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.
The church may secure, maintain, and dispose of real property, buildings, and equipment for the express purpose of providing facilities for public worship and for the missional, educational, benevolent, and social interests and goals of this church.
The property of Shadycrest Baptist Church of Pearland, Texas shall remain property of that church. If at any time any group within the church should alter its beliefs and practices so as to differ fundamentally from those expressed in this constitution and should desire to separate from the rest of the body of the Shadycrest Baptist Church of Pearland, Texas, the real property shall inhere in that part of the congregation which retains the name, covenant, and beliefs of the present church as stated in this constitution, or as amended, even though the remaining part of the body should be a minority.
The Church may vote to dissolve itself. This vote shall require the approval of three-fourths of the members present at a business meeting legally called for this purpose.
In the event of dissolution of the Shadycrest Baptist Church, the property belonging to the Church shall be transferred free of all debt of any kind to the Gulf Coast Baptist Association to be used for the furtherance of God's Kingdom.
Changes to the Constitution may be made at any regular business meeting provided that the proposed amendment(s) shall be presented at any regular meeting of the church at least one month prior to the regular business meeting at which the amendment is to be considered. Copies of the amendment shall be made available to all members through print or electronic media. The proposed amendment(s) must be read from the pulpit on the next Lord's day following the meeting at which the proposal is first announced. Approval of amendments to the Constitution shall be by three-fourths majority vote of the members of the church present and entitled to vote.
Adopted by Shadycrest Baptist Church
at regular business conference - September 10, 1975
Amended by Shadycrest Baptist Church at regular business conference - March 17, 2010
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:
by profession of faith and for baptism according to the policies of this church.
by promise of a letter of recommendation from another Baptist church.
upon a statement of a prior conversion experience and baptism in a Baptist church of like faith and practice, when no letter is obtainable.
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:
death,
by letter to another Baptist church,
exclusion by action of this church,
upon written request by member and approval of the church.
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.
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.
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.
The officers of the church are the pastor, the chairman of deacons, the trustees, the treasurer, and the church clerk. All church officers must be members of Shadycrest Baptist Church.(6)
The pastor of Shadycrest Baptist Church is the spiritual leader of the church and the church ministry team leader. His life shall exemplify the Biblical requirements for elders and deacons given in 1 Timothy 3:2-7 and 1 Peter 5:2-4 as understood by Shadycrest Baptist Church.
The pastor is responsible for leading the church to function as a New Testament church. He is responsible for proclaiming the Gospel of Christ and encouraging the local church to do so, for guiding the spiritual development of the congregation, for providing pastoral care in meeting the needs of persons in the church and community, and for providing overall leadership for the church.
The pastor shall:
Work with the church staff, committees, and deacons to lead the church to engage in a fellowship of worship, witness, education, ministry, and application,
Moderate church business meetings. In the absence of the pastor, the chairman of deacons shall moderate the meetings. If both the pastor and the chairman of deacons are absent, the church clerk shall call the meeting to order and an acting moderator shall be elected for that meeting,(8)
Lead in regular staff meetings to coordinate the activities of the church staff giving personal direction to individual staff members wherever necessary,
Work with the ministerial staff to develop annual goals and objectives for the overall ministry of the church and for each staff member's ministry area. These goals and objectives will be used as the basis for performance reviews by the appropriate church entities,
Lead the church to cooperate in local, state, national, and worldwide missions,
Participate in association, state, and national convention activities where appropriate, and
Comply with all other requirements in the written Pastor Job Description as adopted by the church.
When a vacancy occurs in the office of Pastor, the church shall begin the process of calling a candidate to fill the vacancy. A pastor search committee shall be elected by the church following the procedure for forming new committees provided in the church’s Committee and Officers Handbook.
The pastor search committee shall:
Seek input from the current ministerial staff, church body and association officers in developing a process for determining the pastoral needs of the church, how to obtain a list of prospective candidates, and how the prospective candidate review process should take place,
Review the Pastor Job Description and suggest revision if necessary
Review proposed compensation package and Pastor Job Description with the Personnel Committee(8) before making any offers to a prospective candidate.
