This body shall be known as the Shadycrest Baptist Church of Pearland, Texas, the building and facilities are located at 3214 Hamm Road.
To be a dynamic spiritual organism empowered by the Holy Spirit to share Christ with as many people as possible in our church, community, and throughout the world.
To be a worshiping fellowship, experiencing an awareness of God, recognizing His person, and responding in obedience to His leadership.
To experience an increasingly meaningful fellowship with God and fellow believers.
To help people experience a growing knowledge of God and man.
To be a church that ministers unselfishly to persons in the community and world in Jesus' name.
To be a church whose purpose is to be Christ-like in our daily living by emphasizing total commitment of life, personality, and possessions to the lordship of Christ.
The Holy Bible is the inspired word of God and is the basis for any statement of faith. The church subscribes to the doctrinal statement of The Baptist Faith and Message as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1963. We band ourselves together as a body of baptized believers in Jesus Christ personally committed to sharing the good news of salvation to lost mankind. The ordinances of the church are baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper.
The government of this church is vested in the body of believers who compose it. It is subject to the control of no other ecclesiastical body, but it recognizes and sustains the obligations of mutual counsel and cooperation which are common among Baptist churches. Insofar as is practical, this church will cooperate with and support the association and state convention affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.
Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour and, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God, 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; and to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church and 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; 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 of and use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage; and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Saviour.
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the teachings of our Saviour 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.
Adopted by Shadycrest Baptist Church at regular business conference - September 10, 1975
This is a sovereign and democratic Baptist church under the lordship of Jesus Christ. The membership retains unto itself the exclusive right of self-government in all phases of the spiritual and temporal life of this church.
The membership reserves the exclusive right to determine who shall be members of this church and the conditions of such membership.
Any person may offer himself/herself as a candidate for membership in this church. All such candidates shall be presented to the church at any regular church service for membership in any of the following ways:
1. by profession of faith
and for baptism according to the policies of this church.
2. by promise of a letter
of recommendation from another Baptist church.
3. upon a statement of a
prior conversion experience and baptism in a Baptist church of like faith and
practice, when no letter is obtainable.
4. upon a statement of a
prior conversion experience and scriptural baptism in accordance with The
Baptist Faith and Message by another church that does not formally transfer
membership.
A three fourth vote of those church members present and voting shall be required to elect such candidates to membership. Should any candidate fail to receive three fourths vote, the candidate should be referred to the pastor and deacons for counseling.
Every member of the church is entitled to vote at all elections and on all questions submitted to the church in conference, provided the member is present or provision has been made for absentee balloting.
Membership shall be terminated in the following ways:
1. death,
2. by letter to another
Baptist church,
3. exclusion by action of
this church,
4. upon written request by
member and approval of the church.
1. It shall be the basic
purpose of the Shadycrest Baptist Church to emphasize to its members that every
reasonable measure will be taken to assist any troubled member. The pastor,
other members of the church staff, and deacons are available for counsel and
guidance. Redemption rather than punishment should be the guideline which
governs the attitude of one member toward another.
2. Should some serious
condition exist which would cause a member to become a liability to the general
welfare of the church, every reasonable measure will be taken by the pastor and
by the deacons to resolve the problem. All such proceedings shall be pervaded
by a spirit of Christian kindness and forbearance. But, finding that the
welfare of the church will be best served by the exclusion of the member, the
church may take this action by a two thirds vote of the members present at a
meeting called for this purpose and the church may proceed to declare the
offender to be no longer in the membership of the church.
3. Any person whose
membership has been terminated for any condition which has made it necessary
for the church to exclude him/her may upon his/her request be restored to
membership by a vote of the church upon evidence of his/her repentance and
reformation.
All church officers must be members of the church (may be waived for interim pastors). The officers of this church shall be as follows:
The pastor is responsible for leading the church to function as a New Testament church. The pastor will lead the congregation, the organizations, and the church staff to perform their tasks.
The pastor is leader of pastoral ministries in a church. As such he works with the deacons and church staff to:
1. lead the church in
performing its tasks,
2. lead the church to
engage in a fellowship of worship, witness, education, ministry, and
application,
3. proclaim the gospel to
believers and unbelievers, and
4. care for the church's
members and other persons in the community.
A pastor shall be chosen and called by the church whenever a vacancy occurs. His election shall take place at a meeting called for that purpose for which at least a one week's public notice has been given.
