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By-Laws Proposal

effective September 12, 2010

 

ARTICLE I – NAME AND PURPOSE

ARTICLE II - AFFILIATION

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

ARTICLE IV – CONGREGATIONAL MEETINGS

ARTICLE V – BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ARTICLE VI – SENIOR PASTOR

ARTICLE VII – LAY DELEGATES

ARTICLE VIII – ADOPTION AND AMENDMENTS

CERTIFICATION1

 


ALL GOD'S CHILDREN METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH

 

BYLAWS

 

 

The following articles are in compliance with Minnesota Statutes pertaining to non-profit corporations - reference Chapter 317A.

 

 

ARTICLE I – NAME AND PURPOSE

 

 

  • The name of this church shall be All God's Children Metropolitan Community Church, herein “AGCMCC”, a non-profit organization incorporated under the laws of the State of Minnesota.

 

  • AGCMCC is organized exclusively for charitable, religious and educational purposes. The purpose of this church is Christian fellowship, worship, witness, and service, borne in the cooperation, program development, and implementation of UFMCC and local church Bylaws, Standard Operating Procedures, and Policies.

 

ARTICLE II - AFFILIATION

 

 

  • AGCMCC is a member congregation of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, herein “UFMCC”, and agrees to abide by the UFMCC Bylaws and decisions made by the UFMCC General Conference.  AGCMCC Bylaws are supplementary to those of the UFMCC and are to be read in conjunction with them.

 

  • The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches is the non-profit organization designated to receive the church’s property in the event of dissolution or abandonment of the church or failure to abide by the process for disaffiliation from the UFMCC in accordance with UFMCC Bylaws.

 

  • A decision to disaffiliate from the UFMCC shall be decided in accordance with UFMCC Bylaws.

 

 


ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

 

  • Application for membership shall be open to any baptized Christian who supports the Purpose Statement in Article I, Section B. No dues are required for membership.

 

  • Prior to the Rite of Membership, a prospective Member of AGCMCC shall attend a membership class, agree and sign the Covenant for Members form, complete the Membership Registration and Steward Pledge form and register to participate in a ministry. If a prospective Member of AGCMCC is transferring from another MCC church, the process will be the same. The Senior Pastor may waive certain classes under extraordinary circumstances.

 

  • A Member in good standing (i.e., Active Status) is a Member who registers regular attendance, provides identifiable financial support to the best of his/her ability, displays appropriate conduct and makes a definite service contribution. The list of Members in good standing shall be maintained by a member of the church staff, who shall report changes to the Board of Directors.

 

  • A Member shall continue in membership until such time as the Member requests to be removed from the list of Members or until death. Additionally, the Board of Directors is empowered to remove, by majority vote, any Member from the membership list who is not meeting the requirements of a Member in good standing, who displays disloyalty to the church or who displays unbecoming conduct.

 

  • The action of the Board of Directors may be appealed at the next regular Congregational Meeting or a Special Congregational Meeting called for that purpose. The decision of the Congregational Meeting is final. Pending the outcome of the appeal of discipline, the disciplined Member shall remain under discipline and shall retain the right to vote at regular and Special Congregational Meetings, including the Congregational Meeting held to consider the appeal. If, however, the discipline was to remove the Member from membership, then the disciplined former Member shall not be eligible to vote at the Congregational Meeting held to consider the appeal.

 

  • The request for an appeal shall be submitted to the Secretary of the Board of Directors within thirty (30) days following the date the Member was disciplined. The Board of Directors may consider the appeal and reverse its earlier decision without taking the matter to the Congregational Meeting. Should the Board of Directors sustain its earlier decision and the Member wishes the appeal to continue, the request shall be included as an agenda item for the next regular Congregational Meeting or a Special Congregational Meeting called for the purpose of considering the appeal.

 

  • In order for a Member to become inactive (i.e., Inactive Status), the Member will have no record of attending services for one year, or the Member will have no record of giving for one year, or the Member will not have been involved in a ministry for one year.

 

  • Any member who has been in an Inactive Status for over one year and wishes to have their membership reactivated will need to attend a membership class, agree and sign the Covenant for Members Form, complete the Membership Registration and Steward Pledge form, register to participate in a ministry and attend confirmation.

ARTICLE IV – CONGREGATIONAL MEETINGS

 

  • Government of the church is vested in its Congregational Meeting, subject to the provisions of the UFMCC Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, documents of legal organization, and the Regional and General Conferences.

 

  • A Congregational Meeting shall be held in November of each year at a time and place determined by the Board of Directors.

 

  • The Board of Directors shall determine the agenda for each Congregational Meeting.

