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of
FIRST MONCTON UNITED BAPTIST CHURCH
EFFECTIVE APRIL 21, 1983
(with changes up to March 1, 2002)
Note: Where
masculine appears, the feminine also applies.
Where singular appears, the plural may also
apply.
ARTICLE I
This church, organized June 8th,
1828 shall be called the First Moncton United Baptist Church.
ARTICLE II
Changes in the Constitution shall be made at the
Annual Business Meeting of the Church. Notice of a proposed change shall be given by printing the proposed
change in the Church Bulletin for the three Sundays preceding the Annual
business Meeting.
Changes must be
approved by a majority of two-thirds of the eligible voters present.
ARTICLE III
By-Laws to this
Constitution shall be reviewed by the Church Executive at least once a year.
Changes to the By-Laws can be made at any Special
business Meeting of the church called specifically for that purpose.
Proposed changes in the By-Laws shall be printed in
the church bulletin on the two Sundays preceding the Special Business Meeting.
Nothing in the By-Laws
shall conflict with any article in the Constitution.
Any individual member or group of members can propose
changes to the By-Laws by presenting the proposed changes in writing to the
Church Executive.
ARTICLE IV
A quorum for business to be conducted shall be as
follows: Annual Business Meeting - sixty (60) members; Special Business Meeting
- thirty-five members (35) members; special Business Meeting called to
authorize expenditure of funds - sixty (60) members.
ARTICLE V
The objectives of the
First Moncton United Baptist Church shall be:
(a) to seek to be in harmony with
the purpose of Christ's Church as declared in the New Testament;
(b) to maintain regular public worship with the preaching of the Gospel;
(c) to conduct the ordinances of believers' baptism and the Communion of the
Lord's Supper;
(d) to promote evangelism and support missionary endeavours as approved by
the Church;
(e) to support all righteous causes as agreed to by the church membership
after prayerful consideration;
(f) to support the Atlantic United Baptist Convention in everything
conducive to the harmony and prosperity of the Church of Jesus Christ.
ARTICLE VI
Persons who have made a public profession of faith in
Jesus Christ and been baptized by immersion, upon recommendation by the Board
of Deacons and an affirmative vote of the church membership, shall be admitted
to the membership in this church.
New members shall
normally receive the right Hand of Fellowship at a Communion Service.
ARTICLE VII
Dismission from membership of this church shall be
upon recommendation of the Board of deacons and the affirmative vote of the
church membership.
ARTICLE VIII
Only church members shall be eligible to serve on
church Boards, the Executive, or be eligible for appointment as delegates to
the Westmorland-Kent Association or the Atlantic United baptist convention
meetings. Adherents shall be eligible to
serve on Committees and all those who love the Lord in sincerity are invited to
the Lord's Table to partake of the Elements.
ARTICLE IX
There shall be a Church Executive formed to generally
oversee and co-ordinate the work of the church Boards and Committees.
ARTICLE X
There shall be a senior pastor who shall have the
responsibility for the total ministry of the church under the direction of the
Board of Deacons.
There may be, when and as required, Assistant or
Associate Ministers whose duties shall be outlined by the Board of Deacons in
consultation with the Senior Pastor.
When any of the pastoral staff resigns, the
resignation shall first be presented to the Board of Deacons who shall present
it to the Church executive at a regular or specially called meeting of that
body. The Church executive shall then
present the resignation to the Church at a Special Business Meeting called for
the purpose of dealing with the resignation.
Within two weeks of the acceptance of the resignation
of any members of the pastoral staff, a Pulpit Committee shall be formed. After due search and consideration, one name
only shall be presented to a special meeting of the church membership. This meeting to be announced on two of the
Sunday morning services prior to the proposed date of the meeting.
Voting shall be by
secret ballot.
ARTICLE XI
The church membership, at each Annual Business
Meeting, shall elect a Moderator and Vice-Moderator. The term of office in each case shall be for
no more than three consecutive years.
ARTICLE XII
The church membership,
at each Annual Business Meeting, shall elect a Church Clerk.
The church membership, at each Annual Business
Meeting, shall elect a membership secretary who shall work closely with the
church clerk.
ARTICLE XIII
The church membership,
at each Annual business Meeting, shall elect a Treasurer and Assistant
Treasurer.
