ARTICLE I
NAME
The Church shall be called the First Congregational Church of Dunbarton, hereinafter referred to as the Church.
ARTICLE II
MISSION AND POLITY
Section 1
Mission
To live according to God’s teachings, believing in the
worth of all persons, to build an outreaching, supportive community, to foster
individual spiritual growth, and to provide for all ages the experience of
Christian values through teaching and example.
Section 2
Polity and Authority Residing Solely in the Church
A. Polity.
The Church’s government is vested in the body of believers who comprise
it. It is subject to the control of
no other ecclesiastical body, but it recognizes and sustains the obligations of
mutual counsel and cooperation which are common among congregations of the
United Church of Christ, and it is in fellowship with all churches which
acknowledge Jesus the Christ to be their divine Redeemer and Lord.
B. Authority
Residing Solely in the Church. Authority
to call or dismiss a pastor, approve persons for membership in the Church,
terminate membership in the Church except by the member’s request, adopt or
alter budgets
(special exception noted in Section 2 Paragraph C), incur indebtedness, sell Church property, or make capital
improvements to the Church property shall rest with the Church alone, such
action to be decided upon at a business meeting of the Church called for that
purpose under the provisions of Article IV, Section 2C.
Nothing in this section shall affect the ability of the Trustees to make
emergency repairs to Church property should they deem such action necessary for
safety or for protection of property from further damage.
C. Church Council Limited Budget modification Authority. The Church grants authority to the Church Council to alter the church budget under special circumstances when unplanned (unexpected?) expenses arise if such a change is not projected to create a net deficit result for the calendar year. The maximum allowable adjustment shall not exceed 2% of the total annual budget figure.
Section 3
Doctrine
The Church receives the Scripture as its authority in
matters of faith and practice. Its
understanding of Christian truth as contained therein is in accordance with the
Affirmation of Faith as published by the United Church of Christ.
ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1 Qualifications
All baptized Christians who are at least fourteen years
old and who accept the Church’s Covenant, after consultation with the Pastor
or Deacons, or with the Church itself, may by expression of intent and by a vote
of the Church become members of the Church.
Section 2
Reception
Individuals shall normally be received into membership
during a worship service, and may be received by: 1) Confession of Faith, 2)
Letter of Transfer from another Church, or 3) Affirmation of Baptism through the
Rite of Confirmation after appropriate instruction.
Section 3
Responsibilities and Rights of Membership
Members shall, to the best of their ability, regularly
attend the worship services of the Church, regularly give to its support and to
its missions, and share in its work and activities. Members may vote at all business meetings of the Church, hold
Church office, chair Church Boards and Committees, and represent the Church
within the Associations and Conferences of the United Church of Christ and other
related bodies.
Section 4 Termination
of Membership
A. Transfer to Another Church. Any member who desires a letter of dismissal and
recommendation to another church is entitled to receive it upon written request.
B. Resignation.
If a member requests to be released from his or her covenant obligations
to the Church, after it shall have patiently and kindly endeavored to secure the
member’s continuance in its fellowship, such a request shall be granted and
the individual released from membership.
C. Termination.
In special circumstances, the Church reserves the right, after due notice
and hearing and kindly effort at reconciliation, to remove a member from the
membership roles.
Section 5
Friends of the Church
Friends of the Church are those individuals not yet
members who fulfill all other expectations of membership as noted in Section 3
above. These members are eligible
to serve on boards and committees as noted in Article VIII.
ARTICLE IV
MEETINGS OF THE CHURCH
Section 1
For Worship
A. Public
services of worship shall be held weekly on Sundays with special exceptions.
Religious services, except weddings and funerals, shall require approval
of the Board of Deacons.
B. The
Lord’s Supper shall generally be celebrated upon the first Sunday of each
month and at other times as the Board of Deacons may determine.
