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Name
The name by which this
organization shall be known in law shall be "Bible Presbyterian
Church of Grand Island, N.Y." referred to herein as "the church."
Constitution
The Constitution of the
Bible Presbyterian Church, which is subordinate to the Scriptures of
the Old and New Testaments, consists of the Westminster Confession of
Faith (WCF) and Larger and Shorter Catechisms (LC & SC), the Form
of Government (FOG)and the Book of Discipline (BOD). Whenever possible,
these Bylaws shall be interpreted so as to be consistent with the Constitution;
should any bylaw be found to contradict a provision of the Constitution,
the Constitution shall control.
Organization and Incorporation
The church shall be organized
as a not for profit corporation under the laws of the State of New York.
Purpose and Limitations
The purposes of the church
are:
To bring glory and
honor to the Triune God by promoting true worship, mutual edification,
and gospel witness. (FOG 3:3)
b. To preach the whole
Bible as the Word of God and to stand for the Word of God and the testimony
of Jesus Christ.
c. To operate exclusively
for religious, charitable, and educational purposes within the classification
of legal charities; and no part of the net earnings of the organization
shall inure to the benefit of any individual; and no substantial part
of the activities of the organization, or any receipt of its funds,
shall be utilized for any other purpose except those purposes mentioned
above;
d. To handle affairs
pertaining to property and other temporal matters as required by the
civil authorities
e. The church shall
not have or issue shares of stock, and no dividends shall be paid. No
part of the income or assets of the church shall be distributed to any
member or officer without full consideration. The church is prohibited
from lending money to guarantee the obligation of a member or officer
of the church. No member or officer of the church has any vested right,
interest or privilege in or to the assets, property, functions, or activities
of the church. The church may contract in due course, for reasonable
consideration, with its members or officers without violating this provision.
Location of Office
The registered office of
the church shall be located within the state of New York at the address
of the church's registered agent. The Board of Directors or a majority
of the members may change the registered agent and the address of the
registered office from time to time, upon filing the appropriate statement
with the Secretary of State.
Membership
The membership shall
consist of all communicant members and covenant children, all of whom
have the privilege of pastoral oversight, instruction, and government
by the church (FOG VII:6; BOD 1:2). Communicant members are those who
have been baptized, have made a credible profession of faith in Christ,
and have been received into membership as provided in section 6.b. Covenant
children (non-communicant members) are the baptized children of communicant
members.
A person may be received
into membership by a letter of transfer from another church of like
faith and practice approved by the Session, by reaffirmation of faith,
or by confession of faith. In order to be received into membership,
a person must complete the membership course, submit a Membership Application,
sign a Membership Commitment, and be accepted by the Session.
All communicant members
who are at least eighteen years old and in good standing in the church
shall be voting members. ("Good standing" means that a member
is not presently under the censure of suspension or deposition.) Any
voting member in attendance at a duly called meeting shall be entitled
to one vote on matters brought before the congregation. Voting by proxy
shall not be permitted.
Members may be removed
from membership at their own request by informing the Session of their
intention to withdraw and their reasons. If a member requests to withdraw
because of specific problems or disappointments with the church, the
Session shall attempt to resolve those matters so that the member may
remain in the church and enjoy greater fruitfulness and personal spiritual
growth. If the Session is unable to resolve those matters, it shall
offer to assist the member in locating a church of like faith and practice
that can respond more effectively to his gifts and needs. If it appears
to the Session that a member has requested removal merely to avoid church
discipline, that request shall not be given effect until the disciplinary
process has been properly concluded (see Matt. 18:12-20; Bylaw
§16; Guidelines on Church Discipline).
Members may also be
removed from membership by order of the Session when they: persistently,
over an extended period of time, and without adequate reason absent
themselves from the stated services of the church; unite with a church
of another denomination; cannot be found for a period greater than two
years; or are removed by excommunication for persistent impenitence.
Covenant children may be removed from membership with their parents
or when they reject the covenantal responsibility of submission to home
or church and neglect the ongoing exhortation of the Session to profess
faith in Christ (Bylaws §16).
