
PREAMBLE
But let all things be done properly and in an orderly manner. (1 Corinthians 14:40)
Let all that you do be done in love. (1 Corinthians 16:14)
Let all things be done for edification. (1 Corinthians 14:26c)
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, Giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (Colossians 3:17)
We, the members of Hope Bible Church, do ordain and establish the following ARTICLES, which form our CONSTITUTION.
June 17, 2001
ARTICLE 1 NAME
The
name of the Church shall be HOPE BIBLE CHURCH, a Florida Corporation,
having its principal place of worship in Pinellas County, state of
Florida, hereinafter referred to as the Church.
ARTICLE II PURPOSE
The
purpose of this Church is to present exegetical, categorical, and
isagogical Bible teaching adhering to the literal hermeneutic. We stand
unequivocally for the fundamentals of the faith as contained in the 66
books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe in teaching the Word of
God in this Church, training and ordaining pastor-teachers, and
presenting the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ both at home and abroad.
The thrust of this Church is to make sound doctrine available to
believers in the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:11-16). The execution
of the purpose and thrust of this Church is the consistent teaching of
the Word of God.
ARTICLE III DOCTRINE AND TENETS
A. STATEMENT OF DOCTRINE
The following basic doctrines contained in the Bible are hereby adopted.
1. THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
We believe the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments to be the inspired Word of God, authoritative, inerrant and God-Breathed (2 Timothy 3:13; 2 Peter 1:20- 21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12-13; Hebrews 4:12)
2. THE GODHEAD
We believe in ONE TRIUNE GOD, existing in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, eternal in being, identical in nature, equal in power and glory and having the same attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
3. SOVEREIGNTY
We believe that God, existing as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is sovereign, and exercises supreme rule over all creation as a part of and consistent with the essence
and attributes of Deity (1 Chronicles 29:11, 12; Daniel 4:35; Psalm
24:1; 1 Timothy 6:15). He is the ultimate authority over the church
universal and the local church, establishing authority under His
direction for the edification of the saints (Eph. 4:11-12).
Furthermore, the sovereignty of God allows for the existence of free
will in angels and mankind with no respect to persons, and with no
coercion of free will (2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:3, 4).
4. THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE FATHER
We believe that God the Father, as the recognized Authority within the Godhead (1 Corinthians 15:2), sent God the Son as Jesus Christ, the God-Man (John 3:16), and on the Day of Pentecost, the beginning of the Church Age, sent God the Holy Spirit to indwell all believers (John 14:26) until the end of the Church Age. This is the event known as the Rapture. He has subjected all creation to the authority of the Son until the beginning of the Eternal Age, at which time the Son will turn that authority back to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:23-28).
5. THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST
We
believe that God the Son became united with the sinless humanity of
Jesus at His incarnation through the virgin birth in order that He
might reveal God and redeem sinful man; that He accomplished our
redemption through His spiritual death on the cross as a
substitutionary sacrifice; that our redemption is made sure to us by
His literal physical resurrection from the dead (John 1:1-2, 14; Luke
1:35; Romans 3:24-25, 4:25; 1 Peter 1:3-5); that the Lord Jesus Christ
is now in Heaven, exalted at the right hand of God, where as the High
Priest for His people, He fulfills the ministry of Representative,
Intercessor, and Advocate (Hebrews 9:24; 7:25; Romans 8:34; 1 John
2:1-2).
6. THE PERSONALITY AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We
believe that the Holy Spirit is the member of the Godhead who convicts
the world of sin, indwells all believers in the present age, baptizes
them into the body of Christ, seals them until the day of redemption,
and that it is the duty of every believer to be filled with the Holy
Spirit (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 1:13-14; 5:18).
7. THE PERSONALITY OF SATAN
We
believe Satan to be the archenemy of God and all believers. We believe
Lucifer, who was created perfect and sinless by God, fell of his own
volition and subsequently took with him other angels now called demons.
