Constitution

Constitution of Mt. Zion House of Prayer · revised 2023

Preamble

Since the Lord admonishes all believers and congregations to do all things decently and in order (I Cor. 14:40), this congregation adopts the following constitution as a guideline for conducting its corporate life and conduct.

Article I. Name

The name of this congregation shall be: Mt. Zion House of Prayer

Article II. Purpose

Acknowledging Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and the Holy Bible as our sole rule of faith and conduct. The purpose of this congregation is:

  1. to extend the kingdom of God everywhere by proclamation of His Word,
  2. to strengthen the individual Christian through loving care, spiritual fellowship, and public worship,
  3. to observe the religious ordinances,
  4. to teach and preach God’s Word for instruction and edification to the end that souls be saved and God glorified, and
  5. to reach out to the needs of the people in the communities around us.

Article III. Membership

Section 1. Requirements for Membership

Any person may become a member who has been baptized by water baptism in the church upon his/her confession of faith, can give clear evidence of having been born again, and has a good Christian character; he/she must express agreement with church doctrines. Persons from other congregations who have been baptized upon their confession of faith in Christ and who give clear evidence of having been born again, and who wish to unite with the congregation, shall present a letter of good standing if possible, or be admitted by the reaffirmation of their faith. All candidates for membership shall be examined by the pastoral team and, when approved, be recommended to the congregation for final approval.

Section 2. Responsibilities of the Member

The responsibilities of the member shall be: to give their active support to the church by their regular attendance at the worship services, uphold the church in prayer, give of their tithe and offerings for the ministry of the congregation, give of their time and talents, seek God’s will and follow it, give expression of love for their fellow men, and seek to witness for Christ and extend His kingdom (Rom 12:18).

Section 3. Transfer of Membership

Members in good standing who wish to transfer their membership to another congregation will be granted a letter of release by the pastoral team (subject to the approval of the congregation). The pastoral team will seek recommendation from the previous congregation of incoming members.

Section 4. Membership Shall Include

Those persons who agree with the doctrine and constitution and are not members in any other congregation. Only members in good standing shall be entitled to vote in church matters upon reaching the age of sixteen.

Article IV. Discipline

Should a person by reasons of unchristian conduct bring reproach to the name of Christ and the church, faithful and loving efforts should be made by the Pastor or members designed to bring such a person to repentance. If that fails, the congregation may, after due notice and appropriate hearing, terminate such membership by the unanimous vote of quorum.

The reason for discipline shall be:

  1. Deviation from the church’s doctrinal position, and heresy (I Tim. 1:19-20, Titus 3:10-11),
  2. Immoral conduct (I Cor. 5:9-13, II Cor. 6:14-17),
  3. Serious personal unresolved differences with other members of the congregation (Eph. 4:1-3, I Cor. 12:25).

Any person whose membership has been terminated may again be restored after assurance of proved repentance and restitution has been given the congregation.

Article V. Church Organization

The church leadership team is comprised of Pastors, Deacon, Elders, Sunday School Superintendent, and Worship Leader.

Section 1. Pastors

The congregation shall be served by a Senior Pastor and one or more Associate Pastors, who have the gift of preaching and teaching. They shall give evidence of being born again, and of God’s call to the ministry of the Gospel and of being willing to adhere to the constitution and principles of Scripture in governing church leadership. They shall be men of Christian character and conduct. One of the Pastors shall be responsible to call a monthly meeting of the Pastoral Team which includes Associate Pastors, Worship Leader, Sunday School Superintendent, and Youth Pastor (if such applies) for encouragement, to maintain overall and mutual accountability and to address any pertinent issues that may need attention. One of the Pastors shall be the chairman of this team.

As God prospers and the congregation grows in number, additional ministerial help will be needed. The Joint Leadership Team (Pastoral Team along with the Elders and Deacon) shall determine when such a need arises and present it to the congregation for approval and implementation. Should questions arise about a Pastor’s ability to perform the duties of his office, the Elders shall first discuss the issue involved with the Pastor. If these cannot be resolved, the question of termination of his services shall then be brought to the membership for decision by unanimous vote.

Section 2. Deacons

The congregation shall be served by a Deacon or Deacons, one who has the gift of serving. He shall give evidence of being born again, and of God’s call to the ministry of the Gospel and being willing to adhere to the constitution and principles of the Scripture in governing church leadership. He shall be a man of Christian character and conduct. The Deacon's responsibility will be to receive and care for the charities of the church and distribute them to those in need. To provide for the practical needs of the church, and preach as called upon. The Deacon’s term will be a six year term. Nomination for a new Deacon will take place 6 months prior to the end of the current Deacon’s term to allow for learning responsibilities and to facilitate a smooth transition.

