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Trinity Baptist Church
1525 W. Superior St.
Alma, MI, 48801

(989)-463-6364

 trbc@cmsinter.net
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Table of Contents

 

Name

Purpose

Members

Officers

Meetings & Elections

Rules of Order

Use of Church Property

Support

Amendments

Dissolution Clause

Constitution

 


SECTION 1           NAME

The name of this church shall be "Trinity Baptist Church of Alma."

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SECTION 2          PURPOSE

The purpose of this church shall be to carry out the Commission given by the Lord Jesus Christ as recorded in Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-16; (1) To preach the Gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ to all mankind; (2) To baptize those who believe, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; (3) To teach the doctrines and precepts of Christ set forth in the New Testament, including the exercise of public worship and practice of Christian Fellowship

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SECTION 3          MEMBERS

A.  Members shall be admitted by:

     1.  Letter of commendation from another Baptist Church of
             "like precious faith;" or,

     2.  Baptism on profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ;
              (The only scriptural mode of baptism being immersion); or,

     3.  Confession of faith; (a desire to subscribe to the
              Church Covenant and the Confession of Faith herein).

     4.  Student Membership: 
               The Student Membership shall provide opportunity for
               service within the church as gifts and time allows, and
               provides a means whereby students of local colleges may
               be more closely connected to our fellowship.  A
               college student may seek a Student Membership with
               Trinity Baptist Church while a college student and
               meeting the following requirements.
               a.  The Student Membership shall be the same as the
                    Constitutional qualifications for membership as found
                    in Section 3 (A, B, C, and D).

           b.  The Student Membership shall recognize that
                    membership may also be held in their home church.

           c.  The Student Membership shall be a non-voting
                   membership in the church.

           d.  The Student Membership does not apply to college
                    students from Trinity Baptist Church as they would
                    have opportunity to be members on a regular basis.

B.  Method of receiving members into fellowship:

     1.  Every prospective member shall be examined by the
             Board of Deacons and the Pastor.

     2.  After thorough examination as to their:

          a.  Personal salvation

          b.  Doctrinal belief

          c.  Church responsibility, scriptural and material

     3.  They shall be asking to subscribe to the Church Covenant
              and Confession of Faith, after having examined them
              thoroughly before meeting with the Deacons.

     4.  The Board of Deacons, being satisfied favorably with the
              examination, shall recommend them to the church for
              membership

      5.  They shall be admitted into the church membership at a
               business meeting by a 3/4 favorable vote of the members
               present and voting.

      6.  They shall be extended the Right Hand of Fellowship
               by the Pastor and members at any regular morning
               worship service.

C.  Members shall be dismissed by:

      1.  Transfer of Letter.

      2.  Death.

      3.  Discipline:  If any resident member is absent from the
               fellowship and services of the church for a period of
               twelve consecutive months, he/she shall be visited by
               members of the Board of Deacons in an attempt to
               determine the cause and attempt to restore him/her to
               fellowship.  If said member continues to absent
               himself/herself for a period of six months, or dis-
               avows fellowship with the church he/she shall, upon
               recommendation of the Board of Deacons and a favorable
               vote of the church, be stricken from the membership
               roll.

           Any non-resident member neglecting his/her duty to
               this church for a period of two years shall, upon
               recommendation of the Board of Deacons, be written to
               by the Church Clerk in regards to her/her church
               membership and responsibilities.  If a negative or no
               response is received, said member, upon vote of the church,
               shall be dropped from the membership roll. 

D.  Discipline

      1.  The main intent of discipline is to lead an erring member
               to restoration of fellowship.  The erring member shall be
               dealt with in the spirit suggested in Matthew 18:15-18.

      2.  The following causes shall be regarded as grounds for
               discipline:

           a.  Holding or teaching doctrine contrary to the Word of
                   God as understood by the church, 2 John 1.

           b.  Disregarding the authority of the church,  Matthew
                   18:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:14.

           c.  Causing faction and discord in the church, Romans 16:
                   17-18.

           d.  Practicing immorality, 1 Corinthians 5:11.

           e.  Behaving in a disorderly manner, such as to bring the
                   Christian profession into disrepute, 2 Thessalonians
                   3:6, 11.

           f.  Assuming undue authority, 3 John 1:9-10.

           g.  Manifesting a covetous spirit, 1 Corinthians 5:11.

      3.  The Pastor and Deacons having failed in an earnest effort
               to bring an erring member to repentance, that erring
               member upon the recommendation of the Pastor and
               Deacons, shall be dismissed from membership by a 3/4
               vote of the members present and voting.

