THE CONSTITUTION of Resurrection Church

Since it pleased Almighty God, by His Holy Spirit, to call certain of His servants to unite here under the name Resurrection Church, for the worship of God and the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and

Whereas we, having searched the Scriptures under the guidance of His Spirit, have recognized the need to constitute ourselves to conform to His will for the Church in this age and to prepare ourselves for greater efforts in His name;

Now therefore, we shall be incorporated as a non-profit corporation under the laws of the State of Michigan and adopt this Constitution as our articles of governance, to be interpreted at all times to reflect the character of and bring glory to Jesus Christ, as revealed in the Holy Bible and articulated in the Statement of Faith and Covenant of this church.

Article 1. Name and Purpose

Section 1.

This congregation of believers shall be known as Resurrection Church and shall be incorporated as a non-profit corporation under the laws of the State of Michigan. Throughout this document it shall be referred to as “this church,” or “the church,” or “RC,” or “we,” or “us.”

Section 2.

The mission of Resurrection Church is to glorify God by fulfilling the Great Commission as given by our Lord Jesus Christ and recorded in Matthew 28:19-20, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Article 2. Membership

Section 1.

Clause 1. Members of this church shall be believers in Jesus Christ Who give evidence of regeneration;

Clause 2. Who have been properly baptized as believers in obedience to Christ;

Clause 3. Who hold without mental reservation the doctrines of our church as expressed in the Statement of Faith; and

Clause 4. Who promise to keep the commitments expressed in the Church Covenant.

Section 2.

Clause 1. An Applicant shall be received as a Member of the church upon the recommendation of the Elder(s) and the subsequent agreement of at least three-quarters of the Members present and voting on the question at any Lord’s Day meeting or Members’ Meeting.

Clause 2. No Member of this church shall retain membership in any other church.

Section 3.

Clause 1. Members shall be expected to participate actively in the life of the church by regularly attending its Lord’s Day meetings;

Clause 2. By faithfully observing its ordinances, namely Baptism and the Lord’s Supper;

Clause 3. By submitting to its discipline and instruction;

Clause 4. By attending its Members’ Meetings; and

Clause 5. By voting on the election of officers, on decisions regarding membership, and on all other matters submitted to the congregation’s vote.

Clause 6. No Person who is not a Member shall lead any ministry or hold any office of the church.

Section 4.

Clause 1. The church shall recognize the termination of a Person's Membership following his or her death, and may do so following his or her voluntary resignation or joining with another church.

Clause 2. The church shall have authority to exercise discipline over its Members, which may involve excluding from its Membership any Member consistently neglectful of the duties enumerated in Article 2, Sections 1, 2, and 3, or guilty of scandalous conduct by which the reputation of Christ or His church is dishonored. Any such action shall be done in accordance with the instructions of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 18:15-17 and those of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 and 2 Corinthians 2:6-8.

Clause 3. The church shall have authority to refuse a Member’s voluntary resignation or transfer of membership to another church, either for the purpose of proceeding with a process of church discipline, or for any other reason the church deems necessary or prudent.

Clause 4. A Member shall be removed from Membership as a matter of church discipline upon the recommendation of the Pastors/Elders and the subsequent agreement of at least three-quarters of the Members present and voting on the question at any Lord’s Day meeting or Members’ Meeting.

Section 5.

Clause 1. Believers temporarily residing in the Detroit Metro area may be received as Associates of the church, provided they are members in good standing of another evangelical baptistic church.

Clause 2. An Applicant shall be received as an Associate upon the recommendation of the Elders and the subsequent agreement of at least three-quarters of the Members present and voting on the question at any Lord’s Day meeting or Members’ Meeting.

Clause 3. Associates shall retain membership in one other evangelical and baptistic church.

Clause 4. Associates shall be expected to participate actively in the life of the church in the same way as Members, except that they shall not be eligible either to stand for any office or to vote.

