In conducting the affairs of this church, the church shall be governed by parliamentary procedure as set forth in Roberts' Rules of Order, but any action shall not be invalid because of a failure to follow Roberts’ Rules of Order.

 

A.   The governance of this church shall be congregational in nature, and final authority for the operation and management of its affairs shall be vested in its membership. To facilitate its ministry the church authorizes a Deacon Ministry Team to which it delegates the responsibility and authority to oversee the affairs of the church. The Congregation and Deacon Ministry Team set policy and the Senior Minister works in partnership with the Purposes listed in Section II. Above will come from the Lord through the Senior Minister, Deacon Ministry Team, Ministry Staff, and congregation. Procedure and Policy Manuels of First Baptist Church shall be approved by the Deacon Ministry Team.

 

B. Congregational responsibilities specifically include the following:

    1. Vote to approve new members.

    2. Elect and dismiss church officers and professional ministry staff.

    3. Approve any changes to these By-Laws and its Articles of Incorporation.

    4. Approve the Budget and any changes to the Budget.

    5. Approve building acquisition or divestment and major building projects.

    6. Be consulted and possibly vote on issues with potential conflict.

 

C. This church is subject to the control of no other ecclesiastical body, but it recognizes and sustains the practice of mutual counsel and cooperation common among churches of like faith and order. Insofar as feasible, this church will cooperate with and support entities such as

1. South Yadkin Baptist Association

2. Baptist State Convention of North Carolina

3. Southern Baptist Convention

4. Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and

5. Any other bodies which the church chooses, so long as those bodies promote and operate themselves by the time-honored doctrines of traditional Baptist polity as interpreted by this church in its "Statement of Faith and Doctrine".

 

D.  Incorporation

On June 16, 2005, First Baptist Church in session voted to dissolve the previous Church Association and to form a non-profit corporation under the laws of the state of North Carolina.  On July 20, 2005, Articles of Incorporation were received by the North Carolina Secretary of State, establishing the name, purposes, and activities of the Church as a non-profit corporation.  Specifically, the Articles set forth that:

1.  All members of the active role of the church shall be members of the corporation.

2.  The Directors of the Corporation are and shall be those persons who are elected, installed, and are serving as active Deacons of the Church (the Deacon Ministry Team).  

3.  The period of duration of the Corporation shall be perpetual.

4.  The Corporation shall have all of the general powers of a non-profit corporation. 

 

E.  Indemnification

To the extent permitted by law, the Corporation may indemnify or agree to indemnify any person who may be party to any threatened, pending, or completed action, suit or proceeding by reason of the fact that (s)he is or was a trustee, director, officer, employee, volunteer or agent of the Corporation against expense, judgments, fines, and amounts paid in settlement incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if (s)he acted in good faith and in a manner (s)he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and had no reasonable cause to believe his/her conduct was unlawful. 

 

F.  Conflicts of interest

1.  Members of the Ministerial Staff, members of the Deacon Ministry Team and Church Ministry Teams, and employees of the Church shall exercise the utmost good faith, strict honesty and fair dealing between themselves and the Church.  They shall not use their position, or knowledge gained therefrom so that a conflict might arise between the Church’s interest and their own.

2.  Any member of the Staff, Deacon Ministry Team or Church-Ministry Team having a duality of interest on any matter shall not vote or use his/her personal influence directly or indirectly concerning actions related to the matter, although (s)he may be counted in determining the quorum for the meeting.  Any member may raise an issue as to whether or not another member has a conflict of interest with respect to any matter, and the Deacon Ministry Team shall decide if such a conflict exists.