Convention Baptist Center Church

Purok 2, Gilda Subd., Guihing,

Hagonoy, Davao del Sur

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

VISION:

That Convention Baptist Center Church, as a growing Church will become the
foundation of moral and spiritual values, evangelism, Christian Education, and
community services - all for the glory of God.

MISSION:

To gather and nurture community of believers with the teachings of Jesus

Christ, to develop in them that genuine passion for ministry, and to provide them
opportunities to serve.

ARTICLE I : NAME AND LOCATION

The name of this church shall be CONVENTION BAPTIST CENTER CHURCH, and it shall
be located at Gilda Subdivision, Guihing, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur.

ARTICLE II: STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The purpose of Guihing Convention Baptist Center Church shall be as follows:

1. To glorify God by establishing a growing church in Gilda Subdivision,Guihing, that

faithfully teaches and obey the Scriptures;
2. To reach out in witness to the Guihing community; and
3. To contribute to the growth and ministry of the Philippine Convention Baptist Churches
and the universal church by outreaches and church planting.

ARTICLE III: STATEMENT OF FAITH

Sec. 1. The Bible

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original
manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has been divinely
preserved for us. The bible is Gods supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
Scripture ref. 2 Peter 1:21; 2 Tim. 3:16; John 17:17

Sec. 2 The Trinity

We believe in One Living and true God, eternally existing in three persons: God the Father, God
the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These Divine Persons of the Godhead are equal in every divine
perfection and they execute but harmonious offices in the works of creation, providence, and
redemption. 2 Cor. 13:14; John 14:26; Matt.3:16,17; 28:19

Sec. 3 God the Father

We believe in God the Father, an infinite and personal spirit. He is perfect in all holiness,
wisdom, power and love. He is concerned with the affairs of men. He hears and answers prayer.
He saves from sin and death, and He gives new life to all who come to Him through Jesus
Christ. Ps. 90:2; John4:24; Matt. 6:9-13; Rom.11:33-36;3:23-26

Sec. 4 Jesus Christ

We believe in Jesus Christ, Gods only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe
in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning
death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and
personal visible return to earth. John 3:16; Matt. 1:18-21; Heb.4:14,15; John 20:31;I Pet. 3:18; I
Cor. 15:3,4; Heb. 7:25; Acts 1:11

Sec. 5 The Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit who came from the Father and the Son to convict the world of sin,
righteousness, and judgment. He is a Divine Person who imparts spiritual life to all who have
faith in Christ. He sanctifies, indwells, guides, empowers, and enlightens every true believer in
Jesus Christ, and He is the abiding helper, comforter. And teacher of every Christian. John
14:16-17,26; 16:17-11; 3:5; Acts 1:8; 1Cor.6:19

Sec. 6 Man

We believe that man was created by God in His own image, holy and without sin. However, he
willfully transgressed the commandment of God and become a sinner. Because of this, the Bible
teaches that all men are sinners in Adam, and are thus under the righteous condemnation of God.
Man is not only a sinner by nature, but also by choice. Because of his sinful and corrupt nature,
man has no power or ability to save himself from the sure wrath of God. Gen. 1:27; rom. 5:12-
19; Isa. 64:6 ; Ps. 51:5; Rom 3:19

Sec. 7 Regeneration

We believe that a sinner can be saved only by the mercy, grace, and love of God who provided a
Savior for the world, His divine Son, Jesus Christ. In order to be saved, a sinner must repent of
his sin and trust in Christ as his personal Savior and Lord. A sinner who has exercised this faith
is counted by God and righteous in Christ and is regenerated by the Holy Spirit. :16; I Tim. 1:15;
Titus 3: 4-7; Eph. 2:8,9 John 1:12 ; 2 Cor. 5:21
Sec. 8 The Church

We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all
regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of
believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship,
work and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the
primary task of giving the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world. Eph. 1:22,23; 4:11-13; Matt.
28: 18-20; Acts 2:41-47; 13:1-3

Sec. 9 Christian Conduct

We believe that every member should live for the glory of God. The Christian life begins at the
moment an individual receives Christ as Savior. As the Christian feeds on Gods Word, as he
prays, and as he allows the Holy Spirit to guide and empower him, his Christian life is
strengthened in holiness and knowledge of Gods will.

We believe that the ,life of a believer must be blameless before God and the world. The
Christian should avoid every appearance of evil, and he should exemplify the purity and beauty
of Christ. He must be faithful steward of his worldly possessions and of his God-given talents. A
Christian should unite with a local church where the gospel is preached in order to have
fellowship with Gods people, and to support the work of the Gospel with his service and his
giving.