A complete roll of the church
membership shall be maintained by the Clerk of Session.
Ruling Elders and Deacons
Ruling elders and deacons must
be male voting members. In order to be eligible for election, a man
shall have been a member in good standing in the church for at least
one year, shall have received appropriate training under the direction
or with the approval of the Session, and shall have served the church
in functions requiring responsible leadership. They shall be elected
at the annual meeting.
Ruling elders, individually
and jointly with the pastor, are to lead the church in the service of
Christ. They are to watch diligently over the people committed to their
charge to prevent corruption of doctrine or morals. Evils that they
cannot correct by private admonition they should bring to the notice
of the Session. They should visit the people, especially the sick, instruct
the ignorant, comfort the mourning, and nourish and guard the children
of the covenant. They should pray with and for the people. They should
care for and seek to help the pastor in his labors.(FOG VI; XII:1)
Deacons shall show forth the
compassion of Christ in a manifold ministry of mercy toward the saints
and strangers on behalf of the church (see FOG VII). As delegated and
directed by the Session, they shall minister to the temporal needs of
members and friends, manage the Deacons’ Fund, and see to the care
and maintenance of church property. This board shall make a quarterly
report of its activities, including its disbursements, to the Session
(see FOG. XI:3). They shall be elected at the annual meeting.
Any voting member may propose
to the Session nominations for the offices of elders and deacons. The
Session shall certify those nominees whom, upon examination, it judges
to possess the necessary qualifications for office. An elder or deacon
who had been previously certified but who resigned from or was divested
of the office must be re-certified. At least one Lord's Day preceding
the date appointed for the election the Session shall announce to the
church the names of those it has certified. Election shall be from those
certified. Voting on the election of elders and deacons shall be done
by secret ballot, and each vote shall be cast either in favor of or
against the election of each candidate, and those candidates receiving
the vote of a majority in favor of their election shall be deemed elected.
Elders and deacons shall be elected for three-year terms of service
(see FOG. XII:7). If an elder or deacon is elected at a meeting other
than the annual congregational meeting, his regular term shall expire
at the time of the second annual congregational meeting following his
election.
An elder or deacon may be divested
of his office by church discipline for an offense in doctrine or life
(see BOD 12:7). He may also be divested if his services are not edifying
to the congregation; such divestiture may occur only upon a two-thirds
(2/3) vote of the congregation (see FOG XII: 5,6). An elder or deacon
also may resign from his office for reason of age, infirmity or incapacity
(see FOG. VII: 5).
Pastor
Election of the
Pastor shall follow FOG XIV.
b. It is the charge
of the pastor to feed and tend the flock as Christ's minister and with
the other elders to lead them in all the service of Christ. It is his
task to conduct the public worship of God; to pray for and with Christ's
flock as the mouth of the people unto God; to feed the flock by the
public reading and preaching of the Word of God, according to which
he is to teach, convince, reprove, exhort, comfort, and evangelize,
expounding and applying the truth of Scripture with ministerial authority,
as a diligent workman approved by God; to administer the sacraments;
to bless the people from God; to shepherd the flock and minister the
Word according to the particular needs of groups, families, and individuals
in the congregation, catechizing by teaching plainly the first principles
of the oracles of God to the baptized youth and to adults who are yet
babes in Christ, visiting in the home of people, instructing and counseling
individuals, and training them to be faithful servants of Christ; to
minister to the poor, the sick, the afflicted, and the dying; and to
make known the gospel to the lost (see FOG V).
If the church desires
to be relieved of its pastor, it may, through a duly called congregational
meeting, ask him to resign. If the pastor agrees to do so, the presbytery
shall be requested to dissolve the pastoral relationship as of a mutually
agreeable date. If the pastor is not willing to resign, the church may
petition the presbytery to dissolve the pastoral relationship and may
send representatives to the meeting to support the request. The presbytery
may grant the request, but only after giving the pastor opportunity
to present his reasons for not concurring, or it may urge the congregation
to reconsider its action (see FOG §XXIV:2). The decision of the presbytery
shall be final and binding, except when that decision is appealed to
the General Synod (see FOG §XIV:5).