A pulpit committee shall be appointed by the church to seek a suitable pastor and its recommendations will constitute a nomination. Any member has the privilege of making other nominations according to the policy established by the church. The committee shall bring to the consideration of the church only one name at a time. Election shall be by secret ballot, an affirmative vote of three fourths of those present being necessary for a choice. The pastor, thus elected, shall serve until the relationship is terminated by his request or the church's request. He shall preside at the meetings of the church. The pastor should give at least two weeks notice at the time of resignation before terminating his responsibilities as pastor.
This church shall call or employ such staff members as the church shall need. A job description shall be written when the need for staff members is determined. Vocational ministerial staff members other than the pastor shall be recommended to the church by search committees specifically elected for that purpose.(2) Vocational ministerial staff members will only be employed by church action.
At least two weeks notice at the time of resignation should be given.
The secretaries and custodians shall be recommended to the church by the personnel committee and employed by church action.
The pastor will have due consideration in the hiring of church staff.
1. There should be one or
more deacons for every fifty church members. Candidates shall be nominated by
secret ballot by any church member. The candidates shall be screened by the
Deacon body. Deacons shall be elected at a regular business meeting of the
church by secret ballot.
If a rotation plan is implemented or begun, the deacons shall serve on a rotation
basis when the number of deacons is sufficient to make this practical. Each
year the term of office of one third of the number of deacons shall expire and
election shall be held to fill the vacancies, should a rotation plan be
implemented. In case of death or removal or incapacity to serve, the church may
elect a deacon to fill the unexpired term. After serving a term of three years
a deacons shall be eligible for reelection to the active deacon body only after
a lapse of at least on year.
2. In accordance with the
meaning of the work and the practice of the New Testament, deacons are to be
servants of the church. The task of the deacon is to serve with the pastor and
staff in performing pastoral ministry tasks; proclaim the gospel to believers
and unbelievers; care for church members and other persons in the community;
lead the church to engage in a fellowship of worship, witness, education,
ministry, and application; and lead the church in performing its tasks.
3. The deacon body is responsibility for handling compensation and benefits matters for the ministerial staff.(2)
4. The deacon body has the responsibility for making periodic evaluations of church ministry.(2)
5. Deacons coming from
another Baptist church of like faith and practice shall be active members for
six(0) months before becoming eligible to serve as active deacons.
6. Deacons shall meet once
per month not later than the Sunday preceding the church business meeting.
7. Deacons shall serve as a general pulpit supply committee.
Section 4. Moderator
The moderator shall be the Pastor. In his absence, the moderator shall be the Chairman of Deacons. In the absence of both the Pastor and the Chairman of Deacons, the Church Clerk shall call the meeting to order and an acting moderator shall be elected.
The church-elected clerk of the church shall keep in a suitable book a record of all the actions of the church, except as otherwise herein provided. She/he is responsible for keeping a register of the names of members with dates of admission, dismission, or death, together with a record of baptisms. He/she shall issue letters of dismission voted by the church, preserve on file all communications and written official reports, and give legal notice of all meetings where such notice is necessary as indicated in these bylaws. The church may delegate some of the clerical responsibilities to a church secretary.
The church shall elect annually a church treasurer. It shall be the duty of the treasurer to receive, preserve, and pay out, upon receipt of vouchers approved and signed by authorized personnel, all money or things of value paid or given to the church, keeping at all times an itemized account of all receipts and disbursements. It shall be the duty of the treasurer to render to the church at each regular business meeting an itemized report of the receipts and disbursements for the preceding month. The treasurer's report shall be audited annually by an auditing committee or public accountant. The treasurer shall be bonded.
Upon rendering the annual account at the end of each fiscal year and its acceptance and approval by the church, the records shall be delivered by the treasurer to the church clerk, who shall keep and preserve the account as a part of the permanent record of the church.
Three trustees and one alternate elected by the church will hold in trust the church property. They shall have no power to buy, sell, mortgage, lease, or transfer any property without a specific vote of the church authorizing each action. It shall be the function of the trustees to affix their signatures to legal documents involving the sale, mortgage, purchase, or rental of property or other legal documents where the signatures of trustees are required. Trustees shall serve on a rotating basis, with one new trustee being elected every three years.
All church committee members shall be recommended by the Nominating Committee and elected by the church annually unless otherwise indicated in the description below. The Nominating Committee shall be elected by the church. All committees shall consist of not less than three members.
