LEBO BAPTIST CHURCH
Article I
Name and Affiliation
Section 1- Name: This church, duly incorporated under the laws of the State of Kansas, shall be known as the Lebo Baptist Church.
Section 2- Affiliation: This church shall be affiliated with the American Baptist Churches of the Central Region, and the American Baptist Churches in the USA.
The church recognizes the necessity of united denominational action, as well as the obligations of mutual counsel and cooperation among Baptist fellowship with the American Baptist Churches of the Central Region Cooperate with the local Council of Churches.
Article II
Statement of Faith and Purpose
Section 1- Statement of Faith: This church receives the Scriptures as its authority in matters of faith and practice. Central to its message is Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, who trough his life, death and resurrection provides forgiveness of sin and a new relationship for us with God and with our fellowman. John 5:39; II Timothy 3:15-17; I Peter 1:21.
Section 2- Purpose: To be living community of faith, glorifying our Lord and Creator, continuing His work, after the example of His Son, Jesus Christ. Acts 2:42, 46, 47; John 17:20, 21
Article III
Organization
Section 1- Government: The government of this church is vested in the body of believers who compose it. It controls the admission, disciplining and removal of its members according to its own understanding of the Word of God. It is answerable to no ecclesiastical body except by its own consent.
Article IV
Membership
Section 1- Qualifications: Any person professing faith in Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior, who is in accord with faith and practices held by admitted to membership.
Section 2- Reception of members: Persons may be received into membership by any of four methods, as may be appropriate, upon recommendation of the Pastor and/or the Diaconate, and the vote of the church.
Section 3- Duties of members: Active members would be expected to be faithful in all spiritual duties essential to the Christian life, to attend habitually the services of the church, to give regularly for its support and benevolences, and to share in its organized work therefore allowing them voting privileges.
Section 4- Dismissal of Members: Membership in this church may be terminated upon recommendation of the Pastor, the Diaconate, and by a vote of the church in any of the following ways:
Section 5- Discipline of Members: When a member has been inactive for a period of 6 (six) months, without manifesting any interest there in by attending services, communicating with the church, and contributing to its support, the church may upon recommendation by the Diaconate, transfer his name to the “Inactive Membership List”. Consideration for such action shall be made only after 3 (three) calls have been made to encourage and assist in a renewal of the covenant relationship. This procedure shall have no application if the absence, delinquency, or stewardship is excused by the Pastor and/or the Diaconate on account of illness, lack of income or other reasonable cause.
ARTICLE V
Officers of the Church
Section 1- The Officers of the Church Shall be:
The Pastor
Church Moderator and Assistant
Chairman of the Diaconate
Members of the Diaconate
Trustees
Church Clerk
Treasurer and Assistant
Sunday School Superintendent and Assistant
All of whom must be members in good standing of the church.
Section 2- Election: The Officers of the church shall be elected for a period of 1 (one) year, and shall be eligible for re-election unless it is noted otherwise n another section of the By-Laws.
Section 3- Term of Service and Classifications: All officers, with the exception of the Pastor, shall be elected at the December Business meeting upon the submission of their names by the nominating committee and the officers of nomination from the floor at that time, and will take office on the beginning of the official church new year, January 1.
Section 4- Duties of Officers:
Section 5- The Board of Trustees:
Article VI
Amendments
This Constitution may be amended at any business meeting in accordance with Article III, Section 2 of the BY-LAWS, provided that the proposed amendment has been recommended by the Diaconate or is presented by petition of the last twenty members. Due notice is to be given that such action is to be introduced at such meeting. Due notice shall consist of public announcement from the Pulpit at each regular Worship service on not less than 1 (one) Sunday immediately prior to the date of meeting.
Article VII
Effective Date and Action
This Constitution shall take effect after its adoption by the church and shall supersede and render null and void all previous constitutions of the Church not in accordance with this constitution.
Adopted by Lebo Baptist Church this First day of January, 1992.
