West Salem Baptist Church

CONSTITUTION

Article 1 Name

The name of this church shall be West Salem Baptist Church

Article 2 Purpose and Priorities

The purpose of this Church shall be to worship God according to the teaching of His Word, to practice the precepts and examples of the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ as set forth in the New Testament, to sustain its ordinances and doctrines and to preach and propagate among all peoples the Gospel of Salvation which is by repentance and personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

The priorities of ministry of this church flow from the vision of God’s glory revealed in Jesus Christ. We exist to savor this vision in worship, strengthen this vision in nurture and education, and spread this vision in evangelism and missions.

Article 3 – Statement of Faith

This church holds that the Bible is the plenary, verbally inspired Word of God, that it is inerrant in the original autographs, and that it is infallible and fully sufficient for all faith and practice. This church adopts The Second London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 (Modern English Version) with modifications as listed in Appendix A as our standard of doctrine, subordinate to the Bible.

Article 4 – Church Covenant

Having been brought by God’s grace to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we now, depending upon the Holy Spirit, establish this covenant with one another. In all we do, we will aim to glorify and enjoy the God of our salvation, from whom and through whom and to whom are all things: to Him be all glory forever! (1 Cor. 10:31; Rom. 11:36)

We will eagerly maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace by walking together in love and in the Spirit and by putting away all bitterness, anger, and injurious speech. (Eph. 4:3; Gal. 5:16, 25; Eph. 4:29, 31) With humility and gentleness, patience and love, we will be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God, for Christ’s sake, has forgiven us. (Eph. 4:1-2; Luke 17:3; Col. 3:13; 1 Thess. 5:11; 1 Pet. 1:22) We will carry each other’s burdens, rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep. (Gal. 6:2; Rom. 12:15)

We will train our children in the instruction of the Lord, seeking to walk in a way that adorns the gospel of Christ before our family, friends, and neighbors (Prov. 22:6; Eph. 6:4; 1 Pet. 3:1). We will strive to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age, as we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. (Gal. 5:22-24; Titus 2:12; 1 Pet. 1:14)

We will not neglect to gather together, but will support and treasure the biblical preaching of the whole counsel of God, the faithful observance of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and the loving exercise of church discipline. (Heb. 10:25; 2 Tim. 4:2; Acts 2:38; 1 Cor. 11:26; Matt 18:17; 1 Cor. 5:13) We will contribute cheerfully and generously to the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the advancement of the gospel both to our neighbors and the nations. (Matt. 28:19; Luke 12:33; 2 Cor. 9:7) We will, when we move from this place, unite as soon as possible with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word.

In all these things, we rely on our God who has made a new and everlasting covenant with us, saying: “They shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. . . . I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing them good . . . with all my heart and all my soul.” (Jer. 32:38-41)

Article 5 – Leadership and Organization

The offices of the Church shall be Elder, Deacon, and Trustee. The purpose of the officers of the Church is to lovingly govern, care for, and equip the membership to do the work of the ministry.

The leadership of the Church shall be vested in the Elders who are responsible for governing the Church, teaching the Word and tending the flock of God in this Church. The Elders shall be equal in authority but may be specialized in function.

The Deacons shall advise and be ready to assist the Elders in any service that shall support and promote the ministry of the Word, new and existing ministries of the Church, and the care for the members of the congregation.

The Trustees shall hold in trust the title to the property of the church and represent the church in all legal responsibility regarding the purchase, improvement, and disposal of church property. They shall have no power to buy, sell, mortgage, lease, or transfer any property of the church without the recommendation of the Elders and a specific vote of the church authorizing such action.

Under the authority of Jesus Christ and the Word of God, the Congregation of the Church expresses or exercises authority through the election of officers to govern the Church. However, the vote of the membership of this Church at a properly called meeting, as provided in the By-Laws, shall be required to effect the following actions:

Accept members into the Church or approve removal of members from the Church roll according to Elder recommendation;

Elect officers of the Church;

Discipline members by dismissing them and discipline officers by removing them from office;

Approve annual budgets of the Church and approve any transactions regarding real property;

Accept, reject, or otherwise dispose of any matter submitted to the membership of the Church by the Elders;

Approve the call of Vocational Pastors, Ministers, and Directors.

