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(By-Laws)
ARTICLE I
THE NAME
The name of this organization shall be Holy Hands Christian Ministries. Holy Hands Christian Ministries
had its beginning in Palmyra Road United Methodist Church in the year 2000 and
decided to form an independent Church organization to more faithfully receive
and practice their individual and corporate calls to ministry in the name of
Jesus Christ.
ARTICLE II
THE PURPOSE
The purpose of this organization shall be:
- to share the gospel of Jesus Christ to a world lost in sin and to edify
Christians through the teaching of God's Word;
- to engage in such religious, educational, charitable, and benevolent work
as the Constitution and By-laws of this organization may determine;
- to equip and enable Christians to minister to the world;
- to own and maintain such property, buildings and equipment as may be
required to carry out the above stated purpose.
ARTICLE III
STATEMENT OF FAITH
The Statement of Faith of this organization shall be as follows:
We Believe -
- The Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired Word of
God without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His
will for the salvation of men, and the Divine and final authority for all
Christian faith and life.
- In one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally
existing in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- That Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having been conceived of the
Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He died on the cross a sacrifice for
our sins according to the Scriptures. Further, He arose bodily from the dead,
ascended into heaven, where at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He now
is our High Priest and Advocate.
- That the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ,
and during this age to convict men, regenerate the believing sinner, indwell,
guide, instruct, and empower the believer for godly living and service.
- That man was created in the image of God but fell into sin and is
therefore lost and only through regeneration by the Holy Spirit can salvation
and spiritual life be obtained.
- That the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection provide the only
ground for justification and salvation for all who believe, and only such as
receive Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit, and thus become children of
God.
- That water baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances to be observed by
the Church during the present age. They are, however, not to be regarded as
means of Salvation except that they are faithful acts by which we may obtain
spiritual grace.
- That the true Church is composed of all such persons who through saving
faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, baptized in
the name of Jesus Christ and are united
together in the body of Christ of which He is the head.
- That only those who are thus members of the true Church shall be eligible
for membership in the local church.
- That Jesus Christ is the Lord and Head of the Church, and that every local
church has the right under Christ to decide and govern its own affairs.
- In the personal coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ and that this "Blessed Hope" has a vital bearing on the personal life
and service of the believer.
- In the bodily resurrection of the dead; of the believer to everlasting
blessedness and joy with the Lord, of the unbeliever to judgment and
everlasting conscious punishment.
ARTICLE IV
MEMBERSHIP
Qualifications
Any person who has trusted in Jesus Christ as personal Savior, is baptized in
the name of Jesus Christ, whose conduct
is in accord with his confession, who subscribes to the above Statement of
Faith, and who is willing to support the church with faithful attendance, prayer
and material means may become a member of this organization, hereafter referred
to as the church. The procedure for membership shall be outlined in the By-laws.
Responsibility
Members of this church are admonished to strive for the advancement of this
church by attending, as much as possible, Sunday services and prayer meetings
and other announced services; to contribute regularly, as the Lord prospers, to
the support of the ministry and the spread of the Gospel throughout all nations;
to maintain private and family devotions; to educate their children in the
doctrines of the Christian faith; to seek the salvation of the lost; to watch
over one another in love; to be slow to take offense, to be always ready for
reconciliation, and be in ministry to the world in the name of Jesus Christ.
Discipline
Should the Pastor or any member of the Church Board or any member of the
church fall into sin and be found to live and or teach contrary to the Word of
God and the Statement of Faith of this church he shall be disciplined according
to the principles set forth in the New Testament.
- Grounds for discipline:
- Unrepentant practice of immorality - I Cor. 5:1-13
- Persistent doctrinal heresy - I Tim. 1: 19-20; Titus 3: 1 0
- Persistent divisions and refusal to reconcile with another - Matt.
18:17
- Purpose of discipline:
- To remove the defilement of sin - Gal. 5:9; 1 Cor. 5:7-13
- To exert a restraining influence on sin in others - 1 Tim. 5:20
- To restore the erring party to fellowship - Gal. 6: 1; 2 Cor, 2:5-1
1
- Procedure in discipline:
- Step 1 - Individual confrontation - Matt. 18:15
- Step 2 - Small group confrontation Matt. 18:16
- Step 3 - Before the church - Matt. 18:17a
- Step 4 - If unrepentant - expulsion from fellowship - Matt. 18:17b; 1
Cor. 5:7-13
- Step 5 - Restoration upon repentance and confession - Luke 17:3-4; 2
Cor. 2:5-11
- Consequences when expulsion occurs:
No expelled or discharged member has any rights in a business
session of the church, and has no right or claim to any of its
property.
