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Des Allemands Mennonite Church Constitution

Des Allemands Mennonite Church Constitution

PREAMBLE: We affirm that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord. Our purpose as a congregation is to bring honor to Him. We commit ourselves to building up the body of Christ by promoting fellowship, giving and receiving counsel, discerning gifts within the congregation, and leading others to Jesus Christ. We commit ourselves to extending the body of Christ by sharing our time and our human, financial, and spiritual resources as needed within the congregation. We recognize these resources as gifts from God.

Article I - ORGANIZATION

Section 1 - Address:

This congregation will be known as Des Allemands Mennonite Church with the physical address of 17447 Old Spanish Trail, Des Allemands, Louisiana, 70030. (P.O. Box 818)

Section 2 - Doctrinal Position:

We accept as ours the Mennonite Confession of Faith adopted in Wichita, KS. in July of 1995.

Section 3 - Affiliation:

A. The congregation is an integral part of the Gulf States Mennonite Conference which is affiliated with the Mennonite Church of North America (MC) and Mennonite General Conference (GC).

B. The local congregation is the base from which decisions are made. The congregation will send delegates to the business meetings of the Gulf States Mennonite Conference; and by way of the conference, the congregation will be represented before the assembly of the denomination. One (1) delegate for every twenty-five (25) members or a fraction thereof, the pastor and other ordained members will be represented from the church.

Section 4 -Objectives:

A. Follow the great commission of the Lord Jesus Christ found in Mark 16:15-18 -- to" go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; in My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; and they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

B. Provide a congregational atmosphere that promotes spiritual growth in members as a biblical call to be disciples of Jesus Christ.

C. Participate in service ministries to our immediate community and to those in the uttermost parts of the world as an expression of the Christian commitment of the congregation.

D. Process the business of the congregation regarding program, personnel, funds, and relationship to the denomination and other entities in an efficient way as an expression of good Christian stewardship.

E. Identify the functions of the personnel involved in the congregational program so that each member can fulfill his/her function according to the gifts given by God and affirmed by the congregation.

Article II - MEMBERSHIP:

Section 1 - Definition:

A member is a person who has accepted Jesus Christ as his/her personal Lord and Savior and has expressed a desire to join the fellowship of this church.

Section 2 - Acceptance of Membership:

Persons will be received by believer's baptism & confession of faith, or upon receipt of a church letter from another Protestant/Anabaptist church. These persons will receive orientation to the Mennonite Church and will be in agreement with the Mennonite Confession of Faith.

Section 3 - Removal of Membership:

When a member moves to another congregation he /she should solicit transferral of his /her membership from the congregation. If a member is not active in the congregation for one (1) years, he /she will be placed on an inactive list. When possible, there will be communication regarding the action taken and counseling encouraged. Persons placed on the inactive listwill lose their rights and responsibilities until active membership is reinstated.

Section 4 - Duties and Responsibilities of Members:

Each member should commit him/herself to endorse the program of the congregation or agencies of the denomination with his/her gifts & financial support. The members are encouraged to attend the meetings of the church council and the annual business meeting. Any material which needs to be presented to the council shall be given to the council president seven (7) days before said meeting.

Section 5 - Discipline:

Upon joining the congregation, a member should be ready to give and receive counsel from the body of believers. In case certain discipline is needed, it should be done in the spirit of Matthew 18:15-17 with the pastor initiating the confrontation. A member refusing disciplinary action will be placed on the inactive list.

Section 6 - Right of Vote and Representation:

Each active member has the right to vote and participate in the government of the church and other functions of the denomination when it is solicited.

ARTICLE III - FORM OF GOVERNMENT

A. - Council

The church council will be made up of a group of members of the congregation. They will assist the pastor in the different ministries of the congregation. They are expected to be in full communion with the church. Major decisions will be brought to all of the members in order to seek the advice of the congregation. Elected at large members are limited to only one member per family household. This group will consist of the following:

1. The Pastor

2. The church treasurer

3. The youth sponsors

4. The Mennonite Women's president

5. The maintenence coordinator

6. Council members-at-large

a. One lay member for each 25 members of the congregation or fraction thereof to be selected by the congregation at its annual business meeting.

b. The at-large members will be chosen for a term of two (2) years at the annual business meeting and may be re-elected for two consecutive terms (4yrs) on a rotating basis.

