Revised 24 November 2020

1. The church shall be known as Fraser Coast Baptist Church ABN 17 442 305 904. (here-in after referred to as the “Church”) and shall consist of persons holding the Doctrinal Beliefs, as listed below, as an essential part of their religious beliefs and who, in accordance with that belief, have professed Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, have been baptised by immersion in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and have thereafter been admitted into the membership of the Church in accordance with its rules.

 

2. The Church is a member of The Baptist Union of Queensland ABN 59 241 121 544 (known as Queensland Baptists) in accordance with clause 5 of the Constitution of Queensland Baptists.

The Church is a voluntary spiritual association and it is not intended, except where necessary, that this document create legal relationships between members. Rather, it is an expression of the manner in which the spiritual vision of the Church is achieved.

 

3.0 The Bible is the Divinely inspired Word of God and the supreme authority and basis for all our beliefs and practices.

(II Timothy 3:16&17, II Peter 1:20 & 21)

 

3.1 God exists as one God in three persons the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

(Matthew 28:19, Ephesians 2:18, Hebrews 9:14, Deuteronomy 6:4)

 

 

3.3 The Holy Spirit brings about the new birth and eternal life in the believer. He sanctities, seals, and empowers. (I Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 1:13 & 14, II Timothy 1:7)

 

3.4 The Lord Jesus Christ has accomplished the forgiveness of sin and the freedom from the penalty and power of sin by his perfect obedience, death, resurrection, and present intercession. (John 14:6, Acts 4:12, I Peter 3:18, I Peter 2:24, Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25)  

 

3.5 All people are born sinful and separated from God; and in need of God’s saving grace. (Romans 3:10 – 18, 23, John 3:16).

 

3.6 Salvation is only possible through repentance to God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 2:38, Acts 4:12, Acts 16:30-31, Acts 20:21)

 

3.7 The two Ordinances of the Lord Jesus Christ – namely, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, are of perpetual obligation; Baptism being the immersion of believers upon the profession of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and a symbol of the fellowship of the regenerate in His death, burial and resurrection; (Romans 6:4) the Lord’s Supper being a memorial, until He comes, of the sacrifice of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Luke 22:19 & 20)

 

3.8 The dead will be resurrected and the final judgment of all people by the Lord Jesus Christ will happen. (II Thessalonians 1:6-10, Hebrews 9:27, Revelation 20;1-15)

3.9 The Lord Jesus will return visibly and gloriously to claim His own. (Acts 1:11, I Thessalonians 4:13-18)

 

The purpose of this Church is Advancing Religion by leading people to cultivate a relationship with God and serve the Community.

 

Philosophy of Ministry.  

(a) Leadership – The Pastors, Deacons and Elders of the Church, appointed by God and elected by the members, shall exercise authority and enjoy the respect of the congregation in accord with the teaching of Scripture. (Hebrews 13:7,17)

(b)Teaching – The congregation shall be regularly, diligently and systematically taught the truths of the Holy Bible, the written Word of God. (II Timothy 3:16 – 4:4)

(c) Involvement – Every member of the Church shall be mobilised to play an active part, so far as is possible, in the life and ministry of the Church (Matthew 5:13-16, Romans 12:4-8, Ephesians 2:10, and I Peter 4 10)

(d) Worship and Fellowship – Opportunity shall be provided for members of the Church to worship together and to experience that quality of Christian fellowship as described in the New Testament. (Hebrews 10:24, 25, and I Corinthians 14:26, 40.)

(e) Evangelism – The Church shall be trained and encouraged to share the gospel so that every member may be a faithful witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. (II Corinthians 5;17-20, and I Peter 3:15).

