CHURCH CONSTITUTION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ARTICLE I Name, Purpose and Government 

ARTICLE II Corporate Seal 

ARTICLE III Principal Place of Business 

ARTICLE IV Membership

ARTICLE V Board of Elders 

ARTICLE VI Deacons 

ARTICLE VII The Pastor 

ARTICLE VIII Meetings 

ARTICLE IX Voting 

ARTICLE X Articles of Doctrine 

ARTICLE XI Procedure for Amendments 

ARTICLE XII Dissolution Resolution 

CONSTITUTION

STARDUST BIBLE CHURCH INC.

ARTICLE I. NAME, PURPOSE AND GOVERNMENT

SECTION 1. NAME

The name of this corporation is Stardust Bible Church, Inc.

SECTION 2. PURPOSE

The purpose of this church corporation shall be the preaching of the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the entire counsel of God, the conversion of sinners, the edification of the saints and the propagation in every way of Christianity throughout the world.

SECTION 3. GOVERNMENT

The government of this church is vested in the Body of Believers who compose it and is subject to the control of no other body.

SECTION 4. AFFILIATIONS

This church shall not be affiliated with any Association unless it is the desire and vote of the Body of Believers as stated in Article XI.

ARTICLE II. CORPORATE SEAL

The corporate seal shall consist of a circle having within its circumference the words, Stardust Bible Church, Inc. Arizona Corporate Seal 1992.

ARTICLE III. PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS

The principal place of business of this corporation shall be in the County of Maricopa, State of Arizona.

ARTICLE IV. MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1. QUALIFICATIONS

Initially this procedure will be used to accept members as charter members. The Pastor will ask the congregation the five articles of Doctrine below and upon affirmation accept the body as individual members. A certificate of membership will be issued confirming this action.

Any person professing faith in Christ, giving evidence of a contrite heart and adopting substantially the views of faith and practice of this church, may, upon confession of a personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, and Lord, be admitted to membership. As evidence, in part, of adherence to the views of faith and practice of this church, a candidate for membership shall be required to accept the Church Articles of Doctrine and verbally assent to an application which shall, among other things, show that they believe in the following:

(a) the Bible is God’s Word, that it was written by men divinely inspired and that it is the supreme, infallible authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

(b) there is one God eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

(c) Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God and born of a virgin.

(d) all men are lost sinners and need a Savior, by acceptance of the shed blood (blood atonement) and faith in Jesus Christ, they are born again and become children of God.

(e) the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, His ascension into Heaven, and His present life there as our High Priest and Advocate. Acts 2:32; I Timothy 2:5; I John 2:1

SECTION 2. ADMISSION OF CANDIDATES TO FUTURE MEMBERSHIP

All Candidates for membership shall be considered by the Pastor and/or Board of Elders and if found qualified for membership the names of such candidates shall be presented by the Board at any meeting of the membership.

SECTION 3. INACTIVE ROLL

Any member who has been absent from the church for a period of one year without manifesting an interest therein by communicating with the church or contributing to its support will automatically be placed on the inactive roll and issued notification of this action by mail. After six (6) additional months of inactivity, the said member may be dropped from the active roll by action of the Board of Elders and issued notification of this action by mail.

Persons so carried on the inactive roll shall not be counted as active voting members. Persons so carried on the inactive roll, upon resuming an active interest, may be reinstated to the active roll by action of the Board of Elders.

SECTION 4. RIGHTS OF MEMBERS

All members in good standing on the active roll shall have equal rights except that members under the age of sixteen (16) years shall be ineligible to vote in any meeting of the membership.

Active members are eligible, if deemed qualified by the Board of Elders, to hold office in the church and its organization.

SECTION 5. TRANSFER

A Letter of Transfer may be granted, by vote of the Board, to any member in good standing who desires to unite with another Bible Believing Church. Members wishing to unite with other than a Bible-believing Church may receive a Certificate of Transfer. All applications for Letters of Transfer shall be made through the Board of Elders.