1. The primary functions of
the church council shall be to present to the congregation suggested objectives
and church goals; to coordinate program plans recommended by church officers
and organizations; to suggest to the congregation the use of leadership,
calendar time, and other resources according to program priorities; and any
other tasks assigned to it by the church.
2. The church council,
unless otherwise determined by vote of the church, shall have as regular
members the Pastor, Minister of Education, Minister of Music, Sunday School
Director, Training Union Director, Woman's Missionary Union Director,
Brotherhood Director, Chairman of Deacons, Youth Director, Church Treasurer,
Church Clerk, Church Secretary, and the Chair of the Committee on Committees(4).
3. All matters agreed upon
by the council, calling for action not already authorized, shall be referred to
the church for approval or disapproval.
4. The church council will
not set church policy or have any other function other that those stated in
paragraph 1 above.
The Committee on Committees is responsible for guiding and assisting other church committees in carrying out their assigned responsibilities through an annual planned program of periodic joint meetings and reporting. The Committee on Committees will insure that other committees understand their assignments from the church and help the committees obtain the necessary resources to meet their responsibilities. The Committee on Committees will help coordinate committee reports to the church council or to the church business meetings to keep the church informed of the progress of committee work.
The Deacons will recommend church members to be nominated for membership on the Committee on Committees.
The Nominating Committee recommends persons for all volunteer positions to be elected by the church except members of the Committee on Committees(1) (4).
The Personnel Committee assists the church in matters related to employed non-ministerial(2) personnel administration. Its work includes such areas as determining staff needs, employment, salaries, benefits, and personnel services and the writing of job descriptions.
The Building and Grounds Committee assists the church in such areas as maintaining all church properties for ready use and recommending policies regarding use of properties.
The Missions Committee seeks to discover possibilities for local missions projects, shares findings with church program organizations, and serves the church in establishing and conducting such missions projects as may be assigned to it.
The Public Relations Committee is to determine the public relations needs and choose the means of communication to persons inside and outside the church.
The Kitchen Committee is responsible for formulating and recommending to the church policies for the kitchen and for communicating these policies to church members.
Every regular church usher shall be selected by the Nominating Committee and elected by the church. The ushers shall be led by an usher chairman also selected by the Nominating Committee and elected by the church. The ushers shall be attentive to the needs of the congregation and pastor.
The History Committee is concerned with gathering and preserving available church records, recording full and accurate records, and using the records to help members understand and appreciate their heritage and mission.
The Flower Committee is responsible for securing, arranging, and disposing of floral arrangements for church services and for providing flowers for sick and bereaved members.
The Hospitality Committee should be responsible for or delegate responsibilities for:
1. Setting up tables for
church-wide fellowships (such as homecoming dinners, revivals, meals for
visiting preachers, etc.)
2. Seeing that food is
provided for any aforementioned gathering.
3. Seeing that plates,
napkins, silverware, etc., are provided.
4. Seeing that food is
provided in the event of a death in the family of any church member.
Individual organizations shall be responsible for planning and providing for their own fellowships.
The Budget and Finance Committee shall present to the church an annual budget at least two months prior to the start of the church fiscal year.
Other committees shall be elected by the church as deemed necessary.
The staff of program services shall be recommended by the church Nominating Committee for election by the church.
The recreation staff will serve the church in seeking to meet the recreational needs of members and groups. They will provide recreation activities and provide consultation, leadership assistance, and resources.
The church library will serve as the resource center for the church. The church library staff will seek to provide and promote the use of printed and audio-visual resources. The staff will also provide consultation to church leaders and members in the use of printed and audio-visual resources.
All organizations of the church shall be under church control with all officers being elected by the church and reporting regularly to the church. All church elected teachers and leaders must be members of Shadycrest Baptist Church.
There shall be a Sunday School divided into departments and classes for all ages and conducted under the direction of the Sunday School Director for the study of God's Word. The officers and teachers of this Sunday School must be members of Shadycrest Baptist Church.
The tasks of the Sunday School shall be to teach the biblical revelation; reach persons for Christ and church membership; perform the functions of the church within its constituency; provide and interpret information regarding the work of the church and denomination.
There shall be Church Training divided into departments and classes for all ages and conducted under the direction of the Church Training Director. Church Training shall serve as the training organization of the church. The officers and teachers of Church Training must be members of Shadycrest Baptist Church.
