THE CONSTITUTION OF
THE TRINITY-NORTHBROOK BAPTIST CHURCH
Adopted and amended at the business meeting of August 28, 2002. Subsequent amendments are noted.
ARTICLE I - The Name
The name of this church shall be the Trinity-Northbrook Baptist Church.
On January 12, 1992, the Northbrook Baptist Church and the Trinity Baptist Church were merged by vote of the members of both churches. The combined membership voted to change the name of the merged churches to the Trinity-Northbrook Baptist Church.
ARTICLE II - Membership
Section 1: The membership of this church shall be composed of persons who have been baptized into the fellowship of the church upon a credible profession of faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
Section 2: Persons coming from a Baptist church of like faith and order may be received on letters of dismissal and recommendation, provided they accept the Confession of Faith and Church Covenant.
Section 3: Persons coming from a Baptist church of like faith and order, who are unable to obtain a letter from such church (because records are lost, or similar reasons), may come upon statement that they have been saved and baptized into a Baptist church of like faith and order, provided they accept the Confession of Faith and Church Covenant.
Section 4: Persons desiring to unite with this local New Testament church from another denomination must make a public profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and follow Him in Scriptural Baptism. They must accept the Confession of Faith and Church Covenant. Alien baptism in any form is not acceptable.
ARTICLE III - Dismissal of Members
Section 1: A letter of recommendation will be granted to any member in good standing upon notification of this intention. Upon receipt of such notification, and the dispatching of said letter of recommendation, the church clerk shall remove such from the church roll.
Section 2: Members who move from this locality beyond a reasonable possibility to attend are expected to honor the Church Covenant and unite with a church of like faith and order.
Section 3: Members who are to be temporarily absent or wish to otherwise retain membership in this church must keep the church informed of their latest Post Office address.
Section 4: Persons guilty of behavior unbecoming to one professing Christianity, guilty of principles and practices which violate the Church Covenant, immoral or otherwise unacceptable activities, who have been Scripturally dealt with in an effort to reclaim and reconcile, may be dismissed as the Scriptures provide (Matt. 18:15-16) upon a majority of votes cast at a business meeting of the church.
ARTICLE IV - Officers of the Church
Section 1: The officers of the church are: Pastor, Deacons, Trustees, Treasurer, Missions Treasurer, Clerk, Sunday School Superintendent, Music Director, and such offices as the church shall deem necessary.
Section 2: No person other than a member of this church in good standing shall hold any office. All officers (except the pastor) shall be members of the church for at least six months before taking office. Officers elected to serve in any capacity must be regular contributors to the support of the church. All officers of supervision shall be men.
Section 3: All officers of the church shall be elected from the congregation at a duly notified meeting of the church. The offices of ordination are pastors and deacons. The pastor, deacons, and trustees shall serve as provided in this Article. All other officers shall be elected for a period of one (1) year. Election of officers shall be held annually. Any officer may be re-elected without limitation, except as otherwise provided in this constitution.
Section 4: Officers who cease to be active members in good standing automatically forfeit their office. This may be due to discipline by the church for unchristian conduct, removal from the active church roll for non-attendance, or moving to another church. Officers may also be removed from office by three-fourths of the votes cast at a duly notified business meeting. Officers may resign at any time, or decline to be re-elected. Any vacancy in an office other than pastor or deacon may be filled by election at a regular business meeting of the church, to serve the remainder of the term until the next regular election.
Section 5: When the office of the pastor is vacant, the church shall, at a duly notified meeting, appoint a pulpit committee including one or more deacons (if currently serving) and one or more trustees to seek God's chosen for the office. This committee shall provide pulpit supply, arrange for administration of the ordinances, and supervise other church activity until a pastor is called. The committee shall contact suitable candidates, and interview, invite to preach in view of a call, and recommend a prospective pastor to the church. The church board (deacons and trustees) shall appoint a moderator for meetings when there is no pastor.
Section 6: After hearing a prospective pastor, the church shall have a special meeting that has been duly notified, for the purpose of election. Three-fourths of votes cast shall be required for calling a pastor. At no time must there be more than one candidate to be voted upon in each particular meeting.
Section 7: The duties of the Pastor shall be to minister the word, to administer the ordinances, and to exercise oversight in all church interests. The pastor shall be the moderator and regular member of all boards and committees of the church.
Section 8: The pastor shall remain for an indefinite period of time, which shall be terminated by the pastor giving the church thirty (30) days notice. The church may also dismiss the pastor by three-fourths of the votes cast at a duly notified special meeting. The church shall give him thirty (30) days subsequent notice, except that dismissal is immediate for unchristian conduct.
