First Baptist Church of East Greenwich, RI By-Laws
Our By-Laws govern how we approach our Administrative and Order-of-Process structures within our Church. Please click the button below to see the complete list.
THE BY-LAWS OF THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF EAST GREENWICH
Approved June 5, 2011
Amended May 17, 2015
Amended June 13, 2021
ARTICLE I
NAME AND AFFILIATION
Section 1 – Name
This corporation shall be known as the First Baptist Church of East Greenwich (the “Church”).
Section 2 – Affiliation
a) This Church shall be a member of those conventions of Baptist Churches known as The American Baptist Churches of USA and The American Baptist Churches of Rhode Island.
b) Should separation from either of these be sought, a vote favorable to such action cast by two-thirds of the active members at a Congregational meeting specifically called for this purpose shall be necessary for withdrawal.
Section 3 – Governance
The governance of this Church is vested in its membership. It is answerable to no ecclesiastical body except by its own consent, and it controls the admission and removal of its members.
ARTICLE II
PURPOSE
Section 1 – Purpose
The purpose of this Church shall be the promotion of the gospel of Christ; that is, to discern and bear witness to God’s presence in the world. The Church should enable each person to know God through Jesus Christ and to be aware of and fulfill each person’s highest potential. The Church should encourage its members to discover and share with others a community of faith which enables them to work creatively in the world.
Section 2 – Guidance
The Church shall look to the Bible for guidance in faith and practice, and be open to the movement of the Holy Spirit.
ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1 – Principle
Membership in this Church shall be open to all who subscribe to the Purpose stated in Article II of these By-laws.
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Section 2 – Conferring Membership
Membership shall be conferred upon recommendation of the minister(s) with the consent of the Board of Deacons and any of the following:
a) Baptism by immersion
b) Receipt of a letter of transfer from another Christian Church
c) Professional of faith
d) Application for reinstatement
Section 3 – Instruction for Membership
All applicants for membership shall receive pre-membership counseling by the minister(s).
Section 4 – Discontinue Membership
Members who show no active interest in the life of this Church for an extended period of time, as determined by the Board of Deacons and the Church Clerk, shall be placed on an inactive membership roll. The above action shall be preceded by adequate notification to
the member. Periodically, the Board of Deacons will be responsible for reviewing the membership rolls. Members may reinstate active status by contacting the Church Clerk.
ARTICLE IV
OFFICERS
Section 1 – Officers
The officers of this Church shall consist of the President, the Senior Minister, the Church Clerk and the Treasurer. Each officer shall be a member of this Church. No officer shall hold more than one office at a time.
Section 2 – Terms
a) A President shall be elected at Annual Meetings for a term of three years without the right to succeed in office. After a period of 24 months, a President Elect will be elected to serve as a Member at Large of the Council until such time as the current President’s term expires.
b) The Clerk shall be elected at Annual Meetings for a term of one year and may succeed in office for a period of no longer than ten years.
c) The Treasurer shall be elected at Annual Meetings for a term of one year and may succeed in office for a period of no longer than ten years.
Section 3 – Vacancy
When a vacancy in any of these officers occurs, excepting the Senior Minister, the Church Council shall within thirty days nominate a replacement to fill the unexpired portion of the term. Election of a replacement shall take place at any meeting of the Church within thirty days of the nomination.
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Section 4 – President
The President shall preside at all meetings of the Church and the Council, and shall discharge such other duties as or normally associated with the office. a) The President shall be responsible for signing all necessary legal documents for the corporation, excepting those documents normally signed by the Treasurer. b) The President shall be a member, ex officio, of all Boards, Ministries and Committees without the right to vote.
c) The President shall convene all Boards within 15 days after the Annual Meeting for the purpose of their organization.
d) In the short-term absence of the President, the President’s duties shall be carried out by the most immediate Past President available.
e) In the event of the permanent absence of the President, and there is a President Elect, he/she shall become President. If there is no President Elect, the Church Council shall select a candidate to fill the unexpired portion of the President’s term.
