Bylaws
By-laws
Calgary Grace and Truth Church
Article I. Membership
1. Criteria for Membership
Membership at Calgary Grace and Truth Church is open to all who meet the following membership criteria:
a) A credible testimony of a personal salvation experience in Jesus Christ.
b) Baptism upon confession of personal faith in Jesus Christ.
c) Agreement with and support of the Church Statement of Faith.
d) Evidence of a Christian life and the Lordship of Jesus Christ as manifested through the fruit of the Holy Spirit as described in Galatians 5:19-26.
e) Commitment to engage in the life of the church through mutual commitment and interdependence with other like-minded believers as taught in the Scripture.
2. Admission Procedure
Persons who indicate a desire to become members are received into membership through the following process:
a) Membership candidates shall participate in a Membership Class. The primary function of this class shall be to thoroughly acquaint the candidate with the life and ministry of Calgary Grace and Truth Church.
b) When the Membership Class and an Application for Church Membership have been completed and received, the Church shall schedule a membership interview with a staff pastor or other designated person. The primary purpose of this interview shall be to answer questions, hear the spiritual testimony of the candidate, determine what steps still need to be taken in the membership process, and assess any special spiritual or pastoral needs the candidate may have.
c) When a candidate’s application is ready for consideration, the application shall be submitted to the Senior Pastor for consideration and recommendation to the Board of Elders. The Senior Pastor may recommend approval, disapproval, or approval with specified conditions.
d) The candidate’s application shall then be submitted to the Board of Elders for consideration. The decision of the Board of Elders shall be final.
3. Dismissal, inactive status
Any member who has been absent from the church for a period of one year without showing any interest therein by communication with the church or contribution to its support may be declared inactive by the Board of Elders. Persons on the inactive role shall not be counted as members and shall have no rights of membership, but may be restored to active status by action of the Board of Elders.
4. Grievances
All cases of grievances between members shall be dealt with in accordance with the rules laid down in the eighteenth chapter of Matthew, and no public complaint shall be heard until this course has been pursued. Charges when made shall be in writing, signed by at least two members in good standing and shall be submitted to the Elders for proper recommendation to the church.
5. Discipline
Every member of the church should consider it a personal duty to seek to restore an erring brother or sister. Thus, discipline belongs not only to the Pastors and Elders but is a duty of every member. Complaint against an offending member may be addressed to the Board of Elders or to a member of the pastoral staff but shall be investigated and dealt with according to the rules in the New Testament, especially those laid down by Christ Himself as recorded in Matthew, Chapter 18.
The Board of Elders may, at their discretion and after following the New Testament procedures, dismiss from the membership a member who cannot be restored.
Article II. Membership Meetings
1. Time and Date of the Annual Meeting
The annual meeting of the Church shall be held on the last Sunday of January.
2. Notice of Annual Meeting
Notice shall be provided in writing and by way of a public announcement and shall be given at least 14 days prior to the annual meeting.
3. Agenda for Annual Meeting
The annual meeting shall receive report(s) from the Senior Pastor and various departments, if any, accept and audited report of the Treasurer, hold elections and conduct such other business as may be necessary.
4. Circulation of Written Information Prior to Meetings
Written reports for consideration at an annual meeting shall be made available to members on the Sunday prior to the annual meeting.
5. Quorum for Membership Meeting
15% of active members shall constitute a quorum of the congregation, a majority of whom may deal with the matters coming before the meeting.
6. Chairperson
The Senior Pastor shall be the Chairperson of any membership meeting. In the event the Senior Pastor declines to be the Chairperson, the Chair of the Board, if he is not the Senior Pastor, or, in his absence, or otherwise any other officer shall be the Chairperson of such meetings. If no such officer is present within 15 minutes from the time fixed for holding the meeting, or such officer declines to be Chair of the meeting, the persons present and entitled to vote shall choose one among them to be the Chair. If the Secretary of the Church is absent, the Chairperson shall appoint some other person to act as Secretary of the Meeting.
7. Voting
All items proposed for the consideration of members at meetings shall be determined by a majority of the votes cast and in the event of an equality of votes, the Chairperson shall have a second or casting vote. Only active members shall be entitled to vote.
8. Manner of Voting
Any items at membership meetings shall be decided by a show of hands, unless a ballot thereon is required or demanded as hereinafter provided.
