Summary of Constitution and By-Laws

1. Membership
   A. Requirements for Membership | All who desire membership in this church must…
      1. Be born-again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
      2. Be at least eighteen (18) years of age.
      3. Acknowledge agreement with the Covenant, Truths we Teach of, and agree to abide by the Bylaws             of this church.
      4. Have been baptised after conversion to Christ.
      5. Give evidence of their faith by a consistent Christian lifestyle.
      6. Not a member of any other church in Poland.
      7. Not be under another church’s discipline.
      8. Fulfil the application requirements for membership.

   B. Application for Membership | All who desire membership in this church must…
      1. Attend the membership class.
      2. Complete and submit the membership application and testimony forms to the church board.
      3. Sign the INCW Church Covenant.
      4. Receive approval for membership from the church board.
      5. Be voted upon by the church congregation. 

   C. Admission into Membership
      All who receive approval for membership shall be publicly welcomed and affirmed into membership by         the church during a worship service.

   D. Denial of Membership
      If the Church board determines that an applicant does not satisfy the requirements for membership, then              membership shall be denied. The church board will communicate their reason(s) for denial to the applicant.            Such a decision shall be final and there shall be no appeal to any court or other jurisdiction; however, if      the church board determines at a future time that said applicant’s status has changed and the applicant does        satisfy the requirements, then membership may be reconsidered.

   E. Termination of Membership. (Look at church Bylaws to paste in) Artical 2-3 
      Matters involving termination of membership shall be under the authority of the church board. A person’s               membership in this church is subject to termination for any of the following reasons:

      1. Personal Request / Resignation: Any member in good standing (not In the process of church                       discipline) may request in writing that his/her name be removed from the membership roll, in which             case a letter of acknowledgment will be sent after congregation approval.

      2. Absence or Inactivity: Any member who has for six (6) months failed to consistently attend services             or otherwise manifest a reasonably consistent interest in the church and has not satisfactorily                     responded to inquiries from the elders shall be subject to the process of church discipline outlined in          Article 1.H of these Bylaws at the discretion of the Elders. Typical exceptions to this policy include                missionaries, shut-ins, students attending school out of town, and people serving in the military.
   
       3. Church Discipline: Any member who is subject to the final step of church discipline as outlined in               Article 1.H of these Bylaws shall have his/her name removed from the membership rolls after the                 final step of discipline process (see Article 1 H.4).
   
        4. Physical Death: Deceased members shall be removed from the membership roll.

   F. Responsibilities of Membership
      Members shall seek to exercise their spiritual gifts for the mutual benefit of all the church body and             shall willingly submit to the loving oversight of the Church board as well as discharge all that is articulated in           the INCW Church Covenant (see Section 1.C of the Constitution

   G. Voting Privileges
      Only church members are allowed to vote on matters brought by the Elders to the congregation.                 Membership and voting privileges do not vest any member in any proprietary rights in the corporation         of this church.

   H. Church Discipline
      The purpose of church discipline is threefold: to promote the spiritual welfare of an erring believer by           calling him or her to return to a biblical standard of doctrine and/or conduct (Galatians 6:1); to edify             believers by deterring sin (1 Timothy 5:20); and to glorify God
      by maintaining purity in the local church (1 Corinthians 5:6). Any member of this church who teaches or       insists on holding false doctrine, or who persistently shows conduct inconsistent with biblical teaching,         or who disturbs the unity or peace of the church shall be subject to church discipline as follows.                  (Matthew 18:15- 18).

       1. It shall be the duty of any member of this church who has knowledge of the erring member’s heresy              or misconduct to warn and correct him or her in private, seeking his or her repentance and                            restoration in a spirit of love and humility.

       2. If the erring member does not heed this warning, the confronter shall again go to the erring member            accompanied by one or two other members as witnesses to warn and correct, seeking repentance              and restoration

       3. If the erring member still does not heed the warning, the matter shall be brought to the attention of              the Church Board, which, upon careful and prayerful investigation, shall “tell it to the church”                     (Matthew 18:17), encouraging the congregation to pray for repentance and restoration of the erring             person. Depending on the situation, the elders may also encourage the congregation to go to the                 erring person to call them to repentance in a spirit of humility
and gentleness (Galatians 6:1).

  4. If the erring member still does not heed the warnings of the Elders and the congregation, the Elders will lead the congregation in a vote to decide if he or she shall be formally excommunicated. (The congregation is to be included in the vote so as to express the judgment of the “majority” – 2 Corinthians 2:6.) With a simple majority, if the congregation decides in favor of excommunication, then the congregation will thus no longer recognize the erring person to be a “brother” or “sister in Christ” but instead as an unbeliever (i.e., “a Gentile or a tax collector” – Matthew 18:17). In addition, the erring person’s name shall be removed from the church’s official membership list. The congregation shall be encouraged to love and pray for the repentance and restoration of the dismissed person. The Elders shall decide if the excommunicated former member shall be permitted to attend VBC worship gatherings. If repentance is later demonstrated, the Elders shall lead the process of restoration into membership. In the above paragraph, “excommunication” refers to the fourth step of Matthew 18:15– 17 whereby a sinning member of the church is officially recognized as an unbeliever and is therefore no longer considered to be a member of the church and no longer welcome to join the church in the Lord’s Supper observance (i.e., communion).

The Elders of the church are responsible to equip the congregation to carry out all of the church’s corporate responsibilities included in the process of church discipline. The Elders will also lead in setting the timeline for the third and fourth steps of the process.
Additionally, the Elders may decide to expedite the process outlined above depending upon the threat to the unity of church posed by the erring person (Titus 3:10).

The members of this church understand that the church discipline process will continue to conclusion even if the erring member stops attending the worship gatherings of the church to avoid the discipline process. It is also understood that members who are subject to the church discipline process do forfeit and waive the right to resign their membership. Only members who are in good standing may resign their membership. Furthermore, the members of this church agree that there shall be no appeal of the discipline process to any court or other jurisdiction; nor shall there be any appeal or other legal action taken in response to any public
statements made to the church at the third or fourth stages of church discipline.

I. Membership Record
A record of all church members shall be kept by this Church under the supervision of the Elders. Such a record shall include the name of each member and the date he/she became a member.

2. Officers
The primary officers of this corporation shall be: Elders, who are responsible to oversee the spiritual matters of the church and Deacons, who are to oversee the practical matters of the church. All other officers, as well as other staff, leaders, committees, and ministries of the church shall be responsible to the above-mentioned officers.

A. Elders
The elders are the spiritual leaders of the church and receive their authority from Jesus Christ, Whom, they are ultimately accountable to.

1. Qualifications: An elder must be a man who aspires to the office, is biblically qualified as outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:6-9, and 1 Peter 5:1-4, has been an active member of VBC for at least one year, has proven himself to be gifted and faithful in ministry, and has successfully completed the selection process. The following biblical qualifications make up the standard for an elder. However, Scripture affirms that all Christians should aspire to these godly standards in their personal lives.
· Above reproach (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6,7)
· Does not bring discredit to the ministry (2 Corinthians 6:3)
· Temperate (1 Timothy 3:2)
· One woman man (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6)
· Prudent (1 Timothy 3 :2)
· Respectable (1 Timothy 3:2)
· Hospitable (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8)
· Able to teach (1 Timothy 3:2)
· Not addicted to wine (1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 1:7)
· Not pugnacious (1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 1:7)
· Gentle (1 Timothy 3:3)
· Peaceable (1 Timothy 3:3)
· Free from the love of money (1 Timothy 3:3)
· Manages his own household well (1 Timothy 3:4)
· Keeps children under control with dignity (1 Timothy 3:4-5)
· Children are faithful to parents and not wild or rebellious to
authority (Titus 1:6)
· Not a new convert (1 Timothy 3:6)
· Not conceited or proud (1 Timothy 3:6)
· Good reputation outside the church (1 Timothy 3:7)
· Not double-tongued (1 Timothy 3:8)
· Biblically clear conscience (1 Timothy 3:9)
· Not a gossip (1 Timothy 3:11)
· Faithful in all things (1 Timothy 3:11)
· Not self-willed (Titus 1:7)
· Not lording it over the flock (1 Peter 5:3)
· Not greedy for dishonest gain (Titus 1:7)
· Not quick tempered (Titus 1:7)
· Lover of what is good (Titus 1:8)
· Sensible (Titus 1:8)
· Just (Titus 1:8)
· Devout (Titus 1:8)
· Self-controlled (Titus 1:8)
· Eagerness to serve (1 Timothy 3:1; 1 Peter 5:2)
· Keeps discipline over his own body (1 Corinthians 9:27)
· Holds tenaciously to the Word of God (Titus 1:9)
· Able to exhort the church in sound doctrine (Titus 1:9)
· Able to exhort the church in sound doctrine (Titus 1:9)
· Courage and ability to refute unbiblical teaching and false
teachers (Titus 1:9-11)
· Alert to wolves both inside and outside of the church (Acts
20:17, 28-31)
· Able to equip the church for the work of service (Ephesians
4:11-12)
· Seeks to please God rather than men (Galatians 1:10; 1
Thessalonians 2:4)
· Keeps watch over the souls under his care (Hebrews 13:17)
· Able to exhort his fellow elders (Galatians 2:11-21)
· Team player as he seeks for one accord (Acts 15:22-29)

Pastors:

The senior and associate pastors are defined by VBC as elder-qualified men who possess the gift of pastor and teacher (Ephesians 4:11ff) and are financially supported by the church to serve full time. They are elders serving amidst a plurality of other elders and exercise
equal yet not more authority.

2. Duties: The elders are to pattern their lives after Christ’s example of servant-leadership. They are responsible to oversee the spiritual life and welfare of the church by being devoted to prayer and the study of God’s Word. They are to teach the Word of God both in public and private, affirming the truth and refuting error. They are to set an example to the flock in spiritual character and conduct, being peacemakers for the flock and disciplining those who
err with the goal of protecting the purity of the church and restoring the wayward member. While they may delegate many facets of ministry to other leaders and servants in the flock, the elders bear the ultimate responsibility for the policies, practices, and decisions of the church. All staff, leaders, committees, and ministries are subject to the oversight of the Elders. The Elders will strive for unanimity when making decisions but if unity cannot be reached even after thoughtful and prayerful consideration in a spirit of humility, the decision must be reached by a 3/4 majority.

In addition to sharing the duties of his fellow elders, the senior pastor shall be primarily responsible for preaching God’s word to the congregation and generally overseeing the spiritual welfare of the church. If the senior-pastor is absent, the Chairman (if not the pastor) or Vice-Chairman will be responsible. The pastor shall be an ex-officio member of all committees and shall be accountable for his life and ministry to the Elders.

3. Selection: The Elders will keep regular watch for men who are prospective deacons. By submitting to the Elders a letter of recommendation, VBC church members are also welcome at any time to suggest potential men to serve as deacons to the Elders for their consideration. Each year, prior to the annual meeting in January, the Elders shall decide if they would like to nominate any potential deacon(s) to the VBC congregation. Those men whom the Elders deems qualified for this office will be recommended to the congregation for affirmation by no less than a 3/4 majority of the Elders. While it is hoped that unanimous approval would be given to the Elders’ recommendation, no less than a 3/4 majority vote by the congregation will be required to install a man as a Deacon. Following their initial recommendation to serve as a Deacon, every Deacon will have their name placed annually before the congregation for affirmation. The same 3/4 majority vote will be required to affirm all the Deacons in order for them to continue to serve. “No” votes will be counted but we would strongly encourage those who vote “no” to put their names on their ballots in order to have one of the Elders meet with them to follow up with them so they may express their concern.

When the senior pastorate of this church becomes vacant, the Elders shall make provision for the filling of the pulpit and immediately commence a search for a successor. Only men who are in hearty agreement with the contents of this constitution and the ministry vision and distinctives of VBC will be considered for this office. When a potential new senior pastor is found (having been approved by the Elders) he will candidate in a manner, and for a
prescribed length of time, determined by the Elders. Church members will be encouraged to spend time with the candidate and if they have questions, comments or concerns concerning the individual being considered for nomination they should bring them to the Elders. Upon completion of the candidating period, the Elders will decide by 3/4 majority vote whether or not to call for a congregational vote on the man being considered. If so, a meeting to
vote on the candidate will be announced to church members by letter, the church bulletin, and from the pulpit for three Sunday mornings prior to the meeting. Only church members will vote. Confirmation of the candidate will require at least a three-fourths majority of all the votes cast. If the candidate is duly elected, a letter of call shall be sent to him for his response. The Elders may also bring any potential additional pastoral staff before the membership
for approval using a process of candidacy and affirmation as it deems appropriate.

4. Tenure: Each elder may serve year by year as long as he aspires to the office of elder, maintains his biblical qualifications, is faithful to discharge the duties of an elder, and has the confidence of his fellow elders and the rest of the congregation. An elder may remove himself from the office during his service at his own request.

5. Removal: An elder may be removed from service by a ¾ majority vote of the other elders, where they concur that he is no longer biblically fit to serve as an elder. In addition, an annual vote of confidence shall be taken whereupon the members shall affirm or disaffirm each elder. Because of the command given in 1 Timothy 5:19, we strongly encourage that the first two steps outlined in Matthew 18 and Galatians 6:1-2 be followed before voting “No” on
their ballot (see Article 1 H.1 and 2). “No” votes that are not signed will be counted but we would strongly encourage those who vote “No” to put their names on their ballots in order to have one of the other elders meet with them to follow up so they may express their concern. The Elders will follow up “No” votes which are signed to discern the accuracy and severity of the issues involved and whether they warrant the biblical dismissal of the elder in question.
Senior and Associate pastors must give one month’s notice to the Elders if they intend to resign. Upon mutual consent, the Elders may allow a pastor to tender his resignation with less than one month’s notice if this will not in any way hinder the well being of the church. The Elders reserves the right to dismiss any pastor by a ¾ majority (excluding the pastor facing possible dismissal). At their discretion, the elders may choose to pay a dismissed pastor for up to one month’s salary, even if his termination is effective immediately.

B. Deacons
As directed by the Elders, the deacons administrate and serve to care for the physical, temporal, and spiritual needs of the church, in order that the elders may give themselves to overseeing the spiritual welfare of the church. The Deacons are to function as the formal
assistants to the Elders carrying out tasks and assignments as delegated by the Elders.

1. Qualifications: A deacon must be a man who aspires to the office, is biblically qualified as outlined in 1 Timothy 3:8-13, has been member of VBC for at least one year, has proven himself skilled and faithful in ministry, and has successfully completed the selection
process.

2. Duties: The Deacons shall be responsible to serve by overseeing and administrating various areas of ministry as assigned by the Elders. The deacons are to function in a spirit of willingness and cooperation under the oversight of the Elders. An effective deacon labors to protect the Elders from anything in the church’s life that threatens to distract and derail the Elders from their primary responsibilities (Acts 6:4).

3. Selection: The Elders will keep regular watch for men who are prospective deacons. Church members are also welcome at any time to suggest potential men to the Elders. Members should first determine, with the individual they wish to nominate their willingness to serve, and then submit a letter of recommendation to the Elders. This process of recommendation should at least occur annually, prior to the annual meeting in January. Those men whom the Elders deems qualified for this office will be recommended to the congregation for affirmation by no less than a 3/4 majority of the elders will be recommended to the congregation for affirmation. While it is hoped that unanimous approval would be given to the elders’ recommendation, no less than a 3/4 majority vote will be required to install a man as a deacon. Following their initial recommendation to serve as a Deacon, every Deacon will have their name placed annually before the congregation for affirmation. The
same 3/4 majority vote will be required to affirm all Deacon’s in order for them to continue to serve. “No” votes will be counted but we would strongly encourage those who vote “No” to put their names on their ballots in order to have one of the other elders meet with them to follow up with them so they may express their concern.

4. Tenure: Each man may serve at the discretion of the Elders year by year as long as he aspires to the office of deacon, maintains his biblical qualifications, is faithful to discharge the duties of a deacon, and has the confidence of his fellow deacons, the Elders, and the rest of the congregation. A deacon may remove himself from the office during his service at his own request.

5. Removal: A deacon may be removed from service by 3/4 majority vote of the Elders if they concur that he is no longer fit to serve as a deacon. Deacons are subject to an annual vote of confidence in the same manner as described in Article 2.A.5.

C. Other Officers
Other officers of the corporation shall be Chairman of the Elders, Vice- Chairman, Treasurer, and Secretary.

1. Chairman of the Elders: The chairman or a man designated by him shall preside at regular and special meetings of the membership. He shall be annually elected by the Elders from among the existing elders. Removal of the chairman from his position is under the authority of the Elders and at its discretion. In the absence of the Senior Pastor or Chairman the Vice-Chairman will preside over meetings of the membership.

2. Vice-Chairman: The Assistant Chairman shall assume all of the above-mentioned duties of the Chairman in his absence.

3. Treasurer: The treasurer shall be annually elected by the Elders and may serve three consecutive years after which he must take a year sabbatical before allowed to serve again. At the end of a treasurer’s term the Elders may elect to have an audit of the books by a firm selected by the Elders. The treasurer shall receive and keep in a designated place or depository all moneys of the church. Payments from funds in the custody of the treasurer shall be made only by check signed by the treasurer or authorized signatories as appointed by the elders. Authorization for payment from any fund shall be by vote of the membership at the annual business meeting when the annual budget is approved, or else by a vote of the Elders or the Deacons as they deem best. The treasurer shall keep accounts of all such funds and shall submit an annual detailed report and any additional reports which may be requested by the Elders. All bank deposits of the church funds shall be made and kept in the name of the church

4. Secretary: The Secretary shall be elected annually by, and from among the existing elders and will be responsible to keep, or cause to be kept, a book of minutes of all meetings of the membership. The Secretary shall give, or cause to be given, notice of all meetings of
the membership in accordance with the bylaws of this church. The secretary will also serve as clerk at all congregational meetings.
Both the Treasurer and Secretary shall be appointed annually by the Elders from among those members of the church who have been members at least one year. Persons who fill these positions must show evidence of an exemplary spiritual life. Removal of either the treasurer or the secretary shall be under the authority of the Elders and at its discretion.

3. Governmental Structure
The goals, activities, and life of the Valley Bible Church shall be governed according to the following outline:
A. Jesus Christ as Chief Shepherd:
This church ultimately submits to Jesus Christ as its spiritual Head. The authority of Christ is mediated to His people through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, the Bible (John 14:15-21, 23-26; Ephesians 1:22-23).

B. Elders:
Jesus Christ has called Spirit-filled men to be shepherds and servant-leaders of His people. Therefore, this church shall be directly governed through leadership by a group of qualified elders (see Article 2.A). Such leadership will function according to the
following principles:

1. Plurality: The elders of this church shall lead as a group, with no elder or elders having any degree of authority above the rest. While it is recognized that there may be leaders amongst leaders within the body of elders, all elders shall exercise the same authority (Acts
11:29-30; 14:23; 20:17).

2. Oversight: The day to day affairs of the church will be overseen by the Elders. They may delegate certain positions and tasks to various people in the flock as they see fit. The Elders shall have authority to remove persons from any area of ministry or service if they deem it prudent to do so (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-3).

3. Spirit of Unanimity: The Elders shall strive to reach all decisions prayerfully and with humility in order that its decisions are unanimous. Each elder must consider the wisdom and insight of the other elders ahead of his own. This will maintain confidence that the
elders are acting in accordance with the will of God (Philippians 2:1- 8).

4. Spiritual Authority: As Jesus Christ has given authority to elders to shepherd His people, so the Elders shall exercise spiritual authority by being examples to the flock in character and conduct, by teaching biblical truth, and by disciplining the flock in a spirit of love and truth. As shepherds and overseers of the flock, the Elders shall have final authority in all policies, practices, and decisions affecting the life of this church. They are accountable to Jesus
Christ Himself for how they lead (Hebrews 13:17).