Article 6 – Church Property

If, at any time this church shall determine to alter the nature of its beliefs and practices as set forth in this Constitution, and the decision is by less than a unanimous vote of all active resident members and leads to a division of this Church, from which may God in His mercy save us, the property of this Church shall belong to that group remaining loyal to this constitution though it may not be the largest group in such division. Should any controversy arise as to whether such loyalty exists, the question shall be submitted to an arbitration board consisting of three elders each from a different church that adheres to and promotes historically reformed Baptist doctrines and principles as outlined in the The Second London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689. Assistance, if needed, in selecting the three board members should be sought through organizations previously approved by the Elders. The decision of the three member board shall be final.

Should conditions arise where a consolidation with another church of like mind and doctrine be advisable, the Elders shall be authorized by the Church to negotiate the terms of such consolidation in so far as the property of this Church is concerned.

Should a condition arise at any time in the future when for any reason, the Church work cannot continue, the Church property shall be sold or transferred by the Trustees and net proceeds distributed as directed by the Elders.

Article 7 – Indemnification

Mandatory Indemnification

If a legal claim or criminal allegation is made against a person because he or she is or was an officer, employee, or agent of the church, the church shall provide indemnification against liability and costs incurred in defending against the claim if the Elders determine that the person acted (a) in good faith, (b) with the care an ordinarily prudent person in a similar position would exercise under similar circumstances, and (c) in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in the best interest of the church, and the person had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.

Permissive Indemnification

At the discretion of the Elders, the church also may indemnify any person who acted in good faith and reasonably believed that his or her conduct was in the church’s best interest and not unlawful.

Procedure

If a quorum of the Elders is not available for an indemnification determination because of the number of Elders seeking indemnification, the requisite determination may be made by the membership or by special legal counsel appointed by the membership.

Article 8 – Amendments

The procedure for amending the Constitution shall be:

Any member in good standing may present a written, proposed amendment to the Elders.

The Elders shall act as an amendment committee and shall determine which proposed amendments to present to the church.

A written statement of proposed amendments that meet the approval of the Elders shall be made available to the membership at least ten days prior to the date of the church business meeting for voting on the amendment.

Amendments must be affirmed by a two-thirds majority vote of those members present and voting.

A copy of this Constitution, along with amendments to or revisions thereof, shall be maintained in the church offices and made available to any church member upon request.

BY-LAWS

Article 1 Membership

Qualifications

To qualify for membership in this church, a person must be a believer in Jesus Christ, who gives evidence of regeneration, who has been baptized, in obedience to Christ, and who wholeheartedly believes in the Christian faith as revealed in the Bible. Each member must agree to submit to the teaching of Scripture as expressed in the Statement of Faith as outlined in the constitution and must promise to keep the commitments expressed in the Church Covenant. The Elders shall be responsible for determining each person’s qualification for membership. In making this determination, they may rely on a person’s profession of faith and such other evidence, as the Elders deem appropriate.

Admission

To be admitted into church membership, applicants shall be recommended by the Elders for admission and accepted by vote of the members at any regular or special business meeting and shall at that point relinquish their membership in other churches.

Duties and Responsibilities

In accord with the duties enumerated in the Church Covenant, each member shall be privileged and expected to participate in and contribute to the ministry and life of the church, consistent with God’s leading and with the gifts, time, and material resources each has received from God. Only those shall be entitled to serve in the ministries of the church who are members of this congregation in good standing and who are not under any disciplinary action; non-members may serve on a case-by-case basis with the approval of the Elders. Notwithstanding, non-members may serve the church for purposes of administration and professional consultation.

It is the privilege and responsibility of members to attend worship and business meetings and vote on the election of officers, on decisions regarding membership status, and on such other matters as may be submitted to a vote.

Instruction to New Members

All persons uniting with this Church in any of the ways set forth above shall previously, by the Elders, be made acquainted with the Church Covenant and the Statement of Faith. By making a public profession of faith and joining the church, new members pledge themselves to fulfill their stewardship obligations as to worship, service, and giving.

Organization for Ministry

Members of this church shall have the liberty to participate in and organize themselves for ministry, provided that such participation and organization does not conflict with the Constitution. Any such organization must seek church sanction from the Elders as an official ministry of the Church. Such sanction shall be granted provided that

1) the object, purpose, belief and conduct of the organization and its members are consistent with the Constitution, and 2) the primary officers of the organization are members of the church. Sanction by the Elders does not necessarily imply support of the organization by the church with personnel, finances, or facilities. Such support may be requested in writing and submitted to the leadership of the church for review.