The tasks of Church Training shall be to orient new church members; train church members to perform the functions of the church; train church leaders; teach Christian theology, Christian ethics, Christian history, and church policy and organization; and provide and interpret information regarding the work of the church and the denomination.
There should be a Woman's Missionary Union with such officers and organizations as needed. The leadership shall be elected by the church. The tasks of the Woman's Missionary Union shall be to teach missions; engage in mission action; support world missions through praying and giving; and provide and interpret information regarding the work of the church and the denomination.
There should be a Brotherhood with such officers and organizations as needed. The leadership shall be elected by the church. The tasks are to teach missions, engage in mission action, support world missions through praying and giving, and provide and interpret information regarding the work of the church and the denomination.
There shall be a Church Music Program under the direction of the music director. Such officers and/or organizations shall be included as needed.
A person who receives Jesus Christ as Savior by personal faith, who professes Him publicly at any worship service, and who indicates a commitment to follow Christ as Lord, shall be received for baptism.
1. Baptism shall be by
immersion in water.
2. Baptism shall be
administered by the pastor or whomever the church shall authorize. The deacons
shall assist in the preparation for and observance of baptism.
3. Baptism shall be
administered as an act of obedience and worship.
4. A person professing
Christ and failing to be baptized after a reasonable length of time shall be
counseled by the pastor and/or staff and deacons. If negative interest is
ascertained, he/she shall be deleted from the list of those awaiting baptism.
The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and fruit of the vine, commemorate the death of Jesus Christ and anticipate His second coming.
1. The Lord's Supper shall
be observed quarterly, preferably the first Sunday of the quarter, or as otherwise scheduled.
2. The pastor and deacons
shall be responsible for the administration of the Lord's Supper.
3. The deacons shall be
responsible for the physical preparation of the Lord's Supper.
The church shall meet regularly Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening for preaching, instruction, evangelism, and for the worship of Almighty God.
Regular business meetings shall be held on the third(5) Wednesday of each month.
A specially called business meeting may be held to consider special matters of a significant nature. A one week notice of subject, date, time, and location must be given for specially called business meetings. The moderator shall, when requested by the deacons, trustees, or a standing committee, announce from the pulpit a special business meeting, the particular object of the meeting being clearly stated in the announcement. Special meetings of the church may also be called by the clerk upon written application of any five members specifying the object thereof; such notice shall be made at the next regular meeting of the church.
The quorum consists of those members who attend the business meeting, provided it is a stated meeting or one that has been properly called.
Robert's Rules of Order, Revised is the authority for parliamentary rules of procedure for all business meetings of the church.
The fiscal year of the church will begin on January 1 and run through December 31.
Changes in this constitution and bylaws may be made at any regular business meeting of the church provided each amendment shall have been presented in writing at a previous regular business meeting and copies of the proposed amendment be furnished to each member present. Amendments to the bylaws and constitution shall be by two-thirds vote of all members of the church present entitled to vote.
The proposed change must be put before the church in writing at a business meeting not less than one month before time of proposed action and read from the pulpit on the next Lord's day following such proposal.
As recorded in the minutes of regular business conferences of Shadycrest Baptist Church
(0) - An amendment changed the waiting period for a deacon coming from another church from one year to six months to be eligible to serve as an active deacon.
(1) May 13, 1999 - An amendment gave the Nominating Committee the responsibility for ensuring that all other committees of the Church meet at least once each quarter and fulfill their assigned tasks.
(2) October 11, 2000 - An amendment gave the deacon body the responsibility for handling compensation and benefits for the ministerial staff and for making periodic evaluations of church ministry. The same amendment gave the responsibility for finding and recommending men for all ministerial staff positions to specially elected search committees. This amendment releaved the Personnel Committee of these responsibilities.
(3)
An amendment added an additional condition for acceptance as a
member: "By statement of a prior conversion experience and scriptural baptism
in accordance with The Baptist Faith and Message by another church that
does not formally transfer membership."
(4) 2005 - Approved an “Amendment to the Bylaws of Shadycrest Baptist Church establishing a Committee on Committees; stating its purpose and method of selecting nominees for the committee; and adding the Chair of the Committee on Committees to the Church Council. The amendment also revises the responsibilities of the Nominating Committee and changes Section numbers to be consistent with the adding of a new committee.”
(5) An amendment changed the regular business meeting from the second Wednesday to the third Wednesday of the month.
Updated and posted 8/22/08