Section 2
For Business
A. Annual
Meeting. The Church business year
shall close December 31. The Annual
Meeting of the Church shall be held in January after the 15th, at
which time the annual reports shall be presented, elections held, the annual
budget adopted, and such other business transacted as may be specified in the
call or authorized in the bylaws.
B. Other
Business Meetings. Other business
meetings may be called by the Church Council, Pastor, Moderator, a board by
majority vote, or any five active members.
C. Call to
Business Meetings. The call to all
business meetings, with the exception of meetings called for the purposes noted
in paragraph D, shall be issued by the Clerk.
The call shall be posted and read from the pulpit by the Pastor, or in
the Pastor’s absence, by the Moderator, Vice-moderator, or clerk, on the two
Sundays preceding the meeting date. The
specific purposes of the meeting shall be included in the call.
D. Meetings
may be called without prior notice for the purpose of acting upon the reception
of members or upon the appointment of delegates, but not upon other business.
E. Quorum.
Ten (10) members or 10% of the membership, whichever is greater, shall
constitute a quorum.
ARTICLE V
PASTOR
Section 1
The Call
A minister, herein referred to as the Pastor, shall be
called by the Church to be its Pastor and Teacher. The terms of the call shall be clearly stated in the written
covenant between the Church and the minister.
Section 2
Duties
The Pastor shall:
A. with the
assistance of the Board of Deacons be in charge of the spiritual welfare of the
congregation;
B. have
general oversight of all public worship services, and preach the Word and
administer the Sacraments;
C. be an
ex-officio member without vote of the Church Council and of all church boards
and committees, and have general oversight of their proceedings;
D. especially
call on the ill and home-bound and be generally available to preside at weddings
and funerals of the families of the community;
E. participate
in community organizations and activities as appropriate, and minister as needed
to community residents who do not have a relationship with a church;
F. along
with church delegates and others as appropriate, represent the Church at
gatherings of the Merrimack Association and New Hampshire Conference of the
United Church of Christ; and
G. make a
report to each meeting of the Church Council, and a written report to the Annual
Meeting.
Section 3
Selection
A. Whenever
a vacancy occurs, the Nominating Committee shall nominate a minimum of five
Church members to serve on a Pastoral Search Committee, which shall be elected
at a business meeting of the Church called for that specific purpose.
B. The
Pastoral Search Committee will select a candidate to recommend to the Church
membership. Upon a two-third vote
at a business meeting, called for that purpose, the candidate will be called by
the Church.
Section 4
Resignation or Dismissal
Should the Pastor decide to render his or her resignation, he or she may do so at any time provided such notice is given as stated in the Call of the Pastor. The Church may dismiss a pastor upon two-third vote of the Church at a business meeting called specifically for the purpose of such a vote. The Church shall give such notice of the Pastor’s dismissal as is stated in the Call of the Pastor.
ARTICLE VI
OFFICERS
Section 1
General
Officers shall be elected at an Annual Meeting to serve
for three years except as noted and their term of office shall begin at the
close of the meeting at which they are elected.
The Church Council may appoint an individual to fill any office that
becomes vacant, such appointment to be until the next Annual Meeting.
No member shall hold more than one office at a time, and no officer
except the Treasurer and the Clerk shall be eligible to serve more than two
consecutive full three-year terms in the same office.
Individuals need to be members to hold office.
Section 2
Officers
A. Moderator.
The Moderator shall preside at all business meetings of the Church and of
the Church Council, and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by
the Church or Church Council, including making appointments to such committees
as the Church or Church Council may establish.
The Moderator shall make a written report to the Annual Meeting.
B. Vice-Moderator.
The Vice-Moderator shall perform the duties of the Moderator in the
Moderator’s absence.
C. Clerk. The Clerk shall keep a complete record of:
1) the transactions of all Church Council and business meetings of the Church, which shall be presented at the next meeting for approval;
2) membership in the church to include the names of members with dates of admission and dismissal or death, and publish a list of same in each Annual Report;
3) marriages and baptisms conducted in the church facilities to include names, dates, and other pertinent information as the Church may determine; and
4) all communications and written official reports.
