Berea Presbyterian Church
Church Constitution
Article VII - Election of Officers
Berea Presbyterian Church is under the
constitution of the Presbyterian Church in America. This constitution is
defined in The Book of
Church Order of the Presbyterian Church in America in the Preface, item III
as follows:
“The Constitution of the Presbyterian
Church in America, which is subject to and subordinate to the Scriptures of
the Old and New Testaments, the inerrant Word Of God, consists of its doctrinal
standards set forth in the Westminster
Confession of Faith, together with the Larger
and Shorter
Catechisms, and the Book of Church Order,
comprising the Form of Government, the Rules of Discipline and the Directory
for Worship; all as adopted by the Church.”
By Laws
of the Berea Presbyterian Church
The name of this church shall be: "BEREA
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH," a member of the Presbyterian Church
in America.
The purpose of Berea Presbyterian Church is to
glorify God as a local expression of the Church of Jesus Christ. Thus we
covenant to be a worshipping family of God’s people united to Christ and true
to the Holy Scriptures.We are committed to the building up of believers in the
Word of God and in the love of Christ that we might be established in our faith
and equipped for works of service in glad obedience to our Lord.
We are called to proclaim the Good News of the
forgiveness of sins and assurance of eternal life. This comes only by God’s
grace and the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ as the power of the Holy
Spirit works in our hearts. God has in His providence placed us here in
Hockessin, Delaware that we might be strategically useful in His service for
the salvation of lost people and the advancement of God’s Kingdom around the
world.
Our Church is committed to the defense of the
historic Christian Faith with the vision that we at Berea will be united in a
confession of faith that flows from the proclamation of the whole counsel of
God as given to us in the Bible and as expressed in our Presbyterian and
Reformed heritage.
The doctrine of the church shall be that system
of doctrine commonly called "The Reformed Faith" which is expressed
in the Westminster Confession of Faith, together with the Larger and Shorter
Catechisms; an abbreviation of which, called "The Doctrinal
Statement of this Church," is as follows:
We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New
Testaments are inspired of God, inerrant in the original writings, and are of
supreme and final authority in faith and life.
SCRIPTURES: Nothing at any time is to be added to this
Scripture, either by new revelations of the Spirit or by traditions of men. The
infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself.
We believe in one God existing in three persons:
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, co-equal and
eternal.
GOD: He is unchanging, boundless, immeasurable,
eternal, almighty, all-wise, holy, free
and absolute. He accomplishes all
things for His own glory according to the purpose of His own unchangeable and
righteous will. He is loving, gracious,
merciful, patient, abundant in goodness and truth, the forgiver of
iniquity, transgression and sin. He is the rewarder of those who diligently
seek Him; yet He is just in His
judgments, hating all sin, and will by no means acquit the guilty. He has sovereign rule over His
creation, to do by them, for them, or to them whatever He pleases. In His sight all things are open and clear; His
knowledge is unlimited, infallible and
not dependent upon the action of His
creatures.
God has
from all eternity ordained everything that happens, is not the author of sin,
yet allows His creatures to act freely.
He has predestined some to eternal life, others He has passed by, acting
according to His sovereign choice. He
has also foreordained the means of
their salvation through Christ's atoning sacrifice and the Spirit's work.
We believe that man was created in the image of
God, that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also the
spiritual death which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born
with a sinful nature.
MAN: Adam, the first man, sinned against God's
covenant of works and brought ruin upon his race. This defilement renders us
not only unwilling and unable to do
what is good, but opposed to the good and completely inclined to all that is
evil.
We believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
became man by taking to himself a true body and a reasonable soul, being
conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and
born of her, yet with out sin.
JESUS
CHRIST: As a man He was sinless and
undefiled. His righteous life among men, and His death thoroughly qualified Him
for His role of mediator before God's throne, interceding for His people.
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for
our sins according to the Scriptures, as a representative and substitutionary
sacrifice and that all that believe in Him are justified on the ground of His
shed blood.
THE LORD
JESUS CHRIST: Christ's atoning death
for His people resulted in salvation - justification, sanctification and
glorification - the evidences of which are exercised in faith, repentance, and
holy living.
We believe in the resurrection of the crucified
body of our Lord, in His ascension to heaven and in His present life there for
us as High Priest and Advocate.