If the church has other ministerial staff members, they will meet prospective pastor candidates at an appropriate time and provide their recommendations to assist the pastor search committee in reaching a decision on the candidate to be presented to the church. The committee shall present only one candidate at a time.
The pastor search committee’s recommendation of a prospective candidate shall constitute a nomination. At least one week’s notice shall be given for the meeting at which the candidate is to be presented. The candidate shall be presented at a Sunday morning worship service and will present the sermon at that service. His election shall be considered in the evening service of that same Sunday and shall be by secret ballot. An affirmative vote of three-fourths of those present shall be necessary for extending the call. The candidate shall be given an opportunity to accept or reject the call within one week of the vote. If he accepts, he shall assume the office of pastor.
A pastor may relinquish his position by submitting written notice of his intent to resign to the Chairman of the Deacons at least two (2) weeks prior to the effective date of resignation. Prior to the effective date of resignation, the deacon body shall consider awarding the resigning pastor a separation compensation package and determine its amount. These decisions shall be confirmed by church vote at the earliest opportunity in a regular or special business meeting in order to make payment within 30 days of the effective date of resignation.
A pastor may be asked to relinquish his position with the church for reasons including, but not limited to, those listed below:
Failure to perform job responsibilities as given in these Bylaws and the Pastor Job Description
Failure to adhere to established church guidelines, practices or principles
Apostasy/heresy
Grievous legal or moral deficiencies or professional misconduct.
As with any grievance against a fellow Christian, an initial attempt to resolve the matter should first be made following the principles set forth in the Scriptures (Matthew 18: 15-17). With this failing, and with the understanding that any accusation of legal, moral and/or professional misconduct brought against a pastor should be treated with great seriousness (I Tim. 5:19-20), those accusations shall then be heard by a special assembly of the Chairman of the Deacons, the Chairman of the Personnel Committee, and a third party from the Gulf Coast Baptist Association (GCBA) or other denominational affiliate. If any of these are a party to the grievance, he shall not serve in this assembly. Those remaining shall select replacement(s) from the deacon body.
If the scriptural requirements of Matthew 18:15-17 and 1 Timothy 5:19-20 have been fulfilled and if the initial hearing described above concludes that any of the conditions mentioned in item 2 of this section are present, the church may undertake to relieve the pastor from his position. Such action may only be initiated by recommendation of the deacons at a special called meeting of the deacons. All active deacons shall have been notified of this meeting and its purpose at least two weeks in advance of the meeting date. The pastor may appear briefly to give a final defense against the charges, but shall then leave the meeting while deliberations go forward. If a three-fourths (3/4) majority of the deacons agree that the pastor should be removed, they shall request that a special church business meeting for this purpose be called, following the process described in Section VII, Subsection 3 herein.
Neither the pastor nor his initial accuser(s) shall preside over the business meeting in which the pastor's removal is being considered. The moderator of this meeting shall be selected following the process described in Section II, Subsection 4 herein. The vote to remove the pastor shall be by secret ballot, and an affirmative vote of three-fourths (3/4) of the church members present shall be necessary to do so. The church shall provide termination compensation to the pastor in the amount of one-twelfth (1/12) of his total annual compensation unless the pastor is being removed from office for reasons set forth in item 2d of this section. The termination and removal from office shall be immediate. Compensation, if applicable, shall be tendered in not more than thirty (30) days.
The deacon chairman is an officer of the church supporting the pastor. The deacon chairman is elected by the deacon body from among the active deacons of the church. Unless otherwise determined by the deacons, a deacon being considered for the position of chairman shall have served at least one year as vice-chairman and, after election, will serve a one-year term as chairman.
