Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." - Luke 5:31-32

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CONSTITUTION HARMONY BAPTIST CHURCH
OF PULASKI COUNTY

I. NAME:
This body shall be known as the Harmony Baptist Church of Pulaski County, located at Waynesville, Missouri.

II. OBJECTIVES
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 worshipping 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.

III.  STATEMENT OF FAITH
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. 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 and the Lord's Supper.

IV. RELATIONSHIPS
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 associations and state conventions affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.

V.  CHURCH COVENANT
Having been led as we believe, by the spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our savior and Lord 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 His 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; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the Church, 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; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintance; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid tattling, backbiting and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage; to be zealous in our efforts to advance the Kingdom of our Savior.

We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another is 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 rules of our Savior 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.

BY LAWS OF HARMONY BAPTIST CHURCH

1. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. General
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.

Section 2. Candidacy
Any person may offer himself or 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:

A three-fourths vote of those Church members present shall be required to elect such candidates to membership.

Section 3. New Member Orientation
New Church members will be expected to participate in the Church's new member orientation plan.

Section 4. Voting Rights of Members
Each member of the Church is entitled to vote at all elections and on all questions submitted to the Church in conference.

Section 5. Termination of Membership
Membership shall be terminated in the following ways: (1) death, (2) dismissing to another Baptist Church, (3) exclusion by action of this Church.

Section 6. Discipline
It shall be the basic purpose of Harmony Baptist Church to emphasize to its members that reasonable measures 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 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 that purpose and the Church may proceed to declare the offender to be no longer in 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 may upon his request be restored to membership by a vote of the Church upon evidence of his repentance and reformation.

2. CHURCH OFFICERS
All church officers shall be members of the Church. The officers of this Church shall be as follows:

Section 1. Pastor
The pastor is responsible for the leading of the church to function as a New Testament church. The pastor will lead the congregation, the organization, and the church staff to perform their tasks.

The pastor is leader of pastoral ministries in the Church. As such, he works with the deacons and church staff to (1) lead the church in performing its tasks, (2) lead the church to engage in a fellowship of worship, witness, education, ministry, and application, (3) proclaim the gospel to believers and unbelievers, and (4) care for the Church's members and others persons in the community.

A pastor should be chosen and called by the Church whenever a vacancy occurs. His election shall take place at a meeting called for that purpose to which at one week's public notice has been given.

A pastor selection committee shall be elected by the Church body to seek out a suitable pastor, and its recommendation will constitute a nomination. Any member has the privilege of making other nominations according to the policy established by the Church. The committee shall bring to the consideration of the Church only one name at a time. Election shall be make by ballot, an affirmative vote of three-fourths of those present being necessary for a choice. Upon the election of

Section 4. Clerk
The Church clerk shall be elected annually and shall keep in a suitable book a record of all the actions of the Church, except as otherwise provided. The duties of the clerk are: to keep a register of the names of members with dates of admission, dismissal, or death together with a record of baptisms; issue letters of dismissal 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 By-Laws. The Church may delegate some of the clerical responsibilities to a church secretary. All church records are church property and should be filed in the church office when an office is maintained.

Section 5. Treasurer
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, any 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.

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 records of the Church.

Section 6. Trustees
Three trustees shall be elected by the Church and 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 sale, mortgage, purchase, or rental of property or legal documents where the signatures of trustees are required. They shall study the needs of the building and make recommendations of such to the deacons and Church in such areas as maintaining all church property for ready use, policies regarding use of property, and employment of maintenance personnel. In case of emergency, the trustees will have the authority to repair or maintain church equipment and property that would be of a necessary nature. Trustees shall serve on a rotating basis with one new trustees being elected every three years. Starting with calendar year 1981, one trustee will be elected for one year, one trustee will be elected for two years, and one trustee will be elected for three years, thus setting up a rotating sequence.

Section 7. Church Ushers
Every regular usher shall be recommended by the nominating committee and elected by the Church. The ushers shall be led by an usher chairman also recommended by the nominating committee and elected by the Church. The ushers are to greet people as they enter and leave the church house, seat people at the proper time, provide bulletins and/or other materials at the time of seating. The ushers will be attentive to the needs of the congregation and the pastor.

The ushers will take offering collections, orderly arrange seats before services, and count those present at each worship service

3. COMMITTEES AND COORDINATING GROUPS.

Section 1. General Nominating Committee
Church committee members shall be recommended annually by a nominating committee and elected by the Church. Beginning with calendar year 1981, the nominating committee will be composed by the pastor, Sunday School superintendent, chairman of deacons, and two other members selected form the Church body.

