CONSTITUTION

PREAMBLE

We declare and establish this constitution to preserve and secure the principles of our faith and to govern the body in an orderly manner. This constitution will preserve the liberties of each individual member and the freedom of action of this body in relation to other churches.

I. CHARTER

Indian Springs Baptist Church was constituted on November 6, 1955. It was incorporated on October 3, 1969, as a not-for-profit corporation for the general purpose of the advancement of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ by establishment and maintenance of a Baptist Church that maintains membership with the Southern Baptist Convention.

II. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

The Purpose of Indian Springs Baptist Church is

To bring people to Jesus and membership in his family, develop them to Christlike maturity, and equip them for their ministry in the church and life mission in the world, in order to magnify God’s name.

The Objectives of Indian Springs Baptist Church by which we will achieve our Purpose are

(1) To be a dynamic, spiritual body of believers empowered by the Holy Spirit to share Christ with people in our church, community, and throughout the world.

(2) To be a worshiping fellowship, experiencing an awareness of God, recognizing His person, and responding in obedience to His leadership.

(3) To experience a growing and meaningful fellowship with God and fellow believers.

(4) To help people experience a growing knowledge of God and other people.

(5) To be a church which ministers unselfishly to persons in the community and the world in Jesus’ name.

(6) To be a church whose members are Christlike in daily living by emphasizing total commitment of life, personality, and possessions to the lordship of Christ.

III. STATEMENT OF BASIC BELIEFS

We affirm the Holy Bible as the inspired Word of God and the basis for our beliefs. Indian Springs Baptist Church subscribes to the doctrinal statement of the "The Baptist Faith and Message" as amended by the Southern Baptist Convention in 2000. We voluntarily band ourselves together as a body of baptized believers in Jesus Christ personally committed to sharing the good news of salvation to lost people. The ordinances of the church are believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

IV. CHURCH COVENANT

Having been led by the Spirit of God to receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized according to the Scriptures, 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.

Therefore, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we agree to

(1) Walk together in Christian love, knowledge, holiness, and confidence of our position in Christ Jesus in order to promote Christ’s gospel and to prosper His church in its spirituality and to sustain its worship, ordinances, doctrines, and discipline;

(2) Contribute cheerfully, regularly, and scripturally to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the needy, and the spread of the gospel throughout the world.

(3) Maintain family and personal devotions, educate our children in the Christian faith, and seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances;

(4) Be ever mindful of our Christian witness to the world by being just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our conduct and to avoid all gossip, malicious criticism, and excessive anger;

(5) Abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating beverages, illegal drugs, gambling paraphernalia and pornography.

(6) Discourage the abuse of drugs and alcohol, the spread of gambling and pornography and the devaluing of human life as exemplified in the tragedy of abortion and euthanasia;

(7) Be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Lord and Savior and promote its influence by watching over one another in brotherly love, remembering one another in prayer, and helping one another in sickness and distress;

(8) Cultivate Christian empathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech and to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and, being mindful of the teachings of our Lord, to secure reconciliation promptly.

We also agree that when we leave this area, we will quickly unite with another church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word.

BYLAWS

ARTICLE I. CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1: Conditions of Membership. Persons will be received into membership of Indian Springs Baptist Church by:

(1) Public profession of faith that Jesus is Lord and Savior and following baptism (immersion) into the full fellowship.

(2) Transfer of membership from another Baptist church or another church of like faith and order.

(3) Statement that he or she has trusted Christ as his or her personal Savior and was baptized into a Baptist church and the record of that membership is not available.

(4) Testimony of believers baptism - Having been immersed as a believer, by a Christian evangelical church.

SECTION 2: Removal from and Restoration to Church Membership

(1) Any member who desires a letter of transfer and recommendation to any other Baptist church is entitled to receive it upon request of that church.

(2) If a member requests to be released from his or her membership in this church, then such requests will be granted and his or her name removed from the membership role.

(3) If it becomes necessary for the church to take action to exclude a member, a majority vote of the members present is required; and the church may proceed to declare the person to be no longer in the membership of the church. (See Also, Article VI. Discipline.)

(4) The church may restore to membership any person previously excluded, upon request of the excluded person, and by vote of the church upon evidence of the person’s repentance and reformation.

ARTICLE II. CHURCH OFFICERS

The officers of this church are Pastor, Deacons, Moderator, Clerk, Treasurer, and Trustees. Each person serving the Lord in and through His church is to be exemplary in his or her personal conduct and in the execution of defined duties. Each is ultimately responsible to the Lord and, as necessary, shall be required to give an accounting to the church.

