I. ARTICLE: NAME
The name of the church shall be Omaha Bible Church.
II. ARTICLE: PURPOSE
The primary purpose of the church shall be to bring glory to God by worshipping Him and ministering to the spiritual needs of mankind. This purpose finds its expression in the activities related to the edification of the church through evangelism Bible study prayer worship fellowship and service.
III. ARTICLE: STATEMENT OF FAITH
A. The Bible
We teach that the Bible is God’s verbally inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word - therefore, authoritative and sufficient (Psalm 19:7-9; John 10:35;
2 Timothy 3:16-17).
B. God
We teach that God is one, eternally existing in three equally divine persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit who know, love, and glorify one another (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10-12; Matthew 28:19; John 17).
C. The Father
We teach that God the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit, in His infinite power and wisdom, created the world, rules over it and reconciles all things to Himself through the gospel (Genesis 1; Isaiah 46:10-11; Colossians 1:16-20).
D. The Person of Christ
We teach that Jesus, the eternal Son of God, became a man, without ceasing to be God, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, was born of the virgin Mary, to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21-23; John 1:1,14; 8:58; Philippians 2:6-11).
E. The Work of Christ
We teach that Jesus, moved by love and in obedience to His Father, lived, died and rose again for sinners, satisfying God’s righteous requirements, propitiating His wrath and securing salvation for all who believe (Matthew 3:15-17, 5:17-18; John 8:29, 10:15-18, 27-29; Romans 3:24-26, 5:19, 8:29-39; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 2:17).
F. The Person of the Holy Spirit
We teach that the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Trinity is coequal with the Father and the Son and therefore He possesses all of the divine attributes (Matthew 3:13-17, 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 3:18, 13:14).
G. The Work of the Holy Spirit
We teach that the Holy Spirit sovereignly executes the will of God in history expressly promoting the glory of God in Christ through such works as the creation of the world, the inspiration of Scripture, regeneration, salvation, sanctification and the glorification of believers (Genesis 1:1-2; John 3:3-8, John 16:7-14; Romans 8:11; Ephesians 4:30; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-13; Titus 3:4-6; Hebrews 9:14; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
H. The Creation
We teach that God created the universe out of nothing in six days by the word of His power for His pleasure and glory (Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 11:3; Genesis 1-2; Psalm 104; Revelation 4:11).
I. Angels, Satan and Demons
We teach that angels are spiritual beings created by God to execute His purposes in worship and service; yet one chief angel, Satan, led numerous angels in rebellion against the Creator, and continues in opposition against Christ and His people until the day of judgment when Satan, along with his demons, are cast into the lake of fire, according to God's purpose through the triumphant cross-work of Jesus Christ (Job 1-2; Ezekiel 28:14-15; John 8:44; Romans 16:20; 2 Corinthians 4:4, 11:3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 2:14-15; 1 Peter 5:8; 1 John 3:8, 4:4; Jude 6; Revelation 12, 19, 20).
J. Humanity
We teach that God created Adam and Eve in His image in holiness, righteousness, and dignity to reflect Him in dominion over creation, in all relationships, and in every aspect of life (Genesis 1:26-28; Psalm 8:4-8; Ecclesiastes 7:29a; James 3:9).
K. Human Rebellion
We teach that every human being, having been represented by Adam who rebelled, is by nature and by choice in a state of defiance against God, the sovereign creator, and consequently under His just condemnation and neither willing nor able to achieve reconciliation with God (Genesis 3; 1 Kings 8:46; Psalm 58:3; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 15:18-19; Romans 3:10-18, 23, 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-4; Colossians 1:21; Hebrews 2:14-15; 1 John 1:8-10).
L. Salvation
We teach that God, according to His elective purpose, saves sinners from His just condemnation unto eternal life, applying the substitutionary work of Jesus to all who believe in Him and repent of their sin, so that through saving faith God credits the sinner with the righteousness of Christ and grants forgiveness of sin and brings freedom from the bondage of sin and the promise of glorification (Ephesians 1:4-5; 2:1-10; Mark 10:45; Genesis 15:6; Acts 3:19; Colossians 1:14; Romans 3:21-4:5; 5:8; 6:1-11; 8:29-30).
M. Sanctification
We teach that all who have believed in Christ for justification will experience spiritual growth through the ministry of the Holy Spirit and by God's grace they will work out their salvation through the Word, the gospel, prayer, service, and the ordinances along with the confidence that God works all things together for their good (Romans 16:25; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; John 17:17; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:22-23; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:3-6; Hebrews 4:16; 1 Peter 4:10-11).