The Clerk shall also:
5) notify all officers, members of the Church Council, boards, committees, and delegates of their election or appointment;
6) issue letters of dismissal and recommendation;
7) give notice of all business meetings where such notice is required by these bylaws; and
8) make a written report to the
Annual Business Meeting of the Church.
D. Assistant
Clerk. The Assistant Clerk shall
perform the duties of the Clerk in the Clerk’s absence.
E. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall:
1) maintain all the financial accounts of the Church, except those of the Deacons’ Fund, Youth Group Fund, and certain other funds as determined by the Church;
2) receive, acknowledge, and deposit in appropriate Church bank accounts all moneys received by the Church, except for funds exempted in paragraph 1) above;
3) issue quarterly reports to persons who have made pledges to the Church;
4) disburse moneys as authorized; and
5) make a written report to the
Annual Meeting, and reports to the Board of Trustees, Church Council, and Pastor
as requested.
F. Assistant
Treasurer. The Assistant Treasurer
shall perform the duties of the Treasurer in the Treasurer’s absence.
G. Auditor. The Auditor shall be elected on a year different from that of the Treasurer. The Auditor shall annually examine all of the financial accounts of the Church, and shall present a written report of the findings at each Annual Meeting.
ARTICLE VII
CHURCH COUNCIL
Section 1
Membership
The Church Council shall consist of the Moderator,
Vice-Moderator, Clerk, Treasurer, Chairpersons of the four boards (Trustees,
Deacons, CE, Missions) and the chairperson of the Stewardship Committee or their
designated representative, and two members-at-large elected by the Church for
alternating two-year terms. The
Pastor shall be an ex-officio member without vote. Six voting members of the Council shall constitute a quorum.
Section 2
Function and Authority
A. The
Church Council shall act as an executive committee between business meetings of
the Church and shall, in cooperation with the Pastor, be responsible for the
advancement of the Church’s mission and ministry, and for coordination of its
planning, goal setting, and activities.
B. The
Church Council may establish committees for specific purposes not otherwise
delegated to the boards or other entities, and may appoint interim members to
fill vacant positions until persons are elected by the Church.
C. The
Church Council’s authority shall not extend to those matters which must be
acted upon by the Church alone, as stated in Article II, Section 2B.
Authority Residing Solely in the Church.
Section 3
Meetings
The Church Council shall meet monthly September through
June, and may meet as needed during the summer months.
A special meeting of the Church Council may be called by the Moderator,
Pastor, three members of the Church Council, or by the Church.
All meetings of the Church Council shall be open to the presence of other
church members, except that the Church Council may, upon majority vote of its
members present, go into executive session when dealing with issues of
confidentiality.
ARTICLE VIII
BOARDS AND COMMITTEES
Section 1
General
There shall be four boards, each of which shall have responsibility and oversight for a specific area of endeavor as indicated:
Christian Education Faith Development
Deacons Worship and Spiritual Life
Missions Mission beyond the Local Church
Trustees
Finance
and Property
Section 2
Membership
Section 3
Responsibility and Authority
A. Each
board shall be responsible to the Church, and to the Church Council between
business meetings of the Church. Each
board shall issue a written report to the Annual Meeting, and shall report at
each meeting of the Church Council.
B. Each
board and committee shall have authority to act within its area of endeavor and
to spend funds allocated to it in the Annual Budget or other appropriation by
the Church as it deems appropriate.
C. Should
the Church Council disagree with any action of a board, it may at any Church
Council meeting negate or modify the board’s action.
Should a board wish to appeal a Church Council decision relating to its
action, it may appeal to the Church at any business meeting of the Church.
Should the Church disagree with any action of a board, it may, at any
properly called business meeting, negate or modify the board’s action.