We believe, as of man's fall, Satan became the god of this world who
seeks through various stratagems to tempt and deceive mankind. However,
his success in blinding the minds of people with false doctrine is
dependent upon their continued negative volition to the truth. Finally,
we believe that Satan will be defeated by Christ and forever consigned
to the Lake of Fire (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:12-19; Revelation
12:4; Ephesians 2:2; Matthew 4:2-11; 25:41; 2 Corinthians 11:14; Revelation 20:10).
8. THE FALL OF MAN
We
believe that man was created by God in the image of God, but that the
first man Adam fell, involving the entire human race in Adam's original
sin; that Adam and his progeny inherited a sinful nature which is
transmitted genetically. We further believe that the sin nature
indwells all men from birth to death (Genesis 1:26, 27; Romans 5:12;
6:12; 7:17; 1 John 1:7-10).
9. DISPENSATIONS
We
believe that human history is divided into four ages (dispensations),
called respectively the Age of the Gentiles, the Age of Israel, the
Church Age (current) and the Millennium. God's revelation and protocol
for believers progresses through these dispensations and culminates in
the Millennium, the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ on earth (Daniel
12:13; Colossians 1:25-26; Ephesians 3:9; Hebrews 6:5; Revelation
20:4-6).
10. SALVATION
We believe that salvation in
every dispensation is the gift of God by grace and is received by
personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, apart from any other action of
man. Everyone who receives Christ is a believer (Ephesians 2:8-9; John
1:12).
11. THE ETERNAL SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER
We
believe that all believers are kept secure forever and that neither man
nor God can annul a believer's saving faith (Romans 8:1, 38-39; John
10:27-30; 1 Corinthians 1:4-8).
12. THE CHURCH
We
believe that the local church is an assembly of believers in a specific
geographic locale. The Church is the authorized environment for
spiritual growth in the Church Age. Further, it is the responsibility
of each believer to assemble under a pastor-teacher so that he can be
equipped to carry out the work of the ministry of his local church
(Acts 16:5; 1 Corinthians 4:17; 16:1, 19; 2 Corinthians 8:1;
Galatians 1:22; Ephesians 4:11-13; Colossians 3:16, 17; Hebrews 10:25).
Furthermore, the Universal Church is a spiritual body made up of all
believers of this age irrespective of their affiliation with Christian
organizations (1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:22, 23: 2:16, 20-22;
5:22, 23, 30; Colossians 1:18, 24; 1 Peter 2:4-7; Revelation 21:9).
13. RESPONSIBILITY OF BELIEVERS
We
believe that all believers should seek to live in such a manner as not
to bring reproach upon the Lord and Savior. It is the obligation of
every believer to bear witness, by life and by word, to the truths of
the Holy Scriptures. It is the responsibility of all believers to
remember the work of the Lord in prayer, and to support it with their
means as the Lord has prospered them (1 Corinthians 16:2).
14. CHURCH ORDINANCES
We
believe that the Lord Jesus Christ instituted the Ordinances of Baptism
by immersion and the Lord's Supper, both of which should be observed by
all believers until His return (Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Corinthians
11:23-26).
15. SPIRITUALITY AND MATURITY
We believe
that spirituality is an absolute condition in the life of a believer in
this dispensation wherein he is filled or led by the Holy Spirit,
walking in love and fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe
that spirituality is distinct from carnality, and that a believer
becomes carnal through any act of mental, verbal or overt sin and that
spirituality, or fellowship with Christ, is restored solely by personal
confession of the sin to God the Father (Galatians 5:16; Ephesians
5:18; Romans 6:11-13; 1 John 1:3, 5, 9; 2:2; 1 Corinthians 11:30, 31).
Maturity, on the other hand, is a relative state a Spirit-filled
believer attains as a result of learning and applying the Word of God
over a period of time (Ephesians 4:11, 12, 15; James 1:2-4; 2 Peter
3:18).