Article IV AFFILIATION

This church shall be a member of the Convention Baptist churches of the Philippines, on a
voluntary basis. As a member it shall send delegates to General Assemblies called by the CBCP
and shall support the missionary ministries of the CBCP.

Article V Church Membership

SEC. 1 This church shall receive members in the following manner:

1 Upon profession of faith in Jesus Christ and undergoing water baptism for believers; the
new members shall then be received by the church in a worship service.

SEC. 2 Members have the following responsibilities:

1 Regularly attend worship and communion services;

2 Actively serve the Lord in and through the church, according to the gifts God has given each
one and as there is opportunity;

3 Sacrificially give for the support of the church and its ministries;

4 Faithfully observe a designated time every day for personal study and meditation of the
Scriptures and prayer for oneself, the church and its leaders, and willingly recognize the
authority of the leaders of the church and accept discipline that is in accordance with Scriptures;
SEC. 4 Membership may be terminated by:

1. Transfer of membership to another church;

2. Voluntary withdrawal for personal reasons;

SEC.5 Associate Member

Any qualified member in good standing of another Baptist Church some distance from
this church who presently is temporarily residing in this area and desires to affiliate with the
Convention Baptist Center Church for worship, fellowship and service may request an
Associate Membership standing while maintaining his regular membership in his home
church.

An associate member shall enjoy all the rights and privileges of the church except the
right to be voted upon for any office.

ARTICLE VI CHURCH COUNCIL

SEC. 1 The spiritual care of the church shall be the responsibility of the duly called and paid
Pastor, the Council (1 (Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9;Peter 5:1-9), and the deacons and deaconesses
( Acts 6:1-6; Timothy 3:8-13) The church members and the Church Council which shall be
responsible for the life and work of the Church.

SEC. 2 The administration of the church shall be shared by the Council and the Pastor.

SEC. 3 The congregation is composed of the following: The Pastor as the steward; the Church
Council; Board of Deacons and the members.

SEC. 4 The members are the auxiliary organization with the pastor as the Counselor; Adult ;
Young People and Young Teens;

SEC. 5 Young teens are those ranging from ages 12 to 15; Young people and Young
professionals from ages 17 to 35 and adult men and women from ages 40 above; seniors and
elders, from ages 55 and above.

SEC. 6 The Church members elect from among themselves for a term of two years, the
Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and such other officers as shall be deemed
necessary.

SEC. 7 The Church Council shall also organize Committees to manage and administer special
events or occasions:

1. Wedding
2. Child Dedication
3. Baptismal
4. Foundation Anniversary
5. Thanksgiving/Christmas celebration
6. Holy Week commemoration
 7. Funeral Services
8. Pulpit Committee

SEC. 8 - The Secretary shall be responsible for church correspondence, minutes, reports, and the
church roll.

SEC. 9 The Treasurer shall be responsible for the receiving, counting, depositing and
disbursing of funds as authorized by the church and for keeping books concerning the finances of
the church.

SEC. 10 The Auditor of the council will have to examine the books of accounts and other
related records of collections and disbursement.

SEC. 11 The Church Council shall meet once a month to pray together and consider the work
of the church.

SEC. 12 - Two-thirds of the Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

Article VII QUALIFICATIONS, DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Sec. 1. The Pastor

A. Qualifications

1. Personal and moral qualities as listed in 1 Tim. 3:1-7

2. Spiritual gifts and calling to this ministry
3. Sufficient training and/or experiences for the work, preferably but not necessarily
ordained.
4. Has a good background in his previous ministries. The church Council should seek the
pastors background
5. A graduate of Theology affiliated with the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches.

1. B. Calling a Pastor
2. If a vacancy occurs , the Church Board shall elect a pulpit committee of five members of
which at least two shall be deacons and appoint a convenor of the committee.
3. This pulpit committee shall draw up a job description for the vacant position based on the
present needs of the church which shall be approved by the Church Board. With this in
hand, the Committee shall then prayerfully seek out possible candidates. These shall be
considered as a group by the committee, but only one person shall be recommended to
the church to be called as pastor.
4. The recommendation of the pulpit committee shall be presented at a special church
business meeting after announcement of this meeting and its purpose have been made
known two previous Sundays in the Church. The pulpit committees recommendation
requires a three-fourths (3/4) majority vote of the active church members before a pastor
can be called.
5. Terms of a call must be approved by the church.

1. C. Duties of a Pastor
 2. To preach and teach the Word of God.
3. To serve as spiritual counselor and advisor of the members.
4. To plan and recommend church activities to the church board.
5. To train members for active participation in worship service and witness
6. To set an example in godliness and devotion to God.
7. To serve ex-officio on all church boards and adviser to all standing committees and
organizations of the church.

