Constitution

1. Membership

I. Definition:

Any person professing Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, giving evidence of a change of heart and adopting the views of Faith and practice held by this church, may become a member by baptism on profession of Faith or by experience in the case of a baptized believer who professes and gives evidence of Christian faith and character and agreement with this church in faith and practice. (amended Jan 18, 2005)

I. Anyone desiring membership with this church is required to:

a) Complete the membership application form provided by the church.

b) Be interviewed by the pastor and/or elders and upon the satisfaction of those officers and in agreement with the constitution of this church, be recommended to the church for membership.

c) Upon approval of the church, be taken into membership. (Last amended July 4th, 1978)

II. Duties

a) The duties of members to themselves are the acquisition of Scriptural knowledge, constant progress in spirituality, consistency of outward conduct and control of every unholy temper.

b) It is the duty of members to honour, esteem and love their pastor, be willing to submit to his leadership as the Lord’s undershepherd of the sheep, to attend constantly upon his ministrations and to manifest a tender regard for his reputation.

c) It is the duty of each member to cultivate and cherish brotherly love for all members of the church and to show this love by using all proper measures to promote their spiritual benefit and prosperity.

d) Especially towards those not connected with the church, it is the duty of all members of the church to be exact in fulfilling obligations and performing promises as opportunity and ability may enable, to commend the Gospel of Christ and endeavor to win the lost to Christ.

e) Each member without exception is expected to fill his or her place in the church, attending its services as Providence may allow, contributing for the support of the church according to his or her ability and as a steward of the Lord, liberally supporting the great missionary interests of the cause of Christ in the world.

f) In the interest of maintaining unity in the membership, it is the duty of each member to follow the scriptural admonition to go to a fellow believer when the member has anything against the fellow believer or when the member knows the fellow believer has something against him or her.

Matthew 5:23,24; 18:15-17

Luke 17:3,4

Romans 10:9 ,10; 12:4-5

1 Corinthians 6:15; 12:12-18;25-27

Ephesians 2:19: 3:16; 4:25-29

3. Discipline:

a) Members failing to observe the basic principles of Christian faith and conduct as found in our statement of faith and to such a degree as to bring reproach upon the church and its ministry, shall be interviewed by the pastor and/or elders who in turn will make recommendations to the church as to what measure of discipline should be taken.

b) If absent for six months without cause, a member shall be denied the privilege of voting on any matter of church business and his or her intentions regarding continued membership shall be ascertained by the elders' board and one year of such absence may bring a member's name before the church for a vote to dismiss him or her from membership in this church. It shall be the responsibility of the elders' board to monitor the regularity of the attendance of the membership at regular intervals and take appropriate action.

2. OFFICERS

Officer Eligibility:

All nominated officers of 2, 3 a,b,c,d,e,g,h,i,and j must be members of the congregation. When voting on officers at the annual meeting, a secret ballot will be used when there are more nominees than required for any position.

1 Pastor

a) A pastor shall be chosen and called by the church whenever a vacancy occurs. His election shall take place at a meeting called for that purpose of which notice shall be given on at least two previous Sundays. A pulpit committee shall be appointed by the church to seek out a suitable candidate and its recommendation will constitute a nomination. Though any member has the privilege of making other nominations, the committee shall bring to the consideration of the church only one man at a time. Election shall be by ballot, an affirmative vote of three-quarters of those present being necessary to a choice.

b) Following the bringing of a concern re: the pastor according to 1 Tim 5:18-19, the dismissal of the pastor shall be by majority vote of the elders at a meeting duly called and the nature of the said meeting having been clearly announced. In the event of such a meeting being called, the pastor's duties will be suspended until the results of the meeting are known. Should the pastor wish to appeal the decision of the majority of the elder board, he shall send a letter of appeal to the board of elders. The elders shall arrange a duly called meeting of the congregation where the pastor’s appeal will be heard. The dismissal of the pastor shall by dismissed or approved by the majority of the members of the congregation present at this duly called meeting. On immediate dismissal, severance allowance will be granted based on provincial legal requirements and any extenuating circumstances deemed appropriate at the moment.

c) In the event of a pastor's resignation, he shall normally give a minimum of 60 days notice. If the resignation is immediate, the elders' board will recommend to the church the financial settlement deemed suitable, up to a maximum of 60 days allowance.

