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THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF WEST LEIGH BAPTIST CHURCH
These are the proposed new 'Church Rules' - please note they are for discussion and debate, they have not yet been formally voted on. Your comments would be welcome by email to:
info@wlbc.org.uk
An easy to read / print Word Version can be downloaded HERE
The Principles and Practices of West Leigh Baptist Church: SECOND DRAFT
(20.5.2007)
1. What is the Church’s Name?
The name of the church shall be West Leigh Baptist Church.
2. What is the Purpose of West Leigh Baptist Church?
Vision and Mission Statements
The Church’s Vision Statement.
Jesus in Us, our Church, our Community and our World.
The Church’s Mission Statement.
West Leigh Baptist Church exists to:
Worship and Serve God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Bring Lost People into a Life-Changing Relationship with Jesus Christ.
Enable People to Grow as Christians through Teaching and Service.
Demonstrate God’s Love to one another and into the Community.
3. What are the Practices and Core Values at the heart of West Leigh
Baptist Church?
3.1. Our Practices
3.1.i. Believer’s Baptism
As a church belonging to the Baptist tradition, we practice believer’s baptism. It is normally expected, therefore, that Covenant Members will have been baptised as believers. However, where the experience of candidates for Covenant Membership has previously been in another Christian tradition which does not practice the baptism of believers, their initiation into that tradition, including their baptism, will be recognised if they wish.
Those who have not been baptised as believers will be encouraged to prayerfully consider the New Testament teaching about baptism in the hope that they will follow our Lord’s example in this matter.
3.1.ii. The Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper shall be observed at least twice monthly and all Covenant Members are encouraged to share regularly at the Lord’s Table.
3.2. Our Core Values
We will seek to be Caring People who make a Difference through the following values:
We will care about God’s Glory and Kingdom.
We will be a Worshipping People and Serve God with all of our hearts, minds and strength.
We will care about our Community
We will be a Prophetic People challenging the powers that bind people, seeking practical ways to express God’s love to our community.
We will care about People without Christ.
We will be a Missionary People, witnessing, and demonstrating in word, action and example the forgiving and healing love of God to Leigh, and out into the wider world.
We will care about One Another.
We will be an Inclusive People, welcoming all who love our Lord Jesus as brothers and sisters in the family of God.
We will care about our own Commitment.
We will be a Sacrificial People, taking up our cross to obediently serve him.
4. Who belongs to West Leigh Baptist Church?
The services and activities of the church are open to the whole community.
The Church belongs to the Baptist tradition and is ultimately governed by those who have committed to Jesus Christ as Lord and to each other through Covenant Membership
4.1. The Church’s Covenant:
As people who have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour we unite together to be West Leigh Baptist Church.
Guided by the Scriptures and empowered by the Holy Spirit, We commit ourselves to walking with the Lord and growing together in love for one another and for the world in its need.
We will uphold the practice of Baptism and the Lord's Supper as commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ and we will seek to fulfil West Leigh's Vision and Mission Statements and Core Values through our presence, our prayers, our gifts and our service.
4.2. Covenant Membership
4.2.i. The Covenant Membership of West Leigh Baptist Church shall consist
of those who have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and who have committed themselves to belonging to the fellowship through affirmation of the Church’s Covenant.
4.2.ii. Annually there will be Covenant Renewal. All Covenant Members will
be invited to reaffirm the covenant to indicate their desire to continue as a Covenant Member of West Leigh Baptist Church.
4.2.iii Where the manner of life of a Covenant Member appears inconsistent
with their Christian profession and the church’s values the Leadership Team will seek to identify suitable responsible, wise and respected individuals to visit in order to come alongside with a view to restoring the member to consistent Christian living. The Leadership Team will need to be informed of issues where Church Discipline might be appropriate.
4.2.iv. A list will be kept of previous (Covenant) Members who have moved
away from Leigh and who remain active Christians but who, for genuine
reasons, cannot transfer to another church.
These names shall be kept as honorary members but will not be used for official purposes.
4.3. Application for Covenant Membership
4.3.i. All candidates for Covenant Membership shall attend a Baptism and
Belonging Course, tailored to their individual circumstances.
4.3.ii. After attending the Baptism and Belonging Course the candidate’s
testimony will be displayed for at least four weeks.
Two Covenant Members will be appointed to interview the candidate regarding their Christian life and spiritual experience.
