PREAMBLE
By the grace of God our Saviour, and our faith in Him, we the members of the Faith Bible Church, do ordain and establish the following articles, to which we voluntarily submit ourselves.
ARTICLE I - NAME
The name of this church shall be the Faith Bible Church, Inc. (The mailing address is 106 Crosby Road, Sprakers, NY 12166.)
ARTICLE II - OBJECT
The object of this church is to glorify God in the salvation of souls, the edification of Christian's through the teaching of God's Word, the world-wide proclamation of God's saving grace, the promotion of Godly worship, the defense of the "faith once for all delivered," and cooperation with Christian activity functioning in harmony with God's Holy Word, the Bible, until He comes.
We will seek by God's grace to obey the Holy Spirit's command to "... have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness ..." Ephesians 5:11. We believe that this requires separation from any organization whose teachings and/or practices are contrary to the direct and clear teaching of the Word of God. Therefore, we refrain from participation in programs which involve a working relationship with any group affiliated with the National Council of Churches of Christ in America, the Church of Christ Uniting, the World Council of Churches, or any other group whose doctrinal position and testimony is at variance with our statement of Belief, or which would tend to vitiate our convictions as to the teaching of the Word of God.
ARTICLE III - STATEMENT OF BELIEF
1. We believe that the whole Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New
Testaments, is verbally inspired of God and inerrant in the original writings, and is the supreme and final authority in faith and life.
2. We believe in one God, Creator of heaven and earth, Spirit, Light, Love, and Truth, Eternal,
Almighty, Infallible and Unchangeable, Infinitely Wise, Just and Holy; and that God eternally exists and manifests Himself to us in three persons: The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit.
3. We believe in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, the eternal Word manifested in
flesh. We believe that He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary and that He is true God and true man. We believe in His vicarious, substitutionary and redeeming death, Christ receiving in Himself the penalty of man's sin. We believe in his bodily resurrection, in His ascension and His personal, imminent and premillennial return for His redeemed ones, followed by His coming in glory to judge the rebellious and to establish His millennial reign. We believe Christ is the only mediator between God and man and the only advocate and intercessor before God in behalf of man.
4. We believe in the Holy Spirit, in His personality, that He is God; and we believe that his work is to convict men of sin, to regenerate, indwell and empower the believer day by day. We believe He is the teacher of God's Word and the guide for the daily life.
5. We believe that man was created pure and in the image of God and that he sinned, and therefore incurred not only physical death, but also that spiritual death which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature, and in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become sinners in thought, word and deed. Such condition necessitated for him the experience of the new birth. We believe man is justified by faith alone in Christ's finished work.
6. We believe in the eternal and everlasting blessedness of the saved and the eternal judgment and punishment of all who reject our Lord Jesus Christ; this is the "second death," and "whosoever was not found in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:14 - 15
7. We believe in the personality of Satan, that he is the author of the fall, and that he shall be
eternally punished.
8. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the lost to judgment and everlasting punishment.
9. We believe that Christ instituted the Lord's Supper to commemorate His death till He comes. We believe that water baptism is a symbol of an inward cleansing and the believer's union with Christ in His death and resurrection.
10. We believe that the church of Jesus Christ is composed solely of those who have been redeemed and washed in His blood, and regenerated and sealed by the Holy Spirit and that they are saved to serve; and that it is the responsibility and privilege of all who are saved to seek to win others to Christ "to the uttermost part of the earth;" that they must seek to live a holy life, to separate themselves from and forsake all that might dishonor God, cast discredit on His cause, or weaken their testimony.
11. We subscribe to the statements in the Apostle's Creed.
ARTICLE IV - STATEMENT OF BELIEF - ADDENDA
SECTION A: ETERNAL SALVATION
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through the mediatorial work of the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood and are in possession of a salvation which is eternally secure.
(John 3:3-16; Acts 16:31; 2 Cor 5:17- 19; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 6:23; Colossians 2:13; 1 John 5:10-12)
SECTION B: JUSTIFICATION
We believe that justification is an act of God's grace wherein He remits the penalty of sin for man and restores the believer to His favor only by the righteousness of Jesus Christ which is imputed to him and received by him in faith alone.
