Membership

Section 1. General.

This is a sovereign and democratic Baptist church. The membership retains unto itself the right of exclusive self-government in all phases of the spiritual and temporal life of this church.
The membership reserves the exclusive right to determine who shall be members of this church and the conditions of such membership.
The membership of this church shall be all whose names are duly inscribed on the Church Rolls as maintained by the church clerk

Section 2. Candidacy-Membership.

Any person may offer himself as a candidate for membership in this church. After a new member is accepted into the church, those coming by profession of faith shall be encouraged to attend a new member’s class and those coming by letter shall be encouraged to attend the new member’s class.

All candidates for membership shall be presented to the church in the following ways:

(1) By profession of faith and for baptism according to the policies of this church.

(2) By promise of a letter from a Baptist church of like faith and order.

(3) By statement: Any person who has at some time been a member of a Baptist church, and who has been baptized according to the New Testament, but whose membership lapsed or was lost, may, upon statement of the facts and the affirmation of his personal faith in loyalty to Jesus Christ, as Savior and Lord, be received to membership by vote of the congregation at any of its public services.

(4) By restoration: Any person whose membership has been terminated may be restored to full fellowship by the vote of the church upon evidence of his repentance and reformation. Before voting to restore such a member, the church may, if it so desires, refer such a matter to the Pastor and deacons and report back to the church with recommendations thereon.

(5) Special Cases: Special cases such as receiving members from other denominations, in absentia (those confined to their bed by sickness) and others shall be referred to the pastor and deacons for recommendation to the church.

Section 3. Discipline.

Should any unhappy differences arise between members, the aggrieved member shall follow in a tender spirit the rules given by our Lord in the eighteenth chapter of Matthew.

(1) Should any case of gross breach of covenant, or of public scandal occur the deacons shall endeavor to remove the offense, and if such efforts fail, shall report the case to the church.

(2) If the church votes to entertain a complaint (which must be made in writing), it shall appoint a reasonable time and place of hearing and notify the person in question thereof furnishing him with a copy of the charges.

(3) At such hearing, the accused member may call to his aid any church member as counsel. If he shall not present himself at the time appointed, or give satisfactory reasons for his neglect to do so, the church may proceed in his absence.

(4) All such proceedings shall be pervaded by a spirit of Christian kindness and forbearance, but should an adverse decision be reached, the church may proceed to admonish or declare the offender to be no longer in the membership of the church.

(5) In case of grave difficulty the church will be ready, if requested to ask the advice of a mutual conciliator.

Section 4. Termination of Membership.

Membership shall be terminated by death; exclusive by action of this church; dismissal to another Baptist church; erasure upon becoming affiliated with a church of another faith and denomination; and in such other ways as this church may determine.
Should a member become an offense to the church and to its good name by reason of immoral or unchristian conduct, the church may terminate his membership, but only after due notice and hearing, and after faithful efforts have been made to bring such members to repentance and amendment.