(f) Outreach Ministry – – The Church shall seek to serve earthly as well as spiritual needs of people in the local community, the region and beyond according to Christ’s example and teaching. (Matthew 7:12, and 25:3140)

(g) Stewardship – Sacrificial commitment to God of possessions and income shall be held before the congregation as an appropriate guide to Christian giving for the work of the Lord. (I Corinthians 16:1,2, and II Corinthians 9:6-15)

(h) Prayer – Church members shall commit themselves to regular private and corporate prayer. (Ephesians 6:1620)

(i) Missions – The Church shall have a clear commitment to missions and missionary support. (Matthew 9:35-38, Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8)

 

5.1 All persons applying for Church Membership or for restoration shall be interviewed by visitors appointed by the Board of Elders and shall be given copies of this Constitution and the Church Purpose, Vision and Mission Statements.

 

5.2 Prior to deciding on an application, the Eldership Secretary shall post the name of the applicant for membership on the Church Notice Board for a period of at least two full weeks, during which time, any member may comment on the application. If any member of the Church objects to the admission of any person to membership, the person so objecting shall make a definite charge to the Board of Elders, which charge the Board shall consider before deciding on the application. After due consideration, the Board of Elders shall accept or reject an application for membership.

 

All persons accepted for membership shall be received by the right hand of fellowship at a Worship Service, or Church Members’ Meeting, thereby indicating their willingness to be a full member of the Church.

 

Members leaving the district are encouraged to unite with other congregations of like faith. If a member in good standing wishes to join another Baptist Church, such Church, upon request, may be granted a letter commending the member to its fellowship

 

5.3 Members absenting themselves from the Worship Service for a period of six consecutive months, when not prevented by sickness, duty or, distance, shall be liable to have their names removed from the Membership Roll for non-attendance, provided that they shall be visited or written to by the Board of Elders before such action is taken.

 

5.4 Discipline

1. All cases appearing to call for discipline of a Member shall be investigated by the Board of Elders in a manner consistent with the Word of God (e.g. Matthew 18:15 -17).

 

In this regard no member shall be allowed to resign his or her connection with the Church in order to escape discipline for any act committed by them unworthy of the name and character of a professed follower of Jesus Christ.

 

2. The Board of Elders are responsible for investigation of anything which is brought to their attention or of which they are aware which appears in their opinion to call for discipline of a Member.

 

3. At the conclusion of their investigations the Board of Elders may decide to take no further action or may recommend that the Member be disciplined and call a church meeting to consider that recommendation.

 

4. If a church meeting is called to consider a recommendation for discipline of a Member the Church the Board of Elders must ensure that the Member concerned is given:

5. Members placed under discipline by the church meeting shall have the fact notified to them in writing by the Church Secretary, together with reasons thereof, and shall, meantime, have all privileges of membership suspended.

 

6. In all cases where a member has been placed under discipline for a specified time, such member shall be communicated with at the expiration of the term with a view to restoration or otherwise.

 

5.5 Members Pledge

I believe the Doctrinal Beliefs set out in the Constitution of the Church and Pledge that I will endeavour to faithfully fulfil the following duties and obligations, the Lord being my helper:

(a) To read from the Bible and pray daily.

(b) To attend worship with the congregation weekly on the Lord’s Day unless genuinely prevented from doing so.

(c) To give generously from my income on a regular basis for the financial support of the Church’s ministries.

(d) To participate in the Annual General Meeting and other General Meetings of the Church, if possible.

(e) To accept at least one office, task or function within the structure of the Church, unless excused from doing so by reason of extraordinary circumstances.

(f) To strive to walk in holiness and to express the love of Christ in my dealings with all people.

(g) To exercise brotherly love towards my fellow members, endeavouring to share their burdens, to pray for them, to avoid all causes of division and to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

(h) To respect the Pastors and Leaders of the Church, to pray for them and encourage them in their duties.

(i) To play my part in extending the Kingdom of Christ by witnessing for the Saviour in word and deed.

(j) To accept and support all correctly decided Church Purpose, Vision and Mission Statements.

5.6   The Roll of Members

The roll of members- names and addresses of all members of the Church, with the date of their admission, shall be entered in the Roll by the Secretary of the Church or by the Secretary of the Elders if they are carrying out that role. The Roll of Members shall be revised at least once in each year.