Discipline

Any member continuing in flagrant and unrepentant sin, or consistently neglectful of his or her duties or guilty of conduct by which the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be dishonored, and so opposing the welfare of the church, shall be subject to the admonition of the Elders and the discipline of the church, according to the instructions and the example of Scripture. Church discipline, then, should ordinarily be contemplated after individual private admonition has failed.

Church discipline can include admonition by the Elders or congregation, suspension from communion for a definite period, deposition from office, and excommunication. The purpose of such discipline should be for the repentance, reconciliation, and spiritual growth of the individual disciplined; for the instruction in righteousness and good of other Christians, as an example to them; for the good of our corporate witness to non–Christians; and supremely for the glory of God by reflecting His holy character.

Termination

The church may recognize the termination of a person’s membership in the following ways:

Death of the member

Request for a letter of transfer to another Baptist church

Membership in a church of another denomination

Exclusion as an act of discipline by the church

By written or verbal request of member desiring termination provided the member is not under church discipline.

Failure to attend the church services.

The church shall have authority to refuse a member’s voluntary resignation or transfer of membership to another church, either for the purpose of proceeding with a process of church discipline, or for any other biblical reason. All recommendations for termination of membership shall be presented to the church at a regularly or special called Business Meeting for simple majority vote by the congregation.

The members of the Church, and all others who regularly attend or fellowship with this church, agree that there shall be no appeal to any legal authority or to any court system because of dismissal by church discipline or because of public statements to the congregation pertaining to church discipline. Members who are under discipline by the church forfeit and waive the right to resign from this church. Resignations from membership are possible only by members who are in good standing and who are not in the process of church discipline.

The members of the Church agree that if an individual leaves the church during the disciplinary process and/or after termination of membership, and begins to attend another church, the Elders, either proactively or in response to a contact from the other church, may inform the inquiring church that the person is currently, or has been, under church discipline and the reason for the discipline. The only purpose for providing information to another church is to bring about genuine repentance and complete restoration for the individual.

Restoration

Any person whose membership has been terminated may be restored upon evidence of his/her repentance and reformation, by recommendation of the Elders and affirmative vote of the church.

Record of Membership

The church Clerk or appointed representative, working in conjunction with the church office staff, shall keep an accurate roll of all members, and insofar as possible, an up-to-date record of addresses, attendance, and other information as needed. These records should be audited for accuracy on a periodic basis.

Article 2 Meetings

Worship

Worship services shall be held on Sundays and Wednesdays at such times and places as determined by the Elders. Additionally, the church may meet at such other times and dates as may be deemed appropriate by the Elders for the purpose of worship, edification, prayer, preaching, teaching, discipleship, and evangelism.

Business

In every meeting together, members shall act in that spirit of mutual trust, openness, and loving consideration which is appropriate within the body of our Lord Jesus Christ. Seeking the Lord’s wisdom and blessing through thankful prayer shall be a part of every meeting. Thus, every business meeting shall be opened and closed in prayer.

There shall be regular, quarterly business meetings held at some time apart from a public worship service. The elders shall see that the stated meetings of the church are regularly held and that required reports are submitted to the church by the responsible members and ministries. Provided all provisions for notification listed in this document have been met, a quorum shall be understood to be met by those members present, as agreed upon by the Elders present. All votes shall be tallied based on the number of votes cast by members present.

A Moderator shall be appointed by the Elders.

A budget shall be submitted for approval by the membership at a scheduled business meeting no later than the first regularly scheduled business meeting of the calendar year. Prior to this approval and subject to the Elders’ discretion, expenditures may continue at the prior year’s level.

At any regular or special business meeting, officers may be elected and positions filled as needed, so long as all relevant constitutional requirements have been met.

Special business meetings may be called as required by the Elders. The date, time, and purpose of any special meeting shall be announced at all public services of the church in either written or verbal form, within two weeks preceding the meeting. Provided all provisions for notification listed in this document have been met, a quorum shall be understood to be met by those members present, as agreed upon by the Elders present.

Robert’s Rules of Order shall be recognized as the general pattern for the conduct of the business meetings of the church.

Article 3 Church Organization

General Statement

The Biblical offices in this church are Elders and Deacons. In addition, our church recognizes the administrative positions under these bylaws of Trustees, Treasurer, Clerk and Moderator. All officers must be members, in good standing, of this church prior to assuming their responsibilities.

In addition to the above officers, these bylaws recognize the possible need for other administrative committees, such as Finance and Personnel, to be empanelled by the elders as needed.

