Constitution & Bylaws

Sixtieth Street Missionary Baptist Church

9309 - 60^th Street

Pinellas Park, FL 33782

Ph. (727) 541-2202

Effective Date: APRIL 14, 2024

60^th Street Missionary Baptist Church

CONSTITUTION

Preamble

We, the members of the Sixtieth Street Missionary Baptist Church, located in Pinellas Park, Florida, a body constituted as a corporation not for profit, under the laws of the State of Florida, declare and establish this as our Constitution and By-Laws for the preservation and security of the principles of our faith, and so that this body may be governed in an orderly manner. This Constitution and By-Laws will preserve the liberties of each individual member of the church and the freedom of action of this body in its relation to other churches of like faith and order.

ARTICLE I NAME and PURPOSE

Section 1 - Name

This congregation of believers shall be known as the Sixtieth Street Missionary Baptist Church.

Section 2 - Purpose & Objective

This congregation is organized as a church exclusively for charitable, religious, and educational purposes within the means of Section 501 C (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Revenue Law. The purpose of the Sixtieth Street Missionary Baptist Church is to:

provide regular opportunities for public worship, to sustain the ordinances, doctrines and ethics set forth in the New Testament for the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ;

to nurture its members through a program of Christian Education and Christian Fellowship;

to channel its offerings to the support of the objects of the Redeemer's Kingdom;

to preach and propagate among all people the Good News of Jesus Christ;

to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ and give people a clear view of God’s love.

ARTICLE II CHURCH COVENANT

Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, we do now, in the presence of God, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.

We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church, in knowledge, holiness and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.

We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our family, friends, and all people; to be Christian examples in our conduct in the church and in the world; to be just in our dealings and faithful in our commitments, and to be intentional in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.

We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy, always ready for reconciliation, being mindful of the commandment to love one another.

ARTICLE III STATEMENT OF FAITH

The following statements comprise the scriptural beliefs of 60^th Street Missionary Baptist Church and its members:

The Holy Scriptures. We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenarily inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God breathed and, therefore, are the final authority for faith and life. The (66) books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to man. The King James version is the preferred translation.

The Godhead. We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each is co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, and has the same attributes and perfections. (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; John 14:10, 26; II Cor. 13:14)

The Person and Work of Christ.

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that he might reveal God and redeem sinful man. (Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Lk. 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; II Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8)

 We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a  representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice, and that our justification is made sure by His literal,  physical resurrection from the dead. (Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; Eph. 1:7; I Pet. 1:3-5; I Pet. 2:24)

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfillls the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Acts 1:9-10; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 9:24; Hebrews 7:25; I John 2:1-2)

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit.

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that he is the Supernatural Agent in the regeneration, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; Romans 8:9; I Cor. 12:12-14; II Cor. 3:6; Ephesians 1:13-14)

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the divine Teacher who indwells all and assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:17-18; 5:18; I John 2:20, 27)

We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they might be able to do the work of the ministry. (Romans 12:3-8; I Corinthians 12:4-11, 28; Ephesians 4:7-12)

The Total Depravity of Man. We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God; but that in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inheriting a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Man is totally depraved and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. Man’s only hope of salvation from sin is found in Jesus Christ. (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; Romans 5:12; 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-3; 4:17-19)

Salvation. We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. (Matt. 12:31-32; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-10; I Peter 1:18-19; I John 1:9)

Eternal Security. We believe that all the redeemed are kept by God’s power and are thus secured in Christ forever. (John 6:37-40; Romans 8:1; 38-39; I Corinthians 1:4-8; I Peter 1:4-5)

(I) The Church

We believe that the local church is made up of saved and scripturally baptized believers, who have covenanted together, to carry out the Great Commission. (I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:25-27)

We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)

We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control. (Acts 13:1-4; Acts 15:19-31; 20:28; Romans 16:1,4; I Corinthians 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; I Peter 5:1-4)

We recognize water Baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the scriptural ordinances of the church in this age. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 8:36-38; I Corinthians 11:23-26)