N. Security and Assurance
We teach that everyone who is saved by the finished work of Jesus will be kept by God unto glorification and, therefore, all those who are born again can be assured of salvation and will persevere until the end (Isaiah 53:10-11; John 5:24, 10:27-29; Romans 8:1,16, 37-39; 1 John 3:14; 1 Peter 1:4-5; Hebrews 3:14, Hebrews 7:25; Revelation 3:5).
O. The Church
We teach that the Church is the spiritual body of Christ comprised of those who have been redeemed and united with Christ by the baptism of the Spirit, was inaugurated at Pentecost, is manifested in local churches, is equipped by Christ with gifts of the Holy Spirit, is led by biblically-qualified leadership, and is commissioned with the proclamation of the gospel for the glory of Christ through preaching, evangelism, prayer, fellowship, service, and the ordinances (Matthew 16:18; Acts 1:8, 2:1-23; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:15-23, 3:1-12, 4:1-16, Ephesians 5:23-32; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; 2 Timothy 4:1-5; Titus 1:5-9).
P. Ordinances
We teach that water baptism and the Lord's Supper were given to the church by the Lord Jesus in order to identify believers with the person and work of Christ, and, respectively, baptism is administered to all who have trusted in Christ for salvation, and the Lord's Supper is the symbolic proclamation of the Lord's saving work (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34; Mark 14:22-25).
Q. The Second Coming of Christ
We teach that Jesus will return to earth bodily in order to rescue his people, to execute judgment upon all who have not obeyed the gospel, to consummate His kingdom as promised to Abraham, Israel, and the church, and to reconcile all things in heaven and earth, having made peace by the blood of His cross (Genesis 12:1-3; 17:1-8; 2 Samuel 7:12-13; Ezekiel 37:1-14; Matthew 24-25; Luke 1:68-79; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; 3:13-26; Colossians 1:20; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10; Titus 2:12-13; Revelation 1:7, 20:1-10).
R. The Eternal State
We teach that by the power of Christ, the souls of those who die having believed in the gospel of Christ pass immediately into everlasting life in heaven until His return, when body and soul will be reunited and be glorified forever in the presence of our Lord; while the souls of those who die apart from Christ are immediately condemned to conscious punishment in hell until His return, when body and soul will be reunited, cast into the lake of fire, and endure everlasting punishment from God (Daniel 12:2; Matthew 10:28; 25:41-46; John 5:25-29; Philippians 1:21-24; Hebrews 9:27; 2 Peter 2:4; Revelation 7:9, 20:10-15, 21:4, Revelation22:5.
IV. ARTICLE: INCORPORATION
The Articles of Incorporation supersede the provisions of this constitution and are considered part of the documents used to regulate the church. The Articles of Incorporation may be amended by the Elders of Omaha Bible Church.
V. ARTICLE: COVENANT OF MEMBERSHIP
A. Qualifications for Membership
Any person who has trusted in the person and work of Christ for salvation and regularly attends Omaha Bible Church is considered a member in this local church. All such persons are encouraged to examine the Statement of Faith, the Constitution and discuss with the Elders or pastoral staff any matter he or she does not understand.
B. Submitting to the Elders
The members of the church are called to be submissive to the leadership of the Elders according to the biblical mandate. Each member accepts the privilege of local church membership including the leadership and oversight of the Elders. Members are called to serve in the church by exercising his or her spiritual gifts for the edification of the body of Christ. The character of submissiveness establishes biblical unity in the ministry of the church (Heb. 13:7, 17; 1 Thess. 5:12,13; 1 Pet. 5:16; Rom. 16:17; 1 Cor. 1:10; 1 Tim. 5:17).
C. Spiritual Oversight of the Elders
The Elders accept the responsibility for the spiritual supervision of those who have believed in Christ and are members of this local church.
D. Withdrawing Membership
Membership may be withdrawn at any time by notifying the church in writing provided that the request occurs at a time when the member is in good standing with the church. Membership withdrawal may be communicated through an elder or pastor as well as the church administration. The good standing status of a member is lost when:
1. A known and unrepentant sin is practiced by the member.
2. A member teaches doctrine contrary to the Statement of Faith. Anyone accused of teaching false doctrine may appeal to the Elders to present their view. The Elders have the responsibility to evaluate a member’s doctrine reflected in his/her teaching in order to discern its consistency or lack thereof with the sound doctrine of Scripture.
