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TRINITY BAPTIST CHURCH

Pumpkin Center, Louisiana

BYLAWS, COMMENTARY, AND CHURCH PROCEDURES

Version 63

Adopted: _______

Last Amended: _______

ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

These Bylaws contain three kinds of text. The numbered articles and sections are the binding rules of the church. Indented Commentary blocks explain the reasoning behind the rules; they are explanatory only and are not binding, and where commentary and binding text differ, the binding text controls. References to a numbered Procedure point to the Church Policies & Procedures Manual, the companion volume described at the end of this document.

PREAMBLE

These Bylaws of Trinity Baptist Church, Inc., Hammond, Louisiana (locally known as Pumpkin Center), have been adopted as the governing documents for conducting the business of the church and carrying on its ministry to the glory of God.

Trinity Baptist Church exists by the grace of God, for the glory of God. We are a Southern Baptist church cooperating fully with the North Shore Baptist Association, the Louisiana Baptist Convention, and the Southern Baptist Convention. Our doctrines are those stated in The Baptist Faith and Message as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention on June 14, 2000.

The government of Trinity Baptist Church shall be under the Chief Shepherd and Lord, Jesus Christ, and be obedient to the Word of God (Colossians 1:17–18; 1 Peter 5:4). The church shall be governed by congregational polity led by a plurality of elders. The two biblical offices established in Scripture are Elders and Deacons. Elders provide spiritual oversight, teaching, and shepherding. Deacons participate in, coordinate and maintain the church’s practical ministries of service through the Service Committees of the church. The Leadership Council—composed of the Elders and Deacons—serves as the church’s coordinating body. The Church Council—composed of the Leadership Council, all ministerial staff, committee chairs, and ministry-team leaders—coordinates the total program of the church.

Committees and ministry teams are organized into three categories: Discipleship Committees, which are led under the direction of the Elders and carry out the church’s ministry of discipleship and Christian education; Service Committees, which are coordinated and maintained by the Deacons and address the practical and temporal needs of the congregation; and Administrative Committees, which are empowered directly by the congregation and govern the church’s financial, legal, and personnel matters. Administrative committees are accountable to the congregation and operate with a degree of independence from the Elders appropriate to their function, though the Elders retain spiritual oversight of the whole church.

CHURCH COVENANT

Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and on the profession of our faith having been baptized in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God, angels, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.

We commit, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; and to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.

We further commit to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the commands of our Savior. When we remove from this place, we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word.

The Church Covenant shall be read publicly by the Senior Pastor at the morning worship services on the first Sunday of each calendar year.

Commentary: The Preamble and Church Covenant establish the theological and relational foundation of the church before any procedural rules are stated. This ordering reflects the priority of Gospel community over institutional governance.

DEFINITIONS

The following terms have the meanings given here wherever they appear in these Bylaws.

Member in Good Standing. A member on the roll maintained by the Church Clerk whose membership has not been removed under Article I and who has not been placed on the inactive roll. A member under suspension from the Lord’s Table (a church discipline measure under Article I, Section 4) is not in good standing for the stated period of the suspension, and during that period does not vote, make motions, submit nominations, or join a petition. All members are presumed to be in good standing unless one of these applies. Only members in good standing may vote, make motions, submit nominations, or join a petition to call a business meeting.

Voting Member. Any member in good standing who is present. Members must be present to vote; no proxy or absentee voting is permitted.

Active Member. A member in good standing whose participation in the worship and life of the church remains regular, as discerned by the Elders (see Article I, Section 3). Where an office requires service or membership as an “active member,” this is the meaning.

Active Elder; Active Deacon. An Elder or Deacon currently seated on the Council of Elders or serving a Deacon term, who has not resigned, rotated off, or been removed, and is not on a leave the Council has recognized as suspending active status. A Staff Elder who has voluntarily stepped down from the Council under Article II, Section 3 is not an Active Elder while off the Council. Quorums and unanimous-consent requirements measured by “active” members use this meaning.

Just Cause. Misconduct, unrepentant disqualifying sin, doctrinal disqualification, conflict of interest, incapacity, or persistent refusal or failure to fulfill the duties of an office or role. Where these Bylaws use “for cause,” “disqualifying offense,” or similar terms in connection with removal or discipline, they carry this meaning; each governing section states its own process and threshold.

Paid Staff; Ministerial Staff; Non-Ministerial Staff; Staff Elder. Paid Staff are all employees of the church. Ministerial Staff are those paid positions the Elders designate as involving the ministry of the Word, teaching, or pastoral shepherding; Non-Ministerial Staff are all other paid positions. Men and women alike may serve on the Ministerial Staff under the oversight of the Elders; the office of Elder is reserved to biblically qualified men. A Staff Elder is a Ministerial Staff member who also holds the office of Elder; the office is never conferred by employment and requires the separate congregational vote described in Article II, Section 3. The Personnel Committee assigns each position its classification when the job description is created, with the concurrence of the Elders, and records it in the personnel file.

In Consultation With; In Coordination With. “In consultation with” a body means the acting party must seek and genuinely weigh that body’s input before acting, but may act without its agreement. “In coordination with” a body means the two act jointly, each contributing to the process, though final authority rests where the section assigns it. Neither phrase confers a veto except where a veto is separately granted.

Ex-Officio. An ex-officio member serves on a body by virtue of another office. Unless a section states otherwise, an ex-officio member participates fully in discussion but does not vote and is not counted toward the quorum of that body.

Business Meeting. A duly called meeting of the congregation for the transaction of church business under Article V. A reference to a “members’ meeting” means a business meeting.

Administrative Officer. The Church Clerk, Assistant Church Clerk, Treasurer, and Assistant Treasurer (Article II, Section 9). Where these Bylaws use “officer” together with “Elder, Deacon, council, or committee,” the word refers broadly to any elected position-holder.

ARTICLE I — MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Receiving New Members

Trinity Baptist Church seeks to make church membership a meaningful part of each member’s Christian life. Candidates for membership are received as follows (in each case the candidate is presented to the congregation and received by a majority vote of members present and voting at a business meeting, or at a Sunday worship service as the Elders direct):

• By profession of faith followed by baptism by immersion.

• By letter from another Baptist church of like faith and order.

• By statement, when due to special circumstances the Baptist church from which the person came is no longer able to grant a letter, or when coming from a non-Baptist church where the person has received New Testament baptism (by immersion upon profession of faith) and who accepts the doctrines of the Baptist Faith and Message and the Church Covenant.

All new members shall be urged to complete a new member orientation class offered by the Senior Pastor at least twice per year.

Commentary: Church membership is a covenant commitment to this body, not mere organizational affiliation. The requirement of baptism by immersion reflects our conviction that believer’s baptism is the New Testament pattern. The orientation class ensures new members understand the expectations of covenant membership before making their commitment.

Section 2. Terminating Membership

• By letter of transfer to a church of like faith and order.

• By dismissal at the request of the individual, submitted in writing to the Church Clerk. A member may not by resignation defeat a church-discipline process already begun; the Elders may complete the process and record its outcome.

• By identifying with a church of another faith. When this occurs, the Elders shall arrange a pastoral visit within three months. If the member states they do not wish to return, the name shall be removed from the roll. If no determination is made, a letter shall be sent stating the church’s intent to remove the member; if no response is received within thirty (30) days, the name shall be removed from the roll by the vote provided in this Section at the next business meeting.

• By death.

• By church discipline, as provided in Section 4 below.

Terminations under items (1), (2), and (3) shall be implemented by a majority vote of church members present and voting.

Section 3. Inactive Members

Membership carries the expectation of regular participation in the worship and life of the church. Whether a member’s participation remains regular is discerned by the Elders, who are responsible for reaching out to re-engage members whose participation has lapsed; occasional or token attendance does not by itself constitute regular participation. A member whose participation the Elders find to have lapsed shall first be visited by the Elders or their designees. After pastoral attempts at restoration, and after written notice to the member and a sixty (60)-day opportunity to respond, the Elders may place the member on an inactive roll, reporting each placement at the next business meeting. A member on the inactive roll retains membership but does not vote or count toward quorum, and shall be restored upon the member’s written request and resumed regular participation, or by majority vote of the congregation at any business meeting. Placement on the inactive roll never vacates an elected office — removal from office occurs only through the process governing that office — and a member may, within thirty (30) days of notice, request review by the congregation, which may overturn the placement by majority vote. For purposes of any petition under these Bylaws, a member’s good standing is determined as of the date the petition is delivered. Thereafter, with the recommendation of the Elders, the congregation may remove inactive members from the roll by a two-thirds majority vote at any regular or special business meeting.

Commentary: Removal from the roll is not church discipline. It carries none of the spiritual weight of removal from membership and imposes no stigma. It is a membership housekeeping action taken only after genuine pastoral effort has failed to re-engage an absent member. The two-thirds threshold reflects the gravity of removing a name from the covenant community. A member removed for inactivity may return through the normal membership reception process at any time.

Section 4. Church Discipline

Any member consistently neglectful of his or her duties, or guilty of conduct by which the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be dishonored and so opposing the welfare of the church, shall be subject to the admonition of the Elders and the discipline of the church according to Matthew 18:15–17 and the example of Scripture. Church discipline shall ordinarily be contemplated only after individual, private admonition has failed.

Before the Elders impose any discipline under this Section, the member shall be given written notice describing the specific conduct at issue and the Scripture implicated, and a reasonable opportunity to be heard by the Elders. The Elders shall document each step taken under Matthew 18:15–17.

A member subject to admonition imposed by the Elders may, within thirty (30) days, request review by the congregation at the next business meeting, which may sustain or overturn the action by majority vote of members present and voting. Removal from membership and restoration remain congregational acts as provided in this Article. A person removed from membership shall, upon evidence of repentance, be restored promptly by majority vote of members present and voting — restoration is never harder than first admission, lest the repentant be “overwhelmed by excessive sorrow” (2 Corinthians 2:5–11).

Matters of discipline shall be held in confidence, and communication to the congregation shall be limited to what is necessary at each stage; when the congregation is asked to act, the Elders shall share facts sufficient for members to exercise discerning judgment, always aiming at restoration. By entering into membership, members consent to this process of loving accountability.

Figure 1: Church Discipline Process

Church discipline may include admonition by the Elders or congregation, suspension from the Lord’s Supper for a definite period stated in the motion, not exceeding six (6) months (imposed by the congregation, by majority of votes cast, on the Elders’ recommendation; a member under suspension from the Table is not in good standing, and does not vote or join petitions, for the stated period), recommendation of removal or deposition from office through the process governing that office, and removal from membership (Matthew 18:15–17; 2 Thessalonians 3:14–15; 1 Timothy 5:19–20; 1 Corinthians 5:4–5). Removal from membership through church discipline requires a two-thirds vote of members present and voting at a meeting where notification of the disciplinary purpose has been given.

The purpose of such discipline is: (a) for the repentance, reconciliation, and spiritual growth of the individual disciplined; (b) for the instruction and good of other Christians; (c) for the purity of the church as a whole; (d) for the good of our corporate witness; and (e) supremely for the glory of God.

Any person whose membership has been terminated for disciplinary reasons may, upon request and with evidence of repentance and reformation, be restored promptly by majority vote of members present and voting (2 Corinthians 2:5–11). A suspension from the Lord’s Table ends at its stated period, or earlier upon repentance: on the Elders’ recommendation, the congregation may terminate a suspension at any business meeting by majority vote of members present and voting, and a suspended member may at any time ask the Elders to make that recommendation (2 Corinthians 2:6–8).

Commentary: Church discipline is an act of love, not punishment. The graduated steps—private, then witnesses, then the church—follow Jesus’ explicit instruction in Matthew 18 and protect both the individual and the congregation. Redemption, not exclusion, is the governing goal.

Section 5. Authority of the Congregation

Under the headship of Jesus Christ, the gathered congregation is the final earthly authority in this church (Matthew 18:17; Acts 6:3; 1 Corinthians 5:4; 2 Corinthians 2:6). The Elders lead, the Deacons serve, committees labor, and officers administer—but each does so as servants of the congregation, which retains final authority over the matters reserved below. No officer, Elder, Deacon, council, or committee may exercise these reserved powers on the congregation’s behalf.

(1) Matters Reserved to the Congregation. The following actions require a vote of the congregation and may not be delegated. Each is governed by the section cited, which controls the applicable process and vote threshold; this list is a reference index and creates no authority beyond the sections cited:

(a) Receiving new members (Art. I, Sec. 1)

(b) Removal from membership through church discipline, and restoration; removal from elected office through the governing removal process; and congregational review of discipline imposed by the Elders (Art. I, Sec. 4)

(c) Calling or removing the Senior Pastor (Art. II, Sec. 2 and Sec. 5; Procedures 15 and 16)

(d) Electing Staff Elders and Non-Staff Elders (Art. II, Secs. 3 and 4)

(e) Affirming the call and compensation of ministerial staff (Art. II, Sec. 5)

(f) Electing and removing Deacons (Art. II, Sec. 6)

(g) Electing administrative officers, removing them, and establishing or abolishing those offices (Art. II, Sec. 9)

(h) Electing the members of Administrative Committees, and affirming the members of Discipleship and Service Committees, except temporary mid-term appointments expressly authorized by Article II, Section 7 (Art. III, Secs. 1–2; Procedure 3 details Administrative Committee elections)

(i) Affirming provisional committees, adopting them permanently, and disbanding committees (Art. III, Sec. 1)

(j) Adopting the annual budget and approving motions that affect it (Art. III, Sec. 5.O; Art. V, Sec. 5)

(k) Buying, selling, or encumbering real property (Art. III, Sec. 5.N)

(l) Approving church-wide fundraising campaigns and new designated funds, and voting on designated gifts referred by the Elders (Art. V, Sec. 8)

(m) Amending these Bylaws (Art. V, Sec. 6; Procedure 11)

(n) Electing messengers to associational and convention meetings (Art. V, Sec. 10)

(o) Ratifying interim actions taken by the Leadership Council when quorum could not be obtained (Art. V, Sec. 2)

(p) Acting on substantive matters not provided for in these Bylaws (Art. V, Sec. 15)

(q) Approving any merger, dissolution, or disposition of substantially all assets (Art. V, Sec. 16)

(2) Congregational Initiative. The congregation’s authority includes the right to initiate, not merely to ratify. Accordingly: (a) any member in good standing may bring a motion under New Business at any business meeting (see Art. V, Sec. 1); (b) any member in good standing may propose an amendment to these Bylaws through the process in Article V, Section 6 (detailed step-by-step in Procedure 11); (c) twenty-five (25) members in good standing may by written petition compel a business meeting, as provided in Article V, Section 1; and (d) any member may bring a concern, proposal, or ministry idea to the Elders, the Deacons, or the Leadership Council at any time, and may request that a matter be placed on the agenda of the next business meeting.

