Constitution and By-Laws of Crosspoint Christian Church

Selma, Alabama

Preamble

Crosspoint Christian Church is a local body of believers that is congregationally governed under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We believe the Holy Scripture as embodied in both the Old and New Testaments to be our final authority in all matters of life and faith.

Recognizing the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and desiring to clarify policies, promote unity, and conduct church business in an orderly manner, we form this constitution which includes statements of policy and articles of faith.

Article One

Name, Organization, Purposes

The name of this church shall be Cooper Christian Church of Selma, Alabama. This church was organized on August 8, 1969, and incorporated under the laws of Alabama on September 10, 1969. It is independent of all other organizations in the administration of its affairs. The name of the church changed to Crosspoint Christian on May 8^th, 2005 by a vote of the congregation.

The purposes are to maintain the worship of God and observe Christian ordinances; to promote Christian principles and to practice the Christian life as revealed in the New Testament; to save men lost to sin, both at home and in foreign fields; and to promote and advance Christ's Kingdom through all the earth.

Article Two

Statement of Faith

The Trinity

There is only one God. He is an intelligent spiritual and personal Being, the creator of all things seen and unseen, Ruler of the universe and beyond, redeemer, and preserver. The eternal God reveals Himself to us as The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with distinct personal attributes but without division of nature, essence or being. To Him we owe everything, even our very lives.

God - The Father

God the Father is the giver and sustainer of life. He is all loving, all knowing, all wise, all-powerful, and all just. He is the true God and the one who judges righteously and tests the heart and mind. God is Father to those who become His children through faith in his Son, whose name is Jesus the Christ, as Lord. All blessings on men come from Him for the saved or lost.

God - The Son

Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God. He and the Father are One. Through the person of Jesus, God became a man. He was conceived by the Spirit and born of a virgin. He lived His life sinless and perfect. He is the sacrificial Lamb by whom all men must be saved. Jesus accomplished this by allowing Himself to become sin for us and be crucified in our place. He died, and was buried. On the third day He was resurrected. Jesus is our advocate to the Father, and will return triumphant as King of Kings and Lord of Lords forever and ever. He is the Truth, the way, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Him.

God - The Holy Spirit

When Jesus went to the Father He said He would send the Comforter. He is the Holy Spirit, the deposit guaranteeing our inheritance as heirs with Christ. He convicts the world of sin and unrighteousness, draws men to Jesus for salvation, gives gifts and abilities to all believers, teaches us all things, works in the lives of believers to produce godly character to be the body of Christ and carry out the work of the Church. Â

THE BIBLE

The Bible is the historical record of God's activity written by men but inspired by God's Spirit and contains no error. It is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly equipped for every good work. The Bible is God's Word to man and is the final authority.

THE CHURCH

The church is a group of believers in Jesus Christ brought together by the Spirit of God to act as the body of Christ and carry out the work of The Great Commission under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We are to act as one, each carrying out his own bodily function as directed by the Spirit of God.

BAPTISM

Baptism is the public profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We are to be baptized after the example of Jesus. It symbolizes the remission of our sins through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

COMMUNION

Communion is an opportunity for personal examination and reflection as we observe the "Lord's death until He comes." The bread and cup are symbols of His body and blood, which were broken and spilled out for our salvation, and are done in remembrance of Him until He comes again.

HUMANITY

God created man in His image for the purpose of fellowship with Him. Man was created innocent but with free will and fell from his original state by sinning against God. Man's only hope for reconciliation with God was for God Himself to provide a way for man to come back to Him. Jesus paid that price and purchased us with His blood. There is no other means by which man can return to God.

Article Three

Church Fellowship

1. We believe in the principles of religious freedom and free moral agency of each individual; that salvation is a personal matter between the individual and God without interference of state, church or clergy; that church fellowship rests on loyalty and obedience to Christ, the Head of the Church; and that all members should be loyal to the local church.

2. We therefore consider all members to be in good standing and fellowship with this church who:

 a. Loyally attend worship services of the church, unless they have reasons worthy of keeping them away.

 b. Willing and voluntarily support the financial obligations of the church as they are able and the Lord may prosper them.

 c. By their attitude and behavior evidence the most cordial spirit of cooperation toward the execution of the whole program of the church as it may be set forth from time to time.

 d. By their conduct, both private and public, are worthy of their profession of faith and bring honor to the name "Christian" which they bear.

Article Four

Membership

1. Membership in this Church shall consist of persons who have made a public confession of their faith in Christ Jesus, followed by baptism, and have expressed a desire to follow the Statement of Faith of this Church, and have been voted on and accepted by the congregation.

2. Methods of Receiving Members:

a. Profession of Faith - a person presents himself to the pastor, professes his faith in Christ Jesus and accepts Him as Savior and Lord, is duly baptized, and is voted on and accepted by the congregation.
b.Transfer - a person presents himself during a worship service at the altar of the Church, declares his purpose to accept the Statement of Faith, and is voted on and accepted by the congregation.

c. Special Case - a person desires to unite with the church but because of a physical handicap or other hindrance cannot present himself, the pastor, in the presence of at least one member of the church, may receive him and present his name to the congregation for vote and acceptance. The pastor shall use the utmost discretion in handling special cases.