Separation. We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord. God commands his people to separate from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations, and every appearance of wrongdoing, and to refrain from all immodest appearances. (Romans 12:1-2; 14:13; I Corinthians 6:19-20; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1; II Timothy 3:1-5; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11)

The Second Coming of Christ. We believe in the blessed hope, which is the personal, imminent return of Christ, who will rapture His Church. At the end of the tribulation Christ will personally and visibly return with His Saints, to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom which was promised to the nation of Israel. (Psalms 89:3; Daniel 2:31-45; Zech. 14:4-11; 1 Thess. 1:10, 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Revelation 3:10, 19:11-16, 20:1-6)

The Eternal State.

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Revelation 20:5-6, 12-13)

We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Lk. 23:43; II Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; I Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6)

We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne

Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting  conscious punishment and torment. (Matthew 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; II Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Revelation 20:11-15)

The Personality of Satan. The Scriptures portray Satan as a personal being, a fallen angel, who is in direct opposition to God and His purposes. He is the author of sin and is the open declared enemy of both God and man; and he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire after judgment. (Job 1:6-7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matt. 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev. 20:10)

Creation. We believe that God created the universe, and the Earth as we know it, in six literal 24-hour periods. We reject the theory of evolution, including theistic evolution, the Day-Age Theory, and all other forms of evolution and consider them as unscriptural theories of origin. (Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11)

Civil Government. We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) The home, 2) the church, and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God. We believe that we must obey the state unless it requires us to act contrary to our faith at which time, we must obey God rather than the state. (Matt. 22:15-22; Acts 5:29; Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Titus 3:1-2; Heb. 13:17; I Pet. 2:13-14)

Human Sexuality and Marriage.

We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage between one naturally-born man and one naturally-born woman. We believe that any form of adultery, bestiality, bisexuality, fornication, homosexuality, incest, lesbianism and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We further believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. (Gen. 2:24; 19:5, 13; 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:18-32; I Cor. 5:1-13; 6:9; I Thess. 4:1-8 and Hebrews 13:4)

We believe that the only Scriptural marriage is the joining of one naturally-born man and one naturally-born woman for life. Therefore, any request for a union in marriage outside of the bounds of one man and one woman shall be denied, nor shall any representative of this church be engaged in such a union. (Genesis 2:24; Romans 7:2; I Corinthians 7:10; Ephesians 5:22-23)

Divorce and Remarriage. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage are prohibited in Scripture except on the grounds of fornication or adultery (Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Romans 7:1-3; I Tim. 3:2; 3:12; Titus 1:6) or if the unbelieving spouse leaves the marriage (I Corinthians 7:15)

Family Relationships.

We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home and the men are to be the leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church. (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; I Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12)

We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the spiritual leadership of her husband as the church submits to the leadership of Christ. Children are a heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them, through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including scriptural corporal correction.

(Gen. 1:26-28; Ex. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Psalms 127:3-5; Prov. 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mark 10:6-12; 1Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Col. 3:18-21; Heb. 13:4; I Pet. 3:1-7)

Abortion. We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortion of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well-being of the mother are acceptable. (Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5; Ps. 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)

Euthanasia. We believe that the direct taking of an innocent human life is a moral evil, regardless of the intention. Life is a gift of God and must be respected from conception until natural death. Thus, we believe that an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder contrary to the will of God. (Ex. 20:13, 23:7; Matt. 5:21; Acts 17:28)

Love. We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also towards those who are not believers, those who oppose us, and those who engage in sinful actions.

 We are to deal graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly with those who oppose us. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge or the threat or the use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such sinful actions. In order to preserve the purity of the House of God with regards to matters relating to letter (P) Human Sexuality listed herein, we state:

If any person is NOT a member of this church and is engaged in such activity that God declares is sin in His sight, our full desire is that they will continue to attend our church assemblies and experience the love of God through His people. However, they will not be allowed to proliferate those beliefs and practices in our church, and membership privileges and opportunities will not be made available to them.