ARTICLE V
GOVERNMENT AND LEADERSHIP
Jesus Christ: The Head of the Church
Jesus Christ, God's Son, is the sole head of The Holy Hands Christian Ministries, the leader before whom all merely human leaders must bow (Eph. 1:22,23;
Matt. 23:8-1 1; I Pet. 5:4). He communicates His will for the church through His
Word, the Bible. He gives additional guidance by means of the special leading of
the Holy Spirit who indwells the heart of each true believer. He also shepherds
the flock by gifting the church with undershepherds who are commissioned, under
His leadership, with the task of equipping the flock for its full functioning
(Eph. 4:7-16). In a real sense, The Holy Hands Christian Ministries belongs to
Him; He has taken the responsibility for ordering the life of the church so that
He may someday present it to Himself glorious, with no spot or wrinkle that
would detract from heaven's beauty (Eph. 5:24-27).
Ministry Form of Government Holy Hands Christian Ministries is
committed to the Spirit filled ministry of all believers. We believe that
the Scriptures teach that through the ministry of the Holy
Spirit, the ministers can discern the Lord's direction for a congregation. We also believe that
congregations can trust God by honoring the authority of these godly ministers
and leaders that
have been recognized among them, through an election of its ministers, and of
its ministers an election of the "overseer" ( hereafter referred to as
"Senior Pastor") of the
flock. Strong leadership of its senior pastor coupled with discerning, faithful and well-taught
ministers can have great effectiveness in achieving God's purposes for His
Church. This is the goal of church government (Acts 2:2-6; Acts 14:23, Acts 20:28-3 1; Heb. 13:17; 1
John 4:1-6; 1 Pet. 5:1-4)
Church Officers
- The Board of Ministers
- The Board of Ministers: Purpose
In the physical absence of the Senior Pastor, the pastoral care of the
flock shall be committed to the hands of its ministers. They are to be called the
"Board of Ministers". They shall be
men and women of proven Christian maturity, biblically qualified, congregationally
recognized and committed to the advancement of the Kingdom of God through a
call to "ministry" in this local church. They must be active members of this
church. Their duties in general are to equip (prepare) the believers of the
church for Christian ministry, so that the whole flock may be built up
toward Christ-likeness and unity (Eph. 4:11-16).
Specifically, by the power and authority of Christ they are to:
- equip the members by giving a theological foundation and direction to
our various church ministries (Acts 20:28ff; Eph. 4:12-13; 1 Tim. 3:5; 1
Tim. 5:17; 2 Tim. 3:16).
- equip the members by exemplifying a mature Christian life (I Pet.
5:2ff).
- equip the members by protecting the flock from false teachers (Acts
20:28-3 1).
- equip the members by helping the weak (Acts 20:35) and praying for the
sick (James 5:14).
- equip the members by encouraging and helping missionaries from our
fellowship (1 Tim. 4:14).
- The Board of Ministers: Motivation for Service
Those who serve as ministers of the congregation should never
domineer others or rule for their own benefit. They are appointed to be
servants, following the example of their Lord Jesus. That does not mean that
they should not exercise authority firmly, nor that what they do will always
be pleasing to those under them. But, nonetheless, they are appointed as
servants to serve the membership of the household of God. They do not hold
positions of responsibility for their own benefit, but have been called of
the Holy Spirit to be in ministry in order to build up
the body. They should approach those under their leadership respectfully, with a
sacrificial and willing spirit. Yet, those under their leadership are not their masters,
but the Lord Himself. He is the one who directs their service. He is the one
who is responsible for giving the increase.
- Board of Ministers
- Pastor(s)
The English word "pastor" comes from a Latin word which means shepherd.
In the Bible shepherds and elders are synonymous terms (Acts 20:28). So we
understand pastors to be vocational elders. They are those who have been set
apart by God and recognized by the ministers as "overseers" of the flock.
Their primary purpose is to "equip the saints for the work of ministry".
They do this through preaching, teaching God's Word, praying, leading,
training and counseling. They are ultimately responsible to God and
immediately responsible to the Board of Ministers and the congregation. They are
to work in harmony with the Board of Ministers seeking the mind of Christ for the
work of ministry. Pastors shall be members of the Board of Ministers.
