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New Heart MCC/UCC
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NEW HEART METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH BYLAWS Approved February 28, 2004, at annual congregational meeting.
Article I Name The name of this church shall be New Heart Metropolitan Community Church, also known as New Heart MCC.
Article II Affiliation This church is a member congregation of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC); ascribes to the government, doctrine, vision, mission, and values of UFMCC; and agrees to abide by the UFMCC Bylaws and decisions made by General Conference.
A. Successor Corporation - The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches is the not-for-profit organization designated to receive the churchs property in the event of dissolution or abandonment of the church or disaffiliation from the UFMCC, in accordance with UFMCC Bylaws.
B. Disaffiliation A decision to disaffiliate from the UFMCC shall require a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Members present at a Congregational Meeting called for the purpose of disaffiliating and shall be decided in accordance with UFMCC Bylaws.
Article III Purpose The purpose of this church is Christian fellowship, worship, witness, and service, borne in the cooperation, program development, and implementation of UFMCC and local church Bylaws, Standard Operating Procedures, and Policies.
Article IV Members and Friends A. Criteria for Membership Any baptized Christian may become a Member by participating in the Rite of Membership. A Member in good standing is a Member who registers his/her attendance, provides identifiable financial support, and/or makes a definite service contribution, and also demonstrates interest and loyalty.
a. A Member who does not have registered attendance, identified financial support, and/or definite service contribution, and also demonstrated interest and loyalty within the preceding period of six (6) months to one (1) year may be moved from the list of Members in good standing and placed on a list of inactive Members. b. The inactive Member may be restored to the list of Members in good standing at the discretion of the Pastor and the Clerk.
B. Friends of the Church A person who, for one reason or another, feels unable to become a Member but who supports the goals of the church and wants to be a part of the work of the church may be designated as a Friend of the Church.
C. Discipline of Members and Friends The church cannot condone disloyalty or unbecoming conduct on the part of any Member or Friend. The first step in a complaint is to abide by the approved New Heart covenant of conflict resolution (Matthew 18:15-17). If the issue is not resolved, then the complainant should talk with any church officer and together they can plan the next steps. The Local Administrative Body is empowered to remove by majority vote any Member or Friend or take other appropriate disciplinary action.
a. Appeal Process - The request for an appeal shall be submitted in writing to the Clerk of the Local Administrative Body within thirty (30) days following the date when the inactive Member was dropped from the local church membership roll. b. The Local Administrative Body may consider the appeal and reverse its earlier decision without taking the matter to the Congregational Meeting. c. Should the Local Administrative Body sustain its earlier decision and the inactive Member wishes the appeal to continue, the request shall be included as an agenda item for the next regular Congregational Meeting.
Article V Congregational Meetings Government of the church is vested in its Congregational Meetings, which exerts the right to control its affairs, subject to the provisions of the UFMCC Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, or documents of legal organization, and the General Conference.
A. Time and Place An annual Congregational Meeting shall be held each year.
B. Notification The Clerk shall notify Members in writing at least thirty (30) days in advance of the meeting.
C. Voting Rights Each Member in good standing has the right to vote. Proxy or any other form of absentee voting shall not be allowed.
D. Votes Required for Approval Decisions, including elections, requires approval by a vote of more than fifty percent (50%) of those Members present and voting, unless otherwise required by UFMCC Bylaws or otherwise stated in these local church Bylaws.
E. Quorum In order to transact business, no less than twenty percent (20%) of the Members in good standing must be present. F. Agenda The agenda for Congregational Meetings shall be determined by the Pastor and the Clerk of the Local Administrative Body. 1. Content The agenda shall include, but not be limited to, election of officers, election of Lay Delegate/s in the appropriate year, presentation of financial report, approval of budget, and receiving reports.
2. Additions to Agenda Members may request the Clerk to add agenda items by submitting additional agenda items to the Clerk no later than one (1) week prior to the meeting.
G. Elections All votes for positions shall be taken by secret ballot. Votes of affirmation from the floor are not permitted.
H. Special Congregational Meetings In addition to the annual Congregational Meeting, special Congregational Meetings may also be held with a 2 week notice. Special Congregational Meetings are governed by the same rules pertaining to a quorum and to voting.
