Last Revision: November 11th, 2016
Leroy Community Chapel, having been formed as a not-for-profit corporation [501 (c) (3)] in 1939, hereby adopts the following constitution and bylaws for the governance of said corporation.
CONSTITUTION OF LEROY COMMUNITY CHAPEL
Last Revision: November 11th, 2016
Leroy Community Chapel, having been formed as a not-for-profit corporation [501 (c) (3)] in 1939, hereby adopts the following constitution and bylaws for the governance of said corporation.
Article I - Name and affiliation
Name. The church shall be known as Leroy Community Chapel, hereafter referred to as LCC.
Affiliation. LCC is organized as an independent, autonomous and self-governing body. We maintain affiliations with churches of like faith and practice to further the cause of Christ and the ministry of LCC. We can establish official or voluntary affiliation with organizations by 2/3majority vote at a duly called congregational meeting.
ARTICLE II - Statement of Faith
Please refer to the Statement of Faith page to read this section in full.
Article III - Membership
Any person may become a member who professes saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; who agrees with our Statement of Faith; and who commits to worship, serve, support and grow with LCC. Each person must take the new membership class and give public testimony of his faith. The specific matters relating to membership can be found in the “By-Laws.”
ARTICLE IV - Church government
Form of government: The government of LCC will be vested in the Board of Elders, which represent and hold the trust of the voting membership. The Elder Board will cast vision, give direction and set policy for the supervision of the church. The lead pastor and pastoral staff will administer and implement the vision of LCC. The figure below illustrates the governance model for LCC.
The Leadership Groups: Duties, roles and qualifications.
THE BOARD OF ELDERS serves as the ruling body. It is comprised of the active elders.
There shall be three types of Elders at Leroy Community Chapel:
The Elders cast vision, establish policy, and commission the Lead pastor with the pastoral staff to implement the vision and policies.
The Elders keep the ministry and the congregation in prayer before God, give supervision to the spiritual work of the church in general, and administer discipline.
The Elders function as the legal trustees of the church and its property. In this function the elders will ensure that the following trustee duties are performed directly or by delegation:
An Elder is expected to uphold the Christian faith, maintain godly character, and lead with wisdom and maturity as expressed in 1 Timothy 3.
THE PASTORAL STAFF implements the church vision and administers the ministry and life of the church. The pastoral staff consists of the Lead Pastor and the ministry pastors which are chosen by the congregation. The church administrative staff serves under the pastors to effectively accomplish the work of the Lord in the cause of Christ. All pastors are ex officio (by virtue of position) members of the Elder Board. The lead pastor will serve as the chief administrative officer and the head of the pastoral staff. It is his responsibility to direct the affairs of the staff, to lead the church in its mission and to feed the flock– giving attention to prayer and the ministry of the word (Acts 6:4).
THE DEACONS serve the church by giving supervision to the physical aspects of the church’s ministry. The deacons serve under the direction of the pastoral staff to make the ministry function effectively.
THE DEACONESSES serve the church in various “help” and “compassion” oriented ministries at the discretion of the pastoral staff.
THE MINISTRY DIRECTORS are appointed by the pastoral staff with the approval of the elders and are charged with the supervision of a specific ministry of the church, such as Women’s Ministry, Youth Ministry, Jail Visitation Ministry, Men’s Ministry, Worship Ministry, etc. The ministry directors are to work with
the other leadership groups as needed to expedite the successful working of their ministry. The ministry advisory council has been created for this purpose.
THE MINISTRY ADVISORY COUNCIL is an advisory and networking council. It is not a policy making council. It functions at the behest of and helps implement the policies set by the Board of Elders. Its purpose is to facilitate communication between the leadership and ministry groups, to promote unity and cooperation so that ministry can be accomplished, and to give insight and advice concerning the church vision and its outworking. It is comprised of a representative from each ministry group, each leadership group and other church officials as deemed necessary to the facilitating of the ministry. The lead pastor, or one appointed by him, will serve as the chairman of the Ministry Council.
STANDING COMMITTEES are permanent committees that give advice to and carry out the duties assigned to them by the Board of Elders. The committee members are appointed by the Board of Elders, except for those members that are church officers elected by the congregation.
AD HOC COMMITTEES refer to non-standing committees created for temporary and specific purposes. They are terminated as soon as their purpose has been served. Examples of ad hoc committees are: the nominating committee, a pastoral search committee, a capital campaign or building committee. Unless otherwise noted, whenever an ad hoc committee is formed, the elders shall appoint a chairman
from the Ministry Council. The other members will be appointed by the leadership group to which the ad hoc committee reports.
Officers of the church
For legal and fiduciary matters, elders and the treasurer are designated as officers of Leroy Community Chapel. All elected officers shall serve until the first meeting of
said leadership group following the end of the fiscal year after their term of office has expired. Each church official shall sign the doctrinal statement embodied in this constitution at the beginning of appointment.
ELDERS: PROCESSES OF APPOINTMENT AND DISMISSAL
The number of elders will vary according to the number of members, the needs of the church, and the number of qualified men available. A head elder will be chosen by the elders to serve as Chairman of the Board for one year terms beginning in July. The Head Elder serves as the moderator of all Board of Elders and congregational meetings. It is his responsibility to appoint clerks to see that official minutes and records of LCC are kept secure and up to date. He also will declare whether a quorum is met for each congregational meeting.
Elders are presented as nominees at the May congregational meeting, and chosen by a congregational vote of affirmation. A two-thirds majority vote by the membership present at the May congregational meeting is needed to affirm a nomination. An elder serves a three-year term. The terms of the elders should be staggered so that continuity is maintained from year to year.
