CONSTITUTION
Winnsboro Reformed CHURCH[KEF1]
We, the members of Winnsboro
Reformed Church of Winnsboro, Texas, do ordain and establish the following
articles, to which we voluntarily submit ourselves.
ARTICLE 1
The name of this church is Winnsboro Reformed
Church
ARTICLE 2
The purpose of this church is to
glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. To
this end we are committed:
Ø
To
minister to the triune God through public worship.
Ø
To
minister to one another through
·
the
exercise of our talents and spiritual gifts,
·
fulfilling
our Scriptural responsibilities to one another.
Ø
To
minister to the world by evangelism, foreign missions and social
action.
ARTICLE 3
We adopt as the fullest expression
of our faith the London Confession of Faith of 1689 [and the Westminster Confession of faith,
except that in the matter of Baptism and Holy Communion the mode of the
sacraments shall be determined by the Head of Household.] [KEF2]
Although the ultimate authority in all matters of faith, order and morals is
and must be the Bible alone, we find [these] this historic confession[s]
to be an excellent summary of what we believe the Bible teaches. It is as such that it provides assistance in
controversy, confirmation in faith and edification in righteousness.
ARTICLE 4
Any person will be eligible for membership who professes repentance
toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, who has been baptized upon profession
of his faith,[KEF3]
[and] whose life and doctrine do not deny his profession and who expresses a
willingness to assume the responsibilities of members set forth in Section B of
this Article.
The stated meetings are all the services, the business meetings of the
membership and any special meetings which the elders may occasionally call.
The members must actively seek to cultivate acquaintance with one
another so that they may be better able to pray for one another; love, comfort,
and encourage one another; and help one another materially as necessity may
require (I Cor 12:12-31; Eph 4:11-16).
They must refrain from speaking ill of one another. Their differences and offenses with each
other must be handled in the manner taught in Scripture (Matt 5:23-24; 18:15-16;
Such discipline is mandated in the Scriptures for the threefold purpose
of:
Ø recovering the straying and fallen member
Ø maintaining the purity of the church
Ø upholding the honor of Christ’s name in the
earth.
Ø Bearing witness to Christ through deed and word (Matt
5:14-16;
Ø Praying. This is one way we enter into
the labors of others (II Cor 1:11;
Ø Giving. Members are responsible to
maintain the ongoing life and ministry of the church by their regular financial
gifts (I Cor 9:13-14; 16:2; II Cor 8-9).
There may be varying levels of understanding, [inquiry] and conviction,
yet he must promise not to spread doctrine contrary to the Confession and must
be willing to hear preaching that may be contrary to his beliefs.
Each person desiring membership in the church must meet with the elders
who will examine him as to his eligibility prescribed in Section A and his
responsibilities in Section B.
If the applicant is or has been a member of another church, his
standing in that church and his reasons for leaving will be discussed. At the discretion of the elders, the former
church may be contacted concerning these matters.
Upon satisfactory examination of the person, the elders will announce
the same to the congregation at a stated meeting of the church. Time will be allowed for members to talk with
the applicant and, if necessary, to raise questions with the elders concerning
the applicant’s manner of life or doctrine.
If no objection is raised of such a serious nature as to unfit the
candidate for membership, or upon satisfactory resolution of the problem, the
applicant will be accepted by the elders and members and received publicly by
the members at a stated meeting of the church.
The membership status of any whose relationship to the church involves
abnormal circumstances preventing them from fulfilling membership
responsibilities will be considered and determined as each case arises
(invalids, missionaries, students, members in transit, etc.).
All
decisions regarding termination of membership [under the terms of discipline or
suspected disciplinary needs][KEF6]
must have the approval of two-thirds of the members present and voting at a
properly called business meeting. (See Article 7)
There may be those who for reasons of
difference in doctrine or practice are not eligible or do not choose to be
members but nevertheless otherwise fully participate in and support the church
and her mission. These persons will be
considered “Friends of the Church”. At
the elder’s discretion, the Friends of the Church may be invited to participate
and vote in certain business meetings of the church.]
[KEF7] ARTICLE 5
God has ordained that the members of the church have a mutually
sanctifying effect on one another. Each
is called to participate in the full-orbed life of the church in order that the
body may build itself up in love. There
is to be mutual edification as each member exercises his gifts and graces, and
seeks to promote the holiness of the rest (Heb 3:12-13; 10:24).