ARTICLE XIV
The church membership, at each Annual business
Meeting, shall elect a Financial Secretary and an Assistant Financial
Secretary.
ARTICLE XV
An auditor shall be appointed by the church membership
at the Annual Business Meeting to make an audit of all financial revenues,
expenditures, and transactions of the Church, and present a written report at
the Annual Business Meeting following his appointment.
ARTICLE XVI
The signing officers of the Church shall be any two of
the following: the Chair of the Board of Trustees or in the Chair’s absence the
Vice Chair or in both their absences the Church Clerk and the Church Treasurer
or in the Treasurer’s absence the Assistant Church Treasurer.
ARTICLE XVII
A Board of Deacons consisting of fifteen members shall
be charged with the overseeing of spiritual matters in the Church.
Vacancies on the Board
shall be filled by vote of the church membership at the Annual Business
Meeting.
Deacons Emeriti may be appointed by a vote of the church
membership at the Annual Business Meeting upon recommendation of the Board of
Deacons.
Deacons actively serving on the Board and former
deacons will form a Fellowship of Deacons who shall be available at the call of
the Chairman of the Board of Deacons, to confer on matters pertaining to the
spiritual welfare of the Church.
ARTICLE XVIII
A Board of trustees consisting of twelve members shall
hold in trust, all property and Trust Funds as laid down in the Act of
Incorporation, passed April 12th, 1855, and amendments thereto.
They shall carry out the duties as provided in the Act
of Incorporation and managed all affairs relating thereto.
Vacancies on the Board
shall be filled by a vote of the church membership at the Annual Business
Meeting.
ARTICLE XIX
A Board of Christian Education consisting of twelve
members shall supervise and maintain a comprehensive program of Christian
education in the Church.
Vacancies on the Board
shall be filled by a vote of the church membership at the Annual Business
Meeting.
ARTICLE
XX
At each annual meeting, upon recommendation of the
Nominating Committee, and by a vote of the church membership, delegates and
committees, as established by the By-Laws, shall be appointed.
ARTICLE XXI
A Nominating Committee shall be elected at each Annual
Business Meeting which shall be charged with presenting a full list of proposed
Board members, officers, and committees, as contained in the Constitution and
By-Laws, to the next Annual business Meeting.
ARTICLE XXII
The Church will normally meet in the Church building
each Lord's Day at 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. or as changed from time to time by
the Board of Deacons.
The format of the church services shall be as approved
by the Board of Deacons in consultation with the pastoral staff.
The Ordinance of the Lord's Supper shall normally be
observed at the morning service on the first Sunday of each month, or at other
times, as may be deemed advisable by the Board of Deacons.
A Midweek Service for prayer and Bible study shall be
held at a time and place designated by the Board of Deacons.
ARTICLE XXIII
The Annual Business Meeting shall be held in the month
of February, not later than the 15th of that month unless otherwise decided by
the Executive, at which all necessary annual business of the Church shall be
conducted.
The meeting shall be organized and chaired by the
Moderator, or in the absence of the Moderator, by the Vice-Moderator. In the absence of both, the meeting shall
elect a chairman from the membership present.
Notice of the Annual Business Meeting shall be given
from the pulpit and in the Church bulletin on the three Sundays preceding the
Annual Business Meeting.
Special meetings may be called by the Church
Executive, Board of Deacons, Board of Trustees, Board of Christian Education,
or by twenty (20) members presenting a written request to the Church Clerk.
Special meetings shall be announced from the pulpit
and in the bulletin on two Sundays preceding the date of the proposed
meeting. Announcement of the meeting
shall clearly state the reason for the meeting, and only the stated business
may be dealt with at the Special Business Meeting.
ARTICLE XXIV
This Constitution and
By-Laws shall be printed and made available to every church member and
adherent.
ARTICLE XXV
This Constitution has been accepted at a duly
constituted Business Meeting of the church membership held on April 21st, 1983.
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Moderator: Mrs. Jessie Fitch
Chairman Board of
Deacons: Mr. Rupert Tingley
Chairman Board of
Trustees: Mr. Graham Steeves
Chairman Board of Christian
Education: Mr. Gordon Manning
Church Clerk: Mr. Perley Steeves
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