If a person IS a member of this church and chooses to engage in such activity that God declares to be sin in His sight, that member will automatically be placed on the inactive membership roll, and all member rights and privileges will be suspended. After attempts have been made to reconcile and restore a person to a right relationship with God and this church has failed, his/her name shall automatically be removed from the church roll without any further action on the part of the church. (See Article III of the By-laws, Membership, for further details about Member Restoration.) (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:44-48; Luke 6:31;

Jn. 13:34-35; Rom. 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Phil. 2:2-4; II Tim. 2:21-26; I Cor. 5:1-13; II Cor. 6:14-18)

Lawsuits Between Believers. We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other believers, or the church, to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all of the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injury from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander. (I Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32; Matt. 18:15-17)

Missions. We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus

Giving. We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obliged to financially support his local church. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of his tithe once the gift has been made. (Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; I Cor. 16:2; II Cor. 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28; I Tim. 5:17-18; I John 3:17)

AUTHORITY OF STATEMENT OF FAITH

The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing Statements of Faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible and, therefore, is binding upon all members. All literature used in the church shall be in complete agreement with this Statement of Faith.

ARTICLE IV RELATIONSHIPS

The government of this church is vested in the body of the believers who compose it by membership. It is subject to the control of no other ecclesiastical body. The members and members alone determine who will or will not be members of the church, and who will and will not have the use of the facilities, buildings, and grounds.

ARTICLE VAMENDMENTS

This Constitution is a viable statement of the goals, purposes and ideals of the church. The church has a responsibility to assure that its Constitution continues to serve its intended purpose and always reflects the desires of the membership. Consequently, this Constitution is subject to amendments, modification or repeal by a 3/4 vote of members according to Article II Section 4 and voting at a regular or special called business meeting, provided that such proposed changes are made available in writing, read and discussed at the previous regular business meeting and the final draft made available, in writing, the Sunday morning prior to the business meeting at which the vote shall be taken.

ARTICLE VI DISSOLUTION CLAUSE

If it becomes necessary for this church and corporation to dissolve, upon the dissolution of the Corporation, after paying or making provision for the payment of all its liabilities, the Corporation shall dispose of all remaining assets to such organization or organizations formed and operated exclusively for religious purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under section 501 (C) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law. Any action to dissolve the church must be approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members of the church according to Article II Section 4 at a meeting called to specifically consider such action, for which meeting written notice must be given to all members in accordance with the provisions of these bylaws.

ADOPTION

I, the undersigned officer of the church, certify that this Constitution along with the Articles of Faith was adopted by a 2/3 majority vote of the members present according to Article II Section 4 and voting at a duly called meeting of the church for this purpose.

This Constitution and Articles of Faith supersedes any and all previous Constitutions or Articles of Faith of the Sixtieth Street Missionary Baptist Church.

B Y - L A W S

Sixtieth Street Missionary Baptist Church  

ARTICLE I - ORDINANCES

Section 1. Baptism

A person who receives Jesus Christ as Savior by personal faith, who professes in him publicly at any worship service, and who indicates a commitment to follow Christ as Lord, shall be received for baptism.

Baptism shall be full immersion in water.

Baptism shall be administered by the pastor or whomever the church shall authorize. The deaconsor whomever the church assigns shall assist the pastor in the observance of baptism.

Baptism shall be administered as an act of worship during normal worship services, or at such a time and place as the church may approve.

A person professing Christ, as new Believers, shall be instructed as to the meaning and purpose of baptism and, as soon as possible, be enrolled in a New Members Orientation Class for further instructions.

Section 2. The Lord's Supper

The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby the church, through partaking of the bread and fruit of the vine, commemorate the death of Jesus Christ and anticipate His second coming.

The Lord's Supper shall be observed as often as the Church schedule of events allows.

The Lord's Supper shall be observed by baptized believers in Christ only.

The church leaders shall be responsible for the administration of the Lord's Supper.

ARTICLE II-MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. General

This is a sovereign and democratic Baptist church under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The members retain the right of exclusive self-government in all phases of the spiritual and temporal life of this church body alone shall determine who will or will not be granted membership in the church.

