Articles of Constitution
Preamble
We, the members of the Evangelical Free Church of Atlantic, in order to carry out more efficiently the commission given by Jesus Christ to His Church, do ordain and establish the following Constitution to which we voluntarily submit ourselves.
Article I: Name
The name of this organization shall be "The Evangelical Free Church of Atlantic, Iowa."
Article II: History
The Evangelical Free Church of Atlantic was formed by the merger of the Emmanuel Baptist Church and a group that was formed in November, 1984, whose intent was to establish an Evangelical Free Church in Atlantic.
Article III: Authority And Affiliation
Authority:
This church shall be independent and self-governing. The congregation,at its annual, quarterly, and special business meetings, is the legislative and governing body of this organization.
Affiliation:
This church shall be affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America through its Central District Conference and shall send delegates to their conferences support their Home and Overseas Missions and unite in all mutual efforts for the furtherance of the Gospel of Christ in the measure that the church itself may officially decide.
Article IV: Purpose
The mission and purpose of this church shall be to assemble the Christians for mutual edification, spiritual help, fellowship, and admonition; to preach the Gospel with the gifts and means which the Lord has provided; and to make the Lord Jesus Christ known among our fellow men in accordance with the teachings and principles of Christ and His apostles to the glory of God and the salvation of sinners. (I Thes. 1:5-10)
Article V: Statement of Faith
We Believe
I. God: We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.
II. The Bible: We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.
III. The Human Condition: We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God's saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.
IV. Jesus Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus-Israel's promised Messiah-was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.
V. The Work of Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.
VI. The Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.
VII. The Church: We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God's grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord's Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.
VIII. Christian Living: We believe that God's justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God's Word, the Spirit's power, and fervent prayer in Christ's name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ's commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.
IX. Christ's Return: We believe in the personal, bodily and premillennial return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission.
X. Response and Eternal Destiny: We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.
Article VI: Membership
The membership of this church shall be composed of individuals who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, and who give evidence by their confession and their conduct that they are living in real fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Article VII: Property
Section 1.
This church shall have the power to receive, either by gift or purchase, and to hold such real, personal, and mixed property as is authorized by the laws of the State of Iowa and as is deemed necessary for the business of the church, and shall have the power to dispose of such property by mortgage, deed, or otherwise. All such property shall be held in the name of the church.
Section 2.
In case of division of the church (from which we pray God by His mercy to preserve us) the property of the church shall belong to those who abide by its Constitution and by-laws.
Section 3.
In case of dissolution of the church organization, the property shall be assigned to the Central District Conference of the Evangelical Free Church of America to enable said conference to renew the work or use the values thereof for further Gospel enterprise. The church shall be considered dissolved if so decided by the membership of this congregation or when the church has not held an annual meeting for two years or when less than five members remain.
Article VIII: Amendments
This Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the voting members present at any regular or special business meeting of this church, providing notification of the proposed amendment has been made to the members during at least two Sunday morning worship services and printed in the church bulletin prior to such meeting.
Articles Of By-Laws
I . Membership
A. Qualifications
The membership of this church shall be composed of individuals who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord,and are living in true fellowship with the Lord Jesus, and who give evidence by their confession and their conduct that they are living in fellowship with Him. Candidates for membership should be in agreement with the Confession of Faith of this church, be willing to abide by the Constitution, by-laws and policies as developed by the membership, and signify a desire to whole-heartedly support the services and activities of this church. Baptism is not a prerequisite for membership, but baptism by immersion is recommended for all believers.
B. Admission
Admission to membership in this church shall be as follows:
- Application for membership shall be made to the Pastor or any member of the Board of Elders. Applicants shall be given a copy of the Constitution and by-laws of the church.
- Applicants shall meet with the Board of Elders to give personal testimony of their salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and evidence of their understanding of and agreement with the Statement of Faith and Constitution and By-laws of this church. Any exception to the above shall be at the discretion of the Board of Elders.
- Before the applicants are recommended at a business meeting, a list of their names shall be made known to the membership two weeks in advance of the meeting. If any member has a valid reason for objecting to the receiving of any applicant into the church, he shall immediately appear before the Board of Elders and give Scriptural reasons for his objections. The validity of these objections shall be considered by the Board of Elders.
- All qualified candidates shall be recommended by the Board of Elders at any business meeting of the church for approval and admission. They shall be elected to membership by a two-thirds vote of the voting members present. The applicants shall not be present in the meeting when their admission is being considered.