RESURRECTION: His resurrection guaranteed the bodily eternal resurrection of every human being,
whether a resurrection to life or to death..
We believe in that blessed hope, the personal and
visible return of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
BLESSED
HOPE: This will usher in the judgment
of condemnation on the wicked and the eternal blessedness of God's people in
His Presence.
We believe that when Christ had completed his
work of salvation upon the cross and ascended into heaven he sent the Holy
Spirit to live in the heart of each believer.
The Holy Spirit comes to call,
comfort, regenerate, enlighten, equip and empower each one for the works
of service which God has prepared beforehand for His people to do.
THE HOLY SPIRIT: The Holy Spirit was given in a
special way at the time of Pentecost for the ministry of the Apostles. With their death, the Apostolic era ended
along with ministry of special and powerful signs of the Spirit. Through the ministry and teaching of the
Apostles we were given the completed and inerrant word of God. Today the Holy Spirit interacts with each
believer, personally, to develop understanding of the gospel, maturity of
belief, unity of the body and personal involvement in the call God gives to
each generation to continue the extension of His Kingdom throughout the world.
We believe that all who are born again of the
Holy Spirit receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ and thereby become children of God
BORN
AGAIN: ... by adoption. Those who thus
exercise saving faith in Christ do so because God has given them a believing
heart, unlike the heart of stone that was their's by nature. Salvation is of
the Lord!
We believe in the eternal security and
everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the eternal conscious punishment of
the lost.
ETERNAL
SECURITY: Believers, because of their new nature, are enabled by the Holy
Spirit to persevere to the end, increasing in godliness and victory over
personal sin before glorification. The unsaved are condemned on the basis of
their own sinful works, falling short of God's standard, and not coming under
the forgiveness that is in Christ.
We believe that Christ instituted the sacraments
of Baptism and the Lord's Supper to be observed until He comes.
BAPTISM
& LORD'S SUPPER: These picture the
work of the Holy Spirit and of Christ, respectively, and are to be practiced
only by those who are under the New Covenant and in fellowship with God and His
people.
We believe the Church is the people of God. There is no other head of the Church than
the Lord Jesus Christ. The visible
Church consists of all those living around the world today who profess the true
religion of Jesus Christ, together with their children. All believers should confess their faith by
joining with a local expression of the body of Christ that seeks to proclaim
and follow the inerrant word of God.
THE
CHURCH: God has loved and chosen His
people in terms of a covenant relationship in which the visible Church in each
generation is called to worship and serve the Lord in humble obedience. To this
visible Church, Christ has given His revealed truth for the gathering and
perfecting of His saints in this life.
The invisible Church consists of the whole number of the elect of every
generation that have been, are being and shall be gathered into one under the
Headship of Jesus Christ.
Section
1. Communicant members of Berea
Presbyterian Church shall be persons who have been baptized in obedience to Christ's
command, who have made a credible profession of faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ
as determined by an examination satisfactory to the Session, who are believed
to have been regenerated, whose Christian profession is not contradicted by
flagrant sin or false doctrine and who are willing to unite themselves to the
congregation of Berea and to submit themselves to the Session of this Church
for a witness thereof.
Section 2. Non-communicant members are children of
communicant members or children under the care of communicant members who stand
to them as foster parents in the place of the parents. One or both parents or
foster parents of these children shall be under solemn obligation to bring them
up "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord," and to diligently
train them to embrace Christ as their personal Saviour. These children are not
entitled to vote in any meeting of the church and normally do not partake of
communion until they become communicant members. Children of communicant
parents may be received at the communion table in exceptional cases when the
following criteria have been met:
1. A request to take communion is made by
a child who has a credible profession of faith and who has a clear desire to
participate in the sacrament
2. The child demonstrates an understanding of the sacrament of
communion
3. The child possesses the spiritual
maturity to do a self examination of their readiness to partake of communion
4. The child’s parent(s) agree with the
child’s readiness and joins in the request that the child be admitted to the
table
5. The child and parent(s) submit to an
examination by the pastor and satisfy him of the child’s readiness to partake
of communion.
Section 3. Associate members are believers temporarily
residing at too great a distance from their permanent homes to worship and
serve regularly in the churches of which they are communicant members. Such
believers, without ceasing to be communicant members of their home churches,
may be received as associate members and as such may enjoy all of the
privileges of fellowship, worship and service under the care of the pastor and
Session of the church of which they become associate members, except that
associate members may not vote in congregational or corporation meetings, and may
not be members of the Session or the Board of Deacons unless, being ordained
elders, they be appointed by the Presbytery to serve temporarily on the
Session.