SECTION 6. DISCIPLINE

All cases of discipline, whether of private or public character, shall be conducted in the spirit of the New Testament teachings. Christ’s specific rules, as set forth in Matthew 18:15-17, indicate the method of procedure.

SECTION 7. NON-RESIDENCE MEMBERS

Any member residing outside the area considered local shall have all the privileges of membership, but if absent shall not be counted as active voting members in determination of a quorum.

ARTICLE V. BOARD OF ELDERS

SECTION 1. SELECTION, NUMBER, AND QUALIFICATIONS

The local body of Believers shall select its own Elders by a three-fourths (3/4) majority of those present and voting, after much prayer and waiting upon the Lord. The number of Elders should be determined by the areas in which oversight is needed. They should be in full agreement with these bylaws. No man is to be considered who does not meet the standards set forth in I Timothy 3:1 -7 and Titus 1:5-9.

SECTION 2. AUTHORITY

The management and control of the affairs of this church shall be vested in the Board of Elders.

Major Decisions of the Board of Elders should be brought before the congregation for approval.

The Elders are directly responsible to Jesus Christ, the head of the church. They are to pray for guidance of all matters of church life and practice. They shall give direction to the Deacons of the church as to the areas of their service and ministry. Prior to pursuing the business set before it, a quorum comprised of one-third of the Board’s members must be present.

SECTION 3. RESPONSIBILITIES

The Board of Elders basic responsibilities fall in the following areas:

(a) to lead the congregation by their example. (I Peter 5:3)

(b) to feed and protect the Believers. (Acts 20:28 – 31)

(c) to teach the Believers the Word of God. (Ephesians 4:11)

(d) to oversee the affairs of the church. (Hebrews 13:7)

Duties to include:

1. review of all federal, state, and local Not for Profit Organization tax and waiver forms and returns.

2. review and verify of all financial statements.

3. review the transfer of funds to Missions and related forms.

4. selection of appropriate teachers and review of all teaching materials and topics.

5. review and authorize all publications issued by this church.

6. review all library materials for appropriate content and release to the congregation.

7. ensure the health and welfare of the members by making themselves available to minister to the congregation in a true Christian manner.

SECTION 4. UNANIMITY

The Elders are responsible to seek the mind of the Lord through prayer and the wisdom of godly men who serve as Deacons in the church, before decisions affecting the whole body of Believers are made.

On matters affecting the whole church, every effort should be made through careful explanation and prayer to have all in one accord regarding the decision.

SECTION 5. TERM, DISMISSAL, RESTORATION

An Elder shall serve for a term of three (3) years, at which time he would become ineligible for the office of Elder for a period of one (1) year. However, in the event that there is not a qualified successor to an Elder that has fulfilled his term, the Elder shall remain in office until a qualified successor is elected. An Elder may resign prior to fulfilling a term of office as long as he believes it to be the will of God. All actions to dismiss an Elder shall either originate in or be referred to the Board of Elders. (If there are less than four (4) Elders, Deacons would be chosen to serve.) If such dismissal is necessary, the individual’s responsibilities as Elder shall be terminated immediately. He may be restored to the position of Elder upon recommendation of the membership by a three-fourths (3/4) majority of those present and voting and approval of the Board of Elders.

SECTION 6. CONGREGATIONAL APPROVALS

The Elders shall bring before the membership for approval any non-budgeted expenditure or indebtedness in excess of $750.00, the approval of an annual budget, and the calling or dismissal of the Pastor. For the selection of other pastoral staff members a policy shall be submitted to the membership for their approval.

SECTION 7. NOMINATING COMMITTEE

The Board of Elders shall function as the Nominating Committee, or may appoint a Nominating Committee, to select the slate of officers and all other elected offices within the church organization which will be submitted to the congregation for approval.

ARTICLE VI. DEACONS

SECTION 1. SELECTION AND QUALIFICATIONS

The Elders shall select those to serve as Deacons after much prayer. They should meet the scriptural standards as given in Acts 6:2 – 3 and I Timothy 3:8 – 12. They shall be presented to the congregation for approval and recognition as Deacons.