- The accepted applicants shall be publicly welcomed into the membership at some subsequent regular worship service of the church.
C. Conduct
- Regular attendance at the services of the church, daily reading of the Bible, private and family devotions, personal and public testimony, and the winning of others to Christ are urged upon each member. It shall be the sacred duty of parents to provide Christian instruction for their children. Each member shall consider it his sacred duty and privilege to make full use of his talents for the Lord's service whenever opportunity affords.
- All members are encouraged to remember each other in prayer, to aid each other in sickness and distress, to be courteous in speech, to be slow to anger, and to be always ready for reconciliation.
- Each member is urged to pledge himself to a systematic contribution of a portion of his income for the support of the church according to the principles laid down in I Corinthians 16:2 and II Corinthians 9:7
- Each member is called upon to heed the admonition of the Lord: "Do not love the world or the things of the world" and "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God." He should be an "example in speech and conduct, in love, faith, in purity." (I John 2:15, Romans 12:2, I Timothy 4:12) He is expected to abstain from any act or practice that may be harmful in its influence or a stumbling block to the weak. (Romans 14:13-21)
D. Removal from Membership
A member who is absent from the activities of the church fora period of one year shall be contacted by the Board of Elders to determine membership status. If the member indicates no desire to return to fellowship and involvement with the church, the Elders shall recommend to the membership that he be removed from the church roll. Removal shall be by a two-thirds vote of the voting members present at a regular or special business meeting.
E. Discipline
If a member conducts himself in a manner which in the studied opinion of the Pastor and Elders is not in harmony with Scriptural principles or in accordance with the church by-laws and for which he does not evidence repentance, he shall be interviewed and counseled by the Pastor and Elders after the manner clearly indicated in the Word of God. (Matthew 18:15-17, Gal. 6:1) The restoration of the erring member shall be the single purpose and love shall be the sole motivating force in these interviews. If,however, the member chooses to continue in an unrepentant condition, the member shall be deprived of membership. This can be done only by the church upon are commendation from the Board of Elders and by a two-thirds vote of the voting members present at any regular or special business meeting of the church.
II. Meetings
A.
The regular weekly worship services will be held at times determined by the voting membership. The observance of the Lord's Supper shall be on a regular basis as determined by the Pastor and Board of Elders. Likewise, services of baptism and child dedication shall be determined by the Pastor and Elders.
B.
The Annual Business Meeting of the membership shall be in the month of January as announced by the church board. At this annual meeting, reports shall be received and elections held for the offices of the church.
C.
Quarterly business meetings shall be held in April, July and October of each year.
D.
Special business meetings may be called by the Pastor, Board of Elders or Board of Deacons. A notice shall be given to the members on at least two Sunday morning worship services and printed in the church bulletin prior to a special business meeting.
E.
A quorum will consist of one-third of the resident voting members. Voting members shall be 18 years of age or older.
III. Government
The officers of the church shall be the Pastors and a Board of Elders. Their qualifications and duties shall be as follows:
A. The Pastor
The Pastor must be a man of irreproachable Christian character, having a good report." (I Timothy 3:1-13,1 Peter 5:2-3)
The Pastor shall have the general spiritual oversight of the church. He shall preach and teach the Word of God, equip the believers to do the work of the ministry, counsel the erring and needing, lead the members in a practical Christian life, and discharge all the functions commonly associated with a minister of the Gospel. The Pastor shall be an ex-officio member of all boards and committees within the church.
A pastoral call shall require three-fourths vote of all voting members present at a regular or special business meeting. Likewise, a vote for dismissal shall require a three-fourths vote of all voting members present at a regular or special business meeting.
Term: The Pastor shall serve for an indefinite term. A45-day notice shall be given before the termination of services by either the Pastor or the church.
B. Board of Elders
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General Powers: The management and government of the church, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, shall be vested in the Board of Elders, whose authority is derived from the order established in Scripture(Titus 1:5-9; Acts 14:23; 20:28; I Timothy 3:1-7; 5:17).
The elders shall oversee the congregation without compulsion but with loving willingness, as examples to the church. Care must be exercised not to use un-scripturally the authority vested in them, but as a shepherd cares for the sheep, the elders are to care for the church. (I Peter 5:1-4).