Session (Board of Directors)
The Session is
the governing body (Board of Directors) of the church ( FOG VIII: 6)
and consists of its pastor, its ruling elders, and its duly-called and
ordained full-time ministers.
The Session shall
be comprised of from one to nine ruling elders, for a membership of
100. Thereafter, an additional three elders may be elected for each
100 members.
The Session shall
have the power and authority to make rules and regulations not inconsistent
with the laws of the State of New York, the Constitution, and these
Bylaws, as they govern church affairs . The Session shall manage the
business affairs of the corporation, oversee all matters concerning
the conduct of public worship, and concert the best measures for promoting
the spiritual growth and evangelistic witness of the congregation. It
shall receive, dismiss, and exercise discipline over the members of
the church, supervise the activities of the Board of Deacons and all
other organizations of the congregation, and have final authority over
the use of the church property (see FOG VII:6; XI: 3).
The Pastor of the
congregation shall always be moderator of the Session; except when,
for prudential reasons, it may appear advisable that some other minister
should be invited to preside; in which case the Pastor may, with the
concurrence of the Session, may invite such minister of this Church
as then may see meet to preside in that case. The same expedient may
be adopted in the case of the sickness or absence of the Pastor(see
FOG VIII:3). The Session shall choose its own Clerk annually from among
its members.
The Session shall
have final authority for affairs pertaining to property and other temporal
matters as required by New York State and or federal laws governing
not-for-profit corporations. In particular, the Session shall be responsible
for the acquisition and disposition of church property, which includes
the management of its financial resources. Neither the Session nor its
delegates shall have the power to buy, sell, mortgage, pledge or in
any manner encumber any church property worth more than $2500, nor to
incur any indebtedness exceeding the sum of $2500, unless first authorized
to do so at a congregational meeting, through the adoption of the annual
budget , use of designated funds or by special action of the congregation.
The Session shall
elect annually from its number three trustees on the first Friday in
May.
The Trustees
shall annually elect from their own number a president, secretary and
treasurer.
The Trustees
shall advise the session on all temporal matters.
The Trustees
shall execute issues relating to the temporal affairs of the church
at the direction of the Session.
Other members
of the Session, though not members are not to be excluded from attendance
at or discussion in meetings of the Board of Trustees.
The Bookkeeper
of the Church and financial secretaries
1 shall be elected annually by
the congregation from among its members and shall serve at the direction
of the Board of Trustees.
The Bookkeeper
shall:
(1) have charge and custody of and be responsible for all funds
and securities of the church;
(2) receive and give receipts for moneys
due and payable to the church from any source, and deposit all moneys
in the church's name in banks, trust companies, or other depositories
that the Session shall select;
(3) submit the books and records to a
Certified Public Accountant or other accountant as directed by the Session;
and
(4) in general perform all of the duties incident to the office
of treasurer and any other duties that the moderator, Session or Trustees
may assign to the bookkeeper.
The Pastor has
power to convene the session when he may judge it requisite; and he
shall always convene them when requested to do so by any two ruling
elders (FOG VIII:7).
If there are more
than nine ruling elders, the pastor and at least 1/3 of the ruling elders
shall constitute a quorum. If there are three to nine ruling elders,
the pastor and two ruling elders shall constitute a quorum. If there
are less than 3 three ruling elders, the pastor and one ruling elder
constitute a quorum.
When the church
is without a pastor, the Session shall request the presbytery to appoint
a minister, normally of the same presbytery, to meet with them, or shall
itself invite such a minister; he shall have the right to vote, and
to be elected to moderate the meeting. When it is impractical without
great inconvenience for a minister to attend, those present may conduct
business, but the grounds for the call of such a meeting shall be reviewed
at the next meeting at which a minister is present When the church is
without a pastor and is to hold a meeting without a pastor present and
there are more than nine ruling elders, five shall constitute a quorum;
if there are five to nine ruling elders, three shall constitute a quorum;
if there are less than five ruling elders, two shall constitute a quorum.