3. A member exhibits a divisive spirit in the church.
E. Voting Rights
No member shall have any voting rights on any matter pertaining to the church unless serving on a committee appointed by the elders. In such cases, decisions can be made by the specified committee under the governance of the elders.
F. Discipline of Membership
To maintain the peace and purity of the church, Scripture directs the disciplining of any person by restricting active participation and membership in the local church. Discipline shall be applied whenever there is uncorrected sin, whether in doctrine or in practice (Rom. 16:17; 1 Cor. 5:1-13; 2 Thess. 3:6; 2 Tim. 2:16-21). Matthew 18 delineates the discipline procedure in a four-step fashion:
Step 1: One-on-one confrontation. When a member is made aware of personal sin, he or she has the responsibility to approach the sinning person privately. The sin of the individual is to be clarified and he or she must be lovingly admonished and exhorted to repent demonstrated in the putting off of sin and the putting on of Christ, by His grace (Matt. 18:15; Luke 17:3; Gal. 6:1).
Step 2: Two or three witnesses. If the sinning person continues in sin, the matter shall be brought to the offender by one or more additional witnesses who offer further reproof and spiritual counsel (Matt. 18:16; Deut. 19:15). If the offender repents, exhibited in the confession of sin and the obedience of faith in Christ, the matter is dropped. However, if the offender refuses to repent, continuing in the pattern of his or her sin, the witnesses stand as additional evidence to the sinning person’s unwillingness to repent.
Step 3: The admonition of the church. After reasonable attempts toward restoration have failed, the church body will be informed of the individual’s sin (Matt. 18:17a). The church will be encouraged to admonish the sinning person to turn the offender from his or her sinful ways to walk in the sanctification and holiness of Christ.
Step 4: Exclusion from the church. If however, the sinning person refuses to repent, the offender shall be excluded from the attendance, participation, fellowship and membership of the congregation at large as well as from individuals of the local assembly (Matt. 18:17b).
A unanimous vote of the Elders is necessary to impose steps three or four of the disciplinary action. Steps three and four shall be announced at a regular worship service or a specially called meeting of the church members and carried out by the members of the church (Matt. 18:17; 1 Tim. 5:20; 1 Cor. 5:1-5; 1 Tim. 1:20; Rom. 16:17; 2 Thess. 3:6,14,15).
Persons who have been disciplined under steps three and four, but who demonstrate repentance must be restored to fellowship by a unanimous vote of the Elders.
VI. ARTICLE: ORDINANCE
A. Believers’ Water Baptism
1. The Statement of Baptism
Baptism is the visible testimony of an inward spiritual transformation whereby professing Christians are immersed in water as an act of obedience to the command of Christ. It shall be administered only to those who profess that they have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and understand the cost and commitment of being a disciple (Matt. 28:18-20).
2. The Requirement for Baptism: Identification with Christ
Baptism publicly identifies a believer with Christ and with the body of Christ, the Church. The essential requirement for baptism is salvation. Salvation is granted by God upon believing the gospel. The gospel, simply stated, is the good news that God saves sinners from His own just judgment. This salvation comes through the work of His Son Jesus (His life, death, and resurrection). All who trust in His work are saved (Romans 3-5).
B. The Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper shall be administered as a commemoration and proclamation of Christ’s death with bread and wine. These elements are used as symbols of His body and blood. It shall be observed on such occasions as the Elders deem fitting. Communion shall be open to all those who have come to believe the good news of salvation that comes by grace alone through faith alone in the finished work of Christ alone and have examined himself or herself pertaining to a Christ-honoring life (1 Cor. 11:23-34).
VII. ARTICLE: CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
A. Regular and Special Services
The church shall meet at times designated by the Elders for public worship, prayer and Bible study. Special meetings such as Bible conferences, missionary conferences or evangelistic services shall be arranged by the Elders or their delegates.
B. Informational Meeting
1. Special meetings shall be held as scheduled by the Elders or their delegates. These meetings will be given to review various matters relating to any aspect of the church.
2. Questions may be submitted to the Elders for their consideration before or during the meeting.
3. In all informational meetings, the Chairman of the Elders or in his absence the Vice-Chairman of the Elders, shall preside.
VIII. ARTICLE: ELDER
A. Centrality of Elders
The Elders have the responsibility to govern the body.
B. Qualifications of Elder
1. Gender
Elders must be male according to 1Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.
2. Moral and Spiritual
The moral and spiritual qualifications of an Elder are found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. Elders shall be appointed by the existing Elders in light of these God-given requirements.