Section 4.
(a) The Session, subject to
the higher courts of the church, shall have the sole power to receive
communicant members into Berea and to remove names from the communicants roll.
The Session will examine all candidates for membership to be assured that they
give a credible profession of faith and that they are ready to assume the
responsibilities of church membership. Prior to being examined by the Session,
a candidate must complete an Inquirer’s Class unless the candidate is prevented
from doing so by health reasons. In such case the candidate must demonstrate to
the satisfaction of the Session a sufficient knowledge of God’s saving grace
and a commitment of faith to God. No candidate will be received without first
having responded affirmatively to the commitment statements shown in Section 5.
(b) Those persons thus
received by the Session will be publicly welcomed by the congregation at a
regular worship service.
(c) Members are expected to
strive conscientiously to live according to light given to them by the Holy
Spirit through God's Word, the Bible, and to support wholeheartedly the
services and activities of the Church.
(d) Communicant members may
be added to the rolls in 3 ways: (1) confession of faith, (2) reaffirmation of
faith, or (3) letter of transfer from a church not deemed heretical
(e) The Session may remove
names from the role of communicants in six (6) ways only: (1) by record of
decease; (2) by letter of transfer; (3) by record of the member's uniting with
another church; (4) by record of ordination to the ministry; (5) by record that
a member not chargeable with an offense has informed the Session that he/she
does not desire to remain in the fellowship of the church; or (6) by
disciplinary action.. The first four of these ways of removal of names of
members in good standing are delegated to the Clerk of Session without
particular action by the Session
in each individual
case. The Session shall
not refuse a letter of transfer
for a member in good standing to a church not deemed heretical and not in an
unsound denomination. Removal by methods (5) or (6) shall be only by special
action of the Session.
(f) Removal by disciplinary action is of two kinds:
(1) Erasure: Absence in excess of one year from the worship services of the church shall be sufficient grounds for erasure of a name from the roll of communicants, except that extended absence of a member from home, if he is known to be maintaining a good Christian testimony, shall not constitute such grounds. In no case shall a member whose whereabouts are known be erased from the rolls without notification and an opportunity to appear before Session in person or by counsel.
(2) Excommunication: We as a church are committed to the biblical standard of purity in doctrine and life.
Purity in Doctrine: As a Presbyterian Church we adhere to the system of doctrine found in the Westminster Confession and the Shorter and Larger Catechisms and we require that communicant members of this church believe the essential elements of the Christian faith stated in the profession of faith found under Section 5, Article IV of the By Laws of Berea Presbyterian Church. Those communicants denying these doctrines or teaching and advocating beliefs contrary to the doctrines given here will first be admonished by the Session and if they refuse to accept correction, will be more severely censured. Such censure may include excommunication from the church.
Purity in Life: The Bible presents a standard of righteousness and holiness toward which every Christian must strive to conform . Because we as a church can only make rules where God does, only those commands clearly spelled out in the Bible will be the standard of purity enforced by the Session. Those communicants who refuse to obey God's Word will be corrected by the Session. If they refuse to repent they will, because of the honor of Christ, be censured. Such censor may include excommunication from the church.
(3) In either
case, whether by erasure or excommunication, the provisions of the Rules
of Discipline in the Book of Church Order of the Presbyterian Church in
America shall be carefully adhered to, and the rights of the parties to appeal
to a higher church court will be protected.
(a). Candidates for
communicant membership shall affirm their faith and their commitment to the
church at Berea through the following declaration. This declaration shall be
made as they appear before the Session or a commission of the Session to which
this responsibility has been duly delegated for examination and reception into
covenant membership of Berea Presbyterian Church.
1. As
a needy sinner saved only by God’s grace I acknowledge Jesus Christ to be my
sovereign Lord. I do promise, in reliance upon the grace of God, to forsake the
world, put to death my sinful nature and live a godly life.
2. By
God’s grace, I am committing myself to the Lord Jesus Christ and to the local
expression of His Church which is made up of the family of believers at Berea
Presbyterian Church in Hockessin Delaware.