If there is only one ruling elder, he does not constitute a session,
yet he should take spiritual oversight of the church, should grant letters
of dismission, and should report to the presbytery any matter needing
the action of the church court (FOG. VIII:2).
The act of a majority
present at a Session meeting at which a quorum is present (when the
vote is taken) shall be the act of the Session. A pastor or elder shall
be deemed to have approved of an action taken if he is present at a
meeting of the Session unless: (1) he objects at the beginning of the
meeting (or promptly upon arrival) to holding it or transacting business
at the meeting; or (2) his dissent or abstention from the action taken
is entered in the minutes of the meeting; or (3) he did not approve
the action and he delivers written notice of dissent or abstention to
the presiding officer of the meeting before its adjournment or immediately
after adjournment of the meeting.
If at any time
there are less than three persons on the Session, the congregation may
elect from the Board of Deacons and, if necessary, from among the voting
members, individuals who will temporarily serve as directors of the
church for the purpose of carrying out any required corporate business.
The terms of such temporary directors shall expire when sufficient elders
have been elected and ordained to bring the number of the Session to
three or more. If the Session shall cease to exist or become so small
as to prevent it from working effectively, presbytery shall provide
for the election and ordination of elders from within the congregation,
or, with the consent of the congregation, may appoint ruling elders
or ministers, or both, normally from within the same presbytery, to
be an acting Session or to augment the existing Session temporarily.
The Session may
meet by means of a conference telephone call or similar communications
equipment, provided all persons entitled to participate in the meeting
received proper notice of the telephone meeting, and provided all persons
participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. A
member participating in a conference telephone meeting is deemed present
in person at the meeting. The moderator of the meeting may establish
reasonable rules as to conducting business at any meeting by phone.
The Clerk of Session
shall be the secretary of the church and shall in good faith: (1) create
and maintain the minutes of the proceedings of the members and of the
Session; (2) provide that all notices are served in accordance with
these bylaws or as required by law; (3) be custodian of the church and
corporate records; (4) subscribe the minutes of all meetings of the
members and of the Session; (5) when requested or required, authenticate
any records of the church; (6) keep a current register of the post office
address of each member; and (7) in general perform all duties incident
to the office of secretary and any other duties that the moderator or
the Session may assign to the secretary.
The Board of Directors
may establish such committees as it deems necessary for the work of
the church.
Board of Deacons
The Board of Deacons
shall oversee the ministry of mercy in the church and shall collect
and disperse funds for the relief of the needy. Other forms of service
for the church may also be committed to the deacons. The moderator of
the Board of Deacons shall be the Pastor. The other officers shall be
chosen from the membership of the board annually (see FOG. XII:3).
Congregational Meetings
An annual meeting
of the church shall be held each year on the first Friday of May at
a place to be determined by the Session, within the State of New York.
At the annual meeting, the voting members shall elect ruling elders
and deacons, adopt an annual budget, and transact any other business
as may come before the meeting.
Special meetings
of the church shall be called at a date and location to be determined
by the Pastor or the Session whenever the Pastor or the Session deems
it to be in the best interests of the church or when requested in writing
to do so by one-fourth (1/4) of the voting members of the church in
good standing.
The date, time,
and location of all congregational meetings must be announced orally
or in the church bulletin at least two (2) Sundays prior to the time
set for the meeting, or by letter mailed at least ten days prior to
the meeting. The purpose of such a meeting must be stated at least 15
days in advance of the meeting. If the voting members adjourn any congregational
meeting to a different date, time, or place, notice of a new date, time,
and place need not be given if the new date, time, and place is announced
before adjournment. A member entitled to a notice may waive notice of
the meeting, by a writing signed by the member. The member must send
the notice of waiver to the church (either before or after the date
and time stated in the notice) for inclusion in the minutes or filing
with the church records.
The purpose of
a meeting shall be announced in advance if it involves: a proposed amendment
to the bylaws or articles of incorporation; the election or removal
of officers; the calling or removal of the pastor; the dissolution of
the church; or a question regarding the church's denominational affiliation.
When a meeting is called for the transaction of specific matters of
business, no business shall be conducted except that which is stated
in the notice.