BY-LAWS
Article I
The Board of the Church
Section 1- Organization of Boards and Committees: All members of all Boards and Committees must be active church members in good standing to hold Church Offices. All Bards and Committees shall meet and organize within 1 (one) month of their election. All Boards and Committees shall meet in open session except when called to executive (or closed) session by the chairperson or Moderator. A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum. Note: It will be permissible to serve on more than 1 (one) Board.
Section 2- Duties of the Diaconate: The Diaconate shall be responsible for the management of the spiritual affairs of the church, but subject to the authority of the membership of the church as expressed, generally, in Article III of the Constitution. In accordance with the Articles of Incorporation, the Diaconate shall be and act, in all respects, as the Board of Directors of this Corporation. Whenever in these By-Laws and elsewhere, the term Deacon appears, it shall be deemed to mean “Director”.
The Diaconate shall share with the Pastor the responsibility for the spiritual welfare of the church, the administration of the ordinances, the application of Article III of the Constitution, and carrying out the purpose of the church as stated in Article II of the Constitution. This would include making responsible suggestions for the improvement of the pastoral ministry. The diaconate shall be responsible for providing for the pastoral ministry in the absence of the Pastor or during pastoral vacancy.
Section 3- Term of Service Classification: The Diaconate Shall consist of duly elected deacons. It should be noted that the term “deacon” is not restrictive, but includes women as well.
Section 4- Appeals to the Board of Deacons: Any member of the church may appeal, in person or in writing to the Diaconate concerning the action or decision of any officer or committee.
Section 5- Appeals to the Membership from Decisions of the Board: Any member aggrieved by any decision of the Diaconate, shall first bring his appeal to the Board and then, if necessary, to the membership at a special meetin gof the membership, providing notice is given as required in Article 3, Section 2a. The decision of the membership shall be final.
Section 6- Vacancies in Office: Should any officer fail to perform the duties pertaining to the office for a period of three consecutive months, the Board is empowered to recommend to the church that the office be declared vacant. All officers shall in case of resignation or forfeiture, serve until their successors are installed.
Section 7- Board of Christian Education: The Board of Christian Education shall meet regularly once each quarter at a time determined by that body and in special meetings as called by its chairperson.
It shall be the duty of the Board of Christian Education to plan and carry into action the various educational programs in the life of the church. The Board shall have the responsibility of approving or disapproving any Teacher candidates for Sunday School classes. Each teacher shall be a member of the church.
The Sunday School Superintendent shall be the Chairperson of the Board of Christian Education. This chairperson shall endcourage the interest and participation in conventions, rallies, assemblies, and camping programs. This person shall be responsible for planning Leadership Training classes.
The Secretary shall record the reports from the Sunday School classes and post the totals on the report board. The secretary shall keep the enrollment list for the Sunday school up to date.
The Librarian shall order materials for the Sunday school and shall place them in the proper departments. The librarian should be informed of new materials as they become available and be able to give information concerning them. This person shall be in charge of the library.
In the case of absence, each teacher is to advise the Superintendent of Sudany School of a vacancy and/or for securing a substitute teacher for the approved list of the Board of Education or advising the superintendent of such vacancy.
Section 8- Remaining Church Officers: The following officers shall be elected at the December business meeting upon submission of their names by the nominating committee and shall take office on the beginning of the official church new year, January 1 (one).
Article II
Pastor and Pastoral Relations
Section 1- Qualifications:
The Pastor shall be a regularly ordained or licensed Baptist minister whose cedentials are recognized by the American Baptist Churches of the Central Region, or one who has the qualification sfor ordination or licensing.
The Church shall call as Pastor only such men as have had the experience of the New Birth and accept the Bible, Old and New Testaments, as the Word of God. He should conduct himself as an upholding Christian example in manner and in all phases of life in the home, the church, and the community.
Section 2- Election and Terms of Office:
The Pastor shall be elected for an indefinite time. A calling agreement shall be agreed upon by the church and the Pastor. The calling agreement may be terminated by mutual consent or by written notice given 30 (thirty) days in advance by the Pastor or 30 (thirty) days in advance upon the recommendation of the Diaconate and by vote of the membership. Failure to abide by the Constitution and By-Laws or pastoral agreement would warrant dismissal upon demand by the recommendation from the Diaconate and the vote of the church.