Section 9: Deacons shall be elected from the congregation at a duly notified meeting of the church, as guided by Acts 6:1-6 and I Tim. 3:8-13. Deacons shall be called as the need arises. As ordination is a lifelong setting apart, an eligible member who has been ordained previously by a church of like faith and order may be elected to serve as deacon without a waiting period. A deacon serves indefinitely, and may continue to exercise the office unless he resigns or is removed from active service by the provisions of Section 4 of this Article. The duties of the deacons shall be to assist the pastor in caring for the material and spiritual needs of people, beginning with church members, their families and acquaintances, and other beneficent projects. If there is more than one deacon, they shall select one as chairman annually.
Section 10: Trustees as required by civil law are to transact the business of the church. There shall be three (as the church has need the number may increase always in odd proportions - three, five, seven, etc.). At least one trustee must be a resident of the State of Ohio. They shall be elected for a period of three years, one third to be elected and one third leaving office each year as the office progresses. The duties of the Trustees shall be to supervise the disbursements, to have charge of all church property, and to supervise upkeep, ushers, and taking of offerings. Trustees shall select a chairman following the annual election.
Section 11: The duties of the Treasurer shall be to act as custodian of all funds of the church, to keep accurate accounts of all receipts and expenditures, and to make disbursements, in cooperation with the trustees of the church. The books of the treasurer shall be audited once each year by the deacons and trustees. Financial reports shall be given as a regular part of each business meeting, and at the request of the trustees and deacons. In addition to the treasurer, the chairman of the deacons and the chairman of the trustees have been granted authorization to sign checks and drafts for the financial operation of the church. Expenditure may be approved on agreement of two trustees and the church treasurer for emergency needs, without prior vote of the church body. Such expenditure shall be reported to the church treasurer and included in the next financial report.
Section 12: The duties of the Missions Treasurer shall be to act as custodian of funds, to keep accurate accounts of all receipts and expenditures, and to make disbursements of monies, designated for the Mission Fund of the church. The books of the missions treasurer shall be audited once each year by the deacons and trustees. Financial reports for the Mission Fund shall be given as a regular part of each business meeting, and at the request of the trustees and deacons.
Section 13: The duties of the Clerk shall be to look after official correspondence of the church, to keep accurate records of business meetings, and to send out all letters of recommendation and dismissal. He must keep an accurate list of all members and provide the minutes at all business meetings.
Section 14: The duties of the Sunday School Superintendent shall be to cooperate with the pastor in the supervision of the Sunday School, keeping personnel in assemblies and teachers in each classroom. He must be consulted before any change is made in the Sunday School. All teachers and training activities are under his supervision. Teachers, substitute teachers, Youth Leaders, Bible Club, and Junior Church workers are subject to selection and assignment by the Sunday School superintendent along with the pastor.
Section 15: The duties of the Music Director shall be to select and lead in regular and special music for church services. Musicians are subject to selection and assignment by the Music Director.
Section 16: Any other officers and workers the church deems necessary shall meet the requirements of Sections 1 through 4 of this Article.
(1) A Recording Secretary may be elected to assist the Clerk in recording the minutes of business meetings.
(2) An Assistant Music Director or Choir Director may be elected to assist the Music Director.
ARTICLE V - Meetings
Section 1: The church shall meet for worship and carrying out the "GREAT COMMISSION" - Matt. 28:18-20.
Sunday School 10:00 AM
Morning Worship 11:00 AM
Evening Worship 6:00 PM
Wednesday Evening 7:00 PM.
Other special meetings such as Revivals, Youth meetings etc. may be held as the church deems desirable.
Section 2: The Church Board consisting of deacons, trustees, and the pastor shall meet together quarterly for the purpose of discussing the welfare and needs of the church.
Section 3: A quorum of 15 members in good standing shall be required to transact the business of the church. These shall be 12 years old or older.
Section 4: Regular business meetings shall be held the fourth Wednesday of every month after the regular evening service. Special meetings may be called at convenient times by the church. Due notification must be made of each meeting.
Section 5: Baptismal services shall be held at times appointed by the pastor and deacons dependent upon candidates for baptism.
Section 6: The Lord's Supper shall be observed on the first Sunday of each month and at such times appointed by the pastor and deacons.
ARTICLE VI - Delinquency
Section 1: Members whose whereabouts are unknown to the church shall be placed on the inactive file after a proper effort has been made to discover them.
Section 2: Members who absent themselves for long periods of time violate the Church Covenant and may be placed on the inactive file upon the recommendation of the church board.
Section 3: Members not attending over a period of three months without due cause shall be placed on the inactive file. Proper notification should be made to the church of known causes for absenteeism.
Section 4: Members who have not attended church for a period of one year, unless request has been made to maintain membership while shut-in or out of the area, shall automatically be removed from the church roll. Extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration, and the pastor will make contact with each one.
Section 5: Members who are placed on the inactive files shall lose their voting privileges and shall not be permitted to take part in the business meetings.
Section 6: Inactive members may be restored to the active file when the conditions which brought about placing them on the inactive files have been removed and such persons have been in regular attendance for one month.