(Acts 13:38; Romans 8:1, 4:5, 5:12-21; John 1:12; Gal 2:16, 20; 3:26; 2 Corinthians 5:21)
SECTION C: SANCTIFICATION
We believe that sanctification (to be "set apart") is the process by which God makes us partakers of his holiness, that it is a progressive work that is begun in regeneration and continued in our hearts by the work of the Holy Spirit in connection with Bible reading, self-examination, watchfulness and prayer, and is completed at the return of Christ for his own. Every born-again believer possesses two natures: spiritual and carnal, with provision made for victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit; and that all claims to the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural.
(Romans 6:13, 7:14-25, 8:12-13; I Cor. 6:11; 2 Peter 3:18; Galatians 5:16-25; 1 Thess. 3:13; 1 John 3:2)
SECTION D: THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that all Christians are baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ at the moment of salvation and that all believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, irrespective of any outward, physical signs, e.g., speaking in tongues, etc. However, the Scriptures command all Christians to be constantly filled with, or controlled by, the Holy Spirit.
(Romans 5:5, 6:1-10, 8:9; 1 Cor. 3:16, 6:19, 12:13; Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 5:18)
SECTION E: THE LOCAL CHURCH
We believe that a local church is a congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel, observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws independent and self-governing, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations, and that the one and only Head is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is Scriptural for churches of like faith and practice to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel that each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; and that on all matters of membership, of government, discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local church is final.
(Acts 2:41-42, 2:17-28, 15:13-18; 1 Corinthians 11:12; Ephesians 1:21,23; 4:11, 5:23-24; 1 Tim 3:17)
SECTION F: THE ORDINANCES
1. We believe that Biblical baptism is the immersion of a believer in water to show forth
in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life. It is an outward, physical symbol of an inward, spiritual transaction, which took place at the moment of our salvation when God the Holy Spirit baptized us into the body of Christ.
2. We believe that Christ instituted the Lord's Supper to commemorate His death until He
comes, that participation should be preceded always by solemn self-examination, and that all believers are invited thusly to the Lord's Supper. (Acts 8:26-39; Romans 6:1-5; Col. 2:12; 1 Cor. 11:23-32, 12:13; Ephesians 4:5; Luke 22:19; Matthew 26:27)
SECTION G: THE RETURN OF CHRIST
We believe that the personal return of our Lord Jesus Christ to catch up His people to meet Him in the air is imminent, i.e., that the rapture of all believers will precede the 70th week of Daniel, commonly referred to as the tribulation.
We believe in the personal and bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ to set up his Kingdom on earth and that this will take place following the tribulation.
(Matthew 24:30, 37-44, 25:1-13; Luke 21:27; Acts 3:19-21; Hebrews 9:28; James 5:7-8; 1 Thess 4:13-18,
1 Thess 5:2-3; 2 Thess 1:7-10; 1 John 3:1-2; Revelation 1:7,19; 22:12-20; Psalm 89:3-4, 19-37; Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5-8; Daniel 2:34, 44; Zechariah 14:4)
SECTION H: SEPARATION
We believe in obedience to the Biblical command to separate entirely from attitudes of worldliness and ecclesiastical apostasy unto God.
(2 Corinthians 6:14; 7:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; 1 Timothy 6:3-5; Romans 16:17; 2 John 9-11)
SECTION I: MARRIAGE
We believe that the Bible teaches that God established marriage as only between man and a woman (Genesis 2:24; Matt 19:4,50, and that all sexual conduct outside the bonds of marriage is sin (1 Cor 6:9,10) with fornication, adultery, homosexuality and bestiality all being described by God as abominations (Lev 18:6-30). We further believe that the physical condition in which a person is born, including their gender, is established by God (Ex 4:11; Jn 9:3), therefore claims of innate sexual confusion are false and transvestism and its related perversions including sex change operations are abominations before God (Deut 22:5). We further believe that declaring God’s Word and warning people of the temporal and eternal consequences of their sins, including sexual perversions, is an act of loving concern. God’s word remains true and His prohibitions, including those on sexual perversions and immoralities, cannot be satisfied or amended by any human government authority. In conclusion, we believe the marriage ceremony is an act of worship before God and others. Therefore, all marriages performed at Faith Bible Church will only be conducted for those who will fully agree with the doctrinal content of this Constitution.