 

  • The agenda shall include, but not be limited to, election of members to the Board of Directors, election of Lay Delegates in the appropriate year, presentation of financial reports (e.g., income and expense statement, balance sheet, accounts payables, disclosure of any payment or advance for indemnification, etc.), receiving reports from the Board of Directors, Lay Delegates and the Pastor, and any other items which will help direct the organization for the coming year.

 

  • Members may request that the Board of Directors add agenda items by submitting additional agenda items to the Secretary no later than three (3) weeks prior to the meeting.

 

  • The Board of Directors shall ensure that Members are notified in writing at least two (2) weeks in advance of each Congregational Meeting.

 

  • In order to transact business, a quorum for a meeting of Members is ten percent (10%) of the members entitled to vote at the meeting.  If a quorum has been present at a Congregational Meeting, and members have withdrawn from the meeting so that less than a quorum remains, the members still present may continue to transact business until adjournment.

 

  • Each Member has the right to vote.  Proxy or any other form of absentee voting shall not be allowed.

 

  • Decisions, including elections, require approval by a vote of more than fifty percent (50%) of those Members present and voting, unless otherwise required by UFMCC Bylaws or otherwise stated in these AGCMCC Bylaws.  Elections shall be taken by secret ballot.  Votes of affirmation from the floor are not permitted for elections.

 

  • A Special Congregational Meeting may be called either by (a) 2/3 vote of the Board of Directors, (b) a petition signed by at least 50 members with voting rights or ten percent (10%) of the members with voting rights, whichever is less, and submitted to the Secretary, or (c) by the Chair alone.

 

  • The nature and purpose of the Special Congregational Meeting shall be stated in the announcement from the Board of Directors, in the petition from the Members and in the agenda.

 

  • Special Congregational Meetings are governed by the same rules as those pertaining to the Congregational Meetings.

 


ARTICLE V – BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

  • The local church administrative body shall be the Board of Directors, which is authorized to provide administrative and policy leadership subject to the direction of the Congregational Meeting and to delegate responsibility of day-to-day operations to the staff and teams.

 

  • The Board of Directors shall have responsibility for all matters pertaining to the documents of legal organization and incorporation, church property, risk management, and physical and financial affairs of the church.  The Board of Directors shall be responsible for collecting and disbursing funds, keeping adequate church records, making timely reports to all Members and UFMCC, and fulfilling all responsibilities of a local church administrative body as stated in the UFMCC Bylaws.

 

  • The Board of Directors shall adopt Standard Operating Procedures that are routinely evaluated by the Board of Directors.  Such Standard Operating Procedures may be adopted or amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those Directors in attendance at a regular meeting of the Board of Directors. 

 

  • Members of the Board of Directors must be Members in good standing for a period of six months or more at AGCMCC. There shall be a minimum of seven and no more than nine Members on the Board.    The pastor shall serve as Chair, but shall have the right to delegate the Chair position to another Board Member. Members of the Board of Directors will agree to and sign a Leadership Covenant annually.

 

  • Candidates for the Board of Directors shall be nominated prior to each Annual Congregational Meeting by a Nominating Committee.  This Committee shall be appointed by the current Board of Directors and should include the board members that are rotating off as well as Congregants.  Board Members rotating off who are seeking to be re-elected shall not serve on the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall not exceed 7 members.  The role of the Nominating Committee is to review the skills and gifts that are necessary for board members to possess, evaluate the skill and gift sets of members of the Board of Directors whose terms continue and from this evaluation, determine the particular gifts and skills that are needed to complete the Board team, develop an application that is designed for finding the particular skills and gifts that are needed along with the necessary character traits, actively recruit congregants to apply, do a thorough evaluation of applications and schedule interviews as deemed appropriate by the committee, prepare a slate of candidates for the Congregation to vote on at a properly scheduled Congregational Meeting.   The slate should be exactly the number of open slates and should be voted up or down. In the event that the slate of candidates is voted down, the Nominating Committee shall re-start the process and select a different slate of candidates for presentation at a Special Congregational Meeting called for that purpose.   Until a slate of candidates is voted up by the Congregation, existing Board members shall continue to serve..

 

  • The term of office for members of the Board of Directors, except for the Pastor, shall be two-year staggered terms, with half being elected at each annual Congregational meeting.

 

  • The members of the Board of Directors receive no compensation other than reasonable expenses as determined and approved by the Board of Directors.

 

  • The Board of Directors shall meet at least monthly.  Except for executive sessions, meetings shall be open to all Members and to the public. Special meetings of the Board of Directors can be called upon the request of the Chair, or, a Board of Director member may call a special meeting by giving a five-day notice to all directors of the date, time, purpose and place of the meeting. If the date, time, purpose and place of a board meeting have been announced at a previous meeting of the board, notice is not required..

 

  • A majority of the members of the Board of Directors currently holding office is a quorum for the transaction of business.