Vocational Pastors, Ministers, and Directors

Definitions

Vocational Pastors are ordained Elders of the church, who in response to God’s call, have devoted their vocational lives to the ministry of the Word and prayer in the service of the church of Christ. Vocational Ministers are the non-ordained ministers of the church who, in response to God’s call, serve the church of Christ as their primary vocation. Vocational Directors are the non-ordained ministry administrators of the church who, in response to God’s call, serve the church of Christ as their primary vocation. Vocational Pastors, Vocational Ministers, and Vocational Directors are supported financially by the church in return for their vocational labors.

Duties

In addition to the duties of their office, Vocational Pastors, Ministers, and Directors shall perform the duties determined and approved by the Elders. The duties shall be communicated by the Elders to the church at the time of the call to service. The church’s call of a Vocational Pastor is a call to the Eldership in the church. Therefore Vocational Pastors shall be members of the Elders and have all the Biblical qualifications of an Elder. Vocational Ministers and Directors are not necessarily called to the Eldership, but as assisting partners in the ministry of Elders.

Vocational Call by the Church

The members of the church shall call Vocational Pastors (1) by vote upon recommendation of the Elders and (2) by at least a 90% majority of those members voting at the regular morning worship service of the church. Notice of any such meeting, stating its objective, shall be given from the pulpit at all public services of the church in either written or verbal form, within two weeks preceding the meeting.

The members of the church shall call Vocational Ministers and Vocational Directors (1) by vote upon the recommendation of the Elders and (2) by a simple majority vote of those members voting at a regularly or specially called business meeting. Oral notice of any such meeting, stating its objective, shall be given from the pulpit on the Sunday or Wednesday preceding the meeting.

Termination of Vocational Call by the Church

The termination of the vocational call of a Pastor, Minister, or Director shall be administered by the following means:

1. By Resignation. The resignation of a Vocational Pastor, Minister, or Director shall be received by the Elders and presented to the church at any time.

2. By Grievance. Where a grievance exists against a Pastor, Minister, or Director, either due to preaching or teaching contrary to the beliefs of the Church as set forth in the Statement of Faith or to alleged conduct unfitting a Vocational leader and representative of the Church as determined by the Word of God, such grievance may be brought before the Elders, in written form, by any two members in good standing. If the Elders, after thorough investigation and consideration, believe the grievance to be true and substantial, then the vocational call of the Pastor, Minister, or Director may be terminated at any business meeting upon the recommendation of the Elders with the affirmation of the congregation.

Elders

Composition

The Elders shall be composed of men only, both Lay Elders and Vocational Elders. The number of Elders shall be determined by the needs of the ministry and by the call and qualifications of men in the church. There shall be, as a minimum, an equal number of Lay Elders as Vocational Elders. The election of Elders, by a 90% vote of the membership present, shall be held at a regularly scheduled business meeting.

Qualifications

Elders and nominees for Elder shall be members in good standing, qualified for the office as specified in the Bible. Relevant texts include I Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:6-9 and I Peter 5:1-4. Elders are also required to be in full agreement with the Statement of Faith and with the Church Covenant as outlined in Article 4 of the Constitution.

Responsibilities

The Elders are responsible for governing the Church, teaching the Word and tending the flock of God in this Church. The fundamental responsibility of the Elders is to devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word. The responsibilities of the Elders shall include: examining prospective members and acquainting them with the Statement of Faith and Church Covenant, overseeing the process of Church discipline, examining prospective candidates for office, overseeing the work of the Deacons and appointed church agents and committees, conducting worship services, equipping the membership of the Church for the work of the ministry, teaching the whole counsel of God both formally and informally, correcting error, overseeing, coordinating and promoting the ministries of the Church, and mobilizing the Church for world mission and other ministry endeavors as deemed necessary by the Word of God.

Organization

The Elders shall organize themselves however they determine to best achieve the mission of the Church. The Elders shall be equal in authority but may be specialized in function. The Elders must meet at least once per month. Meetings of the Elders may be held at any location and may be conducted by means of electronic communication. Unless the Elders purpose otherwise, meetings of the Elders may be held immediately upon notice. A quorum for meetings of the Elders is defined as at least one-half of the Lay Elders plus at least one-half of the Vocational Elders. The Elders shall annually select its administration leadership as needed.

Deacons

Composition

The Deacons shall be composed of biblically qualified men only. The number of Deacons shall be determined by the needs of the ministry and by the call and qualification of men in the church. Each Deacon shall be elected by the congregation based upon the recommendation of the Elders to serve at the discretion of the Elders and according to his own desire as long as he remains biblically qualified. The election of Deacons, by a simple majority vote of the membership present, shall be held at any regularly scheduled business meeting of the calendar year and by special meeting as needed.