3. Appointment
The Elders shall act as the appointing body for all new Elders.
4. Continuing Qualifications
The Elders shall have the responsibility to assess the ongoing qualifications of all members of the Elders.
C. Duties of Elders: Governing the Body
1. Overseeing
The oversight and government of the church, under the headship of Jesus Christ, shall be exercised by the Elders of Omaha Bible Church. Their authority as Elders is derived from the order established in Scripture (Titus 1:5-9; Acts 14:23; 20:28; 1 Tim. 3:1-7; 5:17).
2. Leadership and Management
The Elders shall lead the congregation without compulsion, but with loving willingness, as examples to the church. Biblical authority must be exercised with care exhibiting the servant-leadership of Christ as a shepherd cares for the sheep (1 Pet. 5:1-4).
3. Teaching and Shepherding
It shall be the duty of the Elders to care for the church in its spiritual condition, to guard the purity of doctrine and life of the church, and to oversee the discipline of the church in accordance with the Word of God.
The Elders shall oversee the teaching of the Word of God, the administration of ordinances (baptism and communion), biblical instruction and exhortation, and protection against false teachers (I Thess. 5:12; II Tim. 4:2).
4. Ruling
The Elders and the other ministry committees they establish shall comprise the ruling bodies of the church and shall exercise authority on behalf of the church. (I Tim. 5:17)
D. Offices of the Elder
1. Appointment of Officers of the Elders shall be made by the Elders whenever vacancies exist.
a) The Chairman of the Elders shall be the Senior Pastor of the church.
(1) Duties of the Chairman
(a) He shall preside over meetings of the Elders.
(b) He shall prepare the agenda for the meetings.
b) The Vice-Chairman of the Elders shall be appointed by the Elders from their own number.
(1) Duties of the Vice-Chairman
(a) In the absence of the Chairman or in the event of his inability to act, the Vice-Chairman shall perform the duties of the Chairman and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions of the Chairman.
(b) The Vice-Chairman shall perform duties from time to time as may be assigned to him by the Chairman or by the Elders.
(c) The term of office shall be one year. Office terms shall correspond to the calendar year. Appointment for the next year may be made within 120 days of the new year, but must be done no less than 60 days before January 1 of the new year.
c) Secretary
(1) Duties of the Secretary
(a) The Secretary shall be appointed by the Elders. The person must be an Elder. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings of the Elders in one or more books provided for that purpose, and he shall record or have recorded the minutes of all congregational informational meetings. He shall oversee official correspondence for the church; see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution as required by law; provide for the safekeeping of all papers and documents of the church delivering the same with all records kept by him to his successor; be custodian of the corporate records and of the seal of the church and see that the seal of the church is affixed to all documents the execution of which, on behalf of the church under its seal, is duly authorized in accordance with the provision of this Constitution; and, in general, perform all duties incidental to the office of Secretary and such other duties as may from time to time be assigned to him by the Chairman or by the Elders or the President.
(b) The term of office shall be one year. Officer terms shall correspond to the calendar year. Appointment for the next year may be made within 120 days of the new year but must be done no later than January 1 of the new year.
d) Treasurer
(1) Duties of the Treasurer
(a) The Treasurer shall be appointed by the Elders. The appointee must be an Elder. The duties of the treasurer shall be to have the responsibility for all funds and securities of the church; oversee receipt and give receipts for monies due and payable to the church from any source whatsoever and oversee deposit of all such monies in the name of the church in such banks, trust companies or other depositories as shall be selected in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution (see Article XI).
(b) He shall perform all the duties incidental of the office of Treasurer and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him by the Elders; and shall keep a full account of all monies received and paid out and submit a written monthly, quarterly and annual report to the Elders of the financial condition of the church.
(c) He shall make his books available for audit at any time upon request by the Elders.
(d) The term of office shall be one year. Officer terms shall correspond to the calendar year. Appointment for the next year may be made within 120 days of the new year but must be done no later than January 1 of the new year.
e) Procedure for dismissal
(1) Any officer may be removed by a unanimous vote of the Elders. Voting shall be at a duly-called meeting of the Elders.
(2) Resignation
(3) It shall be the prerogative of any Elder to dissolve the relationship simply by giving written notice of such intention.
E. Number of Elders and Term of Office for the Elder
1. The Number of Elders
The number of Elders shall be determined as the Elders deem appropriate. Elders shall be appointed by a unanimous vote of the Elders.
2. Term of Office
The term for Elders is three years; indefinitely renewable.