1. D. Termination of Pastors Services

2. A pastor may resign at any time he so chooses sensing the Lords leading. A notice of at
least thirty days shall be given before terminating his work.
3. A pastor may be terminated by the Disciplinary Committee of the Ministers Association.
Just cause for termination must be presented, ex. Not fulfilling his duties, moral or
spiritual turpitude or physical incapacity.

1. E. MINISTERIAL CODE OF ETHICS- ( Ref. Ministerial Code of Conduct pp.

210-214)

I. Personal Conduct

1. Must cultivate his personal life continuing steadfastly in reading the Bible, meditation
and prayer.
2. Must endeavor to keep himself physically and emotionally fit for his work.
3. Must endeavor to live within his income and will not carelessly leave unpaid debt behind.
4. Must strive to grow in his work through comprehensive reading and careful study and
attending conventions, conferences, institutes and retreats.
5. Must be honest in his stewardship of money.
6. Must not plagiarize.
7. Must seek to be Christ-like in his personal attitudes and conduct toward all people
regardless of race, class, gender or creed.

II. Relationship to the Church

1. Will dedicate time and energy to Christian ministry and maintain strict standards of
discipline.
2. Will not seek special gratuities.
3. Strive with evangelistic zeal build up his church but will maintain a Christian attitude at
times toward members of other religious bodies.
4. Will under no circumstance not violate confidences that come to him as minister.
5. Will strive to strengthen the congregation when leaving the pastorate regardless of
circumstances.

III. Relationship to Fellow Ministers

1. Will refuse to enter into unfair competition with other ministers in order to secure a pulpit
or place of honor.
 2. Will seek to serve my fellow ministers and their families in every way possible and in no
instance will accept fees for such service.
3. Will refrain from speaking disparagingly about the work of either my predecessor or
successor.
4. Will refrain from frequent visits to a former field and if, in exceptional cases, I am called
back for a funeral or a wedding and will request that the resident minister be invited to
participate in the service
5. Will never embarrass my successor by meddling in the affairs of the church I formerly
serve.
6. Will be courteous to any predecessor of mine when he returns to the field, and will be
thoughtful of any retired minister.
7. Upon retirement from active ministry, give my pastor my loyal support.
8. Will hold in sincere respect any minister whose work is well done, regardless of the size
or the nature of the field he serves.
9. Will not gossip about other ministers.
10. Will strive to strengthen the congregation when leaving a pastorate regardless of the
circumstances.

Sec. 2 Deacon Board

1. A. Composition

This board shall consist of ten deacons who will be elected by the church members
recommended by the pastor. The Board shall serve the church for a term of two years. There
shall be one additional deacon to represent the young people, particularly the youth president
who shall automatically be a member of the Board. To become and remain a deacon they must
be acknowledged as qualified according to the standards of the New Testament. ( 1 Tim.3:8-13).
In case of vacancy, the congregation shall convene and elect a deacon to fill up the vacancy. If
the chairmanship is vacant, the vice chairman shall automatically be the chairman, if declined,
thereafter the members of the board/ congregation shall elect a new chairman to fill up the
vacancy.

1. B. Responsibilities
1. To oversee the spiritual life and activities of the church together with the pastor.
This includes planning for worship, teaching emphasis, prayer, evangelism and
outreach, and home visitations of members.
2. To assist in the administering of the ordinances of baptism and the Lords Supper.
3. To be responsible together with the pastor for organizing membership training
classes.
4. To meet regularly for prayer on behalf of the church family and ministries.
5. To serve as members of the Church Board and to bring appropriate
recommendations both to that Board and to the church body as needed.
6. To attempt to restore any church member who has become inactive.
7. To review the church membership at least annually and make appropriate
recommendations.

Sec. 3 Secretary
 1. The secretary shall keep accurate minutes of all church business meetings and shall
record those minutes in the churchs permanent record book. The secretary of the church
shall also serve as secretary of the Church Board.
2. The secretary shall handle all routine church correspondence that may be assigned by
either the Pastor or the Church Board.
3. The secretary shall keep an accurate and up-to-date membership record.

Sec. 4 Treasurer

1. The treasurer shall keep an account of all money received as well as the money spent
making sure there are vouchers and receipts for all disbursements.
2. The treasurer shall make monthly reports to the Church Board and post these reports on
the Bulletin Board.
3. He shall keep necessary savings and checking accounts in the name of the church
providing for two other names either of which shall be the second signatory. These
should be approved by the Church Board.
4. He shall pay all bills which the church incurs provided that they have been authorized by
the church budget or action by the Church Board. He shall also disburse missionary
contributions according to church action. There shall be no unauthorized expenditures.