Section 2. Candidacy

Any sincere child of God will be welcomed as a candidate for membership if he or she meets the following requirements:

Profession of faith and baptism according to the policies of this church.

Or, promise of a letter from another Baptist church of like faith and order.

Or, A statement of prior conversion experience and scriptural baptism where no letter is obtainable. The candidate for membership shall, in conference with the pastor and or elders, give witness to his or her Christian experience and salvation. After the candidate completes the New Member Orientation Class shall be voted into membership by the church members at the earliest opportunity. It is desirable that the vote be unanimous, but if an objection is made the case shall be referred to the pastor and/or leadership for investigation and a recommendation brought to the church within 30 days. A 3/4 vote of the church members present according to Section II Section 4 voting shall be required to receive candidates as members.

Section 3. Termination of Membership - Membership shall be terminated in the following ways:

Death

Transfer of Letter for membership in another church which is of like faith and order.

Erasure upon becoming affiliated with another church.

Exclusion by disciplinaryaction of the church membership as outlined in Article III of the By Laws.

Section 4. Voting Rights of Members

Every member of the church over the age of 18are entitled to vote on all questions submitted to the church members in business meetings providing the member is present or provisions are madein extenuating circumstances approved by the Church Elders prior to the specific meeting.

Section 5. Inactive Members

Annually, the church membership roll shall be reviewed by the deacons or spiritual leadership. Any member who has been absent from the church services for a period 12 months and who has failed to communicate with the pastor, elders or deacons during that period of time, shall be contacted to determine the person’s interests in their church membership. Every effort shall be made on the part of the church to reactivate the member. After legitimate ministry efforts have been made, if no response has been gained, they shall be removed from the rolls and all rights and privileges revoked. Any person removed from the roll in this manor is eligible to rejoin the church as stated in Article II of the By-Laws.

ARTICLE III – DISCIPLINE and DISMISSALS

Section 1. Problems – Should any difficulties arise as a violation of our Statement of Faith or in Church Covenant obligations, the matter is to be resolved using (Matt. 18:15-19) as the guide and Sections 2 and 3 below. All such matters will be dealt with in love, reverently, discretely, and in the fear of God with the redemption of that person in mind. [See Also: Article III, Section (U) of the Church Constitution]

Section 2. Resolution – Should any case of gross breach of Constitution or By Laws occur, the Senior Pastor, the Trustees/Edlers and Deacons shall endeavor to resolve the issue; and if this effort fails, shall report the case with recommendations to the church membership. All such proceedings shall be dealt with in a spirit of Christian kindness and forbearance, but should an adverse decision be reached, the church members may proceed to admonish or declare the offender to be no longer a member of the church. The latter action shall require a (3/4) vote of the members present according to Article II Section 4 voting at any regular or special business meeting.

Section 3. Non-Discrimination and Termination Policy  The church shall not discriminate against members, applicants, students, or others on the basis of race, color, or national and ethnic origin. While 60^th Street Missionary Baptist Church does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, national and ethnic origin in its membership or employment policies; As a religious institution it reserves the right to deny membership or employment and to terminate a member or employment of a person whose lifestyle, words, actions, or otherwise do not align with the church’s Statement of Faith, standard of conduct, or other policies of this organization.

Section 4. Restoration – Any person whose membership has been terminated may be restored by their request, by giving evidence of repentance and reformation, and with the approval of the Pastor, Deacons and/or spiritual leadership. They will be received in the same manner as new members, a (3/4) vote of the church membership present according to Article II Section 4 voting will be required to restore a person to full membership and, upon success, all membership rights and privileges will be restored.

ARTICLE IV – CHURCH OFFICERS AND STAFF

The Church Officers: The Senior Pastor, Associate Pastor, Elder or Chmn. Of Deacons, Chmn. Of Trustees, Personnel Dir., Church Clerk, Treasurer, and other such officers as may be appointed from time to time for special programs or projects. All church officers must be members in good standing of the church.