Section 2. Hospitality (Kitchen) Committee
The hospitality (kitchen) committee is responsible for formulating and recommending to the Church policies for the kitchen and for communicating those policies to the church members.

The committee is responsible for scheduling, planning, and setting up fellowship meals for the Church (dinner, breakfasts, banquets, picnics.) The committee is also responsible for setting up a group to clean up after each of these occasions. The groups will come from the entire Church body. This committee will see that any visiting workers in our Church are taken care of for meals and other needs.

Section 3. History Committee
The history committee is to preserve and use the historical records of the church. The committee is especially concerned with gathering and preserving available church records, recording full and accurate records, and using the records to help members to understand and appreciate their heritage and mission.

Section 4. Flower Committee
The flower committee is responsible for securing, arranging, and disposing of floral arrangements for the church services and for providing flowers for bereaved or ill members or their families.

The committee will also send cards to members' relatives and friends who are ill or bereaved.

Section 5. Audit Committee
The audit committee will audit the treasurer's books at the end of each fiscal year.

Section 6. Church Recreation Committee
The recreation committee will serve the Church in seeking to meet the recreational needs of members and groups. It will provide recreational activities and provide consultation, leadership, assistance, and resources. The recreation committee for each age group will be the pastor and the teacher of that group.

Section 7. Constitution and By-Laws Committee
There shall be a committee formed every five years evenly divisible by five, commencing in the year 2005, to review, offer amendments to, if necessary, and/or revise the Constitution and/or By-Laws, to be established as generally provided for other committees.

4. PROGRAM ORGANIZATIONS

Section 1. General
All organizations of the Church shall be under church control and all officers of these organizations shall be members of the Church and be elected by the Church and report regularly to the Church.

Section 2. Sunday School
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 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.

Section 3. Women's Missionary Union
There may be a Women's Missionary Union with such officers and organization as needed. The tasks of the Women's Missionary Union shall be to teach missions, to engage in mission and, support worm missions through praying and giving, and provide for the information regarding the work of the Church and denomination.

Section 4. Church Music Program
There shall be a church music program under the direction of the music director. Such officers and/or organization shall be included as needed. The music program tasks shall be to teach music; train persons to lead, sing, and play music; provide music in the Church and community; provide and interpret information regarding the work of the Church and the denomination
.
ORDINANCES

Section 1. Baptism
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.

Section 2. Lord's Supper
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.

5. CHURCH MEETINGS

Section 1. Worship Services
The Church shall meet regularly every Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening for preaching, instruction, evangelism, and for worship of Almighty God. These meetings will be open for the entire membership of the Church and for all people and shall be conducted under the direction of the pastor.

Section 2. Special Service
Revival services and any other church meetings which will be essential in the promotion of the objectives of the Church shall be placed on the church calendar.

Section 3. Regular Business Meetings
Regular business meetings shall be held monthly on a designated Wednesday night.

Section 4. Special Business meetings
A specially called business meeting may be held to consider special matters of significant nature. Notice of the subject, date, time, and location must be given for specially called business meetings at least three times at normal church services, unless extreme urgency renders such notice impracticable.

Section 5. Quorum
A quorum consists of those who attend the business meeting, provided it is a stated meeting or one that has been properly called.

Section 6. Parliamentary Rules
Robert's Rules of Order, Revised is the authority for parliamentary rules of procedure for all business meetings of the Church.

Section 1. Accounting Procedure
All funds for any and all purposes shall pass through the hands of the church treasurer or financial secretary and be properly recorded on the books of the Church.

Section 2. Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the Church shall run concurrently with the church year which begins August 1 and ends on July 31.

Section 3. Church Property
All property or items donated to the Church shall become the property of the Church to be used or disposed of at the church member's discretion.

Section 4. Designated Funds
Any funds in a designated fund which are not disposed of as requested by the donor or donors may be transferred to the general fund by a majority vote of the members present at any business meeting.

Changes in this Constitution and By-Laws may be made at any regular business meeting of the Church, provided each amendment shall have been presented in writing at a previous meeting and copies of the proposed amendment furnished to each member present. Amendments to the Constitution shall be by a two-thirds vote of all members of the Church present entitled to vote. Amendments to the By-Laws shall have a concurrence of a majority of the members present at voting.