ARTICLE V - MEMBERSHIP
SECTION A
Any person desiring to unite with this church who has accepted Christ as his personal Saviour, who has given assurance of his desire to live a consistent Christian life, who has received baptism by immersion, and who has given assurance of his willingness to abide by this constitution and who shows evidence of a satisfactory attitude toward the doctrinal standards of this church given in Articles III and IV, shall be eligible for membership.
SECTION B
All persons who desire to unite with the church shall be examined by the Pastor and Board of Deacons. Persons can be received into membership upon confession of faith conditioned upon an examination satisfactory to the Board of Deacons of the church.
New members shall give a testimony of saving faith in Christ before the congregation and be publicly welcomed at a regular Lord's Day service by the members of the church and given the right hand of fellowship by the Pastor and Deacons.
SECTION C:
RESPONSIBILITY OF MEMBERS
1. Every member should so walk and conduct himself or herself in daily life as to give evidence of being possessed of the Spirit of Christ and agreement with the Statement of Belief.
2. Every member should attend the services of the church and participate regularly in the giving
of their means as the Lord may prosper, in harmony with the system used by this church.
3. Any member absent from the communion and other services of the church for a continuous
period of six months will be contacted by the Board of Deacons. The Board of Deacons will then either:
a. Place the individual on the nonresident membership list.
b. Place the individual on the inactive membership list. The nonresident member and the
inactive member will be contacted yearly by letter from the Pastor and the Board of Deacons concerning their status. If they do not reply in 3 months, their membership will be dropped. These members would not be permitted to vote at any business meetings.
c. Continue the individual's active membership.
d. Drop the individual from the church membership.
SECTION D: CHURCH DISCIPLINE
The discipline of the church shall be entirely entrusted to the Pastor and the Board of Deacons and shall be exercised according to the Word of God. In all cases of disorderly conduct or heretical doctrine so opposed to this church's life and faith (as embodied in Articles III and IV) as to destroy the possibility of fellowship, the suspected person(s) shall first be interviewed by the Pastor and the Board of Deacons. Then, if this does not lead to restoration of fellowship, the accused shall be notified to meet with the Board of Deacons to answer the changes placed against him. Failure on the part of the accused to appear for such a hearing shall not prevent the Board of Deacons from examining the case and Rendering a verdict in accordance with the testimony received.
A fair and impartial hearing shall be given to the accused, and if found guilty, he or she shall be dropped from the active membership list. The Board of Deacons shall have the right to restore a penitent member to membership by a unanimous vote when satisfactory evidence of being penitent is given.
SECTION E: TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP SHALL BE
1. By death.
2. By discipline (see previous section).
3. By letter. Members who are faithful in their responsibilities as set forth in Section C of this
Article shall be recognized as being in good standing. Any active member who desires to
transfer to another evangelical church, upon application, shall be granted a letter of
recommendation.
4. By request.
5. By uniting with another church without first terminating membership in this church.
ARTICLE VI - GOVERNMENT
SECTION A: OFFICERS
The officers of the church shall be Pastor, Assistant Pastor, Deacons, Trustees, Treasurer, and Financial Secretary. All officers, with the exception of the Pastor and Assistant Pastor and Deacons, shall be elected annually by a majority vote of the congregation.
SECTION B: PASTOR AND ASSISTANT PASTOR
1. PASTOR
The pastor of the church shall be chosen by the congregation by ballot upon recommendation of the Board of Deacons after prayerful investigation and consideration. The selection of the pastor shall be voted upon at a meeting of the congregation called for that purpose or at a regular annual meeting. Notice of such meeting shall be given at both services of the church on two consecutive Sundays preceding the meeting called for such election. A majority of at least two-thirds vote of the eligible voters present shall be necessary to elect. After his election, the pastor-elect shall be installed by the Board of Deacons.
The pastor shall have the general oversight of the spiritual life, regular services, and administration of the ordinances of the church. He shall be a member of the Board of Deacons, and an ex- officio member of all committees connected with the church or any of its organizations, and he shall act as or appoint a moderator of the congregational meetings.
The pastor and the Board of Deacons shall consider and decide upon all pulpit supplies and special pulpit features. He shall be granted a vacation each year, same to be decided on by the Board of Deacons. In the absence of the pastor, except on sickness or vacation, he shall be responsible for the supply of the pulpit.