Section 1. CHURCH OFFICERS

(A) The Pastor

The pastor is responsible for the leading of the church members in functioning as a New Testament church. The pastor will lead the congregation, the organizations, and church staff in performing their tasks. The pastor may serve as an ex officio member of all ministries and organizations.

The pastor is leader of pastoral ministries in the church. As such, he works with the spiritual leaders, deacons, elders and the church staff to lead the church in the achievement of its mission of teaching and proclaiming the Word of God to believers; and to care for the church members and other persons in the community.

A pastor shall be chosen and called by the church members whenever a vacancy occurs. He shall be called for an indefinite period of time, and may resign the care of the church upon giving a (30) day notice in writing. The pastor shall receive such compensation for his services as the church may determine.(See ART. V, Sec. 6 for more details.)

(B) Deacons Duties: Deacons shall be servants in the church who minister alongside the pastor in proclaiming the gospel message and leading and caring for the congregation. The Deacons shall serve the Lord’s Supper and maintain the supplies for the Lord’s Supper. When possible, each family in the church shall be assigned to a Deacon so that Deacons may help minister to people in their times of need. Deacons shall advise the pastor of any needs of the church body and they shall endeavor to maintain unity in the Body of Christ.

The Deacons shall handle matters of benevolence in consultation with the Elders, in the name of Jesus Christ for members of the church family and for those in the community in need. These needs may be spiritual, physical, or otherwise.

Deacon qualifications shall be those set forth in Acts 6 “Men full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom,” and 1 Timothy 3: Like overseers, they must be above reproach, being faithful to their wives, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, not given to much wine, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect.

A “Deacon-in-Training” shall be instituted at the discretion of the pastor. Candidates for the program shall be recommended by the pastor and deacons and approved by the church membership. After the completion of the program and time of examination, the candidate may be ordained as a Deacon.

The deacons shall serve on a rotation basis serving for a term of three years. If rotation is not a possibility the deacons must be affirmed by church vote every two years.

The Deacons shall elect a Chairman of deacons, and clerk to serve a term of One year and they shall meet monthly or as needed and determined by the Chairman of Deacons or the Senior Pastor and voted on in their January meeting.

(C) Clerk

The church clerk elected by the church membership shall keep in a suitable book, a record of all the actions of the church. The clerk is responsible for keeping a register of the names of members, with dates of admission, dismission, or death, together with a record of baptisms. The clerk shall issue letters of dismissal voted on by the church members, preserve on file all communications and written official reports. The church membership may delegate some of the clerical responsibilities to a church secretary. All church records are church property and should be filed in the church office.

(D) Trustees or Elders

1. There shall be three to fiveTrustees or Elders, when possible, Trustees or Elders shall serve on a rotation basis if enough candidates are available for rotation. Trustees/Elders shall be voted on or confirmed every three (3) years. The chairman of Trustees or Elders shall be elected by the trustees or elders and voted on at their September business meeting.

Trustees or Elders will maintain an up-to-date inventory of all church property, mortgage loans, and insurance on church property. etc. Such information should be kept in a safe place, preferably in a safety deposit box rented by the church, with copies filed in the church office for ready reference.

Trustees or Elders, upon direction by the church membership in regular business session, shall affix their signatures to all legal documents involving the church, its property, and to whatever documents that are necessary to carry out the business affairs of the church. The Trustees or Elders shall NOT affix their signatures to any documents concerning the church or its business affairs without express authority from the church members.

The Trustees or Elders or those designated by the Trustees or Elders are authorized to sign checks.

Trustees or Elders oversight includes maintaining all church properties, buildings, grounds and equipment, and maintaining vehicles for ready use. They shall be further responsible for recommending policies and procedures regarding the use of properties, and recommending employment of maintenance personnel, and shall be responsible for assigning responsibility to appropriate personnel for supervision.

The Trustees or Elders shall have the sole authority for calling a committee for a Senior or Associate Pastor search in the event of a vacancy or additional need is determined as outlined in Article VII Section 13. The Pastor search committee will be empowered as outlined in Article VII Section 13.d

The Trustees or Elders will evaluate the Senior and all Associate Pastor’s performance on an annual basis.