Article VI Local Church Administrative BodyA. Name The local church administrative body shall be a Committee of the Whole, which is authorized to provide administrative leadership for New Heart MCC.
B. Responsibilities The Local Administrative Body shall be responsible for providing the church with a set of Bylaws, which are subject to approval by Congregational Meeting and the Elder serving the Region and for submitting the approved Bylaws to the Elder serving the Region. The Clerk shall also have charge of all matters pertaining to the documents of legal organization and incorporation, church property, risk management, and physical and financial affairs of the church. The Treasurer shall be responsible for collecting and disbursing funds, keeping adequate church records, and making timely reports to the Congregation and UFMCC.
C. Meetings The Local Administrative Body shall meet at least every other month and no fewer than six (6) times a year. Meetings shall be open to the congregation with voice and vote and to the public to attend as Observers with voice but no vote
D. Official Officers The official officers of the church are Moderator, Vice-Moderator, Clerk, and Treasurer.
a. Duties of Officers: i. Moderator The Pastor shall serve as Moderator of the Local Administrative Body. The Pastor shall appoint the Vice Moderator. ii. Vice-Moderator The Vice-Moderator shall serve as Moderator of the Local Administrative Body upon the request of the Pastor. iii. Clerk The Clerk shall be responsible for ensuring the maintenance of official correspondence and church records, and for ensuring that accurate records are kept of all meetings of the Local Administrative Body and the Congregation. The Clerk is the officer authorized to receive petitions submitted to the Local Administrative Body. iv. Treasurer The Treasurer shall be responsible for ensuring the preparation and maintenance of all financial records. This shall include a monthly financial report to the Local Administrative Body and an annual financial report to the Congregation. The monthly and annual financial reports shall reflect receipts, disbursements, and outstanding financial obligations. The treasurer may appoint a person to assist in the bookkeeping with the approval of the Local Administrative Body.
E. Limitation of Liability No officer of the church shall be liable for any act or failure to act by any other director or officer of the Church or by any employee of the Church. No officer of the Church shall be liable for any loss arising from any fault in the title to any property acquired by the Church. No officer of the Church shall be liable for any loss arising from any fault in any security in which the Church might invest, or from bankruptcy, insolvency, or wrongful act by any person to whom the Church might entrust any of its property. No officer of the church shall be liable for any loss due to error of judgment or oversight on his/her part, or for any other loss whatsoever occurring in the carrying out of the duties of his/her office, unless this loss arises from the officers own willful neglect or fraudulent or criminal actions.
Article VII - PastorA. Role The Pastor is the UFMCC clergy person with a license to practice who has been called by God and elected by the church to be responsible for the duties of teacher, preacher, and spiritual leader until such time that the relationship is terminated. The Pastor shall also fulfill such other roles and responsibilities as are stated in the UFMCC Bylaws and the policies of the church.
B. Responsibilities The Pastor shall have authority for ordering all worship services of the church; determining when other worship services will be held, appointing compensated and uncompensated church staff, subject to the approval of the Local Administrative Body; and determining compensation, vacation periods, and titles of office of the church staff, subject to approval of the Local Administrative Body. The Pastor shall serve as a voting member of the Local Administrative Body, Moderator of the Local Administrative Body and of Congregational Meetings, personnel director, and as the primary spokesperson of the church to the community. The Pastor may delegate such duties as seem wise.
C. Pastoral Covenant The Local Administrative Body and Pastor shall develop a covenant between the Pastor and the church. The covenant shall include a job description and address such matters as compensation that is consistent with equitable local standards, benefits, allowances, and leave. All provisions of the covenant shall be subordinate to the Bylaws of the UFMCC. 1. Conference Expenses To the best of its ability, the congregation shall fund the Pastors transportation, registration, housing, and per diem at General and Regional Conferences.
D. Pastoral Vacancy In the event of a vacancy in the position of Pastor, a Pastoral Search Committee shall be responsible for presenting a qualified candidate for election at a Congregational Meeting. The Pastoral Search Committee shall develop and implement the pastoral search process, in consultation with the Regional Elder.
E. Termination of Relationship The Pastor and congregation may choose at any time to terminate their relationship through mutual agreement. Unilateral failure to renew the Pastors contract shall not constitute removal of the Pastor from office. No petition for removal of the Pastor based on irreconcilable differences is valid unless preceded by the process of conflict resolution, as referred to in Article VIII.