Clause 5. A Person’s Association with the church shall terminate immediately upon the ending of residence in the Detroit Metro area or by voluntary resignation. The church shall have authority to terminate the Association of any Church Associate consistently neglectful of his or her duties, or guilty of scandalous conduct by which the reputation of Christ or His church is dishonored. In such an event, the Elders shall refer disciplinary action to the pastor or elders of the excluded person’s home church.

Section 1.

Article 3. Meetings

The church shall meet together for public worship each Lord’s Day, and at other times throughout the week as the church may determine.

Section 2.

Clause 1. The church shall hold a regular Members’ Meeting at least twice yearly, which shall not be held in place of the regular Lord’s Day morning meeting, but at some other time.

Clause 2. The Elders, whenever they deem it necessary, or within thirty days of receiving a written request signed by twenty percent of the voting Membership, shall call a special Members’ Meeting.

Clause 3. No Members’ Meeting shall be held until the date, time, and place of such meeting shall be announced at every public meeting of the church for one week immediately prior to the Members’ Meeting in question.

Clause 4. One of the Elders shall preside as Moderator at all Members’ Meetings, but shall have no vote, unless the Members be equally divided on a question.

Clause 5. Members’ Meetings shall proceed according to a reasonable order, and the Members present shall constitute a quorum to do business unless the membership present is less than twenty percent of the membership. Motions shall be adopted upon the agreement of a majority of the Members present and voting on the question, except on matters otherwise provided for in this constitution.

Section 3.

Clause 1. The church, duly assembled in a Members’ Meeting, shall be responsible To elect officers;

Clause 2. To receive Applicants into church Membership;

Clause 3. To recognize termination of Membership due to death, transfer of Membership, or voluntary resignation;

Clause 4. To exercise church discipline;

Clause 5. To approve, once in every year, a church budget;

Clause 6. To hear reports from the Elders and, from time to time, the various Deacons/Deaconesses; and

Clause 7. To take any other action they deem necessary or desirable.

Article 4. Government

Section 1.

The biblical offices in the church shall be Elders or Pastors and Deacons, but final earthly authority is vested in the assembled congregation.

Section 2.

Clause 1. Oversight of the ministry, resources, and facilities of the church shall be vested in the Elders, which shall be comprised of men who satisfy the qualifications set forth in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9.

Clause 2. Elders shall be selected as follows: The Elders shall at any regular Lord’s Day meeting or Members’ Meeting present to the church a list of nominees to the office of Elder. For a period of at least one month, the church shall consider whether such nominees are qualified for the office. If any Member believes one or more of the nominees to be unqualified, that Member shall express such concern to the Elders, who may on the basis of that advice remove names from the list of nominees. No name shall be added to the list of nominees which was not included on the initial list. When a period of one month has elapsed, the Elders shall at a Lord’s Day meeting or the next regular Members’ Meeting present a final list of nominees to the church, who shall vote Yea or Nay on each of the nominees in turn. The Moderator or his delegates shall count the votes, and any nominee having the approval of at least three-quarters of the Members present and voting on his nomination shall be an Elder, which men the church shall in due haste publicly recognize and set apart as such.

Clause 3. At least once in every year, the Elders shall at any Lord’s Day meeting or regular Members’ Meeting solicit from the congregation recommendations for the office of Elder, which recommendations shall be given to the Elders in private, and not publicly. The Elders shall give due consideration to any recommendation received.

Clause 4. In accordance with 1 Timothy 2:12 and 3:2, women shall not serve as Elders. Clause 5. No Elder shall hold the office of Deacon during his tenure.

Clause 6. The Elders shall choose any officers necessary. In compliance with the nonprofit corporation laws of Michigan, the Elders shall serve as the Board of Directors of the Corporation, and the Lead Pastor/Elder shall serve as the president of the corporation.