ARTICLE VII - Discipline
Section 1: Discipline shall be rigid as in the New Testament churches. Christ's Church is to be pure. Members are expected to live lives that are becoming to those professing Christ as Savior. Scriptural methods shall be used to exercise discipline. Matt. 18:15-16, Galatians 6:1-2, I Cor. 5:11, II Thess. 3:6 and 11 and others from the Bible shall be the guiding rules. Disciplinary action is for the purpose of reclaiming and restoration of wayward members into the Christian Fellowship - not as chastisement to the guilty.
"VENGEANCE IS MINE SAITH THE LORD."
ARTICLE VIII - Finance
Section 1: Systematic giving to support Christ's work as an act of worship is a Christian's duty. It shall be a free gift and voluntary. The Bible teaches the Lord's portion to be a tithe (one tenth) after which an offering may be made.
Section 2: The only method given for the support of the Lord's work is by tithes and offerings. Bake sales, rummage sales, etc. are not Scriptural, therefore, not acceptable.
ARTICLE IX - Amendments
Section 1: The rules and regulations herein listed may be changed only by three-fourths of the votes cast at a duly notified business meeting. Public notice must be given from the pulpit twice within at least two weeks prior to such business meeting.
ARTICLE X - Further Resolutions
Section 1: Further resolutions acted upon and accepted at business meetings of the church shall be added to the regular minutes of the church.
Section 2: Resolutions brought before business meetings shall not be in the form of "surprise packages" but shall be duly discussed with deacons and trustees beforehand.
ARTICLE XI - Church Government
Section 1: The government of the church shall be vested in the local body, all questions being decided by a majority of the votes cast by eligible members, except as otherwise provided in this constitution.
Section 2: The object of this church shall be to promote fellowship among God's people of like precious faith; to put forth every possible effort to spread the Gospel, build up the church, teach and instruct by the proclamation of the whole counsel of God. May it be above all a soul-winning church.
Section 3: The church shall be a Christian Fellowship for mutual helpfulness. It shall be independent, strictly self-governing in all matters, and it shall not be under the direction or control of any denomination or federation.
Section 4: The pastor shall preside at all meetings at which business is transacted, except when the church is without a pastor at which time the stipulation given in Article IV Section 5 shall be used. The pastor shall also be chairman of all committees appointed or elected to transact any business for or pertaining to the church.
(1) He shall be neutral in all matters when presiding at business meetings.
(2) If the pastor has any discussion on any matter, he shall step aside and let another moderator chosen by the trustees and deacons preside for the time.
(3) The presiding officer shall have no voting power.
(4) No business shall be brought before the church until it has been discussed with the deacons, trustees, and other men of the church, except that which is common and part of each meeting. (Subject matter to be considered at future meetings may be voiced for the purpose of prayer for guidance).
Section 5: The local body shall be guided in its deliberations by standard parliamentary procedure; all discussions shall be conducted along orderly lines. At no time shall personal antagonisms be tolerated between dissenting parties or groups.
Section 6: Only members of this church in good standing (not prohibited under provisions of Articles VI and VII) shall be allowed to participate in business meetings. See Article VI Section 6 for the reinstatement of voting privileges.
ARTICLE XII - Ordinances
The church shall maintain the two scriptural ordinances, namely, Baptism (by immersion) and the Lord's Supper.
AMENDMENTS
[1] Article IV Section 10, third sentence: audit changed from twice to once per year. Adopted 11/27/2002. Section 10 renumbered to Section 11 with Amendment 3.
[2] Article V Section 2: meetings changed from monthly to quarterly. Adopted 11/27/2002.
[3] Article IV: entire article replaced. Adopted 2/26/2003. Reference in Article XI Section 4 renumbered from Article IV Section 4 to Section 5.
[4] Article IV Section 9, third sentence deleted: removed requirement to set aside deacon candidate for one year prior to ordination. Adopted 6/05/2013.
CONFESSION OF FAITH
We believe in:
The verbal inspiration of the Bible - both the Old and New Testaments. - II Tim.3:16
The creation of man by the direct act of God. - Gen. 1:26-27
The incarnation and virgin birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. - Phil. 2:7, Matt. 1:18-25
His identification as the Son of God. - Matt. 3:17
His vicarious atonement for the sins of mankind by the shedding of His blood upon the cross. - Rom. 5:6-8
The resurrection of His body from the tomb. - Mark 16:1-14
His power to save men from sin. - John 1:12
The New Birth through the regeneration by the Holy Spirit. - John 3:5
The gift of eternal life by the grace of God. - John 3:16
The pre-millennial return of our Lord Jesus Christ. - I Thess. 4:13-18
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 of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, 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 engage, 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; 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 also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage, and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.
We further engage 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 rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.
We moreover engage that 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.