The congregation is to be submissive to the rule of the elders as unto the Lord. This will produce unity in practice and doctrine(Hebrews 13:7, 17; I Thess. 5:12-13; Romans 16:17; I Cor, 1:10; I Timothy 5:17). It shall be the duty of the elders to care for the church in its spiritual condition, to guard the purity of doctrine and life of the church, to discipline the church in accordance with the Word of God, to administer the ordinances, to equip believers to do the work of ministry, to counsel the erring and needy, and to supply the pulpit as needed.
They severally shall be ex-officio members of all committees. They shall inform the congregation of all major decisions made in their meetings. Any action taken by the Board of Elders may be changed by a three-fourths majority of the qualified voters who are present and voting at a properly called be according congregational meeting.
- Number and Term of Office: The number of elders shall be according to the number who have been appointed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:28). If at any time the number should fall below three, the normal authority of the Board of Elders will revert to the congregation. Elders shall serve for six years and are able to serve again after a one year interim. Pastors shall serve as ex-officio members of the Board.
- Qualifications: Men nominated for the position of elder shall be at least twenty-five years of age and shall have been currently on the membership roster for a period of not less than one year. They shall be living an exemplary, dedicated, and consistent Christian life. Titus 1:5-9 and I Timothy 3:1-7 shall serve in making this determination.
- Selection: The selection of additional elders shall be nominated by the Board of Elders and posted two weeks prior to the fourth quarter congregational meeting. Only those men meeting the Biblical qualifications agreeing with the churches' philosophy of ministry, and having served as Deacon or Elder will be nominated. A three-fourths majority of members present is required for approval. If dismissal same as Deacons.
- Meetings: The regular meetings of the Board of Elders shall be held at such time and place as the Board may determine. Special meetings may be called at the request of the chairman, the vice-chairman, or a majority of the elder's. Notice shall be given at least one day prior to the meeting, or it may be waived by consent of the majority of the Elders consent of the elders.
C. Deacons
- Duties: In keeping with biblical evidence, it shall be the duty of the deacons to assist the elders in the administration of the various ministries of the church (Acts 6: 1-7). These shall include, but not be limited to, the areas of Christian Education, Missions and Building and Grounds. Where needed, they will be assisted by committees approved by the elders. The Deacon will serve as chairman of the committee and will keep the elders informed as to plans and progress in his respective area of ministry.
- Number: The number of deacons will be set by the elders according to the need as they determine it.
- Qualifications: Men nominated for the position of deacon shall be at least twenty-one years of age, included on the membership roster, and be living an exemplary, dedicated, and consistent Christian life. I Timothy 3:8-16 shall serve in making this determination.
- Selection: At least three months prior to the annual meeting, the Board of Elders shall appoint a nominating committee of five persons, two from the congregation and three from the Elder Boards. This committee shall seek out and select willing and qualified men to serve. Following approval by the Board of Elders, these names will be posted for at least two weeks and then presented to the congregation at the annual business meeting for approval. A three-fourths majority of the qualified voters present and voting shall be necessary for approval. If dismissal should become necessary, the Board of Elders shall make recommendation to the congregation. A three-fourths majority of the qualified voters present and voting shall be necessary to dismiss him.
- Term: They shall serve for a period of two years. They can serve 2 two year terms and after an interim of one year they may be appointed again.
IV. Committees
A. Nominating Committee
- This committee shall be elected at the quarterly business meeting in October and consist of three members from the Church Board whose terms do not expire and two members elected from the membership.
- They shall elect nominees for the vacant positions of the Church Board and committees. A list of candidates for the positions shall be posted at least two weeks prior to the election.
- The committee shall have the consent of the candidates.
B. The Pulpit Committee
- This committee shall function to procure candidates for the pastorate when a vacancy occurs.
- The Pulpit Committee shall consist of three Church Board members plus four members from the congregation at large and elected by the membership. The committee shall choose from its membership a chairman and a secretary.
- The committee shall obtain approval by a majority of the Church Board prior to presenting a candidate to the congregation.
C. An Auditing Committee
The committee shall be chosen by the Elders to examine all financial records and report the status of such to the Annual Business Meeting.
D. Other Committees
The Church Board as well as the membership may propose other committees as deemed advisable and prescribe the number and manner of selection.
V. ORGANIZATIONS
The Church Board shall approve the formation of all organizations within the church. Items of importance such as methods of raising funds shall be subject to the approval of the Church Board. Each organization shall present a written report of activities at the Annual Business Meetings.
VI. AMENDMENTS
These by-laws may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the voting members present at any regular or special business meeting of this church, providing notification of the proposed amendment has been made to the members at least two Sunday morning worship services and printed in the church bulletin prior to the special business meeting.