This mutual concern for one another’s sanctification will aid us in
being kept from sin, in recovering from sin, and in growing in likeness to
Jesus Christ. The lack of this formative
discipline or the spurning of it makes the application of a more formal
corporate discipline necessary.
Corporate
discipline becomes necessary when disorderly conduct or heretical doctrine
appears which is contrary to the church’s standard of life and doctrine. All reasonable efforts will be made to
resolve difficulties, remove offenses and correct errors through counsel and
admonition before more drastic steps are taken (Gal 6:1; Jas 5:19-20). No offenses will be brought before the church
until the instructions of Christ have first been followed or at least attempted
(Matt 5:23-24; 18:15-16).
Corporate
discipline always aims:
Ø
to
recover the straying and fallen,
Ø
to
maintain the purity of the church,
Ø
to
uphold the honor of Christ’s name in the earth.
Although
such a person is considered to be walking disorderly, and is therefore under
this discipline, he must still be regarded as a member and not as one cut off
from the church (II Thes 3:15).
Nevertheless, serious offenses will not be overlooked altogether, lest
God’s enemies be given opportunity to blaspheme, lest other saints be
encouraged to sin and lest the offender be harmed by a failure to test his own
soul and realize the seriousness of his offense.
Therefore, at the discretion of the elders, lesser terms of discipline
may be imposed upon a member such as public rebuke or suspension of certain
rights and privileges of membership. An
attitude of acceptance and compassion should especially be communicated by the
membership in its discipline of one showing hopeful signs of repentance.
All
suspensions will be reported to the church by the elders and will remain in
force until the suspended member gives evidence of true repentance and change
of conduct. The lifting of the
suspension will be done at the discretion of the elders and reported to the
church.
If a member in good standing relocates to another church without resigning
his membership, the elders will call for his exclusion.
Not all unsettled problems involving varying degrees of sin are
deserving of the most severe discipline of excommunication. Exclusion is a lesser discipline that removes
one from membership but does not consider him as an unbeliever. If a person requests to be released from
membership who is not in completely good standing due to some problem or
unsettled difference, he may be excluded from the membership (II Thes 3:6-15).
This will be done with due admonition and reproof and only applies to
infractions that are not deemed to be deserving of excommunication (i.e.,
offenses that do not deny or negate their Christian profession).
All exclusions from membership must have the approval of two-thirds of
the members present and voting at a properly called business meeting.
Before such action is taken, earnest efforts must be made to bring the
offender to repentance (Matt 18:15-17; Tit 3:10-11).
If these efforts fail, and the elders believe the accused is guilty and
deserving of severe discipline, then at a properly called meeting of the
membership, they will state the charges against the offender and recommend that
he be excommunicated.
An act of excommunication must have the approval of two-thirds of the
members present and voting at a properly called business meeting.
A member
who persists in propagating or holding any such opinion, in spite of earnest
and patient admonition by the elders, will be excommunicated in the same manner
as the person in “a” above.
Upon
recommendation of the elders, the members will have the right to restore an
excommunicated person by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at
a properly called business meeting.
ARTICLE 6
Jesus Christ alone is the Head of His Church (
These are [probably][KEF8]
interchangeable names designating one and the same office (Acts 20:17,28; Eph
4:11,12; Tit 1:5,7).
Ø
its
ministry to those with material needs,
Ø
its
business and financial affairs,
Ø
the
maintenance of its building and grounds.
Their
diligent service should enable the elders to devote themselves without
distraction to the ministry of the Word and prayer (Acts 6:1-4).
General Statement:
It is Christ, the Head of the church, who equips and calls those He
wants to serve as officers in His church.
The Lord’s appointment is recognized both by the conviction of the
individual that he is called, and by the conviction of the church that Christ
has indeed given him the necessary godliness and ability for office
bearing. So the church, under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit and according to the principle of need, should be
endeavoring to discover and formally recognize all the men whom Christ by the
Holy Spirit is setting over it (Acts 20:28).
Procedure:
If the
majority of the members present and voting are against him continuing in
office, then a special meeting will be held and the procedure of paragraph 2
will be followed.
In order to “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,” this
church has been incorporated under the laws of the state of
The Directors will perform such legal and business transactions as are
designated to them by the laws of the State of
ARTICLE 7
CONGREGATIONAL BUSINESS MEETINGS
There shall be an annual business meeting of the membership for the
hearing of reports and the transaction of such other business as may properly
be brought before the meeting. Special
business meetings may be called at other times at the discretion of the elders.
Notice of all membership meetings shall be given at regular worship
services on two successive Lord’s Days immediately prior to the meetings.