Clause 7. The Elders shall, in keeping with the principles set forth in the Scriptures, especially Acts 6:1-6; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; 5:17; Titus 1:5-9; James 5:14; and 1 Peter 5:1-4, undertake the responsibility of shepherding God’s flock by devoting themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word. They shall have particular authority to plan and oversee worship services;

Clause 8. To oversee the ordinances, namely Baptism and the Lord’s Supper;

Clause 9. To examine and instruct prospective members;

Clause 10. To oversee the process of church discipline;

Clause 11. To examine and recommend candidates for all offices and positions;

Clause 12. To oversee the work of the Deacons/Deaconesses and all other agents of the church;

Clause 13. To hire, oversee, evaluate the performance of, and when necessary terminate paid church staff; and

Clause 14. To take any other action which shall be necessary and proper for faithfully overseeing and shepherding the church.

Clause 15. An Elder shall serve for an indefinite term of service until such time as he desires to be relieved of his responsibilities or as long as he shall remain qualified for office.

Clause 16. The responsibility of the church for the financial support of its Elders/Pastors is a matter of biblical principle (I Corinthians 9:7-18, Galatians 6:6), especially for those who labor in preaching and teaching (I Timothy 5:17). However, this does not exclude those from serving as pastors who choose to support themselves in part or in whole by other employment (I Corinthians 9:6, 12, 15).

Clause 17. In the event that an Elder/Pastor shall receive a salary from the church for his ministry, an agreement shall first be presented by the Elders/Pastors to the church for its approval. Such agreement shall include a job description, financial details, and other terms of employment.

Clause 18. An Elder shall be removed from office upon the vote of two-thirds of the Members present and voting on the question at any Lord’s Day meeting or Members’ Meeting. Any such action shall be done in accordance with the instructions of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 18:15-17 and those of the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 5:17-21.

Section 3.

Clause 1. Primary responsibility for preaching and teaching the Scriptures in public meetings of the church may be vested in a Lead Elder, or Lead Pastor.

Clause 2. A Lead Elder shall be selected as follows: The Elders shall at any Lord’s Day meeting or regular Members’ Meeting present to the church the name of one nominee to the position of Lead Elder. For a period of at least two weeks, the church shall consider the nominee’s gifts in preaching and teaching, and his commitment to minister personally to the members of this church. If any Member believes the nominee to be unqualified, that Member shall express such concern to the Elders. When a period of two weeks has elapsed, the Elders shall at the next Lord’s Day meeting or Members’ Meeting present the nominee for Lead Elder to the church, who shall vote Yea or Nay on his selection as such. The Moderator or his delegates shall count the votes, and if the nominee receives the approval of at least three-quarters of the Members present and voting on the question, he shall be a Member of the church, an Elder, and a Lead Elder, whom the church shall in due haste publicly recognize as such.

Clause 3. In the event that a Lead Elder shall receive a salary from the church for his ministry, an agreement shall first be presented by the pastors to the church for its approval. Such agreement shall include a job description, financial details, and other terms of employment.

Clause 4. A Lead Elder shall meet all the qualifications and hold all the rights and responsibilities of a Member of the church. He shall satisfy all the qualifications and hold all the duties and responsibilities of an Elder.

Clause 5. A Lead Elder shall serve for an indefinite term of service until such time as he desires to be relieved of his responsibilities or as long as he shall remain qualified for office.

Clause 6. A Lead Elder shall be removed from office upon the vote of two-thirds of the Members present and voting on the question at any Lord’s Day meeting or Members’ Meeting.

Any such action shall be done in accordance with the instructions of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 18:15-17 and those of the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 5:17-21.

Section 4.

Clause 1. Other particular pastoral responsibilities may be vested in one or more staff Elders, or Vocational Pastors.

Clause 2. A Staff Elder shall be selected as follows: The Elders shall at any Lord’s Day meeting or regular Members’ Meeting present to the church the name of one nominee to the position of staff Elder. For a period of at least two weeks, the church shall consider the nominee’s gifts in the particular area of service to which he is being called, and his commitment to minister personally to the members of this church. If any Member believes the nominee to be unqualified, that Member shall express such concern to the Elders. When a period of two weeks has elapsed, the Elders shall at the next Lord’s Day meeting or Members’ Meeting present the nominee for staff Elder to the church, who shall vote Yea or Nay on his selection as such. The Moderator or his delegates shall count the votes, and if the nominee receives the approval of at least three-quarters of the Members present and voting on the question, he shall be a Member of the church, an Elder, and a staff Elder, whom the church shall in due haste publicly recognize as such.