The pastor shall receive a stipulated salary. If at any time the pastor shall make application to be released from the pastorate, he shall give a minimum of thirty days notice before termination of his service.
If at any time his personal belief, preaching or teaching shall not be in accord with the doctrinal statement and standard of this church, it shall be the responsibility of the Board of Deacons to Recommend to the church his dismissal at a special congregational meeting called for that purpose.
The pastor shall not be permitted to exercise in any preaching or teaching ministry in the
Church pending action of the Deacons. The Board of Deacons shall be responsible for pulpit supply during this period. A majority vote of the voters present to accept the Board's recommendation shall result in the pastor's immediate dismissal.
2. ASSISTANT PASTOR
The assistant pastor of the church shall be chosen by the congregation by ballot upon recommendation of the Pastor and the Board of Deacons after prayerful investigation and consideration. The selection of the assistant pastor shall be voted upon at a meeting of the congregation called for that purpose or at a regular annual meeting. Notice of such meeting shall be given at both services of the church on two consecutive Sundays preceding the meeting called for such election. A majority of at least two-thirds vote of the eligible voters present shall be necessary to elect. After his election, the assistant pastor-elect shall be installed by the Pastor and Board of Deacons.
The assistant pastor shall work under the pastor in the spiritual life, regular services, administration of the ordinances of the church, and other areas assigned by the pastor. He shall be granted a vacation each year by the Board. The assistant pastor shall receive a stipulated salary. If at any time the assistant pastor shall make application to be released from his position, he shall give a minimum of thirty days notice before termination of his service.
If at any time his personal belief, preaching or teaching shall not be in accord with the doctrinal statement and standards of this church, the pastor and Board of Deacons have the responsibility to recommend to the church his dismissal at a special congregational meeting called for that purpose.
The assistant pastor shall not be permitted to exercise in any preaching or teaching ministry in the church pending action by the congregation. A majority vote of the voters present to accept the Board's recommendation shall result in the assistant pastor's immediate dismissal.
SECTION C: DEACONS
1. The government of the church, the conduct of its business, the supervision of its general
work, its organizations such as Sunday School, Young Peoples' Societies, Missionary Societies, etc., and any branch that shall be under the leadership of the leadership of the Holy Spirit, shall be vested in the Board of Deacons, which shall consist of a group of men whose number shall be determined as follows:
2. Deacons shall be elected as provided for in the By-Laws of the church. Their terms are to be for three years. These men must be members of the church with qualifications for a deacon as prescribed in God's Word. In the case of a vacancy on the Board of Deacons, the Board shall have the authority to fill the unexpired term.
3. Deacons shall have authority to call congregational meetings for the purpose of
recommending such actions as call for the vote of the congregation.
4. A quorum for the transaction of business at a meeting of the Board of Deacons shall be three-fourths of the Board members. The Board of Deacons shall meet within one week after the annual meeting of the congregation and elect a chairman, vice chairman, and clerk. These offices shall be for a period of one year. The chairman shall preside at all the meetings of the Board of Deacons. Should a meeting of the congregation be held when the church does not have a pastor, the chairman of the Board of Deacons shall preside. In the event of the absence or resignation of the chairman, the vice-chairman shall assume all the duties.
5. The Board of Deacons shall be responsible for the management, maintenance, and control of all church owned property. They shall have authority to pay all bills, salaries, and speakers. They shall not encumber with loan, transfer, sell or purchase any real estate for the church except by express authorization conveyed through a two-third majority vote of the membership present at a constitutionally called meeting. No obligation shall be incurred to spend over the budgeted amount without a special vote of the congregation.
6. The Board of Deacons shall act as the nominating committee for the church. No nominee shall be presented for vote until he has consented to the use of his name.
7. The Board of Deacons shall appoint annually a budget committee, which shall include the financial secretary, treasurer, and at least one representative, each from the school board, and deacons. This committee shall be responsible to draw up and distribute to the membership a proposed budget for the coming year. This committee should meet at least 30 days prior to the annual meeting.
8. The clerk shall keep a record of all meetings of the congregation and Board of Deacons, a complete record of the membership of the church, issue a certificate of baptism and record them, and issue all letters of recommendation at the direction of the Board of Deacons. All records are the common property of the church.
9. The Board of Deacons are Trustees for the church as required by the state, held in trust church property and are the legal representatives of the congregation.