Commentary: This section creates no new powers; it gathers in one place the authority the congregation already holds throughout these Bylaws so it can be seen at a glance. In an elder-led church, this list is the structural safeguard of congregational polity: leadership serves, but the congregation decides the matters that define the church’s membership, offices, money, property, and constitution. The initiative rights ensure the congregation never depends on any officer or council to exercise its own authority—members can move, propose, and, when twenty-five agree, compel a meeting. Twenty-five is a deliberate, fixed threshold: enough members to show the concern is broadly shared, without depending on the size-adjusted quorum formula of Article V, Section 2.

ARTICLE II — CHURCH GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS

The two biblical offices as recorded in Scripture are Elders and Deacons. In addition, this church recognizes the administrative positions of Church Clerk, Assistant Church Clerk, Treasurer, and Assistant Treasurer.

Section 1. Council of Elders

The Elders of Trinity Baptist Church serve under the lordship of Jesus Christ and are accountable to God for the spiritual welfare of the congregation entrusted to their care (Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 5:1–4). Eldership is a calling to sacrificial service, not a position of privilege or power. Elders are to lead as servants — not domineering over those in their charge, but being examples to the flock (1 Peter 5:3). Their authority is real, but it is exercised in humility and accountability, always for the congregation’s good and never for personal advantage.

(1) Composition. The Council of Elders shall be comprised of at least three men who satisfy the qualifications for the office of Elder set forth in 1 Timothy 3:1–7, Titus 1:6–9, and 1 Peter 5:1–4. The Elders shall be equal in authority but may be specialized in function. The Council shall be composed of the Senior Pastor, any Staff Elders, and Non-Staff Elders. Staff Elders, including the Senior Pastor, shall not constitute a majority of the Council of Elders except during vacancies, and any such vacancy shall be announced promptly and filled under Section 4 within twelve (12) months; if the annual affirmation cycle cannot meet that deadline, the Council shall call a special affirmation vote conducted under the standards and notice of Section 4. If at any time there are no qualified men other than the Senior Pastor who can serve as Elders, the Senior Pastor shall serve as sole Elder and shall utilize the Deacons to aid in ministry until additional qualified men can be set apart.

(2) Qualifications. Elders and nominees for Elder shall be qualified as specified in 1 Timothy 3:1–7, Titus 1:6–9, and 1 Peter 5:1–4. He shall be:

• Above reproach (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6–7)

• Husband of one wife; a one-woman man (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6)

• Sober-minded, self-controlled, and respectable (1 Timothy 3:2)

• Hospitable (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8)

• Able to teach; able to exhort in sound doctrine and refute false teaching (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:9)

• Not a drunkard (1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 1:7)

• Not violent but gentle; not quarrelsome; not quick-tempered (1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 1:7)

• Not a lover of money; not greedy for gain (1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 1:7)

• Manages his own household well, with children who are submissive (1 Timothy 3:4; Titus 1:6)

• Not a recent convert (1 Timothy 3:6)

• Has a good reputation with those outside the church (1 Timothy 3:7)

• Not arrogant; a lover of good, upright, holy, and disciplined (Titus 1:7–8)

• If married, his wife’s character shall also be considered in the examination, as a matter of prudence (see the Deacon qualifications commentary on 1 Timothy 3:11)

• A nominee for Non-Staff Elder must have been an active member of Trinity Baptist Church for a minimum of two years and shall be at least twenty-one (21) years of age; the two-year membership requirement does not apply to Staff Elders or the Senior Pastor, whose calls are governed by Sections 2 and 3

(3) Responsibilities. Subject to the will of the congregation, the Elders shall oversee the ministry, vision, and spiritual resources of the church. In keeping with Acts 6:1–6 and 1 Peter 5:1–4, Elders shall devote themselves to prayer, the ministry of the Word, and shepherding God’s flock. The Elders’ responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Leading the church to function as a New Testament church

• Establishing, evaluating, adjusting, and communicating the ministerial vision of the church to the congregation

• Conducting worship services and encouraging sound doctrine through teaching and example

• Equipping the membership for the work of the ministry

• Examining and instructing prospective church members

• Overseeing the process of church discipline

• Mobilizing the church for local evangelization and world missions

• Examining all prospective candidates for church office before submission to the church for a vote, other than candidates for Deacon (screened by the Leadership Council under Section 6(4)), members of Service Committees (nominated by the Deacons), Administrative Committees, and the named administrative officers of Section 9 (see Article III and Section 9)

• Working in close partnership with the Deacons; maintaining regular communication with the Deacon Chairman to stay informed of the congregation’s practical needs and to ensure alignment between the church’s spiritual direction and its ministry of service

• Equipping, encouraging, and providing pastoral oversight of all Discipleship Committees; receiving their reports and offering shepherding guidance in support of the church’s ministry of discipleship and Christian education

• Overseeing all paid staff in the exercise of their ministry roles. The Personnel Committee manages the employment relationship for all paid staff and holds final authority over job descriptions, performance reviews, and termination of employment for non-ministerial staff. For ministerial staff, performance reviews are conducted in coordination with the Elders; the Elders retain final authority over questions of ministerial fitness and doctrinal soundness and must approve the ministerial job description before it is presented to the congregation (see Section 5; Article III, Section 5.P). When a staff member — including the Senior Pastor — is accused of conduct that, if substantiated, would constitute a serious disqualifying offense, the Elders may, by majority vote of the Council of Elders, place that staff member on paid administrative leave pending investigation by the Personnel Committee. The Personnel Committee must be notified immediately and shall convene within fourteen (14) days to review the matter and determine next steps. The Personnel Committee has discretion, upon review of the circumstances, to convert the leave to unpaid if it determines that unpaid status is warranted. Administrative leave under this provision shall not constitute a finding of guilt, and the Personnel Committee retains authority over the ultimate employment decision as provided in Section 5 (termination of non-elder ministerial staff is subject to the Elders’ veto and the Personnel Committee’s right of appeal to the congregation)

Administrative leave under this subsection shall not exceed sixty (60) days unless extended once by joint action of the Council of Elders and the Personnel Committee. The staff member shall be given written notice of the allegation and a reasonable opportunity to respond. If the Personnel Committee does not act within the leave period, the leave lapses and the staff member is reinstated.

• Appointing one Elder to serve as a non-voting liaison on each Administrative Committee. This liaison serves to promote communication and spiritual alignment between the Elders and the committee, but does not direct committee operations or vote

• Reviewing the annual budget, as prepared and presented by the Finance Committee, before the draft budget is distributed to the congregation in November and again before the final budget is presented in December, to ensure ministry priorities are reflected; the Elders’ review is advisory and shall be completed within fourteen (14) days of receiving each draft, after which the Finance Committee proceeds; the Finance Committee shall present the budget to the congregation for a vote at a business meeting no later than December

• Nominating all officers, teachers, and leaders for Discipleship Committees; presenting nominees to the congregation for election

• Forming, as needed, a temporary Nominating Team to assist in identifying and vetting candidates for Discipleship Committee positions and teaching roles. The composition, scope, and duration of any Nominating Team shall be determined by the Elders at the time of its formation and may include any church members the Elders deem qualified to assist. The Nominating Team serves in an advisory capacity; the Elders retain final authority over all nominations

• Selecting one Elder to serve as moderator at all church business meetings

Commentary: The Elders’ authority is real, but it is not absolute—it flows under Christ and is exercised in accountable relationship to the congregation. Elders do not rule as lords; they lead as servants whose example earns the respect Scripture calls the congregation to give them (1 Peter 5:3; Hebrews 13:17). The Elders should actively seek unity with the congregation, the Deacons, and each committee, and should abstain from decisions that sow confusion or division when counsel, patience, and prayer could produce alignment. Administrative Committees derive their authority directly from the congregation, just as the Elders do. The Elders should respect that authority and allow Administrative Committees to exercise their mandates independently. The Elder liaison to each Administrative Committee is a bridge, not a supervisor—present to promote communication and spiritual alignment, not to direct committee operations. The details of the Personnel Committee’s processes are addressed in the commentary on that committee.

(4) Organization. The Elders shall organize as they determine best achieves the mission of the church. The Elders are equal in authority but may be specialized in function. The Elders may meet among themselves at any time, with or without the Deacons present, as they determine necessary for prayer, deliberation, or the exercise of their governing responsibilities. A quorum for Elder-only meetings is defined as at least a majority of the active Elders. The Senior Pastor shall serve as Chairman of the Council of Elders. The Elders shall annually select a Vice-Chairman from among themselves.

(5) Election and Terms of Non-Staff Elders. The election process and terms for Elders are set forth in Section 4 below.

(6) Removal. An Elder may be removed from office by resignation, or by the congregation upon the Council of Elders’ recommendation if he is found to be physically or mentally incapacitated or spiritually unqualified, after thorough investigation in accord with Matthew 18:15–18 and 1 Timothy 5:19. When an Elder is removed due to unrepentant disqualifying sin, the removal shall be accompanied by a public rebuke as prescribed in 1 Timothy 5:20. On the recommendation of the Council of Elders, or on the written petition of twenty-five (25) members in good standing, an Elder may be dismissed by a two-thirds vote of members present and voting, taken by secret ballot, at a duly called business meeting where the nature of the vote has been stated in the meeting notice. In either case, dismissal occurs only after investigation in accord with Matthew 18:15–18 and 1 Timothy 5:19 (on the evidence of two or three witnesses). Where removal is sought by petition, the Leadership Council, excluding the Elder concerned, conducts the investigation and shall report its findings to the congregation within sixty (60) days of receiving the petition. The removal ballot is taken at a duly called business meeting after that report is made; if no report is made within the sixty (60) days, the ballot may proceed on charges supported by the testimony of two or three witnesses presented to the congregation (1 Timothy 5:19). A meeting petitioned under Article V, Section 1 concerning the removal may convene and hear the matter, but the removal ballot awaits the report or the lapse of the sixty (60) days.

The Council of Elders may suspend an Elder and recommend his removal; final removal from the office of Elder rests with the congregation by a two-thirds vote of members present and voting, taken by secret ballot. An Elder who is the subject of a removal inquiry shall recuse from all deliberation and votes on the matter and shall not be counted toward quorum for it.

Section 2. Senior Pastor

(1) Role. The Senior Pastor is the primary preaching Elder and serves as ‘first among equals’ among the Elders. He shall perform the duties of an Elder as described in Section 1(3). He is an ex-officio member of all committees and ministry teams and is accountable to the Council of Elders.

(2) Election. Upon a vacancy in the Senior Pastor position, the Leadership Council shall recommend to the congregation for affirmation a Pastoral Search Team. The Search Team shall consist of at least five (5) church members, including at least one active Deacon and at least one current member of the Personnel Committee. If there are no active Deacons, the Deacon requirement is waived. If there are no active Elders, the duties assigned to the Council of Elders in the search process shall be exercised by the Deacons together with the Personnel Committee; if there are neither active Elders nor active Deacons, the Personnel Committee shall exercise the search-related duties assigned to both the Council of Elders and the Leadership Council, with the counsel of qualified outside pastoral advisers, and candidate approval requires a unanimous vote of the Personnel Committee. No more than one Elder may serve on the Search Team, and an Elder may not serve on the Search Team if his recusal would leave no active Elder eligible to participate in the final approval vote. An Elder serving on the Search Team shall recuse from the Council’s final approval vote (see Procedure 15), preserving the integrity of the Council’s independent review. The Search Team shall work with the Elders to determine the interview and evaluation process. Any candidate must first receive unanimous approval of the Elders eligible to vote (a recused Elder is not counted) — or, when there are no active Elders, unanimous approval of the substitute approving body designated above — and shall preach at each Sunday morning worship service on the weekend of the vote, with the congregational vote taken at the conclusion of each service. The candidate must receive at least 90% of the combined votes of members present and voting across all Sunday morning worship services.

(3) Term. The Senior Pastor shall serve for an indefinite period of time, subject to removal as specified in Section 1(6), and is subject to annual review by the Personnel Committee in coordination with the Elders. The Senior Pastor and any Staff Elder shall recuse from the Personnel Committee’s deliberation of his own review, compensation, or discipline.

(4) Authorities Defined Elsewhere. The Senior Pastor holds authorities defined throughout these Bylaws, including: presiding over the Leadership Council (Art. II, Sec. 7); authorizing and revoking armed-carry authorization for Security Team members (Art. III, Sec. 4.M(f); Procedure 12); serving as the church’s designated internal recipient of mandatory child safety reports (Art. V, Sec. 14(3)); and reading the Church Covenant annually (Preamble). This consolidation is for reference; substance of each authority remains in the section cited. The Senior Pastor’s spending, hiring, and program initiatives are subject to the same limits as any other staff member: the adopted budget (Art. V, Sec. 5), the fundraising-campaign and designated-gift rules (Art. V, Sec. 8), and the personnel processes of Section 5. During a vacancy in the Senior Pastor position, or his incapacity, the Council of Elders shall designate an active Elder to exercise the administrative authorities assigned to the Senior Pastor, except where these Bylaws provide otherwise; if no active Elder is serving, the substitute body identified in Section 2(2) shall assign those responsibilities as appropriate.

(5) Removal. The Senior Pastor may be removed for just cause as provided in Section 1(6) and Section 5, as implemented by Procedure 16; the requirements of this Section control. A removal may be initiated by the Council of Elders, by the Personnel Committee, or by the written petition of twenty-five (25) members in good standing, and requires a two-thirds vote of members present and voting. The Senior Pastor shall recuse from presiding over, moderating, or voting on any matter relating to his own removal.

Commentary: The Senior Pastor is first among equals—not first in authority over the other Elders, but first in responsibility and accountability before the congregation and before God. He bears the weight of public leadership in a way no other Elder does. The other Elders should see in him a fellow servant worthy of respect and a model of the shepherd’s calling, while he in turn should treat his fellow Elders as genuine peers, seeking their counsel and deferring to the Council rather than acting unilaterally. The accountability that comes with the title is not a burden imposed from outside; it is the natural expression of the trust the congregation and the Elders place in him.

Section 3. Staff Elders

A Staff Elder is a staff member who has been specifically called by the church to fulfill both a defined ministry role and the office of Elder. The designation of Staff Elder is not automatic upon employment; it requires a separate and express process of examination and congregational affirmation using the vote, objection window, and vote threshold (80%) of the Section 4 process, except that a Staff Elder enters through a church-initiated call rather than open congregational nomination, the vote may be held at any Sunday morning services with fourteen (14) days’ notice rather than only in the September cycle, and the single 80% vote both confers the office and affirms the employment (see Procedure 1). The call is initiated by nomination of the Council of Elders, requiring the unanimous approval of the Elders eligible to vote and the prior written consent of both the Personnel Committee (as to the employment terms and the role) and the Finance Committee (as to funding); the candidate undergoes the same examination as Section 4(1)(c) before being presented to the congregation. The congregation must vote specifically on his appointment as a Staff Elder—not merely on his employment. A Staff Elder serves for an indefinite term, subject to removal as in Section 1(6), and is subject to annual review by the Personnel Committee in coordination with the Elders.

