Article I. General Principles
Section 1. The name of this church shall be Mountain View Chinese Christian Church. Section 2. The address of this church shall be 175 East Dana Street, Mountain View, CA. Section 3. The Articles of Faith 1. We believe the Scripture, all 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God and is the only highest authority and guide for our faith and life. 2. We believe God exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are the same in nature, equal in power, equal in honor, equal in glory and is the only eternally existing True God. 3. We believe salvation is by grace through faith. Jesus Christ is wholly God and wholly man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of Virgin Mary. He was crucified on the cross and died for us to atone for our sins. He arose from the dead three days later, ascended into heaven and will come again to judge the living and the dead. Those who believe in Him and have confessed their sins and repented have been born again and are saved. Section 4. With Jesus Christ as the head of this church, our duties are to proclaim the Gospel, lead others to the Lord, do our utmost to discharge our individual responsibilities, serve in concert as one body, care for and love one another, build up the body of Christ and complete the Great Commission entrusted to us by the Lord. Article II. Membership Section 1. Any person meeting any of the following conditions qualifies to become a member of this church: 1. Any person who has made the decision to believe in our Lord in this church and has been examined by the Pastors, Elders and Deacons of this church as to the purity and correctness of his belief, speech and conduct and the certainty of his salvation by grace and has received baptism is a member of this church. 2. Any Christian sharing the same faith with this church and desires to join this church and has continuously attended the Sunday services for over three months becomes a member of this church after acceptance and approval by the Board of Elders and Deacons. 3. The Pastors and Preachers of this church and their spouses are members of this church. Section 2. Voting Rights Any member meeting any of the following conditions has no voting right in any Membership Meetings. 1. Under 18 years of age on the day of any Membership Meeting. 2. Attends Sunday Service infrequently as determined by the Board of Elders and Deacons prior to any Membership Meeting. Section 3. Termination of Membership 1. Any member who has transferred to another church or desires to terminate his membership shall have his membership in this church terminated after confirmation by the Board of Elders and Deacons. 2. Any member whose speech and conduct is in flagrant violation of biblical teachings or the Constitution of this church in spite of exhortation by Pastors or Elders shall have his membership in this church terminated after a vote by the Board of Elders and Deacons. Article III. Membership Meeting Section 1. The Membership Meeting is the highest authoritative council of this church. Section 2. 1. The Annual Membership Meeting is to be held in every April. The President of the Board of Elders and Deacons shall call the meeting and preside over the meeting. A quorum is formed by more than half of the total voting members. The President shall present a report and evaluation of the progress of the previous year and hold discussions of motions proposed by Pastors, Elders, Deacons and members. 2. When necessary, Provisional Membership Meetings shall be called by the Board of Elders and Deacons. Section 3. In the Membership Meetings and Provisional Membership Meetings, unless otherwise specified in this constitution, approval by more than half of the voting members present shall constitute approval of the motions. Article IV. Ordinances In accordance with the teachings of the Bible, this church observes the following two ordinances: 1. Baptism: Any person who, having been moved by the Holy Spirit, has received Jesus Christ as the Savior and been born again and is saved may be baptized. The baptism shall be administered by the Pastors and is the profession of the believer’s testimony of identification with our Lord’s death, burial and resurrection. 2. The Holy Communion: On Sundays as designated by the Board of Elders and Deacons, the Holy Communion shall be observed during the Sunday service in remembrance of the saving grace of Lord Jesus who died on the cross and shed his blood for our sins. The Holy Communion shall be administered by the Pastor. All believers may partake in the bread and the cup. Article V. Structure of Church Offices Section 1. This church, in accordance with the Great Commission instructed by Lord Jesus Christ: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19) and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, purposes to build a church pleasing to the True God. Section 2. Pastors This church shall appoint a Senior Pastor and some number of Associate Pastors and Ministers to direct all the ministries of this church. Employment contracts must include job description, performance criteria, annual review and absence rules. President and Vice President of the Board of Elders and Deacons will define contracts. Their duties are as follows: 1. The Senior Pastor is the leader of the team of Pastors and Ministers, responsible for job assignments for members of the Pastoral team and is to provide guidance for the spiritual life and service of the team members. 2. Shepherd all believers in this church. Visit church members and those still searching for the truth to affect their spiritual growth. Help to resolve conflicts in members’ families. 