SECTION 1. Pastor

A. Responsibilities

The pastor is responsible for leading the church to function as a New Testament church. The pastor will lead the congregation, the organizations, and the church staff to perform the appropriate tasks. He is leader of pastoral ministries in the church and works with the deacons and church staff to:

(1) lead the church in the achievement of its mission,

(2) proclaim the gospel to believers and unbelievers, and

(3) provide care for the church's members and other persons in the community.

B. Selection

(1) A pastor shall be chosen and called by the church whenever a vacancy occurs.

(2) His election shall take place at a meeting called for that purpose, of which at least one week’s public notice shall be given.

(3) A pastor selection committee shall be appointed by the church to seek out a suitable pastor, and their recommendation will constitute a nomination. Any member has the privilege of making nominations to the pastor selection committee for their consideration anytime prior to that committee’s formal recommendation to the church.

(4) The committee shall bring to the consideration of the church only one man at a time.

(5) Election shall be by ballot, an affirmative vote of three-fourths of those members present being necessary to a choice.

C. Separation

The pastor shall serve until the relationship is terminated by mutual consent, termination for cause by action of the church, or by resignation initiated by the pastor.

SECTION 2. Deacons

A. Number, Election, Term of Service

(1) There may be one deacon for each 15 family units on the resident church roll. The number to be added in any given year will be determined prior to the nomination and election by majority vote of the Deacons serving.

(2) Deacons shall be elected as follows:

a)    All ordained (by ISBC or a church of like faith and order) deacons who are resident, active members for more than one year will be considered as nominated.
b)        Additional nominations of men who have not been previously ordained and have been resident, active members for at least three years will be received from Indian Springs Baptist Church members via a Nomination Ballot.
c)         Nomination Ballots will be reviewed by the Deacons to determine eligibility and willingness of all nominees to serve.
d)        The Deacons will develop a list of candidates for active deacons upon which the church may vote.
e)         Election of Deacons will be carried out in a timely manner relative to the beginning of the next three-year active rotation cycle.

An ordination service will be conducted for those not previously ordained.

(3) If a deacon cannot serve his full term, the church may elect another deacon to fill the unexpired term.

(4) After serving a term of three years, a deacon shall be eligible for re-election after the lapse of at least one year.

Any special cases needed for changing deacon rotation cycles or tenure will require approval by the church body.

B. Duties

In accordance with the meaning of the word and the practice of the New Testament, deacons are to be ministers to the church and servants of the Lord Jesus. Their task is to serve with the pastor and staff as co-laborers in performing the pastoral ministry tasks of

(1) Leading the church in achievement of its mission,

(2) Proclaiming the gospel to believers and unbelievers, and

(3) Caring for the church’s members and other persons in the community.

(4) Serving as a pulpit supply committee in long-term absences of the pastor.

They shall organize themselves to carry out these duties.

SECTION 3. Moderator

The moderator shall be the pastor. In the absence of the pastor, a ministerial associate shall preside. In their absence, the chairman of the deacons shall preside; or in the absence of all these, the clerk shall call the church to order and an acting moderator shall be elected.

SECTION 4. Clerk

The Clerk is elected annually by the church and shall be responsible for the following:

(1) Maintain a suitable record of all official actions of the church, except as otherwise noted in these bylaws.

(2) Maintain a register of names of members, with dates of admission, transfer, death, or erasure, together with a record of baptisms.

(3) Bring recommendations for granting of letters of transfer or erasure to the church.

(4) Issue letters of transfer voted by the church.

(5) Preserve, on file, all communications and written official reports.

(6) Give required notice of all meetings where notice is necessary as indicated in these bylaws.

(7) Prepare the annual letter of the church to the association.

(8) Ensure the Moderator that a quorum is present prior to taking any official action of the church.

The church may delegate some of the clerical responsibilities to a church secretary who will assist the elected Clerk. All church records are church property and shall be kept in the church office.

SECTION 5. Treasurer

The Treasurer is elected annually by the church and shall be responsible for the following:

(1) Oversee the financial practices of the church ensuring all applicable laws are obeyed and that good accounting practice is followed.

(2) Promote in every proper way scriptural giving on the part of the entire membership of the church.

(3) Receive, secure, and pay out all money or things of value paid by or given to the church.

(4) Ensure that all expenditures have proper approval of the church or its designated officers.

(5) Sign all checks for payment upon receipt and approval by the Financial Secretary or authorize a designee to do so.

(6) Render an itemized report of receipts and disbursements for the preceding reporting period to the church in its regular business meeting.