Commentary: Eldership is a biblical office with weighty qualifications. No staff member is an Elder by virtue of employment alone. A Staff Elder is called expressly into that role through a formal congregational process. Because the Staff Elder role is tied to a paid ministry position, his term runs with his service and is indefinite while he holds the paid position — there is no triennial reaffirmation; if his employment ends without removal from office, he transitions to Non-Staff Elder status as provided in Section 5. If the church would not want this man serving indefinitely as an Elder, it should not call him to the office in the first place. And because the office is joined to a paid position, the call cannot reach the congregation until the two committees the congregation elected to guard its staffing and its money — Personnel and Finance — have each consented in writing; no paid eldership can be created around them. Removal is governed by Section 1(6).

A staff member of the church who is elected to the eldership serves as a Staff Elder; the office is held together with the paid ministry role. A Staff Elder may voluntarily step down from the Council of Elders at any time while remaining employed, by submitting his resignation from the Council to the Council of Elders. This voluntary step-down provision does not apply to the Senior Pastor, whose service in that position necessarily includes service as an Elder. Stepping down from the Council does not end his employment; while off the Council he serves as ministerial staff and his employment is governed by Section 5. He does not resume the eldership automatically; returning to the office of Elder requires re-election through the standard process described in Section 4. This path is available only for departures in good standing and is not a substitute for removal for cause under Section 1(6). A vacancy created by such a resignation is filled in the same manner as any other Elder vacancy.

Figure 2: Elder Election Process

Section 4. Non-Staff Elders

Non-Staff Elders are men from the congregation who are recognized as meeting the biblical qualifications for Elder and are set apart by the church to serve on the Council of Elders. Their eldership is a calling, not a paid position. The election process and terms are set forth in full in this section.

(1) Election Process. The selection of Non-Staff Elders shall proceed as follows:

Non-Staff Elders are elected on an annual cycle. Each year the Council of Elders announces any expiring terms and open positions no later than July 15; the congregational affirmation vote is held on the second Sunday of September; and men affirmed are set apart on the first Sunday of October. In a year with no opening, no election is held. In addition, upon the written petition of twenty-five (25) members in good standing, delivered to the Church Clerk and verified under Article V, Section 1, the Council of Elders shall open a nomination cycle under this Section for at least one position, announcing it within thirty (30) days of verification. A petitioned cycle follows the steps of this Section on its own schedule rather than the annual calendar: every screening standard, approval gate, and vote threshold applies without change, and the affirmation vote is held at the Sunday morning worship services on fourteen (14) days’ notice after the objection window closes.

• The Council of Elders shall announce an Elder opening to the congregation, stating whether it is a new position or an expiring term, and shall publish the biblical qualifications; the announcement opens a season of congregational prayer for the selection (Acts 13:2–3; 14:23).

• The congregation shall have two (2) weeks from the date of announcement to submit written nominations to the church office on the official nomination form.

• The Elders shall review all nominations, contact nominees, administer a doctrinal questionnaire, and conduct interviews of nominees and, if married, their wives.

• A nominee must receive unanimous approval of the Elders eligible to vote and is then presented to the congregation for affirmation. A nominee not advanced shall be privately informed; if he is nominated again by written petition of twenty-five (25) members in good standing, the Council shall either advance him or report to the congregation that it has declined to do so, without detailing private matters.

• Following the Elders’ recommendation, the congregation shall have fourteen (14) days to submit in writing any biblical grounds for objection. All responses shall be reviewed by the Elders, who shall determine whether each objection establishes a biblical disqualification; an objection that does not shall not bar the nominee, and the objecting member shall be informed of the disposition before the vote proceeds.

• The congregation shall vote by written ballot at all Sunday morning worship services; each member may cast only one ballot, and a quorum shall be confirmed and recorded as provided in Article V, Section 2. A minimum of 80% “yes” votes of members present and voting is required. Men who receive the required affirmation shall be set apart as Elders, provided that if more nominees receive the required affirmation than there are open positions, the positions are filled in order of the highest affirmative vote percentages, with a runoff ballot between the tied nominees, held at the Sunday morning services on the following Sunday under the same rules, if a tie affects the final position. Those set apart are received through the laying on of hands by the Elders and the corporate prayer of the church.

(2) Terms. Non-Staff Elders shall serve three-year terms. Upon completing a term, a Non-Staff Elder shall rotate off the Council of Elders and must remain off the Council for a minimum of one full year before becoming eligible for re-election. A Non-Staff Elder who rotates off in good standing and subsequently completes the required year away may be nominated and elected through the standard process described in Section 4(1).

(3) Removal. Removal of a Non-Staff Elder is governed by Section 1(6).

Commentary: Why three-year terms and these vote thresholds? Three years is long enough for an Elder to shepherd meaningfully and short enough that the congregation retains regular oversight. The 80% affirmation threshold for election is deliberately higher than the two-thirds required for removal. This asymmetry is intentional: it should be harder to add an Elder than to remove one. Eldership is a weighty biblical office, and strong congregational consensus before elevation protects both the office and the man. The lower removal threshold ensures the congregation can act decisively when an Elder is found disqualified. The process ordinarily begins when the Council of Elders determines that an additional Elder is needed—they also decide how many positions to fill—and a nomination cycle may also be opened by member petition, as the binding text provides. The congregation, the Elders, and the Deacons may all submit nominations. The Council then pre-screens nominees against the biblical qualifications, interviews each candidate, and administers a doctrinal questionnaire. The Council is not required to advance every nominee, but should prayerfully consider as many qualified candidates as possible, consulting the Deacons where appropriate. The Council may advance one nominee or several; the congregation votes yes or no on each. The Elder Election flowchart (Figure 2) appears above.

Section 5. Ministerial Staff

Ministerial Staff serve under the direct pastoral authority and shepherding oversight of the Council of Elders. The Elders equip, direct, and hold accountable all ministerial staff in the exercise of their ministry roles, bearing final responsibility before God and the congregation for questions of ministerial fitness, doctrinal soundness, and pastoral effectiveness. At the recommendation of the Elders, the church shall call forth ministerial staff as are needed to carry out its ministry. Before a ministerial position is brought to the congregation, the Elders shall define the ministry scope and requirements of the role. The Personnel Committee, working with that Elder input on ministerial dimensions, shall develop the written job description and compensation recommendation, which must be approved by the Elders before being presented to the congregation for affirmation.

Men and women serving on the ministerial staff must give evidence of spiritual maturity in their service and devotional life. All teaching from ministerial staff shall be consistent with the doctrinal commitments of Trinity Baptist Church. The Personnel Committee supports the Elders’ shepherding oversight at the employment layer—conducting annual performance reviews in coordination with the Elders, maintaining personnel files, and managing employment mechanics. On matters of ministerial fitness and doctrinal integrity, Personnel provides input at the Elders’ request but the Elders hold final authority.

Supervision and workplace care. Each staff member has one named supervisor, stated in the job description: ministerial staff report to the Senior Pastor (and the Senior Pastor to the Council of Elders); non-ministerial staff report to the supervisor the job description names. Elders, Deacons, officers, and committees direct a staff member’s work only through that supervisor. Any staff member may raise a workplace concern to the Personnel Committee without retaliation — directly to the Chair where the concern involves the supervisor or the Senior Pastor (see Art. V, Sec. 18) — and personnel files are confidential to the Personnel Committee and the staff member’s supervisor. Only the bodies these Bylaws authorize may extend an offer of employment, set or change compensation, or grant benefits, and only through the processes these Bylaws and the Personnel Committee’s written procedures provide; a commitment made outside that path, however communicated, creates no obligation of the church. Any such commitment shall, upon discovery, be reported to the Personnel Committee and the Council of Elders.

Ministerial staff serve at the call of the church; termination of employment requires just cause as provided in this Section, and proceeds as follows:

(a) Non-Elder ministerial staff. The Personnel Committee may terminate for just cause, after notifying and hearing the Elders. The Elders may veto the termination; if vetoed, the Personnel Committee may appeal to the congregation, whose vote binds all parties.

(b) Staff Elders. Termination of a Staff Elder’s employment occurs only by his resignation, by his congregational removal from the office of Elder under Section 1(6), or by a separate congregational vote terminating his employment (majority of members present and voting), which the Personnel Committee shall respect and implement; the Personnel Committee may recommend but may not itself terminate a Staff Elder.

(c) Office and employment are distinct. A vote terminating employment does not itself remove the office of Elder; unless the same motion also removes him from office under the two-thirds secret-ballot standard of Section 1(6), a former Staff Elder becomes a Non-Staff Elder and serves until the next annual Elder affirmation cycle, with continued service thereafter requiring affirmation under Section 4 — or he may step down in good standing under Section 3.

(d) Position elimination. Elimination of a paid position for financial or organizational reasons is not disciplinary termination and does not require just cause; it likewise leaves the office of Elder unaffected. A position may be eliminated only by the Personnel Committee with the concurrence of the Council of Elders, with reasonable written notice to the affected staff member; elimination of a ministerial position shall be reported to the congregation at the next business meeting. A position held by a Staff Elder or the Senior Pastor may not be ended through elimination alone; termination of his employment requires the congregational vote provided in paragraph (b) or, for the Senior Pastor, Section 2(5).

(e) Senior Pastor. Removal of the Senior Pastor is governed exclusively by Section 2(5), as implemented by Procedure 16; the employment-only vote of paragraph (b) does not apply to him.

Before a person is called to the ministerial staff, the candidate shall be presented to the congregation at all worship services on one Sunday, followed by a written feedback and objection window of two weeks. Objections shall be reviewed by the Council of Elders, in consultation with the Personnel Committee; the Elders shall determine whether an objection establishes a disqualification for the role; an objection that does not shall not bar the candidate, and the objecting member shall be informed of the disposition before the vote proceeds. The affirmation vote, requiring a majority of members present and voting, shall be held at a business meeting no sooner than two weeks after the presentation. Removal of ministerial staff that is brought to the congregation under this Section is likewise decided at a business meeting.

Commentary: The Elders’ veto over the termination of ministerial staff protects the church’s spiritual oversight of those who minister the Word, while the Personnel Committee’s right of appeal to the congregation guards against an impasse between the two bodies. The veto is a check, not a supremacy: the Personnel Committee’s authority comes directly from the congregation, whose members nominate and elect it. Ministerial staff are presented at the worship services, with the vote taken at a business meeting, reflecting the distinct, employment-anchored nature of the staff relationship.

Section 6. Deacons

(1) Composition and Term. The Deacons shall be men who are active members of Trinity Baptist Church for a minimum of two years prior to nomination and shall be at least twenty-one (21) years of age. The number of Deacons shall be determined by the Leadership Council based on the needs of the ministry, and shall never be fewer than three (3) so long as at least three qualified men are willing and able to serve. Deacons shall serve three-year terms and may be elected to another term after at least one year away from the office.

(2) Qualifications. Deacons and nominees for Deacon shall be qualified as specified in 1 Timothy 3:8–13 and Acts 6:1–7. He shall be:

• Dignified, worthy of respect (1 Timothy 3:8)

• Not double-tongued (1 Timothy 3:8)

• Not addicted to much wine (1 Timothy 3:8)

• Not greedy for dishonest gain (1 Timothy 3:8)

• Holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience (1 Timothy 3:9)

• First tested and found above reproach (1 Timothy 3:10)

• Husband of one wife, managing his children and household well (1 Timothy 3:12)

• If married, his wife must be dignified, not a slanderer, sober-minded, faithful in all things (1 Timothy 3:11)

• Full of the Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3)

(3) Responsibilities. Deacons participate in, coordinate and maintain the church’s practical ministries of service, freeing the Elders to focus on prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:1–6). The Deacons’ responsibilities include:

• Caring for the temporal needs of members of the congregation

• Receiving and managing the church’s Benevolence Fund, disbursing funds to those in need, and reporting total receipts and disbursements to the congregation annually. The method by which the Benevolence Fund is funded and replenished shall be determined jointly by the Deacons and the Finance Committee

• Attending to the accommodations for public worship

• Receiving Sunday collections and implementing secure two-person counting and deposit procedures

• Coordinating and maintaining all Service Committees and assisting their practical ministry work (see Article III)

• Serving in the Leadership Council: participating in Leadership Council meetings as genuine partners in ministry — bringing the practical needs and ministry concerns of the congregation to the Elders, contributing to the discernment of ministry priorities, and taking responsibility for coordinating implementation within their sphere of service (the practical and temporal care of the congregation, as distinct from doctrinal and governance matters). Ministry needs may be identified by the Elders, by the Deacons, or by both together; the Leadership Council determines the best response. Deacons and Elders bring distinct and complementary knowledge to this process: the Elders bring doctrinal and visionary leadership; the Deacons bring close knowledge of the congregation’s practical reality

• Presiding over the first meeting of any Service Committee when the prior chairperson is unavailable (see Article III, Section 2)

• Identifying and addressing the practical and temporal needs of the congregation within their sphere of service. Deacons are trusted to recognize needs and respond with Spirit-led judgment — not every matter requires Elder direction before a Deacon acts. Significant, recurring, or resource-requiring needs are brought to the Leadership Council, but Deacons exercise genuine ministry initiative in the day-to-day care of the congregation

• Maintaining active availability to and awareness of the congregation — regularly checking in on members, particularly those who are elderly, isolated, grieving, or facing practical hardship — so that needs are seen before they become crises. A Deacon who is present and attentive among the congregation is fulfilling one of the most essential functions of the office

(4) Election. Deacons are elected each year to fill open seats, through five steps: the congregation puts names forward for consideration, the Leadership Council checks basic eligibility, the congregation nominates from the eligible list, the Leadership Council screens the most-nominated men, and the congregation confirms those presented.

Step 1 — Names for Consideration (July). Any member may submit, in writing, the names of men he or she wishes the church to consider for the office of Deacon, and the congregation is called to prayer for the selection (Acts 6:6). Members are encouraged to speak with a man first to confirm he is willing to serve.

Step 2 — Eligibility Pre-Screen. The Leadership Council reviews the submitted names and keeps those who meet the objective requirements of the office — a man, at least twenty-one (21) years of age, and an active member of Trinity for at least two years. By the first Sunday of August, the Council presents this list of eligible men to the congregation, along with the number of open seats and the Deacons whose terms are ending. This step checks only these plain facts, not yet a man’s biblical qualifications.