On any item proposed for consideration at the meeting, a member may propose a motion or the Chairperson may require that a ballot be taken for such item. A ballot on any item shall be taken in such a manner as the chairperson shall direct.
9. Procedure for Destroying Ballots
Disposition of the ballots shall be determined by a motion of the membership at the annual meeting. Where no direction is given, disposition of the ballots shall be determined by the Chairperson.
10. Terms of Office
The terms of office for persons, other than Elders, elected at the annual meeting shall commence at the time of election and continue until the next annual meeting.
11. Minutes of Membership Meeting
Minutes of any membership meeting shall be reviewed by the Board of Elders at its next meeting and shall subsequently be presented for adoption at the next annual meeting.
12. Calling of Special Meetings
Special Meetings may be called by the Board of Elders. Notice shall be in writing and by way of public announcement and shall be provided at least seven days prior to the meeting. The notice shall also indicate the purpose of such meeting.
13. Request for Special Meeting
Ten (10%) percent or more of the active membership may request the Board of Elders to hold a special meeting.
Article II. Board of Elders
1. Number of Elders
With the exception of the Senior pastor, who is a member ex-officio, the members of the Board shall be elected at the annual meeting. The Senior pastor or a member of the Board appointed by him shall be the chairperson.
The Board of Elders shall have a minimum of three including the Senior Pastor. The Senior Pastor of the Church shall be the Chairperson of the Board of Elders. In the event the Senior Pastor declines to be Chairperson of the Board, the chairperson of the Board shall be appointed from among the Board of Elders. Such Elder shall hold the position of Chairperson for a period of one year.
2. Term of Office for Elders
The Board of Elders shall be elected for a four-year term. A Board member shall not serve as an Elder for one year after two consecutive four-year terms, unless being appointed by the Senior Pastor in situations that the number of Elders in the Board is insufficient.
3. Responsibilities of the Board of Elders
a) The Board of Elders shall accept responsibility for the total program of the ministry of the church.
b) The Board of Elders shall direct all business of the church.
c) Except as identified otherwise elsewhere in the Constitution or By-laws, all decisions of the Board of Elders shall be made by a two-third majority vote of the members present.
d) The Board of Elders shall appoint Deacons and Deaconesses and others to carry out specific ministries of the church. These shall be members in good standing, meeting the requirements of I Timothy 3:8-13. Deacons and Deaconesses may appoint members to assist in other work. All appointments shall terminate at the following annual meeting unless the Elders have specified a shorter term.
e) The Board of Elders shall propose an annual budget to the congregation.
f) The Board of Elders shall keep the congregation well informed concerning its work.
4. Criteria for Board Eldership
The following criteria for eldership reflect the importance of the biblical role of Elders in the church:
a) An Elder must meet the general qualifications listed in Article VII of the Church Constitution.
b) An Elder must have a sound biblical understanding of the Old and New Testament and a clear understanding of the mission and goals of Calgary Grace and Truth Church.
c) An Elder must be demonstrating a clear commitment to the ministry and membership of the Calgary Grace and Truth Church family through:
1) Consistent and faithful attendance at the services of the Church.
2) Consistent and faithful participation in the Church ministry.
3) Faithful tithing and prayer support of the ministry and membership of the Church.
5. Officers
The officers shall consist of the Senior Pastor (the chairperson of the Board), Secretary, Treasurer and such other officers as may be required by the Board of Elders. All officers shall be appointed from among the Board of Elders and shall hold their office for a period of one year.
6. Duties of Officers
The officers shall carry out the following duties and such additional duties as directed from time to time by the Board:
Chairperson—the chairperson shall preside at regular and special meetings of the Board.
Secretary—the secretary shall keep the minutes of meetings of the Board and the membership. The secretary shall have the care of the corporate seal, if any, and ensure the safekeeping of the official records. The secretary shall conduct the official correspondence of the church as directed by the Board.
Treasurer—the treasurer shall ensure that all funds of the church are received and disbursed as directed by the Board, shall ensure that proper records are maintained and shall report as required.
7. Notice of Meeting
All meetings of the Board of Elders shall be called either by the Chairperson of the Board. In the event the Chairperson of the Board is not available, the remaining Elders may call a meeting of the Board of Elders.