However, in the case of an emergency, a meeting may be called on
shorter notice by notifying local members of the time, place and purpose of the
meeting. A member unable to attend an
emergency meeting because of previous commitments may cast a written absentee
vote with an elder prior to the meeting.
Other meetings may be called on shorter notice when no vote is to be
taken or business transacted.
A quorum at any meeting where business is to be transacted shall
consist of fifty percent of the local voting members in good standing. Members are asked to notify the elders if
they are unable to attend.
Any member present at a business meeting who is in good standing and is
eighteen years of age or over[KEF12]
may vote on any matter brought before the members.
Because the church is one body in Christ, unanimity of heart and mind
shall at all times be sought and prayed for (Acts 6:5), but when unanimity is
not realized, at least a two-thirds majority of members present and voting
shall be required to make a resolution valid.
In other matters wherein the Constitution requires a different
proportion of the vote, this two-thirds figure will be overridden by the
express statements of the Constitution regarding those categories of business.
ARTICLE 8
When it is thought desirable to have
fellowship, consultation and cooperation with local churches of like faith and
order, this church may join itself to associations of churches.
Upon recommendation of the elders,
such affiliations may be entered by a two-thirds vote of the membership.
Withdrawal from associations may be affected by a majority vote of the
membership.
Although we may seek the assistance and
counsel of other churches in matters of special concern to us, the decision of
no other church or group of churches shall at any time be acknowledged as
binding on this church.[KEF13]
ARTICLE 9
The work of this church is
financially dependent upon the voluntary gifts of God’s people. Before the annual congregational meeting, the
elders shall obtain from the deacons a prepared budget detailing the proposed
expenditures for the coming year.
When this budget is approved by a
vote of the membership, no one is authorized to overspend the budget without
membership approval except that the elders and deacons may make necessary
individual expenditures up to 2% of the total budgeted expenses.
ARTICLE 10
In the event of the dissolution of
Covenant Reformed Baptist Church as a non-profit corporation, the assets of the
corporation shall be given and paid over to a non-profit corporation(s) of like
faith and practice as determined by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE 11
This Constitution may be amended by
a two-thirds majority of the [local][KEF14]
members present and voting at a properly called meeting of the membership,
provided that the amendment was distributed to the membership in written form
at least two weeks prior to such a meeting.
[KEF1]Name was changed on 10/03/07 by unanimous vote
[KEF2]It has been agreed that the Sacraments of Communion and Baptism must be honored, and yet the MODE is not an essential of that honor. Therefore the Head of Household (HOH) is the individual that shall seek and determine the MODE of implementation of the Sacraments, after his or her own understanding and conscience. Now, since the two MODES are essentially addressed differently by these two separate but equally important Confessions, let us adopt them both with the proviso that the HOH makes the delicate decision as to the material substance.
[KEF3]Should be struck because it enumerates an adult decision and conflicts with the Article 3.
[KEF4]See notes on Article Three
[KEF5]Our form of government is not a democracy.
[KEF6]This assures the right of appeal to the congregation, and requires that the Elders openly discuss and get closure on such a monumental event, and also allows normal disassociation to occur without a special meeting, or waiting to carry out simple administrative functions for a meeting that may or may not be forthcoming in a timely fashion.
[KEF7]This add-on was made to reflect the presence of those that are currently in-the-middle on the decision making process, and or, awaiting amendments to the Constitution document.
[KEF8]This is a matter that has been subject to interpretation for centuries. Lets us go cautiously in some areas of interpretation.
[KEF9]It has been a common expression that there are some disagreements with both of the "Major" Confessions, therefore it is good to allow for the nominal disagreements to be accounted for.
[KEF10]Insurance of continuity of the Church in event of some disaster.
[KEF11]Takes into consideration that we in 2007 and some months later have no "installed" elders to perform this act internally.
[KEF12]This was struck so that the Head of Household authority may be maintained. As a subjective annotation I believe the mode of determination should be one of the HOH should ask the Elders for conformation that the youth is mature enough to vote, age not being the determining factor. A majority vote of the elders being sufficient to approve but may be overridden by a 3/4 majority of the congregation appeal.
[KEF13]We surly need to address this issue if we are indeed seeking inclusion in one of the Reformed Denominations.
[KEF14]While it is important that the views of all members be considered it is equally important that the vote be conducted on the basis of those in attendance and not by proxy. We have members and friends that are on fields far away and there input is important but those present in the community shall have the vote and shall constitute the means of determination.