16. SPIRITUAL GIFTS
We believe that the Holy
Spirit, through grace and apart from human merit, sovereignly bestows
one or more spiritual gifts on every believer at salvation (Hebrews
2:4; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11; Romans 12:4-8). Some of the permanent
spiritual gifts which exist today are pastor-teacher, evangelist,
administrations, helps, exhortations, giving, and showing of mercy. The
temporary gifts of apostle, miracles, healings, tongues, interpretation
of tongues, word of wisdom and word of knowledge were done away with at
the close of the Apostolic Age (1 Corinthians 13:8-11; 14:22; Ephesians
4:3-16). Any attempt to claim these gifts today is Satanic in origin,
being a part of the great apostasy at the end of the age called the
working of the mystery of iniquity. This iniquity operates by means of
Satanic power, signs and lying wonders toward constructing the false
world church and toward manifesting the Man of Sin. The practice of any
of these temporary gifts today by any person in the congregation shall
be grounds for expulsion from the Church under Article V, Section D. 3
of this Constitution. Although the gift of healing is no longer given
to man, God does still hear and answer the prayer of faith for the sick
and afflicted in accordance with His own will (John 15:7; 1 John
5:14-15; James 5:15).
17. LAST THINGS
We believe that
the next great event in the fulfillment of prophecy will be the coming
of the Lord Jesus Christ in the air to receive to Himself the dead in
Christ and believers who are alive at His coming, otherwise known at
the Rapture or Translation of the Church (1 Corinthians 15;51-57; 1
Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:11-14). We believe that the Rapture of
the Church will be followed by the fulfillment of Daniel's Seventieth Week, the latter half of which is the time of Jacob's trouble, the Great
Tribulation (Daniel 9:27; Jeremiah 30:7; Matthew 24:15-21; Revelation
6:1-17). We believe that the Great Tribulation will be climaxed by the
premillennial return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth to set up His
kingdom (Zechariah 14:4-11; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 20:6).
We believe that the souls of those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus
Christ for salvation immediately pass into His presence at death, and
there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of their body at
His coming, when soul and body reunited shall be associated with Him
forever in glory. The souls of all unbelievers remain in conscious
misery after death until the final judgment before the Great White
Throne at the close of the Millennium, when soul and body reunited
shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated but to be
punished with everlasting torture, separated from the presence of the
Lord (Luke 16:19-26; Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Revelation 20:11-15).
B. STATEMENT OF TENETS
1. This Church shall not at any time become a member, sanction, or support the National Council of Churches, the World Council of Churches, or any other religious organization.
2. This Church shall not solicit anyone to become a member. Those who desire to affiliate with this Church may do so by complying with the provisions of Article V.
3. This Church shall not knowingly accept gifts from unbelievers nor make individual solicitation of funds or pledges among believers, nor knowingly accept gifts related to illegal or immoral activities. Designated gifts may be solicited and accepted by the Church provided they are in accordance with Article XII of this Constitution.
4. This Church shall not engage in any enterprises not related to the propagation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
5. This Church shall not have a woman in the office of Pastor-Teacher or Deacon (1 Timothy 2:12).
ARTICLE IV GOVERNMENT
The
leadership of this Church is vested in the Pastor-Teacher and the duly
elected Deacons. The Pastor is the authority in spiritual matters and
is responsible for the spiritual content and edification of this local
Church. The Deacons are responsible to carry out the administration of
the affairs of this Church under the spiritual leadership of the
Pastor-Teacher (Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 5:2, 3). The governing body of
this Church, comprised of the Pastor-Teacher and the duly elected
Deacons, is hereinafter referred to as the Church Board.
ARTICLE V MEMBERSHIP
A. A person shall qualify for membership who:
1. Believes in the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior. 2. Accepts in its entirety the doctrinal statement contained herein. 3. Agrees to be governed in Church affiliation by this Constitution. 4. Acknowledges and accepts the authority of the Church Board in Church affairs. 5. Upon due examination by the Pastor and a majority of the Deacons, is approved for membership. 6. Founding members, after reading and approving this Constitution, are approved for membership. 7. The Pastor-Teacher shall be considered a member upon assuming office.
B. RECEIVING MEMBERS
Any
person who desires to become a Member of this Church and makes such
request of the Pastor-Teacher or Deacons, and meets the qualifications
of this Article, shall be received as a Member into the fellowship of
this Church.
C. VOTING MEMBERS
The voting Members shall be limited to those active Members who are 18 years of age or older.