The office term (three year) of the volunteer member can be renewed by the Elders up to 120 days before his term expires. A unanimous vote of the Elders is necessary for renewal.
The office terms may be staggered to avoid the expiration of terms at the same time. The date of expiration for the initial term shall be as agreed by the Elders. The Elders have authority to make adjustments in terms; however, they cannot extend the term beyond three years.
F. Meeting
1. Regular Meetings
The Elders shall meet regularly. The meeting schedule shall be as agreed upon by the elders, but they shall meet at least once every two months.
2. Special Meeting
a) Elders meetings may be called at the request of a simple majority of all the Elders.
3. Notification requirements of Elders.
a) The notice of a special meeting of the Elders must be given to all members. The notification may be in writing, by telephone, or in person.
b) Special Meetings on short notice are permissible provided all Elders can be present. If an Elder can not attend, he may waive the notification requirement and not attend or he may choose not to waive the notification requirements. In such cases, the Elders may convene 48 hours after notification.
c) If a meeting is called on shorter than 48-hour notice, the presence of the Elder[s] at the meeting constitutes a waiver of the notification requirement.
d) Concerning the office of an absent Elder. In the case where an Elder(s) cannot be notified, the absent Elder(s)’ office cannot be an agenda item for the special meeting. If the Elder(s) whose office is to be on the agenda is absent, additional time for their return must be allowed before convening any specially called meetings to discuss the Elder(s)’ office.
G. Decisions and Voting of the Elder
1. Quorum
A majority of all the Elders shall constitute a quorum. The acts of the majority of all the Elders (quorum) shall be the acts of the entire group, unless otherwise specifically required by the Articles of Incorporation, or by law, or by this Constitution.
2. Decision
a) The matters of business before the Elders shall be listed in an agenda for the meeting prepared by the Chairman or his designate. All items to be discussed at the meeting can be placed on the agenda by any Elder up to one week prior to the meeting. The prepared agenda should be available and distributed to each of the Elders at least twenty-four hours prior to the meeting. New agenda items raised at the meeting may be placed on the agenda by a unanimous vote of the Elders.
b) Formal voting follows a discussion period where unanimity is sought. If any Elder has a reservation about a matter before the Elders, the members supporting an action shall table the item to allow the member opposed to such action to reconsider his position and agree with the majority or propose, and have accepted, an alternative plan.
c) This provision does not provide for stalemating decisions. If after a reasonable length of time, based on the judgment of the majority of the members, the objection is not lifted nor is an acceptable alternative presented, the Elders may call for a formal vote on the issue. The minority, 1) must submit to the majority and support the decision or, 2) resign from the Elders, or, if unwilling to resign, is automatically removed from the office of Elder.
3. Voting (special consideration)
a) Elders may vote on any issue before them except as follows:
(1) His own personal salary and benefit
(2) His own position as a staff member
(3) His own membership as an Elder
(4) His own position as an officer of the Elders (e.g., Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer)
b) Eligible Voters
The basis for determining the number of votes necessary to carry a motion is based on the eligible voters on a given question. For example, an Elder as provided herein cannot vote on his own membership as an Elder. For such an issue, he is considered an ineligible voter and his position is not counted in the voting number.
H. Intra-Elder Disagreement
1. It is possible that unity may not be maintained among the Elders. In such situations, the matter will be presented in full to the entire group for a decision based on a majority of Elders’ votes. If those Elder(s) submit to the Elders’ decision, the matter is closed and unity will be maintained.
2. If the dissenting Elder(s) do not submit to the Elders’ decision, the Elders will ask for the dissenting Elder(s) resignation. If the dissenting Elder(s) does not resign, he will be removed as an Elder by a majority vote.
I. Appointment of Elder
1. Elder
a) Titles and Definition
(1) These are men who are appointed as Elders using the procedures as outlined in this section.
b) Selection
(1) Recommendations of candidates as additions to the Elder board can be made by any church member to the Elders.
(2) The Elders shall act as the interviewing agency.
(3) After the candidate has been interviewed, successfully passed all examination and testing, and received a unanimous affirmation from the Elders, he shall be presented to the congregation for prayer. If after two weeks from presentation to the congregation the candidate’s qualifications have been exhibited and confirmed, the candidate may be appointed by the Elders.
c) Termination of the Appointment
(1) An Elder relationship shall be considered terminated when any one of the following occurs:
(a) Death
(b) Resignation
(i) It shall be the prerogative of any Elder to dissolve the relationship simply by giving written notice of such intention.