3. Arrange pulpit preachers for Sunday services and other special worship services. Administer Holy Communions and preside over weddings and memorial services. 4. Provide guidance for the assignment of responsibilities for the Elders and Deacons. Promote the implementation and evaluation of resolutions of the Board of Elders and Deacons. Section 3. Elders 1. When necessary, this church shall install some number of Elders to cooperate with the Pastors in advancing the ministries of this church and to assist the Pastoral team in shepherding the congregation. 2. Pastors appointed by this church are ex officio Elders of this church. 3. Qualifications of Elders are as stated in I Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9. A. Be a member of this church, over the age of 40, has been baptized for over 5 years, has served as a Deacon or Co-worker for at least 2 years, cordial in service and bears witness. B. Veracious in his belief, proper in his deportment, abundant in his Spiritual life, a good manager of his own family, and has earned the trust and esteem of the congregation. 4. Election of Elders Elders shall be nominated by the Pastors. After at least two-thirds approval of the Board of Elders and Deacons, the candidate shall be presented to the congregation at least one month before the Membership Meeting. After at least two-thirds approval in the Membership Meeting, the Elders shall be installed by the Pastors with a laying on of hands. Elders shall serve a term of 4 years and may be re-elected to consecutive terms for a maximum of 12 years in total. The process for re-election is the same as initial nomination and election. 5. Board of Pastors and (Pastors, Minister, and Elders) shall hold irregularly scheduled meetings to be chaired by the Senior Pastor. Section 4. Deacons 1. Qualifications for Deacons are as stated in Acts 6:1-6 and I Timothy 3:1-13. 2. Duties for the Deacons are as assigned by the Board of Elders and Deacons to serve all the brothers and sisters. 3. Election of Deacons. A. The number of Deacons shall be a minimum of 5 and the terms of office shall be 2 years staggered such that each year, approximately one-half shall be up for confirmation. Deacons may be re-confirmed to one consecutive term for a maximum of 4 consecutive years. B. Candidates for the office of Deacons shall be nominated by the Board of Elders and Deacons, and each candidate shall be appointed by a majority of the members present at the Membership Meeting. C. The list of nominees shall be announced one month prior to the date of nominee confirmation to allow the members to intercede through prayer for the nominees. Article VI. Board of Elders and Deacons Section 1. The Board of Elders and Deacons (also abbreviated as the Board) is responsible for carrying out the ministries of this church. Each member of the Board is annually assigned an area of responsibility not to exceed a maximum of 4 consecutive years in any one particular area. Responsibilities to be assigned are as follows: 1. President. The Board of Elders and Deacons shall elect an installed Elder to be the President. Prior to the installation of Elders, one of the Deacons shall be elected to the post. The duties are to: A. Preside over the Board of Elders and Deacons meetings. B. Coordinate and negotiate the tasks among the Elders and Deacons. C. In cooperation with the Pastors, implement resolutions of the Board of Elders and Deacons. D. Plan and assign responsibilities for the ministries of this church. E. Join the Senior Pastor in representing the church in attending church related external meetings. F. Be responsible for all the affairs of this church in the absence of Pastors and Elders. 2. Vice President A. To assist the President in implementing resolutions of the Board of Elders and Deacons. B. To perform the duties of the President in the absence of the President. 3. Secretarial Committee A. To handle all correspondences of this church. B. To be responsible for minutes of all church meetings and safe keeping of records. C. To compile programs for Sunday services and special worship services. D. To publicize church related news. 4. Spiritual Cultivation Committee A. To plan for the annual Summer Camp. B. To plan for the annual rally. C. To arrange and assist Bible Study groups in all districts. D. To encourage church members to hold family devotions. E. To prepare for special services for annual festivals (in conjunction with Sunday School Committee). F. To be solicitous about members’ daily devotions. G. To be solicitous about prayer meetings of the church. 5. Local Evangelism Committee A. To plan for annual evangelical crusade. B. To hold personal evangelism and discipleship training classes. C. To assist evangelistic fellowships in carrying out evangelizing activities. D. To promote evangelistic Bible studies and family meetings. 6. Overseas Missions Committee A. To hold annual missions symposium. B. To hold missions workshops or participate in regional missions seminars. C. To organize missions prayer meetings. D. To prepare, plan and support evangelistic broadcasts. E. To support missionaries, missions and evangelistic organizations. 7. Mass Media Committee A. To publish “Testimony and Sharing” quarterly. B. To publish books. C. To publish evangelistic articles in newspapers. D. To collect and care for spiritual books. E. Video evangelism. F. Other evangelistic activities. 