Active and Inactive Members – The Elders Secretary or Church Secretary shall maintain a record of active and inactive members. Members shall be considered inactive if they have moved away from the district (but a membership transfer has not yet been requested), or, for any other reason, have not attended worship for a period of three months or longer or have had their privileges of membership suspended by a disciplinary decision of the Church. All other members shall be considered active members. If a previously active member has returned to full attendance the Board of Elders shall decide upon the reactivation of their membership.

 

6.1 There are two kinds of business meetings which involve all members of the Church in corporate decision making: General Meetings and Annual General Meetings. Such meetings are to be called by the Board of Deacons or Board of Elders, as and when required by this Constitution.

 

 6.2 (a) All Church members in good standing who are not less than 18 years of age may participate and vote In   General Meetings and Annual General Meetings. Younger members may attend. Absentee or Proxy voting is not permitted. (b)   Other persons may be invited or permitted to attend subject to the approval of the Church Meeting. They shall have no voting rights and shall speak only as invited by the Chairman.

 

6.3 A quorum at a General Meeting or Annual General Meeting of the Church shall be not less than 25% of the active membership at the time of the meeting.

The decisions made at properly constituted meetings of the Board of Deacons, Board of Elders, or at properly constituted General Meetings or Annual General Meetings of the Church shall be binding on all members.

 

6.4

1. All meetings of the Board of Deacons, Board of Elders and General Meetings of the Church shall abide by the following rules of meeting procedure:

(a) Minutes of the previous meeting shall be read and confirmed before any new business is considered.

 

(b) All business should be introduced by motion duly moved and seconded, except that minor Items of business at meetings of the Boards of Deacons and Elders may be transacted by agreement of all present at the meeting.

 

(c) No member (other than the mover of a motion) shall be allowed to speak more than once to any motion, except by consent of a majority of the members present or when called upon by the Chairman for an explanation.

 

(d) Except for procedural motions, or by agreement of the meeting, the vote of a General Meeting (including Annual General Meetings) shall be by ballot, but the vote of the Board of Deacons and Board of Elders may be by a show of hands.

 

(e) Proxy or absentee voting shall not be allowed for any decisions of the church. It is important for members to cast their votes in the light of discussions and up to date information actually received at meetings, and in sensitivity to the movement of the Holy Spirit at such meeting.

 

(f) All organisations of the Church shall furnish a report to the Board of Deacons whenever requested to do so by that Board, but, in any case, at least once per year, no later than one month prior to the Annual General Meeting.

 

(g) Any business that may be transacted at a General Meeting of the Church may also be transacted at an Annual General Meeting, always provided that the nature of the business to be considered is stated in the notice given of the Annual General Meeting. An Annual General Meeting is not restricted in the number of such items of business with which it may deal.

 

2. The conduct of Annual General Meetings and Annual Reports to the Church shall be as follows:

(a) Annual General Meetings of the Church shall be held in March of each year. Notice of an Annual General Meeting shall be given at Worship Services for two Sundays prior to the Meeting. The Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting shall be read and confirmed before proceeding with the other business of the meeting. The Church Secretary or Deacons Secretary will coordinate the Annual General Meeting and Annual Reports.

 

(b) Annual Reports to the Church for consideration at the Annual General Meeting shall be prepared by the Church Secretary, the Treasurer, other Deacons and Elders with specific responsibilities, ministry leaders and the Pastor(s). Copies of all these reports are to be distributed to active members (and also to inactive or past members on request) two weeks prior to the Annual General Meeting. The Treasurer’s report shall be followed by the Budget for the following year which shall be endorsed by a majority vote of members present.

 

(c) The Church Secretary’s Report shall include a brief record of General Meetings held and important decisions made during the year.

The Treasurer’s Report shall include the Financial Statement for the year past and the      Budget approved by the Board of Deacons for the coming year. The Board of Elders Secretary’s report shall include any statistical changes in membership, over the previous 12 months as well as a general report of the activity of the Board of Elders.    The reports of other Deacons and Elders and Ministry Leaders shall concern their area(s) of specific responsibility and should include an outline of the program which they believe should be followed in their areas during the coming years. Significant details from reports of the various organisations of the Church may be included in the Deacon’s reports. The Pastoral report(s) should range over the whole area of the Church’s life and work.

