CONSTITUTION OF THE ORANGE ALLIANCE CHURCH
ARTICLE I.
Name: This church shall be known as the Orange Alliance Church of Orange,
Vermont.
ARTICLE II.
Confession of Faith: We believe in God the Father Almighty, The Being of absolute
perfection, the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of the Universe, who so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son, our Lord, who was in the beginning with
God and was God; who became man and suffered to take away the sin of the world;
in whom alone we have redemption, being justified freely through faith in his blood,
who rose from the dead and ascended on high, and sits at the right hand of the Father,
whence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead, when the wicked “shall go
away into everlasting punishment and the righteous into life eternal.” We believe in
the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, through whom alone we, being by nature children of
wrath, are renewed and sanctified, by whose inspiration the Scriptures were given,
who with the Father and Son, together are one, supremely to be loved and served, and
alone to be adored. We believe in the Holy catholic (one true holy) church, and the
communion of the saints.
ARTICLE III.
Membership: Qualification for membership shall consist of the following:
Confession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, baptism into the name of the
Triune God, satisfactory evidence of regeneration in the life and a Biblical lifestyle, a
hearty acceptance of the doctrine as stated in Article II of this constitution, regular
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attendance, and support of the church; or by letter of transfer from another church of
like purity. Members who in doctrine or life no longer evidence the above
qualifications for membership shall come under the discipline of the elders. There is
no minimum age for membership, providing the person can satisfactorily express his
faith to the elders; however, only members aged 18 or over may vote on church
issues.
Any member in good and regular standing wishing to transfer his membership to a
church of like purity may receive upon request a letter of transfer.
Members will be encouraged annually to review a membership covenant
acknowledging the above requirements.
Members may be placed on an inactive status if there is a lack of regular involvement.
Inactive members will not be eligible to vote on church issues. If after being placed
on inactive status there is no observable change within one year then names may be
removed from the membership roll.
ARTICLE IV
Ordinances recognized are:
(a) Baptism, which is entrance into the church.
(b) The Lord's supper (communion), which shall be properly administered according
to the Scriptures.
(c) Marriage, which is the union of a man and a woman in a covenant relationship,
representing the relationship between Christ and His church. Christian marriages
between believing men and women are encouraged, and will be performed at the
discretion of the pastor when requested.
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ARTICLE V.
Officers: The officers shall be as follows: Pastors (also referred to as teaching
elders), Elders, and Ministry Board. With the exception of the pastor, they shall be
appointed by the incumbent board of elders and confirmed by vote of the active
members, based on the qualifications given below.
(a) Pastor: The pastor is charged with the preaching and teaching of the whole
counsel of God to the flock; together with the elders, he is charged with the
oversight of the church; and is charged with equipping the members for ministry.
He shall be called by the congregation to serve for an indefinite period. He may
resign from this pastorate by giving due notice of his intentions to the
congregation. The pastor may be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of the
members of the congregation. The District Superintendent of the Christian and
Missionary Alliance shall be kept informed of the calling and/or resignation of the
pastor.
(b) Elders: The elders shall be members of the Orange Alliance Church, appointed to
join with the pastor in the leading, governing, and discipline of the church. They
shall be men who meet the qualifications of shepherd elders as defined in I
Timothy 3, Titus 1, and I Peter 5, and thus be qualified to protect, lead, feed, and
care for the flock. The pastor is considered a teaching elder.
Number: The biblical model requires a plurality of eldership. The incumbent
board of elders will therefore seek to continue leadership, as vacancies occur or as
the need arises, with men who have a strong desire to lead and who meet the
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character qualities listed in the above Scripture references. This in turn places
great responsibility on the incumbent board to intentionally identify and invest in
future elders in order to meet the spiritual needs of the congregation.
Assignment: In evaluating candidates for elders, the incumbent elder board shall
give due consideration to individuals suggested by the members. Each nominated
elder shall be confirmed by the membership as follows:
~ Announcement and presentation of one or more nominated elders will be made
to the church during either a Sunday morning service or a special meeting called
for this purpose.