(7) Ensure that an audit of financial practices and records is conducted at least every three years.

(8) Ensure that all income documents are in agreement (deposit slips, donations listings, and posting to church records).

The Treasurer may delegate some of the clerical responsibilities to the Financial Administrator who will assist the elected Treasurer. Additionally, the Treasurer will work closely with and provide input to appropriate Committees in their functions related to Financial Matters for the church.

SECTION 6. Trustees

Trustees are officers of the corporation known as Indian Springs Baptist Church, Inc. One Trustee shall be designated as President, another as Secretary and the third as Treasurer of the Corporation. As such they are responsible for oversight of church matters as related to it being a not-for-profit corporation and will be required to sign documents related to acquisition and disposal of real property, general indebtedness and other corporation-related matters.

Trustees must be active and involved members of the church. Trustees will be nominated by the Nominating Committee and presented for election at the annual meeting of the church on even numbered years (2002, 2004, etc). Trustee membership will be for a six-year period with one new Trustee being elected every two years. After completing a term as Trustee, the person is not eligible to serve as Trustee again for a two-year period. If a Trustee cannot complete a full term, then the Nominating Committee will nominate another person to complete the un-expired term.

ARTICLE III. COMMITTEES

The functional operations and ministries of the church are generally carried out by various committees. Some committees may function for extended periods while others may be needed for a shorter time or until completion of a specific task. The need for specific new committees may be proposed by any church member to the ministerial staff or to the deacons. A committee can be established upon recommendation by ministerial staff or deacons and approved by the church. Because of changing ministry needs, certain committees may no longer be needed and these may be decommissioned by approval of the church. Committee members will be nominated, proposed to and approved by the church.

Each committee will be responsible for establishing policies and procedures to ensure that the committee can carry out its mission. The objectives and duties of the various committees are to be documented in a policy and procedure manual. Each committee will keep necessary records of the actions of the committee and copies will be filed in the church office. Committees will prepare a quarterly report to the church regarding its activities and results.

ARTICLE IV. MEETINGS

SECTION 1. Worship

(1) Services will be held each Lord’s Day morning and evening and on other evenings of each week designated by the ministries of the church.

(2) The Lord’s Supper shall be observed once each quarter, or at other such times as the church may determine.

SECTION 2. Business

(1) At any of the regular meetings for worship, the church may, without special notice, act upon the reception of members.

(2) The church may conduct called business meetings to consider matters of special nature and significance. A one-week notice must be given for the specially called business meeting unless urgency renders such notice impractical. The notice shall include the subject, date, time, and place; and it must be given in such a manner that all resident members have opportunity to know of the meeting.

(3) The annual meeting of the church shall be held in the quarter preceding the beginning of the new church year. At the annual meeting, reports shall be presented and officers elected, and such other business transacted as may be specified in the published agenda or authorized by the bylaws.

(4) At the annual, regular, and special meetings, seven (7) percent of resident members shall be necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. If the business is to issue a call to a new ministerial staff member, to change the Constitution or change the Bylaws, then 25 percent of resident members shall be necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

(5) Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised is the authority for parliamentary rules of procedure for all business meetings of the church.

ARTICLE V. CHURCH FINANCES

SECTION 1: Financial Plan

Each year the stewardship committee shall prepare and submit to the church for approval a financial plan, indicating by items the estimated amount needed and sought for all local and other expenses of the church’s ministry. Upon approval of the church, this plan shall become the approved budget for each item of the financial plan. Expenditures are not to exceed the approved amounts without prior approval of the church or its designees.

SECTION 2: Accounting Procedures

See description of responsibilities for the Treasurer in Article II, Section 5.

SECTION 3: Fiscal Year

The church fiscal year shall run concurrently with the calendar year.

ARTICLE VI. DISCIPLINE

Indian Springs Baptist Church shall take reasonable measures to assist any troubled member. The pastor, other members of the church ministry staff, and deacons are available for counsel and guidance. The attitude of members toward one another shall be guided by concern for redemption rather than punishment. Should some serious situation exist that would cause a member to become a liability to the general welfare of the church, the pastor and deacons will take every reasonable measure to resolve the problem in accord with Matthew 18:15-17.

ARTICLE VII. AMENDMENTS

Changes to the Constitution and Bylaws may be made at any regular business meeting of the church in the following manner:

(1) Each amendment will have been presented in writing at the previous business meeting.

(2) Copies of the proposed amendment will have been made available to church members at least one week prior to the meeting date to vote on the changes.

(3) Amendments to the Constitution shall be by two-thirds vote of church members present.