Typical responsibilities of the deacon chairman are to:
prepare for and lead deacons' meetings
appoint various deacon committees
preside over deacon sponsored functions
assist the pastor in administering the Lord's Supper, or administer in his absence
moderate church business meetings in the absence of the pastor
assist the pastor in matters of church business
The deacon chairman may also assume other necessary responsibilities, as requested by the pastor and/or the deacon body.
The church shall elect annually(8) a church clerk. The church clerk 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.
When both the pastor and the deacon chairman are absent from a regular business meeting, the church clerk shall be responsible for calling the meeting to order for the election of an acting moderator for that meeting.(8)
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.
In the event that a trustee is unable to complete a term, the alternate trustee will automatically take that position and complete the term. Another alternate shall be elected.(8)
The pastor is the supervisor of the church staff but may delegate his supervisory responsibilities to appropriate staff members or committees as necessary.(8)
When the church identifies a need for the leadership of an ordained minister in an area of the church’s ministry due to a vacancy or growth in that ministry area, the the church will begin the process of calling a candidate to fill the position. A search committee for the position needed shall be elected by the church following the procedure for forming new committees provided in the church’s Committee and Officers Handbook.
The search committee shall:
Seek input from the pastor, current ministerial staff, church body and association officers in developing a process for determining what the church needs are, how to obtain a list of prospective candidates for the specific vacant ordained ministerial staff position, and how the prospective candidate review process should take place,
Review the job description for the vacant position and revise it if necessary or write a new job description if the position is new. The search committee shall review the job description and proposed compensation package with the Personnel Committee(8) before making any offers to prospective candidates,
The pastor and other church ministerial staff members will be given an opportunity to meet with prospective candidates for the vacant ministerial staff position at an appropriate time in the selection process. The pastor will advise the search committee during the candidate review process and the search committee shall obtain the pastor’s consent before presenting a candidate to the church for approval,
Make recommendation of a prospective candidate for the ordained ministerial staff position and this recommendation shall constitute a nomination. The committee shall present only one candidate at a time,
At least one week’s notice shall be given for the meeting at which the candidate is to be presented. The candidate shall be presented at a regular scheduled worship service that is appropriate for the position for which he is being recommended. His election shall be considered at the Sunday evening service following his presentation to the church. The vote shall be by secret ballot. An affirmative vote of three-fourths of members present shall be necessary for extending the call. The candidate shall be given an opportunity to accept or reject the call within one week of the vote. If he accepts, he shall assume the ordained ministerial staff position for which he was called.
A minister may relinquish his position by submitting written notice of his intent to resign to the chairman of the deacons at least two (2) weeks prior to the effective date of resignation. Prior to the effective date of resignation, the deacon body shall consider awarding the resigning minister a separation compensation package and determine its amount. These decisions shall be confirmed by church vote at the earliest opportunity in a regular or special business meeting in order to make payment within 30 days of the effective date of resignation.
A minister may be asked to relinquish his position with the church for reasons including, but not limited to, those listed below:
Failure to perform job duties as set forth in the respective job description for his area of ministry.
Failure to adhere to established church guidelines, practices or principles
Apostasy/heresy
Insubordination to pastor or the deacon body
Grievous legal or moral deficiencies or professional misconduct.
As with any grievance against a fellow Christian, an initial attempt to resolve the matter should first be made following the principles set forth in the Scriptures (Matthew 18:15-17 and 1 Timothy 5:19-20). With this failing and with the understanding that any accusation of legal, moral and/or professional misconduct brought against a member of the ministerial staff should be treated with great seriousness, those accusations shall then be heard by a special assembly of the chairman of the deacons, the chairman of the Personnel Committee, and the pastor. If any of these are a party to the grievance, he will not serve in this assembly. Those remaining shall select replacement(s) from the deacon body.