~ Following a period of at least two weeks, which allows for consideration and
the opportunity for members to provide feedback to the elders if appropriate, the
active members may indicate by silent ballot, in a church meeting held according
to Article VII, their willingness to follow the leadership of the nominated elder(s)
(Hebrews 13:17).
~ If evidence of unwillingness to follow occurs, the incumbent elders shall
determine the validity of the objection(s).
~ If it is determined that the nominated elder is unqualified to serve, the
nomination shall be set aside.
Duration: Once appointed, an elder may serve one or two three-year terms. After
two terms, he will be required to take a minimum of one year off before being
eligible for re-election. An elder who is filling out the term of another elder who
has stepped aside may still serve an additional two terms before leaving the board.
An elder’s term may end before the completion of the three years if any of the
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following occurs:
~ membership in the Orange Alliance Church ceases for any reason;
~ he voluntarily resigns the position of elder;
~ the other elders unanimously agree that he has failed to uphold the
qualifications listed above such that his spiritual leadership is affected;
~ he is removed from office by a two-thirds vote of the members of the
congregation.
If an elder needs time away from the responsibilities of the position for personal
reasons, he may do so at any time with the concurrence of the remaining elders.
Evaluation: Each elder, including the pastor, will be evaluated by the other elders
on an annual basis, to identify and address issues which could affect the man’s
leadership.
(c) Ministry Board: The ministry board shall be the corporate directors of the
church, overseeing budget, finances, and major policies under the leadership and
direction of the Board of Elders. The ministry board shall consist of
representatives of major ministries, including but not limited to: Elders,
Deaconate, Trustees, Missions, Discipleship Committee. This board shall also
include the Clerk, Treasurer and/or Assistant Treasurer, and two elected
members-at-large. This board will also be responsible for the appointing of an
auditing committee to audit the funds of the church annually. Any individual
unbudgeted expenditure of funds by the Ministry Board in excess of one and a
half percent (0.015) of the general fund fiscal year budget must be approved by
the congregation.
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ARTICLE VI
Administrative Officers: The congregation shall elect the following officers,
according to the gifts of helps, to assist in the administration of the church:
Clerk
Treasurer
Assistant Treasurer
These shall be nominated by a nominating committee appointed by the elders. All
nominations will be confirmed by the elders prior to being presented for election for a
term of one year at the annual meeting of the congregation.
(a) Clerk: The clerk shall keep the minutes of the church congregational and trustees'
meetings, the membership roll, and shall conduct the correspondence of the
church under the direction of the elders and trustees. His records shall be the
property of the church.
(b) Treasurer: The treasurer shall receive all monies of the church except those funds
separately established and maintained for specific purposes. He/she shall pay all
bills on the order of the elders and/or Ministry Board. He/she shall keep an
accurate record of all receipts, payment of bills and any other transactions he is
directed to make. The treasurer’s records shall be the property of the church, and
shall be audited annually by a committee appointed by the ministry board.
(c) Assistant Treasurer: The assistant treasurer will aid the treasurer as needed and
act as treasurer in his/her absence.
Committees:
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(a) Trustees: The board of trustees shall consist of no fewer than three members
elected for a term of three years at the annual meeting of the congregation, and
such other members as appointed by the above-constituted board. Terms should
be staggered to provide continuity within the board. The trustees shall be
custodians of all properties both real and personal. The trustees shall compose
and submit a proposed tru stees’ budget to the Ministry Board to be included with
the full church budget to be acted upon at the annual meeting of the congregation.
Their work shall be under the direction of the congregation.
(b) Deacons and/or Deaconesses: The deacons and deaconesses shall have charge of
the charities of the church and will be responsible for disbursing funds designated
for that purpose. These distributions may be both internal (for church
members/attendees) and external (for members of the local community not
attending the church). Policies for disbursing funds to non-members/attendees
shall be jointly determined by the deacons/deaconesses and the elders.
Deacons/deaconesses must be members of the Orange Alliance Church who meet
the qualifications of ministry and leadership as defined in I Timothy 3. They shall
be nominated by the nominating committee, and all nominations will be
confirmed by the elders prior to being presented to the congregation for election
for three-year terms. No deacon/deaconess shall serve more than two consecutive
terms without taking at least one year off. Terms should be staggered to provide
continuity within the board.