E.  There shall be a revision of the Church Roll every year; such
         revision shall be drafted by the Board of Deacons and shall
         be submitted to the church body for adoption at the annual
         meeting.

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SECTION 4          OFFICERS

A.  PASTOR

     1.  Qualifications: 1 Peter 2:2; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9.

     2.  Call and Dismissal:  A Pastor may be called by a 3/4 vote
             of the members present and voting at a regular or special
             business meeting.  He shall serve until his pastorate is
             terminated by resignation or by 3/4 vote of the members
             present and voting, upon recommendation of the Board of
             Deacons.

         He shall give a minimum of thirty days notice before
             termination of his services.  If the congregation shall vote
             for the Pastor's services to be terminated abruptly, his
             salary shall continue for thirty days.

     3.  Duties:  To preach the Word of God;  To administer the
              ordinances of the Gospel;  to perform all duties incumbent
              upon his office, he may be a member of all boards and
              committees;  to act as moderator for the Board of Deacons
              meetings, to act as moderator for quarterly and annual
              church meetings in the absence of the Board of Deacons
              Chairman for the transaction of business of the church.  At
              the request of the Board of Deacons, a monthly report of
              his activities will be made available to them and he will
              give his evaluation of the spiritual welfare of the church
              in his annual report to the membership.

B.  DEACONS

     1.  Qualifications:  Acts 6:1-6; 1 Timothy 3:8-13.

     2.  Election:  This Board shall consist of seven men, two to be
              elected each year at the Annual Meeting for a period of
              three years;  every third year three will be elected.  They
              shall elect annually a chairman and a secretary from their
              own number.  The Chairman must have served as a Deacon
              the prior year.  A Deacon may only serve two consecutive
              three year terms.

     3.  Duties:  The Deacons shall assist the Pastor in the spiritual
              oversight of the church and administration of the
              ordinances.  It shall be their duty to visit the sick and
              restore the delinquent members, and, at their
              recommendation, members shall be received into the fellow-
              ship of the church, disciplined, or dismissed.

          When the church is without a Pastor they shall constitute
              the pulpit committee.  They shall have charge of all the
              temporal matters in the church.  They shall represent the
              church in law, serve its true intents as best they can, and
              carry out its express will and pleasure and keep the church
              well advised as to its financial and material interests and
              prospects.  They shall have the privilege of spending
              monthly only that amount as specified by the church and as
              reviewed yearly.  They shall have charge of the services
              in the absence of the Pastor.  Four men shall constitute
              a quorum to do business.  They shall meet at least once a
              month to conduct business and/or pray.  They shall make
              a report of their activities at every business meeting.  The
              Chairman of this Board shall act as moderator of Deacons
              meetings in the absence of the Pastor.

C.  CLERK

    1.  The Clerk shall be elected annually to serve for the period
             of one year.  The Clerk shall keep a careful and accurate
             record of all business transactions, resolutions, the church
             roll, baptisms, conversions, and all other items that might
             be of interest to the church in future years.

D.  TREASURER

     1.  The Treasurer shall be elected for a term of three years.
             It shall be his/her responsibility to pay out and keep a
             careful record of all monies of the church.  He/She shall
             give an itemized written report at the regular business
             meetings of the church, copies of which shall be available to
             the members of the church.  The Treasurer shall make a
             report available for the monthly Board of Deacons meeting.

E.  FINANCIAL SECRETARY

    The Financial Secretary shall be elected annually for a term
            of one year.  The Financial Secretary shall receive and keep
            a record of all money received into the church, recording the
            date, the amount, and the purpose for which each amount of
            money was received.  These accounts shall be kept separate
            from the accounts of the Treasurer.  At each regular business
            meeting, as well as at any other time, the church may call for
            a written, summarized report of the amounts received and the
            purposes for which designated.  A confidential record shall
            be kept of each individual's giving for income tax deduction
            purposes and a receipt will be granted at the end of each
            quarter of the fiscal year.

F.  MISSIONS COMMITTEE

     The Missions Committee shall consist of the Pastor and his
           appointees with approval of the Board of Deacons.  It shall
           be the duty of the members of the Missions Committee to
           cooperate with the Pastor in the promotion of the missionary
           interest in the church, to advise the church in its missionary
           giving, and to correspond regularly with the missionaries of
           the church.