 

  • A meeting summary and financial reports shall be available to Members within two (2) weeks after each meeting.  Meeting minutes shall be approved and posted following the next regularly scheduled Board of Directors meeting.  The minutes shall include a record of those present and decisions made.  A copy of the minutes shall become part of the permanent church records.

                                                     

  • There shall be four officers of the Board of Directors, consisting of a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. 

 

  • Election of Officers – During the first Board of Directors meeting following elections to the Board of Directors, the Board of Directors shall elect from among its members, persons to fill the positions of Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer.

 

  • Duties of Officers:

 

  • Chair  – The Pastor shall serve as Chair of the Board of Directors and shall convene regularly scheduled Board of Directors meetings and shall preside or arrange for other members of the Board of Directors to preside at each meeting in the following order: Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer.  The Pastor shall have the right to delegate the position of Chair to another member of the Board of Directors.

 

  • Vice-Chair – The Vice-Chair shall act as Chair of the Board of Directors in the absence, or upon the request, of the Chair and shall chair or direct teams on special subjects as designated by the Board of Directors.

 

  • Secretary – The Secretary shall be responsible for ensuring the maintenance of official correspondence and church records, and for ensuring that accurate records are kept of all meetings of the Board of Directors and of Congregational Meetings.  The Secretary is the officer authorized to receive petitions submitted to the Board of Directors, is responsible for sending out meeting announcements, distributing copies of agendas and minutes, and ensuring AGCMCC records are maintained.

 

  • Treasurer – The Treasurer shall work with the Board of Directors and the Finance Team to ensure the preparation and maintenance of all financial records.  This shall include a monthly financial report to the Board of Directors and an annual financial report to all Members and the public.  The monthly and annual financial reports shall reflect receipts, disbursements and outstanding financial obligations.

 

  • Resignation from the Board of Directors must be submitted in writing to the Secretary. In the event of any vacancy on the Board of Directors, the Board of Directors may appoint a Member to fill the vacancy. until the next Congregational Meeting, when an election shall be held to fill the vacancy.

 

  • The Board of Directors may remove a board member from their duties for dereliction of duty, unbecoming conduct and/or disloyalty upon a majority vote of the full Board of Directors.  A petition submitted to the Secretary and signed by twenty-five percent (25%) of the Members in good standing of the congregation may also initiate such a procedure.

 

  • A disciplined Board of Director member may appeal the action to the congregation at its next regular Congregational Meeting or at a special Congregational Meeting, which may be called for this purpose.  The decision of the Congregational Meeting is final.

 

  • Until the Congregational Meeting to consider the appeal, the position held by the disciplined Board of Director member shall remain vacant.

                                                                                        

  • Limitation of Liability – No director of officer of the church shall be liable for any act or failure to act by another director or officer of the church or by any employee of the church.  No director or officer of the church shall be liable for any loss arising from any fault in the title to any property acquired by the church.  No director or officer shall be liable for any loss arising in any security in which the church might invest, or from bankruptcy, insolvency, or wrongful act by any person to whom the church might entrust any of its property.  No director or officer of the church shall be liable for any loss due to error of judgment or oversight on his/her part, or for any other loss whatsoever occurring in the carrying out of the duties of his/her office, unless the loss arises from the director’s or officer’s own willful neglect or fraudulent or criminal practices.
  • AGCMCC shall protect every Board of Director member or Officer of AGCMCC against all costs arising in relation to his/her relations with AGCMCC, unless they are occasioned by his/her own willful neglect or fraudulent or criminal actions.
  • More than one person from a household, family, or committed relationship may not serve on the Board at the same time.  Similarly, no church employee (with the exception of the Pastor) or Clergy Candidate shall serve on the Board.

 

 


ARTICLE VI – SENIOR PASTOR

 

 

  • The Senior Pastor is the UFMCC clergy person with a license to practice who has been called by God and elected by AGCMCC to be responsible for the duties of teacher, preacher, and spiritual leader until such time that the relationship is terminated.  The Senior Pastor shall also fulfill such other roles and responsibilities as are stated in the UFMCC Bylaws and the AGCMCC Bylaws.

 

  • The Senior Pastor shall have authority for ordering all worship services of the church; determining when other worship services will be held; appointing compensated and uncompensated church staff; and determining compensation, vacation periods, and titles of office of the church staff, subject to approval from the Board of Directors.  The Senior Pastor shall serve as a voting member of the Board of Directors as the Chair, Personnel Director, and as the primary spokesperson for AGCMCC to the community.  The Senior Pastor may delegate duties as needed.

 

  • The Board of Directors and the Senior Pastor shall develop a covenant between the Senior Pastor and AGCMCC.  The covenant shall include a job description, and will address such matters as compensation that is consistent with equitable local standards, benefits, allowances and leave.  All provisions of the covenant shall be subordinate to UFMCC Bylaws. The Senior Pastor shall report on the progress of the organization, answer questions from the Board of Directors, and carry out the duties described in the job description. The Board of Directors can designate other duties as necessary.