SECTION 2. TERM OF OFFICE

A Deacon shall serve for a term of three (3) years, at which time he would become ineligible for the choice of Deacon for a period of one (1) year. However, in the event that there is not a qualified successor to a Deacon who has fulfilled his term, the Deacon shall remain in office until a qualified successor is elected. A Deacon may resign prior to fulfilling a term of office as long as he, along with the Elders, believe it to be the will of God.

SECTION 3. RESPONSIBILITIES

The Deacons are to serve and assist the Elders in their work. The Deacons shall be entrusted by the Elders with various areas of service and work, based on their gifts and desires, and shall be directly responsible to the Elders. They shall meet with the Elders at the discretion of the Elders.

ARTICLE VII. THE PASTOR

SECTION 1. SELECTION

A Pulpit Committee shall be composed of members from the Board of Elders, and those appointed by the Board of Elders. There will be no less than five (5) and no more than seven (7) on the Committee. If there are less than four (4) Elders, Deacons would be chosen to serve. Candidates must meet the same Biblical qualifications as that of the Board of Elders, and must be in agreement with these bylaws.

SECTION 2. CALLING

With the recommendation of the Pulpit Committee to the Board of Elders for its unanimous (all) approval, the call will be extended for an indefinite period (except for dismissal as subsequently delineated) after acceptance by a three-fourths (3/4) majority of those present and voting by secret ballot at a regular or specially called meeting of the church. The call shall also include the salary, vacation, and the privilege of outside speaking engagements, and so forth. Only one candidate may be brought before the congregation at a time.

SECTION 3. PRIVILEGES

By virtue of his position, the Pastor shall be a member of the Church and a voting member of all committees and boards.

SECTION 4. DUTIES

The Pastor shall be devoted to the service of the Lord and His church, preaching and teaching the Word of God, administering the ordinances of the church, and faithfully giving himself to pastoral work. The Pastor shall have full responsibility for determining who shall be in the pulpit, whether he is present or absent. He shall also give an annual report of the work of the church.

The Pastor is more knowledgeable in finding replacements for the pulpit during times of replacements or during times of a visiting speaker. The Pulpit Committee shall give the Pastor all the needed assistance for the difficult task of helping to find people as replacements during worship service.

SECTION 5. DISMISSAL

All actions to dismiss a Pastor shall either originate in or be referred to the Board of Elders. If there are less than four (4) Elders, Deacons would be chosen to serve. If they deem the dismissal necessary, a letter concerning the reason for the Pastor’s termination of office, along with the proposed date, time and place of meeting will be submitted to the membership. A majority ballot of those present shall finalize the dismissal with the termination of the Pastor’s services at the time with his salary continuing for one month.

SECTION 6. RESIGNATION

The Pastor will submit a letter of resignation to the Board of Elders at least one month prior to his resignation.

ARTICLE VIII. MEETINGS

SECTION 1. ANNUAL MEETING, FINAL REPORTS AND FISCAL YEAR

(a) Annual Meeting – The regular annual meeting of the membership shall be held at the church during the first week in December of each year for the purpose of holding elections and adopting a budget with written proposals of candidates for office and proposed budget to be available to all active members at least seven (7) days prior to the review and vote.

(b) Final reports – Final reports of the previous fiscal year will be presented at the quarterly business meeting in January or later.

(c) The Fiscal Year – The fiscal year will run from January 1 to December 31. The term of all elected positions shall coincide with the fiscal year.

SECTION 2. SPECIAL MEETINGS AND SALE OR PURCHASE OF REAL ESTATE

(a) Special Meetings – A special meeting of the membership may be called at any time by the Board of Elders and such meeting must be called by the Board upon written request of any ten (10) members in good standing and entitled to vote.

(b) Sale or Purchase of Real Estate – The sale or purchase of real estate shall require a thirty (30)-day written notice and disclosure to all active members and a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present and entitled to vote at a special meeting of the membership called for that purpose. Active voting members voting on the sale or purchase of real estate must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age. The quorum for voting on the sale or purchase of real estate shall consist of one-fourth (1/4) of the active voting members who have attained the age of twenty-one

SECTION 3. NOTICE OF MEETINGS

All members entitled to vote shall be given notice of the annual business meeting and all special meetings either by written communication mailed not less than fifteen (15) days before the date of the meeting or by public announcement posted on the church bulletin board and announced from the pulpit on each of the two services preceding the date of the meeting. The notice shall state the time, place and purpose of the meeting and a brief summary of the business expected to be transacted at this meeting.