Committees Appointed by the President
a) Staff Relations Committee: The President shall appoint a Staff Relations Committee, each member of which shall be assigned to a paid employee of the Church. Such committee shall consist of members of the Church serving three year terms on a rotating basis, not to succeed themselves. The chairperson shall be selected by the committee. The functions of the Staff Relations Committee shall be:
1) Understand the position held by their employee.
2) Provide a communication link between the employee and the Congregation. 3) In coordination with the appropriate Board, set performance goals and provide an annual performance review of the staff person. Interim meetings may be held as necessary.
Section 5 – Ministers
a) The Senior Minister shall meet ordination standards recognized by the American Baptist Churches of Rhode Island and shall have graduated from or be enrolled at a theological seminary recognized by the American Baptist Churches.
b) The minister(s) shall be called or may be dismissed only at a meeting called for that purpose. The quorum for such meetings shall be one hundred (100) members. A vote favorable to the proposed action cast by three-fourths of the members present shall be necessary for call or dismissal. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a quorum of fifty (50) members is required to call or dismiss a Pastoral Resident.
c) The Senior Minister shall provide counsel and advice in all activities of the Church.
d) In all matters concerning the spiritual welfare of the Church, the Senior Minister shall collaborate with the Church Council.
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e) The Senior Minister shall be responsible for all services of worship, or shall arrange for them in cooperation with the Board of Deacons.
f) The minister(s) shall have a teaching ministry and be responsible for the administering the ordinances of Baptism and Communion.
g) The minister(s) shall be responsible for pastoral care, including ministering to the sick, the bereaved and the troubled.
h) The ministers(s) shall be members, without the power to vote, of all boards and committees.
i) The Senior Minister shall collaborate with the Board of Trustees in selecting the person to manage the Church Office and in assigning duties to the Office Manager.
j) The Senior Minister shall supervise the other ministers in conjunctions with the appropriate board(s).
Section 6 – Clerk
a) The Clerk shall maintain an official list of the members of the Church. The Clerk and the Office Manager shall maintain their current addresses and the dates of baptism and Church affiliation.
b) The Clerk shall keep an official record of all Congregational and Council meetings.
c) The Clerk shall maintain a file of all Annual Reports submitted by Officers, Boards, Committees and affiliated organizations, and oversee the publication of the Annual Report with support of the Office Manager. The Annual Report, after review by the Church Council, shall be distributed to the Congregation on the Sunday prior to the Annual Meeting.
d) The Clerk shall be the official Church correspondent, including letters of transfer. e) The Clerk shall keep an official copy of the By-laws including any revisions which may from time to time be enacted and shall keep an adequate number of copies of the current By-laws and amendments available for use by any Church member upon request.
Section 7 – Treasurer
a) The Treasurer shall be a voting member of the Board of Trustees. The Treasurer shall hold and be responsible for all funds entrusted to the Church.
b) The Treasurer shall make distributions in accordance with the policies and procedures of the Board of Trustees.
c) The Treasurer shall maintain proper books of accounts according to acceptable accounting practices and supervise the bookkeeper.
Section 8 – Reports
Each officer shall submit an Annual Report to the Clerk for publication in the Annual Report.
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ARTICLE V
THE COUNCIL
Section 1 – Membership of Council
a) There shall be a Church Council of ten voting members: the President, the Treasurer, the Clerk, the Chairs of the Boards of Deacons, Trustees, Education, Christian Outreach, representative from the Church’s Women’s Alliance and two members at large. The minister(s) shall be members of the Council, without the power to vote.
b) The at-large members shall be elected at the Annual Meeting for a two-year term on a staggered basis and may be reelected for an additional two-year term. They shall not succeed themselves after four years of continuous service. In the final year of the President’s term, one at-large member will be the President Elect.
c) In the event of a vacancy of the at-large members, the Church Council shall within 30 days nominate a replacement to fill the unexpired portion of the term.
