FECC Constitution and Bylaws Membership Excerpt (ARTICLE V)

 

ARTICLE V

 

MEMBERSHIP

Section 1: Requirements for Membership
 

To be considered for membership in this church, a person must be a disciple of Jesus Christ and give biblical evidence of regeneration. Such a disciple must be baptized in obedience to Christ following his or her conversion and commit wholeheartedly to follow Jesus Christ as Lord in accordance with Scripture. Each prospective member must agree to submit to the teaching of Scripture and must promise to keep the commitments expressed in the Church Covenant.
 

The Pastors 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, character of life and such other evidence, as they deem appropriate.

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Section 2: Membership Process

Any believer seeking membership at For Eternity Christian Church should communicate their desire to the Pastors, receive and work through a membership packet, and submit the completed forms. Each candidate must also meet with one or more Pastors for a membership interview and agree to attend membership classes as provided by the Pastors. A time and place shall be set for a meeting with the candidate, who shall attend and be questioned as to his or her basic Christian experience, doctrinal beliefs, and seriousness of intention to support wholeheartedly the total ministry of this church, and to live for Christ in accordance with the Holy Scriptures and as outlined in our Constitution and Bylaws.

The Pastors may recommend a candidate for membership to the church leadership at any Executive Board of Pastors (EBOP), Trustee Board (TB) or Deacon’s board meeting of the church. The candidate may be received into membership upon acceptance of the majority of the Pastors, Trustees, and or Deacons present.

 

Once a candidate is accepted into membership, he or she relinquishes their membership in other churches. New members are formally welcomed into the church at the next Lord’s Supper Service. They are also encouraged and given the opportunity to share their testimony with the church family.

Prospective members can be received into membership by:
 

A. PROFESSION OF FAITH AND BAPTISM — Any person who meets the above stated requirements shall apply for membership to the Pastors. Candidates will be received upon their baptism by immersion into membership of the church.
 

B. LETTER — Any person desiring to unite with this church, upon letter of recommendation from another evangelical church of like faith and order, shall present such letter, or a promise thereof, to the Pastors.
 

C. STATEMENT OF FAITH — Any person desiring to unite with this church, upon their testimony of conversion and baptism as a believer by immersion, shall apply for membership to the Pastors.

 

Section 3: Forms of Membership

A. REGULAR — All who are received into the membership of the church on the above-mentioned conditions shall be considered members in good standing until such status is changed by one of the conditions set forth in section 4 below.
 

B. OTHER — The membership status of the sick, shut-ins, Christian workers, and others whose relationship to the church involves special consideration and circumstances, shall be considered by the Pastors on a case-by-case basis. The Pastors will then make appropriate recommendations to the church.
 

C. REMOTE — Remote believers may qualify as members if they are 40 or more miles from the main church campus at 749 Main St., Stone Mountain Georgia, as long as they are regularly present on the weekly remote broadcast(s).
 

 

Section 4: Discontinuation of Membership
 

A member may be removed from the membership of For Eternity Christian Church by:

 

A. RELEASE — At the recommendation of the Pastors and the approval of the Trustee Board, letters of release shall be granted to members who apply for them in writing, provided they are in good standing and not subject to or already under corrective discipline at the time of the application. When such letters have been granted, the relationship to this church shall be
considered terminated.
 

B. EXCLUSION — If a member is habitually absent from the stated meetings of this church without just cause or is unwilling to resolve conflicts or settle differences in a Scriptural manner, or requests severance of membership, he or she may be excluded from the membership at the discretion of the Pastors, subject to the approval of the Trustee Board with congregational consideration.
 

C. TRANSFER — Letters of recommendation shall be granted upon the recommendation of the Pastors and approval by the congregation to evangelical churches which request them, provided the member in question is in good standing and not subject to or already under discipline at the time of the application. When such letters have been granted, the relationship to this church shall be considered terminated. Letters of dismissal shall be forwarded and given only to other evangelical churches (Philemon 2).
 

D. DISMISSAL — It is right and in harmony with the Scriptures for the congregation, upon recommendation of the Pastors, to remove from this fellowship any person who persists in holding false or heretical doctrine; or who obviously and persistently lives inconsistently with his profession; or who lives in violation of the law or public morals; or who walks disorderly; or who persists in disturbing the unity and peace of this church (Matthew 10:15ff; 1 Corinthians 5:1ff; 2 Thessalonians 3:6,11,15; Romans 16:17).