D. MEMBERSHIP ROLL
1. A periodic review of the membership roll with a view toward changing the status of individual Members from active to inactive is the prerogative of the Church Board. Status may be changed from inactive to active by the same process.
2. A Member who is on the inactive membership list shall not be eligible to vote, hold office, or teach in the Prep School.
3. A Member may be removed from the membership roll by action of two-thirds majority vote of the Church Board for noncompliance with Article V, Section A. 2-4 of this Constitution. Reinstatement shall follow the same procedure as initial membership.
4. The Pastor-Teacher must be present during any meeting concerning membership status.
5. Any individual who is not an active member may attend Church services at any time. Only active members are eligible to vote, hold office, attend business meetings, or teach in the Prep School.
ARTICLE VI WORSHIP SERVICES
Public
worship services shall be held when, and as often as the Pastor-Teacher
determines. The Pastor-Teacher shall have the responsibility for the
conduct of these services. The Church Board shall have the
responsibility of providing logistical details necessary to fulfill
these services under the direct of the Pastor-Teacher.
ARTICLE VII - BUSINESS MEETING OF MEMBERS
A. PLACE
All
business meetings of the membership shall be held at the principal
place of worship of the Church, unless otherwise specified in the
notice.
B. TIME OF ANNUAL MEETING
There shall be an Annual Business Meeting of the Members held the first Sunday in March, unless changed by the Church Board.
C. SPECIAL BUSINESS MEETING
Special
Business Meetings of the Members shall be called by the Secretary upon
notice from the Pastor-Teacher, the Deacons, or upon written request of
ten percent of the voting Members, with a minimum of five voting
Members. Announcement of said meeting shall be given from the pulpit on
two consecutive services immediately preceding said meeting.
D. QUORUM AND CONDUCT OF BUSINESS
1. A quorum for the transaction of business shall be forty percent of the voting Members. The majority vote shall prevail unless the vote of a greater number is required by law or this Constitution.
2. The agenda of all business meetings of the Members shall include: a. Opening prayer b. Proof of notice of meeting and quorum. c. Reading of the minutes d. Disposition of business e. Closing prayer
3. In all business meetings, the Pastor-Teacher shall preside, and in his absence the Treasurer of the Church Board shall preside.
4. In the transaction of business, the latest edition of Roberts Rules of Order, Revised, shall be used in all cases not covered by this Constitution.
E. VOTING
The Chairman of the meeting shall determine the method of voting, except that the following shall be by secret ballot: 1. The election or removal of Deacons 2. Purchase, sale or transfer of real property 3. The calling or dismissal of a Pastor-Teacher
ARTICLE VIII DEACONS
A. AUTHORITY AND NUMBER
1. The Church derives its authority to select and elect Deacons from Acts 6:2-4. 2. The Church shall elect not less than two Deacons. 3. The Church Board will determine the number of Deacons to be elected, above the two minimum, based on need.
B. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE OFFICE OF DEACON
1. An individual must meet all of the Biblical qualifications as set forth in 1 Timothy 3:8-12 and Titus 1:5-6. 2. An individual must be male. 3. An individual must have been an active Member of Hope Bible Church for a minimum of two years, be a founding Member, or be unanimously approved by the existing Board.
C. TERM OF OFFICE
1. A Deacon shall serve for a term of two years, the parameter of each year being defined as the period of time between sequential Annual Business Meetings of the Church Membership. 2. An incumbent will automatically be placed in nomination unless removed at his request. 3.
The terms of office for all Deacons shall be staggered so that no more
than one half of the existing Deacons serving at one time will come up
for election in any one year unless the total number of Deacons is an
odd number.
D. NOMINATION PROCEDURE
1. The Congregation is exhorted to encourage qualified men to seek the office of Deacon. If any man aspires to the office of Deacon, he should contact a member of the Church Board and make his desires known. 2. The Pastor-Teacher will brief the individual on the qualifications and requirements of the office of Deacon. 3. After a period of testing and observation, the Church Board will nominate all qualified Candidates to be placed on a Deacon Candidate List.
E. ELECTION OF DEACONS
1. Deacons shall be elected at an Annual or Special Meeting of the Members. 2. The names of all nominated Candidates and Deacon incumbents shall be placed on the ballot. 3.