(c) Missions Committee: The missions committee shall consist of a pastor or an
elder and no fewer than three members at large elected by the congregation at the
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annual meeting for terms of three years (less than three years when necessary to
maintain staggered terms), and such other members as appointed by the above-
constituted committee. Their purposes shall be: the appropriation of mission
monies to selected organizations; to inform the congregation of general
missionary enterprise and needs; to promote the personal call for missionary
involvement; to engage the church in local evangelistic outreach; and to respond
to particular needs within the community consistent with the spirit of the Great
Commission.
The missions committee shall maintain its own financial records and
correspondence, and submit a budget at the annual meeting in cooperation with
the church treasurer, having chosen from among the committee a clerk and
treasurer, excluding the pastor and elder.
(d) Discipleship Committee: The role of the Discipleship Committee is to oversee the
ministries of the Church whose goal is the building up of the adults, teens, and
children of our congregation spiritually. They are to work with the elders in the
development and administration of such ministries. This committee should
consist of representatives of all existing discipleship ministries (e.g., youth
ministry, Christian Life and Service School – C.L.A.S.S.), and a Pastor or Elder.
All leaders and teachers should be members in good and regular standing and
their names shall be submitted to the elders for approval. The nominating
committee shall nominate, and the elders shall approve, the appointment of the
Discipleship Director.
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ARTICLE VII.
Government: The elders are the duly ordained ruling officers in the church and shall
conduct the work of the church. There shall be an annual meeting of the congregation
to hear reports of officers and organizations, to elect officers as listed in Article VI, to
adopt the annual budget and to conduct any other business to properly come before
the congregation.
A Quorum, which shall consist of 50% of those members eligible to vote, shall be
necessary to conduct any business at a congregational meeting. All members in good
and regular standing 18 years of age and older are entitled to vote on all issues.
A special meeting of the congregation may be called for a specific purpose by the
elders, ministry board, or trustees, or 5% of the membership. Written notice of all
congregational meetings must be given to the members at least 10 days in advance.
Such notice shall state the date, time and place of the meeting and in the case of
special meetings, the specific purpose.
ARTICLE VIII.
All organizations or committees within the administrative or spiritual function of the
church shall be accountable to the elders and responsive to the congregation. The
leadership shall be approved or appointed by the elders. The existence and task of
such is subject to and in conformity to the teaching of Scripture. Non-elected
leadership roles, excluding the officers as defined in Article V, may be filled by
members of Orange Alliance Church, or of any Alliance church which has the same
standards of membership screening as this one. The elders and/or congregation shall
be periodically informed of activities and programs.
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A Policies and Procedures Manual shall be maintained by the Ministry Board which
will provide specifications and guidelines for the various administrative officers and
committees. All additions and changes to this manual shall be reviewed and
approved by the Ministry Board. All members shall be provided with the original
document and with subsequent changes.
ARTICLE IX.
Property: This Church may acquire, own, dispose of, improve, encumber and convey
property, real and personal, for Church purposes, in conformity with the laws of the
State.
ARTICLE X.
Amendments: This Constitution may be amended by a majority vote of the active
members of the congregation.
ARTICLE XI.
Bylaws: Bylaws not in conflict with the provisions of this Constitution may be
adopted by the annual meeting of the church.
Adopted January 17, 1977, to become effective February 1, 1977, with the exception of Articles VI,
Article VI(b) and Article VIII.A which were amended May 8, 1985, and Article VI(d) which was
added May 8, 1985. Also Article VI, Article VI(b), (c), and VI(d) which were amended May 6,
1992. Also Article V(b) and Article V(c) which were amended May 5, 1993.
Articles III, V, VI(b), VII, and VIIIA amended May 23, 2002.
Article VI(d),(e) amended April 14, 2009.
Article IV(c) amended April 14, 2010.
Article VIII and VIIIA amended October 23, 2011.
Articles III, V, VI, VII, and VIII, as well as other miscellaneous changes, amended February 17,
2013.
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