Clause 3. A staff Elder shall meet all the qualifications and hold all the rights and responsibilities of a Member of the church. He shall satisfy all the qualifications and hold all the duties and responsibilities of an Elder. In terms of formal authority, there shall be no distinction between an Elder and a staff Elder.

Clause 4. In the event that a staff Elder shall receive a salary from the church for his ministry, an agreement shall first be presented by the pastors to the church for its approval. Such agreement shall include a job description, financial details, and other terms of employment.

Clause 5. A staff Elder shall serve for an indefinite term of service until such time as he desires to be relieved of his responsibilities or as long as he shall remain qualified for office.

Clause 6. A staff Elder shall be removed from office upon the vote of two-thirds of the Members present and voting on the question at any Lord’s Day meeting or Members’ Meeting. Any such action shall be done in accordance with the instructions of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 18:15-17 and those of the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 5:17-21.

Section 5.

Clause 1. Particular service to the church shall be provided by Deacons/Deaconesses, the number of which shall vary as the church has need, and who shall satisfy the qualifications set forth in 1 Timothy 3:8-13.

Clause 2. The Deacons/Deaconesses shall not meet together regularly as a body. Each diaconate position shall serve a particular need of the church, and shall be created or dissolved upon the recommendation of the Elders and the subsequent agreement of a majority of the Members present and voting on the question at any Lord’s Day or Members’ Meeting.

Clause 3. Deacons/Deaconesses shall be selected as follows: The Elders shall at any regular Lord’s Day meeting or Members’ Meeting present to the church a list of nominees to the office of deacon/deaconess. For a period of at least one month, the church shall consider whether such nominees are qualified for the office. If any Member believes one or more of the nominees to be unqualified, that Member shall express such concern to the Elders, who may on the basis of that advice remove names from the list of nominees. No name shall be added to the list of nominees which was not included on the initial list. When a period of one month has elapsed, the Elders shall at the next regular Lord’s Day meeting or Members’ Meeting present a final list of nominees to the church, who shall vote Yea or Nay on each of the nominees in turn. The Moderator or his delegates shall count the votes, and any nominee having the approval of two-thirds of the Members present and voting on his nomination shall be a Deacon/Deaconess, which men or women the church shall in due haste publicly recognize and set apart as such.

Clause 4. At least once in every year, the Elders shall at any Lord’s Day meeting or regular Members’ Meeting solicit from the congregation recommendations for new diaconate positions and for qualified persons to fill new or vacant positions, which recommendations shall be given to the Elders in private, and not publicly. The Elders shall give due consideration to any recommendation received.

Clause 5. Deacons/Deaconesses shall be reaffirmed by vote of the church triennially.

Clause 6. In keeping with the principles set forth in Acts 6:1-6, Deacons/Deaconesses shall not exercise a ministry of spiritual authority, but shall support the Elders’ ministry of the Word, work to maintain the unity of the church, and care for the physical needs of the church.

Clause 7. The church may recognize Deacons/Deaconesses to take responsibility For seeing that the sick, the sorrowing, the aged, and the infirm receive spiritual and physical comfort;

Clause 8. For leading the hospitality ministries of the church;
Clause 9. For attending to the normal care and maintenance of church properties;

Clause 10. For receiving, holding, and disbursing a fund for benevolence, and for reporting from time to time on the use of such funds to both the Elders and the church;

Clause 11. For attending to the accommodations for public worship;

Clause 12. For assisting in distributing the elements during the Lord’s Supper; and Clause 13. For serving in other specific capacities as the church has need.

Clause 14. No person or group shall solicit money on behalf of the church or any of its ministries without the approval of the Elders and the Deacon/Deaconess of Finance.

Clause 15. A Deacon/Deaconess may be removed from office by a decision of the Elders, or upon the recommendation of the Elders and the subsequent agreement of a majority of the Members present and voting on the question at any Lord’s Day meeting or Members’ Meeting.