3. I
recognize that this church is Presbyterian in form of government and adheres to
the Westminister
Confession of Faith and Catechisms as the system of doctrine taught in
God’s inerrant word, the Bible. I affirm, to the best of my understanding, the
essential elements of this doctrine which are presented in Section III of these By Laws.
4. I
promise to serve Christ in this church by participating regularly in its
worship, growing in understanding through its teaching, serving faithfully in
its ministries and supporting it financially.
5. I agree to submit to the government of this church including its form of discipline as given in the Book of Church Order.
(b). The newly received
communicant member shall make a public profession of faith before the
congregation of Berea, normally during a regular worship service. By assenting
to the following declarations and promises, the candidate enters into a solemn
covenant with God and His church. The members of Berea, by responding
affirmatively to this profession of faith, shall enter into a solemn covenant
to nurture and support the new member.
1. Do
you acknowledge yourselves to be sinners in the sight of God, justly deserving
His displeasure, and without hope save in His sovereign mercy?
2. Do
you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Savior of sinners,
and do you receive and rest on Him alone for salvation as He is presented in
God’s inerrant word, the Bible?
3. Do
you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the grace of God, that you
will endeavor to live as becomes the followers of Christ?
4. Do
you promise to support the church in its worship and ministry to the best of
your ability?
5. Do you submit yourselves to the government and discipline of the church as given in the Book of Church Order, and commit yourselves to the peace and purity of the church?
In a Presbyterian Church, the authority for the governing and spiritual oversight of
the congregation is vested in the Session.
Section 1. Session
(a) The Session of the church consists of its pastor, associate pastor(s) if there be any, together with the ruling elders elected by the congregation for active service. Assistant pastor(s), although not members of the Session, may be invited to attend and participate in discussion without vote.
(b)
The Session shall hold stated meetings at regular
intervals of at least once per month. The Session by a majority vote of its members will set its own quorum but it
shall not be smaller than the pastor or
associate pastor and two ruling elders.
(c)
The pastor by virtue of his office has the power to
convene the Session when he judges it requisite and he shall always convene it
when requested to do so by any two of the ruling elders. The Session shall also
convene when directed to do so by Presbytery.
(d)
To the extent possible, each elder is to be notified of
any special meeting by telephone, in
person, or by mail from the pastor, moderator, or Clerk of Session or by a
public announcement by the pastor or moderator at a public meeting of the
church.
(e)
Each meeting shall be opened and closed by prayer.
(f)
The pastor is, by virtue of his office, the Moderator
of the Session and shall normally preside at all of its meetings. Associate or
assistant pastors may substitute for the pastor as Moderator of the Session at
the discretion of the pastor and Session. If neither the pastor nor any
associate or assistant pastor is available
and an emergency should arise requiring immediate action, the Session
may elect one of its members to preside. Should prudential reason at any time
make it advisable for a minister other than the pastor to preside, the pastor
may, with the concurrence of the Session, invite a minister of the same
Presbytery to perform this service.
(g)
When the church is without a pastor, the Moderator of
the Session may be either a minister appointed for the purpose by Presbytery,
with consent of the Session, or one invited by the Session to preside on a
particular occasion, or one of its own members elected to preside. In judicial
cases, the Moderator shall be a minister of the Presbytery to which the church
belongs.
(h)
The Session shall appoint from among the ruling elders
some who will represent the church in the Presbytery and General Assembly.
These commissioners shall, on their return, make report of the meeting
(i)
Responsibilities:
(1) The Session
is responsible for the spiritual life, worship, and gospel ministry of the
entire church and shall study and promote the best measures for edifying the
people for the work of the church and
its role in the Presbyterian Church in America, with particular emphasis on
spreading the gospel at home and abroad. It shall be responsible for the
regular and special services, administration of the sacraments, prayer
meetings, the ministry of music and, subject
to Presbytery, for the supply of the pulpit in the absence of the
pastor(s). The Session shall
have oversight and authority of all groups and organizations within the church,
including the Diaconate; Trustees;
Sunday School; weekday Christian instruction; evangelism; youth
programs; and local, national and international missionary programs. The
Session shall approve the appointment of all teachers and leaders of all
ministries. Teachers and leaders shall be members in good standing of Berea
Presbyterian Church. The Session shall seek to promote wholesome Christian
fellowship and edifying social activities among its members, especially among
the young people.