7. Council Officers

After all of the council members have been selected, they will meet among themselves and select the following:

a. President

1. Serve as a resource person to the pastor and deacons

2. Prepare meeting agendas

3. Call and preside over the meetings of the council and the business meetings of the church

4. Due to possibility of conflicts of interests neither the pastor nor church treasurer can hold this position.

b. Vice-president

1. Take the president's place in case of an absence

2. Will be open to other responsibilities

c. Recording secretary

1. Take the minutes of the meetings of the council and of the business meetings of the church

2. Process the minutes and distribute them to the council before the next regular meeting, to have available to active church members on a monthly basis (posted on the bulletin board), and to the church file in a timely

manner.

B. The pastor:

The pastor is a servant of the church and together with the deacons and council will work on the program of the congregation. The council will negotiate a service covenant with the pastor. (See contract of pastoral services prepared by the home missions office. (1979)

C. Deacon:

The deacon will assist the pastor in watching over the spiritual lives of members of the congregation, in the administration of sacraments, and in caring for the needy that they may be visited and relieved of worldly burdens. A person who desires to be a deacon desires a good work. That desire will be recognized as a calling and the person will be commissioned by the church council after prayer and careful consideration. The person will then be presented to the congregation for ordination.

(See 1 Timothy 3:8-13)

The deacons and the pastor will oversee the spiritual well being of the congregation.

D. Commissions:

The church council will direct the establishment of the following commissions whose membership will be composed of council appointed chairpersons who will solicit commission members from the congregation with council approval as needed. Each commission will define and coordinate it's work with the church council. Yearly budgets as well as periodic reports will be presented to the church council by commission chairpersons. The commission chairpersons will be presented to the congregation for affirmation during the month of December to serve in the following year.

1. Christian Education :

Christian education will assume responsibility for Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, camps, study courses, and other education/discipleship activities that are deemed necessary.

2. Music :

Music will be responsible for the selection of song leaders, pianists, and the music education of the church. They will be responsible for acquiring and maintaining the musical equipment that is available.

3. Ushers :

The chairperson will assist in the reception and comfort of those attending the services held by the congregation and will receive the tithes and offerings given during those services.

4. Maintenance:

These persons will look after the church building, parsonage (if there is one), and other facilities. Together with the congregation they will see that the buildings and grounds are adequate and well taken care of.

5. Finance:

The church treasurer will be appointed by the church council and will be responsible for managing the congregation's monies, accounts, and fiscal records. Yearly budgets will be presented to the church council and submitted to active members at the annual business meeting for approval. Monthly reports will be submitted to the church council for approval and discussion. Periodic reports to the congregation are expected.

6. Youth:

Youth sponsors selected by the church council will be responsible for managing youth activities and programs of the church to be conducted through the Mennonite Youth Fellowship (MYF). One sponsor, by mutual agreement, may serve on the church council and participate in council business.

7. Mennonite Women (MW)

These ladies will attend to the needs of persons in our community and the world through activities that promote healing, caring, and service. The work of the commission is rather broad including that of adding a "woman's touch" to the church building itself. The church council will support this commission's work as needed. The MW president will also be a member of the church council.

The MW president is selected by the members of the MWC and will not be elected by the council.

8. Worship Leader

The worship leader upon counsel with the pastor will be responsible for setting the spiritual atmosphere for the morning service. The worship leader willl also be responsible for the coordination of the service.

ARTICLE IV -- MEETINGS

The pastor, church council and the congregation will plan the meetings to be held during the year. Among these are:

A. Meetings to be celebrated during Sunday services and during the week such as:

1. Anniversary celebrations

2. Communion

3. Baptisms/dedications

4. Evangelistic campaigns

5. Special activities

B. Business meetings:

An annual meeting is to be held no later than the first (1st) Sunday in December At this meeting council members will be elected, the church budget will be presented to the congregation for approval, and congregational goals and plans of work will be outlined and offered up for discussion/approval.

C. Meetings of the denomination:

Planning will be done to send delegates and reports to the different meetings of the conference, national council, and others.

ARTICLE V -- QUORUM

Council meetings and all business meetings of the congregation will proceed with the attendance at least one-half plus one (2 + 1) of active members.

ARTICLE VI -- RULES OF ORDER

As a measure of uniformity in the parliamentary process Robert's Rules of Order will be used as a guide.

ARTICLE VII. -- POWER OF DISSOLUTION

In the case of the dissolution of the congregation, after looking for resources of council from the different organizations in the denomination, the property and funds will be given to the conference.

ARTICLE VIII. -- OTHER BUSINESS

The active members of the congregation in a regular or special business session will resolve any other item not covered by this constitution. Special needs should be called to the attention of the church council. Special business meetings are to be called by the council.

ARTICLE IX. -- AMENDMENT

This constitution will not be altered or changed. Any amendment will be made by consent of active members of the congregation in the annual business meeting and shall be presented in writing two (2) months in advance and with two-thirds (2/3 rds) vote of active members for its approval.