Sec. 5 Christian Education Director

1. The Director shall be appointed by the Pastor from among qualified members.
2. The director shall supervise and direct the church Sunday School and all its departments.
3. The director in consultation with the Pastor shall appoint the Sunday School
superintendent, teachers and Sunday School workers. However, appointments of the
superintendent and teachers shall require the approval of the Church Board.
4. The director shall see to it that materials for Sunday School are always available, and in
such case,if materials may run out, notify the Board and the treasurer the need to
purchase such materials, as soon as possible.

Sec. 6 Sunday School Superintendent

1. The superintendent shall assume the duties and responsibilities of the Sunday School
teacher in the event of her/his absence.
2. She/He shall assist the director in the implementation of the work of the Sunday School.

Sec. 7 Church Board

1. Composition

All deacons and deaconesses as well as all other elected church officers and the presidents of all
recognized church organizations shall be members of the Church Board. Pastor(s) to be ex-
officio members.

1. A. Officers and Committee

1. The Board shall elect a chairman and a vice chairman every year (pastors not
eligible)
 2. The Board shall divide itself into working committees such as worship, finance,
etc. as it sees fit.

Sec. 8 Responsibilities of Church Council

1. To provide overall coordination and direction for the church including its missionary
outreach.
2. To review, evaluate, and recommend programs for the church.
3. To approve any unbudgeted expenditures not exceeding P300.00
4. To establish priorities on budgeted items.
5. To prepare annual budget for presentation to the church.
6. To establish the agenda for business meetings.
7. To serve as the church personnel committee with authority to grant permission to the
pastor(s) to be away from the church for five days or more under what conditions. In
extreme emergencies, such permission may be granted by any member of the Board,
preferably the chairman or vice chairman.
8. To pray for the total work of the church and its missionary outreach.

ARTICLE VIII ELECTIONS

SEC. 1 Nominations

1. A nominating committee shall be elected by the church at least one month before the
annual elections. This committee shall be responsible to present a complete slate of nomination
at the time of the election. These nominations shall be posted at least one week before elections.
2. Every person presented in nomination shall have been notified by the committee and shall
given his consent.
3. Nominations shall be accepted from the floor provided that the above condition of prior
consent has been followed.

SEC. 2 Officers and Terms of Office.

1. The Church Council and Board of Deacons shall be elected for a term of two years.

SEC. 3 Elections

1. The election of the church officers will normally be held at the Annual meeting. Newly-
elected officers assume office immediately after the annual meeting.
2. Election of officers shall be conducted by viva voce to save time taking into
consideration the members duties related to their work outside church work.
3. All organizations of the church shall elect their respective officers annually.
4. Vacancies incurred during the calendar year will require the church board to prepare
recommended nominations to the church for approval.

ARTICLE IX : MEETINGS
SEC. I The annual meeting of the church for business, election of officers and planning shall
be held every second Sunday of January. Regular meetings shall be held every second Sunday of
the month

SEC.2 Special business meetings of the Church may be called as the need arises.

SEC. 3 A simple majority of the members at the time of the meetings shall constitute a quorum
for the transaction of business.

SEC. 4 A simple majority vote of the members present shall be required for the adoption of
any motion or action which will be held with/during the Councils deliberation or formulation of
resolution in order to save time except when the laws or regulations of Convention Baptist
Center Church, Inc. may require a larger number.

ARTICLE X: SEAL

The Convention Baptist Center Church will bear this logo. The logo does not merely display a
picture of a building, but it also shows an ARROW-shaped image pointing upwards. This intends
to express the goal of our church for its members to grow spiritually- it also points upwards for
the reason that what we do within our church is motivated by our goal to give glory to our God.

The ARROW is divided into four POSTS symbolizing the four major missions of our
church, e.i. 1.) Moral and spiritual values- first post, 2.) Christian education second post,

3.) Evangelism third post, and 4.) Community service fourth post.

The CROSS in the middle of the logo shows that Jesus Christ is the central tenet of our
Christianity. The life and teachings of Jesus Christ serve as our ultimate guide for living.

ARTICLE XI : PROPERTY

The property of this organization shall be held in the name of Convention Baptist Center Church
and not in the name of an individual. No real property or buildings may be bought, sold, rented
mortgaged, exchanged or otherwise dealt with without the consent of a three-fourths majority of
the assembled members of the church at a meeting called for that purpose, said meeting having
been announced in four consecutive Sunday worship services held previous to the date of the
meeting.
ARTICLE XII : AMENDMENTS

SECTION I To amend the Constitution and/or By-Laws, a three fourths majority vote of the
active/assembled members with the necessary quorum shall be required. The vote to amend the
Constitution and/or By-Laws is to be taken only after the meeting called for such purpose has
been announced in four immediately preceding consecutive Sunday worship services.

SECTION II A certified true copy of all and any amendments to the Constitution and/or By-
Laws shall be duly submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission of the Republic of the
Philippines.