Step 3 — Nomination (third Sunday of August). At the Sunday morning services, each member receives a ballot listing the eligible men and marks, up to the number of open seats, the men he or she believes should serve. Only men on the list may be marked; a ballot marking more than the number of seats is void. The Leadership Council counts the ballots and ranks the eligible men by the number of nominations received.

Step 4 — Qualification Screening. Beginning with the most-nominated man and working down the list, the Leadership Council — the Elders with the Deacons — examines each man against the biblical qualifications for the office (1 Timothy 3:8–13; Acts 6:1–7), meeting with him and, if he is married, his wife. The Council advances those who meet the qualifications, continuing until it has, where possible, at least one more qualified man than the number of open seats, so a reserve remains if a man is not confirmed.

Step 5 — Confirmation (fourth Sunday of September). The Council presents those men to the congregation. For fourteen (14) days before the vote, any member may submit written biblical grounds for objection. The Leadership Council shall review each objection and determine whether it establishes a biblical disqualification; an objection that does not shall not bar the man, and the objecting member shall be informed of the disposition before the vote proceeds. At the Sunday morning services the congregation then votes “yes” or “no” on each man; a man receiving a majority of the votes cast is elected, provided that if more men receive a majority than there are open seats, the seats are filled in order of the highest affirmative vote totals, with a runoff ballot between the tied men, held at the Sunday morning services on the following Sunday under the same rules, if a tie affects the final seat. If a man is not confirmed, the Council presents the next qualified man from the ranked list; if that man was not included in the original fourteen-day objection window and confirmation vote, his name shall be published for a new fourteen-day objection window before a separate confirmation vote. Where seats differ in length, full terms are filled first (in order of nominations received) and unexpired terms next. Newly elected Deacons are installed at a worship service with prayer and the laying on of hands by the Elders.

(5) Organization. The Deacons shall organize themselves as they determine best achieves the mission of the church. Meetings of the Deacons shall be held as needed. The Deacons shall elect a Chairman from among themselves annually. The Deacon Chairman shall serve as the primary liaison between the Deacons and the Council of Elders.

Commentary: The decision to add a Deacon begins with the Leadership Council—Elders and Deacons together—who determine the need and the number of open seats. From there the congregation carries the process: members put names forward for consideration; the Leadership Council screens those names for the basic eligibility of the office; the congregation nominates from that eligible list by ranked ballot; the Leadership Council examines the most-nominated men against the biblical qualifications; and the congregation confirms those the Council presents. The people choose, and the Elders guard the qualifications of the office—an echo of Acts 6, where the congregation set apart the seven and the apostles appointed them. The five steps are set out in Section 6(4).

Figure 3: Deacon Election Process

(6) Removal. A Deacon may resign from office by submitting a letter of resignation to the Elders. A removal may be initiated by the Elders after counseling and investigation, or by the written petition of twenty-five (25) members in good standing, if the Deacon is found to be unable to serve or unqualified; final removal from office is by a two-thirds vote of members present and voting, taken by secret ballot. A Deacon who is the subject of a removal inquiry recuses from any vote on the matter. Resignation or removal shall be announced by an Elder at a church service or business meeting.

Commentary: Deacons are not a secondary office—they are a distinct one, set apart by the congregation with biblical qualifications that rival those of the Elders in nearly every respect. Verse 11 of 1 Timothy 3 is a debated text — some read “the women” as deacons’ wives, others as women who serve (compare Romans 16:1); this church has adopted the “wives” reading, and states that here as its interpretive choice rather than as the only possible reading. The primary distinction is the Elder’s call to teach and guard doctrine publicly; yet even here, the Deacon is expected to be a person of spiritual wisdom so that he can protect the unity and doctrinal health of the congregation. If no Elder is present and a matter of teaching or doctrinal discernment must be addressed, a Deacon may be called upon to act on behalf of the church. The relationship between Elders and Deacons should be built more on harmony, mutual respect, and shared humility than on words on a page. Deacons submit to the Elders’ authority while Elders humbly receive counsel from Deacons, who are themselves qualified to a higher biblical standard than the congregation at large. Deacons should encourage Elders to devote themselves to prayer, teaching, and pastoral care; Elders should counsel Deacons on the most biblical and effective approaches to service. The Deacon office is, at its heart, a ministry of church unity. The presenting crisis in Acts 6 was not merely unmet need — it was the murmuring that unmet need produced. The Hellenistic widows were being overlooked, and the resentment that followed threatened to fracture the young church. The seven were appointed not simply because there was too much work, but because inequity in practical care was becoming a source of division. A Deacon who does his work faithfully — ensuring no one is overlooked, connecting resources to those in need, maintaining attentive presence across the congregation — is performing one of the church’s most important unity-preserving functions. Unmet temporal needs, if left unaddressed, breed exactly the kind of resentment, neglect, and quiet fracturing that the Deacon office exists to prevent. The quality of the church’s practical care is inseparable from the health of its unity. One of the most important discernments Deacons must make is distinguishing a temporal need from a recurring one. A temporal need is addressed directly through Deacon service and the Benevolence Fund. A recurring need belongs in a committee or ministry team so it can be served consistently and Deacons remain free to address the next temporal need that arises. Deacons retain oversight authority over the Service Committees they coordinate. When a committee strays from its purpose or operates ineffectively, it is the Deacons’ responsibility to address it—with humility, grace, and love. The Deacons’ effectiveness as servants extends through those committees; when the committees flourish, the Deacons’ ordination to service is multiplied across the whole congregation.

Section 7. Leadership Council

The Leadership Council shall consist of all active Elders and all active Deacons. The Leadership Council is not a separate governing body and does not replace or supersede the Council of Elders. It is not a separate biblical office and possesses no inherent authority apart from the Elders and Deacons who compose it; it exercises only the coordinating and operational authority expressly assigned to it by these Bylaws. Rather, it is simply a council of qualified men — the Elders and Deacons together — set apart by the church and meeting jointly for the purpose of coordination, communication, and unified ministry. The Elders and Deacons bring distinct and complementary contributions to the Leadership Council. The Elders carry responsibility for ministry direction, spiritual oversight, and church governance; the Deacons lead the practical care and service of the congregation. On matters of practical service and congregational care, the Deacons lead, with the Elders available as pastoral counsel. The Deacons bring the practical concerns and ministry needs of the congregation to the Leadership Council, contribute honest counsel on ministry matters, exercise genuine leadership within their sphere of service, and coordinate implementation of ministry priorities — whether those priorities originate with the Elders, the Deacons themselves, or arise from their joint discernment. Final decisions on matters of church governance and spiritual direction rest with the Elders, who are accountable to Christ and to the congregation. The Leadership Council shall meet at least every other month to carry out the business of the church, including committee reports, ministry calendar coordination, facility use approvals, and other operational matters. A quorum of the Leadership Council is at least one-half (50%) of its members, counting all active Elders and active Deacons together. The Elders may call additional Leadership Council meetings at any time as circumstances require. Routine items may be handled between in-person meetings by email, text, or video conference. In matters of genuine urgency, the Elders may act between meetings by unanimous written consent of the Elders who can be reached, provided they are a majority of all active Elders; such action is limited to the Leadership Council’s operational authority, is subject to the exclusions of Article V, Section 2, and shall be ratified at the next Leadership Council meeting. The Senior Pastor may approve an emergency facility-use request, subject to the same ratification. The Senior Pastor, as Chairman of the Council of Elders, shall preside. The Deacon Chairman shall facilitate the deacons’ participation.

Commentary: Calendar coordination shows how these bodies work together. Most planning happens inside the committees and ministries themselves, which know their own work best. The Leadership Council coordinates the master church calendar and grants facility-use permissions, acting as a safety valve that catches conflicts and keeps the whole program aligned rather than directing the details. Within that shared calendar, the Elders help guide the ministry calendar — the teaching and discipleship life of the church — and the Deacons help guide the service calendar — fellowship, facilities, and practical care — each in their proper sphere. The aim is unity without micromanagement: committees plan, the Leadership Council harmonizes, and the Elders and Deacons shepherd their respective spheres.

Responsibilities of the Leadership Council. The Leadership Council shall:

• Identify operational needs and set ministry priorities across all committees

• Call church business meetings as needed, honoring the member-petition right of Article V, Section 1

• Call Church Council meetings as needed

• Receive reports from committee chairs and ministry leaders

• Fill vacancies on Discipleship and Service Committees as they arise between election cycles (such appointments run only until the next annual June election), and appoint interim members of Administrative Committees only as permitted by Article III, Section 5 (the congregation elects the permanent replacement under the mid-term process stated in Article III, Section 5)

• Nominate members of Administrative Committees for congregational election (see Article III)

• Coordinate committee nominations, affirmations, and elections

• Establish and maintain the church’s facility use policy, including approving and managing any use of church facilities by outside groups or individuals; no non-church-member use of church property shall be permitted without Leadership Council approval (see Procedure 14)

• Establish Ministry Teams as needed to address ministry needs between election cycles or to staff a newly identified ministry area; such teams are accountable to the Leadership Council and may be dissolved at any time. The Leadership Council shall report the establishment of any Ministry Team to the congregation at the next business meeting, and any Ministry Team continuing beyond twelve (12) months shall either be dissolved or be proposed to the congregation as a provisional committee under Article III, Section 1. Where a need warrants a new standing body, recommend the establishment of a provisional committee to the congregation, which alone may establish it (see Article III, Section 1)

• Nominate candidates for all named administrative officer positions (Section 9) and present them to the congregation for election; appoint interim officers as needed to maintain operations when a vacancy arises pending congregational action

• Provide operational oversight of all administrative officers; suspend an officer’s duties with immediate effect when circumstances require it, pending congregational review within thirty (30) days; and bring removal recommendations to the congregation when warranted (see Art. II, Sec. 9(6))

Commentary: The Leadership Council is the church’s primary operational coordinating body — but it must be understood for what it is and is not. It is not a governing board that stands over or alongside the Council of Elders as a parallel authority, and it does not replace or supersede the Elders’ governing role. The Leadership Council is simply the Elders and Deacons — qualified men set apart by the church — meeting together so that spiritual oversight and practical service remain in constant and unified communication. The Elders and Deacons are not a hierarchy of rank but a partnership of distinct callings. The Elders bear responsibility for the church’s spiritual direction and doctrinal health; the Deacons bear responsibility for the practical care and service needs of the congregation. Each office brings something the other cannot provide on its own. Within their respective spheres, both offices exercise real judgment and genuine leadership. On matters that touch both spheres, they deliberate together — with the Elders retaining final authority on questions of governance and doctrine. The Deacon role is not subordinate in dignity but is distinct in function: Deacons bring the congregation’s practical reality to the Elders, offer honest counsel, and exercise their own God-given wisdom and initiative in the care of the congregation. This mirrors the biblical model of Acts 6, where the apostles devoted themselves to prayer and the Word while Spirit-filled, qualified men faithfully stewarded the practical needs of the congregation — not as subordinates executing orders, but as servants exercising their own God-given wisdom and initiative.

Section 8. Church Council

The Church Council shall consist of the Leadership Council (all Elders and Deacons), all ministerial staff (full and part-time), all committee chairs, and all ministry team leaders. The Church Council shall be called by the Leadership Council as needed, but no less than once per quarter. The moderating Elder shall preside.

Purpose. The Leadership Council leads the Church Council. The Church Council exists solely for communication and coordination: it is a forum in which committees, ministries, and staff share information, align schedules, and coordinate plans so the church functions as a unified whole. It makes no decisions and exercises no governing authority; any matter requiring a decision is taken to the Leadership Council or the appropriate body. The Church Council shall:

• Evaluate new programs and recommend how they fit into the total church program before presentation to the congregation

• Coordinate ministry calendars to avoid conflicts

Commentary: The Church Council is broader than the Leadership Council. It ensures that all ministry leaders and committee chairs have a forum for coordination and communication. By keeping governance in the Leadership Council and coordination in the Church Council, this structure avoids committee-by-committee isolation and promotes a unified church program. The Church Council meeting is one of the most strategically important gatherings in the church’s calendar—it is the moment when the entire ministry leadership views the church as a whole rather than through the lens of a single committee or team. Even a brief video conference is of far greater value than no meeting at all. Monthly video meetings are strongly encouraged, and the Leadership Council should determine a format and frequency that makes these meetings genuinely productive rather than perfunctory.

Section 9. Administrative Positions

The administrative officers listed in this Section serve the practical and institutional needs of the congregation, carrying out functions that free the Elders and Deacons to devote themselves to spiritual oversight and ministry. In the spirit of the Deacon calling—handling the institutional so the Elders can shepherd and teach—these officers are servants of the congregation. They are nominated by the Leadership Council, which includes both Elders and Deacons and is especially positioned to identify persons of trustworthy character for these roles, and elected by the congregation. The provisions of Section 9(6) govern the tenure, oversight, suspension, and removal of all officers in this Section.

(1) Church Clerk. The Church Clerk shall be elected by the congregation upon nomination by the Leadership Council and shall serve indefinitely until resignation or removal (see Section 9(6)). The Clerk shall keep accurate records of all church business; receive reports from officers and committees; conduct correspondence relative to the office; maintain the register of all members; sign all letters of transfer; and prepare the annual associational letter.

(2) Assistant Church Clerk. The Assistant Church Clerk may be elected by the congregation upon nomination by the Leadership Council and shall serve indefinitely until resignation or removal (see Section 9(6)). The Assistant shall serve in the absence of the Clerk and assist in preparing the annual associational letter.

(3) Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be elected by the congregation upon nomination by the Leadership Council and shall serve indefinitely until resignation or removal (see Section 9(6)). The Treasurer shall maintain a unified budget; record and disburse all funds given to the church; ensure all funds are deposited in approved bank accounts; disburse funds only as authorized by the adopted budget, by special church action, by designated gift, or by an authorization made within the authority these Bylaws grant (including Art. III, Secs. 5.O and 4.H); ensure that every disbursement above the threshold stated in the Finance Committee’s published policy (see Art. III, Sec. 5.O) bears the signatures, or documented electronic approvals, of two persons authorized by the Finance Committee; present written monthly financial reports to the Leadership Council and to the congregation, with the Leadership Council determining the format and manner of presentation (whether in a meeting or by other means such as online distribution); and present an annual report at fiscal year’s end. All church books are the property of the church and available for member inspection as provided in Article V, Section 19(6). The Treasurer’s financial records are subject to the annual internal financial review conducted by the Trustees each year by March 31 (see Art. III, Sec. 5.N(c)).

(4) Assistant Treasurer. The Assistant Treasurer may be elected by the congregation upon nomination by the Leadership Council and shall serve indefinitely until resignation or removal (see Section 9(6)). The Assistant shall serve in the absence of the Treasurer and assume all responsibilities in the event the Treasurer is unable to continue serving.