(2) The Session
is responsible for the spiritual government and discipline of the church. The
ruling elders shall assist the pastor(s) in household visitation, inquiring
into the spiritual knowledge and the conduct of the people, encouraging them in
Christian living. The Session shall deal with offenders in accordance with the
Scriptures and the Book of
Church Order of the Presbyterian Church in America.
(3) The Session
shall examine and train candidates for the office of elder and deacon, shall
ordain and install ruling elders and deacons upon their election by the church
and shall encourage these officers to devote themselves to their work.
(4) The Session
shall examine the records of the proceedings of the Diaconate and approve and
adopt the budget.
(5)
The Session shall have authority to determine the
purposes for which the buildings, all moveable property and the grounds of the
church may be used.
(j) The Session shall
receive suggestions, recommendations and grievances from any member or
organization affiliated with the church and duly process them in such a manner as to strive for peace, purity and
unity within the church..
(k) The Session may
delegate specific aspects of its powers and duties to its officers, to its
committees, or to other boards or societies within the church, but the Session
may not delegate any of its powers or duties irrevocably or in any such manner
as to cease to be fully responsible for the spiritual life of the entire
church.
(l) The Session shall elect as its clerk a
ruling elder.
(m) (1). Acting on behalf of the Session, the
clerk shall keep an accurate record of its proceedings, which record shall be
submitted at least once per year to the inspection of the Presbytery.
(2). The
clerk shall keep an accurate membership roll of the church, including the names
of communicant members, the names of dates of birth of their children and the
names of former communicant members transferred to other churches, or otherwise
removed from the rolls. Record shall be kept of admissions, dismissions,
births, deaths. Baptisms, ordination services and communion services (number
of communicants served).
(3). The clerk shall maintain a complete record of
correspondence as it may pertain o the office. He shall also have in custody
any other papers, records or other documents as directed by the Session or the
congregation.
(4). The clerk shall keep correct minutes of the proceedings of the business transacted at the meetings of the congregation.
Section 2.
Diaconate
(a) The Diaconate shall be
responsible to the Session and shall report their activities, transactions,
receipts and disbursements to the Session at intervals as established by the
Session. They shall make an annual report to the congregation.
(b) The Board of Deacons consists of the
deacons elected by the congregation for
active service and acting deacons elected by the congregation for one year of
training. The pastor shall be an advisory member of this Board. The Board shall
elect a chairman and a secretary from their number.
(c) The provisions for members’ terms of service,
the matter of quorum, and provision for stated and special meetings shall be
the same as the provisions for the Session in these respects. The Session and
the Board of Deacons shall meet in joint session periodically to confer on
matters of common interest, with the pastor as moderator.
(d) The Board of Deacons shall be responsible for
the ministry to those who are in need, to the sick, to the friendless, and to
any who may be in distress. They shall take care of the property of the
congregation, by keeping in proper repair the church’s buildings, grounds and equipment. In matters
of special importance affecting the property of the church as defined by the
Session, the Board of Deacons cannot take final action without the approval of
the Session. They shall also make an annual report to the congregation. The
financial records shall be submitted for periodic review as established by the
Session.
Section 3.
Trustees
(a) To establish its legal
identity, Berea Presbyterian Church has been incorporated in the State of
Delaware. All communicant members of the congregation of Berea Presbyterian
Church are members of the Corporation. Pastors, as members of Heritage
Presbytery, are not members of the Corporation.
(b) The Officers of the
Corporation of Berea Presbyterian Church shall be elected at each Annual
Corporation Meeting and shall comprise a Board of Trustees (Trustees). The
Trustees shall be elected at a public meeting of the society or congregation,
held at their usual place of worship, on ten days notice by advertising at the
front door of such place and by a plurality of votes of the members present. (27 Del.C.{105})
(c) The Board of Trustees
shall be comprised of three elders and three deacons, divided into three
classes, with one elder and one deacon being elected each year. All fund
transactions will be handled by the Treasurer of the Church who will be an
ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees. The Trustees shall choose one of
their number as chairman. He shall have custody of the seal and all books and
papers of the corporation, shall make fair entries therein of all the
proceedings of the Trustees and every member of the society or congregation
shall have access thereto (27 Del.C. {107}). The Trustees shall also elect from their
number a secretary.