Section 4
Meetings
Each board shall meet monthly September through June,
and may meet as needed during the summer months.
Special meetings may be called by the Chair, any three members, Pastor,
or Church Council. Three voting
members shall constitute a quorum.
Section 5
Board of Christian Education
A. The
Board shall have general oversight of the Christian Education program of the
Church, and shall seek to provide educational opportunities for persons of all
ages.
B. In
addition to the five elected members, the Church School Superintendent, the
Youth Group Advisor, and a member of the Youth Group selected by the Youth Group
with concurrence of the Youth Group Advisor, shall be ex-officio members with
vote.
C. The Board shall have oversight for and, where appropriate, shall select the directors of:
1) the Church School and the selection of curriculum,
2) Sunday morning child care with an educational component as appropriate,
3) the Youth Program,
4) Adult Bible study and/or other adult educational programs, and
5) any other educational
programs, such as Vacation Bible School, it may develop.
D. The
Board shall appoint annually one of its members to serve on the Pastoral
Relations Committee.
Section 6
Board of Deacons
A. The Board shall, in cooperation with the Pastor, have general oversight of the worship and spiritual life of the Church. The Deacons shall:
1) assist the Pastor in the planning and conduct of regular and special services of worship as needed, and assist in the administration of the sacraments;
2) arrange for supply ministers in the absence of the Pastor, and for interim ministers during periods when the Church has no called Pastor;
3) provide for an offering for the Deacon’s Fund at each regular celebration
of the Sacrament of the Lord’s supper, and at other times it may determine, and use the Fund to assist those in need in the community;
4) provide leadership in evangelism and the promotion of Church membership;
5) conduct an annual review of the Church membership and make recommendations as outline in Article III Membership; and
6) appoint annually one of its
members to serve on the Pastoral Relations Committee.
B. Committees of the Board of Deacons
1) Music Committee
A Music Committee shall be a committee of the Board of Deacons and is responsible to it. The Committee shall have general oversight of the music, except selection of hymns, provided for worship and other occasions. The Committee shall select organists and the choir director. The Committee
shall consist of at least three
members. The Choir will select one
member and the Board of Deacons will select two members.
All appointments shall be for two-year terms.
2) Flower Committee
A Flower Committee shall be a
committee of the Board of Deacons and is responsible to it.
The Committee shall have general oversight of flowers in the sanctuary.
The Committee shall consist of one or more persons appointed by the
Deacons for two-year terms.
Section 7
Board of Missions
The Board of Missions shall have
general oversight of the Church’s local and wider mission.
The Board shall:
1) provide the Church with information relating to missions;
2) develop and lead the Church in the support of mission activities to assist persons beyond the Church membership, both in the local community and in the world beyond;
3) publicize and advocate for the United Church of Christ’s Our Church’s Wider Mission (OCWM) basic support;
4) publicize and conduct
special offerings sponsored by the United Church of Christ, and other mission
programs.
Section 8
Board of Trustees
A. In
addition to the Board’s five elected members, the Treasurer shall be an
ex-officio member without vote.
B. The Board shall have general oversight of Church property and finances. The Board shall:
1) receive, supervise, and maintain all capital assets of the Church to include securities, buildings, grounds, furnishings and equipment, except those held by the Board of Deacons;
2) maintain a list of transactions and an inventory of the above items, and report any changes in the Annual Report;
3) have general charge of the Church’s finances under the approved budget and general oversight of the payments of moneys authorized in the Church budget;
4) prepare, in consultation with the several church boards and committees having financial requirements, a written Annual Church Budget for review by the December monthly Church Council meeting and for action by the Annual Meeting of the Church;
5) authorize and direct the Treasurer as to payments of money under its control;
6) review insurance policies annually and provide for their updating as needed;
7) arrange for maintenance and janitorial services as needed;
8) make recommendations to the Church for action at a Business Meeting of the Church relating to:
a) capital improvements to Church property,
b) sale of Church property, or
c) borrowing of money from any Church fund, bank, or lending institution, and
9) appoint members to the
Stewardship Committee as indicated below and supervise its activities as
indicated in these bylaws.
