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BYLAWS
Article I. Church Membership
Section 1. General
This entity exists as a sovereign and democratic Baptist church under the lordship of Jesus
Christ, the membership retains unto itself the exclusive right of self-government in all phases of
the spiritual and temporal life of this church.
A church that exists where anyone can feel God's love, meet Jesus Christ, start over and
grow as His devoted disciple.
Section 2. Membership
Because we believe that commitment to Christ and commitment to the local church is so
important, we want all of our members to have the most meaningful and fulfilling membership
experience possible. Therefore, any person who has professed Jesus Christ as Lord, has
completed a Church Membership Class endorsed by the church and is in agreement with the
church covenant, may request membership in the church either during the Church Membership
Class or by presentation to the church in a regular church service.
Profession of Jesus Christ as Lord (for the purpose of membership) may be evidenced by one
of the following:
Public profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and baptism according to the beliefs
and practices of this church;
By promise of letter of recommendation from any church of like faith and order;
By statement of prior conversion experience and prior baptism according to the beliefs
and practices of this church when no letter is obtainable.
Fulfillment of the church membership class requirement (for the purpose of membership)
may be satisfied by one of the following:
Attendance in and completion of a regularly scheduled church membership class or
Classes; or
In the event a legitimate conflict on the part of the individual wishing to join occurs, by
completing a church membership session conducted by the Senior Pastor or his designee.
Section 3. Limits of Membership
Every member, age 14 and over, of the church is entitled to vote at all elections and on all
questions submitted to the church in an official church business meeting as set forth in Article V,
Section 3.
Every member of the church is eligible for consideration by the membership as candidates
for elective offices in the church unless otherwise stated.
Every member of the church may participate in the ordinances of the church as administered
by the church.
A member, upon five business days prior written request, may inspect or copy the prepared
financial statements of the church, and the minutes of the proceedings of church meetings. The
church may impose a reasonable charge, covering the costs of labor and material, for copies of
any documents provided to the member before releasing the copies to the member.
Membership does not constitute the right to inspect or copy any record relating to individual
contributions to the church or the personnel records of the church.
Membership in the church does not afford the members with any property, contractual, or
civil rights based on principles of democratic government. Although the general public is invited
to all of the church's worship services, the church property remains private property.
The Senior Pastor, or one of his designates, has the authority to suspend or revoke the right
of any person, including a member, to enter or remain on church property. If after being notified
of such a suspension or revocation, the person enters or remains on church property, the person
shall be treated as a trespasser.
Section 4. Termination of Membership
Membership shall be terminated in the following ways:
Death of a member;
Transfer of letter to another church;
Exclusion by disciplinary action as outlined in these bylaws;
Erasure upon request or proof of membership in a church of another denomination;
Upon written request by said member to be removed from membership.
Section 5. Discipline
It shall be the practice of this church to emphasize to its members that every reasonable
measure will be taken to assist any troubled member. The Senior Pastor, the Pastoral Staff, and
Deacons are available for counsel and guidance. The attitude of members toward one another
shall be guided by a concern for redemption rather than punishment.
Should some serious condition exist (such as promoting a behavior or doctrine contrary to
that written in these bylaws) which would cause a member to become a liability to the general
welfare of the church, the pastor and the deacons will take every reasonable measure to resolve
the problem in accord with scripture. If it becomes necessary for the church to take action to
exclude a member or members, it will require a three-fourths vote of the members present at a
business meeting. The church may then proceed to declare the person to be no longer in the
membership of the church. Such proceedings shall be conducted in a spirit of Christian
kindness.
The church may restore to membership any person previously excluded, upon request of the
excluded person, completion of the Membership Class, completion of appropriate counseling
sessions, and by the recommendation of two members of the Pastoral Staff.
Article II. Church Officers, Standing Committees, Pastoral and Non-Pastoral Staff
All who serve as officers of the church and those who serve on the standing church
committees shall be members of this church. The church shall elect the Pastor, Pastoral Staff,
Deacons, Finance team, Personnel team, Trustees, Church Clerk, and Church Treasurer.
There are inherent responsibilities of performance by church officers as well as members of
all standing committees. Each person serving is expected to carry out those responsibilities to
the best of his/her ability. In the event any member does not fulfill those responsibilities, efforts
will be made to assist that member to fulfill those obligations. If these attempts are unsuccessful,
the individual will be relieved of his/her duties upon the approval of the Senior Pastor, Chairman
of the Nominating Committee, Chairman of Deacons, and the attending staff or lay leader.
Section 1. Church Officers
The officers of this church shall be (A) the Senior Pastor, (B) the pastoral staff, (C) the active
deacons, (D) the current clerk, (E) the current treasurer, and (F) the current trustees. All officers
will be covered against any personal liability action by liability insurance provided by the
church.
(A) The Senior Pastor
The Senior Pastor is responsible for leading the church to function as a New Testament
church and will lead the congregation, the organizations, and the church staff to perform their
tasks.
The Senior Pastor is leader of pastoral ministries in the church. As such he works with the
deacons and the church staff to: (1) ensure that the church is led in the achievement of its
mission, (2) proclaim the gospel to believers and unbelievers, (3) care for the church's members
and other persons in the community, and (4) equip the church for work in ministry.
A Senior Pastor shall be chosen and called by the church whenever a vacancy occurs. When
such vacancy occurs, a Senior Pastor search committee shall be appointed by the Chairman of
Deacons in consultation with the Deacon fellowship.
The committee shall bring to the consideration of the church only one name at a time at a
meeting specifically called for this consideration and with at least two weeks' notice. That name
will be presented in view of a call to become Senior Pastor. Election shall be by ballot and
requires an affirmative vote of three-fourths of those present. The Senior Pastor, thus elected,
shall serve until the relationship is terminated by the request of the Senior Pastor or the church.
The Senior Pastor may resign the position by giving at least two weeks' notice to the church
at the time of resignation. The final employment date will be determined by the Personnel
Committee.
The church may declare the office of the Senior Pastor to be vacant. Such action shall take
place at a meeting of church members called for that purpose, with at least two week's notice.
The meeting may be called upon the recommendation of a majority vote of the personnel
committee combined with a majority vote of the active deacons, or by written petition signed by
at least one-half of the resident church members. The moderator for this meeting shall be an
appointment from the local Baptist Association or the State Baptist Association and shall serve
upon a majority vote of the active deacon body. The vote to declare the office vacant shall be
by secret ballot; an affirmative vote of three-fourths of the members present is required to
declare the office vacant.
The Senior Pastor upon being excluded from office may be, but not necessarily required to
be, compensated with no more than one half of his total annual compensation as determined by
the Personnel Committee. The termination shall be immediate and any compensation deemed
appropriate, shall be rendered in a time frame determined by the Personnel Committee.
(B) The Pastoral Staff
The Pastoral Staff shall be called and employed as the church determines the need for such
offices. A job description shall be written when the need for a Pastoral Staff member is
determined. Those staff members of whom the church requires evidence of a personal call of
God to minister shall be recommended to the church by a committee appointed by the Senior
Pastor and the Chairman of Deacons in consultation with the active Deacon Fellowship. A
member of the Pastoral staff may resign the position by giving at least two weeks' notice to the
church at the time of resignation. The final employment date will be determined by the
Personnel Committee.
If it is determined that a Pastoral Staff member position needs to be vacated, the following
process will apply:
The Senior Pastor will make every effort to minimize the impact to the church as well as the
individual by requesting a voluntary letter of resignation;
If the individual decides not to resign, then the matter will be brought to the Personnel
Committee for approval to vacate the position;
The active deacons will be informed of the individual's situation and the next step will be
presentation to the church body; and
The church body will consider the information and vote on the termination at a regularly
scheduled business meeting.
(C) Active Deacons
In accordance with the meaning of the work and the practices in the New Testament,
deacons are to be servants of the church. They are to serve with the pastor and staff in (1)
leading the church in achieving its mission (2) proclaiming the gospel and (3) caring for church
members and other persons in the community.
In order to serve as a deacon a person must meet the biblical requirements of worthy example
and doctrinal soundness as set forth in I Timothy 3:1-13 and Acts 6:1-15. They are expected to
be tithers and servants, willing to serve in any capacity.
A deacon will serve (3) church years. The Deacon election process will take place annually.
A Deacon Nominating Committee (DNC) shall consist of the Chairman of Deacons and
deacons concluding their third year of active service.
Deacons shall be elected as follows: A ballot list of all eligible men shall be drawn from the
resident members of the church and made available to the congregation. Eligible men must be
21 years of age or older and have been a member of our church at least one year. Church
members will write the name of nominee on a ballot provided by the church. A separate ballot
shall be submitted for each name. There is no limit to the number of names a member may
submit. Nominees who receive two or more votes will be candidates for the screening process.
The Senior Pastor and Chairman of Deacons will initiate a screening process for all
candidates. The DNC will complete the screening using questionnaires, interviews, staff
recommendations and any other useful, appropriate means.
Candidates who pass screening, and agree to serve a three year term, will be placed on a
yes/no church-wide ballot. Using the summated results of all of the above, the DNC will
produce the final slate of deacons.
Deacons shall serve on a rotation basis. After serving a term of three years, a deacon shall be
eligible for re-election only after a lapse of one year.
Newly elected deacons requiring ordination will be examined by a group consisting of
ordained individuals. Following this examination and upon a majority approval vote of those
present who are active members of the church, a public service of ordination will be observed.
Previous ordinations from churches of like faith and order shall suffice as ordination for this
church, but active deacons from other churches who join our church are not automatically
considered active deacons in our church.
Deacon officers will be selected annually by the DNC. These officers will consist of a
Deacon Chairman, a Deacon Vice Chairman, and a Deacon Secretary. Selection of officers will
come from the list of deacons who will be actively serving during their respective terms. The
Deacon Vice Chairman will automatically move to the position of Chairman of Deacons the year
immediately following his year serving as Deacon Vice Chairman.
(D) The Clerk
The church shall annually elect a clerk as its clerical officer. The clerk shall be responsible
for keeping a suitable record of all official actions of the church as executed in church business
meetings. All church records are church property and shall be kept in the church office.
(E) Church Treasurer
The church shall annually elect a Church Treasurer as its chief financial officer. It shall be
the duty of the treasurer to pay out, upon receipt of vouchers approved and signed by authorized
personnel, all money or things of value paid or given to the church, keeping at all times an
itemized account of all receipts and disbursements.
The Church Treasurer shall be the primary signatory for all check disbursements and other
significant financial documents.
The Church Treasurer shall work with the designated church staff member who is
responsible for the preparation and presentation of monthly statements of income, disbursements,
cash flows, and balance sheets for review by the Finance Committee.
Upon rendering the annual account at the end of each fiscal year and its acceptance and
approval by the Finance Committee, the records shall be a part of the permanent records of the
church.
The treasurer shall serve as an ex-officio member on those church committees designated by
the Senior Pastor as having financial implications to the church.
(F)Trustees
The church shall elect no less than three trustees to serve as legal officers for the church.
They shall hold in trust the church property. Upon a specific vote of the church authorizing each
action, they shall have the power to buy, sell, mortgage, lease, or transfer any church property.
When the signatures of trustees are required, they shall sign legal documents involving the
sale, mortgage, purchase, or rental of property, or other legal documents related to churchapproved
matters. A trustee may serve as an alternate signatory for church disbursements.
Trustees will serve an indefinite term, annually affirmed by the church through the church
nominating process. They will designate one of their own as the corporate Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) who will be so named on all incorporation documents. The CEO will serve an
indefinite term as long as they are an active Trustee.
(G) Non Pastoral Staff
Non Pastoral Staff members shall serve in a supporting role for church ministries and
programs.
The employment and/or termination of all Non Pastoral Staff members shall be approved by
the Personnel Committee with the recommendation of the Senior Pastor and immediate
supervisor.
The Director of Administration, as a Non Pastoral Staff member, is responsible for the
overall administration responsibilities of the church and is accountable to the Senior Pastor as a
staff person. He/she will, in addition to their other responsibilities, work regularly with the
Church Treasurer and Finance Committee in administering the financial affairs of the church.
