cherrydale baptist church constitution

7/30/2019 Cherrydale Baptist Church Constitution

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CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I.

NAME

The name of this church shall be Cherrydale Baptist Church of Arlington, Virginia. The wordchurch, whenever used in this Constitution, refers to Cherrydale Baptist Church.

ARTICLE II.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this church is to glorify God by loving Him and loving people. Loving God isreflected in consistent obedience, Spirit-filled worship and administering the ordinances ofbaptism and the Lords Supper. Loving people is reflected in evangelizing the lost and disciplingthe saved to maturity in Christ.

ARTICLE III.

FORM AND METHOD OF GOVERNMENT

Cherrydale Baptist Church operates under a modified congregational form of government.Governing authority rests exclusively in the local body and is exercised by the assembly ofvoting members in business meetings. The congregation, by this Constitution, delegatesauthority to its Boards, pastors and elected officers commensurate with their designatedresponsibilities.

ARTICLE IV.

MEMBERSHIP

1. Admission of Membersa. The membership of this church shall consist of baptized (immersed) believers who have

demonstrated their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to the satisfaction of the pastor and theBoard of Deacons, and who, upon recommendation of the pastor and the Board ofDeacons, have been accepted for membership at the Right Hand of Fellowship before thechurch.

b. All membership candidates shall complete a course of instruction in church doctrine,distinctives and philosophy prior to recommendation for membership, and must subscribe

to the Cherrydale Covenant.

2. Deletion of Membersa. Any member who shall join with any other church shall be immediately dropped from the

church roll by order of the Board of Deacons. The board may use its discretion ingranting continued membership due to special circumstances.

b. If any member willfully neglects attendance for a period of one year he/she may be


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dropped from the membership by order of the Board of Deacons. This disciplinary actionshall not affect any member who is unable to attend services regularly because of illhealth or conflicting duties.

c. Any member who desires his/her name dropped from the church roll may submit awritten request to the Board of Deacons.

3. Discipline of Membersa. All disciplinary proceedings in this church shall be pervaded by a spirit of Christian

kindness and forbearance with a view toward reconciliation and restoration. Should anygrievance arise among church members, the aggrieved member shall follow in graciousspirit, the procedure commanded by our Lord in Matthew 18:15-20.

b. Should any report of gross misconduct or public scandal occur, the Deacons shallendeavor to quietly resolve the matter. Should this effort fail, they shall report the case tothe church. (Galatians 6:1; I Thessalonians 5:11-15; II Thessalonians 3:14-15; I Timothy

5:19-21)

c. The church shall prayerfully consider the Deacons report and endeavor to reach a fair andjust resolution of the matter. If an adverse decision is reached, the church may proceed toadmonish or remove the offender from membership. (I Corinthians 5; II Corinthians 2:5-11)

ARTICLE V.

BUSINESS MEETINGS

1. Election of New Officers

a. A business meeting shall be held the fourth Sunday each July to elect new officers andnew members of the Missions Committee.b. A nominating committee of four shall be appointed in March of each year, the chairman

being appointed by the pastor and the three members appointed by the Advisory Board.The committee shall complete its work no later than twenty-one days before thescheduled business meeting. It shall endeavor to present more candidates than vacanciesfor each board and for each non-board office. Each nominated candidate must subscribeto the Cherrydale Covenant, Confession of Faith, Constitution, Vision Path andapplicable job description, and meet the qualifications set forth in Acts 6:3; I Timothy3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9. Each must also be a church member who has demonstrated a

commitment to the ministry of Cherrydale Baptist Church, including CherrydalesVision, Core Values and Strategy for Ministry. Only men shall be nominated for theposition of Deacon.

c. The business meeting shall be announced at least three Sundays in advance and thecongregation shall be advised of the nominees at that time. The Nominating Committeeshall prepare biographical material on each nominee and make it available to thecongregation at that time. Other candidates may be suggested to the Nominating


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Committee up to fourteen days before the business meeting.

d. All officers and members of the Missions Committee shall be elected by written ballot.In case of a tie vote, ballots shall again be cast.