Clause 16. In the event a diaconate position becomes vacant, the Elders may appoint a person to fill that position and assume its responsibilities, until such time as some person can be duly recognized by the church as a Deacon/Deaconess.

Article 5. Administration

Section 1.

Clause 1. A Deacon or designated church member shall record the minutes of all regular and special Members’ Meetings of the church, keep an accurate roll of the membership, and give reports as requested by the Elders, particular Deacons/Deaconesses, or the church.

Section 2

Clause 1. The Elders shall present a budget to the church two weeks before the final Members’ Meeting of every fiscal year, which shall be considered and voted upon by the church at the final regular Members’ Meeting of every fiscal year.

Clause 2. The budget shall be adopted upon the motion of the Deacon/Deaconess of Finance and the subsequent agreement of a majority of the Members present and voting on the question.

Clause 3. Once adopted, the total amount budgeted shall not be overspent. The Elders shall have responsibility to oversee and faithfully disburse the budget. Amendments to the budget shall be approved by the Elders and adopted upon the motion of the Deacon/Deaconess of Finance and the subsequent agreement of a majority of the Members present and voting on the question at any Members’ Meeting.

Clause 4. Oversight of and authority over all other resources of the church shall be vested in the assembled congregation. Upon the recommendation of the Elders and the subsequent agreement of a majority of the Members present and voting on the question at any Members’ Meeting, the congregation may fund certain designated accounts, distinct from the operating budget, which shall be under the oversight and authority of the Elders.

Section 3.

Clause 1. The Deacon/Deaconess of Finance shall ensure that all funds and securities of the church are properly secured in such banks, financial institutions, or depositories as designated by the church. The Deacon/Deaconess of Finance shall also ensure that full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements are kept in books belonging to the church, and that adequate controls are implemented to guarantee that all funds belonging to the church are appropriately handled by any officer, employee, or agent of the church. The Deacon/Deaconess of Finance shall render to the Elders at least once in every year, or whenever they may require it, an account of all financial transactions and of the financial condition of the church. The Deacon/Deaconess of Finance shall also be responsible for presenting regular reports of the account balances, revenues, and expenses of the church at regular Members' Meetings.

Clause 2. The Deacon/Deaconess of Finance shall be selected to a renewable term of one year upon the recommendation of the Elders and the subsequent agreement of a majority of the Members present and voting on the question at any Lord’s Day meeting or Members’ Meeting.

Clause 3. No Person shall serve more than three consecutive terms as Deacon/Deaconess of Finance.

Clause 4. No Elder, or paid staff member of the church, shall be eligible for the office of Deacon/Deaconess of Finance.

Clause 5. The Deacon/Deaconess of Finance shall be removed from office upon the recommendation of the Elders and the subsequent agreement of a majority of the Members present and voting on the question at any Lord’s Day meeting or Members’ Meeting.

Article 6. Ratification

This Constitution shall be ratified upon the approval of two-thirds of the Members present and voting on the question at any regular meeting of the church, and shall take effect upon the recognition of the Elders.

Article 7. Amendments

Section 1.

The Statement of Faith or Church Covenant shall be amended upon the recommendation of the Elders and the subsequent agreement of three-quarters of the Members voting on the question at any regular Lord’s Day meeting or Members' Meeting, provided the Amendment shall have been offered in writing at any previous regular Members' Meeting, and shall have been announced at every public meeting of the church for thirty days immediately prior to final consideration. Any Member serving under the commission of this church on an international mission field shall also be eligible to vote by correspondence on this question.

Section 2.

This Constitution shall be amended by a vote of three-quarters of the Members voting on the question at any regular Lord’s Day meeting or Members' Meeting, provided the Amendment shall have been offered in writing at any previous regular Lord’s Day meeting or Members' Meeting, and shall have been announced at every public meeting of the church for thirty days immediately prior to final consideration. Any Member serving under the commission of this church on an international mission field shall also be eligible to vote by correspondence on this question.