 

(d) The first major item of business at an Annual General Meeting (following the Minutes) shall be the consideration of the Annual Reports. Each report shall be dealt with in turn and the Pastoral Report(s) shall be the last to be discussed. The Deacon, Elder, Pastor or ministry leader who prepared the report may briefly summarise the main points of the report, after which, any questions from members concerning the report, or any aspect of that area of specific responsibility, shall be answered. No time limit shall be placed on the discussion of reports except that discussion on any report may be terminated by a majority decision of the meeting. No vote is to be taken with regard to any of the Annual Reports.

 

(e) The next item of business following the Annual Reports and discussion thereon shall be the election of Deacons to vacancies on the Board of Deacons and the appointment of an auditor or an Accounting Firm to carry out the Auditing function.

 

(f) Following the election of Deacons, the Annual General Meeting shall consider any other business placed on the agenda by the Board of Deacons or Board of Elders and duly notified.

 

(g) The Chairman of the Annual General Meeting, who shall be appointed by the Board of Deacons, shall have the right to accept or reject any other business submitted in writing, but not on the published agenda at the Annual General Meeting, in accord with this Constitution.

 

3. The Chairman of each General Meeting and Annual General Meeting of the Church shall be appointed by the Board of Deacons. The Board of Deacons shall determine their own Chairman and the Board of Elders shall determine their own Chairman.

 

4. Joint meetings of Deacons and Elders – Where the Boards of Deacons and Elders consider it to be of value for a specific purpose they may call a joint meeting of the 2 Boards. This might be useful for some planning and visioning aspects of Church life, or for a sharing of ideas. Each Board shall still make their own decisions in their own areas of responsibility; however, they may mutually agree for a specific purpose to have a single vote on a matter of mutual concern.

Where it is considered important to the life of the Church a forum shall be held to provide additional information for the church and obtain feedback. Forums shall be called at the discretion of the Board of Deacons or Board of Elders.

 

6.5 A General Meeting of the Church must be called to transact any of the following business:

(a) To issue or renew a call to a position as Pastor of the Church or to terminate the position of a Pastor of the Church. A call to the position of Pastor may only be issued, renewed or terminated on the basis of a recommendation from the Board of Elders.

 

(b) To establish or to break a formal link between the Church and any other group or organisation. Such a meeting may act either on the basis of a recommendation from the Board of Elders or on the basis of a motion which has been notified in writing to the Board of Elders at the time of the request for the General Meeting.

 

(c) To make a decision, whereby a member may be disciplined by suspension of the privileges of membership or by withdrawal of membership. Such a meeting may act only on the basis of a recommendation from the Board of Elders.

 

(d) To appoint a member of the Church as an Elder.

 

(e) To authorise any major sale or purchase of real property or any major alteration to or encumbrance of the real property of the Church by mortgage or lease. Such a meeting may act only on the basis of a recommendation of the Board of Deacons.

 

(f) To amend the Constitution of the Church.

 

(g) To approve any expenditure unforeseen in the Budget. (See also Section 8, 8.5)

 

7.1.1 A Pastor shall be a person eligible for membership In the Church and shall possess such spiritual and other qualifications as shall be deemed suitable by the Board of Elders, by a General Meeting of the Church and be Registered and /or Ordained by the Baptist Union of Queensland. When two or more Pastors have been appointed to serve the Church together, they shall function as a team.

 

7.1.2 All business connected with the Pastorate shall be introduced to a General Meeting of the Church as a recommendation from the Board of Elders.

 

7.1.3 Pastors of the Church are equal members of both the Board of Deacons and the Board of Elders of the Church, but a Pastor shall be excused from meetings of either Board when the Pastorate or the selection of a successor to the Pastor is being discussed. A Pastor shall not be in attendance at a Members’ meeting voting on a pastoral Call, unless requested for a statement at the commencement of the Meeting.