A member's attendance
at a meeting: waives the member's right to object to lack of notice
or defective notice of the meeting, unless the member at the beginning
of the meeting objects to holding the meeting or transacting business
at the meeting; and, waives the member's right to object to consideration
of a particular matter at the meeting that is not within the purpose
or purposes described in the meeting notice, unless the member objects
to considering the matter when it is presented.
Ten percent of
the voting members shall constitute a quorum at congregational meetings.
A majority vote of those in attendance, a quorum being present, is sufficient
to decide any matter. (Cf. section 20, Amendments to Bylaws, for special
requirements).
The moderator and
the clerk of the Session shall serve as moderator and clerk respectively
in congregational meetings.
Voting members shall
consist only of those who are communicant members of the congregation
in good and regular standing, and who are at least eighteen years of
age. Voting by proxy shall not be permitted.
Church Records
The Session shall
keep the following records: (1) minutes of its meetings, including a
record of the administration of the sacraments and changes in the membership
of the congregation ( FOG VIII:8); (2) rolls of the members in the congregation
(both communicant and covenant children), with the dates of their reception
(see FOG VIII:9); (3) minutes of the meetings of the congregation;(4)
resolutions adopted by the Session; (5) Budgets and appropriate accounting
records; (6) its articles or restated articles of incorporation and
all amendments to them currently in effect; and (7) its bylaws or restated
bylaws and all amendments to them currently in effect.
The clerk shall
grant extracts of the minutes whenever properly required. A member shall
be entitled to an extract provided the Session finds that the member
has a proper purpose and is acting in good faith. The Session may limit
access to any records that contain confidential information about a
particular person or persons.
Biblical Counseling
All Christians
struggle with sin and the effect it has on our lives and our relationships
(see Rom. 3:23; 7:7-25). Whenever a Christian is unable to overcome
sinful attitudes or behaviors through private efforts, God commands
that he should seek assistance from other members, and especially from
the pastor and elders, who have the responsibility of providing pastoral
counseling and oversight (see Rom. 15:14; Gal. 6:1-2; Col. 3:16; 2 Tim.
3:16-4:2; Heb. 10:24-25; 13:17; James 5:16). Therefore, this church
encourages and enjoins its members to make confession to and seek counsel
from each other and especially from our pastoral counselors.
We believe that
the Bible provides thorough guidance and instruction for faith and life.
Therefore, our counseling shall be based on scriptural principles rather
than those of secular psychology or psychiatry. Neither the pastoral
nor the lay counselors of this church are trained or licensed as psychotherapists
or mental health professionals, nor should they be expected to follow
the methods of such specialists.
Although some members
of the church work in professional fields outside the church, when serving
as pastoral or lay counselors within the church they do not provide
the same kind of professional advice and services that they do when
they are hired in their professional capacities. Therefore, members
who have significant legal, financial, medical or other technical questions
should seek advice from independent professionals. Our pastoral and
lay counselors shall be available to cooperate with such advisors and
help members to consider their advice in the light of relevant scriptural
principles.
Confidentiality
The Bible teaches
that Christians should carefully guard any personal and private information
that others reveal to them. Protecting confidences is a sign of Christian
love and respect (see Matt. 7:12). It also discourages harmful gossip
(Prov. 16:28; 26:20), invites confession (see Prov. 11:13; 28:13; James
5:16), and encourages people to seek needed counseling (see Prov. 20:19;
Rom. 15:14). Since these goals are essential to the ministry of the
gospel and the work of this church, all members are expected to refrain
from gossip and to respect the confidences of others. In particular,
our pastor and elders shall carefully protect all information that they
receive through pastoral counseling, subject to the following guidelines.
Although confidentiality
is to be respected as much as possible, there are times when it is appropriate
to reveal certain information to others. In particular, when the pastors
and elders of this church believe it is biblically necessary, they may
disclose confidential information to appropriate people in the following
circumstances:
When a pastor
or elder is uncertain of how to counsel a person about a particular
problem and needs to seek advice from other pastors or elders in this
church or, if the person attends another church, from the pastors or
elders of that church (see Prov. 11:14; 13:10; 15:22; 19:20; 20:18;
Matt. 18:15-17).