(d) The Board of Trustees
have the following responsibilities in conducting the corporate civil affairs
of the congregation: the buying,
selling, mortgaging of property for the church; the acquiring and conveying of
title to such property; the holding and defending title to the same. In buying,
selling and mortgaging real property such officers shall act solely under the
authority of the Corporation, granted in a duly constituted meeting of the
Corporation. The officers shall also
perform other duties as may be delegated to them by the Corporation.
(e) The Chairman shall
convene the Board of Trustees when he judges it requisite. He shall always convene the Board when
requested by two or more Trustees and shall convene it when directed to do so
by the Session. All members of Board of Trustees shall be notified by phone,
mail or personal contact whenever a meeting of the Trustees is to be convened.
(f) Acting on behalf of
the Trustees, the secretary shall keep an accurate record of its proceedings
and the proceedings of the meetings of the Corporation, which records shall be
submitted for review and oversight by the Session. The Secretary shall keep records of deeds, contracts, mortgages
and other legal documents as they relate to the civil affairs of the
Corporation. The Secretary shall
maintain a complete record of all correspondence as it may pertain to the
conduct of the office. He shall also
have in custody any other papers, records or other documents as directed by the
Board of Deacons, Session or
Corporation.
(a) All funds shall be
administered with good stewardship and in a manner that is pleasing to the
Lord.
(b) The Session
shall have responsibility for approval of the annual budget of Berea and
oversight of its administration .
(c) The Diaconate shall have responsibility for
preparation and administration of the budget, with direct input from the
Session concerning pastoral expenses, church programs and ministries and
missions allocations. Through the
Treasurer, they shall present the annual budget to the congregation for their
understanding.
(d) The Diaconate,
with approval of the Session, shall appoint a Treasurer to carry out the
financial transactions of the church.
The Treasurer will be entrusted with the funds of the Church. Under normal
circumstances the Treasurer must be a member of Berea Presbyterian Church but
does not have to be a member of the Board of Deacons. The Treasurer shall be
bonded.
(e) The Treasurer
shall:
1. working with the
Diaconate, devise suitable accounting and reporting procedures.
2. present a monthly
financial report to the Boards for their review; place a monthly financial
report to the congregation in the bulletin; prepare an annual financial statement
and present it and the new annual budget at the annual Congregational meeting.
3. operate within the
guidelines of the budget or overrides approved by the Session and alert the
Boards to potential needs for account adjustments as the year progresses.
4. draw checks as
directed by the Session or Diaconate or Board of Trustees within the
established framework of responsibility, authority and approval established by
them.
5. have all checks signed
by the Treasurer or designated officers of the church after approval by the
appropriate person, as established for the annual budget.
6. keep all necessary
records as pertains to the legal requirements of the IRS and other government
agencies and make all appropriate reports concerning the church staff or
contributions of the members.
7. be responsible for the
weekly deposit of all receipts in the church’s bank account.
8. have his books
available for examination by the Boards at any time and submit his books for
periodic review or audit as specified by the Session.
9. manage all fund
transactions that result from decisions of the Trustees.
(f) The Diaconate may, at
its discretion, appoint financial secretaries to assist the Treasurer in
designated portions of the receiving, counting and depositing of receipts of
the church, and the keeping of records of the same.
(g) In the event the
Treasurer is unable to fulfill his duties, or there is a vacancy in the office,
the duties of the Treasurer may be taken care of by any person authorized in an
official meeting of the Session or Diaconate until a new Treasurer is
appointed.
Section 1. The number of active ruling elders on the
Session and active deacons on the Diaconate shall be established by the
Session, but shall not exceed 12 on each Board. The number shall be based on
the size of the congregation, the needs of the church and the availability of
qualified candidates. The desired number of ruling elders and deacons shall be
provided to the Nominating Committee at the Annual Meeting each year, as
covered in Article VII. The number of officers
shall not be increased by more than two in any one year.
(a) Both ruling elders and
deacons shall be elected to office for three year terms with two exceptions:
(1) elected to fill an unexpired term or (2) elected to a shorter term to
provide a balance of officer classes.
(b) All officers whose
terms expire shall serve until their successor class is elected and installed.
(c) By a two-thirds
majority the congregation may, at a meeting duly called for the purpose,
terminate the active service of any ordained elder or deacon it may have
previously elected for reason not involving judicial process. The Session shall
deal with any case which involves judicial process in accordance with the Book of Church Order.
Section 2.