(c) Removal. The following reasons are grounds and procedures for removal:
(i) Refusal or inability to fulfill the responsibilities designated in this Constitution.
(ii) Absence from three consecutive regular meetings of the Elders without an excuse deemed acceptable by the other elders.
(iii) When an Elder shows himself, by person or attitude, to be disturbing the purity, peace or unity of the church, or has admitted to changing his views regarding the Statement of Faith and practices of the church or fails to live in harmony with the standards expressed in the Constitution of this church.
(2) The procedure for removal
He shall be removed by a majority vote of the Elders. Voting shall be at a duly-called meeting of the Elders.
2. Pastoral Staff Elders and other Pastoral Staff Member
a) Titles and Definition
(1) Pastoral Staff
These are men in salaried positions who function on the staff as Pastors.
(2) Titles to Describe
(a) Senior Pastor: The Senior Pastor is the Chairman of the Elders.
(b) Associate and Assistant Pastors: These are men in salaried positions.
(c) Intern Pastors. These are pastors in training. They may serve full time or in a part-time capacity and may or may not be paid.
b) Selection of Permanent Pastoral Staff
(1) In the event of a vacancy in the Senior Pastor position the Elders will act as the interviewing agency.
(2) In the event of a vacancy in the Pastoral staff (other than Senior Pastor), or the creation of a Pastoral position, the Senior Pastor shall make his recommendation for the position and/or candidate to the Elders who then shall act as the interviewing agency.
(3) After the candidate has been interviewed and has received a unanimous affirmation from the Elders, he shall be presented to the congregation for prayer. If satisfactory qualifications have been exhibited and confirmed the candidate may be appointed by a unanimous vote of the Elders to the vacancy in question.
c) Selection of Interns or Temporary Pastoral Staff
(1) The Intern candidate shall be recommended by the Senior Pastor to the Elders for their unanimous approval. No other procedures are required.
(2) The term of office is for a pre-determined period of time.
d) Dutie
(1) General duties of the Pastoral staff shall include the functions of a shepherd to the church membership.
(2) Job descriptions outlining general and specific ministry responsibilities and privileges shall be presented and approved by the Elders.
(3) Intern Pastors are not permitted to perform marriage ceremonies.
e) The Senior Pastor
(1) This person answers directly to the Elders and is the only Pastoral staff member who is also a voting Elder.
(2) Dutie
(a) The Senior Pastor shall be responsible for carrying out the church’s ministry under the Elders adopted doctrines, policies, procedures and budget. He shall carry on the church ministry according to Ephesians 4 with the assistance of the Pastoral and support staff he shall assemble.
(b) The Senior Pastor has authority over all the staff. Pastoral staff changes or additions may be initiated by the Senior Pastor and shall be recommended to the Elders for their unanimous approval.
f) Associate and Assistant Pastor
(1) Definition
(a) These are Associate Pastors who are on the pastoral staff and are non-voting Elders.
(2) Selection
(a) The Senior Pastor shall hire these pastors with the unanimous approval of the Elders.
(3) Dutie
(a) Their duties and privileges shall be stipulated in writing by the Senior Pastor and shall be carried out under his supervision or his appointee.
g) Intern Pastor
(1) These are “pastors in training.” They shall be assigned ministry responsibilities by the Senior Pastor.
h) Termination of Pastoral Staff
(1) Termination shall occur under any of the following conditions:
(a) Death
(b) Resignation
It shall be the prerogative of any pastoral staff member to dissolve the relationship simply by giving written notice to the Elders of such intention. The termination time shall be effective one month from the date of resignation or sooner as set by the Elders. Earned vacation days will be paid upon termination. Fringe benefits such as, medical insurance, life insurance, disability insurance coverage, retirement contribution etc., will cease as of the last date of employment. The Elders have the prerogative to change the conditions with a unanimous vote of the Elders.
(c) Dismissal
The following are grounds for dismissal:
(i) Refusal or inability to fulfill designated responsibilities.
(ii) Absence from meetings of the staff without an excuse deemed acceptable by the Elders.
(iii) Shows himself, by person or attitude, to be disturbing the purity, peace or unity of the church, or has changed his views regarding the Statement of Faith, practices and philosophy of ministry of the church, or fails to live in harmony with the standards expressed in the Scriptures and Constitution of this church.
(iv) Any direct appeal to members of the congregation by any staff member for support of a position other than that approved by the Elders is considered divisive and must not characterize any staff person. If such a practice exists, it is considered a serious offense worthy of dismissal from the staff.