 

A call, or the extension of a call, to become a Pastor of the Church shall be made at a properly constituted General Meeting of the Church, of which two full weeks’ notice has been given in writing or by announcements at Worship Services. A majority of two/thirds of the members present at the meeting is necessary to issue or renew a call. A call shall detail the duties, conditions of service and responsibilities.

 

7.1.4 Voting must be by secret ballot. No absentee or proxy vote is allowed.

 

7.1.5 A call shall be for a stated period of five years, or lesser period if desired and extensions of the call may be made for five years or lesser periods if desired. If the term is not extended, the Pastor will be advised and shall cease to serve the Church at the end of three months from the date of the advice. In any case, the call may be terminated after three months’ notice from either side and the Church may pay the stipend and allowances for a three – month period in lieu of notice.

 

7.1.6 Pastoral Review Process – As per Queensland Baptist advice.

 

7.1.7 Removal of a Pastor – Consultation with General Superintendent of Queensland Baptists is required before any action is taken to remove a Pastor.

 

The Officers of the Church shall be: Pastors, Deacons and Elders from time to time elected or appointed by the Church. We believe that these officers are called by God to their positions of responsibility and their calling is recognised by the Church through the processes of election and appointment described in this Constitution. All other positions in the Church, excluding Auditor, shall be filled through appointment by the Board of Deacons or the Board of Elders according to their relative roles. Officers of church affiliated organisations who are elected by members of those organisations shall be approved by the Board of Deacons or the Board of Elders before assuming office. Appointments made or approved by either Board shall be for a stated period, but shall, in all cases, be subject to termination by the relevant Board at any time.

 

A Pastoral Team may also exist under the leadership of the Senior Pastor and include other officers with a specific function, such as Youth Worker, Assistant Pastor, Pastoral Visitor etc.  The Pastoral Team is not a decision – making group, but a ministry or service group within the life of the Church working with the Senior Pastor. Paid members of the Pastoral Team shall not be elected but shall be called or employed by the Church for a specified period not exceeding five years on recommendation by the Board of Elders and a two thirds majority vote by the Church Members. Other members of the Pastoral Team shall be appointed by the Board of Elders.  Members of the Pastoral Team who are not Deacons or Elders may by invitation attend these meetings, but may not have voting rights on these Boards. An Assistant Pastor shall have full voting rights on the Board of Elders, or the Board of Deacons depending on the nature of their pastoral role.

 

7.2.1 (Until such time as a body of Elders has been appointed, the Pastor(s) and Deacons of the Church shall together temporarily undertake the duties of Elders.)

 

The Board of Elders shall consist of not more than ten Elders and the Pastor(s) of the Church ex officio. All Elders shall be members of the Board of Deacons until such time as more than three Elders have been appointed, after which Elders shall meet as the Board of Elders only. The duties and functions of the Board of Elders shall be as follows:

 

(a) To liaise with the Board of Deacons where necessary to ensure the smooth running of the Church.

 

(b) To organise the work of all active Elders by calling meetings of Elders, appointing Elders to particular duties, etc. (Active Elders are all those Elders not excused from Eldership duties by reason of advanced age, sickness, absence from the district or because of other duties.)

 

(c) To act as a Membership Committee for the Church by appointing visitors to interview applicants for membership, considering applications for membership (including any objections which may be brought forward) and by admitting persons to membership in accordance with section 5 of this Constitution. As part of the interview process applicants should indicate their willingness to accept and work within the terms of the constitution

 

 

 

(f) Elders may invite others to meet with them at Board of Elders meetings to assist in the coordination with the Pastor of the spiritual care and direction of the Church.

 

(g) To carry out roles as delegated to them by the Constitution. These roles have an emphasis on people and ministry related matters. The Elders have the decision- making role in these areas.(g0 

 

(h) To appoint a Secretary/Chairperson within the Eldership for organisational and minute taking purposes.

 

(i) To meet regularly at least 6 times per year

 

(j) Any matters of confusion between the roles of Deacons and Elders which is not clarified in this constitution shall be determined by the Board of Elders.

 

 

 

(m) The Eldership will actively pursue attendees in regards to becoming church members.