Qualifications

Deacons and nominees for Deacon shall be qualified for the office as specified in the Bible. Relevant texts include I Timothy 3:8-12. Deacons are also required to be in full agreement with the Statement of Faith and with the Church Covenant as outlined in the Constitution.

Responsibilities

the greeting and welcoming ministries of the church;
assisting in administering the ordinances of the Gospel;
assisting at fellowship gatherings of the church;
attend to the accommodations for public worship;
care for the temporal needs of members;

Organization

The Deacons shall be organized to best achieve the mission of the church. The Elders or the Deacons may designate any specific Deacon or group of Deacons to specialize in some particular diaconate function. Meetings of the Deacons, or subcommittees thereof shall be held as needed to best fulfill the responsibilities of the Deacons.

Trustees

The Trustees are also required to be in full agreement with the Statement of Faith and with the Church Covenant as outlined in the Constitution.

The Trustees shall hold in trust the title to the property of the church and represent the church in all legal responsibility regarding the purchase, improvement, and disposal of church property. They shall execute all legal papers relating to the church and to the community as the church may direct. They shall have no power to buy, sell, mortgage, lease, or transfer any property of the church without the recommendation of the Elders and a specific vote of the church authorizing such action.

The church shall have three Trustees who have been nominated by the Elders and elected by the congregation to serve a term of one year. The Trustees can serve successive terms with no limit on the number of terms. The election of Trustees, by a simple majority vote of the membership present, shall be held at any regularly scheduled business meeting of the calendar year.

Treasurer

The Treasurer shall ensure that all funds and securities of the church are properly secured in such banks, financial institutions, or depositories as appropriate. The Treasurer shall also be responsible for presenting regular, quarterly reports of the account balances, revenues and expenses of the church at the regularly scheduled, quarterly business meetings. The Treasurer shall also ensure that full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements are kept in books belonging to the church, and that adequate controls are implemented to guarantee that all funds belonging to the church are appropriately handled by any officer, employee, or agent of the church. The Treasurer shall render to the church annually, at the first scheduled quarterly business meeting, an account of all transactions as Treasurer and of the financial condition of the church.

The Treasurer shall be nominated by the Elders and elected by the congregation to serve a term of one year. The Treasurer can serve successive terms with no limit on the number of terms. The election of the Treasurer, by a simple majority vote of the membership present, shall be held at any regularly scheduled business meeting of the calendar year.

Moderator

It shall be the duty of the Moderator to preside at all regular and special called business meetings of the church, to open and close each meeting with prayer, to promote and maintain an orderly meeting in the spirit of mutual trust, openness, and loving consideration which is appropriate within the body of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Moderator shall be elected by the Elders to serve a term of one year. The Moderator can serve successive terms with no limit on the number of terms. In the absence or incapacity of the Moderator, the Elders shall appoint a church member, in good standing, to perform the duties of Moderator.

Church Clerk

It shall be the duty of the church Clerk to record the minutes of all regular and special business meetings of the church, to preserve an accurate roll of the membership, and to render reports as requested by the Pastors, the Elders, the Deacons, or the church.

The Clerk shall be nominated by the Elders and elected by the congregation to serve a term of one year. The Clerk can be serve successive terms with no limit on the number of terms. The election of the Clerk, by a simple majority vote of the membership present, shall be held at any regularly scheduled business meeting of the calendar year. In the absence or incapacity of the Clerk, the Elders shall appoint a church member, in good standing, to perform the duties of the church Clerk.

Church Employees

In addition to Vocational Pastors, Ministers, and Directors, the church may employ additional personnel as needed to ensure the proper and efficient operation of ministries and facilities. The Elders shall oversee the qualifications, duties, hiring, wages, and terminating policies for such personnel.

Committees

These Bylaws recognize the need for two administrative committees as needed; Finance and Personnel. These two committees perform administrative functions and are responsible for activities required to keep the church organized and functioning in accordance with governmental guidelines. Members of these committees shall be chosen by the Elders, with recommendations from existing committee members, or from congregational members in good standing. Each committee will include a designated representative from the Elders. The number of committee members and the organization of the committee shall be determined by the needs of the ministry and by the qualifications of the church members.

Article 4 Finances

General

No method of raising funds shall be entertained which is in conflict with the Scriptural ideals of the Church. Any fund raising event must be approved by the Elders at least ten days prior to the scheduled event.

