Revised February 9, 2003
CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE I: Name
The Name of this Church
is the First Congregational Church of Monroe, Washington.
ARTICLE II: Incorporation
This Church has been incorporated as a religious organization, November 12, 1905 according
to the laws of the State of Washington. The Church recognizes as its corporate seal
the words, "The First Congregational Church of Monroe, Washington." This
is the official seal, the same to be written, printed, or impressed.
ARTICLE III: Fellowship
The government and ownership of this Church is vested in its members, who, exercise the
right of control in all its affairs. It is amenable to no other ecclesiastical
body, but it accepts the obligations of mutual counsel, comity,
and cooperation involved in the free fellowship of the United Church
of Christ, and pledges itself to share their common aims and work.
ARTICLE IV: Faith
We believe in the freedom
and responsibility of the individual soul, and the right of private
judgment. We join with the fellowship of United Congregational Churches
of Christ in the Statement of Faith adopted in 1982.
"We believe in you, O God, Eternal Spirit, God of our Savior Jesus Christ and our God and to your deeds we gladly testify. You call the worlds into being, create us in your own image, and set before each one the ways of life and death. You seek in holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin. You judge people and nations by your righteous will declared through prophets and apostles. In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, our crucified and risen Savior, you have come to us and shared our common lot, conquering sin and death and reconciling the world to yourself. You call us into your Church to accept the cost and joy of discipleship, to be your servants in the service of others, to proclaim the gospel to all the world and resist the powers of evil, to share in Christ's baptism and eat at his table, to join him in his passion and victory. You promise to all who trust you forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace, courage in the struggle for justice and peace, your presence in trial and rejoicing, and eternal life in your realm which has no end, Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto you. Amen."
Acknowledging Jesus Christ to be our Savior and Lord, accepting the Holy Scriptures as our rule of faith and practice, and recognizing the privilege and duty of uniting ourselves for Christian Fellowship, the enjoyment of Christian ordinances, the public worship of God, and the advancement of His Kingdom in the world, we do now, in the sight of God and invoking His blessing, solemnly covenant and agree with each other to associate ourselves to be a Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, as warranted by the Word of God.We agree to maintain the institutions of the Gospel, to submit ourselves to the orderly administrations of the affairs of the Church, and to walk together in Christian love, mutually endeavoring to aid one another in the needs of life and the ways of Christian living.
Section 1. Qualifications
This Church will welcome into its membership any person who loves the
Lord Jesus Christ and who purposes to live according to His Law
of Love.
Section 2. Conditions
The members of this Church shall be persons who publicly accept its covenant:
(a) on presentation of satisfactory letters of transfer from other
churches; or (b) if letters are not available, by reaffirmation
of faith; or (c) on confession of faith and baptism.
Section 3. Membership
Members are expected to be faithful
to all duties, essential to the Christian Life, to attend services
of the Church, to give systematically to the support of the Church and its benevolence,
and to share in its organized work.
Section 4. Termination
The membership of no person shall be terminated at the meeting in which the recommendation for such action is first made.
Section 5. Restoration
Any person whose membership has been terminated, may, for good and sufficient reasons,
be restored to membership by vote of the Church membership.
ARTICLE VII: Officers, Boards, and Committees
Section 1. Officers
The officers of the Church shall be:
the Pastor, the Moderator, the Moderator-elect, the Clerk, the
Treasurer, the Church School Facilitator, and the Historian, to be elected
as provided by the By-laws.
Section 2. Boards and Committees
The Boards of this Church shall be the Trustees and the Board of the
Diaconate. The committees of this Church shall be the Church Cabinet, the
Committee of Christian Education, the Nominating Committee, the Picnic
Committee, Out Reach Committee and Pastor/Parish Committee. Members of
the Boards and Committees are to be elected or selected as provided in the Bylaws,
and members of such other committees as appointed by the Moderator.
ARTICLE VIII: Meetings
1. Yearly reports shall be presented by all officers, organizations, and committees at the Annual Meeting, with recommendations for the ensuing year.
2. Officers and Committees shall be elected for the ensuing year.
1. Call of the pastor.
2. Purchase, sale, mortgage, or transfer of real property.
3. Adoption or Amendment of the budget if in excess of $3,500.00.
4. Election of officers, Boards, Committee Heads, and other representatives.
5. Action on cases of offense of members.
Section 1. Pastor
The nomination of a Pastor shall be made by the Cabinet and presented to the Church meeting upon recommendation of the Pastoral committee appointed by the Cabinet. Notice of the meeting for the election of a Pastor shall be given from the pulpit and by direct mail at least two weeks before the meeting.
Section 2. Moderator.