The Chairman of Trustees/Elders shall moderate all business meetings of the church.

Section 2. Church Staff

The church members shall call or employ such staff members as may be needed from time to time. A job description shall be written by the Personnel Committee or Elders/Trustees when a Personnel Committee has not been elected, when the need for staff members is determined. Staff members, other than the pastor and associate pastor, shall be recommended to the church members by the Personnel Committee and employed by a vote of the church members. A resignation or termination of a staff member shall require a two-week notice. Gross misconduct shall be grounds for immediate termination of employment by action of the Pastor in consultation with the Trustees or Elders.(ART. III, Sect. 3: Terminations)

Music Ministry

There shall be a Music Ministry under the direction of the Minister of Music. The music ministry task shall be to lead the congregation to worship God, to provide music, musicians, and sound/video technicians for the congregational services and the organization of the church; to lead persons to participate in hymn singing; to train persons to lead, to sing and play music; to provide organization and leadership for special projects and programs of the church.

Section 3. Corporation Officers.

As an accommodation to legal relationships of the church, the Chairman of Trustees or Elders shall serve as President of the Corporation; and the remaining Elders or Trustees shall serve as board members.

ARTICLE V-CHURCH MEETINGS

Section 1. Worship Services

The church shall meet regularly each Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening for the worship of Almighty God, for the preaching of His Word, for instruction, and for evangelism. These meetings will be open for the entire membership of the church and for all people and shall be conducted under the direction of the Senior pastor.

Section 2. Special Services

Other special services and activities will be conducted in fulfillling the mission of the church and shall

be placed on the church calendar by the Church Council or by the church while meeting in business session.

Section 3. Regular Business Meetings

Regular business meetings shall be held on the third Sunday of each quarter (January, April, July and October). The majority of the business of the church shall be done in this meeting. During these meetings all committee reports and recommendations will be distributed for consideration.

The church may, on occasion, stipulate a different Sunday to accommodate holidays or other special events.

Section 4. Special or Emergency Business Meetings

Special business meetings of the church for transaction of business may be called by announcing the purpose of the meeting on the Sunday preceding the meeting and securing a majority vote by those members present according to Article II Section 4 voting for such special meeting to be held. Only the business stated in the announcement may be acted on in this meeting.

Section 5. Calling or Dismissing of a Pastor

A vote for calling a pastor may be taken following a Sunday morning worship service as provided for by Article V Section 4 Special or Emergency Business Meeting.

A pastor’s term of office may be terminated by resignation or dismissal. Any two members with just cause or reason to believe the pastor should be dismissed shall express such concerns to the Trustees or Elders of the church. A pastor may be dismissed only after careful examination of all the facts and when the matter comes before the church there must be a (2/3) majority vote by the members of the congregation present according to Article II Section 4 provided for by Article V Section 4 of a called Special or Emergency Business Meeting.

The Trustees or Elders have the oversight to suspend the Senior or Associate Pastor until the Special or Emergency meeting can be held.

The quorum consists of those members who attend the business meeting, provided it is a regular

business meeting or a special meeting or emergency meeting that has been properly called.

Section 6. Parliamentary Rules

Robert’s Rules of Order is adopted as the authority for parliamentary rules of procedure for all

business meetings of the church.

 ARTICLE VI – BUDGET AND FINANCE

(A)Budget and Finance Committee

 This committee shall have the responsibility of recommending financial policies and procedures of the church and shall foster and promote programs of stewardship. In consultation with the Church Council and committees of the church having budget needs and shall after examining its yearly goals and ministries to be performed, shall submit their requests in writing. The Budget and Finance Committee shall draw up and submit to the church an Annual Church Budget and submit it to the church in the October Business Meeting for the next calendar year. This committee shall have the responsibility of assuring that the adopted budget is adhered to. This committee shall also be responsible for the annual audit of the treasurer’s books.

(B)The Church Treasurer

 The church treasurer shall be elected by the church as the custodian of all moneys of the church and shall distribute these moneys by checks as authorized by the church in accordance with the church budget.