An elder may be dismissed if he no longer upholds the core values or doctrines of the church, or fails to support the ministry for an extended period of time.
PASTORS: PROCESSES OF APPOINTMENT AND DISMISSAL
Pastors are presented by the Pastoral Search Committee to the Board of Elders, who approve and present them as candidates to the congregation. Pastoral candidates must receive two-thirds of the members voting at a special meeting called for the expressed purpose of selecting a pastor before the elders will extend a call to the candidate. A pastor and his wife, upon acceptance of the call, shall become members of LCC. There are no term limits for a pastor.
A pastor shall serve until his pastorate is terminated by resignation or request by the Board of Elders.
TREASURER: DUTIES, PROCESS OF APPOINTMENT
The treasurer is the chief financial officer of the church. The treasurer is responsible for all matters relating to church finances. He will establish the procedures for collecting, counting, recording, depositing, dispensing, and reporting so that the monies contributed to the church are handled responsibly. He is also responsible for the accounting of the financial records and maintaining the proper state credentials required for (501) (c) (3) corporations. The financial procedures are found in the policy manual.
The treasurer is presented as a nominee at the May congregational meeting and chosen by a congregational vote of affirmation. The treasurer serves a two year term. He can serve as many terms as he is nominated and approved by the congregation at the annual meeting.
The Treasurer will have the qualifications of deacon.
CONGREGATIONAL MEETINGS
There shall be two official congregational meetings each year, in October and in May.
Special meetings may be called by the elders. The date and purpose of said meetings must be posted two weeks in advance and clearly announced to the congregation through the Sunday bulletin. Such meetings are not to be used as open forums for new business or debate, but are restricted to the stated purpose. The elders shall call a meeting upon written request from 20% of the membership. The reason is to be clearly stated. Said meeting is to be convened within four weeks after the filing of the request.
A quorum is necessary to transact any business at a congregational meeting. 20% of the active membership must be present at a congregational meeting to form a quorum. A majority vote of the voting members present at any constitutionally called congregational
meeting shall be required in all matters brought before the congregation for approval or decision, unless otherwise provided for in this constitution.
All LCC attendees are welcome to attend congregational meetings. Only members may introduce or vote on issues.
The Chairman of the Elder Board, or his appointee, shall moderate and establish the agenda for all congregational meetings.
The fiscal and program year for LCC shall extend from July 1 to June 30. A yearly report for the completed year will be drawn up and distributed to all active members during the month of July.
In the conduct of business, any parliamentary questions not covered by this Constitution shall be decided by the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.
ARTICLE V - Property Rights
If the church membership votes to dissolve and cease to function as a church, or if the membership should dissolve through some disaster, the property and assets will be distributed representatively among the organizations that sponsor the current missionaries on monthly support by
LCC, with the intent that said missionaries receive their support in ministry for up to four years.
ARTICLE VI - FINANCES
LCC will operate in a debt free manner.
Once the annual budget has been approved by the congregation, any unbudgeted expenditures that exceed 2% of the annual budget must be approved by a majority vote at a meeting where a quorum has been met.
Article VII - Provision for “By Laws” and “Policy Manual”
A supplement to this constitution known as The By-Laws of Leroy Community Chapel shall provide a vehicle to implement and carry out the principles outlined by the Constitution. Examples of items included in the By-laws are:
The Policy Manual of Leroy Community Chapel shall cover such items as:
New ”By Laws” or “Policy Manual” statements or changes to existing “By Laws” or “Policy Manual” statements will be presented to and reviewed by the Ministry Council and approved by the Elders.
ARTICLE VIII - AMENDMENTS
Amendments to this constitution may be made at any duly called congregational meeting when said amendments have been presented to the Board of Elders in writing with signatures of 20% of the voting membership and posted for at least one month prior to the congregational meeting. A two-thirds majority vote is required for passage of the amendment at a meeting where a quorum has been met.
BYLAWS
Preface
The Bylaws of Leroy Community Chapel are established by Article VII of the Constitution. The purpose and function of the By Laws as stated in the Constitution are: As a supplement to this constitution, The By Laws of Leroy Community Chapel shall provide a vehicle to implement and carry out the principles outlined by the Constitution. Examples of items included in the By Laws are:
Mission Statement
The mission of Leroy Community Chapel is to completely transform our family, community and world into devoted followers of Jesus Christ through the Word of God.
Core Values
The core values represent who we are as a church. They serve as a guide for writing this constitution, for decision making, and for the setting of priorities. They guide the implementation of all our ministries.
Membership Protocols
Application for Membership– Any person desiring to become a member of LCC shall make application to the membership committee, formed by the Board of Elders. The requirements for application are completion of:
Privileges of Membership
Responsibilities of Membership– Having received the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, we do now in the presence of God and this church joyfully and honorably enter into this covenant with one another as one body in Christ. We engage therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit:
“Peacemaker” Statement. To be added.
Discipline of Members– The purpose of church discipline is to affect a return to the Biblical standard of conduct and doctrine in a member who is caught in the trap of sin (Gal 6:1), to maintain moral purity in the church (I Cor 5:6) and to deter sin (I Tim 5:20). Any member of LCC who causes dissention through the promotion of false doctrine, persistently conducts himself in a manner inconsistent with Biblical teaching, blatantly seeks to destroy the unity or peace of the church shall be dealt with according to the guidelines of Matt 18:15-18.
Termination of Membership– Membership may be terminated in one of four ways: