Constitution
CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS OF AUTUMN CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH
Approved: 02/28/2021
PREAMBLE
This is a sovereign and democratic Baptist Church under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We declare and establish this constitution to preserve and secure the principles of our faith and to govern the body in an orderly manner. This constitution will preserve the liberties of each individual church member and the freedom of action of this body in relation to other churches.
ARTICLE I
Name: The name of the organization shall be Autumn Creek Baptist Church located in Houston, Texas. It is to be incorporated under the laws of the State of Texas.
ARTICLE II
Purpose: Autumn Creek Baptist Church was brought into existence by the special provision of God for the express purpose of presenting God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit and glorifying Jesus Christ as God by:
A. Evangelizing the Lost
a. To provide everyone in this community with the opportunity of receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and effectively persuading him/her to do so. Matt. 28:19-20; John 1:12; Acts 1:8, 5:32, 20:31; Rom. 9:1-13; II Cor. 5:11; Prov. 11:30; Ezekiel 3:17
b. To disciple each person who receives Jesus Christ as Lord so that he/she grows through the spiritual maturing process to become a soul winner and a disciple. II Tim. 2:2; Phil. 3:17, 4:9; Matt. 28:19-20
B. Equipping the Saints
Autumn Creek Baptist Church shall equip each believer in our body to perform the ministry that God has gifted and called him/her to do for His glory. We shall support each believer in their ministry as approved by the leadership of the church. Eph. 4:12; Phil. 4:13
C. Edifying the Church
To build up this body by meeting each other’s needs and to encourage and stimulate each other through:
a. Regularly joining together to worship our Lord and Savior through the proclamation of the Word of God, the praise of music, the prayers of the believers, the presenting of tithes and offerings and the observance of the ordinances of the church[1]. Heb. 10:24-25; Mal. 3:10; Psalm 100; Psalm 101:1
b. Allowing God to express His love by using our bodies and resources, and our circumstances to perform His actions. Heb. 10:24-25; I John 3:18; II Cor 4:6-11; James 1:2-5; James 1:22
D. Educating the Believers
Believers grow through the study of God’s Word, The Bible. We will teach the infallible
Word of God and teach our people how to study, memorize and meditate upon God’s Holy Word so that each member will be enabled to discern and apply God’s will to his/her own life. John 21:15-17; I Tim. 4:13-16; II Tim. 2:15, 3:14; Joshua 1:8; Titus 2:111
It is the purpose of Autumn Creek Baptist church to be led by the Spirit of God, individually and as a united church body, and to find solutions to problems through the Holy Spirit more than in rules and regulations.
This statement of purpose will serve as a specific guide to the functions, organizations and expenditures of Autumn Creek Baptist Church creating opportunities for the church to spread the Gospel and grow the Kingdom of God.
ARTICLE III
Doctrine:
The doctrinal position of Autumn Creek Baptist Church is best described in “The Baptist Faith and Message” statement, as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention on June 14, 2000[2].
ARTICLE IV
Membership:
The membership of Autumn Creek Baptist Church shall be composed of individuals who have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and obediently followed Him in Believer’s Baptism as discussed in “The Baptist Faith and Message” and who publicly express the desire to associate themselves with the fellowship of Autumn Creek Baptist Church, and embrace its principles.
ARTICLE V
Character:
The government of this church is vested in the Body of Believers who compose it. It is subject to the control of no other ecclesiastical body, but it recognizes and sustains the obligations of mutual counsel and cooperation which are common among Southern Baptist Churches.
A. Leadership
Autumn Creek Baptist Church will have the leaders found and specified in the New Testament and will conform to the examples found therein. Acts 3:6, 11:30, 15:2; Phil. 1:1; I Tim. 3;1-16, 5-17, 6:11-21; II Tim. 2:1-20, 4:1-8; Titus 1:5-9
B. Relationships
Autumn Creek Baptist Church will be affiliated with Union Baptist Association, the Baptist General Convention of Texas, and the Southern Baptist Convention. The senior pastor shall represent the church in affiliated associations, whose duty it shall be to furnish a statement of the condition of the church, including its changes, to represent the desires of the church, and to cooperate with other churches in carrying out the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:19-20). The Church recognizes its relationship with any convention and association as voluntary and the action of the association or convention shall not be binding upon this church except by the will of the church.
C. Ownership
Should for any reason this church cease to function as stated herein, the title to the buildings and properties will be conveyed to the Union Baptist Association.
BYLAWS
Autumn Creek Baptist Church
6735 Barker Cypress Road
Houston, Texas
I. Church Membership
Section 1. Candidacy
Any person may offer themselves as a candidate for membership in this church. All such candidates shall be counseled by a church counselor[3] at the time that candidate presents themselves for membership. The candidate shall be presented to the church at the next opportunity during a regular service of the church in any of the following ways:
1. By profession of faith in Jesus Christ and for believer’s baptism (emersion) according to the constitution of this church.
2. By promise of a letter of recommendation from another Baptist church of like faith and order.
3. By statement when no letter is obtainable. This shall be a statement of prior conversion and scriptural baptism by a Baptist church of like faith and order. By watch care[4] – Persons of any faith may, upon their request, come under the church’s spiritual care and enjoy all the privileges of the teaching and fellowship of the church. “Watch care members” will not be allowed to vote, hold an office in the church or exercise the role of a teacher.
Section 2. Rights of Members
1. Every member of the church, including its youngest members at the discretion of their parents, is entitled to vote at all elections and official business meetings on all issues submitted to the church in conference, provided the member is present at the time of voting.
2. Every member of the church is eligible for consideration to be an elected officer of the church[5] unless otherwise specified in the requirements for that position.
3. Every member of the church may participate in the ordinances of the church as administered by the church. (Ordinances of the church will be discussed later in this document.)
Section 3. Termination of Membership
Membership shall be terminated in the following ways:
1. Death of the member.
2. Member reports to the church that they have moved to another church.
3. Exclusion, by action of this church, following scriptural recommendation[6] found in 1 Corinthians 5:1-7.
4. Removal upon request or verification of membership in a church of a different denomination.
When membership is terminated the names of the former member will be removed from the active roles and archived.
II. Church Officers, Committees, and Staff
Section 1. Church Officers
The officers of this church shall be the Senior Pastor, Deacons, Clerk, Treasurer and Trustees. As discussed in “The Baptist Faith and Message”, the Pastor and Deacons are the scriptural officers. The other offices are functional offices and established to assist these officers in administration of the church’s mission.
1. Senior Pastor – The Senior Pastor is responsible for leading the church to function as a New Testament church. The Senior Pastor shall lead, empower, and encourage the congregation, church organizations and the church ministry leaders to perform their individual tasks. The Senior Pastor is leader of all pastoral ministries of the church. In this capacity, he works with the Deacons and Church Staff to achieve the purpose of the Church which is to proclaim and send the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the whole world.
a. A pastor shall be chosen and called by the church whenever a vacancy occurs. The qualification of the pastor will be in accordance with the Holy Scriptures as described in 1 Timothy 3:1-7.
b. A pastor selection committee shall be elected by the church to seek out a suitable pastor as lead by the Holy Spirit. Any church member will have the right to bring other nominations for the committee to consider for the office of pastor. Once the committee has found God’s appointed man for the church, the head of the committee shall bring that man before the church as a recommendation to become pastor of the church. The committee will bring to the church for consideration, one name at a time. Members of the church will then be given an appropriate period[7] to pray over the decision before voting on the recommended pastor. The election shall take place at a called meeting specific to the purpose of calling a new pastor. Members will be given a minimum of one week’s public notice8 of the date and time of the meeting. Voting shall be conducted by secret ballot. An affirmative vote of three-fourths (75%) of the voters present to approve the call of a pastor. The pastor, duly elected, shall serve in the office of pastor until the relationship is terminated by his request or by action of the church.
c. The pastor shall preside at meetings of this church and serve as moderator in all business meetings in keeping with rules of order authorized in these bylaws. The authority may be delegated to the head of the Deacon body if the pastor is unable to attend a scheduled meeting.
d. The pastor shall be given a required two-week, paid sabbatical after faithfully serving for a minimum of twenty-four months and every twenty-four months following. This shall be in addition to the agreed upon vacation time given the pastor. During the pastor’s sabbatical the senior pastoral staff member will assume the role of acting pastor. In the event of an emergency where the pastor’s presence is required; the pastor will be recalled and an appropriate time to resume the sabbatical will be agreed upon by the pastor and the finance committee. This sabbatical will be a time of rejuvenation for our pastor and allow him to remain effective for the congregation of the church longer.
e. The pastor may relinquish the office of pastor by giving the church a minimum of a thirty day notice of their resignation.
f. The church may declare the office of pastor to be vacant. This action may take place upon the unanimous recommendation of the personnel team or as received from Deacon body recommendation or by written petition to the personnel team. The head of the Deacon body shall be designated to be moderator of the meeting to declare the office of pastor vacant.
g. The vote to declare the office of pastor vacant requires the same threefourth (75%) vote as was required to call a pastor.
h. Except in the instance of gross misconduct by the pastor which would scripturally exclude the pastor from holding the office, the church will compensate the pastor with not less than one-twelfth of his annual salary as severance pay. The compensation shall be rendered in no more than thirty days.
2. Deacons
In accordance with the description of Deacon in the New Testament, Deacons are to be servants of the church. Their task is to support and encourage the pastor and staff in performing the purpose of the church as well as caring for the members of the church and the community.
Qualifications Specific to ACBC:
To be eligible for election, a man must have been a member of this church for at least one year, be over 21 years of age, and must seek to consistently meet the following qualifications.
• Called of God and set apart. Having proven themselves to have the scriptural qualifications spelled out in Acts 6, I Timothy 3.
• Committed to living and serving in a manner consistent with the standards set forth in scripture.
• Exemplify a godly character, is compassionate in recognizing and meeting the needs of others and demonstrates a high level of competence.
• Supports his local church faithfully by attendance and tithing.
• Confirmed by a body of believers through ordination. (Acts 20:28, 1 Timothy 3:1).
Qualifications for the wife of the Deacon:
I Timothy 3:11 - In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
3. Treasurer
The church shall elect annually a church treasurer to receive, preserve, and pay out, upon receipt of vouchers approved and signed by personnel, all money or things of value paid or given to the church, keeping at all times an itemized account of all receipts and disbursements. It shall be the duty of the treasurer to publish a monthly financial report which will be made available to the church the third Sunday of the month. This will be an itemized report of the receipts and disbursements of the preceding month along with an actual year-to-date expenditure.
A permanent record of at least five years shall be kept in the church office of all treasurers’ reports.
4. Clerk
The church shall elect a clerk as it’s clerical officer. The clerk shall serve for a period of three (3) year and be responsible for keeping a suitable record of all official actions of the church, except as otherwise herein provided. The clerk shall be responsible for keeping a register of names of members, with dates of admission, dismission, death, or erasure, together with a record of baptisms. The clerk shall issue letters of demission voted by the church, preserve on file all communications and written official reports. The Church may delegate some of the clerical responsibilities to a church secretary who will assist the elected clerk. All church records are church property and shall be kept in the church office, or secured online where appropriate.
5. Church Trustee
The church shall elect three or more trustees to serve as legal officers for the church. They shall hold in trust the church property. A trustee must be an active member for at least one (1) year and at least thirty (30) years of age. Upon a specific vote of the church authorizing each action, they shall have the power to sign documents for the church in order to buy, sell, mortgage, lease, or transfer any church property or any such legal documents.
Trustees are the only church officers with the authority to sign any legal documents such as contracts and loans for the church. Trustees can be nominated and elected from the church membership during any business meeting. This sole power of signature, however, does not preclude signing of checks and paying of bills by other officers the processes established by the finance committee.
Section 2. Personnel Team
1. Purpose
The Personnel Team supports the Senior Pastor in developing and administering personnel policies and the evaluation of additional staffing levels for the ministry efforts of the church.
2. Team Composition:
• Deacon chair
• Finance Chair
• Three church members in good standing elected by the congregation.
3. Requirements:
Must be a member for a minimum of 5 years. Must be at least thirty (30) years of age.
4. Responsibilities
a. Establish job descriptions for each paid officer and staff position.
b. Review all church and personnel policies and recommend revisions as or when needed.
c. Support the Senior Pastor to ensure adherence to personnel policies. d. Staffing
i. Coordinate with Senior Pastor and ministry staff to develop the annual personnel budget to be recommended to the Finance Committee.
ii. Coordinate with the Senior Pastor concerning additional staffing levels and make recommendations.
iii. Support the senior pastor to nominate other ministerial staff.
iv. Recommend removal/appointment of a Senior Pastor or Interim Pastor as needed.
v. Establish a Pastor search committee when needed.
vi. Hiring and firing of non-ministerial staff
e. Performance Evaluations
i. Complete performance evaluation for all paid officers.
ii. Complete performance evaluation for all paid staff.
f. Provide support to all staff.
g. Disciplinary Action
i. Recommend and/or administer disciplinary action to paid officers.
ii. If needed, the personnel team shall declare the office of Pastor vacant and present such recommendation to the church.
iii. Administer disciplinary action to paid ministerial and nonministerial staff.
Section 3. Church Staff
Staff shall be defined and determined by the needs of the church by the personnel team and the Senior Pastor. The personnel team may empower the Senior Pastor to organize a committee when searching for new staff members. In the absence of a Senior Pastor, the personnel team shall form all search committees and make recommendations to the church.
The church may vote to vacate a staff position upon recommendation of the personnel team. Terminations shall be immediate, and the compensation shall be one-twelfth of the staff members annual salary and rendered to them in no more than thirty days.
1. Ministerial Staff - All ministerial staff, as recommended by lead pastor and approved by the church body in a business meeting, shall be called and employed as the church determines the need for such offices. The Church Ministerial Staff shall serve the church by leading in planning, coordinating, conducting, and evaluating the ministries[8] and programs of the church and its organizations.
a. A job description shall be written by the personnel team in conjunction with the lead pastor when the need for a staff member is determined. Those staff members, from whom the church requires evidence of a personal call of God to minister, shall be recommended to the church by the personnel team and called by church action.
b. A staff member may terminate their service to the church by providing a minimum of a two-week notice given the church.
Ministries that have a staff member overseeing them are currently:
• Pastoral Ministries (Senior Pastor)
• Associate Pastor of Education
• Youth Pastor
• Children’s Pastor
• Worship Leader
2. Non-ministerial Staff - Non-ministerial staff[9] members shall be employed as the church determines the need for their services. The personnel team shall have the authority to employee and terminate services of non-ministerial staff member.
III. Administration of Church Ordinances
Section 1. Believer’s Baptism
1. The pastor or any member of the church shall be authorized[10] to administer baptism. A member or members of the Deacon body shall assist in preparation for, and the observance of the ordinance of baptism.
2. All persons who professes their faith in Christ shall be counseled by the Senior Pastor or Ministerial staff about the meaning of baptism and urged to be baptized as soon as possible. In the absence of a Senior Pastor, the head of the Deacon body shall assume this role. They shall not be added to the full membership roll of the church until they have followed the Lord in Believer’s Baptism.
3. In addition, any member joining ‘upon statement of faith’ from who has not had Believer’s Baptism from a like faith and practice shall not be added as a full member until they have followed the Lord in Believer’s Baptism.
Section 2. Lord’s Supper
1. The church shall observe the Lord’s Supper at least once a quarter, the schedule to be set by the Deacon body.
2. The pastor, deacons, and if necessary, additional men of the church shall administer the Lord’s Supper.
3. The deacons or ushers shall be responsible for the physical preparation.
4. Other believers of like faith and order shall be invited to participate at the time the ordinance is observed.
IV. Church Meetings
Church business shall be conducted only in business meetings, unless these are actions and activities authorized by the church body for normal operations.
Section 1. Annual Business Meeting
The church shall hold an annual business meeting to approve the budget. If new deacons are to be added, recommendations from the deacon body shall be voted on during this meeting. This meeting will be held the first Sunday evening in November in place of the evening service/classes. If there is a reason that this meeting cannot be held on this day the church will be notified and a new date will be set, not to exceed fourteen days after the pre-planned date of meeting.
Section 2. Quarterly Meetings
The church shall hold quarterly meetings to discuss the plans and status of the ministries and business of the church. Any member may request additions to the agenda, raise questions, and participate in discussions under the leadership of the Senior Pastor.
Section 3. Special Business Meetings
The church may conduct special called business meeting to consider matters of special nature and significance. A written notice two weeks in advance and verbal notice one week prior must be given for the specially called business meeting unless extreme urgency renders such notice impractical. The notice shall include the subject, the date, and time and place; it must be given at the regular Sunday services of the church during the announcements and in the e-bulletin and physical bulletin the same two-weeks in advance. All special business meetings agenda shall be limited to only the specific issue(s) for which the was called.
Section 4. Quorum
The quorum[11] consists of those members who attend the business meeting, provided it is a stated meeting or one that has been properly called. Members can attend physically or virtually when such virtual meetings can be supported.
Section 5. Parliamentary Rules
“Robert’s Rules of Order ver. 12” will be used as a guide for parliamentary rules of procedures for all business meetings of the church.
V. Church Finances
Section 1. Budget
The staff, in consultation with the Finance Committee, shall prepare and submit to the church for approval an inclusive budget, indicating by items the amount needed and sought for all local and other expenses. It is understood that membership in this church involves financial obligation to support the church and its causes with regular, proportionate gifts.
Section 2. Accounting Procedures
All funds received for any and all purposes shall be accounted for by the church treasurer and be properly recorded on the books of the church. A system of accounting that will adequately provide for the handling of all funds shall be the responsibility of the Stewardship/Finance Committee.
Section 3. Fiscal Year
The church fiscal year shall begin January 1st of each year.
VI. Amendments
Changes to the constitution and bylaws may be made at a special called business meeting provided the proposed changes have been distributed in writing to the membership at least two weeks prior to the meeting. The meeting must also be announced in the bulletin for the same two weeks. Amendments to the constitution will be by two-thirds vote of the members present at the meeting. Changes to the bylaws by a simple majority of the members present and voting.
[1] Ordinances of the church are defined in the church Bylaws.
[2] This is available upon request in the church office.
[3] Church Counselors – These are members who are more mature Christians who have the knowledge and ability to instruct and guide a person, by the power of the Holy Spirit, into a walk with Jesus Christ.
[4] Watch care members are only “members” in name alone. The church will care for their spiritual needs through prayer and may provide for physical needs when appropriate.
[5] Current elected offices in Autumn Creek Baptist Church are Deacon, Treasurer, clerk and trustees. All other roles outside of church staff are volunteer positions.
[6] Actions of exclusion are on an individual basis and do not affect family members of the person being excluded in the event of a violation of scripture by an individual.
[7] “Appropriate period” will be no less than one week (seven days) and no more than two weeks (fourteen days). 8 Notice to be given through announcements in the service and in the church bulletin.
[8] Ministry evaluation is a continuous process and shall be conducted by the Staff member with responsibilities for that ministry. Evaluation process shall be determined by the Senior Pastor in conjunction with the staff.
[9] Non-ministerial staff currently at Autumn Creek Baptist church is the church secretary. New positions may be added at the discretion of the personnel team.
[10] In accordance with the scriptures any true follower of Jesus Christ may perform a baptism and the baptism can take place wherever a biblical baptism (immersion) can take place. (ie. Swimming pool, lake, etc.). This will be addressed by the pastor prior to baptism.
[11] Definition-Quorum – Minimum number of members that must be present for the meeting to be valid. A quorum will be determined by the members present.