election shall take place at a meeting called for that purpose, of which at least two weeks public notice shall be given. Election shall be by secret ballot and a two-thirds majority vote of the qualified members present and voting shall be necessary for the call of a Pastor. The Pastor thus elected shall serve until the relationship is terminated.

A quorum for a vote to call or terminate a pastor shall be 51% of the qualified voting members.

The office of Pastor may be terminated either by resignation, or by church vote as above. Previous notice of sixty days must be given by either party desiring the termination. However, this provision may be waived if mutually agreed upon.  In the event that a vote to dismiss prevails, the Pastor shall be immediately relieved of all duties and placed on sixty days leave.

d)    Dignity of the Office. The Office of Pastor shall be held in esteem as an undershepherd of God. (I Peter 5:1-6; I Timothy 5:1, 17-19; Ephesians 4:11-14).

Section 2--Elders

a)    Qualifications Each Elder shall meet the requirements of I Timothy 3:2-7 and Titus 1:6-9. Each shall exhibit spiritual gifts commensurate with his responsibilities.

b)    Election The Board shall consist of the senior pastor, pastoral staff, and the lay Elders.  Lay Elders must always constitute the majority. Lay Elders shall be elected for terms of three years by two thirds vote of those present and voting at a business meeting; they shall stand for votes of affirmation, each year.

c)     Duties They are to direct the affairs of the church (I Timothy 5:17), they are entrusted with God’s work (Titus 1:7), and they are to serve as shepherds and overseers of God’s flock (I Peter 5:2). Thus, they will:
    (1) in the absence of the Pastor, arrange pulpit coverage.
    (2) provide oversight to all boards, committees, ministries, and officers;
    (3) determine the agenda and appoint a moderator for business meetings;
    (4) approve and submit a unified budget to the membership for the final approval;
    (5) examine all applicants for membership and work to restore and/or discipline members in sin;
    (6) revise the church roll yearly;
    (7) distribute the elements of the Lord’s Supper; and
    (8) otherwise tend to the care of the church.
(9) The Lay Elders shall counsel the pastor(s) prayerfully, lovingly, soberly as an esteemed undershepherd for the express purpose of helpfully strengthening and encouraging the pastor(s);

Section 3--Diaconate

a)    Qualifications Each member shall meet the requirements of I Timothy 3:8-13. Each shall exhibit spiritual gifts commensurate with the responsibilities of the office.

b)    Election The Board shall consist of deacons (men) and deaconesses (women). Members shall be elected for terms of three years by two thirds vote of those present and voting at a business meeting.

c)    Duties Their duties shall include:
    (1) supervising compassion ministries, including administering a benevolent fund, to demonstrate the love of Christ to all in need;
    (2) working with the ushers and greeters to make guests more likely to return;
    (3) assimilating new members;
    (4) caring for church members;
    (5) assisting the candidates at baptismal services, and
    (6) assisting the Elders, when called upon, in examining applicants for membership and in distributing the elements of the Lord’s Supper.

Section 4--Trustees

a)    Qualifications. They shall be elected because of their spiritual and business-like interests in the programs of the church and with due regard to the duties set forth in ARTICLE I, Section 4.

b)    Election. They shall be elected at the Annual Meeting of the church. The term of office shall be three years. As nearly as possible one-third of the Board shall be elected each year.

c)    Duties.
    (1)    They shall maintain strict control over church property, granting permission for use of the same for other than normal church functions where they deem advisable.
    (2)    They may organize themselves into committees for the carrying out of their delegated responsibilities.
    (3)    They shall supervise actual care of the place of worship and be responsible for its maintenance and appearance.
    (4)    The Board of Trustees shall meet regularly once a month.
    (5)    They shall, with the advice from appropriate committees and officers, formulate a church budget.
    (6)    They shall receive and care for all gifts given to the Lord through His church. They shall count, deposit, and disburse all monies according to the budget of the church. Expenditures for individual items over $2,000 not provided for in the budget, shall be approved by the church.
    (7)    In the event that at least two Trustees are not available to count the offering, the services of former Trustees may be enlisted to aid in the count. If these are not available, members of the Diaconate may assist.

Section 5--Moderator

The moderator of church meetings shall be the Pastor. In his absence, the Board of Elders shall appoint a moderator. For matters regarding the pastor, the Elders shall select a moderator who may be an Elder or other qualified member.

Section 6--Clerk

The Clerk, elected at the Annual Meeting of the church, shall keep in a suitable book, a record of all the actions of the church, except as otherwise herein provided. The Clerk shall keep a register of the names of members, with dates of admission, dismissal, or death, together with a record of baptisms. The Clerk shall also notify all officers, members of committees and delegates of their election or appointment. The Clerk shall issue letters of dismissal voted by the church, preserve on file all communications and written official reports and give legal notice of all meetings where such notice is necessary as indicated by these By-Laws.

Section 7--Treasurer

A church Treasurer shall be elected for a term of three years at the Annual Meeting. The Treasurer  shall pay promptly all bills authorized by the Trustees, and shall keep an accurate record of receipts and disbursements. The Treasurer shall submit a monthly report of receipts and disbursements to the Trustees, and quarterly and annual reports to the church. A church Treasurer under no circumstances shall hold offices as Treasurer and Trustee simultaneously, and shall be bonded.

Section 7a--Assistant Treasurer

The Assistant church Treasurer shall be elected for a term of three years at the Annual Meeting and shall assist the Treasurer.

Section 8--Financial Secretary

A Financial Secretary shall be elected at the Annual Meeting of the church and shall have the custody of all envelopes provided for systematic collection of the revenue of the church, and properly distribute them to all members. The Financial Secretary shall keep an accurate, confidential record of all receipts and individual offerings given through the envelope system. The Financial Secretary’s records, with the exception of those records of individual giving, shall be open at all times to inspection by the Board of Trustees or the Auditing Committee. No person apart from The Financial Secretary, including the Pastor(s), Elders, Diaconate and trustees shall have any access to any information regarding individual giving.

Section 9--Bible School Superintendent

A Bible School Superintendent shall be elected for a term of three years at the Annual Meeting of the church. The Superintendent shall have charge of all administrative duties such as supervising, planning and promoting the work of the school under the direction of and in cooperation with the Pastor and Elder Board.

Section 10--Music Director

A Music Director shall be elected for a term of three years at the Annual Meeting of the church. The Director  shall be responsible for the musical programs of the church and shall:
        (1) Work in close cooperation with the Pastor.
        (2) Select and prepare all music.
        (3) Be responsible for direction of choirs and all special music.
        (4) Recommend instrumentalists for appointment.

Section 11--Librarian

A librarian shall be elected for a term of three years at the Annual Meeting of the church. The Librarian  shall have charge of the library and promote the reading of Christian literature.

Section 12--Tenure of Office

The Nominating Committee is encouraged to limit the terms for Deacon, Deaconess, and Trustee Boards to at most three consecutive terms.