Calvary Church Constitution, September 2014
Page 3
ARTICLE IV
Membership
Section A. Qualifications.
Persons desiring to unite with this Church will qualify for
membership by:
1. Confessing and possessing the Lord Jesus Christ as their
personal Savior.
2. Accepting in its entirety the Statement of Doctrine contained in Article III of this Constitution.
3. Inactive Membership. Inactive membership shall consist
of those who have come under disciplinary action of the
Church.
Inactive members shall not have the right to vote or hold
any office or position of service in the Church. The Elders
shall seek to restore the Inactive Membership to Active
Membership. If this has not been accomplished after 12
months of Inactive Membership, their membership may
be terminated by the Elders.
3. Agreeing to be governed by this Constitution.
Section D. Responsibility.
4. Being approved by the Elders as to their Christian experience and the basis of their salvation.
It is the responsibility of every member, as enabled by God,
to attend services regularly, to partake of the Lord's Supper,
to spend a portion of each day in Bible reading and in prayer,
to be a personal and public witness, to be concerned about
winning others to Christ, and to have a willingness to serve
in the work of this church.
Section B. Announcement of New Members.
The names of all new members shall be communicated to the
congregation.
Section C. Types of Membership.
The membership of this Church will consist of three groups;
namely, active membership, associate membership, and inactive membership.
1. Active Membership. Active Membership shall consist
of such Christians as have been received in accordance
with the provisions of this Constitution and who are not
members of any other church.
2. Associate Membership. Associate membership shall be
extended to the following:
a. Those who meet the spiritual qualifications of Active
Membership, but who are not permanent residents of
this area, such as students and missionaries, who may
hold regular membership elsewhere.
b. Those who no longer have residence in this area but
still desire to hold their membership in this Church.
They shall be permitted to teach a Sunday school or
adult class and participate in similar ministries. They
shall have the right to attend the congregational meetings of the Church, but shall not have the right to
vote.
Section E. Giving.
It is our conviction that proportionate giving is a distinct
privilege and positive command given to God's people. We
therefore pledge ourselves to contribute systematically to the
support of the Church, with such a portion of our income
that we believe God desires of us, according to the principle
laid down in I Corinthians 16:2 (also see Article V, Section
F.3).
Section F. Walk and Conduct.
We will urge upon each other in our daily walk and conversation, loyal obedience to all those precepts laid down in the
Word of God. We will warn against immorality and against
practices that tend toward immorality. We will also warn
against practices that are known to be harmful to the human
body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. All members will
be expected to live so as not to be a reproach to the Lord.
Section G. Restrictions.
No person holding membership in an oath-bound secret society shall be eligible for membership in Calvary (Undenominational) Church.