SECTION 4. MEETINGS FOR ADMISSION OR DISMISSAL OF MEMBERS

Notwithstanding any other provision of the bylaws relative to meetings, a meeting may be held at the

close of any worship service or prayer service for the purpose of admitting or dismissing members. No notice of such meeting need be given but no other business may be transacted at this meeting.

SECTION 5. RULES OF ORDER

Robert’s Rules of Order shall be used as a guide for procedures not covered by our bylaws.

SECTION 6 QUARTERLY BUSINESS MEETINGS

The regular quarterly business meetings of the church shall be held on the third Tuesday in January, April, July, and October if deemed necessary by the Board of Elders. Business meeting to be announced from the pulpit on the Sunday preceding the meeting.

ARTICLE IX. VOTING

SECTION 1. VOTING FOR REGULAR BUSINESS

Unless otherwise specified by this constitution regular business will be carried on a majority vote.

SECTION 2. QUORUM

Unless otherwise stated in these bylaws, one-fourth (1/4) of the active voting membership shall constitute a quorum.

ARTICLE X. ARTICLES OF DOCTRINE

1. We believe in the Scripture of the Old and New Testaments as the supernaturally inspired Word of God, and inerrant in the original writings, and that they are the supreme and final authority in the faith and life. II Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:21; Jeremiah 1:9; Psalm 119:89

2.

3. We believe in one God eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 48:16; Matthew 3:16; II Corinthians 13:14

4. We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, and born of a virgin, and is true God and true man. Luke 1:35; Matthew 1:18, 19

5. We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned and not only incurred physical death but also that spiritual death which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature, and in the case of those who have reached moral responsibility, become sinners in thought, word and deed. Romans 3:19, 23; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1 – 3,12

6. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood. Romans 4:25; Romans 5:16, 18; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3 – 5

7. We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into Heaven, and in His present life there as our High Priest and Advocate. Acts 2:32; I Timothy 2:5; I John 2:1

8. We believe in that blessed hope, the personal pre-millennial, and imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 4:16, 17; II Thessalonians 2; Titus 2:13

9. We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby become the children of God. Ephesians 2:8, 9

10. We believe that every born again person has been baptized by the Spirit into the Body of Christ and therefore has the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I Corinthians 12:13

11. We believe that every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ has still an old and sinful nature which wars against the soul. Romans 7:15, 25

12. We believe in the eternal security of all born again souls. John 10:28, 29; Romans 8:35 – 39; I Corinthians 1:4 – 8; I Peter 1:5

13. We believe that all the saved are called into a life of separation from all worldly and sinful practices. James 4:4; Romans 12:1, 2; II Corinthians 6:14; II Corinthians 7:1

14. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just, and the unjust, and the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost. John 5:28, 29; John 11:25, 26; Revelation 20:5, 6, 12, 13

15. The Ordinances of this church are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The mode of baptism (immersion) is to be administered to all who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. Matthew 3:16; Matthew 28:19; I Corinthians 11:24, 25

16. We believe in the personality, reality, and power of Satan, who ultimately will be cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 12:9, 10; Matthew 4:2 – 11:17.

ARTICLE XI. PROCEDURE FOR AMENDMENTS

SECTION 1. NOTICE OF CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES

The bylaws may be amended, modified, or rescinded or new bylaws adopted at any regular or special meeting of the membership, other than a meeting for the admission or dismissal of a member, provided that all members entitled to vote shall be given notice of the proposed change either by written communication mailed no less than fifteen (15) days before the date of the meeting by public announcements from the pulpit on each of the two (2) Sundays preceding the date of the meeting. The proposed constitutional change also shall be posted on the church bulletin board, and in the church bulletin, for the two Sundays preceding the meeting