When the person
who disclosed the information or any other person is in imminent danger
of serious harm unless others intervene (see Prov. 24:11-12).
When a person
refuses to repent of sin and it becomes necessary to institute disciplinary
proceedings (see Matt. 18:15-20 and Bylaw §16) or seek the assistance
of individuals or agencies outside this church (see, e.g., Rom 13:1-5).
Conflict Resolution
This church is
committed to resolving in a biblical manner all disputes that may arise
within our body. This commitment is based on God's command that Christians
should strive earnestly to live at peace with one another (see Matt.
5:9; John 17:20-23; Rom. 12:18; and Eph. 4:1-3) and that when disputes
arise, Christians should resolve them according to the principles set
forth in Holy Scripture (see Prov. 19:11; Matt. 5:23-25; 18:15-20; 1
Cor. 6:1-8; Gal. 6:1). We believe that these commands and principles
are obligatory on all Christians and absolutely essential for the well-being
and work of the church. Therefore, any and all disputes in this church
shall be resolved according to biblical principles, as provided in these
bylaws.
When a member of
this church has a conflict with, or is concerned about the behavior
of another member, he shall attempt to resolve the matter as follows.
(1) The offended or concerned person shall prayerfully examine himself
and take responsibility for his contribution to a problem (Matt. 7:3-5),
and he shall prayerfully seek to discern whether the offense is so serious
that it cannot be overlooked (Prov. 19:11; see also Prov. 12:16; 15:18;
17:14; 20:3; Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:13; 1 Pet. 4:8). (2) If the offense is
too serious to overlook, the offended or concerned person shall go,
repeatedly if necessary, and talk to the offender in an effort to resolve
the matter personally and privately, having first confessed his own
wrongdoing (Matt. 18:15). (3) If the offender will not listen and if
the problem is too serious to overlook, the offended or concerned person
shall return with one or two other people who will attempt to help the
parties resolve their differences (Matt. 18:16); these other people
may be members or officers of the church, other respected Christians
in the community, or trained mediators or arbitrators (conciliators)
from a Christian conciliation ministry. At the request of either party
to the dispute, the church shall make every effort to assist the parties
in resolving their differences and being reconciled.
Conflicts involving
doctrine or church discipline shall be resolved according to the procedures
set forth in the Bylaws on Church Discipline and in the Book of Discipline.
If any party to such a dispute is dissatisfied with a decision reached
by an official judicatory (court or ruling body) of this church, he
or she may appeal that decision to our presbytery or general synod as
allowed in the Book of Discipline.
Employment disputes
shall be resolved according to the procedures set forth in the Employee
Policy Manual of this church.
If a dispute arises
within the church or between a member and the church and cannot be resolved
through the internal procedures described above, it shall be resolved
as follows:
The dispute
shall be submitted to mediation and, if necessary, legally binding arbitration
in accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the Institute for Christian
Conciliation, and judgment upon an arbitration award may be entered
in any court otherwise having jurisdiction.
All mediators
and arbitrators shall be in agreement with the Westminster Confession
of Faith and our basic form of government, unless this requirement is
modified or waived by all parties to the dispute.
If a dispute
submitted to arbitration involves a decision reached by an official
judicatory (court or ruling body) of this church or of our presbytery
or general assembly, the arbitrators shall uphold the highest judicatory's
decisions on matters of doctrine and church discipline.
This section
covers the church as a corporate entity and its agents, including its
pastors, officers, staff, and volunteers with regard to any actions
they may take in their official capacities.
This section
covers any and all disputes or claims arising from or related to church
membership, doctrine, policy, practice, counseling, discipline, decisions,
actions, or failures to act, including claims based on civil statute
personal injury, or other tort, etc, to the extent permitted by law.
By joining
this church, all members agree that these methods shall provide the
sole remedy for any dispute arising against the church or its agents,
and they waive their right to file any legal action against the church
in a civil court or agency, except to enforce an arbitration decision.