8. Member Care Committee A. To compile membership directory and member registration cards. B. To greet and visit new friends and invite them to join this church. C. To care for the poor and needy members. D. To visit and comfort the elderly and the sick and members’ families in mourning or families encountering other unpleasant events. E. To congratulate members on joyous family occasions. F. To assist the pastors in resolving conflicts in members’ families. 9. Fellowship Committee A. To organize fellowship groups and assists in formulating meeting plans. B. To employ counselors for the fellowships after seeking the permission of the Senior Pastor. C. To hold retreats for fellowships singly or jointly. 10. Sunday School Committee A. To organize a complete Sunday School, from nursery classes to classes for the elderly. B. To call regular Sunday School staff meetings. C. To employ Sunday School staff after seeking the permission of the Senior Pastor. D. To assign classrooms for Sunday School. E. To layout Sunday School curriculum and the progression of Sunday School classes. F. To hold special services for annual festivals (in conjunction with Spiritual Cultivation Committee) 11. Sacred Music Committee A. To organize and train the choir. B. To select the hymns and anthems for Sunday presentations. C. To prepare the music for presentation in special services for annual festivals. D. To cultivate choir conductors, pianists and organists. 12. Finance Committee A. Accountant’s duties a. To record and make quarterly report of the receipts and disbursements of the church. b. To compile and control the yearly church budget. c. To compile and publish the annual financial report. d. To audit cash on hand and other financial records. e. To handle church related tax matters. B. Treasurer’s duties a. To be responsible for disbursement and safe keeping of cash. b. All expenses of this church should first be examined by the accountant for their compliance with the annual budget. Signatures of the President (or Vice President) of the Board of Elders and Deacons and the accountant are then required prior to disbursement of funds by the treasurer. c. To report special needs or shortage of funds, if any, in the Board of Elders and Deacons meeting. d. All offering receipts of the church should be recorded for the account designated by the offerer for future review. 13. Asset Management Committee A. To be responsible for the maintenance, usage and repair of all real and personal properties of the church. 14. General Services Committee A. To decorate, maintain and clean the church and make arrangement for communal meals. B. To make arrangement for the Holy Communion. C. To assist in making transportation arrangements for members. D. To purchase all items for use by the church. E. To assist in the conducting of all church meetings and services. F. To handle other unexpected events not related to other committees. Section 2. The source of church income shall be members’ offerings as members are moved by the Holy Spirit. All income and expenses shall be reported quarterly by the accountant and treasurer and shall be published in Sunday bulletins. Section 3. After the transition to the new Board of Elders and Deacons each year, the finance committee shall request budgets from each committee to be compiled into annual church budget. After examination and approval of the Board of Elders and Deacons, the annual budget shall be presented to the Membership Meeting for approval and subsequent implementation. Section 4. At the end of each fiscal year, half of any unused funds shall be allocated to the church building and maintenance account and the other half into church Reserve Fund. Section 5. Should any budgeted item exhaust the budgeted amount prior to the end of the fiscal year, after approval by the Board of Elders and Deacons, additional amount may be allocated from the Reserve Fund or the President of the Board may announce the need to the congregation for a special offering to meet the shortfall. Section 6. All important external correspondences and documents, such as agreements, certificates, etc., shall be written in the name of this church and shall be signed by the Senior Pastor and the President and Vice President of the Board of Elders and Deacons after approval by the Board or the Membership Meeting. Section 7. Should the Elders and the Deacons find themselves to be short-handed due to the increasing demands of their duties, with the permission of the President, they may respectively solicit the assistance of church members and form working groups to cooperatively carry out the assignments. Section 8. In the meetings of the Board of Elders and Deacons, the principle is to require two-thirds majority vote for the adoption of motions. Article VII. Employment Provisions Section 1. This church shall appoint a Senior Pastor. The Board of Elders and
Deacons shall appoint a Pastoral Search Committee consisting a minimum
of three (3) members. After the candidate is approved by the Board of
Elders and Deacons, the candidate shall be presented to the Membership
Meeting. After more than two-thirds approval of the quorum members
present at the Membership Meeting, the church shall then make a formal
written offer. After the expiration of the contract, if it is mutually
agreed that it is possible to continue to serve together in one accord,