Section 9
Committees of the Church Council
A. Stewardship Committee.
The Stewardship Committee shall be a special committee of the Church
Council and responsible to it. The
Committee, under the guidance and direction of the Church Council, shall be
responsible for the coordinating, and providing consultation as needed, for all
fund raising activities of the Church. The
Committee will organize and carry out the Annual Stewardship Campaign, and will
oversee a Planned Giving initiative for the Church.
The Committee will consist of at least three elected members.
B. Communications Committee. The Communications Committee shall be a special committee of
the Church Council and responsible to it. The
Committee, under the guidance of the Church Council, shall be responsible for
developing and coordinating the external communications of the Church,
overseeing an out reach plan, and overseeing public relations activities.
The Committee shall consist of at least three individuals. The
Communications Chair or a representative shall attend monthly Church Council
meetings as an ex-officio member without vote.
Section 10
Standing Committees of the Church
A. Nominating
Committee. The Committee shall be
responsible for developing a slate of candidates for all elected positions
provided for in these bylaws, excepting candidates for the Nominating Committee.
The Committee shall maintain job descriptions for all elected positions.
The Committee shall consist of three members, elected for three year
terms, one expiring each year.
B. Pastoral Relations Committee
1) The Committee shall meet with the Pastor at least quarterly to review and discuss concerns of the Pastor and the Church. In order to encourage and open and honest dialogue between the Pastor and the Committee members, all matters discussed at meetings of the Committee shall be kept confidential, unless otherwise agreed to by the Pastor and the Committee members.
2) In the event there is evidence that either the Church or the Pastor is in imminent danger, the Committee may, by two-thirds vote, consult and share information with the Conference Minister, or take whatever other emergency measures it may deem necessary.
3) The Committee shall make a written report to the Annual Meeting of the Church, indicating the frequency of the Committee meetings, and possibly, without violating confidentiality, the general categories of concerns discussed.
4) The Committee shall consist
of one Deacon and one member of the Board of Christian Education, chosen by
their respective boards, and another member of the Church chosen by the Pastor,
all for one-year terms, not to exceed three consecutive terms.
ARTICLE IX
DELEGATES
The Church is entitled to official representation in
meetings of the Merrimack Association of the United Church of Christ and the New
Hampshire Conference of the United Church of Christ.
The number of delegates is determined by the bylaw`s of those
organizations. Delegates to these
organizations shall be elected at the Annual Meeting of the Church, or at
another business meeting, to serve one-year terms.
Delegates shall make reports to the Church, and a written report to the
Annual Meeting. Reasonable expenses
for these delegates shall be paid by the Church.
ARTICLE X
RESOLUTION OF
GRIEVANCES AND OFFENSES
Should any unhappy differences arise between members, the aggrieved members shall follow, in a tender spirit, the rule given by our Lord in the Eighteenth Chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew.
Should a member become an offense to the Church by
reason of immoral or un-Christian conduct, or by persistent breach of his
covenant vows, the issue shall be brought to the Church Council, in executive
session, and dealt with in accordance with the Disciplinary Procedures section
of the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised to
ensure the thoroughness and confidentiality of the process. Findings may range from exoneration to termination of
membership.
ARTICLE XI
PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The rules contained in the current edition of Roberts
Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the conduct of business meetings
of the Church in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are
not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Church may
adopt.
ARTICLE XII
AMENDMENTS
These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the
members present and voting at any Annual Meeting of the Church or at a meeting
of the Church specifically called for that purpose, provided the proposed
amendments have been submitted in writing by posting in the church building and
by making copies available to the members not less than one month before the
time of the proposed action.
01/24/2010
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