If a dispute
or claim involves an alleged injury or damage to which the church's
insurance applies, and if the church's insurer refuses to submit to
mediation or arbitration as described in this section, either the church
or the member alleging the injury or damage may declare that this section
is no longer binding with regard to that part of the dispute or claim
to which the church's insurance applies.
Church Discipline
Church discipline shall
be carried out according to the Book of Discipline of the Bible Presbyterian
Church, as explained in the Guidelines for Church Discipline developed
by the Session.
The church shall
hold, own, and enjoy its own personal and real property, without any
right of reversion to another entity, except as provided in these Bylaws.
Should the church decide to withdraw from the Bible Presbyterian Church
as provided in Form of Government III:2, the church shall retain ownership
of its property. Such withdrawal shall not be considered to be a dissolution.
"Dissolution"
means the complete disbanding of the church so that it no longer functions
as a congregation or as a corporate entity. Upon the dissolution of
the church, its property shall be applied and distributed as follows:
(1) all liabilities and obligations of the church shall be paid and
discharged or adequate provision shall be made therefor; (2) assets
held by the church upon condition requiring return, transfer, or conveyance,
which condition occurs by reason of the dissolution, shall be returned,
transferred, or conveyed in accordance with such requirements; (3) assets
received and not held upon a condition requiring return, transfer, or
conveyance by reason of the dissolution, shall be transferred or conveyed
to one or more domestic or foreign corporations, societies, or organizations
that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the responding provision of any future
United States Internal Revenue Law), and are engaged in activities substantially
similar to those of the corporation; this distribution shall be done
pursuant to a plan adopted by the Session, or as otherwise required
by New York State Law; and (4) any assets not otherwise disposed of
shall be disposed of by a court of competent jurisdiction of the county
in which the principal office of the corporation is then located, for
such purposes and to such organizations as said court shall determine,
provided such organizations are part of the Bible Presbyterian Church
or are one of its approved agencies.
Indemnification of
Officers
The Session may
choose to indemnify and advance church-related expenses of any officer,
employee, or agent of the church.
Subject to the
provisions of paragraph c. of this section, the church shall indemnify
any pastor, elder or deacon or former pastor, elder or deacon of the
church against claims, liabilities, expenses, and costs necessarily
incurred by him in connection with the defense, compromise, or settlement
of any action, suit or proceeding, civil or criminal, in which such
person is made a party by reason of being or having been an elder or
deacon, to the extent not otherwise compensated, indemnified or reimbursed
by insurance, if:
The conduct
of the pastor, elder or deacon was in good faith;
The pastor,
elder or deacon reasonably believed that his conduct was in the best
interests of the church, or at least not opposed to its best interests;
and
In the case
of any criminal proceeding, the pastor, elder or deacon had no reasonable
cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.
The church may
not indemnify a pastor elder or deacon in connection with a proceeding
brought against him by or in the right of the church, in which he was
adjudged liable to the church, or where the pastor, elder or deacon
is charged with receiving an improper personal benefit and he is adjudged
liable on that basis.
The Session is authorized
to obtain insurance coverage to implement the provisions of this bylaw.
Rules of Order
All meetings of the church,
the Session, and its various boards and committees shall be conducted
pursuant to the latest edition of Roberts Rules of Order.
Amendment of Bylaws
These Bylaws may be amended
or repealed only by the affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the
voting members present at a duly-called meeting of the church called
for such purposes.
Stewardship
As this church believes
in the Biblical principle of every man giving as he purposes in his
heart; not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver
(2 Cor 9:6-8) there shall be no money raising “projects” engaged
in by the church or any of its organizations. The church recommends
the giving of tithes and love offerings, believing God will bless those
who honor Him.
Pulpit Supply
In selecting speakers it
shall be the purpose of this church that no one may fill the pulpit
who is not known to be sound in the faith as taught by this church.
Because this church believes in the doctrine of separation from apostasy
and unbelief, no member of the National Council of Churches or the World
Council of Churches shall occupy the pulpit. Nor, will this church join
in fellowship with other churches connected with these or other apostate
councils.
© 2008 Bible Presbyterian Church
1650 Love Rd, Grand Island, NY 14072
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