the church shall renew the contract. "Supplementary Article X, Section 5" defines Voting Procedure at the Membership Meeting. Section 2. This church shall employ some number of Associate Pastors and Preachers. Candidates shall be nominated by the Senior Pastor. (In the absence of the Senior Pastor, the Board of Elders and Deacons shall appoint a Pastoral Search Committee as in Section 1 of this Article to nominate candidates.) After approval by the Board of Elders and Deacons, the candidate shall be presented to the Membership Meeting. After at least two-thirds approval of the quorum members present at the Membership Meeting, the church shall then make a formal written offer. The initial term shall be 2 years. After the expiration of the contract, if it is mutually agreed that it is possible to continue to serve together in one accord, the church shall renew the contract for a negotiable length of term. "Supplementary Article X, Section 5" defines Voting Procedure at the Membership Meeting. Section 3. Preachers of this church may be ordained as Pastors. After two-thirds approval of the Board of Elders and Deacons, a team of Pastors shall be assembled for the ordination. Section 4. If the Pastor’s position is vacant and the Elders and Deacons agree that a certain member has been called by our Lord and is also gifted with shepherding, after earnest prayer by the entire church and two-thirds approval of the Membership Meeting, that person may be ordained as a Pastor of this church. The tenure and salary are as in Sections 2 and 6. Section 5. Depending on the expansion and needs of the ministries of the church, if it becomes necessary to employ additional church staff, the hiring process and the management of the staff shall be determined by the Board of Elders and Deacons. Section 6. Pastors, Preachers and other employees of this church shall be paid a salary. The amount shall be determined by the Board of Elders and Deacons annually. Section 7. All salaried staff shall participate in medical insurance beginning from the first day of employment as required by the government. The entire medical insurance premium shall be paid by this church. Section 8. All salaried staff who resign for a reason after completing at least 5 years of service shall be awarded a severance pay. The amount shall be determined by the Board of Elders and Deacons. Section 9. All salaried staff who resign or retire after completing at least 10 years of service shall be awarded retirement pay. The amount shall be determined by the Board of Elders and Deacons. Section 10. Installed Elders of this church are unpaid positions. Section 11. During the tenure of any Pastors, Preachers or staff members, should serious problem be found such as deviating from the truth in his belief, engaging in fallacious interpretation of the Scripture, following cults, engaging in misconduct, or breaking up of his family, after determining the facts, it shall be presented to the Membership Meeting. After two-thirds approval, the appointment or employment shall be terminated. Article VIII. Real Property Section 1. The purchase, sale or transfer of church real property requires a two-thirds approval of the Board of Elders and Deacons and then a two-thirds approval of the membership meeting. Article IX. Establishing Branch Churches Section 1. Our church may establish branch churches within or outside the United States. Section 2. Any church in the United States or outside the United States that shares our faith as listed in our Articles of Faith and wishes to become our branch church may submit a written application. After a two-thirds approval of the Board and Elders and a two-thirds approval of the membership meeting, the applying church will be accepted as our branch church. Section 3. Any church that becomes our branch church shall abide by our constitution and shall accept directions from our Board of Elders and Deacons. Section 4. Our church has the obligation to help nurture the spiritual growth of the branch church and to assist the establishment of a Board of Elders and Deacons for the branch church. Section 5. All branch churches shall include their locality in their names and shall be named “XXX Chinese Christian Church”. Section 6. Each branch church shall employ its own pastors. However, our church should be informed prior to extending the call. Section 7. Branch churches shall be financially independent and shall apply for their own Employer Identification Number. Section 8. Each branch church shall present to our church an annual report of its ministries and an annual financial statement. Section 9. The purchase, sale or transfer of any real property by the branch church shall follow Article VIII. In addition, it shall require a two-thirds approval of the Board of Elders and Deacons of our church and a written approval from the Board. Section 10. If any branch church wishes to sever the relationship with our church, it shall require a two-thirds approval of the membership meeting of the branch church and a two-thirds approval of the Board of Elders and Deacons of our church and a written approval from the Board. Article X. Supplementary Article Section 1. This Constitution shall become effective after two-thirds approval of the members present at the Membership Meeting. Section 2. The implementation details of this Constitution shall be separately determined by the Board of Elders and Deacons. Section 3. Any proposed amendment to this Constitution shall first be presented to the Board of Elders and Deacons for further review and shall then be presented to the members. After two-thirds approval of the Membership Meeting, the amendment shall be adopted and implemented. Section 4. This Constitution shall have both a Chinese and an English version. The Chinese version, however, shall be the controlling document. Section 5 1. A quorum is formed by one half (1/2) of qualified voting members Amended February 11, 1966 |