 

2. Authority for transacting the business of the Church relevant to their roles is vested in the Board of Elders of the Church, except as vested by this Constitution in the membership of the Church acting through the Annual General Meetings and other General Meetings and as vested in the Board of Deacons. Any uncertainty about the relative roles of the Deacons and Elders shall be decided by the Board of Elders

 

3. Committees of the Board of Elders

(a) Advisory Committees may be formed under the guidance of the Board of Elders, of church members interested in the specific area of responsibility allocated by the Board of Elders to that Committee.

 

(b) Each Committee shall have a Pastor, Deacon or Elder appointed by the Board of Elders as the Convenor, who shall be responsible for the effective operation of that Committee.

 

 

5. The Board of Elders may invite other Church Members to assist them or to attend their meetings. Such official visitors or apprentice Elders would have no voting rights on the Board of Elders.

Elders are mature Christian leaders who act as Spiritual leaders and advisers to all Officers and members of the Church. (1Timothy 5:17) The Elders “direct” and “lead”.  They are esteemed by the Church and may undertake such spiritual duties as visiting, counselling, etc., under the direction of the Pastor(s). Their emphasis is on people and ministry related matters. They also have a decision- making role in these areas. There shall be not more than ten Elders elected to the Board of Elders of the Church.

 

7.2.3 Eligibility

 Any member in good standing, (other than a Deacon, or a Pastor of the Church) shall be eligible for election as an Elder and any member in good standing, (other than an Elder, or a Pastor of the Church) shall be eligible for election as a Deacon.

 

7.2.4 Nomination and Election / appointment process

Elders are to be nominated only by the Pastor(s) of the Church and the Board of Elders. An Elder must be a member of the Church who has faithfully served the Church over a substantial period. A nomination must then be approved by a two/thirds majority of the Board of Elders.  The approved nomination then goes before a General Meeting of the Church for election by a two/thirds majority of members present.

 

Elders shall hold office for a term of 5 years, after which time, with a recommendation from the Pastor and Board of Elders they may be re- elected for further terms to that role by the Church membership.

 

Six weeks prior to the Annual General Meeting nominations shall be called to fill the vacancies occurring.

 

Any member may nominate any number of other members to be elected, provided that the nomination is in writing, accompanied in every case by the written consent of the person nominated. Nominations are to be received by the Church Secretary by two Sundays (at least 7 days) before the Annual General Meeting. The Church Secretary shall post on the notice board the names of those nominated as they are received. 

 

7.2.5      At the Annual General Meeting every nomination received shall be submitted to secret ballot to eliminate the number not required. Those elected in this preliminary ballot shall be submitted to a second secret ballot in which each must obtain at least two thirds of the vote of the members present for the final election. In the case when the number of nominations agrees with or is less than the number of vacancies, each nominee shall obtain at least two thirds of votes of Members present.

 

7.2.6 Tenure. The Elders shall hold office for five years, but will be eligible for re-election.  The Deacons shall hold office for three years; one half retiring each year, but being eligible for re-election.

 

7.2.7 Filling a Vacancy. Vacancies in the office of Deacon, which occur during the period between Annual General Meetings, may be filled by a temporary appointment made by the Board of Deacons. Any member so appointed shall hold office only until the next Annual General Meeting.

 

7.2.8 Team to appoint persons Responsible for: –

The Leadership team will be responsible for appointing suitable people to the above positions as they are needed.

 

7.2.9    Deacons Meetings.     Meetings are to be held Bi-monthly.

 

7.2.10 Removal of Leaders.    Refer all matters relating to removal of leaders to Queensland Baptists for advice.

 

 

8.1 Raising Finances.

Designated Gifts and Donations.

