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Church Covenant
Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, And on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, We do now, in the presence of God, angels, and this 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 acquaintances; To walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; To avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; To abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage, and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Saviour.
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; To remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; To be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rules of our Saviour 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.
7
Constitution
PREAMBLE:
For a more certain preservation and security of the principles of our Faith, and to the end that this body may be governed in an orderly manner as a Baptist Church, and for the purpose of preserving the liberties inherent in each individual member of this Church and the Freedom of action of this body with respect to its relation to other bodies, we do declare and establish this Constitution and Bylaws.
ARTICLE I - NAME:
The name of this body shall be ________________________________________________________.
ARTICLE II - DOCTRINES:
This church receives the Holy Scriptures as its authority in all matters of faith and practice. Its understanding of Christian Truth is adequately set forth in the Historic New Hampshire Confession (printed elsewhere in this booklet) and in the two statements of Faith as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1925 and again in 1963. The tract, "The Baptist Faith and Message", published by the Sunday School Board of the S.B.C. is a good statement of our essential position
ARTICLE III - CHARACTER:
Section 1. The purpose of this Church is to carry out the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ as found in Matthew 28:18-20.
Section 2. The organization of the Church shall be according to the Laws of the State of _____________. This Church shall seek fellowship and cooperation with regular missionary and doctrinally sound Baptist bodies. and shall begin this cooperation by joining the Association of Baptists, and shall continue this cooperation as long as it is the will of the Association and this Church.
Section 3. The polity, or government of this Church is vested in the body of believers that comprise it. It is subject to the control of no other organization but it recognizes and sustains the obligation of mutual counsel and cooperation.
Section 4. The procedure of this Church in regular business meeting shall be to follow Robert's Rules of Order Revised. Members under the age of eighteen (18) may be restricted from voting in decisions on property matters involving the expenditure of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) or more.