d) The duties of a pastor are primarily to minister the Word to his flock, do the work of an evangelist among the unsaved, visit the homes and members of his congregation and promote a spiritual atmosphere in the church as a whole. The pastor shall act as moderator at all business meetings of the church except when circumstances arise which make it necessary for the church to appoint someone to act as chairman. He may also officiate at meetings of the elders' board and is a member, ex-officio, of all boards and committees appointed by the church.

e) Qualifications for pastor: Aligns with 1 Tim. 3:1-4. In addition to the above, preference will be given to candidates who have a Masters of Divinity from a recognized institution or equivalent experience.

f) The Church at its discretion may appoint pastors who are retired as pastors emeritus who will still have the rights and privileges of the role of pastor.

g) The Church may accept the transfer of credentials from another organization for the individual who is appointed as a pastor as per the provisions of this constitution. Credentials as recognized by the office of the Registrar General under the Marriage Act of Ontario. (amended Jan 28, 2016)

2. Elders:

The elders are the recognized servants of the Church whose qualifications are clearly set forth in the Scriptures. They shall be elected annually, the actual number to be decided by the congregation at the annual meeting. It shall be the duty of elders to assist the pastor in all matters pertaining to the spiritual welfare of the flock as well as to sit with him in council concerning business matters of the church. Their sphere of authority is limited to the voice of the church and recommendations from the elders' board must be approved by the church. The elders shall also be responsible to interview candidates for baptism and membership and make their recommendations to the church for their approval by a majority vote. (amended Jan 29, 1991)

Romans 10:9,10

3. Others Elected:

a) Trustees:

These shall be three in number. They shall be elected by a majority vote at a duly called business meeting of the church in accordance with the Religious Institutions Act of Ontario. Trustees shall remain in office until such time as they resign, decease or are dismissed by the church. The duties of a Trustee shall be to sign legal documents on behalf of the church as the church may direct. All legal and valuable papers shall be deposited by them present at this duly called meeting. (amended Jan 28,2016) in a safe place for the church. They shall be expected to make recommendations to the church as to building repairs, renovations, fire insurance coverage, etc

b) Deacons/Deaconesses:

The deacons/deaconesses are the recognized overseers of the physical needs of the Church body whose qualifications are clearly set forth in the Scriptures. They shall be elected annually, the actual number to be decided by the congregation at the annual meeting. It shall be the duty of deacons/deaconesses to assist the elders in all matters pertaining to the physical needs of the flock. Their sphere of authority is to meet physical needs of the Church, manage financial matters, maintaining the unity of the body, and ministering so the Elders may devote themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.

1 Tim. 3:1-7:8-13;

Titus 2:3-4:

Acts 6:4;

Romans 16:1

c) Church Clerk:

The clerk shall be elected annually by the church but shall be eligible for re-election. The duties are to keep the church records as well as to oversee the keeping of the records of all societies in the church, conduct all necessary correspondence and prepare a report for the annual business meeting which shall include a statement of the membership roll with admissions and dismissals.

d) Treasurer:

The treasurer shall be elected by the church and shall be eligible for re-election. It shall be his or her duty to oversee the work of the bookkeeper in the keeping of the financial records and in the preparation of the financial reports. He or she shall also present the financial reports at the business meetings. A monthly accounting shall be submitted to the elders' board, which will also authorize all expenditures that do not have to be brought before the church.

e) Envelope Steward:

A minimum of 2 envelope stewards shall be elected annually to keep a record of individual giving to the various funds of the church through the envelope system. Yearly statements of givings by each individual shall be given to the treasurer by the envelope stewards. Two members should count the offering weekly. The stewards will complete the cash and weekly statement and give it to the treasurer.

f) Auditors:

Two shall be appointed annually by the church at the annual meeting.

g) Sunday School:

An elder with oversight for teaching will be appointed from the elders board. This elder will provide oversight for teaching offered in Sunday School and will seek volunteers to fill teaching roles in Sunday School. He will also be responsible for ensuring the following of policy around volunteers working with children.

h) Presidents:

All presidents of societies of the church shall be elected by their respective group, but must be approved by the elders' board.

i) Assistant Treasurer:

The assistant treasurer shall be elected annually to assist the treasurer to carry out the functions listed under 4 Committees:Officers 3d.

j) Church Governing Official:

The elders and trustees shall appoint from amongst themselves one of the trustees to fill the role of Church Governing Official. The role of Church Governing Official will be to keep records in regards to religious officials registered to solemnize marriage. The Church Governing Official will notify the Office of the Registrar General of any changes made to the religious body's address, the governing official and changes in the name of the religious body or individual religious officials. They will be responsible to notify the Office of the Registrar General if a religious official moves, changes pastoral charge, is deceased, moves out of the province, ceases to be associated with the religious body or any other information relevant to the ability of the religious official to solemnize marriage.