If the scriptural requirements have been fulfilled and if the initial hearing described above concludes that any of the conditions mentioned in item 2 of this section have been found to exist, the church may undertake to relieve the minister from his position. Such action may only be initiated by recommendation of the deacons at a special called meeting of the deacons. All active deacons and ministerial staff shall have been notified of this meeting and its purpose at least two weeks in advance of the meeting date. The chairman of deacons and the others involved in the initial process will present the findings that led to the proposal that the minister be removed from office. The minister whose termination is to be considered may appear briefly to give a final defense against the charges, but shall then leave the meeting while deliberations go forward. The pastor shall give his recommendations about relieving the minister of his position. These recommendations shall weigh heavily in the deacons' final decision. If a three-fourths (3/4) majority of the deacons agree that the minister should be removed, they shall request that a special church business meeting for this purpose be called, following the process described in Section VII, Subsection 3 herein.
Any person who was an initial accuser of the minister may not act as moderator of the special church business meeting for consideration of the removal of the minister. Additionally, the pastor may request to be excused from his usual duty as moderator, in which case, the moderator of this meeting shall be selected following the process described in Section II, Subsection 4 herein. The vote to declare the office vacant shall be by secret ballot. An affirmative vote by three-fourths (3/4) of the church members present shall be necessary to remove the minister. The church shall provide termination compensation to the minister in the amount of one-twelfth (1/12) of his total annual compensation unless the minister is being removed from office for reasons set forth in item 2e of this section. The termination shall be immediate and the compensation, if applicable, shall be tendered in not more than thirty (30) days.
The deacon body shall determine whether to recommend that the church call an interim pastor to serve during the time required to complete the search and call of a new pastor. If the church decides to call an interim pastor, a search committee shall be nominated and elected using the process described for electing ad-hoc or special committees in the Committee and Officers Handbook. The search committee shall consult with church staff members, deacons, Personnel Committee, and Budget and Finance Committee for guidance in conducting the search, writing a job description, and setting compensation for the interim pastor.
The responsibilities of the interim pastor shall range from a minimum of having only the responsibility for preaching Sunday sermons up to having all the responsibilities of a full-time permanent pastor depending on the current specific needs of the church. The responsibilities determined appropriate by the church shall be included in an interim pastor job description and shall be explained to prospective candidates for the position. When the committee has determined a prospective candidate to be recommended to the church, it shall present its recommendation in writing for inclusion in the agenda for a regular business meeting and shall announce no later than the Sunday before the meeting that a candidate is to be brought for consideration. A majority vote of the church members at the business meeting is required to extend the call for an interim pastor. Until a permanent pastor takes office, the interim pastor search committee shall remain active to deal with issues related to the responsibilities of the interim pastor.
If other ministerial staff positions are to be filled by interim staff, the pastor will inform the church of the need and will propose the method for selecting a candidate for the position.(8)
At least two weeks notice at the time of resignation should be given.
There should be one or more active deacons for every fifty church members. If the number of active deacons drops below this ratio, the active deacon body shall recommend inactive deacon church members for membership in the active deacon body and/or initiate the process of selecting and ordaining new deacons. (See Section 3 below.)
A deacon must meet Biblical requirements for elders and deacons given in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9. These Biblical requirements, as they are understood by Shadycrest Baptist Church, shall be written and approved by the active deacon body and are incorporated here by reference.
In accordance with the meaning of the work and the practice of the New Testament, deacons are to be servants of the church.
General responsibilities of deacons are:
assist the pastor and staff in performing pastoral ministry tasks
proclaim the gospel to believers and unbelievers
care for church members through a deacon flock program and support the pastor in leading the church to care for other persons in the community
lead the church to engage in a fellowship of worship, witness, education, ministry, and application
assume leadership roles in enabling the church to fulfill its purpose.
Specific responsibilities of deacons are to:
Assist in the preparation for and observance of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper
Serve as “deacons of the week” to lead in prayer during worship, to secure the buildings after worship, and to be available to fill in for staff during the week
Meet once per month not later than the Sunday preceding the church business meeting
Serve as a general pulpit supply committee
and perform other responsibilities as circumstances warrant and as agreed to by the pastor and deacon body.