Section 3- Establishment of Relationship:
In the Event of a vacancy in the pastorate, a Pulpit Committee of 7 (seven) members shall be approved by the church, also 3 (three) alternates. This committee shall be composed of: Chairman of the Diaconate, 2 (two) members of the Diaconate, a member of the Staff of the Sunday School, a man and woman from the church membership and 1 (one) trustee. All must be members in good standing in the church. All of the above appointments shall be approved by the church.
This committee shall, after a careful study, recommend a candidate who is a regularly ordained or licensed Baptist minister or one who has the qualifications for ordination, or licensing.
This information shall be announced at least one week before the committee formally presents the prospective pastor to the church for its consideration, and action.
Section 3- Eligible Voters: Only Active members (as defined in Article IV-Section 5 of the Constitution) shall be eligible to vote on mny question presented at a business meeting. Wherever action is called for by the church or by the congregation, such terms shall mean action by the Active Members of the Church.
All Active Members of the church may vote on matters presented to the church except that on matters pertaining to the purchase, sale, or mortgaging of property, or on matters pertaining to changes of denominational relationship, the voting age shall be of legal age, 18 (eighteen) years.
Section 4- Voting: Except for routine matters, all voting of the membership shall be by ballot. However, this procedure may be waived by unanimous
VOTING BY PROXY SHALL NOT BE PERMITTED.
Article IV
Auxiliary Organization
The Church regards as integral parts of itself all organizations formed for the purpose of carrying out any of the church activities. Any organization formed that fails to work in harmony with the church would be disbanded, according to the rules and regulations of the practices of the church.
Article V
Finances
Section 1- Policy: The financial policy of this church, and of all auxilliary organizations, is predicated upon personl, voluntary giving as an act of worship. Annual pledges, if necessary, shall be solicited on this basis. However, additional free-will offerings may be taken by permission of the Diaconate.
Section 2- Budget: At the December business meeting, the Church, after receiving the report from the Budget Committee, said report having been approved earlier by the Diaconate, shall adopt a unified budget for the ensuing fiscal year.
Section 3- Expenditures: Appropriations up to $500.00 (five hundred) are to be expended under the direction of the Board of Trustees. Money shall not be expended, nor liability incurred, beyond the amount appropriated in the budget without specific authorization by the church.
Article VI
Construction and Interpretation
It is intended that the ecclesiastical and temporal power of the church and corporation be positively integrated into one unit, to wit, a religious corporation having a single membership and governed by a single Board of Directors known as the Diaconate, and that this Article shall be controlling, and that all other provisions of these Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws be construed and interpreted in accordance with the intention herein expressed, and to that end, whenever used herein, the term “church” shall include the corporate as well as the ecclesiastical body, and the term “corporation” shall include the term “church”.
Article VII
Use of Church Property
The use of the building and equipment shall be governed by Church Policy established by the Diaconate and approved by the Chruch.
The church sanctuary should be held in reverence and therefore those who use it be asked to refrain from eating, playing loud secular music, and from engaging in any activity which would not show reverence to our Lord. Each user of any of the church property is asked to be conservative and to consider their own responsibility and help keep the premises with pride; also practicing thrift with the usage of electricity, air-conditioning, heat and to leave the church property in proper order.
Article IX
Amendments
These By-Laws may be amended at any business meeting by a majority of the members present, prvided that the proposed amendment and notice of the meeting shall be published in the official church paper one week in advance. No By-Law shall be adopted or amended in such a way as to conflict with or void any provision of the Constitution.
Article X
Effective Dale and Action
These By-Laws shall take effect after their adoption by the church, and shall supersede and render null and void all previous By-Laws and customs of the church not in accordance with these By-Laws.
Adopted by Lebo Baptist Church this First day of January, 1992.