Section 2 – Responsibilities
a) The Council shall act as the long-term planning body of the Church to develop objectives for the life and ministry of the Church, such objectives being allocated to the proper Board or Committee for action and implementation. The Boards and Committees shall determine the methods by which such objectives, policies and programs should be implemented.
b) The Council shall review and approve any new policies or changes to a major policy or program and shall review any personnel changes recommended by any Board.
c) The Council shall coordinate the policies and programs of the Boards and shall decide, by majority vote, the course of action to be followed in the event of conflicts between Boards or affiliated Church organizations.
d) The Council shall review the proposed budget as presented by the Board of Trustees prior to the presentation to the Congregation at the Annual Meeting. e) The Council shall be responsible for all Church publicity.
f) The Council shall review the Annual Report prior to the distribution with enough time to provide comments back to the Boards, as needed.
g) The Council shall be responsible for enforcing these By-laws and presenting to the Church membership any changes to be made in them.
h) The Council shall act as a Nominating Committee and perform the following: 1) Seek the counsel of the Officers, Boards, and Minister(s) about their needs for new members.
2) Present to the Congregation a list of nominees for Officers, Boards and at-large members of the Council. All nominees shall be qualified as provided in these By-laws and each Board shall be representative of the Church membership. 3) Fill all vacancies of elective positions in accordance with these By-laws.
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Section 3 – Meeting Calendar
a) The Church Council shall meet every month for the transaction of any business that may properly come before it. A quorum for any Council meeting shall be six voting members. A simple majority of the voting members present shall be required for the enactment of any Council business.
b) Special meetings of the Council may be called by the President, or by the Clerk at the written request of three Council members.
c) Notice of each meeting, including special meetings, and the agenda for that meeting shall be provided to each member of the Council at least a day in advance of the meeting, except in the case of emergencies.
d) Each Board chair shall submit a report of each meeting, including any new or proposed program or activity of the Board, and an update of its long-range planning.
e) Concerns of the Church membership may be submitted through any member of the Church Council. Any member or group of members may address the Council directly if the matter is presented to the President and included in the agenda for that meeting.
Section 4 – Committees of the Council
Ad hoc Pulpit Committee
a) The Council shall appoint an ad hoc Pulpit Committee where there is a vacancy of the Senior Minister. The purpose of the Pulpit Committee is to call a new Senior Minister. The Pulpit Committee shall have nine members, namely: the President, a member of the Boards of Deacons, Outreach, Christian Education and Trustees, and at least four members of the Church at large as representatives of Church membership.
b) The Pulpit Committee shall be granted a reasonable amount of funds by the Board of Trustees for expenses related to the Church.
c) The responsibilities of the Pulpit Committee shall be:
1) To consult with the Executive Minister of the American Baptist Churches of Rhode Island and other appropriate sources for candidates.
2) To screen candidates and select one to be presented to the Church membership for approval.
3) To prepare a contract between the Minister selected and the Church, such written contract to be approved by the Council and the Board of Trustees prior to the calling of the Minister.
Pastoral Care Committee
a) The Senior Minister, with input from the Council, shall appoint a Pastoral Care Committee consisting of no less than three members for the duration of the term of the Minister.
b) The function of the Pastoral Care Committee shall be personal support of the minister.
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c) In the event of a vacancy, the Minister shall appoint a new member. The Council shall appoint any other ad hoc committee, as deemed necessary.
ARTICLE VI
BOARDS
Section 1 – Membership
a) All members of the Boards shall be members of the Church. They shall be elected at Annual Meetings for terms of two years and may be eligible to succeed themselves on the same Board of a total period of no more than four years (unless they are filling an unexpired term, in which case the maximum is five years). After four (or five, as the case may be) years of service on a Board, a member must wait one year prior to serving on any other board or elected office.
b) When a vacancy occurs on a Board between Annual Meetings, the Church Council shall make an interim appointment to the position until the next Annual Meeting and notify the Clerk thereof. Subsequent nomination and election at the Annual Meeting shall be for the unexpired term.
c) Members of Boards shall not hold other elected positions, but may be a Ministry Member.
d) A majority of the members of each Board shall constitute a quorum. e) Each Board shall be responsible for establishing its activities and ministries and for inviting people to participate in them as a Ministry Member. People may serve as a Ministry Member for a minimum period of one year and may serve in multiple ministries at any given time and for any length of time.