Section 3. Church Standing Committees
The standing committees of this church shall include (A) Nominating Committee, (B)
Personnel committee, (C) Finance committee, and other standing committees, as the church
shall authorize. Each Standing Committee shall be responsible for the accurate record keeping
of actions taken by that committee and submitting those records to the Senior Pastor, or his
designee, for inclusion in the church records. Committee members shall serve on a three-year
rotation basis with one-third to be elected each year. Each standing committee shall consist of a
minimum of six (6) members. The Senior Pastor, the Chairman of Deacons, and designated
appointees by the Senior Pastor, will serve as Ex-officio members on committees in a "nonvoting"
capacity.
(A)Nominating Committee
The church shall have a Nominating Committee whose members shall be appointed by the
Senior Pastor (or his designee) and the Chairman of Deacons.
Upon filling the Nominating Committee, the names of those serving shall be published in the
church newsletter as quickly as possible.
The Nominating Committee coordinates the staffing of the Personnel Committee, the Finance
Committee, the Church Treasurer, the Church Clerk, and the Trustees. The Nominating
Committee shall present to the church for election all who accept the invitation to serve.
The Nominating Committee shall, along with members rotating off of each committee,
nominate a vice chairman for each Standing Committee. These shall be presented to the church
for election as well. Each vice chairman shall serve as chairman of their respective committee
the year following their approval by the church or in the event that years chairman is unable to
fulfill their duties.
The Nominating Committee shall make nominations for the above positions to the church
one month prior to the start of the regular church year at a regular congregational meeting.
Additional nominations for any office may be made from the floor during this meeting. The
nominations shall then be voted upon by the members of the church who are present. Any vote
requiring a choice between nominees shall be by written ballot and the nominees receiving the
highest number of votes shall be declared elected.
(B)The Personnel Committee
The church will have a Personnel Committee that assists the church in matters related to
employed personnel administration, including those called by church action. Their work
includes such areas as evaluating staff needs, employment, salaries, benefits, other
compensation, policies, job descriptions, and personnel services. Non-Pastoral Staff members
shall be employed as the church determines the need for their services. The church personnel
committee shall have the authority to employ and to terminate services of non-Pastoral Staff
members. Such employment and termination of services shall be with the recommendation of
the supervising staff member and, as appropriate, with the consultation of related committees of
the church.
(C)The Finance Committee
The church shall have a Finance Committee that develops and recommends an overall
stewardship plan, as well as recommends a unified church budget based on prayer, faith and
sound financial management practices. The committee shall thoroughly evaluate the budget
prepared by the Director of Administration and Church Treasurer, and shall seek church approval
prior to its year of execution.
The Finance Committee shall work with the Director of Administration and Church
Treasurer in approving or disapproving any exception to the overall unified budget as sound
financial management practices dictate.
The Finance Committee shall routinely work with the Director of Administration and Church
Treasurer in the preparation and presentation to the church of required reports regarding the
financial affairs of the church.
Section 4. Church Special Purpose Committees
A Special Purpose Committee may be formed by the Senior Pastor and Chairman of Deacons
for a designated purpose. Examples of these committees include, but are not limited to, a
Pastoral Staff Search Team, a Building Committee, etc. Each Special Purpose Committee shall
be responsible for the accurate record keeping of actions taken by that committee and submitting
those records to the Senior Pastor, or his designee, for inclusion in the church records. The
objective and members of the Special Purpose Committee shall be presented to the church for
approval prior to their initial meeting and shall operate under the following guidelines:
The Special Purpose Committee will have a clearly defined objective that shall be for the
overall good of the church;
The Special Purpose Committee shall have a minimum of six (6) members who shall serve
for the full duration of the committee. These members will be designated by the Senior
Pastor and Chairman of Deacons. In the event the committee is formed to search for a
Senior Pastor, then the members shall be designated, along with deacon approval, by the
Chairman of Deacons;
The Special Purpose Committee shall elect a chairman as soon as possible who shall direct
the committee's efforts and communicate regularly with the church as to their progress;
Each Special Purpose Committee will agree on their methodology in achieving its purpose,
including meeting times and places, voting process, etc;
There will be no fixed timetable for the committee to serve, however the committee will
work diligently to achieve its objective as quickly as possible and will be dissolved upon meeting
that objective.