When the need arises to increase the number of active deacons, the deacon chairman shall appoint a committee of deacons to review the list of inactive deacons to identify those who might be willing and able to resume active status. After meeting with each of these, the committee shall bring to the deacon body the names of those they believe retain deacon qualification and can meet the need. The deacon body shall then establish a final list of those to be recommended to the church for reactivation. These names shall be presented as a single list for approval at a regular business meeting of the church.
If the process above fails to yield a sufficient number of active deacons, the deacons may request that the church nominate an appropriate number of new deacon candidates. Candidates shall be nominated by secret ballot and may be nominated by any church member. Candidates nominated by the church shall be approved by the pastor and the active deacon body and then shall be screened by the deacon body. The screening process shall follow written guidelines developed by the pastor, staff, and deacon body. After screening is completed, a list of recommended candidates will be prepared and approved by the deacon body for presentation to the church. These candidates shall be presented at a regular business meeting for election by the church by secret ballot. Newly elected deacons shall be ordained at the earliest convenience in an ordination service scheduled and prepared for by the pastor.
Each year the active deacon body shall elect a chairman, a vice-chairman, and a secretary from among the active deacons of the church. Unless otherwise determined by the deacons, the officers will not serve consecutive terms in the same office. Unless otherwise determined by the deacons, the chairman will have served at least one term as vice-chairman before being elected chairman. Likewise, the vice-chairman will have served one term as secretary before being elected vice-chairman.
While unusual situations may require slight variation, typical responsibilities of Deacon Officers are as follows:
Chairman
See Article II, Section 2, Deacon Chairman
Vice-Chairman
Serve as Chairman in the absence of the Chairman.
Secretary
Record the minutes of deacon meetings, providing copies for deacons and staff
Prepare any correspondence required by the active deacon body.
If the ratio of the number of deacons per church member approaches a ratio of one deacon per 40 members, the deacons shall consider instituting this rotation plan. The plan will be on a five-year schedule so that approximately one fifth of the deacons rotate off each year. An equal number of inactive deacons will be returned to active status through the process described in Section 3, Selection and Ordination of Deacons.
Active deacons may become inactive for a period of time by any of the following processes:
By rotation off the active deacon body through a system of deacon rotation
By request of the active deacon and approval of the active deacon body
By a prayerfully considered request of the pastor and deacon body, using as a guide the procedure outlined in Article III, Section 1, subsection C, Termination of Position.
Upon becoming members of Shadycrest Baptist Church, deacons who have been previously ordained by another Baptist church of like faith and practice, shall be placed on the inactive-deacons list, and as needed, may be considered for active status after having been members of Shadycrest Baptist Church for at least one year. The activation process for them shall be the same as for other inactive deacons.
All church committee members shall be recommended by the Committee on Committees(7) and elected by the church annually unless otherwise indicated in the description below. The Committee on Committees(7) shall be elected by the church. All committees shall consist of no fewer than three members.
The membership of standing committees shall rotate on a three-year basis. The Committee on Committees shall devise a method of rotation so that approximately one third (1/3) of a committee's members will rotate each year. Standing committee members may serve on a committee for no more than three consecutive one-year terms and may serve on no more than two standing committees at any one time.(7) Ad-hoc, or special, committees will serve until the task of the committee is completed. If members must leave an ad-hoc committee, the Committee on Committees will nominate members to be elected by the church to replace them.(7)
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.
The church council, unless otherwise determined by vote of the church, shall have as regular members the Pastor, Minister of Education, Minister of Music, Minister of Administration(7), Sunday School Director, Discipleship(7) Training Director, Women's Ministry Leader(7) and/or Woman's Missionary Union Director, Men's Ministry Leader(7), Chairman of Deacons, Student Minister, Children's Director(7), Church Treasurer, Church Clerk, Church Secretary, and the Chair of the Committee on Committees(4), and the Chair of the Long Range Planning Committee.(7)
All matters agreed upon by the council, calling for action not already authorized, shall be referred to the church for approval or disapproval.