2. Annual Business Meetinga. The fiscal year for the church shall be September 1 - August 31. In the event that anannual budget has not been approved be the commencement of the fiscal year, the lastpreviously approved annual budget shall be used until a replacement annual budget isapproved.

b. The annual business meeting of the church shall be held in the month of August eachyear.

c. Written reports shall be submitted by the pastors, Deacons, Trustees, Financial Secretary,Treasurer, Missions Treasurer, Clerk, special committees, Sunday School and other

church organizations.

3. Special Meetingsa. Special business meetings may be called by the Senior Pastor, the Board of Deacons, or

by a petition signed by at least five voting members of different families in the church.No business of major importance may be transacted at special meetings unless announcedat least one week in advance at a regular Sunday service of the church.

4. Voting Membersa. All members in good standing, eighteen years of age and over, shall be eligible to vote in

all business meetings of the church.

5. Quoruma. A quorum shall consist of ten percent of the eligible voting membership of the church.

6. Moderatora. The Senior Pastor shall be the moderator of all business meetings of the church except in

matters concerning him. The assistant moderator shall be the chairman of the Board ofDeacons. In the absence of both the pastor and assistant moderator, the church shall electa moderator pre-tempore.

7. Rulesa. Roberts Rules of Order, Revised shall be the parliamentary procedures governing the

conduct of all business meetings.

ARTICLE VI.

ELECTED OFFICERS AND BOARDS

1. Generala. The elected officers of the church shall be:


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1. twelve Deacons2. five Trustees3. Clerk4. Treasurer5. Missions Treasurer6.

Financial Secretary

b. All boards and officers of the church shall be bound by any and all decisions made by the

congregation at business meetings. As servants of the church, all officers are ultimatelyaccountable to the congregation for the faithful fulfillment of their responsibilities.

c. The terms of all offices shall be three years. An elected board officer may serve no morethan two consecutive terms.

d. If an officer cannot or does not support the church and fulfill his/her specificresponsibilities, the Advisory Board will declare the position vacant and appoint a

substitute to fill the office until the end of the current fiscal year. A person appointed tofill a vacancy of a year or less may serve two additional consecutive terms.

e. The boards shall meet in August (with both old and newly elected members) for purposesof transition and organization. At such time, chairmen shall be elected for the new fiscalyear.

f. The requirement for a quorum of each board shall be sixty percent of those holdingoffice.

g. All elected officers shall be members of this church.2. Board of Deacons

a. The Deacons shall have general responsibility for the spiritual welfare of the church andthe individual members. They shall assist the pastoral staff in shepherding the body.Specific responsibilities are as follows:1) baptismal service2) benevolent fund3) church services and speakers4) communion service5) missions program6) pulpit committee7) pulpit supply

8) review and update church roll annually9) special meetings and speakers10) subsidiary organizations

b. The Deacons shall authorize all expenditures from the missions fund in accordance withthe Missions Policy. Any single sum exceeding $10,000 must be recommended to thecongregation for approval.


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c. No divorced man shall serve as a member of the Board of Deacons, or one who ismarried to a divorced woman.

3. Board of Trusteesa. The Board of Trustees shall serve as Stewards of the operating funds, property, and

business administration for the church. Stewards are defined as those who have beengiven overall responsibility in these areas.1)A representative of the Trustees shall serve on any financial, salary, budget, and

property related committee of the church. Any recommendations of such committeeshall be subject to review and approval by the Board of Trustees.

2)The Trustees shall serve as financial stewards of the church.a. Establish and review financial policiesb. Regularly review financial statementsc. Oversee the budgetd. Approve all unbudgeted expenditures up to $20,000 for a single item. Any single

expenditure over $20,000 must have Congregational approval.

3)The Trustees shall serve as administrative stewards of the church.a. Establish and review policies related to business administration.b. Provide oversight and counsel in such matters as insurance, legal, and contracts.

4)The Trustees shall serve as property stewards of the church.a. Property includes; building and grounds, vehicles, furniture, fixtures, equipment,

and other assets.b. Establish and review policies related to the acquisition and maintenance of

property.c. Provide counsel to those purchasing and caring for property when appropriate.

4. Non-Board Officers

a.