Section 3. Moderator-elect
S/He will work closely with the Moderator, Pastor and members of the congregation to assist the Moderator in his/her duties.
S/He shall serve one year as the Moderator-elect followed by one
year as the Moderator. In the absence of the Moderator, the Moderator-elect shall
assume the duties of the Moderator.
Section 4. Clerk.
The Clerk shall keep a complete record of the business meetings of the Church
and the Church Cabinet. S/He shall cooperate closely with the Historian. The
Clerk shall keep a register of the members of the Church, recording all
admissions, dismissals, baptisms, deaths, and marriages. S/He shall preserve on
file in the Church office all communications, documents, and written reports. The
Clerk shall report all communications intended for the Church and conduct, as
may be necessary, its correspondence. The Clerk shall give notice of all Church
and Cabinet meetings when such notice is required and shall make a full report
to the Church at the Annual Meeting and shall be a voting member at all such
meetings. The Clerk shall be elected at the Annual Meeting to serve a term of
three years.
Section 5. Treasurer. Section 6. Church School Facilitator. Section 7. Historian. ARTICLE II: Cabinet
Section 1. Composition
The Cabinet shall be composed of
representatives of each Board, Committee and Organization of the
Church as follows:
Section 2. Duties.
The Cabinet shall be an executive body
which shall act on behalf of the Church Membership on all matters
of policy not assigned specifically to other Committees, Boards,
and Organizations. It shall be the function of the Cabinet
to visualize the entire task of the Church, to advise the Pastor
and Officers on the general direction of the Church's activities, and to
cooperate with them in the formation of a well-rounded program.
The Cabinet shall be empowered to create, as needed, ad-hoc committees,
or task force groups, to fulfill the Church's role in the world
and its membership. The Cabinet shall set the guidelines for each ad-hoc committee,
select its membership, and discharge the group upon the completion of its assigned
task.
The Cabinet shall submit to the Annual Meeting of the Church members a comprehensive program involving the chief objectives of the Church for the coming year.
Section 3. Meetings. Section 1. Board of Diaconate.
The Cabinet shall meet monthly. Special meetings may be called by the
Moderator or Pastor. At the meetings of the Cabinet, a quorum
of five members from the Officers, Representatives and Members
at large, shall be required for action on duties.
ARTICLE III: Boards and Committees
They shall assist in the preparation and ministration of the sacraments. The
Board shall see that the pulpit is supplied in the absence of the Pastor, provide
ushers for weekly and other services of worship, provide new visitor information
to the Outreach Committee, ensure that worship materials are provided for
services, and assist in determining order of worship and liturgy, if needed.
Section 2. Board of Trustees
They shall have charge of the financial affairs of the Church, including the leasing of the parsonage, and the administration of funds from the Memorial Fund. They shall have no power to buy, sell, mortgage, or transfer property without specific authority by vote of the Church members. The shall have the care and custody of the property of the Church and make improvements and repairs as necessary. They shall supervise the care and improvement of the yards and shall submit an annual budget to the Church Cabinet for ratification.
The Board of Trustees shall have the authority to amend any approved budget by an amount of $3,500.00 or less. This specifically means that a Budget item may be increased or added to the budget in an amount of $3,500.00 or less.
Any question arising in the Church
community pertaining to financial matters or Real or fixed property
shall be the exclusive domain of the Trustees.
Section 3. Committee of Christian Education
It shall be its duty to provide a system of religious education covering, if possible, all ages and classes in the Church School; correlate courses of instruction; to appoint officers and Teachers; and in every way to meet the needs of the Church in Christian Education. It shall represent the Church in its educational relations with denominational, interdenominational, and public school systems, and shall seek to enlist and train volunteers for Christian Education service.
It shall coordinate the youth program of the Church with the Church School.
All questions arising from the Church community
pertaining to Christian Education for all ages, shall be the domain
of the Committee of Christian Education.
Section 4. Committee on Christian Concern Section 5. Nominating Committee Section 6. Picnic Committee Section 7. The Pastor/Parish Committee
It is the purpose of the Pastor/Parish Committee to support and maintain an open and healthy relationship between the pastor and members of the congregation. The Committee shall serve in two ways. First, it shall be an advisory group to share ideas, dreams, hopes, expectations and concerns of the Congregation with the Pastor. Committee members shall also be available to help members of the Congregation with concerns and to help improve communication and resolve conflict. Second, the committee shall be a support for the pastor by interpreting roles, functions and needs of the Pastor to the Congregation. When appropriate, the Committee may advise the Board or Committees as to a suggested course of action.
The Pastor/Parish Committee shall make a report to the Congregation at the
annual meeting.
Section 8. Outreach Committee