Section 2 – Board of Deacons
a) The Board of Deacons shall consist of no less than six members. b) The Deacons shall be responsible for the spiritual welfare of the Church. They shall arrange for the administering of the ordinances of Baptism and Communion. They shall be responsible for engaging or providing supply or interim ministers as necessary.
c) The Deacons shall examine the Church membership roll periodically for the purposes of keeping it current as defined in Article III of these By-laws. They shall be responsible for the visitation of the sick, the needy and inactive members of the Church.
d) The Deacons shall be responsible for worship, including:
1) The preparation of the Sanctuary for worship, weddings, funerals and other similar functions.
2) Communion service.
3) Floral arrangements.
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4) Music, including the hiring and supervision of the Music Director, organist and choir director as well as oversight of the choir.
e) The Deacons shall help administer, apart from other funds of the Church, a Fellowship Fund for the benefit of members and friends of the Church. Financial oversight of this fund will be the responsibility of the Treasurer.
Section 3 – Board of Trustees
a) The Board of Trustees shall consist of no less than six members, one of which is the Church Treasurer.
b) The Trustees shall have general charge of the finances of the Church. 1) They shall prepare an annual Church budget and shall submit it to the Council for review at least two weeks prior to the Annual Meeting.
2) They shall authorize distributions to be made by the Church Treasurer. 3) The Trustees shall be responsible for establishing the salaries and benefits for all employees of the Church, in collaboration with the appropriate Boards and/or Church Council. The Treasurer may be paid as an employee, based on a decision of the Trustees.
4) They may at their discretion appoint an assistant to the Treasurer, and/or a bookkeeper.
5) The Trustees shall be responsible for an annual reconciliation of the books of account and the financial records of the Church with the assistance of an independent certified public accountant. The Trustees shall be responsible for preserving the Church records and shall have custody of any such corporate seal as is now or hereafter be in use, and shall determine such regulations for its use as may be necessary.
6) They shall appoint a Financial Secretary and tellers as may be necessary. The Financial Secretary shall maintain the records of giving and offerings by members and friends of the Church. The Trustees shall be responsible for the records of the Financial Secretary. The Trustees shall be responsible for bonding those persons accountable for Church funds.
7) The Trustees shall provide for insurance adequate for the Church’s needs and shall develop policies and procedures to minimize exposure to risk. 8) The Trustees shall invest general funds as may be desirable and shall be responsible for the investment of special funds entrusted to the Church. They may appoint an Investment Committee to manage said funds.
c) The Trustees shall have general charge of the properties of the Church. 1) The Trustees shall be responsible for the repairs to and maintenance of the Church properties.
2) The Trustees shall develop a policy for use of the Church properties by other organizations and shall oversee the use by them.
3) The Trustees shall make recommendations to the Church Council for presentation to the Church membership such matters as the purchase or sale of real property, planning and completing major alterations to Church
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property, or borrowing sums of money in excess of four thousand dollars ($4,000).
4) They shall be responsible for the use and maintenance of software and hardware in the Church properties.
5) The Trustees shall be responsible for engaging and/or discharging custodial personnel, including a Sexton.
d) The Trustees shall have general charge over the operation of the Church Office. 1) The Trustees shall hire (or dismiss) the Church Office Manager in collaboration with the Senior Pastor.
2) The Trustees shall direct the duties and responsibilities of the Church Officer Manager and any other employees who may be hired to work in the Church Office.
e) The Trustees shall be responsible for the financial stewardship of the Church, including conducting the annual pledge campaign and any other requests for funding from the Congregation.
Section 4 – Board of Christian Education
a) The Board of Christian Education (“CE”) shall consist of no less than four members.
b) CE shall have full responsibility for the educational programs of the Church: 1) Church school
2) Adult education
3) Nursery
4) Preschool
5) Youth
6) Vacation Bible School
7) Campership scholarships
8) Family activities
c) CE shall have full responsibility for planning these programs and for hiring employees as CE may deem necessary and shall determine the reporting relationships, duties and responsibilities of any employed staff.
d) CE shall be responsible for all safety policies and procedures pertaining to CE.
Section 5 – Board of Christian Outreach
a) The Board of Christian Outreach shall consist of no less than four members. b) The Board shall have the responsibility of challenging the Church to reach out into the community through Christian witness and/or action.
c) The Board shall communicate the mission and the social concerns of the American Baptist denomination to the Church Congregation.
d) The Board shall identify and promote social concerns of the local community as well as special missions, e.g., La Romana Hospital in the Dominican Republic.