The Clerk shall maintain records of all business meetings of the congregation and theAdvisory Board; maintain a register of all baptisms and church members. The Clerk isaccountable to the Board of Deacons.

b. The Treasurer shall ensure that accounting for all church monies is done according togenerally accepted principles and that proper documentation is maintained for alldisbursements. The chairman of the Board of Trustees is authorized to act on behalf of theTreasurer.

c. The Missions Treasurer shall receive all missions money from the Treasurer; maintainaccounts and accounting of such monies; disburse money from the missions fund asauthorized by the Mission Committee, Board of Deacons or the Congregation. TheChairman of the Board of Deacons is authorized to act on behalf of the MissionsTreasurer.

d. The Financial Secretary shall record by name of donor all monies submitted in envelopesidentifiable by number and provide year-end receipts; maintain a record of all moniesreceived; provide envelopes for offerings. The Financial Secretary is accountable to theBoard of Trustees.


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5. Advisory Boarda. The Senior Pastor, Executive Pastor, Worship Pastor, Missions Pastor or Director, and all

elected officers are members of the Advisory Board.

b. The Senior Pastor shall be the presiding officer of the board, with the chairman of theBoard of Deaconspresiding in the pastors absence.

c. An Advisory Board meeting may be called by the Senior Pastor, the Board of Deacons orthe Board of Trustees.

d. The Advisory Board is responsible for:1) overall financial matters2) all matters of importance not specifically assigned to other boards or officers3) appointment of three Nominating Committee members4) approving the formation of special committees related to responsibilities of the

Advisory Board as recommended by the Senior Pastor

5)

appointment of members to special committees6) oversight of all staff job descriptions.ARTICLE VII.

SENIOR PASTOR AND ASSOCIATE PASTORS

1. Senior Pastora. As the chief spiritual leader of the church, the Senior Pastor shall have substantial latitude

in day-to-day operations in carrying out his ministry. However, in the ultimate sense, heis limited to actions which are either implicitly or explicitly approved by the congregationor the Board ofDeacons. Specifically, the Senior Pastor may not take any action which

has been disapproved by either the congregation or the Board of Deacons.

b. The Senior Pastor shall be an ex-officio member of all boards and committees.c. The Senior Pastor shall be elected at a regular or special business meeting of the

congregation, with notice of such meeting being given at services for the two Sundaysimmediately preceding. A two-thirds vote by written ballot shall be required.

d. Dismissal of the Senior Pastor may be requested at a regular or special business meetingof the congregation, with notice of such a meeting being given at services for the twoSundays preceding. The chairman of the Board of Deacons shall preside as moderator.

A majority vote by written ballot shall be required.

2. Associate Pastorsa. The Senior Pastor and the Board of Deacons shall consider what associates may be

desirable to aid the Senior Pastor and the church in its ministry.

b. The election of new Associate Pastors shall be in the same manner as that for theSenior Pastor.


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c. The Senior Pastor and the Board of Deacons may request the dismissal of anAssociate Pastor at a regular or special business meeting of the congregation, withnotice of such meeting being given at services for the two Sundays immediatelypreceding. A majority vote by written ballot shall be required.

c. Associate Pastors shall be accountable to the Senior Pastor.ARTICLE VIII

MISSIONS PROGRAM

1. Missions Committeea. The Missions Committee shall consist of the Missions Pastor or Director as Chairman,

one Deacon appointed by the Board of Deacons as vice-chairman, nine memberselected by the congregation, and the Missions Treasurer. The elected members shall

be divided into class years so that normally three will be elected each year for a three-year term. No elected member shall serve more than two consecutive terms. TheMissions Committee shall be responsible to the Board of Deacons in carrying out allaspects of the Missions program of the church.

b. The terms of office for the elected members shall be three years; consecutive termsshall not exceed two terms.

ARTICLE IX

CONFESSION OF FAITH

The doctrinal statement of this church is our Confession of Faith.

ARTICLE X

AMENDMENTS

This Constitution may be amended at any business meeting by a two-thirds vote.

ARTICLE XI

CONSTITUTION

This Constitution as adopted on April 24, 2005 supersedes and cancels all other constitutions andamendments.

cherrydale baptist church constitution

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