G.  USHERS

     1.  Four Ushers shall be elected annually for a term of one
             year.

     2.  Duties:

          a.  To appoint, subject to the Deacons' approval, the
                   necessary men to serve with them.

          b.  To usher people to their seats.

          c.  To receive the offerings at the appointed time in the
                   service.

          d.  To see that there is proper ventilation in the services.

          e.  To take charge of any emergencies that might arise.

H.  DEACONESSES

     It shall be the duty of the Deaconesses to render spiritual
           assistance to the ladies and girls by visiting the sick,
           comforting the sorrowing and those in trouble, restoring
           the back-sliding, and dealing and praying with the unsaved.
           They shall assist the ladies at baptismal services and have
           charge of the preparation and care of the Communion
           Service.  They will be in charge of remembrances for those
           who are ill and serve as church hostess.  They shall be
           appointed by the Pastor with the approval of the Board
           of Deacons. 

I.  All church officers shall be elected from the membership
           of the church.

J.  In the event of a vacancy by death or resignation of an elected
           officer, that vacancy shall be filled at a regular meeting of
           the church and elected shall be in the proper procedure
           according to section 5b.  This one shall be elected to fill the
           unexpired term of the one whose office he/she fills.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing paragraphs A through K, all officers shall continue to serve until their successors are duly elected.

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SECTION 5          MEETINGS & ELECTIONS

1.  The annual meeting shall be held the fourth Friday of
          January unless proper notice is given to the church of a change
          in this date and new officers elected will begin to function on
          the first Sunday in February.  The fiscal year shall be from
          January 1st, through December 31st.

2.  The Nominating Committee shall consist of the Pastor and Board
           of Deacons.  They shall meet at least two weeks before the
           annual meeting to make up the ballot for the annual meeting.
           Their report shall be published from the pulpit or in a
           bulletin on the two Sundays prior to the annual meeting.
           Privilege shall be given for members of the church to hand in
           suggestions to the nominating committee before they meet,
           Election shall be by ballot.

3.  Regular Quarterly Business Meetings shall be held on the
           fourth Friday of January, third Sunday of April, July, and
           October unless proper notice is given to the church of a
           change in the date.

4.  A Special Business Meeting may be called by the Pastor or the
           Board of Deacons, providing that a notice is given of that
           meeting and an announcement is made at the Lord's Day
           (Sunday) service prior to the meeting.

5.  At least 20% of the voting members shall be required at the
            meeting to constitute a quorum to transact business.

6.  A majority of votes obtained shall be sufficient to pass a
            motion or determine an election if not otherwise designated
            herein.

7.  At the request of any member, vote shall be by secret ballot
            except for the reception of members.

8.  Any member in good and regular standing and sixteen years of
            age or older shall be eligible to vote.

9.  The church shall meet weekly for the purposes of prayer,
             praise, fellowship, worship, exhortation, edification, and
             encouragement.

10.  The ordinance of the Lord's Supper shall be observed at least
              once a month, preferably the first Sunday of the month.

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SECTION 6          RULES OF ORDER

Roberts Rules of Order shall be the standard of procedure.

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SECTION 7          USE OF CHURCH PROPERTY

1.  The church and its equipment may be used for church sponsored
           activities.  Permission for any other use must be obtained
           from the Board of Deacons, requested in writing prior to a
           normally scheduled Deacons meeting.

2.  Conduct on church premises:  No smoking, drinking of alcoholic
            beverages, rowdiness, or use of unchristian language shall
            be permitted at any time.

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SECTION 8          SUPPORT

1.  This church shall be primarily supported by the giving of
            tithes and offerings by the church body.

2.  Individual programs may conduct other fund raising activities
            only with the approval of the Board of Deacons.

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SECTION 9          AMENDMENTS

1.  Except for the Covenant and Confession of Faith, which shall
             not be amended unless it is by unanimous vote of the
             membership, this Constitution may be amended at any time
             provided:  (1) Such amendment be presented to the church
             in written form at least two weeks prior to the called
             meeting and the amendment is read on the Lord's Day
             (Sunday) service two weeks prior to the meeting for the
             passage of said amendment.

2.  At least a 3/4 vote of the members present and voting must
             be obtained in favor of the amendment before said
             amendment is passed, except for amendments to Covenant,
             Confession of Faith, and to this Subsection itself (Section
             9, paragraph 2).

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SECTION 10          DISSOLUTION CLAUSE

In the event of dissolution, all assets both real and personal shall be distributed to such organizations as are qualifed under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or the corresponding provisions of a future United States Internal Revenue Law.

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SECTION 11          CONSTITUTION

It shall be understood that any conflicting rules in force before this shall be by these articles, remanded and annulled.

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