Each voting Member will select the number of men needed to fill the
available positions from the list of nominated Deacons and Candidates.
The individuals receiving the highest number of votes over a majority
will fill the available positions. 4. In the event of a tie for any position, the Congregation will break the tie in a runoff election. 5.
A Deacon Elect will assume the office on the day of the election once
the vote is determined. Newly elected Deacons will be ordained in
formal ceremony within thirty days of their election. Re-elected
Deacons retain their ordination.
F. REMOVAL OF DEACONS
1. A Deacon is subject to removal from office by the Church Board for any of the following reasons:
a. Refusal to serve in the capacity assigned by the Church Board. b.
Absence from three consecutive, or five regular meetings of the Church
Board during any one year period without an excuse satisfactory to the
Church Board. c. Failure to attend with consistency, as determined
by the Church Board, the regularly scheduled Bible Classes of Hope
Bible Church without an excuse satisfactory to the Church Board. d. Disqualification in any manner as described in the Scriptures.
G. VACANCY
1. The office of Deacon shall be considered vacant for any of the following: a. Death of a Deacon b. Resignation of a Deacon c. Removal of a Deacon
H. FILLING VACANCIES
1. There will be no temporary filling of vacancies in the office of Deacon. If an office becomes vacant and the position should need to be filled prior to the next Annual Business Meeting, a Special Business Meeting will be scheduled to elect a Deacon to fulfill the remainder of that term. 2. The election rules identified in Article VIII, Section E. 3-5 will apply at that time.
I. REGULAR MEETINGS
A
Regular Meeting of the Church Board shall be held not later than thirty
days after the Annual Meeting of Members. Other Regular Meetings shall
be held at such times and places as the Deacons may determine, but at
least once a month.
J. SPECIAL MEETINGS
A Special
Meeting of the Church Board may be called at any time at the request of
the Pastor-Teacher, the Chairman of the Church Board, or two-thirds of
the Deacons.
K. QUORUM
A quorum shall be two-thirds of
the total number of Deacons and the Pastor-Teacher. The actions of the
majority of the Church Board present shall be considered the actions of
the entire Church Board unless otherwise specifically required by law
or by this Constitution.
L. DUTIES
1. To assist the Pastor-Teacher in the administration of all worship services and ordinances.
2. To make provision for the supply of the pulpit in the absence of a Pastor- Teacher.
3. To co-operate with the Pastor-Teacher in the shepherding of the membership of this Church.
4. To reconcile, so far as possible, all differences.
5. To give counsel and comfort to the poor, the sick and the afflicted.
6. To keep order in the assemblies of the Members.
7. To act for the Members in the reception and dismissal of Members.
8. To supervise and administer the related ministries of the Church.
9. To supervise and administer the handling of all funds.
10. To hire and discharge personnel and determine their salaries.
11.
To acquire or dispose of real property or its fixtures or contract for
any loans on behalf of Hope Bible Church upon prior specific
instructions and authority of the Members at a duly called business
meeting.
12. To take all necessary measures for the protection, management, and upkeep of all property and official documents.
13. To determine the use of the facilities of Hope Bible Church for all extra or secular purposes.
14. To render a report to the Members at the Annual Business Meeting of the Members outlining the activities of the Church Board for the past year.
15. To execute any special instructions of the Members adopted in a resolution that is not in violation of this Constitution at a duly called meeting of the Members.
16. To interpret this Constitution under the authority of the Pastor-Teacher and the Word of God.
ARTICLE IX CHURCH OFFICERS
The
Church officers shall consist of a Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer,
each of whom shall be a Board Member. The officers shall be elected at
the first meeting of the Church Board after the Annual Business Meeting
of the Members.
A. CHAIRMAN
The Pastor-Teacher
shall be the de-facto Chairman of the Board, answering to God as the
ultimate authority of the local body. Should the office of
Pastor-Teacher become vacant, the Board members shall elect an existing
Board member to fill the office of Chairman.