If there are no valid reasons submitted to the pastor and leaders for the candidate not to belong to West Leigh they will be welcomed as a Covenant Member at the next appropriate communion service.
5. What are the Personal Values looked for in Covenant Members?
As Covenant Members of West Leigh Baptist Church we will endeavour to:
Protect the unity of the church
by loving and praying for those who belong to the church.
by thinking and speaking the best of them.
by supporting the church’s leaders and being open to change.
Share in the mission of the church
by praying for its growth both spiritually and numerically.
by inviting friends to attend.
by warmly welcoming those who visit.
Serve in the ministry of the church
by seeking to grow spiritually and developing a servant heart.
by discovering and using my gifts and talents.
by being equipped to serve through the gifts of others.
Support the witness of the church
by faithfully attending.
by living a godly life.
by giving regularly.
6. How does West Leigh Baptist Church make decisions?
6.1. Ordinary Church Meetings
6.1.i. Church meetings shall be held bi-monthly and notice of these
meetings shall be given at all services in the church on the preceding two Sundays.
6.1.ii. Church meetings will be held so that together in fellowship, the church
can seek for, by prayer and discussion, and expect to discover under the guidance of the Holy Spirit the will of God for its life and direction.
6.1.iii. Where voting is necessary a simple majority of those voting shall carry a
resolution.
In the event of an even vote, the Chairperson shall have a casting vote, whether they have previously voted or not
6.1.iv. Twenty five Covenant Members or fifteen per cent of the covenant
membership of the Church, whichever is the larger number, shall form a quorum.
6.1.v. No new business (except notices of motion and matters introduced
by the Leadership Team) need be accepted by the Chairperson at a Church Meeting unless notice of the same has been given to the Secretary in writing at least seven days before such meeting.
6.2. Special Church Meetings
6.2.i. Special Church Meetings shall be required when calling a Pastor;
improving, enlarging or pulling down the buildings; selling or letting the buildings; mortgaging the land or buildings; appointing of new Property Trustees; and alteration of the Trust deed or Church rules.
6.2.ii. A Special Church Meeting may be called at the discretion of the
Leadership Team or at the request of 20 per cent of Covenant Members.
6.2.iii. Notice of Special Church meetings shall be given at all services, on
the preceding two Sundays, together with a statement concerning the purpose of the meeting.
6.2.iv. At Special Church Meetings, one third of the Covenant membership
shall form a quorum.
6.2.v. Only those Covenant Members who have attained the age of 18 years
are entitled to vote at Special Church Meetings
6.2.vi. Decisions at a Special Church meeting require a two-thirds majority of those voting.
6.3. Annual Church Meeting
The March Church Meeting of each year shall also include the Annual Meeting when the previous year’s audited accounts and reports of the work of the church and its organisations shall be presented.
6.4. Delegated Matters
The Leadership Team shall have the authority to act on its own discretion in discharge of urgent duties and matters. The church shall be informed of such action at the next Church Meeting.
7. Who will lead West Leigh Baptist Church?
7.1. The Pastor(s)
7.1.i. The Pastor(s) should normally be on the accredited list of ministers of the Baptist Union.
7.1.ii. The Leadership Team shall inform the covenant Membership of the date on which a prospective candidate is to preach with a view to the
pastorate and also the date of a Special Church Meeting to follow not more than seven days later.
7.1.iii. At a Special Church Meeting, the Leadership Team will present a
recommendation concerning the prospective candidate.
7.1.iv. No pastor shall receive an invitation to the Church unless they have obtained, at a Special Church Meeting, the support of at least four-fifths of the Covenant Members present and voting.
7.1.v. The conditions of settlement and service will be based on those for
the time being recommended by the Baptist Union and drawn up by
the Leadership Team.
7.2. The Leadership Team
7.2.1. Function
7.2.1.i. The Church Leadership Team with the pastor(s) will be responsible to
the church for the oversight of the fellowship – pastoral care, outreach (at home and overseas), discipleship, teaching and worship, as well as the administration of the Church’s business affairs and administrative needs.
7.2.1.ii. The Leadership Team have a legal responsibility, as managing
trustees, for West Leigh Baptist Church.
As such they have a legal responsibility to ensure the church
conforms to statutory obligations, including the safe-guarding of children.