Ruling Elders
There are two classes of office in the church;
elder and deacon. Within the class of elders are the two orders of teaching and
ruling elders. (1 Timothy 5:17). The elders jointly have the government and
spiritual oversight of the church (Acts 14:23, 15:2, 17:20). Those who are specially gifted and trained are
called to be teaching elders (Ephesians 4:11). Those who are given the gift of rule or
administration as overseers of the spiritual life of the congregation are
called to be ruling elders (Acts 20:28, Romans 12:8, 1 Corinthians 12:28).
(a) The qualifications of
ruling elders are outlined in the Scriptures, especially in I Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.
(b) The official
authority of the elders is exercised in the Session, and not individually,
except as authorized by the Session. An elder not currently serving on the
Session is still an elder. No elder may be divested of his ordination as an
elder except by judicial process in accordance with the Rules
of Discipline in the Book of Church Order.
Section 3. Deacons
There are two classes of office in the Church;
elder and deacon. The office of deacon is one of service to both the physical
and spiritual needs of the people. Deacons were first selected and ordained in Acts 6:3 in order to serve the needs of the people and free
the apostles to focus on their spiritual ministry and teaching.
(a) The qualifications of
deacon are outlined in I Timothy 3:8-13.
(b) The functions of a
deacon are performed through the Board of Deacons and not individually except
as authorized by the Board. A deacon not currently serving on the Board of
Deacons is still a deacon. No deacon
may be divested of his ordination except by judicial process in accordance with
the Rules of Discipline in the Book of Church Order.
(c) Candidates for the
office of deacon who are not yet ordained will normally be elected to a one year term as an acting deacon, a
nonvoting member of the Board of Deacons. The Nominating Committee may,
however, when a candidate has clearly shown that he possesses the
qualifications for deacon and the candidate clearly feels called to serve,
present the candidate for election to a three year term as an ordained deacon
even though he has not served as an acting deacon.
Section 1. Elders and Deacons
Candidates for the office of elder or deacon
shall be selected by the Nominating Committee, examined and approved by the
Session and placed in nomination to the congregation for election at the Annual
Congregational Meeting.
(a) The Nominating Committee shall be comprised
of five members: an ordained elder
appointed by the Session, a deacon appointed by the Board of Deacons and three
members elected from the Congregation
at large. Members shall serve for a period of one year. The elder appointed by
the Session will convene the Nominating Committee’s first meeting, at which
time the Committee will elect its own chairman.
(b) At the annual
Congregational Meeting the Session shall present a slate of candidates for the
at-large members of the Nominating Committee for the coming year, after
ascertaining the candidate’s willingness to serve if elected. Additional
nominations may be made from the floor. The three nominees receiving the most
votes shall become members of the Nominating Committee.
(c) At the Annual
Congregational Meeting the Session will announce the number of openings to be
filled in the following year, including any planned increases in the number of
active elders or deacons. The Session will also supply the names of officers
whose term will expire at the end of the year.
(d) The Nominating
Committee shall develop a list of officer candidates for these openings. At the
same time, it shall remind the congregation of their right to nominate men for
consideration for these offices and will provide a procedure through which this
can be done.
(e) The Nominating
Committee shall thoroughly investigate the qualifications and capabilities of
each person considered for office, establish his agreement with our doctrinal
statement and confirm his availability and commitment to serve.
(f) The Nominating
Committee shall present to the Session by the Session’s first meeting in June a
slate of officer candidates that has been approved by a 80% majority of the
Nominating Committee’s members.
(g) The Session shall
examine and provide appropriate training for these officer candidates. In the
event candidates submitted to the session become unavailable for any reason
prior to the Annual Congregational Meeting, the Nominating Committee will
reconvene to determine if additional candidates should be submitted for
approval. The Nominating Committee shall present for election at the next Annual
Congregational Meeting only those candidates who have been prepared and
recommended by the Session.
(h) At least two Sundays
before the Annual Congregational Meeting the Nominating Committee shall publish
the list of approved nominees. The Nominating Committee, if practical, shall
present more than the minimum number of nominees required to fill the open
offices.
(i) Openings shall be
filled by those candidates receiving the higher number of votes, provided they
receive more than 50% of the votes cast at the Congregational Meeting.
(j) Should a vacancy occur
on the Nominating Committee during the year of service, the Session shall
appoint a member of the congregation to fill the vacancy.