In the event of a vacancy on the committee, a replacement member shall be appointed by the
joint agreement of the Senior Pastor, or his designee, and the Chairman of Deacons.
There are inherent responsibilities of members of all organizations of the church. Each
person serving is expected to carry out those responsibilities to the best of his/her ability. In the
event any member does not fulfill those responsibilities, efforts will be made to assist the
member to fulfill those obligations. If these attempts are unsuccessful, the individual will be
relieved of his/her duties upon the agreement of the Chairman of the committee, the Senior
Pastor, and Chairman of Deacons. If it is a Senior Pastor Search Committee, then upon the
agreement of the Chairman of the committee and the Chairman of Deacons.
Article III. Church Programs, Organizations and Ministries
The primary goal and purpose of First Baptist Church, Peachtree City is to bring glory to
God by reaching people for Christ and developing each believer to be committed to Christ and
His local church.
In order to facilitate this spiritual development, we have a simple and perpetual process that
will result in passionate and devoted followers of Jesus Christ. The church shall continue to
maintain and strengthen this developmental process of spiritual growth. The foundation of this
process is to move people to a deeper relationship with God and others through an intentional
process. This process consists of moving people to connect to God, to each other, to service,
and to the lost. All programs and events shall support this process and may include Bible
teaching; church member training, church leader training, new member orientation; mission
education, action, and support; music education, training, and performance; and other methods as
deemed appropriate.
All organizations related to the church's programs, and all personnel related to those
programs, will function under the authority and control of the church. The church shall provide
the human resources, the physical resources, and the financial resources for the appropriate
advancement of these programs.
All who serve in on-going leadership positions in church organizations shall be members of
this church unless an exception is approved by the Senior Pastor and/or the Personnel
Committee. Non-church members may, and are encouraged to, serve in any church organization
following the due process for participation in that organization.
The church shall elect the Pastor, pastoral staff, Deacons, Finance team, Personnel team,
trustees, church clerk, and treasurer. All other leaders and volunteers will be enlisted by the
appropriate staff or program leaders and serve with the concurrence of the Senior Pastor, or his
designee.
There are inherent responsibilities of members of all organizations of the church. Each
person serving is expected to carry out those responsibilities to the best of his/her ability. In the
event any member does not fulfill those responsibilities, efforts will be made to assist that
member to fulfill those obligations. If these attempts are unsuccessful, the individual will be
relieved of his/her duties at the discretion of the attending staff member and lay leader.
Article IV. Church Ordinances
Section 1. Baptism
The church shall receive for baptism any person who has received Jesus Christ as Savior by
personal faith, who professes him publicly at any worship service, and who indicates a
commitment to follow Christ as Lord.
Baptism shall be by immersion in water.
The pastor, or whomever the church shall authorize, shall administer baptism.
Baptism shall be administered as an act of worship during any worship service of the church
or in a private setting as agreed on by the person being baptized and the administering Pastor.
Section 2. The Lord's Supper
The church shall observe the Lord's Supper at least quarterly as well as other times when the
Senior Pastor feels so led. The Senior Pastor and deacons shall administer the Lord's Supper, the
Deacons being responsible for the physical preparations. The Senior Pastor may, at his
discretion, invite other believers to participate in The Lord's Supper.
Article V. Church Meetings
Section 1. Worship Services
The church shall meet regularly each Sunday morning, as well as other times deemed
appropriate by the Senior Pastor, for the worship of Almighty God. Prayer, praise, preaching,
instruction, and evangelism shall be among the ingredients of these services. The Senior Pastor,
or his designee, shall direct the services for all the church members and for all others who may
choose to attend.
Section 2. Special Services
Revival services and any other church-wide meeting essential to the advancement of the
church's objectives shall be approved by the Senior Pastor (or his designee) prior to any meeting.
Section 3. Business Meetings
The church entrusts God to lead the Senior Pastor in the overall vision and direction of the
church and gives the Senior Pastor and the Pastoral Staff wide flexibility in the pursuit of
ministry ideas and programs. The Deacon body is often called upon to assist decisions regarding
any major change on behalf of the growth and development of the church.