The dismissal of the Governing official shall be by majority vote of the elders at a meeting duly called and the nature of the said meeting having been clearly announced. Should the governing official wish to appeal the decision of the majority of the elder board, he/she shall send a letter of appeal to the board of elders. The elders shall arrange a duly called meeting of the congregation where the Governing official's appeal will be heard. The dismissal of the Governing official shall be dismissed or approved by the majority of the members of the congregation

1. Committees:
   1. Nominating Committee:

The nominating committee shall consist of five (5) members to be elected for the following year at the annual meeting. If there are more than 5 nominees, the election will be decided by secret ballot from the list of nominees. The five receiving the highest numbers of votes shall be elected. The first person elected on the list will call the first meeting. The committee shall select its own chairman. Its duty shall be to submit a suggested slate of officers for the new year. Said committee shall also make recommendations to the church to fill any vacancies that may occur during the year. Each nominee must first be approached concerning his or her willingness to accept the nomination before his or her name is submitted.

The list of names shall then be posted on the bulletin board at least three (3) weeks prior to the annual meeting. Any member of the church wishing to submit the names of other nominees may do so during the first two weeks of this period. This may be done only if such nominee has signified his or her willingness to act. If the person so nominated is found to be eligible according to the constitution, his or her name shall be added by the committee to the nominations already posted. Nominations shall cease one week prior to the annual meeting. When a vote is necessary, it shall be by ballot.

2. Other Committees:

Other committees may be formed as the need arises for a definite period of time. All committees (except the nominating committee) are to be appointed by the elders' board or the church. The chairman of each committee shall be chosen by said committee. Decisions or actions proposed by the committee shall be subject to the direction and approval of the elders' board.

3. Budget committee

A budget committee may be appointed annually by the elders' board. Recommendations from the church membership will be considered. The names of those appointed will be published immediately following the appointment. The committee shall consist of a minimum of three (3) members but more may be added at the discretion of the elders' board. Its responsibility shall be to determine the financial goals to meet the needs of all ministries of the Church for the next year and to present its report to the church for approval at the annual meeting.

IV. MEETINGS:

1. Meetings for worship and the study of the Word of God shall be held each Sunday. There will also be a midweek meeting for the purpose of Bible study and prayer.
2. Business Meetings: Notice of all business meetings shall be given on the two preceding Sundays. Voting privileges shall be restricted to those members who are considered to be in good standing by the church.

There will be 3 business meetings annually as a minimum. These shall include the annual meeting and 2 general meetings typically held in spring and fall. The annual business meeting shall be held by the fourth week of January. All books of the church and its societies shall be closed as of the end of December. Special business meetings may be called by the pastor or the elders' board only. Any items of business to be brought before the church must have the approval of the elders' board.

V. FINANCES:

1. No monies shall be solicited by the church or any subsidiary organization except by approval of the church.
2. The organization shall be carried on without purpose of gain for its members and any profits or other accretions to the organization shall be used in promoting its objects. (Last amended June 14, 1979)
3. Designated gifts may be forwarded to anyone or any cause that has the approval of the church.

VI. FACILITY USE

1. The primary purpose of the Church building is a place of meeting for Christian Worship and Christian Education. Social and community events may be held in the church building when they do not conflict with events for Christian Worship and Education. The Church building and facilities may be used for events or ceremonies that agree with the Church’s Constitution and Statement of Faith. See policy regarding Rental of Church Facilities. (amended Jan 31, 2000)

VII. AMENDMENTS :

The foregoing constitution may be amended upon a two-thirds vote taken at any duly called business meeting provided such proposals are clearly stated in the announcements calling for such a meeting.