                                                                                                                                         

  • In the event that a UFMCC clergy person is not available to serve as Senior Pastor, the Board of Directors may request the Regional Elder to appoint an Interim Pastoral Leader, who may be subject to a background check.  The term of office of the Interim Pastoral Leader shall be one (1) year.  If the Interim Pastoral Leader is a Member of AGCMCC, then the Interim Pastoral Leader shall have the authority to fulfill all of the roles and responsibilities of Senior Pastor.  If the Interim Pastoral Leader is not a Member of AGCMCC, then the Interim Pastoral Leader shall have the authority to fulfill all of the roles and responsibilities of Senior Pastor, except that the Interim Pastoral Leader shall serve as Chair of the Board of Directors and Congregational Meetings, with voice but no vote.

 

  • In the event of a vacancy in the position of Senior Pastor, a Pastoral Search Committee shall be formed and be responsible for presenting a qualified candidate for election at a Congregational Meeting.  The Pastoral Search Committee shall develop and implement the pastoral search process, including the criteria for election, working in consultation with the UFMCC Regional Elder.

 

  • The Pastoral Search Committee shall consist of one half of the members of the Board of Directors and an equal number of  Members in good standing elected at a Congregational Meeting.

 

  • To be elected, the candidate presented by the Pastoral Search Committee must receive more than eighty percent (80%) of the votes cast during a Congregational Meeting.

ARTICLE VII – LAY DELEGATES

 

  • AGCMCC shall elect one (1) Member for every one hundred (100) Members, or part thereof, to serve as a Lay Delegate. A Lay Delegate must be a Member in good standing for a period of six months or more at AGCMCC.

 

  • Lay Delegates shall be elected at the next regular Congregational Meeting following each UFMCC General Conference. Lay Delegates will agree to and sign a Leadership Covenant annually.

 

  • The term of office for each Lay Delegate shall be three (3) years.

 

  • The duties of Lay Delegates shall be to represent the congregation at UFMCC General and Regional Conferences and to communicate with the congregation regarding UFMCC concerns and policies.  When issues have been discussed and voted upon by Members prior to UFMCC General or Regional conferences, all Lay Delegates must vote the will of the Members on those issues.  If the sense of a resolution has been changed by amendment, the Lay Delegates shall exercise their best judgment in carrying out the will of the Members.

 

  • Congregational funding of the Lay Delegates’ expenses (e.g., transportation, registration, lodging, per diem at UFMCC General and Regional Conferences, etc.) shall annually be determined through the standard budgetary process.

 

  • When a Lay Delegate is unable or unwilling to attend a UFMCC General or Regional Conference, the Board of Directors may appoint a Member in good standing to serve as an Alternate Lay Delegate for that Conference.  The funding shall be the same as for the Lay Delegate.

 

  • The Board of Directors may remove a Lay Delegate from their duties for dereliction of duty, unbecoming conduct, or disloyalty, upon a majority vote of the full Board of Directors.  A petition submitted to the Secretary and signed by twenty-five percent (25%) of the Members in good standing may also initiate such a procedure.

 

  • A disciplined Lay Delegate or Alternate Lay Delegate may appeal the action to the congregation at its next regular Congregational Meeting or at a special Congregational Meeting which may be called for this purpose.  The decision of the Congregational Meeting is final.

 

  • Until the Congregational Meeting to consider the appeal, the position held by the disciplined Lay Delegate shall be filled by an Alternate Lay Delegate.

 

ARTICLE VIII – ADOPTION AND AMENDMENTS

 

 

  • These AGCMCC Bylaws shall become effective immediately upon adoption by Members at a Congregational Meeting and approval by the UFMCC Regional Elder.

 

  • These Bylaws may be amended or repealed at any duly convened Congregational Meeting. Proposed amendments or repeals shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary no later than thirty (30) days prior to the Congregational Meeting at which the proposed amendments or repeals are to be considered.  Adoption of proposed amendments or the repeals shall require approval by a two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote by Members present and voting at a meeting properly called under these By-Laws and is subject to approval by the UFMCC Regional Elder.

 

  • Amendments necessitated by amendments made to the UFMCC Bylaws shall not require approval by the congregation.

 

 


CERTIFICATION

 

The Board of Directors moved that Members adopt these AGCMCC Bylaws and repeal the AGCMCC Bylaws adopted on May 1, 2005 during a meeting of the Board of Directors by a majority vote on August 16, 2010. These AGCMCC Bylaws were then subsequently approved by Members at a Congregational Meeting by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote on September 12, 2010.

 

Secretary: _______________________________________________ Date: ________________________