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 shall be chaired by a deacon member of Shadycrest Baptist Church. The Committee on Committees shall recommend nominees for all volunteer positions to be elected by the church. The pastor is an ex-officio member of the Committee on Committee and shall advise the committee in their consideration of church members for positions on committees and ministry teams. The pastor must concur with the committee's list of nominees before it is presented to the church for approval.(7)
The Committee on Committees shall prepare and keep current a handbook that describes:
the types of committees, ministry groups, and volunteer officers;
the procedure for forming or dissolving committees;
the general operating procedures for committees, committee chairs, and committee members;
and provides job descriptions for each committee, ministry team, and church officer (other than pastor and ordained staff).
In the event of conflicts or differences in interpretation between the handbook and the Bylaws, the Bylaws take precedent until the church acts to resolve the difference.(7)
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.(4)
The Teaching Ministries Support Committee assists the Minister of Education, Sunday School Director, or other staff in recruiting and training church members for all volunteer positions in the teaching ministries of the church. These members will then be presented for election by the church. The pastor is an ex-officio member of the Teaching Ministries Support Committee and shall advise them in their consideration of church members for all teaching positions. The Teaching Ministries Support Committee shall receive the pastor's consent before presenting nominations to the church.
The Personnel Committee shall be chaired by a deacon member of Shadycrest Baptist Church.(7) The Personnel Committee assists the church in matters related to employed(8) personnel administration. Its work includes such areas as determining staff needs, employment, salaries, benefits, and personnel services and the writing of job descriptions. The pastor will advise the Personnel Committee in its consideration of candidates for positions to be filled and must concur with the committee's nominees before they are presented to the church for approval.(7)
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:
Setting up tables for church-wide fellowships (such as homecoming dinners, revivals, meals for visiting preachers, etc.)
Seeing that food is provided for any aforementioned gathering.
Seeing that plates, napkins, silverware, etc., are provided.
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 standing committees and ad-hoc committees may be established as needed by the church. After the church approves the formation of a new committee the Committee on Committees shall follow the procedure given in the Committee Handbook to describe the function of the new committee and prepare a list of nominees for election by the church. The Bylaws shall be amended to include any new standing committees.(7)
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.
The church shall maintain a program of discipleship training for all ages which shall be conducted under the direction of the Education Director, Minister to Students, and Children's Director and /or other staff members as needed. Discipleship Training shall serve as the training program of the church through programs such as Youth, AWANAS, the Girls in Action auxiliary of the Women's Missionary Union of the Southern Baptist Convention, the Royal Ambassadors of the Baptist Brotherhood, and various convention discipleship training programs and other religious training material for adults.
The objectives of Discipleship Training shall be to:
orient new church members
train church members to perform the functions of the church
train church members for future responsibilities as leaders of committees and other church offices.
teach Christian theology consistent with the scriptures and the Baptist Faith & Message
teach Christian morality, ethics, history, church policy and organization
provide and interpret information regarding the mission work of the church and the denomination and encourage support of and participation in mission work.
provide other training or activities that foster Christian growth, as approved by the Pastor.
There shall be a Church Music Program under the direction of a Minister of Music or lay music leader(9). Such officers and/or organizations shall be included as needed.
The church may from time to time make agreements with Independent Organizations (Entities) for the use of church facilities to the mutual benefit of both. The agreement shall be in writing and the Organization sharing the facilities shall agree to oversight by the staff and/or a committee of Shadycrest Baptist Church. The written agreement must be approved by the church and signed by the church trustees and representatives of the Independent Organization before the organization begins to operate on church property.
The operation of Independents Organizations shall meet all legal requirements for the type of operation being conducted on church property and members of Independent Organizations participating in organization events on Church property shall exhibit behavior consistent with Shadycrest Baptist Church beliefs and Biblical principles.