Commentary: The Assistant Treasurer position is optional—the church is not required to fill it at all. However, if the church chooses to fill it, doing so requires a congregational vote, the same as any other administrative officer position. The value of the role is primarily continuity: if the Treasurer is unexpectedly unable to serve, the Assistant can step in immediately without interruption to the church’s financial operations.

(5) Contribution Records. The duty of maintaining personal contribution records for all members and contributors, and of providing written contribution statements to each individual by January 31 of the following year, is assigned to a staff position designated by the Personnel Committee. This record-keeping is kept separate from the handling and disbursement of funds.

Commentary: The Financial Secretary is no longer an elected officer; the record-keeping function is now carried by a staff position the Personnel Committee creates and manages, so the church is not required to fill a fixed office or amend these Bylaws to adjust the role. The separation-of-duties control is retained: the Treasurer handles and disburses funds, while a different person keeps individual contribution records. No one person does both.

(6) General Provisions for Administrative Officers. The following provisions govern the tenure, oversight, suspension, and removal of all officers named in this Section.

(a) Tenure. Administrative officers serve indefinitely upon election, until they resign or are removed. There is no annual re-election. The congregation acts to establish a position, to fill it, to remove an officer, or to abolish the office—it does not re-confirm continuing officers each year. The Leadership Council monitors the ongoing performance of each office and brings any concern to the congregation through the suspension or removal provisions below.

(b) Oversight. The Leadership Council provides operational oversight of all administrative officers. For paid officers in these roles, the Personnel Committee additionally manages the employment relationship, including performance review, compensation, and compliance. Unpaid officers are managed by the Leadership Council alone. Either the Leadership Council or, for paid officers, the Personnel Committee may initiate a management action or a removal recommendation when circumstances warrant.

(c) Nomination and Filling. When an office is vacant, the Leadership Council develops a nomination and presents a candidate to the congregation, which elects by majority vote. Nominations for administrative officer positions come solely from the Leadership Council; unlike Administrative Committee elections, there is no open congregational nomination period for these offices. A fill is not effective until the congregation approves it. The Leadership Council may appoint an acting or interim officer to maintain operations while a vacancy is pending.

(d) Suspension. When circumstances require it, the Leadership Council may suspend an officer’s signing, disbursement, and record-keeping authority with immediate effect pending investigation. Suspension is protective, not punitive, and is not a finding of guilt. The Leadership Council shall appoint an acting or interim officer to maintain operations during any suspension. The Leadership Council shall bring the matter to the congregation for review at a business meeting within thirty (30) days; if the congregation does not act to remove, the suspension is lifted.

(e) Removal. Permanent removal of an administrative officer requires a congregational vote. A recommendation for removal may be initiated by the Leadership Council, the Council of Elders, or, for paid officers, the Personnel Committee. A two-thirds vote of members present and voting at a duly called business meeting with fourteen (14) days’ written notice is required. The officer shall be notified before any vote is taken.

(f) Treasurer Conflict Rule. Because the Treasurer serves on the Finance Committee, any removal recommendation concerning the Treasurer shall originate from the Leadership Council or the Council of Elders, and not from the Personnel Committee or the Finance Committee. The Treasurer recuses from any Finance Committee discussion of that recommendation.

(g) Establishing or Abolishing a Position. Creating a new named administrative officer position, or permanently abolishing an existing one, requires a bylaw amendment under Article V, Section 6. Electing not to fill an optional position (Assistant Treasurer, Assistant Church Clerk) in a given year is ordinary congregational discretion and does not require an amendment.

Commentary: Administrative officers serve indefinitely rather than standing for annual re-election. The congregation already carries a substantial nomination and election load—Elders, Deacons, and every member of the three Administrative Committees. Requiring an annual re-confirmation vote for each officer on top of that would burden the congregation without adding meaningful protection, since the Leadership Council is far better positioned than an annual ballot to know whether an office is running well. The four moments that genuinely warrant a congregational vote are preserved: establishing an office, filling it, removing an officer, and abolishing the office. Day to day, the Leadership Council leads the oversight of all administrative positions, reflecting the joint Elder and Deacon responsibility for keeping the church’s practical operations sound and trustworthy; for paid roles the Personnel Committee manages the employment relationship alongside the Leadership Council. The Trustees’ annual internal financial review and the Treasurer’s regular reporting provide independent verification, and the suspension and removal tools give the congregation prompt recourse if something goes wrong between the rare officer elections.

Church Offices — Selection, Term, and Removal

A reference summary; each governing section controls. Non-Staff Elder and Deacon nominees must be at least 21 and active members for at least two years; Staff Elders and the Senior Pastor are exempt from the two-year requirement (Sec. 1(2)).

Staff Oversight — Elders and Personnel Committee

Who holds which authority over paid staff, drawn from Sec. 1(3)(k) and Sec. 5.

ARTICLE III — COMMITTEES AND MINISTRY TEAMS

The committees and ministry teams of Trinity Baptist Church are organized into three categories: Discipleship Committees, Service Committees, and Administrative Committees. Each category operates under a distinct accountability structure reflecting its nature and function. All committees derive their membership from the congregation and report through the appropriate channel to the Leadership Council.

Commentary: The three-category framework is consistent with biblical principles of ordered stewardship; Scripture itself prescribes the two offices and the congregation, not a committee structure. Discipleship Committees build up the congregation spiritually under the Elders’ direction. Service Committees address practical needs and are organized by the Deacons. Administrative Committees govern the church’s material and institutional affairs and are accountable directly to the congregation. This structure prevents any single body from holding unchecked authority and ensures that each area of church life is served by those best equipped to serve it. Administrative Committees are the only committees whose nominations come from the congregation at large—mirroring the direct congregational mandate from which their authority flows, just as the congregation elects Elders and Deacons. These committees are not extensions of the Elders or Deacons; they are extensions of the congregation itself. The Leadership Council evaluates nominees and contacts them to confirm willingness to serve, and, as the binding text requires, presents all confirmed nominees to the congregation rather than pre-selecting a preferred slate. The congregation’s vote determines the final composition. The flowchart below summarizes the Administrative Committee selection process.

Figure 4: Administrative Committee Selection Process

Section 1. Universal Committee Policies

Committee Year. The committee year runs from August through July. Committee nominations open in May; for Administrative Committees they close no later than the third Sunday of May (allowing review and the fourteen-day publication before the election), and for Discipleship and Service Committees they close before the June business meeting. Discipleship and Service Committees are affirmed by the congregation at the June business meeting; Administrative Committees are elected by the congregation at the Sunday morning worship services on the second Sunday of June; and all committees are seated on August 1. This timeline ensures all committees are fully staffed before the October 1 budget submission deadline. Elders are encouraged to actively support, recruit, and motivate members to serve on Discipleship Committees. Deacons are likewise encouraged for Service Committees.

Committee Composition. All committees shall have a minimum of three elected members from the congregation. The Council of Elders nominates and the congregation elects members of Discipleship Committees. The Deacons lead the nomination of Service Committee members, with Elders providing pastoral insight where helpful; the congregation elects. Individual committees are not required to specify their own membership count in these bylaws, as the minimum of three applies universally. The nominating body is encouraged to appoint more than the minimum where the ministry warrants it — the Leadership Council and Elders shall use their knowledge of each committee’s workload and ministry scope to nominate an appropriate number. For example, a committee with broad physical responsibilities should receive more nominations than a committee with narrower programming work. The individual committee descriptions below note any particular encouragements in this regard.

Ex-Officio Members. The Senior Pastor serves as an ex-officio member of all committees by virtue of his office. All Elders serve as ex-officio members of all Discipleship Committees by virtue of their office. The assigned Deacon coordinator serves as an ex-officio member of each Service Committee. The Leadership Council may designate any staff member as an ex-officio member of a committee where that staff member’s role is directly related to the committee’s ministry. Additionally, any staff member called expressly to lead a discipleship ministry — including but not limited to Nursery, Children’s, Youth, Young Adult, and Senior Adult — shall automatically serve as an ex-officio member of the corresponding Discipleship Committee by virtue of that role, without requiring a separate Leadership Council designation. Ex-officio members have voice but no vote, and are not counted toward a quorum, unless the provision establishing the ex-officio seat expressly states otherwise.

Terms. Discipleship and Service Committee members serve one-year renewable terms, reaffirmed at the June business meeting, with no mandatory term limits; there is no limit on the number of terms, and members may continue serving as long as they are willing, available, and effective. Administrative Committee terms are governed by Section 5 (staggered three-year terms). For Discipleship and Service Committees, the church strongly recommends that members not serve more than three consecutive years without taking at least one year’s leave from that committee, to promote renewal of perspective, prevent burnout, and broaden congregational engagement. Administrative Committees are an exception: their elected members serve three-year staggered terms and may be re-elected immediately, as provided in Section 5.

Budget Submissions. Every committee that incurs expenses or requests funds shall submit an annual budget request to the Finance Committee by October 1, using the standard format maintained by the Finance Committee and detailed in Procedure 8 of the Church Procedures. The Finance Committee may update the required format without a bylaw amendment. Committees submitting incomplete requests or missing the October 1 deadline may have their request incorporated at the Finance Committee’s discretion or deferred to a supplemental request.

Reports. Each committee chair shall provide a brief written or verbal report to the Leadership Council at the appropriate meeting and to the congregation at each business meeting as directed.

Provisional Committees. When a ministry need has been identified, a new provisional Discipleship Committee may be proposed by the Council of Elders, and a new provisional Service Committee may be proposed by the Deacons. A provisional Discipleship Committee is established by the Council of Elders, and a provisional Service Committee by the Deacons, for a provisional term not to exceed one year, subject to affirmation by the congregation at the next business meeting. A provisional committee has full standing and responsibilities during its provisional term but may not submit an independent budget request in its first year without Leadership Council approval. At the end of the one-year provisional term, the committee may be adopted as a standing committee by a two-thirds vote of members present and voting; the Church Clerk records the adoption in the committee roster, and the text of these Bylaws is conformed at the next amendment. If not so adopted before the term expires, the provisional committee is disbanded. A committee adopted by roster vote may be disbanded by the same vote. A standing committee established by these Bylaws may be disbanded only by amendment under Article V, Section 6; a provisional committee ends as provided in this Section. A provisional committee may not be established to carry on the functions of a committee the congregation has disbanded, except by the congregation’s own vote under this provision. For ministry needs requiring immediate action, committees and the Leadership Council may form Ministry Teams (see below) without a congregational vote.

Ministry Teams. A committee is established as a body to lead, coordinate, and oversee a ministry area—not to personally perform all of the ministry work. To extend their reach and accomplish their goals, committees are strongly encouraged to establish one or more Ministry Teams. A Ministry Team is a group of volunteer members recruited and organized by a committee to carry out specific, ongoing ministry functions under the committee’s direction. Teams operate under the authority of their parent committee and are led by a Team Leader appointed by the committee chair. Teams are not elected bodies and do not require congregational approval to be formed or dissolved. Committees shall recruit broadly from the congregation to build active teams that multiply the committee’s ministry impact. Where a Ministry Team already exists within a ministry area, the overseeing committee shall maintain and support that team. Committee chairs shall report on team activity as part of their regular committee report.

Section 2. Committee Chair Selection

The committee organizational year and election calendar are stated in Section 1 of this Article (see also Procedure 7). The seating meeting shall follow the chair selection process below.

• The outgoing or previous chairperson shall preside over the first meeting of the new committee year, regardless of whether the previous chair is serving on the committee in the upcoming year.

• The meeting shall proceed in the following order: (a) Orientation—the previous chair explains the committee’s purpose, current responsibilities, active projects, and any outstanding business; (b) Outstanding Business—any unresolved matters from the prior year are briefed and transitioned; (c) Election of New Chair—the committee elects a chair from among its serving members for the upcoming year.

• Once a new chairperson is elected, the previous chair turns the meeting over. The new chair shall report the change in leadership to the Leadership Council through a Deacon or Elder within seven days.

• If the previous chairperson is unable to preside, the Leadership Council shall appoint an Elder or ministerial staff member to convene and preside over the first meeting of any Discipleship Committee in the previous chair’s place, and a Deacon to convene and preside over the first meeting of any Service Committee in the previous chair’s place, and a member of the Leadership Council to convene and preside over the first meeting of any Administrative Committee in the same circumstance.

Commentary: This process ensures that institutional knowledge is formally transferred at the start of each committee year. The incoming chair should never be left without a proper orientation, and outstanding business should never be lost in transition. The requirement to report the new chair to the Leadership Council through a Deacon or Elder ensures the Leadership Council always has accurate information about who leads each committee.

Section 3. Discipleship Committees

Discipleship Committees are led under the pastoral guidance and equipping of the Elders and carry out the church’s ministry of discipleship and Christian education. Each Discipleship Committee reports ministry progress to the Council of Elders at least twice per year. Members are nominated by the Council of Elders and elected by the congregation. Committee composition, ex-officio membership, and the nominating process are governed by Section 1 of this Article.

A. Youth Ministry Committee

Membership and ex-officio members are governed by Section 1 of this Article. The Elders are encouraged to nominate sufficient members to support an active youth program. A Minister of Youth or equivalent staff position, if it exists, serves automatically as an ex-officio member.

Duties:

• Work with the Minister of Youth to advise and coordinate youth activities with the total church program

• Support youth discipleship, missions, and outreach programming

• Ensure a safe, structured environment for all youth activities

• Ensure all persons serving under this committee’s oversight have completed a criminal background check satisfactory to the Personnel Committee before beginning service (see Art. V, Sec. 14 and Procedure 13)

B. Children’s Ministry Committee

Membership and ex-officio members are governed by Section 1 of this Article. The Elders are encouraged to nominate sufficient members to support an active children’s ministry. A Children’s Ministry Director or equivalent staff position, if it exists, serves automatically as an ex-officio member.

Duties:

• Work with the Children’s Ministry Director to advise and coordinate all children’s ministry activities, including Children’s Church

• Ensure adequate space, equipment, literature, and personnel for children’s worship services

• Assist in developing and evaluating a comprehensive children’s ministry program

• Ensure all persons serving under this committee’s oversight have completed a criminal background check satisfactory to the Personnel Committee before beginning service (see Art. V, Sec. 14 and Procedure 13)

C. Nursery Ministry Committee

Membership and ex-officio members are governed by Section 1 of this Article. A Nursery Director or equivalent staff position, if it exists, serves automatically as an ex-officio member.