B. SECRETARY
The
Secretary shall keep the minutes of the business meetings of the
Members and the Church Board, receive and issue notice of all business
meetings of the Members and the Church Board, be custodian of the
Corporate Seal and Records, keep current a roster of all Members with
addresses, maintain a record of attendance at Church Board Meetings,
sign instruments authorized by the Church Board or Members, and prepare
the agenda of all business meetings of the Members and Church Board.
C. TREASURER
The
Treasurer shall be responsible for the receipt, deposit and
disbursement of all funds and securities as authorized by the Church
Board and the Members, keep books of account, and render a current
financial statement at the Annual Business Meeting of Members and such
other reports as may be directed by the Church Board.
D. REMOVAL OF OFFICERS
Any
officer many be removed for cause by affirmative vote of at least
three-fourths of the Church Board. Voting shall be at a duly called
meeting of the Church Board.
ARTICLE X PASTOR-TEACHER
A. DUTIES
The Pastor-Teacher shall watch over the spiritual life of Hope Bible Church, study and
teach the Word, administer the ordinances and have charge of the
worship services. He shall be a voting Member of the Church Board and
an ex officio member of all committees, and shall preside over all
business meetings of the Membership. The Pastor-Teacher shall have
authority over the Church and the Church Board under the authority and
direction of the Word of God. The Pastor-Teacher shall not be subject
to the authority of any other individual member of the Church but is
answerable to the Word of God alone.
B. SELECTION
A
Candidate for Pastor-Teacher shall be considered only after he has
subscribed in writing to the doctrinal statement and the Constitution
of this Church. He shall be recommended to the Membership by at least
a simple majority affirmative vote of the Church Board and called to
serve by at least a simple majority affirmative vote of the membership
present at a duly called meeting.
C. TERMINATION
1. The Pastor-Teacher may only be removed from office by a three-fourths vote of the Membership present at a duly called and constituted Special Business Meeting. This Special Business Meeting must be called by a vote of at least three-fourths of the total number of Deacons. At least fifteen (15) days prior to this Deacon's Meeting, the Pastor-Teacher shall be notified in writing of the reason(s) for considering his dismissal. At both of these meetings, the Pastor-Teacher shall have the following privileges:
a. To be represented by two Members b. To introduce evidence c. To present and cross-examine witnesses
2. A Pastor-Teacher can be removed for any of the following reasons:
a. Failure to comply with the doctrinal statements of this Constitution. b. Failure to meet the qualifications found in 1 Timothy 3:1-8; Titus 1.
ARTICLE XI COMMITTEES
The appointment of Committees shall be at the discretion of the Church Board.
ARTICLE XII DESIGNATED CONTRIBUTIONS
Designated
contributions will be used as directed if in keeping with the purpose
and policy of this Church under Article II. Contributions designated
for purposes that do not meet this requirement shall be returned to the
donor if possible.
ARTICLE XIII LICENSING AND ORDINANTION
A. LICENSE
The Pastor-Teacher and the Church Board will undertake the responsibility of licensing qualified men.
B. ORDINATION
A
Pastor-Teacher Candidate shall be ordained only after a period of
observation and a thorough examination of his qualifications by the
Church Board and Pastor-Teacher, and upon unanimous vote of said
parties and receipt of a local church from the Holy Spirit.
ARTICLE XIV FISCAL YEAR
The Fiscal Year of Hope Bible Church shall begin on the first day of January and end with the last of December each year.
ARTICLE XV SEAL
The
Church Board shall provide a Corporate Seal that shall be in the form
of a circle and shall have inscribed thereon the name of this Church.
The Seal will consist of a wreath (the Victor's Wreath) with a two-edged
Sword in its midst. Within the Wreath and above the Sword shall be the
Scripture reference Hebrews 4:12. Arching above and outside the Wreath
shall be the name Hope Bible Church.
ARTICLE XVI AMENDMENTS
This
Constitution may be amended by a vote of three-fourths of the Members
present at a duly called business meeting, provided the proposed
amendment has been approved by the Church Board, or has been submitted
by a petition signed by not less than twenty percent of the Members,
and that written notice of such meeting is posted at least fifteen (15)
days prior to said meeting stating the proposed amendments.
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