1. In addition to the purposes (to be) set forth in the Church Constitution, the purposes of the Church are:

1. To bring glory and honor to the Triune God by promoting true worship, mutual edification, and gospel witness.

2. To operate exclusively for religious, charitable, and educational purposes within the classification of legal charities, and no part of the net earnings of the organization shall inure to the benefit of any individual; and no substantial part of the organization, or any receipt of its funds, shall be utilized for any purpose except those mentioned above.

3. To handle affairs pertaining to property and other temporal matters as required by the civil authorities.

1. Those persons who confess their belief in the Lord Jesus Christ as revealed in the Bible (Romans 10:9-10), subscribe to the authority of the Bible in matters of faith, Church order and discipline; submit to the Statement of Faith, the Bylaws, and Constitution of the Church; and have regularly joined in fellowship for at least three months. Children, who acknowledge these tenets without coercion, shall be accepted as members.

2. Every membership candidate shall meet with at least two members of the board of elders to confirm the testimony of the candidate regarding their faith in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Instruction shall be held at the discretion of the elders. Acceptance for membership shall be by written recommendation of the two elders for approval by the board of elders.

3. It is the duty of the membership to live Godly lives, to pray for and support the congregation together with the elders and the deacons, to use their gifts as responsible members of the body of Christ, to communicate to the leadership regarding issues which affect the church while submitting to the leadership of the elders, to search out the scriptures to test the leadership for sound teachings (as did the Bereans, Acts 17:11), and to provide resources (finances, time, and talents) to support the Church.

2. All members, who are at least 18 years old, and in good standing in the Church shall be voting members. “Good standing” means that a member is not presently under corrective discipline as defined and set forth herein below. Any voting member in attendance at a duly called meeting shall be entitled to one vote on matters brought before the congregation. Voting by proxy shall not be permitted.

3. Members may be removed from membership at their own request by informing the board of elders of their intention to withdraw and the reasons therefore. If a member requests to withdraw because of specific problems or disappointments with the Church, the board of elders may attempt to resolve those matters so that the member may remain in the Church, and enjoy greater fruitfulness and personal spiritual growth. If it appears to the board of elders that a member has requested removal merely to avoid Church discipline as defined and set forth in Art. XIII sec. C, that request shall not be given effect until the disciplinary process has been properly concluded.

4. Members may also be removed from membership by the board of elders when they: persistently, over an extended period of time, and without adequate reason absent themselves from the stated services of the Church; become a member of another church; cannot be found for a period greater than two years; or are removed by disfellowshipping for persistent impenitence.

5. The following items are those which will require a 2/3 majority vote of the church membership at a duly called congregational meeting:

1. Acceptance of or amendment to the Church Constitution, By-laws, or Statement of Faith.

2. Approval of a compensated elder.

3. Those items specified in Art. X sec. C.

4. Any other item brought before the congregation by the board of elders for approval.

1. The congregation will be provided with teaching regarding the qualifications of an elder and be asked to prayerfully submit names of male members who they deem to meet these qualifications for consideration by the board of elders.

2. Those men whose names are submitted will be asked to engage in personal evaluation regarding this call to service. That individual may withdraw his name if he does not wish to serve in this office.

3. The elders will review the names and conduct an interview with each individual.

4. After prayerfully considering each nominee, the elders will make a selection(s) to be brought before the congregation, who will be given 3 months to show cause why any nominee would not be qualified to serve. Consistent with Mathew 18:15, anyone with such cause must first express his or her concern to the prospective elder and then also express the concern in writing to the board of elders for consideration. During this 3 month period, the nominee agrees to a weekly study of biblical eldership with one the current elders. At the end of the 3 month period the prospective elder will be presented to the congregation for their approval and a service of dedication.

2. Although confidentiality is to be respected as much as possible, there are times when it is appropriate to reveal certain information to others. In particular, when the elders of the Church believe it is biblically necessary, they may disclose confidential information to appropriate people in the following circumstances:

3. When an elder is uncertain of how to counsel a person about a particular problem and needs to seek advise from other elders in the Church (Proverbs 11:14, 13:10, 15:22, 20:18, Matthew 18:15-17)

4. When the person who disclosed the information or any other person is in danger of serious harm unless others intervene (Proverbs 24:11-12)

5. When a person refuses to repent of sin and it becomes necessary to institute disciplinary proceedings (Mat 18:15-20) or seek the assistance of individuals or agencies outside the Church (Romans 13:1-5)

1. The offended or concerned person shall prayerfully examine himself and take responsibility for his contribution to a problem (Matthew 7:3-5) and he shall prayerfully seek to discern whether the offense is so serious that it cannot be overlooked (Proverbs 19:11, 12:16, 15:18, 17:14, 20:3, Ephesians 4:2, Col. 3:13, 1 Peter 4:8)