8. Quorum
The quorum for a meeting of the Board of Elders shall be a simple majority.
9. Chairperson
The Chairperson of any meeting of the Board shall be the first mentioned of such of the following officers as have been appointed: Chairperson of the Board, Secretary, and Treasurer. If no officers are present, the Elders shall choose one among them to be the chairperson.
10. Voting
Items for consideration arising at any meeting of the Board shall be decided by a majority of the votes, and in the event of an equality of votes, the Chairperson of the meeting shall be entitled to a second or casting vote.
11. Prolonged Absence of a Member of the Board of Elders
If a member of the Board of Elders is absent from three consecutive regular meetings of the Board without due cause, the remaining members may declare such position vacant and may take steps to fill such position.
12. Remuneration as an Elder
An Elder shall not receive any remuneration.
13. Conflicts of interest
For any matter in which there is a reasonable ground to believe that an Elder Board member has a personal interest that member shall withdraw from the voting or participating in the consideration of that matter.
Article III. Ministers
1. Qualifications
The Pastor shall be a graduate from an accredited theological school/seminary. He/she shall be in full agreement with the Statement of Faith as outlined in the Article III of Constitution.
2. Terms of Call
Salary, vacation and other considerations shall be set at the time the call is extended. Revisions, leaves of absence, etc. shall be at the discretion of the Board of Elders.
3. Duties
a) Pastor: The Pastor of the church shall be the leader of the church in all of its activities and shall preach the Gospel regularly, administer the ordinances, function as ex-officio member of the Board of Elders and all departments and committees, tenderly watch over the membership and spiritual interest of the church, organize and develop its strength for the best possible service, and be administrator of the church organization and executive officer of the staff.
Article IV. Property and Records
1. Appointment of an Auditor
An auditor shall be appointed by the members at the annual meeting upon recommendation of the Board of Elders. The auditor shall provide a financial report to the members at the next annual meeting.
2. Trustees
The Senior Pastor, the Chairperson of the Board, the Secretary and the Treasurer shall be appointed as trustees for a period of one year and shall be the signing officers of the Church.
Article V. Financial Guidelines
The objectives of the financial guidelines are to encourage communication between members and the Board on major financial matters. The guidelines shall also provide parameters to assist the Board in administering the financial affairs of the Church effectively.
1. Approval of Annual Budget
An annual operating and capital budget (collectively the “Budget”) with sufficient detailed breakdown by departments and projects shall be prepared each year by the Treasurer. The Budget shall first be reviewed and approved by the Board and then presented to members for approval at an annual or special meeting.
The Board shall exercise due diligence in the use of cash by setting priorities in spending and the objective of maintaining a balanced cash position.
2. Unbudgeted Expenditures
Under certain circumstances the Board may be required to incur unbudgeted expenditures. In these circumstances, the Board may approve unbudgeted expenditures provided that such expenditure for each item and the cumulative expenditures for all such items for the year shall not exceed the authorized limits approved at the annual or special meeting.
If the Board anticipates that unbudgeted expenditures for the year will exceed the authorized limits, the Board shall call a special meeting for the approval of a revised budget.
The Board shall keep members informed of the amount of unbudgeted expenditures at appropriate times.
Article VI. Nominating Committee and Elections
The nominating committee when required shall consist of the Senior pastor and a minimum of two members with equal representation from the Board and/or the membership, the number to be established in the by-laws. The Senior pastor, or his appointee, shall chairperson this committee. They shall be elected by ballot by the respective bodies at least three months prior to the annual meeting and shall serve until the annual meeting. In cases where only the required number is nominated, the ballot may be waived by unanimous vote.
In preparation for elections at the annual meeting, the nominating committee shall present and post, at least three weekends prior to the annual meeting, one name for each office to be filled. Any procedures for receiving additional nominations from the membership shall be specified in the by-laws. Elections shall be by ballot and, in order to be elected to the Board, a nominee must receive at least a majority of the ballots cast.
Article VII. Amendments
1. Amendment to the By-laws
a. Any article or section of the by-laws may be amended by a vote of simple majority of the active members present at the annual meeting or specially called meeting.
b. Voting shall be by written ballot.
Effective Date of this By-laws: July 01, 2008