When necessary, matters of significance shall be brought to the church body during a
Business Meeting for discussion and a vote. Some examples are the annual adoption of the
church budget, changes in the church constitution or bylaws, the calling of Pastoral Staff, the
election of Deacons, the purchase of property, building programs or other legal matters. All
members, age 14 and over, are encouraged to attend and vote during any Business Meeting.
Business Meetings will be called, unless otherwise provided for as stated in the church
bylaws, by the Senior Pastor or Chairman of Deacons, whenever a matter needs to be brought
before the congregation for information or vote. Notice of such meetings will be posted in the
regular newsletter and on the official church website. A one-week notice must be given for the
specially called business meeting unless extreme urgency renders such notice impractical. The
notice shall include the subject, the date, and time and place; and, at a minimum, it must be given
in such a legitimate manner that resident members may have opportunity to know of the meeting.
The Senior Pastor shall preside at meetings of this church, and will serve as moderator in all
business meetings in keeping with the rules of order authorized in these bylaws. In the absence
of the Senior Pastor, the Chairman of Deacons will serve as moderator.
An agenda for each Business Meeting will be provided via the best communication methods
available. Such as, the church website, the church newsletter, U.S. mail, etc.
Consideration of non-agenda items from the floor will be at the sole discretion of the
moderator.
Type of voting will be determined by the Senior Pastor and the Chairman of Deacons.
Absentee balloting for any given issue may be provided for at their discretion. In the event that
the process of Absentee Voting on an issue is determined, all Absentee ballots must be submitted
prior to the regular church vote.
Section 4. Quorum
The quorum consists of those members who attend the Business Meeting, provided it is a
stated meeting that has been properly called.
Section 5. Parliamentary Rules
Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, is the authority for parliamentary rules of procedure for all
business meetings of the church with the Senior Pastor, or his designee, serving as Moderator
unless otherwise provided for as stated in the church bylaws.
Article VI. Church Finances
Section 1. Budget
The Director of Administration working with the Church Treasurer shall prepare and submit
to the Finance Committee a unified budget, indicating projected expenditures by category and/or
ministry line item prior to the beginning of each church year. The Finance Committee shall
work with the Director of Administration and the Church Treasurer to finalize a unified budget
as sound financial management dictates. The Finance Committee shall present the unified
budget to the church seeking approval prior to the beginning of each church year.
It is understood that membership in this church involves financial obligation to support the
church and its causes with regular, proportionate gifts. At least annually, there shall be
opportunity provided to secure worthy commitments of financial support to the church budget
from the church members. The church shall maintain a detailed recording of all church
contributions and distribute individual reports to each contributor showing their giving for that
period. These reports will be prepared and distributed at least annually.
Section 2. Accounting Procedures
All funds received for any and all purposes shall be accounted for and processed through the
Accounting office. The church shall maintain insurance against loss due to mishandling or
embezzlement of church funds. Criminal and credit background checks shall be performed on
all Accounting Staff and Church Officers who are involved in processing funds or disbursements
prior to assuming their positions.
The Senior Pastor or his designee and the Chairman of Deacons will review the background
checks of potential Church Officers and approve or disapprove all potential candidates for those
positions.
The Personnel Chairman and the Director of Administration will review these background
checks of potential Accounting Staff positions and approve or disapprove all potential candidates
for those positions.
A system of accounting which will adequately provide for the handling of all funds shall be
the responsibility of the Finance Committee and the Director of Administration. There shall be
periodic audits of the system as agreed on by the Treasurer, Finance Committee, and the Director
of Administration. The time between audits shall not exceed four (4) years. In addition to these
scheduled audits, in the event of a personnel change of the Senior Pastor or the Director of
Administration, an audit will be performed.
Article VII. Amendments
Changes in the constitution or bylaws may be made at any regular Business Meeting of the
church provided each amendment shall have been presented in writing at a previous business
meeting and copies of the proposed amendment shall have been furnished to each member
present at the earlier meeting. Amendments to the constitution and the bylaws shall be by an
approval vote of three-fourths of church members present and voting.
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