2.1. To ensure the name of God is glorified (Romans 2:24, 1 Corinthians 10:31)

2.2. To protect the purity of the Church and to guard other Christians from being tempted, misled, divided, or otherwise harmed (1 Corinthians 5:6)

2.3. To restore fallen Christians to fruitfulness and fellowship with the Church (Matthew 18:12-14, 2 Corinthians 2:5-11, 2 Corinthians 7:8-10, Galatians 6:1-2)

3. According to Matthew 18:15-20, discipline involves four components or phases:

3.1. Each believer has a responsibility to confront privately other believers who have sinned. The individual who is aware of the violation should arrange a private meeting with the offender. The objectives are to guard that precautions have been taken to assure accuracy of perception of conduct, to clarify the Biblical basis of concern, and, if he repents, to forgive the person. If the sinning believer acknowledges their sin and repents, the confronting believer has won him to a place of restoration. This first step is where most Church discipline begins and ends.

3.2. If the sinning believer does not repent, step two requires the confronting believer bring other brothers and sisters in Christ to lovingly confront, counsel, and encourage him toward repentance. This may be done repeatedly. The intent of others being involved is to guarantee clear communication and to provide witnesses should matter later is taken to the public level.

3.3. If the previous efforts do not resolve the offense, the unrepentant person may be brought before the Church. This shall be done in the following manner:

3.3.1. The board of elders, if not already involved shall be informed of the matter in writing.

3.3.2. A person accused of persistent, unrepentant sin shall be given notice to appear before the board of elders.

3.3.3. At the first meeting with the board of elders addressing this matter, the following actions will be taken:

3.3.3.1. The specifics of the accusation will be read and formally presented to the accused.

3.3.3.2. The board of elders shall specify the time of the next meeting with the accused and any other persons deemed necessary to attend.

3.3.4. At the second meeting with the board of elders, the accused shall be asked whether or not he is guilty of the accusation. If he pleads he is not guilty, evidence shall be considered to determine the guilt or innocence of the accusation. If subsequent meetings are required by the board of elders or the accused, to establish the truth, they shall be granted. The testimony of one witness shall be insufficient to establish the guilt or innocence of any accusation without corroborating evidence (Deuteronomy 19:15, Matthew 18:16)

3.3.5. At the conclusion of the matter, the board of elders, after prayerful deliberation, shall come to a unanimous decision about the guilt or innocence of the accused. If the offender after tender exhortation, solemn rebuke and warning does not repent, then the board of elders shall proceed to determine an appropriate time and occasion to inform the Church about the unrepentant person.

3.3.6. When the unrepentant person is mentioned before the Church, the congregation shall be instructed to pray for him, and to pursue him for the purpose of restoration, which is the ultimate goal of all Church discipline.

3.3.7. After a sufficient time determined by the elders, the sinning member either repents or refuses to do so. If he refuses then by virtue of Jesus’ own pronouncement in Matthew 18:18-20, Step four shall be enacted.

3.4. The fourth step of Church discipline is public dismissal, or disfellowshipping from the congregation. The public announcement of discipline shall always be accompanied by prayer that God will graciously use the discipline for His own glory, the restoration of the offender, and the edification of the Church. Public dismissal precludes his attendance at all public meetings in keeping with the instructions of 1 Corinthians 5:9-13. He is to be treated as one who rejects the gospel of Christ, warned of the consequences of his sin, and exhorted to come to a saving relationship with the Christ he once confessed. The Church should continue to pray for the individual, imploring God to bring about repentance.

3.5. If an accused person leaves the Church during the disciplinary process or after having been disfellowshipped, and if the board of elders learns he is attending another church the board of elders may inform that congregation that he is under Church discipline. The board of elders may ask that congregation to entreat the accused to repent of his sin and be restored to the Lord and to any people he has offended. Such communications enhance the possibility a person may repent of their sin, and at the same time warn the other congregation to be on guard against the harm that the accused might do to its members (2 Thessalonians 3:6-14, 3 John 1:9-10)

3.6. Just as a good shepherd will seek out a sheep that has wandered from the flock (Matthew 18:12-14) so should the Board of Elders and members of the Church seek to restore a wandering member to the Lord through biblical discipline. Therefore, discipline may be instituted or continued either before or after a member seeks to withdraw from membership if the board of elders determines such discipline may serve to ensure the name of God remains glorified, protect the purity of the church, or restore the wandering member to the Lord. While the Church cannot force a withdrawing person to remain within a congregation, the Church has the responsibility to encourage restoration, to bring the disciplinary process to an orderly conclusion, and to make a final determination as to the persons membership status at the time withdrawal is sought or acknowledged. In doing so, the board of elders, at its discretion, may temporarily suspend further disciplinary proceedings, dismiss any or all accusations against the accused, or proceed with discipline and pronounce an appropriate disciplinary action.