CHURCH RULES
Approved by the Church Meeting in September
2005
Membership
1.1 Members
of the Church are those who have given satisfactory evidence of conversion and
are actively following the Lord Jesus Christ. New members are proposed by the
Leadership (as defined in Rule 12) and reports, from appointed visitors, are
received and accepted at a Church Meeting. Full membership of the Church
requires believer's baptism, by immersion, except where, through disability,
such a step is not possible or desirable.
1.2. A
category entitled 'Commissioned Missionary Members' enables those who are
working long-term elsewhere to become full members of another church while
retaining their membership of this Church.
2. Associate
membership fulfilling the same conditions is available to those who have not
been baptised by immersion. An associate member is welcome to attend and vote
at all Church Meetings, but may not be a Deacon, Elder or Pastor of the Church.
3. Where
members of other churches apply for membership, or associate membership,
letters of transfer or commendation will be sought. Letters of transfer or
commendation will be sent for members and associate members leaving the Church
family to attend other fellowships.
4. Care
will be taken of all members and associate members, and a list will be kept by
the Membership Secretary and reviewed, regularly, by the Pastoral Care Team and
the Leadership.
5. Church
discipline will be exercised by the Leadership and Church Meeting according to
scriptural principles.
Baptism
6. Believer's
Baptism shall be celebrated whenever this is requested and the Leadership is in
agreement.
Communion
7. All
followers of Jesus Christ will be welcome to share the bread and wine at
Communion services. These will be held regularly.
Church
Meetings
8. A
Church Meeting will normally be held once every two months and at such other
times as the Church members may direct, or the Leadership considers desirable.
Notification of any form of such Meeting will be made on the previous Sunday.
9. The
quorum at a Church Meeting will be 10% of the membership, being the figure
returned to the London Baptist Association and Baptist Union at the end of the
previous calendar year.
10. Matters
of importance to be considered at any Church Meeting need to be communicated to
the Church Secretary, in writing, at least ten days beforehand.
11. All
decisions in Church Meetings, apart from the election of a Pastor or an Elder,
will be by a majority of the members present. At any meeting a request from
five members present will determine that a vote will take place by secret
ballot.
The
Leadership of the Church
12. The
Leadership of the Church consists of Elders and Deacons, appointed or elected
by the Church in accordance with the procedures laid down in Rules 2, 13-17, 18
and 21. The Elders of the Church shall include:
The
Church Pastors appointed by the Church in accordance with Rule 21
The
Elders elected by the Church in accordance with Rules 13-17
The
Elders elected by the Church on a personal basis in accordance with Rule 18.
The Church may appoint in accordance with
the procedure in Rule 21, a person qualified to provide pastoral leadership for
the young people and children. Such a person would be designated "The
Youth Pastor", would be a member of the Leadership Team of the Church, and
would attend Elders' meetings by invitation. The election of this person as an
Elder of the Church is possible under the normal procedures.
The
Election of Leaders
13. An
election of Leaders (to include both Deacons and Elders) will take place every
two years, to appoint leaders to keep the leadership numbers not less than ten
and not more than sixteen Leaders, who will be full members of the Church, over
the age of eighteen years and will have been in membership for at least six
months on the closing date of nomination. Leaders will be elected for four
years and should normally serve for no more than two complete terms of four
years. This should be followed by a minimum two years’ sabbatical period after
which the leader may seek re-election. Half the leadership will normally be
eligible for re-election every two years – except those who have served two
full terms.
14. At a Church Meeting before the election,
the Church will agree the maximum number of vacancies on the leadership.
Nominations will open a month before the ballot is held. For a nomination form
to be valid it will need to be signed by six members and by the nominee.
Completed forms should be returned to the church office by the closing date for
nominations. All those nominated will go forward for election.
15. Ballot papers containing the names of
all those nominated shall be posted to church members. Completed papers may be
returned by hand, post, fax, email or by other electronic means which can be
received at the church building. Only ballot papers received by the closing
date will be accepted. To be elected a Leader, a nominee must receive the votes
of at least 50% of valid ballot papers returned.
16. In
the event of a vacancy occurring between elections, the Leadership may
recommend to the Church a full member to fill such vacancy.
17. As part of the
ballot process, members will be able to indicate if the nominated candidate is
considered suitable for Eldership. Candidates so nominated receiving 66% of the
ballot papers of those voting will be eligible for the Eldership. At the first
meeting of the newly elected Leadership a list drawn from all those who
achieved the required percentage, and who are willing to serve as Elders, will
be compiled. These names will be put to the next Church Meeting for
ratification.
The Election of Additional Elders
18. The
Leadership may at any time make nominations to the Church for additional Elders
from among the full members of the Church. A majority of at least two thirds
shall be required of the members voting for the nominees to be elected. There
will not normally be more than two such additional Elders in the Leadership at
any one time. These Elders will serve until the Leaders' election due after a
period of between two and four years' service and will then be eligible for
re-election either by this same procedure or by the procedure in Rule 17.
Church
Secretary and Treasurer
19. The
Church Secretary and Church Treasurer or by whatever title they will be known
will be nominated by the Leadership from among their number and the
appointments confirmed by the Church.
Election
of Pastoral Assistants
20. Once
in every three years the Leadership will make nominations to the Church Meeting
for Pastoral Assistants. The names of the nominees will then appear on a ballot
paper available to Church members on one Sunday and then posted. Completed
papers may be returned as in Rule 15. A nominee will only be deemed elected a
Pastoral Assistant if the number of votes received amount to at least half of
the total number of valid ballot papers returned. In the event of a vacancy
between elections, the Leadership may recommend a member to fill such vacancy.
Pastor
21. A
Church Pastor or a Youth Pastor will be elected by the Church at a Special
Church Meeting convened for that purpose by notice in the Church during public
worship on the two Sundays immediately preceding such a
Accounts
22. The
Church Treasurer or whatever title is to be used and the Treasurers of all
organisations of the Church shall keep a record of all money received and paid
on account of the General and all other funds in accordance with the Charity
Commissioners' regulations. The Treasurers of all Church organisations shall
present an annual statement, their records, and supporting vouchers to the
Church Treasurer in a manner to comply with the Charity Commissioners'
regulations, as all such finance is deemed to be under the oversight of the
Church. The Church Treasurer shall present to the Church the annual accounts
independently examined or audited as required by the Charity Commissioners' regulations,
and other financial statements at such times as the Church may determine. The
Independent Examiners or Auditors as required by the Charity Commissioners'
regulations shall be appointed by the Church and shall be qualified in
accordance with the Charity Commissioners' regulations.
Amendment
of Rules
23. These
rules can only be amended at a Special Church Meeting convened for that purpose
on previous notice being given in the manner specified in the first sentence of
Rule 21 above.