(v) The procedure for dismissal. He shall be removed by a majority vote of all the members of the Elders. Voting shall be at a duly-called meeting of the Elders.
(vi) Severance pay, if any, shall be determined by a unanimous vote of the Elders. All earned vacation days will be paid. Fringe benefits will terminate on the date of dismissal or as determined by a unanimous vote of the Elders.
J. Support Staff
1. These are church staff positions authorized by the Elders, hired by the Senior Pastor, and do not carry “Pastor” in their title.
2. Termination of Support Staff
The Senior Pastor may dismiss any (non-pastoral staff) support staff member without cause.
3. Under the terms of termination, severance pay, if any, shall be determined by a unanimous vote of the Elders. All earned vacation days will be paid. Fringe benefits will terminate on the date of dismissal or as determined by a unanimous vote of the Elders.
IX. ARTICLE: DEACON
A. Deacon
1. Titles and Definitions
Deacons: These are men who are appointed to the office of Deacon using the procedures as outlined in this section. They support the Elders of the church.
2. Selection
Recommendations of candidates for the office of Deacon can be made by any church member who shall make his recommendation of a candidate known to the Elders which then shall act as the interviewing agency.
3. Presentation to the Congregation.
After the candidate has been interviewed and has received a unanimous vote of the Elders, he shall be presented to the congregation.
B. Selection, Number, Tenure and Qualification
1. Number Provided
The number of Deacons shall be determined by the Elders. All Deacons shall be appointed by unanimous vote of the Elders.
2. Term
The term for Deacons is three years; indefinitely renewable.
3. Qualifications
These must be male in gender meeting the moral and spiritual qualifications of a Deacon as found in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. Deacons shall be appointed in light of these God-given requirements.
C. Duties and General Power
1. Relationship with the Elders
It shall be the duty of the Deacons to assist the Elders or other Deacons in the administration of the church. Deacons shall meet with their Elder(s) or Deacons on a regular basis for the purpose of addressing and reviewing their area(s) of responsibility. It shall be the duty of each Deacon to take the necessary measures and steps to meet his responsibility in working with the Elders or Deacons in the administration of the church.
2. Spiritual Responsibilities
Deacons shall assist in guiding the spiritual life of the church as examples and in administering the ordinances and in performing any other responsibility as directed by the Elders.
3. Voting Rights
The Deacons have no voting rights other than those granted under the oversight of the elders in carrying out assigned services.
D. Termination
Deacons shall be considered terminated for these reasons:
1. Death
2. Resignation
It shall be the prerogative of any Deacon to resign his appointment simply by giving written notice of resignation to his supervising Elder.
3. Removal
a) Refusal or inability to fulfill the responsibilities assigned to him by the supervising Elder.
b) When a deacon shows himself, by person or attitude, to be disturbing the purity, peace or unity of the church, or has admitted to changing his views regarding the Statement of Faith and practices of the church or fails to live in harmony with the standards expressed in the Constitution of this church, he will be asked to resign his position or;
c) He shall be removed from office by a unanimous vote of the Elders. Voting shall be at a duly-called meeting of the Elders.
4. Discontinued Ministry
The office of a deacon relates to the ministry to which he is appointed. If the ministry is discontinued, the deacon serving in that area loses the appointment of deacon or, he can be reappointed to another ministry area without repeating the procedures for initial appointment to the office of deacon.
X. ARTICLE: OTHER APPOINTMENTS AND COMMITTEES
The Elders may appoint any other vocational or volunteer personnel as needed to carry on the ministry of the local church. These appointees, whether salaried or not, are not part of the Elders and are not Deacons unless so appointed.
A. Auditors
Auditors may be appointed by a unanimous vote of the Elders as deemed necessary and appropriate to examine and audit the books and records of the Church Treasurer and to present a report to the Elders.
B. Other Committees
The Elders may designate and appoint one or more committees for such purposes as the Elders may determine appropriate by unanimous vote.
XI. ARTICLE: PHYSICAL PROPERTIES, CONTRACTS, SALARIES, CHECKS, DEPOSITS AND FUND
A. Property
It shall be the duty of the Elders to have the care of all matters pertaining to the physical properties and finances of the church. The Elders shall take all necessary measures for the protection and maintenance of church buildings and property and shall supervise the use of same.
B. Funds
The Elders shall be responsible for receiving, counting and safekeeping church funds. They shall direct the disbursement of such funds to promptly meet all obligations incurred by the church. The Elders shall oversee the preparation of a budget projecting operating expenses for the coming year.