3. Termination of Membership:

a. Voluntary resignation - a member in good standing may ask that his name be removed from the church roll, and it shall be removed.

b. Death - the names of deceased members are to be automatically removed from the church roll, and will be entered in the register of deceased members.

c. Transfer - a member in good standing may indicate his desire that his membership be transferred to another church; the pastor or secretary will make the transfer by letter to the other church.

d. For Cause - the name of a member may be removed from the church roll by action of the congregation for cause.

Article Five

Licensing and Ordaining

1. Whenever a member in good standing believes his testimony, and pieties are evidences of a call to the ministry of this church, he shall make his desire known to the Administrative Board. The Administrative Board shall review his testimony, talk to him about his plans and education, and in general determine if he is a proper candidate for the ministry. If the results of the examination are favorable, the Administrative Board will issue him a license to preach which will be renewed annually for two years. After this period of trial, the Administrative Board with the approval of the pastor will authorize an Ordination Service to enable the candidate to assume the responsibilities and perform the duties of an ordained minister.

2. Should the character or reputation of a Licensed Minister warrant; the Administrative Board shall have the power to revoke his license. The Licensed Minister shall be notified of this action and given the privilege of trial, with renewal of his license if vindicated.

Article Six

Government

2. Annual Congregational meetings may be conducted.

3. The Annual Congregational Meeting or Church Conference:

a. The annual congregational meeting may be held on a date prior to the first board meeting in February.

b. The agenda of the annual meeting is as follows: report of the Administrator; report from department heads, reports from Associate Pastors, report from the Pastor, and presentation of the budget for the following year.

Article Seven

Operations

1. The normal operation of the Church shall be conducted by the Pastor, Administrator, Administrative Board, Associate Pastors, Department heads, and committees.

a. If necessary, the order of individuals in authority is as follows: Administrative Board, Pastor, Administrator, Associate Pastors, Deacons, and Department Heads.

2. The leadership of this church will operate under the guidelines set forth in the individual job descriptions.

3. The Administrative Board

a. This board shall be composed of the Chairman and at least nine members. Initial establishment of classes and the filling of any unscheduled vacancies will be determined by a random method of assignment. Except in extreme cases a board position shall be declared vacant if the individual occupying it is absent for one-half of the board meetings in a year unless otherwise agreed upon. Each Board member shall accept responsibility of serving as servant of one or more of the departments of the church.

b. The Chairman of the board shall be elected by the Administrative Board.

c. The board, Pastor, and Administrator have the authority to plan and to have general supervision of the entire church program. They have the duty to insure that all departments carry out their assigned responsibilities in the operation of the church and to keep the congregation informed of progress in all program areas.

d. The board will meet on the second and fourth Monday of each month and a quorum of 2/3^rd must be present to transact business. In the absence of a quorum items covered will be tabled until the next meeting. In case of emergency a special meeting can be called to handle the item. Detailed minutes will be taken of each meeting and copies will be prepared for the membership to pick up if they choose to. Members can also pick up a copy of the monthly financial report. The Chairman presides and is a voting member

e. The agenda for meetings of the Administrative Board will include, but is not limited to the following items: opening prayer; roll call; reading of minutes of previous meetings, if requested; reports of the committee chairmen; report from the pastor; and other appropriate business or reports.

f. Adding new Board members:

1. The church board will nominate and approve new members to be added.

2. Church members may recommend new members to the board by completing and signing the recommendation sheet.

3. The board will review all recommendations for qualifications before nomination.

4. The person will be asked if they are willing to serve.

5. If the person agrees to serve, the nomination will be announced in the Sunday bulletin for the next 3 weeks for prayer and consideration by the church membership. Serious concerns about any nomination will be submitted in writing and signed by the member to the official board by the end of the day on the third Sunday that the nomination appears in the bulletin.

6. Concerns will be addressed by the board to withhold nomination, wait for further discussions or approve the nomination to the board as appropriate.

7. Approved nominees will be added to the church board at that time.

4. Deacons

a. Deacons at Crosspoint Christian Church are men chosen to care for the members of the congregation. They will be assigned a family list and be responsible for checking on them and staying abreast of their physical and spiritual needs. They will be the eyes, ears, hands, and feet of the pastor. They will operate under the authority of the Pastor and any other assistant pastor on staff. They should report any needs to the pastor or his staff.

b. Selection of Deacons:

1. Deacons will be nominated and approved by the church board.

2. Church members may recommend members to the board by completing and signing the recommendation for deacon sheet.

3. The board will review all recommendations for qualifications before the nomination.

4. The person will be asked if they are willing to serve.

5. The name will be put in the Sunday bulletin for 3 weeks to solicit any comments or questions from membership.

6. Questions or comments by members will be in writing and will be signed by them before consideration by the Board.

7. All concerns expressed by members will be considered by the board and appropriate action taken to remove the name from consideration, hold it for later review, or nominate.

8. Approved nominees will be placed in the deacon training program to work with a deacon who is already serving until the training period ends. The training period will end when the pastoral staff and the board agree that the period has ended since no set time frame has been determined.

9. An appropriate ordination service will be conducted after the training period has ended.

8 May 05