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Constitution and by Laws of Faith Free Will Baptist Church of Chandler Indiana 303 North Fifth Street Chandler, Indiana 47510

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Constitution and by Laws of Faith Free Will Baptist Church of Chandler Indiana 303 North Fifth Street Chandler, Indiana 47510 CONSTITUTION AND BY LAWS OF FAITH FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH OF CHANDLER INDIANA 303 NORTH FIFTH STREET CHANDLER, INDIANA 47510 PREAMBLE In order to preserve and secure the principles of our Faith; to provide for the governing of this body in an orderly manner; to preserve the liberties of each individual member of this church; to guarantee the freedom of action of this body, yet respect its relationship to other churches of the same faith, and to secure the blessings of God; we do declare and establish this Constitution. The Faith Free Will Baptist Church is in no way regulated or dominated by any organization. The Church functions on its own membership as to how we vote, elect our officers, call our Pastor, spend our monies, buy our properties, build our churches and the such. Faith Free Will Baptist Church is a self-governing body, while voluntarily associated with The National Association of Free Will Baptist. ARTICLE 1 NAME AND PURPOSE SECTION 1-CHURCH NAME This congregation of believers shall be known as the Faith Free Will Baptist Church of Chandler, Indiana. SECTION 2-PURPOSE A. This congregation is organized as a church exclusively for charitable, religious and Educational purposes within the meaning of section 501 © 3 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States revenue law), including, but not limited to, for such purposes: the establishing and maintaining and operating of churches, parsonages, schools, chapels, radio stations, television stations, rescue missions, print shops, day care centers, camps, nursing homes, cemeteries,, and any other ministries that the Church may be led of God to establish or support B. The Church shall also license and ordain men to the Gospel ministry, evangelize the Unsaved by the proclaiming of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, educate believers in a manner consistent with the requirements of Holy Scriptures, both in Sunday and weekday schools of Christian Education, maintain missionary activities in the United States and any Foreign Country; and engage in any other ministry that the Church may decide, from time to time, to pursue in obedience to the will of God. ARTICLE II STATEMENT OF COVENANT, FAITH AND PRACTICES SECTION 1- STATEMENT OF COVENANT, FAITH AND PRACTICES The statement of Free Will Baptist Church is contained in the Treatise of the National Association of Faith Free Will Baptists as adopted by the National Association November 7, 1935, at Nashville, Tennessee. Revised 1948, 1956, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1979, 1981, and 1992. Published by the Executive Office of the National Association of Free Will Baptists, Inc. and presently printed 1996. SECTION 2 – ADDITION TO THE TREATISE A. Civil Government We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) The home; 2) The church; and 3) The state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God (Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb. 13:17; I Pet. 2:13-14). B. Human Sexuality We believe that sexuality is a gift of God to be practiced within the union of a God- ordained marriage between a man and woman and not before. Any Sexual activity such as adultery (having sex with someone other than one’s married partner) or fornication (any other forms of sex) is a sin against God and the person committing the act (Genesis 2:24; Genesis 19:5,13; Genesis 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29; I Corinthians 5:1,6:9; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4. C. Divorce and Remarriage We believe that God hates divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication or desertion. (Mal.2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Romans7:1-3; I Cor. 7:15). Although divorced and remarried persons of divorced persons may hold positions of Service in the Church, and be greatly used of God for Christian service they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon. (Timothy 3:2, 12; Titus 16. D. Abortion We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living Human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We believe in extreme cases of difficulty, the mother’s life is a priority, and judgment should be left to the people involved (parents, family, doctors, and pastor) to seek the will of God, (Job3:16; Psalms 51:5; 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jeremiah 1:5; 20:15-18: Luke 1:44) E. Sexual Perversion We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity should be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. (Genesis 2:24; Genesis 19:5, 13; Genesis 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29; I Corinthians 5:1; 6:9; I Thess. 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4). F. Creation We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24 hour periods. We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory , and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin ( Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11). G. Missions We believe that God has given the Church a Great Commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us. (Matt 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; II Corinthians5:20). H. Lawsuits Between Believers We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the Church to resolve personal disputes between members. We be- lieve the Church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compen- sation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander (I Corinthians 6:1-8; Ephesians 4:31-31). I. Giving We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the Church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe once the gift has been made. However, one can designate money to a particular ministry within the church(Genesis 14:20; Proverbs 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; I Corinthians 16:2; II Corinthians 9:6-7; Galatians 6:6; Ephesians 4:28; I Timothy 5:17-18; I John 3:17). ARTICLE III CHURCH MEMBERSHIP SECTION 1 – PURPOSE FOR MEMBERSJIP We believe that every person who has accepted Jesus as their personal Savior should identify themselves with the visible Church, “Take Membership”. They should labor diligently in the work of the Lord and should contribute of the material, physical and spiritual means to the spreading of the gospel to the ends of the earth. We also feel that every member should consider it their duty to attend all services if at all possible. No person shall be considered for any office or position unless that individual is a member or associate member of this Church (I Corinthians 16:2; II Corinthians 9:10-15; Hebrews 10:25). SECTION – 2 QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEMBERS A> A person may become a member of this body by either profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior followed by baptism or letter of transfer of membership from another church of like precious faith. B. No one shall be received into membership who does not manifest works of genuine repentance as evidence of salvation. C. Letters of transfer of membership into this church shall only be received if the person requesting such is granted a letter of good standing from the sister church. Persons expelled from sister churches for disciplinary reasons shall not be received into membership until restitution is properly made to the sister church. D. Anyone desiring membership with this church should request such to any church member, Pastor or Deacon. The request will be followed by a weeks’ time interviews allowing for prospective members may then be received in fellowship at any regular service of the church by majority vote of the membership present. SECTION 3 – INACTIVE MEMBERS Anyone who willfully absents himself from the meetings and support of the church for a period of 90 days without just cause shall be placed on an inactive roll by vote of the church in any regular business meeting. Inactive members deprive themselves of voting privileges at any business meeting of the church.
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