The Elders may accept on behalf of the church any contribution, gift, bequest or device for the general purposes or for any special purpose of the church. They have the authority to establish special projects or ministries as they may determine.
While the funds for these special projects are given and received on good faith, the Elders ultimately reserve the right to redistribute any funds to any account that the Elders believe is in the best interest of the church.
C. Salaries
The Elders shall set salaries for the pastoral staff. The Senior Pastor shall make recommendations for salary levels for each of the other Ministering Staff. These salaries shall be adjusted or approved by the Elders. The Elders may delegate the responsibility for setting individual salaries of the support staff; however, they must approve the aggregate amounts.
D. Contracts
The Elders may authorize any officer or officer’s agent or agents of the church in addition to the officers so authorized by this Constitution to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the church, and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.
E. Checks, Drafts, etc.
All checks, drafts or orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the church shall be signed by such officer or officers, agent or agents of the corporation and in such manner as shall from time to time be determined by resolution of the Elders. In the absence of such determination by the Elders, such instrument shall be signed by the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer and countersigned by the Chairman or the Vice-Chairman of the Elders.
F. Deposits
All funds of the church shall be deposited from time to time to the credit of the church in such bank, trust companies or other depositories as the Elders may select.
G. Benevolent Funds
The Elders or their appointees shall control the distribution of benevolent funds (Acts 6:1-3).
XII. ARTICLE: CHURCH YEAR
The church fiscal year shall be set by the Elders.
XIII. ARTICLE: CHURCH PLANTING
A. Purpose
The primary purpose of a church plant of Omaha Bible Church shall be to bring glory to God by worshipping Him and ministering to the spiritual needs of mankind. This purpose finds its expression the activities related to the edification of the church through evangelism, Bible study, prayer, worship, fellowship an service.
B. Statement of Faith
A church plant of Omaha Bible Church shall maintain the same Statement of Faith as defined in Article III, the Statement of Faith section of the Omaha Bible Church Constitution.
C. Incorporation
A church plant of Omaha Bible Church shall not file Articles of Incorporation until authorized to do so by the Omaha Bible Church Elders.
D. Covenant of Membership
A church plant of Omaha Bible Church shall maintain the same provisions as defined in Article V, the Covenant of Membership section of the Omaha Bible Church Constitution.
E. Ordinances
A church plant of Omaha Bible Church shall maintain the same ordinances as defined in Article VI, the Ordinances section of the Omaha Bible Church Constitution.
F. Congregational Meetings
A church plant of Omaha Bible Church shall maintain the same provisions as defined in Article VII, the Congregational Meetings section of the Omaha Bible Church Constitution.
G. Elders, Deacons and Other Matters
The Elders of Omaha Bible Church have the ultimate responsibility for a church plant. Upon the establishment of a church plant, Church Plant Elders will be appointed by the Elders of Omaha Bible Church.
The goal of a church plant of Omaha Bible Church is to be a fully autonomous independent local church. An agreed upon time-frame to achieve independence will be determined by the Omaha Bible Church Elders. In determining this time-frame a number of factors, including the presence of qualified spiritual leadership and demonstrated financial viability, will be considered. A specific effective date for the church plant to become a fully autonomous independent local church must be approved by the Omaha Bible Church Elders. Prior to such an effective date being approved, the Church Plant Elders must have prepared and have ready for approval and implementation a proposed church constitution to govern the affairs of the church plant as it becomes an independent local church.
The Church Plant Elders will have functional responsibility for the ongoing, day-to-day ministries and decision making regarding the church plant. The Church Plant Elders have the responsibility for determining a name for the new church plant in consultation with the Omaha Bible Church Elders.
All decisions addressed specifically by the Omaha Bible Church Constitution, including but not limited to the discipline of members, the appointment and termination of Elders, pastoral staff, support staff and Deacons, and matters pertaining to the physical property, finances, budget and contracts of a church plant, shall be subject to the review and approval of the Omaha Bible Church Elders. A meeting involving the Omaha Bible Church Elders and the Church Plant Elders will take place no less than once every three months, and more often as deemed necessary to facilitate such reviews and approvals.
In addition, a church plant of Omaha Bible Church shall maintain the same provisions as defined in Articles VIII, IX, X, XI, and XII of the Omaha Bible Church Constitution.
XIV. ARTICLE: AMENDMENTS
This Constitution may be amended by a unanimous vote of the Elders.
(This Constitution was approved by the Elders of Omaha Bible Church on August 2, 2011)