The Church shall be maintained primarily by voluntary contributions and gifts and shall accept such gifts for its own use under the following conditions:

1. The Church shall, unless it expressly agrees otherwise, restrict itself to accepting contributions and gifts which are free from any legal obligation to use the contribution or gift in a particular manner or for a particular purpose and
2. The Church shall notify Members and other persons or organisations contributing to the Church, that, unless the Church expressly agrees otherwise, any contributions or gifts to the Church shall be considered available for use in any activity of the Church consistent with the objects stated in this Constitution. In particular, although contributions or gifts designated for a particular purpose within the Church, shall be treated with proper respect as suggestions or requests, they will not be treated as a legal obligation

 

8.3 Budget

A Budget, covering the anticipated needs for the congregation and the wider ministry, shall be prepared and approved annually by the Board of Deacons. It shall further be endorsed by a majority of the members present at the Annual General Meeting.

 

8.4 Audited Statement.

An Annual audited financial statement is to be provided to the Annual General Meeting.

 

8.5 Payments

The Treasurer is authorised to make all payments in terms of the approved Budget. Payments can be made by cheque, cash, credit card or any means of electronic banking. Where payment is not made by cheque, or electronic means, a payment voucher must be completed for each transaction and approved by 2 authorised signatures.

 

The Treasurer, after approval from the Board of Deacons, may also pay any unexpected non- budgeted expenses up to the amount agreed to from time to time by the church Members.

 

8.6 Petty Cash

Petty cash may be held up to an amount agreed to from time to time by the Church Members.

 

8.7 Counting the Offering

All offerings shall be counted by at least two people of the Church, appointed by the Treasurer, at least one of whom must be a member.  The amount must be duly entered and signed for on a form kept for the purpose by the Treasurer. All monies received shall be banked.

 

 

9.1 The Board of Deacons shall determine the allocation of the premises and property of the Church for the use of the various organisations of the Church. No premises or property of the Church can be used for any other purpose than that of our own organisations without the prior approval of the Board of Deacons.

 

9.2 Major purchase of real property or any major alteration to or encumbrance of the real property of the Church by mortgage or lease shall require approval by a General Meeting of the Church. Such a meeting may act only on the basis of a recommendation from the Board of Deacons. The Board of Deacons shall have full authority over all other property and shall be responsible for the maintenance of all property and premises of the Church.

 

Property donated to the Church or any of its organisations and all property belonging to any organisation of the Church shall be deemed the property of the Church.

 

9.3 All property of the Church is vested in the Baptist Union of Queensland. Should the active membership of the Church fall below 6 members, then these remaining members of the church shall come under the direct control of the Baptist Union of Queensland, whose Officers will advise the membership on the future management and/or viability of the Fraser Coast Baptist Church.

 

9.4 Major sale of real property shall require approval by a General Meeting of the Church. Such a meeting may act only on the basis of a recommendation from the Board of Deacons.

 

No alteration shall be made to this Constitution without the consent of two-thirds of members present at a general meeting.  A quorum shall be 25% of the Membership. The wording of the proposed alteration will be submitted in writing to the Membership at least 4 weeks prior to such meeting. It is recommended that a review of this Constitution’s continuing suitability should be undertaken once every five years, and a Church meeting be asked to either affirm or revise it.

 

Section 11 – Dissolution of the Church

In the event of the church being dissolved, all property, assets and monies which remain after such dissolution and the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities shall be vested in the Baptist Union of Queensland. Notwithstanding any previous or following provisions, this Clause shall not be rescinded or amended without the prior approval of The Baptist Union of Queensland.

 

Church Secretary	The Secretary of the Board of Deacons
Eldership Secretary	The Secretary of the Board of Elders
Church Treasurer	The Deacon appointed by the Board of Deacons to oversee financial management of the church.
Board of Deacons	The body of Deacons including the Pastor who manage the business, financial and property aspects of the Church.
Board of Elders	The body of Elders including the Pastor who act as Church leaders in matters concerning visioning, people and ministry aspects of Church life.
Church Forum	A non- decision making, information and discussion meeting of the Church.
Members Meeting	An official decision- making meeting of the Church.
Church Member	Someone officially accepted into Church Membership meeting requirements in this Constitution.
Pastor	qualified person called by the Church into paid spiritual leadership of the Church, working with the Elders
Procedural Motions	Motions concerning the actual running of a meeting e.g. speaking a second time to a motion etc.