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Section 6 – Operating Rules
a) Each Board shall meet within 15 days of the Annual Meeting for the purpose of their organization which shall include electing officers.
b) Board meetings shall be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order. c) The Chair of each Board shall be a voting member of that Board. In the event of a tie, the President of the Church shall make the deciding vote.
d) The Boards shall meet on a monthly basis.
e) Annually, each Board shall submit an annual operating budget to the Trustees. f) Each Board shall supervise all expenditures within its annual operating budget. g) Annually, each Board Chair shall submit an annual report to the Clerk.
ARTICLE VII
MEETINGS
Section 1 – General Conduct
a) Business may be transacted at any special or annual meeting of the Church excluding the period of worship.
b) The quorum for all meetings shall be fifty (50) members except as stated elsewhere in the By-laws.
c) Congregational meetings of the Church shall be conducted in accordance with the rules contained in the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order. d) All meetings may be in-person or via a virtual platform as approved by the Church Council.
Section 2 – Special Meetings
a) Special meetings may be called by the President, by the Senior Minister or by written petition to the Clerk from twenty (20) members. Ten (10) days written notice of intent to hold a meeting shall be mailed by post and/or emailed to all members.
b) In the event that twenty (20) members shall present a written petition to the Clerk that the minister(s) be dismissed, a written notice of intent to hold a meeting shall be sent by post and/or emailed to all members at least fourteen (14) days in advance of the meeting.
Section 3 – Chairman
In the absence of the President, the most immediate Past President available shall call the meeting to order as Chairman pro-tempore. In the absence of all of the foregoing, it being a duly called meeting, those assembled shall elect a Chairman pro-tempore.
Section 4 – Annual Meeting
The annual meeting shall be held each year in May or June at a time designated by the Council for the purpose of:
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a) Adopting an operating budget for the fiscal year.
b) Electing officers and members of the Boards.
c) Reviewing annual reports.
d) Transacting such other business as may properly be brought before the meeting.
ARTICLE VIII
BEQUESTS, GIFTS AND MEMORIAL FUNDS
Section 1 – Unrestricted Memorial Funds
a) There shall be established a First Baptist Church Memorial Fund for the receipt and inclusion of all unrestricted bequests, gifts and memorials.
b) The Fund shall be administered by the Treasurer and be the responsibility of the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees shall invest the monies of the Fund in a prudent manner, providing accessibility to the Fund.
c) Requests for use of monies from the Fund shall come from any of the Boards of Deacons, Trustees, Outreach, Education or the Church Council. The Board of Trustees shall review all requests for funding from the Boards or the Council and determine the amount to be allocated for each request up to a limit four thousand dollars ($4,000). Any request for funding in excess of four thousand dollars ($4,000) shall be presented to the Church membership for a vote at a regular or special meeting of the Church members.
Section 2 – Restricted Funds
a) Bequests, gifts and memorials that are restricted for a special purpose for use at any time shall be used in accordance with the wishes of the donor.
b) The Board of Trustees shall be responsible for such funds and the Treasurer shall keep a separate accounting of such funds bearing the name of the donor.
Section 3 – Endowment Fund
There shall be established an Endowment Fund to be administered by the Investment Committee of the Trustees, in accordance with standard Endowment practices.
Section 4 – Records
The Board of Trustees shall keep an accurate permanent record of the terms, conditions and status of the Memorial Fund, the Endowment Fund, and restricted bequests, gifts and memorials. They shall present a report of them annually at the Annual Meeting of the Church.
ARTICLE IX
EMERGENCY POWERS
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In the event of an emergency (including, but not limited to, extreme disasters or widespread health issues), the Council shall have the ability to conduct the essential business of the church absent a Congregational Meeting with the required quorum.
ARTICLE X
AMENDMENT TO BY-LAWS
These By-laws may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of those in attendance at any meeting of the Church, provided that the text of the proposed amendments shall have been submitted in writing at a meeting at least two weeks in advance.
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