Duties:

• Ensure the nursery is staffed with at least two screened adults for all worship services, in accordance with the two-adult rule of Article V, Section 14

• Maintain and ensure the adequacy of all nursery equipment

• Coordinate nursery use for any special church group or event

• Ensure all persons serving under this committee’s oversight have completed a criminal background check satisfactory to the Personnel Committee before beginning service (see Art. V, Sec. 14 and Procedure 13)

• Establish and maintain a Nursery Team of trained volunteers to ensure adequate staffing for all worship services and special events, and to expand the ministry capacity of the committee; recruit, schedule, and orient Nursery Team members under the oversight of the committee

D. Young Adult Ministry Committee

Membership and ex-officio members are governed by Section 1 of this Article. Members are preferably drawn from the young adult stage of life (broadly, ages 18–35). A Young Adult Minister or equivalent staff position, if it exists, serves automatically as an ex-officio member.

Duties:

• Develop, coordinate, and promote ministry programming for young adults, including college students, young professionals, and young families

• Foster community, discipleship, and church involvement among young adults

• Coordinate young adult events with the Church Council calendar

E. Senior Adult Ministry Committee

Membership and ex-officio members are governed by Section 1 of this Article. Members are preferably drawn from the senior adult stage of life. A Senior Adult Minister or equivalent staff position, if it exists, serves automatically as an ex-officio member.

Duties:

• Develop, coordinate, and promote ministry programming for senior adults, including fellowship, Bible study, service opportunities, and care ministries

• Foster community, discipleship, and active church involvement among senior adults

• Identify and respond to the pastoral and practical needs of senior adults in coordination with the Deacons

• Coordinate senior adult events with the Church Council calendar

F. Music Committee

Membership and ex-officio members are governed by Section 1 of this Article. The Worship Leader or equivalent staff position serves as an ex-officio member by virtue of Section 1 of this Article. The Elders are encouraged to nominate at least three members with interest and involvement in music ministry.

Duties:

• Support the Minister of Music or Worship Leader, who plans the regular music program of the church, including special musical programs

• Recommend necessary changes or improvements in the music program to the Leadership Council

• Oversee the use and maintenance of all acoustic and electronic musical instruments (guitars, keyboards, drums, brass, etc.) and their directly attached performance equipment (instrument amplifiers and instrument cables). Responsibility for the audio signal chain from the output stage onward belongs to the Media Committee

Commentary: The Music Committee is encouraged to maintain an active Worship Team — a group of musicians and vocalists recruited by the committee to serve regularly in worship leadership. The committee oversees and supports this team but need not perform all worship leadership functions itself. Where a Worship Leader (or Minister of Music) serves on staff, the committee is encouraged to work closely under that leader’s direction in matters of worship style, song selection, and musical standards, treating that staff leader as the primary voice on worship direction. The committee’s role is to support, resource, and advocate for the music ministry — not to micromanage its execution.

G. Missions & Outreach Committee

Membership and ex-officio members are governed by Section 1 of this Article. The Elders are encouraged to nominate members with demonstrated heart for evangelism and missions.

Purpose. To mobilize the congregation for local evangelization and world missions (Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 1:8), serving under the pastoral direction of the Elders in their duty to lead the church’s outreach.

Duties: (a) Coordinate local outreach and evangelism efforts with the church’s ministries; (b) Develop and maintain mission partnerships, and organize mission trips and projects as the Elders approve; (c) Lead the congregation in missions education and prayer; (d) Recommend missions and outreach support to the Finance Committee in the annual budget process.

Section 4. Service Committees

Service Committees are coordinated and maintained by the Deacons and address the practical and temporal needs of the congregation and church facility. The Deacons nominate members of Service Committees, with counsel from the Elders where pastorally appropriate, and the congregation elects them. Committee composition and ex-officio membership are governed by Section 1 of this Article. The Deacons shall assign one Deacon to serve as coordinator for each Service Committee. The assigned Deacon coordinator serves as an ex-officio member of that committee.

Commentary: The Deacon’s role reflects Acts 6. The apostles did not manage the tables themselves; they appointed qualified men to coordinate the church’s practical service. When the bylaws say a Deacon “coordinates” a Service Committee, this means the Deacon stewards that committee’s health, not that he leads or directs it. The committee has its own elected chair who leads the committee’s work. The Deacon coordinator does not replace that chair, does not issue directives, and does not dictate policy. His role is to promote a healthy, functioning committee. Practically, this means: he attends meetings as an ex-officio member and ensures the committee meets regularly; he communicates objectives and direction from the Leadership Council; he motivates members and affirms their ministry; he serves as a communication link between the committee and the Leadership Council; and he is the first to notice and respond when a committee is struggling — including resolving disputes, filling gaps, and bringing concerns to the Deacons and Elders. He stewards the committee. He does not run it.

H. Building and Grounds Committee

Membership and ex-officio members are governed by Section 1 of this Article. The Deacons are encouraged to nominate a larger-than-minimum number of members given the breadth of physical responsibilities this committee carries. Any staff custodian or facilities manager, if such a position exists, may be designated by the Leadership Council as an ex-officio member.

Duties:

• See that all property (equipment, buildings, and grounds) is kept clean and in good repair, except grounds, buildings, and equipment whose primary purpose is recreation, which the Recreation Committee maintains

• Make decisions regarding emergency expenditures — an emergency being a condition posing immediate risk to persons, property, or the continuity of worship — in coordination with the Deacon coordinator and Finance Committee chair, up to the limit the Finance Committee sets in published policy, reported at the next business meeting

• Recommend permanent custodial personnel to the Personnel Committee, which holds hiring authority for non-ministerial staff; provide functional and operational input on custodial role requirements to the Personnel Committee, which holds final authority over job description content (see Art. III, Sec. 5.P(a)); and serve as the primary day-to-day point of contact for custodial staff

• Maintain an up-to-date inventory of all church property and equipment

• Support the Trustees in keeping church property adequately insured (the Trustees lead on insurance)

I. Host / Hostess Committee

Membership and ex-officio members are governed by Section 1 of this Article.

Duties:

• Make necessary arrangements for all church-wide fellowships involving dinners or refreshments

• Coordinate hospitality for special services, guest speakers, and church events

• Assist with meal preparation and delivery for members in need, in coordination with the Benevolence Fund

• Establish and maintain a Host/Hostess Team of volunteers to assist with event preparation, hospitality, and meal ministry; recruit and coordinate team members to extend the committee’s capacity to serve the congregation

J. Recreation Committee

Membership and ex-officio members are governed by Section 1 of this Article.

Duties:

• Be responsible for all recreational activities of the church, including inter-church activities

• Evaluate all functions relative to their contribution to the objectives of the church

• Be responsible for the maintenance and repair of grounds, buildings, and equipment whose primary purpose is recreation

• Enforce recreational policies adopted by the church for recreation-related activities and events; facility-use policy broadly is established and managed by the Leadership Council

• Coordinate all functions with the Deacons and the Church Council

• Ensure that all league or tournament expenses are funded by revenues generated from those activities

K. Cemetery Committee

Membership and ex-officio members are governed by Section 1 of this Article.

Duties:

• Prepare and present to the church for approval a complete set of cemetery policies

• Enforce adopted cemetery policies

• Be responsible for the overall care and maintenance of the cemetery grounds

• Maintain accurate records of all interments and plot assignments

L. Media Committee

Membership and ex-officio members are governed by Section 1 of this Article. The Leadership Council may designate a staff or appointed Social Media Manager, sound technician, or media technician as an ex-officio member where such a position exists.

Duties:

• Oversee all audio, video, and broadcast systems from the signal output stage forward (mixing boards, PA amplifiers, speakers, in-ear monitor systems, recording equipment, projection systems, and streaming infrastructure). This committee is responsible for all equipment from the signal output stage onward; equipment on the instrument side of that line (instruments, instrument cables, and instrument amplifiers) belongs to the Music Committee

• Recommend the purchase and maintenance of media and technology equipment

• Maintain the Media Team, a standing team of trained volunteers who operate media equipment for all services and events; recruit, train, and schedule Media Team members under the oversight of the committee

• Oversee the church website, social media, and streaming capabilities

M. Security Committee

Membership and ex-officio members are governed by Section 1 of this Article. The Security Committee is a decision-making and oversight body for the Security Team — it sets policy, recruits and vets team members, and ensures compliance. Committee members are not required to serve on or carry as part of the Security Team. At least one member of the Security Committee should be a person who does not carry a firearm and does not serve on the Security Team, in order to provide independent perspective, civilian oversight, and feedback on the optics and pastoral dimensions of the committee’s decisions.

Duties:

• Develop and implement security policies and procedures for all worship services and church events

• Coordinate with local law enforcement and emergency services as needed

• Train and coordinate security volunteers for services and events

• Maintain and regularly review the church’s emergency response and evacuation plans

• Establish and maintain a Security Team of trained volunteers who serve at worship services and church events; recruit, train, and schedule Security Team members; ensure all team members meet training requirements established by the committee; and ensure all team members comply with applicable Louisiana and federal law governing the carrying of firearms on church property (see Procedure 12)

• Ensure that any Security Team member who carries a firearm on church property has first obtained written authorization from the Senior Pastor and has satisfied all requirements of Louisiana and applicable federal law before serving in an armed capacity; maintain current written documentation of authorization and legal compliance for each armed team member

• Ensure that all Security Team members complete a criminal background check before serving, and that any team member who serves in an area where minors are present has been cleared in accordance with the church’s Child Safety and Minor Protection Policy (see Article V, Section 14 and Procedure 13)

Commentary: The Security Committee is an oversight and policy body — not a security team itself. The committee sets policy, recruits and vets Security Team members, ensures training and compliance, and provides oversight of the team’s conduct. Individual committee members are not expected to serve on the Security Team or to carry firearms — those are roles for the Security Team itself. The church actively encourages that at least one member of the Security Committee be a person who does not carry and does not serve on the team. Use of force and security posture are among the most sensitive subjects a church navigates. A committee member who stands outside the armed team brings something the team itself often cannot: fresh perspective on how security decisions appear to the congregation, awareness of concerns the team may not think to raise, and the capacity for independent judgment unfiltered by team loyalty or tactical framing. They might ask: How does this feel to a family visiting for the first time? Are we solving problems our congregation actually has? Is our presence reassuring or intimidating? This non-carrying member also serves as the committee’s first line of internal oversight — a check on the committee itself, should it drift toward a posture that is out of step with the pastoral culture of the church. Armed Security Team members must carry only in full compliance with Louisiana law and only after receiving written authorization from the Senior Pastor as described in Procedure 12. Background checks are required for all Security Team members.

Section 5. Administrative Committees

Administrative Committees are empowered directly by the congregation and govern the church’s financial, legal, and personnel matters. As representatives of the congregation, they carry congregational authority in their assigned areas and operate with a degree of independence appropriate to their function. At the same time, Administrative Committees remain subject to a level of Council of Elders oversight consistent with the Elders’ responsibility for the spiritual health and integrity of the whole church. The Elders do not direct the day-to-day operations of Administrative Committees, but concerns of spiritual or doctrinal significance raised by the Council of Elders shall be prayerfully and promptly considered. The Elders shall appoint one non-voting Elder liaison to each Administrative Committee. This liaison promotes communication and spiritual alignment but does not direct committee operations or vote on committee decisions.

Selection of Administrative Committee members shall proceed as follows: (1) Both the Leadership Council and the congregation may nominate candidates. The Leadership Council shall develop a slate of nominations based on its knowledge of the congregation’s gifts and the committee’s needs. An open nomination period of at least two weeks shall simultaneously be announced from the pulpit and in the church bulletin, during which any member in good standing may submit written nominations to the church office. (2) The Leadership Council shall compile nominations from both sources and contact each nominee to confirm willingness to serve. (3) The Leadership Council shall publish all confirmed nominees, with brief biographies, to the congregation at least fourteen (14) days before the election, and the election shall be held by written ballot at the Sunday morning worship services on the second Sunday of June, with the Leadership Council providing the balloting accommodations — ballot preparation, distribution, counting, and confirmation of quorum. The congregation shall elect committee members by majority of votes cast; a nominee receives a majority when named on more than half of all ballots cast. If fewer nominees receive a majority than there are open seats, the unfilled seats are filled through the mid-term process of this Section. The nomination announcement shall state the number of open seats on each committee, and any member in good standing may be nominated. Where nominees for a committee exceed its open seats, each member marks up to the number of open seats, and the seats are filled in order of the highest affirmative vote totals among nominees receiving a majority, with a runoff between tied nominees at the services on the following Sunday if a tie affects the final seat. The congregation’s vote determines the final committee makeup.

Executive Session. An Administrative Committee may meet in executive session, excluding any ex-officio or liaison member, whenever it takes up a matter touching that member or a sensitive personnel matter.

Committee Size. Each Administrative Committee shall have a minimum of three elected members and no fixed maximum; the number of seats shall not be reduced below the number of sitting members, and any approved reduction takes effect only as terms expire. No Procedure may vacate or suspend an elected seat except as provided in this Section. The Leadership Council determines how many members each committee needs and may, with congregational approval, expand a committee and bring additional nominations as ministry needs require; it may likewise decline to fill a vacated seat, provided no committee falls below three elected members. Added or refilled seats are filled through the Administrative Committee selection process (Procedure 3). A member elected to a newly created seat begins a full three-year term.

Terms and Rotation. Elected members of Administrative Committees serve three-year terms. At the end of a term, the seat opens automatically and the outgoing member may be re-nominated and re-elected immediately, with no required period away. Terms are staggered so that only a portion of each committee’s seats expires in any given year. A member elected to fill a seat vacated mid-term serves the unexpired remainder of that term, preserving the stagger. Officers who serve on a committee by virtue of their office (for example, the Treasurer on the Finance Committee) hold that seat for the duration of their office under Article II, Section 9, and are not subject to the three-year committee term.

Filling Mid-Term Vacancies. When an Administrative Committee seat falls vacant mid-term and the Leadership Council elects to fill it, the Leadership Council may appoint an interim member to serve until the next business meeting, at which the congregation elects a member to complete the unexpired term at the next business meeting: the Leadership Council presents nominees after an open nomination window of not less than one week, and the election may be held at that business meeting notwithstanding the June venue rule. The Leadership Council may also choose not to fill the seat, provided the committee remains at or above three elected members.

Removal for Cause. A formal removal of an Administrative Committee member—by recommendation of the Leadership Council and a two-thirds vote of members present and voting, by secret ballot, at a business meeting with fourteen (14) days’ notice stating the matter—is reserved for cause, such as misconduct, conflict of interest, or refusal to step down despite a clear problem. Ordinary questions of fit are handled by term non-renewal and by the following rule, not by removal: an elected member who is absent without excuse from three (3) consecutive regular meetings of the committee, or who informs the chair in writing of an unwillingness to continue, is deemed to have resigned the seat; the chair reports the vacancy to the Leadership Council, and it is filled under this Section.

