By-Laws
Of
THE CORNERSTONE BAPTIST CHURCH
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ARTICLE I. NAME AND LOCATION
The official name of this church is The Cornerstone Baptist Church duly constituted on November 19, 2006. It is currently located at 160 North Jackson Street, Grove Hill, AL 36451.
ARTICLE II. PURPOSE
This church exists by the grace of God, for the glory of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ and the good of souls. This church glorifies God by loving Him and obeying His commands through:
Worshipping Him alone;
Equipping the saints through Bible instruction and study;
Proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ alone through expository Christ centered preaching, personal evangelism, and any other means consistent with the teachings of Holy Scripture;
Encouraging, supporting and participating in missions work; local, domestic, and international;
Administering the ordinances of Baptism and The Lord’s Supper;
Encouraging Biblical fellowship among believers;
Serving other individuals, families, and churches by providing for physical, emotional and spiritual needs, in the name of Jesus Christ; and
Calling fellow churches to Biblical faithfulness and purity through instruction and encouragement about the nature of the local church.
ARTICLE III. ARTICLES OF FAITH
We have adopted these By-Laws as our articles of governance, to be interpreted at all times to reflect the character of and bring glory to Jesus Christ, as revealed in the Holy Bible and articulated in the standards of faith set forth in The New Hampshire Confession of Faith of 1833 and our Church Covenant of September 16, 2007.
ARTICLE IV. AFFILIATION
We are an autonomous Baptist church under the leadership of Jesus Christ. The church may and does cooperate with other like-minded churches or organizations in matters of mutual interest and concern. We may seek the assistance and counsel of others in matters of special concern to us, but the decision of no other church or group of churches shall at any time be acknowledged as binding on this church.
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ARTICLE V. MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1. GENERAL
Jesus Christ is the head of the church and directs the affairs of each local church through the Holy Spirit in keeping with the standard of Holy Scripture. The responsibility for leadership in the local church according to the New Testament is a body of elders. Accordingly, the Elders will bring recommendations for membership to the rest of the body. The church in business session will determine who shall become members according to Section 4 of this article. There shall be no appeal to any Court from such decisions.
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SECTION 2. APPLICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP
All requests for membership shall be made to an Elder. Upon receipt of such a request, the candidate shall be given a copy of The New Hampshire Confession of Faith, the Church Covenant and Church By-Laws.
SECTION 3. QUALIFICATIONS
(a) The Elders shall be responsible for determining each candidate’s qualification for membership. To help them. in making this determination, all candidates must complete the New Member Orientation classes.
(b) To qualify for membership in this church a candidate must be a believer in Jesus Christ who gives evidence of regeneration, and who has been baptized in obedience to Christ following regeneration, who wholeheartedly believes in the Christian faith as revealed in the Bible and who makes a public profession of their faith before this body. Each candidate must agree to submit to the teaching of Scripture as expressed in The New Hampshire Confession of Faith, must promise to keep the commitments expressed in the Church Covenant and must promise to submit to its government and discipline.
SECTION 4. ADMISSION OF MEMBERS
To be admitted into church membership, candidates must be accepted by a 2/3’s majority of the votes cast by the members at any regular or special business meeting and if accepted shall at that point relinquish their membership in other churches.
SECTION 5. VOTING PRIVILEGES
Membership in this church shall not vest in any member any proprietary rights in the Corporation, but shall only entitle the member to vote at a meeting of the members on those matters that the Elders submit to the church membership for affirmation. Voting privileges are restricted to members who are in good standing and who are not under any disciplinary action. Membership shall not be assignable by any member nor shall membership vest to any personal representative, heir, or devisee. The membership retains unto itself the right of self-government in all phases of the spiritual and temporal life of this church.
SECTION 6. DUTIES OF MEMBERSHIP
(a) In accord with the duties enumerated in the Church Covenant, each member shall be privileged and expected to participate in and contribute to the ministry and life of the church, consistent with God’s leading and with the gifts, time, and material resources each has received from God. Only those shall be entitled to serve in the ministries of the church who are members of this congregation; non-members may serve on an ad-hoc basis with approval of the church. Notwithstanding, non-members may serve the church for purposes of administration and professional consultation.
(b) Under Christ this congregation is governed by its members. Therefore, it is the privilege and responsibility of members to attend all members’ meetings and vote on the election of officers, on decisions regarding membership status, and on such other matters as may be submitted to a vote.
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