SECTION D: FINANCIAL SECRETARY
1. The financial secretary shall receive all monies and shall deposit the same each week to the church account in a bank designated by the Board of Deacons. He shall be assisted in the counting of all offerings received by a member designated by the Board of Deacons. All offerings shall be counted before their removal from the church building for deposit. There shall be kept under his direction a ledger showing the business transactions of the church with a balance taken each month.
Reports shall be made monthly to both Boards and to the congregation showing a summary of transactions for the period.
2. The financial secretary shall have custody of all legal papers pertaining to the property and finance of the church such as deeds, abstracts, insurance policies, bonds and notes, etc., which shall be kept in a depository designated by the Board of Deacons until they take action in supplying a substitute.
SECTION E: TREASURER
The treasurer shall be responsible for payment of all liabilities of the church from the church checking account, after said bills have been approved by the Board of Deacons and Trustees. The checkbook record of accounts and such cooperation with the financial secretary as is required to make possible necessary reports are the responsibility of the treasurer. The treasurer should attend the monthly trustees meeting when requested.
SECTION F: DISSOLUTION CLAUSE
No part of the net earnings of the corporation shall ever inure to the benefit of any donor member, director, or officer of the corporation or any private individual; and no donor, member, private individual shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any of the corporation assets. Upon dissolution, any assets of the corporation must be distributed to the missionary boards of the missionaries supported by the church.
ARTICLE VII - MISSIONS
SECTION A: MISSIONARY POLICY
In accordance with our convictions set forth in our Statement of Belief as to the need for all men to come to Jesus Christ for salvation and our responsibility as a local church as to "the world-wide proclamation of God's saving grace" (Article II), we hereby adopt this missionary policy under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to fulfill our Lord's clear command in Matthew 28:18-20.
1. The Missionary Committee. To carry out this policy, a Missionary Committee
shall be maintained consisting of the pastor, who shall act as its chairman, and the members of the Board of Deacons. The responsibilities of the Missionary Committee shall include:
a. The promotion of a vigorous, balanced program of missionary endeavor in and through the church.
b. The examination by personal interview of all new candidates for missionary service as to their conversion, call to the field, theological training and Statement of Belief.
c. The interview of all church-supported missionaries on furlough as to their work on the field, changes in doctrinal beliefs or practices, if any, and changing support needs.
d. To plan, promote, and conduct an Annual Missionary Conference in the church.
2. The Mission Board. Only those missionaries shall be supported who are serving
under mission boards which adhere to the following minimum standards:
a. Board controlled by a council, board or similar body, and not under the direction of one man
or his family.
b. Board which will promptly furnish complete information regarding any of their financial
policies and/or condition.
c. Board, which adheres to a Statement of Belief compatible with Articles III and IV of the Constitution.
d. Board, which exercises adequate control over and shows utmost concern for its missionaries.
e. Board which does not have any working relations with any group that is not in accord with our doctrinal and separatist position as stated in Articles II, III, and IV of this constitution.
f. Board, which shall complete and return a questionnaire giving a complete description of their ministry. Independent missionaries supported by this church at the time of the adoption of this Article shall not be eliminated from our missionary family because of any of the provisions of this paragraph (Article VII, Section A, Paragraph 2).
3. The Missionary. All missionaries or missionary organizations supported by this church
shall be responsible for the following:
a. New missionaries being considered for support shall sign with no mental reservations whatever their name(s) in the space provided in Section C of this Article, thereby indicating their wholehearted agreement with this missionary policy, as well as Articles II, III, and IV of this constitution. No missionary candidate will be eligible for support by this church until such signature is given.
b. Currently supported missionaries shall also sign with no mental reservations whatever their name(s) in the space provided in Section C of this Article, thereby indicating their wholehearted agreement with this missionary policy, as well as Articles II, III, and IV of the constitution. All church supported missionaries shall be required to sign Article VII, Section C, reaffirming their agreement, during February of every even-numbered year. Failure to do so will terminate the support of this missionary or missionaries after the church has given sixty (60) days notice.
c. All missionaries shall be required to correspond with the church at least once every
Three (3) months: so that the church may pray intelligently for the missionary and his work. Repeated failure to do so shall be cause for a termination of support.