Commentary: These provisions give the Administrative Committees real, staggered terms while keeping them flexible. A member rolls off automatically at term’s end and may be re-elected at once, so faithful members are easily retained and a poor fit simply is not re-nominated—no removal vote required. The Leadership Council sizes each committee to the work, never below three. When this provision first takes effect, the Leadership Council shall assign each current Administrative Committee member an initial term of one, two, or three years, distributed as evenly as possible across each committee, so that roughly one-third of the seats expire each year thereafter.

N. Trustees

This committee shall consist of at least three members elected by the congregation. The Leadership Council may recommend expansion as ministry needs require, subject to congregational vote. No Trustee shall simultaneously serve as Treasurer. An Elder liaison appointed by the Elders attends Trustee meetings in a non-voting advisory role to promote communication and spiritual alignment (see Art. III, Sec. 5 umbrella provision).

Duties:

• Serve as the legal representative of the church. The Trustees shall not make policy

• Keep records of all church property and sign for any legal transaction voted by the church. A minimum of two Trustees must sign all legal documents. A proposal to purchase, sell, encumber, or dispose of any real property may be brought by the Leadership Council or the Trustees, and requires a two-thirds vote of members present and voting — the members present numbering at least the greater of twenty-five (25) or twenty percent (20%) of the members in good standing — at a duly called business meeting before the Trustees may execute any related legal instrument

• Conduct an annual internal financial review of the financial records for the past year prior to the end of March

• Keep all church properties adequately insured against loss; update property values through appraisals as warranted; review the property inventory that Building and Grounds maintains

O. Finance Committee

The Finance Committee shall consist of a minimum of three members elected by the congregation, together with the Treasurer, who serves ex-officio (voice but no vote, and not counted toward the committee’s quorum), with the number of seats determined by the Leadership Council under the Committee Size provision in the Section 5 umbrella. The Treasurer serves by virtue of office and is not subject to the three-year committee term; all other members are elected by the congregation and serve three-year staggered terms. An Elder liaison appointed by the Elders attends Finance Committee meetings in a non-voting advisory role to promote communication and spiritual alignment (see Art. III, Sec. 5 umbrella provision).

Duties:

• Prepare the tentative annual budget in consultation with all committees, ministry teams, and staff, using their submitted budget requests

• Distribute the draft budget to the congregation in writing (a printed or electronic handout) during November, inviting questions and feedback; present the final budget at the December business meeting for church action

• Supervise budget expenditures according to the adopted budget and the policies of the church, including the Committee’s published policy under this paragraph; the Committee may approve unbudgeted expenditures between business meetings up to a limit stated in its published policy. The Committee sets and revises that limit in its own discretion, exercising the stewardship authority the congregation confers upon it; the policy shall be in writing, filed with the Church Clerk, and reported to the congregation when adopted or revised, and each expenditure under it shall be reported at the next business meeting

• Review any proposed Staff Elder nomination and grant or withhold the Committee’s written consent as to funding, as required by Article II, Section 3, before the nomination is presented to the congregation

• Meet quarterly to review the budget and present a summary to the Leadership Council

• Review any motions to be presented at business meetings that would alter the budget

• Recommend plans for an annual stewardship emphasis

• Submit the proposed budget to the Council of Elders for review before presenting it to the congregation (see Art. II, Sec. 1(3)(m))

• Receive the Personnel Committee’s annual compensation recommendations (submitted by October 15) and incorporate them into the final budget presented in December (see Art. III, Sec. 5.P(d))

Commentary: The Finance Committee prepares and presents the budget because it holds the stewardship mandate from the congregation. The Elders review the final budget before it is presented to the congregation (per Article II, Section 1(3)) to ensure ministry priorities are reflected—but the Finance Committee independently prepares and advocates for the budget. This separation means no single governing body both controls ministry direction and controls the budget simultaneously. When the Leadership Council considers nominees, several qualifications deserve particular weight: Is the nominee trustworthy with confidential financial information? Does the nominee tithe or give regularly, demonstrating that they manage their own resources with generosity and discipline? And can the nominee evaluate all ministries of the church with equal fairness, rather than favoring areas they are personally involved in? These are not formal bylaw requirements, but they reflect the character this stewardship role demands.

P. Personnel Committee

The Personnel Committee shall consist of a minimum of three members elected by the congregation, with the number of seats determined by the Leadership Council under the Committee Size provision in the Section 5 umbrella. The Elders shall appoint one Elder as a non-voting advisory liaison (not a member). Members are elected by the congregation through the Administrative Committee selection process.

Duties:

• Develop and maintain written job descriptions for all paid staff positions; present ministerial job descriptions and their modifications to the congregation for approval; for non-ministerial staff, the Personnel Committee has final authority over job-description content and no congregational vote is required. For ministerial staff, the Personnel Committee develops the job description with substantive Elder input on ministry scope and requirements; the Elders retain final authority over questions of ministerial fitness and doctrinal expectations for those roles (see Art. II, Sec. 5). For all other paid staff, the Personnel Committee has final authority over job description content

• Conduct annual performance reviews for all paid staff in September, documenting the process and retaining records in each staff member’s personnel file. The Personnel Committee shall share relevant findings with the Elders as appropriate, particularly regarding ministerial fitness

• Recommend ministerial staff personnel to the church for affirmation after consulting with the appropriate ministry committee and receiving input from the Elders on ministerial qualifications

• Recommend to the church, by October 15 each year, changes in staff compensation, working conditions, benefits, vacation, and sick leave, remembering that Scripture calls the church to generous honor of those who labor in preaching and teaching (1 Timothy 5:17–18). All financial matters shall be reviewed by the Finance Committee before being presented to the church

• Maintain a personnel file for each staff member containing: current job description, review notes from each annual review (including date and items discussed), and terms of employment

• Ensure the church’s Child Protection and Abuse Prevention procedures are followed for all staff and volunteers

• Review any proposed Staff Elder nomination and grant or withhold the Committee’s written consent as to the employment terms and the role, as required by Article II, Section 3, before the nomination is presented to the congregation

• Tabulate votes and report the results of congregational votes on staff matters; ballot preparation for Administrative Committee elections rests with the Leadership Council (see Section 5 of this Article), and no committee prepares ballots for its own election

Commentary: The Personnel Committee’s independence from the Elders in conducting evaluations and maintaining job descriptions is intentional. Staff members deserve a fair and structured process that is not subject to the same relational dynamics as shepherding. The Elder advisory liaison exists to ensure spiritual concerns can be communicated—but the committee deliberates and decides independently. This protects the staff, the Elders, and the integrity of the process. When the Leadership Council considers nominees, several qualifications deserve particular weight: Does the nominee demonstrate grace and humility in how they handle difficult conversations and sensitive situations? Is the nominee related to, or in a close personal relationship with, any current staff member in a way that could create partiality or the appearance of it? And can the nominee be both appropriately structured and genuinely compassionate—holding people accountable without losing sight of their dignity and calling? These are not formal bylaw requirements, but they reflect the character this role demands.

Committee Directory

Discipleship committees serve under Elder direction; Service committees are coordinated by the Deacons; Administrative committees are empowered directly by the congregation. Discipleship and Service Committees are affirmed by the congregation on their sponsors’ nomination; Administrative Committees are elected by the congregation.

The Three Election Tracks Compared

Elders, Deacons, and Administrative Committees are chosen by parallel but distinct processes.

Money and Property — Who Decides

Every financial path ends at either the congregation or a published report.

ARTICLE IV — STATEMENT ON MARRIAGE AND SEXUALITY

We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the lifelong, exclusive union of one man and one woman, as ordained by God and delineated in Scripture (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6; Ephesians 5:22–33).

We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. Any form of sexual immorality—including but not limited to adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography, or any attempt to change or deny one’s biological sex—is sinful and offensive to God.

Because we believe the biblical teaching that marriage is between one man and one woman, marriages outside those parameters will not be performed by church ministers or on church property.

We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. This church will speak the truth about sin clearly and without apology while extending the same grace it has received from Christ. Hateful or harassing behavior directed toward any individual is to be repudiated and is not in accord with Scripture or the doctrines of this church. This church does not endorse, affirm, celebrate, or facilitate any form of sexual sin or gender confusion, including homosexuality, same-sex relationships, or the denial of biological sex. Offering compassion to struggling sinners is the call of the Gospel; affirming their sin in any form is its betrayal.

We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

Commentary: This article is a confessional statement, not a peripheral policy. It reflects the unanimous teaching of Scripture and the unbroken witness of the Christian church. It is included as a formal bylaw article to: (1) protect the legal standing of our ministers and facilities against compelled participation in any ceremony or activity that contradicts our doctrine; (2) make our confession unmistakably clear to members, prospective members, and the public; and (3) establish a standard that no officer, Elder, or body of this church may waive or grant exceptions to without a full bylaw amendment. The pastoral charge stands alongside the doctrinal line: we speak truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), we call all people to repentance and faith in Christ (Acts 17:30), and we treat every person—regardless of their sin—with the dignity owed to one made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).

ARTICLE V — GENERAL POLICIES

Section 1. Business Meetings

Regular church business meetings shall be held six times each year, on the Wednesday following the first Sunday of February, April, June, August, October, and December. The Leadership Council shall give notice of each business meeting at least fourteen (14) days before the meeting, and shall state the business to be addressed. The Leadership Council may reschedule a regular meeting for sufficient cause and may call additional business meetings at any time; in no case shall fewer than six business meetings be held in any twelve-month period.

The order of business at each meeting shall be:

• Call to Order and Opening Prayer

• Reading of Minutes and Approval

• Report of Treasurer

• Reports of Ministries

• Report of Deacons

• Reports of Discipleship and Service Committees

• Reports of Administrative and Provisional Committees

• Old and Unfinished Business

• New Business

All special business meetings shall be called by the Leadership Council. Notice shall be given at least fourteen (14) days before the meeting. In a genuine emergency, the Leadership Council may call a special meeting on no fewer than three (3) days’ notice stating the business; such a meeting may act only on the stated business, may not take up the matters excluded by Section 2, and the necessity shall be explained at the next regular meeting. In addition, upon the written petition of twenty-five (25) members in good standing, delivered to the Leadership Council or the Church Clerk, the Leadership Council shall call a business meeting within thirty (30) days of receiving the petition, and the petitioned business shall be stated in the meeting notice (see Art. I, Sec. 5). For every petition these Bylaws authorize, the Church Clerk shall verify the signatures and the good standing of the petitioners, determined as of the date the petition is delivered (see Art. I, Sec. 3). If the Leadership Council fails to issue notice by the sixteenth (16th) day after the petition is received, the Church Clerk, or a member designated by the petitioners, shall issue the notice and the meeting shall proceed. Any member in good standing may bring a motion under New Business at any business meeting. A substantive motion not stated in the meeting notice may be introduced and discussed, but the binding vote occurs at the next business meeting or at a called meeting with fourteen (14) days’ notice; routine and procedural matters may be decided the same day. Motions affecting the adopted budget must follow Section 5 below. An action taken at a meeting held with defective notice, or without a procedural step these Bylaws require, is not automatically void; it is voidable upon written challenge delivered to the Church Clerk no later than the next regular business meeting, at which the congregation shall either ratify the action or set it aside, and an action not timely challenged stands. This cure provision does not apply to the matters excluded from interim action by Section 2 of this Article, which are effective only when their governing requirements have been met.

Commentary: Business meetings follow a fixed schedule — the Wednesday after the first Sunday of every second month, beginning in February — so the whole congregation knows well in advance when the church gathers to conduct its business. Setting the dates in the Bylaws guarantees at least six meetings a year and protects the congregation’s regular voice, while the Leadership Council may still call additional meetings as needs arise. The fourteen-day notice ensures no one is surprised and has time to prepare and pray, and the fixed rhythm aligns naturally with the church’s budget cycle and its annual leadership elections.

Figure 5: The Church Year at a Glance

Regular Business-Meeting Schedule

Section 2. Quorum

A quorum is the lesser of twenty-five (25) members or twenty percent (20%) of the members in good standing, rounded upward to the next whole member. A quorum is required for any business meeting, and for elections, removals, and other secret-ballot votes conducted at worship services under these Bylaws; it shall be confirmed and recorded before the result is declared. Acts of welcome, such as receiving new members, do not require a quorum count. For a vote held across more than one worship service, each member may cast only one ballot regardless of how many services he or she attends; the church shall track ballots to prevent duplicate voting, and quorum is measured by the number of unique members in good standing present across those services. If a called business meeting fails to achieve quorum, the meeting shall be adjourned without transacting binding business; informational reports may be delivered to those present but no votes may be taken. When quorum cannot be obtained and a matter is genuinely urgent, the Leadership Council may act on an interim basis, subject to mandatory ratification at the next properly convened business meeting. Interim action under this provision is limited to urgent operational matters necessary to prevent immediate harm, and shall not include property transactions, church discipline, elections, or amendment of these Bylaws.

Section 3. Voting

Voting at all church business meetings shall ordinarily be by show of hands. A written (secret) ballot shall be used whenever these Bylaws require it, or whenever a member requests a secret ballot and the congregation agrees by show of hands. Secret ballots for the Elder, Staff Elder, Senior Pastor, and Deacon confirmation votes, and for Administrative Committee elections, are taken at the Sunday morning worship services, as those sections direct. All other secret ballots — including votes on removal or discipline, and any election a governing section places at a business meeting — are taken at that business meeting. Members must be present to vote; no proxy or absentee voting is permitted. Any vote to remove or discipline an Elder, Deacon, administrative officer, Administrative Committee member, or member shall be taken by written (secret) ballot. Specific vote thresholds are stated in the applicable sections of these Bylaws. Any vote to remove an Elder, the Senior Pastor, a Deacon, an administrative officer, or an Administrative Committee member from office, or to remove a person from membership or suspend a member from the Lord’s Table under Article I, Section 4, requires the members present to number at least the greater of twenty-five (25) or twenty percent (20%) of the members in good standing.

On any matter contested by the Council of Elders, or concerning the removal or discipline of an Elder, Deacon, administrative officer, Administrative Committee member, or member, a member who is not the subject of the matter shall moderate; if the usual moderator is conflicted, the congregation shall elect a neutral moderator for that matter. A tie vote defeats the motion. As a matter of principle, true elections — where the congregation decides weighty matters such as its Elders, Deacons, Senior Pastor, and Administrative Committees — are conducted at Sunday morning worship services, where the whole church is gathered; affirmations and ordinary business are ordinarily conducted at business meetings. Except where these Bylaws state a different basis, a required majority or percentage is computed on the members present and voting.

Vote Threshold Reference

This table is a reference index and creates no authority beyond the sections of these Bylaws cited elsewhere. Where a section states a different rule, that section controls.

Section 4. Parliamentary Procedure

Unless otherwise specified by these Bylaws, the parliamentary guide for transacting all business shall be Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.