7.2.2. Qualifications
7.2.2.i. All members of the Church’s Leadership Team shall be men and
women of mature standing in the Christian faith, at least 18 years of age, have been baptised, as believers, by immersion and have been covenant members of West Leigh Baptist Church for at least twelve months.
7.2.2.ii. Due consideration should be given to the Scriptural teaching
regarding the spiritual characteristics for leaders.
7.2.3. Appointment
7.2.3.i. The current Leadership Team shall be responsible for recommending
from time to time the numerical strength of and the areas of oversight for the Leadership Team that are required to administer adequately the needs of the Church.
7.2.3.ii. Leadership Team members shall normally be appointed for three years at a Church Meeting. They will be eligible for re-nomination.
7.2.3.iii. Prior to the above mentioned meeting Covenant Members shall
be asked to nominate in writing those whom they have carefully and prayerfully considered and believe to be qualified to serve on the Leadership Team.
7.2.3.iv. The Leadership shall invite those persons nominated to meet with
representatives of the Leadership Team to ensure that they are fully aware of the responsibilities they could be asked to undertake.
7.2.3.v. The names of those nominated and willing to stand shall be
displayed for at least four Sundays preceding the Church Meeting at which the election is to be held.
7.2.3.vii. If during that time, any Covenant Member has any concerns as
to why a nominee should not serve on the Leadership Team, they should communicate this to the Pastor in confidence.
7.2.3. viii. Covenant members who regularly attend Sunday services but
who are unable to attend a meeting for the appointment of Leadership Team members may apply for a ballot paper through the Pastor. Any such papers must be returned prior to the Church Meeting.
7.2.3.ix. A nominee will need two thirds of the votes cast to be elected to
the Leadership Team.
7.2.3.xi. Scrutineers shall be appointed by the Leadership Team prior to
the meeting and they shall report the result of the ballot to the Chairperson.
7.2.3.xii. In the event of any unfilled vacancy or of a vacancy being
caused by death or resignation the Leadership Team will recommend whether or not the vacancy should be filled and when.
Alteration to Rules
No alteration of, or addition to, these Principles and Practices shall be made except at a Special Church Meeting, and after due notice of motion has been given. All proposed alterations to the Principles and Practices shall be circulated to all Covenant Members at least seven days before the meeting.
8. Where does West Leigh Baptist Church associate?
8.1. The Church is affiliated to The Baptist Union of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland and to The Eastern Baptist Association.
The Baptist Union’s Declaration of Principle:
1. That our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, is the sole and absolute authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice, as revealed in the Scriptures, and that each Church has liberty, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to interpret and administer His laws.
2. That Christian Baptism is the immersion in water into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy spirit, of those who have professed repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ who ‘died for our sins according to the Scriptures; was buried, and rose again the third day’.
3. That it is the duty of every disciple to bear personal witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to take part in the evangelisation of the world.’
8.2. The Church is a member of the Evangelical Alliance.
The Evangelical Alliance’s Statement of Faith:
We believe in...
1. The one true God who lives eternally in three persons—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
2. The love, grace and sovereignty of God in creating, sustaining, ruling, redeeming and judging the world.
3. The divine inspiration and supreme authority of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, which are the written Word of God—fully trustworthy for faith and conduct.
4. The dignity of all people, made male and female in God's image to love, be holy and care for creation, yet corrupted by sin, which incurs divine wrath and judgment.
5. The incarnation of God’s eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ—born of the virgin Mary; truly divine and truly human, yet without sin.
6. The atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross: dying in our place, paying the price of sin and defeating evil, so reconciling us with God
7. The bodily resurrection of Christ, the first fruits of our resurrection; his ascension to the Father, and his reign and mediation as the only Saviour of the world
8. The justification of sinners solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ
9. The ministry of God the Holy Spirit, who leads us to repentance, unites us with Christ through new birth, empowers our discipleship and enables our witness
10. The Church, the body of Christ both local and universal, the priesthood of all believers—given life by the Spirit and endowed with the Spirit's gifts to worship God and proclaim the gospel, promoting justice and love.
11. The personal and visible return of Jesus Christ to fulfill the purposes of God, who will raise all people to judgment, bring eternal life to the redeemed and eternal condemnation to the lost, and establish a new heaven and new earth.
8.3. The Church is a full and active member of Churches
Together in Leigh.
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