All funds donated for missions by members and organizations of the Church shall pass through the Church Treasurer in order that due record may be made.

Fiscal Year

The fiscal year for the church is the calendar year.

Contributions

It is understood that membership in this church involves financial obligations to support the Church and its causes with regular and proportionate giving. Each member shall be encouraged in Scriptural giving, with tithing as the ideal minimum. Special offerings may be sought by the Church, or by any of its ministries, with the approval of the Elders. This shall not preclude individuals from making special offerings at any time as the Spirit of God may move them.

Financial Planning

The financial planning of the Church shall be carried out through the medium of annual budgets recommended by the Elders. Annual budgets shall be presented to the church for adoption at a regular or special called business meeting. Matters involving staff and employee compensation shall be overseen by the Elders.

Accounts

Financial receipts from all sources shall be accounted for by the church Treasurer who shall disburse these funds promptly according to the financial program of the Church as detailed in the Budget or other authorized designations. All moneys for missions shall be accounted for in accordance with the Mission Budget of the Church or otherwise designated, preferably each month and not less than each quarter.

Indebtedness

No note or contract whereby the credit of the Church is pledged shall be made except by recommendation of the Elders and approved by the Church.

Authority to Bind the Church

The Trustees of the Church are the only officers who have authority, in accordance with these By-Laws, the Church Constitution, and any applicable laws, to execute legal documents relating to real estate, church property, and church finances.

Article 5 Statement on Marriage and Sexuality

We believe the term “marriage” has only one meaning and that is a covenant union sanctioned by God which joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture.

We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to only occur between a man and a woman who are married to each other. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.

We believe that any form of sexual immorality, such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography, or any attempt to change one’s sex, or disagreement with one’s biological sex, is sinful and offensive to God.

We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of the church as the local Body of Christ and to provide a biblical role model to the church members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by the church in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, should abide by and agree to this Statement on Marriage and Sexuality and conduct themselves accordingly.

We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of this church.

We believe that making this Statement on Marriage and Sexuality is not only our right according to Scripture but also our obligation to our Lord and Savior.

Article 56 Amendments

The procedure for amending the Bylaws shall be:

Any member in good standing may present a written, proposed amendment to the Elders.

The Elders shall determine which proposed amendments to present to the church.

A written statement of proposed amendments that meet the approval of the Elders shall be made available to the membership at least ten days prior to the date of the church business meeting for voting on the amendment.

Amendments must be affirmed by a two-thirds majority vote of those members present and voting.

A copy of these Bylaws, along with amendments to or revisions thereof, shall be maintained in the church offices and made available to any church member upon request.

Appendix A

The version that WSBC has chosen of the 1689 London Baptist Confession is the one that has been rewritten by Sam Houghton in Modern English. We chose this for the edification of our body, the readability and accessibility of it, and our corporate understanding. This document is reproduced in its entire form.

However there are a few places in the Confession that we believe need to be changed or omitted when read.

10.3 “Elect infants dying in infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit, who works when and where and how He pleases. The same is true of all elect persons who are incapable of being outwardly called through the preaching of the gospel.”

This statement simply goes beyond the clear revelation of Scripture. While there may be a biblical case for infants being saved it would be going beyond clear revelation to be dogmatic about this. Moreover, the Scripture references under this point do not support this statement. We think it is wise to “omit” this statement altogether.

22.8 “Men keep the Sabbath holy to the Lord, when having duly prepared their hearts and settle their mundane affairs beforehand, for the sake of the Lord’s command they set aside all works, words and thoughts that pertain to their worldly employment and recreations, and devote the whole of the Lord’s Day to the public and private exercises of God’s worship, and to duties of necessity and mercy.”

We do believe that Sunday is vitally important, and is acknowledged as the corporate day of worship for the people of God and we should make every effort to attend to His worship with His saints except when providentially hindered. However, in regards to how the whole of this day is to be “kept” there can be no prescriptive law here. Though we understand Sunday to be a unique day of worship, all of life is to be worship to the Lord because Jesus is now our Sabbath (Colossians 2:16-17).

26.4 “…It is impossible for the Pope of Rome in any true sense to be the head of the church, for he is the antichrist, described in Scripture as ‘the man of sin’, ‘the son of perdition,’ who ‘exalts himself’ in the church against Christ and ‘above all that is called God’, whom ‘the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of His coming’.”

We disagree that the Pope is the antichrist. We do believe that he is in the spirit of the antichrist, but not the antichrist himself.