Section 5. Motions Affecting the Budget

Any committee recommending personnel for which salary is involved shall consult with the Finance Committee before recommending a salary to the church. Any motion affecting the adopted budget must be presented to the Finance Committee in writing at least one week prior to the business meeting at which it will be considered. At an emergency meeting called under Section 1, the motion shall instead be provided to the Finance Committee as early as practicable before the meeting.

Section 6. Amending These Bylaws

• A person or committee desiring to propose a revision must present the proposed revision in writing at a regular business meeting.

• The proposed revision shall be printed in the church bulletin on the following Sunday.

• At the next regular business meeting, the proposed revision shall be discussed and voted upon. A two-thirds vote of members present and voting is required for passage, provided the members present number at least the greater of twenty-five (25) or twenty percent (20%) of the members in good standing.

Commentary: Bylaws must be stable, not immovable—but they must never change carelessly. The two-meeting process (present, then vote) gives the congregation time to read, pray, discuss informally, and arrive at the vote with considered minds. The two-thirds majority ensures bylaw changes reflect genuine broad consensus, not a bare majority on a Sunday when few showed up. Operational details belong in Procedures (which the Leadership Council may update without this process)—the Bylaws should be as stable as possible. They are this church’s constitutional foundation. See Procedure 11 for the full step-by-step amendment process.

Section 7. Ordinances

Lord’s Supper: The Lord’s Supper shall be observed at least once per quarter and is open to baptized believers walking in fellowship with Christ and His church; a member under suspension from the Table does not commune until restored. The time shall be coordinated by the Elders.

Baptism: All baptisms shall be conducted as soon as circumstances permit after professions of faith.

Section 8. Designated Gifts

The Finance Committee may accept, decline, and administer designated gifts — including conditional and unbudgeted gifts — consistent with the church’s mission and adopted policies, reporting such gifts to the Leadership Council. Designated funds shall be expended only for the purpose designated. If a designated purpose becomes impossible, impracticable, or fully accomplished, remaining funds shall be re-designated with the written consent of the donor or, where the donor is unavailable, by majority vote of members present and voting at a business meeting, consistent with applicable law. All designated funds, including the Benevolence Fund, are held within the church’s unified accounts, recorded in the Treasurer’s books, and included in the annual internal financial review; the Deacons’ annual benevolence report to the congregation states totals only, protecting recipient privacy. No church-wide fundraising campaign or new designated fund may be announced or solicited without prior congregational approval at a business meeting — except that, in a crisis, the Elders and Deacons acting jointly may authorize an immediate benevolence appeal to the congregation, reporting the appeal and its receipts at the next business meeting. The Elders may refer any designated gift to the congregation for a vote, and shall refer a gift that would create a new program, a staff position, or an interest in real property; a referred gift is accepted by majority vote of members present and voting. Any designated gift exceeding ten percent (10%) of the adopted annual budget shall be referred to the congregation for acceptance.

Section 9. Fiscal and Calendar Years

The fiscal year shall run from January 1 to December 31. If no budget has been adopted by January 1, the prior year’s budget continues in force at one-twelfth (1/12) per month until a budget is adopted. The Sunday School year shall begin August 1. The Sunday School program operates under the oversight of the Elders, who determine its structure, leadership, and curriculum. Notwithstanding this default, the Leadership Council may by majority vote adjust the Sunday School year start date for a given year when ministry circumstances require it, provided any such adjustment is announced to the congregation no later than the preceding June business meeting.

Section 10. SBC Cooperation

Trinity Baptist Church cooperates fully with the North Shore Baptist Association, the Louisiana Baptist Convention, and the Southern Baptist Convention. Messengers and alternates to annual association and convention meetings shall be elected by the church prior to such meetings, in numbers according to the policy of the respective bodies. Only churches associated with the Southern Baptist Convention, the Louisiana Baptist Convention, or the local Baptist Association shall be considered churches of like faith and order.

Section 11. Resignations

Any person wishing to resign from an elected position in the church should submit a personal or written resignation at a regular business meeting or to the Leadership Council.

An Elder who wishes to step down from the Council of Elders follows the resignation-and-return provision in Article II, Section 3; returning to office requires re-election through the standard process.

Section 12. Literature

The primary literature for all church organizations shall be literature published by the Southern Baptist Convention or in harmony with Southern Baptist Convention teachings.

Section 13. Reports of Committees

Reports from any committee shall be made by the chair or a designated member. Any member(s) wishing to submit a minority report must notify the committee at its regular meeting. The minority report may be received following the majority report but may not be acted upon unless a motion to substitute it for the majority report is made and seconded.

Section 14. Child Safety and Minor Protection Policy

Trinity Baptist Church is committed to the safety, protection, and well-being of every child and minor in its care. The protection of minors is not merely a legal obligation; it is a sacred stewardship. This policy establishes the minimum safeguards applicable to all persons — staff, volunteers, and committee members — who serve in any capacity involving minors.

(1) Background Check Requirement. No person — paid or volunteer — shall serve in any role that involves regular, unsupervised contact with minors unless that person has first completed a criminal background check satisfactory to the Personnel Committee. This requirement applies to, but is not limited to, workers in Children’s Ministry, Youth Ministry, Nursery Ministry, and any Security Team members assigned to areas where minors are present. Background checks shall be renewed no less than every three years for continuing volunteers and annually for paid staff. The Personnel Committee shall maintain records of all background checks and shall establish the approved background check provider and minimum screening standards (see Procedure 13).

(2) Two-Adult Rule. No adult shall be alone with a minor in any church-sponsored setting. At least two screened adults must be present whenever minors are under church supervision. This rule applies to all ministry settings including classrooms, nursery, transportation, and off-site events.

(3) Reporting Obligation. Any staff member, volunteer, or committee member who has reasonable cause to believe that a child has been abused, neglected, or exploited shall report that belief immediately through the internal reporting path of Article V, Section 18, and, as required by Louisiana law, to the appropriate civil authorities. The church will not impede or discourage any legally required report.

(4) Responsibility. The Personnel Committee is responsible for administering the background check program and maintaining all related records. The Children’s Ministry Committee, Youth Ministry Committee, and Nursery Ministry Committee are each responsible for ensuring that all persons serving under their oversight have been screened prior to service. The Security Committee is responsible for ensuring the same for all Security Team members. The Elders retain spiritual oversight of this policy and may require additional safeguards at any time.

Commentary: The protection of children is a non-negotiable priority. Scripture calls us to protect the vulnerable and to welcome children as Jesus did (Matthew 18:1–6; Mark 10:13–16). This policy is not about distrust of our members; it is about creating a culture of accountability and transparency that honors the children in our care and the families who entrust them to us. Churches that have failed in this area did not fail because they lacked good intentions — they failed because they lacked clear procedures. These procedures exist so that no child is placed at risk through negligence or an absence of guardrails. The detailed steps for implementing this policy, including the background check process and screening standards, are found in Procedure 13.

Section 15. Matters Not Provided For

Any substantive matter not provided for in these Bylaws may be acted upon by the church. In the ordinary course, such a matter is brought by recommendation of the Council of Elders, with the agreement of a majority of the Leadership Council, and is decided by a majority vote of members present and voting at a duly called business meeting. This section does not limit the congregation’s right to initiate action on any such matter under Article I, Section 5(2). Operational matters not addressed by these Bylaws remain within the Leadership Council’s authority under the Church Procedures. Nothing in this section may be used to amend these Bylaws, to circumvent any process, threshold, or authority stated elsewhere in them, or to exercise a power reserved to the congregation in any manner other than its governing section provides.

Commentary: No set of bylaws can anticipate every circumstance a church will face. This section prevents two failure modes: paralysis (‘the Bylaws don’t mention it, so we cannot act’) and improvisation (leaders acting on novel matters with no defined path). The ordinary course runs through the same channel as everything else in this document—leadership discerns, the congregation decides—while the congregation’s own initiative rights remain fully available. The closing sentence is the guard rail: this section opens a path for genuinely new matters; it is never a shortcut around the deliberate processes this document establishes.

Section 16. Merger, Dissolution, and Disposition of Assets

Any merger of the church with another body, any dissolution of the church, and any sale or disposition of all or substantially all of its assets shall be adopted only by the process required for amending these Bylaws (Article V, Section 6): presentation in writing at one business meeting, followed by a two-thirds vote of members present and voting at the next regular business meeting, in the same manner and with the same attendance floor as an amendment under Section 6. Upon dissolution, after payment of all obligations, all remaining assets shall be distributed to one or more nonprofit organizations of like faith and practice, exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, as designated by the congregation. No assets shall inure to the benefit of any individual.

Commentary: The weightiest decision a congregation can make deserves the document’s most deliberate process. Requiring the amendment standard for merger, dissolution, or the disposition of substantially all assets ensures these matters can never ride on a bare majority at a single meeting, and the asset-distribution clause protects donor intent and the church’s tax-exempt obligations.

Section 17. Conflict of Interest

Any Elder, Deacon, administrative officer, committee member, or staff member who has a personal, family, or financial interest in a matter before a body on which he or she serves shall disclose that interest and shall not participate in the deliberation or vote on that matter. No person shall deliberate on or vote upon his or her own removal, discipline, or compensation, or a matter in which a member of his or her household has a financial interest; such a person shall recuse and shall not be counted toward the quorum for that matter. The Leadership Council shall maintain a written conflict-of-interest policy and may require annual written disclosure statements.

Section 18. Whistleblower and Protected Reporting

No member, officer, volunteer, or employee shall be retaliated against for making, in good faith, a report of suspected misconduct, financial impropriety, or abuse. Reports of suspected child abuse or neglect shall be made immediately to the civil authorities as required by law and to the Senior Pastor; where the report concerns the Senior Pastor or an Elder, it shall instead be made to the Deacon Chairman or the Chair of the Personnel Committee; where the report concerns one of those persons, it shall be made to any other Elder or Deacon who is not the subject of the report. The duty to report to civil authorities is never contingent on any internal report. A report of any other suspected misconduct may be made to any Elder, the Deacon Chairman, or the Chair of the Personnel Committee. A report of suspected financial impropriety may be made to any of those persons or to the Chair or any member of the Finance Committee, and shall in every case be communicated to the Finance Committee Chair or, where the concern involves the Chair, to another member of the Finance Committee. The person receiving a report shall see that it is handled under the procedures maintained for this Section. The Leadership Council shall maintain procedures implementing this Section.

Section 19. Corporate Status and Tax-Exempt Purposes

(1) The church is Trinity Baptist Church, Inc., a Louisiana nonprofit corporation. Its legal situs is Hammond, Louisiana, and it is known in the community as Pumpkin Center. Its principal and registered office and its registered agent are as stated in its Articles of Incorporation.

(2) The church is organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, and educational purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(3) No part of the net earnings of the church shall inure to the benefit of any member, Elder, Deacon, officer, or other private person, except that the church may pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and make payments in furtherance of its exempt purposes.

(4) No substantial part of the church’s activities shall be the carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the church shall not participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.

(5) For purposes of the Louisiana Nonprofit Corporation Law, the Council of Elders shall constitute the board of directors of the corporation, and the congregation retains the powers reserved to it in these Bylaws. If fewer than three (3) Elders are serving, the Deacons shall designate from their number enough Deacons to bring the board to three (3) members, solely for purposes of civil law, until a third Elder is seated; such service confers no spiritual office or authority.

(6) Members may inspect the corporate and financial records of the church for a proper purpose upon reasonable written notice, consistent with Louisiana law. The Church Clerk shall ensure timely filing of the corporation’s annual report with the Louisiana Secretary of State and maintenance of the registered agent.

Section 20. Indemnification and Insurance

To the fullest extent permitted by La. R.S. 12:227, the church shall indemnify any Elder, Deacon, administrative officer, Trustee, committee member, or agent who acted in good faith and within the scope of his or her authority against expenses reasonably incurred in connection with any proceeding arising from that service. The church may purchase and maintain directors-and-officers and general-liability insurance for those who serve. This Section does not indemnify conduct involving willful misconduct, gross negligence, or a knowing violation of law.

Section 21. Order of Authority and Severability

(1) In the government of the church, authority is ordered as follows: the Holy Scriptures; the Articles of Incorporation; these Bylaws; the Church Procedures; and, for matters not otherwise addressed, the parliamentary authority adopted by the church (Article V, Section 4). The Articles of Incorporation control in any conflict with these Bylaws.

(2) If any provision of these Bylaws is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect. (3) A dispute over the meaning of these Bylaws is decided by majority vote of the congregation at a business meeting; pending decision, the reading most protective of the congregation’s reserved powers governs.

Section 22. Adoption, Supersession, and Transition

(1) Upon adoption by the congregation, these Bylaws supersede and replace all prior Bylaws of Trinity Baptist Church, and take effect immediately unless the adopting motion states a later effective date.

(2) Persons duly serving in any office or on any committee at the time of adoption continue to serve. Within ninety (90) days, the Leadership Council shall assign each continuing Non-Staff Elder, Deacon, and Administrative Committee member an initial term of one, two, or three years so as to establish staggered terms, and shall record the assignments with the Church Clerk. Elders and the Senior Pastor continue to serve under the terms provided in Article II.

(3) Any office eliminated by these Bylaws ends upon adoption, and its responsibilities pass as provided in these Bylaws.

Commentary: These closing sections give the Bylaws the corporate and legal scaffolding a Louisiana nonprofit church should have — tax-exempt purpose, protection for those who serve, a clear order of authority, and a clean transition at adoption. They should be reviewed by a Louisiana attorney before adoption.

THE CHURCH PROCEDURES (COMPANION VOLUME)

The step-by-step Church Procedures that implement these Bylaws are maintained in a separate companion volume, the Church Policies & Procedures Manual of Trinity Baptist Church. References in these Bylaws to a numbered Procedure refer to that Manual.

The Manual is subordinate to these Bylaws in all respects (see Article V, Section 21): the Leadership Council may revise any Procedure by a two-thirds vote of the full Council, provided the revision remains fully consistent with these Bylaws; revised Procedures take effect when distributed to affected officers and committee chairs, with distribution within seven (7) days of adoption; and in any conflict these Bylaws control. The Church Clerk maintains the authoritative copy of both documents, together with the Church Rhythm Calendar, which is likewise kept in the Manual. The Manual shall be available to any member upon request to the Church Clerk. A congregational guide, Understanding Our Elder-Led Church Structure, explains the governance model of these Bylaws in plain language and is likewise available from the Church Clerk; the guide is explanatory only and creates no authority.

APPENDIX A: CHURCH LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE

The structure at a glance; the detail follows below.

Chairman, Council of Elders Church Clerk

Date Adopted: ___________

Bylaws v63 · Elder-Led Model Guide v13 — working draft, under revision by the Bylaw Committee