 He or she shall keep, at all times, an itemized account of all receipts and disbursements and shall render a quarterly and annual written report of this account to the church.

(C)The Financial Secretary

 The church financial secretary shall be elected by the church and shall be responsible for seeing that the offerings are properly received, counted, and deposited in the church bank account. He or she shall properly record and credit each contributor and their offering.

 He or she shall be responsible for preparing for mailing an annual record of contributions to donors.

  The church Financial Secretary is not eligible to sign checks.

(D) Special and Designated Offerings

 All offerings to the church will be considered non-refundable and designated offerings are only received for approved projects and ministries.

  All designated funds shall be applied according to the will of the donors.

Other gifts of personal property or real estate or any other non-monetary gifts shall be reviewed by the church before acceptance in order to consider possible financial, environmental, legal, or other liability. The church reserves the right to refuse such gifts if it so chooses.

 (E) The Counting Committee

The Counting Committee shall receive all offerings after they are collected; open all offering envelopes and to make sure the correct amount is recorded on the envelope; count monies received, prepare for deposits, and submit required reports. The Counting Ministry chairman shall designate two members of the ministry to make the weekly deposits of receipts. The bank receipt shall then be given to the church Financial Secretary to be recorded. Three members shall be required to count the money. The Counting Committee is under the direct supervision of the Financial Secretary. The Treasurer or the Financial Secretary is not eligible to be on the counting committee.

(F) Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the church shall begin on January 1 and end on December 31.

ARTICLE VII-MINISTRIES AND COORDINATING GROUPS

Members of committees, except members of the Nominating Committee who shall be nominated by the Pastor and elected by church members, shall be recommended by the Nominating Committee and elected by the church members each year. Each person elected shall serve for a period of (1) year with the exception of those stipulated in the By-Laws to serve for more than one year at a time. (Deacons, Trustees, etc.)

Section 1. Nominating Committee

The pastor shall nominate as needed in a regular business meeting, a Nominating Committee Team of (3) persons. This committee shall present recommendations for election at the next business meeting to be voted on by the church to fill vacancies as needs arise. The Pastor and/or Elders shall have the authority to remove a volunteer from a position of service for just cause.

Section 2. Pastor Search Committee

When calling a pastor, the Trustee or Elders will have the sole authority to conduct a Pastor search for the church in the event of a vacancy.

This committee shall prayerfully consider all recommendations given to them by church members and other sources and shall investigate as fully as possible each candidate’s background, qualifications, abilities and his personal requirements and needs. They shall visit with any proposed candidates they feel may be qualified and discuss with them their experience, convictions and willingness to consider a call.

If the committee feels they have been led by God’s Spirit to the right man, they will have the sole authority to invite the candidate to visit our church, speak to the people and discuss further the possibility of filling the vacancy. The committee shall present only one candidate at a time for church consideration and vote.

No person may be considered a candidate who has not been recommended to the church by the Pastor Search Committee.

A discussion of the candidate including a question-and-answer period shall be in a special called business meeting preceding the vote. The method of voting by the church members shall be:

The vote will take place at the following Sunday morning worship service;

This vote is to be taken by written ballot;

An affirmative vote of 3/4 of those members present according to Article II Section 4 voting shall be necessary for a choice; (d) The vote will be counted in the presence of the voters; (e) The results will be announced at that time.

ARTICLE VIII-AMENDMENTS

Section 1. In keeping with Article V of the Constitution the By-Laws of the church shall be amended, modified, or repealed by a majority vote of the members of the church present according to Article II Section 4 voting at any regular business meeting. Any proposed changes in the By-Laws of the church must be made available in writing, read and discussed at a previous regular business meeting and the final draft made available in writing the Sunday morning prior to the regular business meeting at which the vote shall be taken.

ADOPTION

I the undersigned officer of the church, certify that these By-Laws were adopted by a 2/3 majority of the voting members present according to Article II Section 4

voting at a duly called meeting of the church for that purpose.

These By-Laws supersede any and all previous By-Laws of Sixtieth Street Missionary Baptist Church.