(The mailing address is: Faith Bible Church, 106 Crosby Road, Sprakers, NY 12166 ).
d. Missionaries shall make every effort to meet with the Missionary Committee of the church for a personal interview as per Section A-1-b and Section A-1-c, above.
e. Missionary, which is engaged in the establishing of or adding to already existing self-supporting New Testament Churches.
4. Missionary Financial Support.
a. Minimum support for any missionary shall be $10 per month.
b. Maximum support shall be determined as follows:
Married Missionaries:
Both members of Faith Bible - 60% of total required.
One member of Faith Bible - 40% of total required.
Non-members of Faith Bible - 25% of total required.
Missionary Financial Support (cont)
Single Missionaries:
Member of Faith Bible - 50% of total required.
Non-member of Faith Bible - 25% of total required.
It should be understood that these figures are given merely as a guide and that we shall not be compelled to give the maximum amount in all cases. Each case shall be prayerfully considered and the amount set as the Holy Spirit leads. The purpose for setting these limits is to insure the missionaries' involvement in personal deputation work. This will allow them to gain much needed prayer support, along with rich blessings and experience.
SECTION B: MISSIONARY PROGRAM
1. A Missionary Conference shall be held in the church annually.
2. Missionary speakers, in agreement with this missionary policy, shall be given opportunity to fill the pulpit often. A love-offering shall be taken on such occasions and given entirely to the missionary.
3. Missionary letters shall be shared regularly with the congregation with the purpose of united prayer for our missionary family.
4. A Ladies' Missionary Society shall meet regularly for the assistance of our missionaries
through prayer, letter-writing, and in all other ways possible.
They shall elect a President annually who shall be responsible for the conducting of the meetings and programs of the Society. Ladies shall be members of the church to vote in this election.
5. It shall be the duty of every member to pray faithfully for our missionaries and to give
cheerfully, liberally, and regularly to the support of our missionary family. The church will be happy to pass on specially designated gifts to missionaries or mission who/which meet the qualification laid down in this article, but such action is entirely at the discretion of the Missionary Committee.
SECTION C: MISSIONARY PACT
"I am in agreement with Articles II, III, IV, and VII of this constitution with no mental reservations whatever, and I witness to the same by affixing my signature in the space here provided."
Signed _________________________________
Date
Name of Board
ARTICLE VIII - FINANCES
The work of the church is entirely dependent upon the prayers, personal services, and voluntary gifts (1 Cor. 16:2) of the Lord's people. No organization of this church shall use commercial means of any kind in any endeavor to meet its financial needs, with the exception of Faith Bible Academy. The academy may charge tuition and fees and engage in commercial fund-raising as necessary to raise money. This fund-raising excludes the selling of tickets where prizes are involved, or any means of gambling or games of chance.
ARTICLE IX - BIBLE SCHOOL
The government of the Bible School shall be vested in the Board of Deacons. All officers and teachers shall meet regularly for prayer, exhortation, and instruction. The Sunday School Superintendent shall be appointed by the Pastor and Board of Deacons.
The Sunday School Superintendent shall have the general supervision of the Bible School, children's churches, select the teachers with the approval of the pastor, and preside at all meetings of the Bible School.
ARTICLE X - MUSIC
The music ministry shall be under the supervision of the Board of Deacons, which is to appoint a director for one year. The director shall be responsible for the organist, pianist, and special music for all services when needed.
ARTICLE XI - YOUNG PEOPLE
An organized ministry to evangelize and instruct the youth of our area shall be conducted by this church under the supervision of the Board of Deacons. Youth advisors may be appointed by the Assistant Pastor.
ARTICLE XII - ORDINATION
When in the judgment of the Board of Deacons a man is called to the Christian ministry, it shall be within the power of the Board of Deacons to call a council of ministers and brethren to examine the qualifications of the candidate and to advise the church as to the suitability of the candidate for public ordination. Upon the council's recommendation, the church may proceed with the ordination.
The Board of Deacons shall have the power to discipline, even to the revocation of the ordination credentials, any minister ordained under the constitution, who after a fair and impartial trial, is found guilty of heresy or sinful practices clearly forbidden by this constitution and the Word of God.
ARTICLE XIII - AMENDMENTS
Amendments to this constitution may be made upon application to a competent court of law or by such procedure as may be provided by the Laws of the State for the amendment of charters. No part of Articles III or IV shall ever be amended or changed in any respect.