Article VIII Conflict Resolution When there are conflicts or difficulty within the church that cannot be resolved, including conflicts between the Pastor and congregation, the Local Administrative Body, the Pastor, any Lay Delegate, or a petition signed by a minimum of thirty-three percent (33%) of the Members in good standing may invite intervention by the Regional Elder to resolve the conflict, in accordance with UFMCC Bylaws.
A. Removing the Pastor from Office The church shall follow the process as outlined in the UFMCC Bylaws for removing the Pastor from office for disloyalty, unbecoming conduct, dereliction of duty, or when irreconcilable differences arise that cannot be resolved through mutual agreement.
Article IX Lay Delegate The church shall elect one (1) lay person for every one hundred (100) Members in good standing, or part thereof, to serve as Lay Delegate. The Lay Delegate shall be a Member in good standing of this church.
A. Election The Lay Delegate shall be elected at the next regular Congregational Meeting following each General Conference. A majority of the votes cast shall be required to elect.
B. Term of Office - The term of office of Lay Delegate shall be two (2) years.
C. Duties The duties of the Lay Delegate shall be to represent the congregation at General and Regional Conferences, to communicate with the congregation regarding UFMCC concerns and policies.
D. Funding - To the best of its ability, the congregation shall fund the Lay Delegates transportation, registration, housing, and per diem at General and Regional Conferences. E. Alternate Lay Delegate - The church shall elect one (1) Alternate Lay Delegate for each Lay Delegate elected. The election, term of office, and funding shall be the same as for Lay Delegate.
F. Discipline The church cannot condone disloyalty, unbecoming conduct, or dereliction of duty on the part of any Lay Delegate or Alternate Lay Delegate. Therefore, the congregation may remove any Lay Delegate or Alternate Lay Delegate by a majority vote at a regular or special Congregational Meeting called for that purpose. A petition presented to the Local Administrative Body and signed by twenty-five percent (25%) of the Members in good standing of the congregation may also initiate such a procedure.
Article X Church Finances A. Authorized Signatures Any church, bank or other financial accounts shall require two signatures for withdrawals, one of which shall be that of a church officer. Exception: In an emergency (such as a vendor on site or the delivery of a package requiring payment) when a second signer is not on the premises, one signature shall be acceptable.
B. Limit on Expenditures In an emergency, the Pastor shall have the authority to commit church funds within the approved budget in any amount not to exceed five percent (5%) of the annual budget; any expenditure greater than that amount requires the approval of the Local Administrative Body. If this occurs, the item shall be brought to the next regular business meeting. Exception: Funds given for a specific purpose such as building repair or other designated fund shall be dispersed to that cause and not require action from the Local Administrative Body.
C. Fiscal Year For the purpose of reporting to UFMCC, the fiscal year of the church shall be the calendar year. D. Church Budget The Finance Committee (membership defined per SOPs) shall be responsible for the presentation of an annual operating budget reflecting anticipated receipts and disbursements to the Congregational Meeting for approval. The approved budget may be amended, as needed, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Local Administrative Body present at a business meeting. , 1. Budget Year The annual budget of the church shall cover the period from January through December
E. Assessments The Local Administrative Body shall report quarterly the number of members in good standing for each month within the quarter and shall remit the Board of Pensions assessments as set by General Conference. The report and remittance are due to the Board of Pensions on or before the tenth (10th) day of the month following the quarter reported. (REQUIRED FOR US CHURCHES ONLY)
F. Tithes The Local Administrative Body shall report all church receipts each month to the UFMCC, and with that report shall remit a percentage of the funds reported. The percentage of funds to be remitted shall be determined by General Conference.
Article XI Adoption and Amendments A. Adoption These Bylaws shall become effective immediately upon adoption by the Congregational Meeting and approval by the Regional Elder.
B. Amendments These Bylaws may be amended or repealed at any duly convened Congregational Meeting. Proposed amendments or repeals shall be submitted in writing to the Clerk no later than thirty (30) days prior to the Congregational Meeting where the proposal is to be considered. Adoption of the amendment or the repeal shall require approval by a two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote and is subject to approval by the Regional Elder. Amendments that are necessitated by amendments made to the UFMCC Bylaws shall not require approval by the congregation. |
NEW HEART