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.
Baptism shall be by immersion in water.
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.
Baptism shall be administered as an act of obedience and worship.
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.
The Lord's Supper shall be observed quarterly, preferably the first Sunday of the quarter, or as otherwise scheduled.
The pastor and deacons shall be responsible for the administration of the Lord's Supper.
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.
New business may be brought to the church at any regular business meeting by any member or group of members. However, all new business must be presented in writing at the church office prior to the deadline that may be set by the church from time to time (but no later than noon on the Monday before the meeting) and must be printed in the agenda for the meeting at which it is to be considered. The printed agenda must be posted in a public place in the church building prior to the posting deadline that may be set from time to time (but no later than noon on the day of the meeting). If the description of the proposed business is too long to fit conveniently in the appropriate place in the agenda, a summary may be placed there with the full description attached to the agenda.(7)
If an item of extreme urgency arises after the deadline given above, the item may be considered, if at least three-fourths of the members present agree to suspend the rules and consider the item. Items of business considered under this exception shall be in written form before final approval by the church.(7)
A specially called business meeting may be held to consider special matters of a significant nature. The moderator shall call a special meeting of the church to consider matters of urgent business when requested by the deacons, trustees, or a standing committee. Special meetings of the church may also be called by the church clerk upon written application of any five members specifying the objective of the meeting.
A minimum of one week’s notice must be given for specially called business meetings. This notice shall be given from the pulpit by the moderator or the church clerk at a regularly scheduled Sunday or Wednesday service. The announcement shall state the date, time, location, and the business to be brought before the church at the special meeting. No business other than that which was announced may be brought before the church at this special meeting.
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 to these 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 church meeting at least one month before the regular business meeting at which the amendment is to be considered and copies of the proposed amendment be furnished to each member present. Copies of the proposed amendment(s) shall be made available to all members through print or electronic media. The fact that amendments have been proposed and the fact that copies are available(8) must be announced from the pulpit on the next Lord's day following the regular meeting at which the proposal is first announced.
Approval of amendments to the Bylaws shall be by two-thirds vote of the members of the church present and entitled to vote.
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 relieved 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 addition of a new committee.”
(5) An amendment changed the regular business meeting from the second Wednesday to the third Wednesday of the month.
(6) Sections 1 and 2 of Article II Church Officers were rewritten to show more clearly the pastor's authority with respect to ordained staff, to provide a better description for the process of searching for pastor, interim pastor, and ordained staff, and to add a section on termination of relationship with pastor and ordained staff.
(7) At the regular business meeting on January 20, 2010, the Bylaws were amended as follows:
Amendment #1 – An amendment affecting several sections of Article III. Committees and Coordinating Group: Section 1. General, Section 3. Committee on Committees, and Section 4. Nominating Committee. This amendment describes the former functions of the Nominating Committee that were transferred to the Committee on Committees when it was formed; it renames the Nominating Committee and states the function it retains; it adds the church policy that the Committee on Committees must be chaired by a deacon of the church; and it states the pastor's responsibility for approving nominations for committee positions and the Committee on Committees' responsibility for maintaining a Committee Handbook.
Amendment #2 – An amendment to incorporate into the Bylaws the existing church policies specifying committee membership rotation and the limit on number of standing committees a member may serve on.
Amendment #3 An amendment to Section 2. Church Council, Part 2 to add the Minister of Administration, the Discipleship Training Director, the Women's Ministry Leader, the Men's Ministry Leader, the Children's Director, and the chair of the Long Range Planning Committee to the regular membership of the Church Council.
Amendment #4 – Amending Section 5. Personnel Committee to state that it is to be chaired by a deacon member of Shadycrest Baptist Church and to state the pastor's responsibility for helping select candidates for church staff positions.
Amendment #5 – An amendment to Section 15. Other Committees to provide more detail on the formation of other committees.