- Spiritual Ministers
Elders (hereafter called Spiritual Ministers) are recognized by the congregation as leaders of the fellowship.
They are called spiritual ministers because they are men and women who are mature in experience as
dedicated Christians, called to specific Christian ministry as
administrators as spiritual advisors and are respected by others.
They must be biblically qualified after such passages as 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and
Titus 1:6-9. In general they watch over the flock to see that everything
goes well and that the body is built up. They are shepherds, leading, caring
for and feeding the flock. The ministers will work together with the pastor(s)
and be assisted by the deacons in leading and shepherding the flock. They
along with the pastor(s) and deacons are ultimately responsible for their
leadership in the pursuit of the stated purpose of the congregation.
- Servant Ministers
The Greek word for deacon means "to serve". Thus, the deacons (hereafter
called Servant Ministers) are set
apart by God and the congregation to provide special services to the needs
of the congregation. They must be called of the Holy Spirit, biblically qualified after such passages
as 1 Tim. 3:8-13;Acts 6:1-6. They will work with the pastors and the
spiritual elders as part of the Board of Ministers. In general they are to assist the pastors and
spiritual ministers in carrying out the work of shepherding the flock.
- Other Church Officers
- Church Treasurer
The Church Treasurer shall be an active adult member of the congregation
who has some basic skills in bookkeeping. In general the Treasurer is
responsible for all moneys received from the Financial Secretary.
- Financial Secretary
The Financial Secretary shall be an active adult member of the
congregation who can be trusted with the confidentiality of personal
offerings.
- Church Secretary
The church secretary shall be an active adult member of the congregation
who can faithfully take notes of official meetings of the church.
ARTICLE VI
CHURCH MEETINGS
Church Meetings
- Worship services, Sunday School services and all other services shall be
conducted at such times as is decided by the Board of Ministers, in accordance with
the Purpose of the Church as set forth in Article II.
- Church business meetings shall be held in accordance with the requirements
set forth in the By-laws.
ARTICLE VII
STANDING
Authority
This church shall remain free and independent and shall not join itself to
any other denomination or synod. It shall remain its own highest authority. The
Board of Ministers, at its annual, quarterly and special business meetings, is the
legislative and governing body of this organization.
Affiliation
- This church may cooperate with other Christian associations, by direct
financial or personnel support; by sending delegates to Conferences; by supporting
Home and Foreign Missions; and by uniting in any mutual effort for the
furtherance of the Gospel as the church itself may officially decide.
- If the name of the church is changed, it shall
still retain its corporate name, "Holy Hands Christian Ministries",
but may do business under another name officially decided.
ARTICLE VIII
PROPERTY RIGHTS
Ownership
- This church shall have the power to receive, either by gift or by
purchase, and to hold such real, personal, or mixed property as is authorized
by the laws of the state of Georgia 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
corporate name
of the church. The Board of Ministers shall have the power to receive, purchase,
acquire, sell, lease, convey, mortgage, deed or otherwise transfer property of
the church, but only after having been duly authorized by the voting members
at a regularly called business meeting or a special meeting called for said
purpose. All contracts, notes, mortgages, conveyances, assignments, leases,
releases and other documents and papers in behalf of the church shall be
executed by the Board of Ministers.
Division
- Should division occur in the church, the name and title to all properties
is retained by those adhering to the Constitution and By-Laws of the Church.
In the event of irreconcilable differences, the name and title to all
properties is to be retained by the majority vote of the Board of
Ministries. In the event of an even split of its members, the Senior
Pastor's vote shall be determined as the majority.
Dissolution
- Should the church cease to function and its organization be dissolved, the
property shall return to a similar Christian non-profit organization to be
decided upon by the Board of Ministers at the meeting immediately preceding
the date of dissolution.
ARTICLE IX
COMMITTEES
Committees may be formed, appointed, or elected at any business meeting as
the need arises, or as otherwise specified in the By-laws. These committees
shall be responsible to the Board of Ministers and shall be responsive to the
decisions of the Board and the Church sessions.
ARTICLE X
AMENDMENTS
This constitution and By-laws may be amended or rewritten at the annual
business meeting or a Board of Ministries meeting and must sustain a two-thirds vote
of the members present at that meeting, providing the said proposed amendments
has been presented in written form and discussed at a congregational meeting at
least three (3) months prior to the time of its adoption.
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