He will chair the Finance Committee which will consist of Deacon, Elders, Trustees, and Mission Board. The finance committee should meet quarterly or as needed to oversee current financial needs of the church. The finance committee is tasked with drafting a yearly budget to help direct and account for the monetary inflow and outflow and provide quarterly reports of the accounts.

Section 3. Elders

The Elders will oversee the administrative leadership of the church. They may be called upon to preach as needed. Elders shall have four-year terms and be elected every two years with overlapping terms. Elder responsibilities shall include oversight of the records of the church such as baptismal records, membership records, and baby dedication certificates. The elder board shall be responsible for reorganization of all offices of the church except Sunday School teachers. The elder board shall also be responsible to conduct yearly evaluations on the pastors and give accountability to the pastoral team in general. In case of a dispute between the church body and a pastor, the elder board will function as an intermediary to help bring about resolution.

Section 4. Worship Leader

The Worship Leader will be responsible to develop a vision and plan for worship time, oversee scheduling for Prayer & Praise, and possibly train others to lead singing and worship. The Worship Leader’s term will be a three year term. Nomination for a new Worship Leader will take place 6 months prior to the end of the current Worship Leader’s term to allow for learning responsibilities and to facilitate a smooth transition.

Section 5. Youth Program

Vision: To develop Godly young men and women who will continue the heritage God has entrusted to us.

Goal: The Youth shall be involved in wholesome activities that encourage godliness, maturity, and spiritual growth. Recognizing the role of parents in their interaction with the youth program is encouraged. Community projects, missions and interaction with the entire church along with a balance of recreational activities are encouraged. A minimum age of 15 suggested.

Leadership: Youth sponsors shall consist of two married couples each serving two year overlapping terms. They shall be elected by the congregation. The youth and sponsors shall elect a committee to assist in the leadership of the youth group.

Section 6. Mission Board

Shall consist of two members for a term of four years. The term of service shall be staggered so that one member is elected every two years. Their responsibilities include the mission fund, working with members going into service, keeping the church aware of mission opportunities available and helping implement them.

Section 7. The Board of Trustees

The board of trustees shall consist of at least three members elected by the congregation each serving four year terms. More members may be added as the pastor, deacon and elders see the need and make recommendations to the congregation. They shall be:

  1. to maintain the facilities, grounds, and access ways,
  2. to hire custodians and other help as needed to keep the facilities clean and in good condition,
  3. to help plan and supervise additions and renovations required by the administration under the budget guidelines.

Section 8. Song Leader

A song leader shall be elected annually by the congregation. He shall be responsible under the direction of the worship leader to open services with a few songs.

Section 9. Ushers

A head usher and assistant shall be elected annually by the congregation. Under the direction of the pastorate the ushers shall be responsible to provide sincere, courteous service to all members and visitors and minister to the comfort of the congregation at all public services.

Section 10. Social Events Committee

The social events committee shall consist of two married couples of the congregation. It shall be responsible for planning 3 social events each year including Christmas caroling.

Section 11. Business and Brothers Meetings

The brothers of the church shall meet monthly or bi-monthly for discussion of business issues, and for spiritual fellowship.

Article VI. Sunday School Administration and Organization

Section 1. Purpose

To work in harmony with and to enhance the ministry of the church; to provide systematic religious instruction; to lead children and adults to Christ; to encourage high standards of Christian living; to train for Christian service and to provide systematic efforts for spreading the Gospel at home and school.

Section 2. Superintendent

A Superintendent shall be elected from the membership by the congregation for a four-year period. The Superintendent, along with the pastoral team, shall constitute the executive committee of the Sunday School. They shall organize the departments into classes and shall provide appropriate material to fulfill the purpose of Sunday School. Nomination for a new Superintendent will take place 6 months prior to the end of the current Superintendent’s term to allow for learning responsibilities and to facilitate a smooth transition.

Section 3. Teachers

Teachers shall be elected each half-year from the membership by the congregation.

Article VII. Qualifications of Workers

  1. Must have assurance of salvation in Christ.
  2. Must be willing to work in harmony under the guidelines and leadership of the congregation.
  3. Must be able to place the work of the church ahead of worldly amusements and other secular attractions.
  4. Must be interested in the spiritual conditions and needs of men’s souls at home and abroad.
  5. Must be aware of false cults and teachings today that are not aligned with the Bible.
  6. Anyone deliberately teaching doctrine and practices not consistent with the church’s doctrine and position forfeits his/her rights to teach or work at Mt. Zion House of Prayer.

Article VIII. Amendments

The constitution may be amended by unanimous agreement of all eligible to vote. The proposed amendment shall be published two weeks in advance of voting time and called to the attention of the congregation at least one week before time to vote.