Amendment #6 – An amendment to incorporate into the Bylaws an established church policy that requires new business to be submitted in writing in advance and printed in the meeting agenda, and that the agenda is to be published prior to the meeting. It includes an exception for urgent business that arises too late to meet this requirement.
Amendment #7 – An amendment rewriting the requirements for calling special business meetings, but not changing the requirements.
(8) At the regular business meeting on March 17, 2010, the Constituion and Bylaws were amended as follows:
Amendment 1 – An amendment that moves the content of Article II, Section 2 to Section 2 of a new Article III. CHURCH STAFF with the paragraph “Interim Pastor” being placed in “Section 3. Interim Ministerial Staff” and with the addition of a statement that the the pastor will determine the process for selecting interim staff members other than pastor. It will also state that the pastor is supervisor of the staff. Section 4 will include the old Bylaws paragraphs on Office and other staff.
Amendment 2 – An amendment to Article II. CHURCH OFFICERS describing the deacon chairman's position and responsibilities as an officer of the church. This amendment does not make any change to current policy of Shadycrest Baptist Church.
Amendment 3 – An amendment rewording Article II, Section 3. Moderator for clarity and moving it from this location to replace the second “bullet” of paragraph A, Section 2. “Pastor,” Article II. Church Officers.
Amendment 4 – An amendment to make it clear that the church clerk is elected annually and noting the responsibility for calling regular meetings to order if both the pastor and the deacon chairman are absent.
Amendment 5 – An amendment adding a statement to explain that the alternate trustee will replace a trustee who is unable to complete a term and that another alternate will be elected.
Amendment 6 – An amendment creating new Article IV. Active Deacon Body which will contain a revised description of deacons, their qualifications, responsibilities, officers, rotation, and activation, etc.
Amendment 7 – Changes the waiting period for ordained deacons coming from other Baptist churches from six months back to one year before being considered for becoming an active deacon.
Amendment 8 – Returns the responsibility to set ministerial staff compensation and benefits and to make periodic evaluations of church ministerial staff to the Personnel Committee. This changes requires multiple changes:
First, the compensation responsibility and periodic evaluation bullets are removed from deacon responsibilities.
Second, the exception for “ministerial staff” is removed from the Personnel Committee description.
Third, Change the third bullet of part B, Calling a Pastor of Section I, Article II substituting "Personnel Committee" for "deacon body."
Fourth, Change the third bullet of part B Calling Other Ordained Staff of Section II, Other Ministerial Staff, Article II (or III) by deleting phrase "Since ... staff compensation" and by replacing "deacon body" with "Personnel Committee."
Amendment 9 – An amendment that deletes old Article “IV. Program Services” and renumbers remaining Articles as necessary.
Amendment 10 – An amendment introducing a new article that defines the church's relationship with independent organizations operating on church property.
Amendment 11 – An amendment to the Constitution stating that the church may own real property for its various religious purposes, that in disputes, the property will be retained by the faction retaining the name and beliefs of the church, providing method for dissolution of the church, and that in the event of dissolution of the church, the property shall be given to the Gulf Coast Baptist Association for “the furtherance of God's Kingdom.”
Amendment 12 – An amendment that would separate the Constitution from the Bylaws and revise the amendment process for each. “The Constitution of Shadycrest Baptist Church and the Bylaws of Shadycrest Baptist Church are two separate documents with different procedures for amending each.”
To amend the Bylaws: It will no longer be required to read proposed amendments to the Bylaws from the pulpit, but copies must be made available to all members in paper or electronic form.
To amend the Constitution: Proposed amendments to the Constitution must be read from the pulpit and a three-fourths majority will be required for adoption.
(9) At the regular business meeting on April 21, 2010, Bylaws were amended as follows: An amendment that deletes the specific reference to the old “Church Training” program, WMU, and Brotherhood and defines a generic discipleship training program that includes various programs to be used by Shadycrest to train all members and also refers to a "Minister of Music" or a "lay leader" as the leader of the Music Program.
Updated and posted April 2010