Amendments to this constitution may be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the congregation at any regular congregational meeting or special meeting called for the purpose provided, in either case, that such amendment shall be distributed in written form to the voting membership at least fourteen days prior to such congregational meeting.
ARTICLE XIV - BY-LAWS
SECTION A: The fiscal year of the church shall be from July 1st to June 30th.
SECTION B: The annual meeting of the congregation must be announced on two successive Sundays prior to the meeting and shall be held on or about the first Wednesday after the third Sunday of July of each year in the church building for the purpose of electing officers, receiving reports, and transaction of such other business as may be properly brought before the meeting. Quarterly congregational meetings shall be held on or about the Wednesday after the Third Sunday of October, January, and April.
SECTION C: Special meetings of the congregation may be called by the Board of Deacons or Trustees at any time, provided that notice of the time, place, and purpose thereof, unless deemed an emergency shall be given at both services on two consecutive Lord's Days immediately preceding such a meeting.
SECTION D: The Board of Deacons shall arrange the details of the congregational meetings and see that all possible preparations for their successful conduct is made.
SECTION E: If any member desires a congregational meeting, he may approach the Board of Deacons requesting the same. If such request is not granted, the said member with four (4) other members can require same of the Board of Deacons.
SECTION F: The voting members present at any congregational meeting called in accordance with the requirements of the Constitution and By-laws shall be considered a quorum for the transaction of business.
SECTION G: Any active member of the church sixteen (16) years of age or more shall have the right to vote on any question properly brought before any congregational meeting, except that on questions involving the disbursement of money, or any financial transaction, or voting on the Pastor and Assistant Pastor; then only members of eighteen (18) years of age or more shall have the right to vote. Any member wishing to contest the voting privilege of another member shall assume the responsibility of proving that member's ineligibility to vote.
SECTION H: All congregational meetings, unless otherwise specified by our Constitution and By-laws, shall be conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order.
ARTICLE XV - FAITH BIBLE ACADEMY
Faith Bible Academy shall be a ministry of Faith Bible Church designed to provide a private
Christian day school education for the children of parents who may or may not be members of Faith Bible Church.
2. The School Board shall be elected as provided for in the By-laws of the church. The school board shall consist of at least 3 members of Faith Bible Church who are in good standing. Terms for each member shall be for three years with none to succeed himself. In the case of vacancy on the School Board, the Board of Deacons shall have the authority to fill the unexpired term.
3. The School Board establishes policy concerning the academy ministry but is responsible to the Board of Deacons and the people of Faith Bible Church. The School Board shall present a budget to the membership for approval at the Annual Meeting. It shall also submit financial reports at the quarterly business meeting.
WHAT WE EXPECT OF OUR MEMBERS
1. ATTENDANCE. For a Christian to be his best, he must be in the services of the
church. God's Word says, ‘Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is.. " Hebrews 10:25. The main services of our church are the Sunday School at 9:45 a.m.,
the Morning Worship at 11:00 a.m., the Evening Service at 7:00 p.m., and on Wednesday nights,
our Mid-Week prayer Meeting at 7:00 p.m. Every member should feel his responsibility for special meetings such as Bible and Missionary Conferences and other such special services as are announced.
2. READ THE BIBLE. God commands the reading of His Word through
2 Timothy 2:15 where He says, "Study to show thyself approved unto God..." Therefore, every Christian should set aside a time each day when he reads God's Word to find out what God wants him to do and grow in grace. By reading four chapters each day, one can read the entire Bible through is less than one year. Few Christians have done this, to their shame. The importance of spiritual food in the life of a Christian can never be overemphasized.
3. TALK TO GOD IN PRAYER. As you read the Bible God speaks to you. As you pray, you talk to God. As a child of God, He is your Heavenly Father and invites you to come to Him with the problems and burdens of your life. The entire family should have a time each day when the Bible is read and prayer is offered, seeking God's leadership in the home. Of course, scriptural prayers are made in the name of Jesus Christ. Christians ought to pray much, according to Jesus' Word in Luke 18:1.
‘men ought always to pray, and not to faint;’
For what should you pray? A prayer should include the following: thanksgiving for salvation, intercession for others, remembering especially God's servants around the world on mission fields, your pastor, and all the activities of our church. As you intercede for others, pray for the salvation of lost souls.