Kingman Christian Church By-Laws
Amended April 2018
ARTICLE 1: NAME:
This organization shall be called the Kingman Christian Church.
ARTICLE 2: PURPOSE:
The purpose of the Kingman Christian Church is to aggressively fulfill the last and greatest commandment of Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20) by providing various avenues for evangelism of the lost and spiritual growth of the redeemed.
ARTICLE 3: BELIEFS:
As an independent, non-denominational church, the Pastors, Lay Pastors/Elders, and members at Kingman Christian Church believe:
Sec. 1: The Holy Bible:
We believe the Bible is divinely inspired and inerrant (II Timothy 3:16-17).
Sec. 2: God:
We believe in one God who is One substance, revealed in Three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Isaiah 44:6ff, John 8:24 & 58, Acts 6).
Sec. 3: Man:
We believe that Man is by nature a sinner from birth (Psalm 51:5).
Sec. 4: Jesus the Christ:
We believe Jesus the Christ was virgin-born and sinless. He died on the cross for sins, was raised bodily from the dead on the third day and is coming again at the end of the age, a time determined by the Father, to defeat all evil and establish his eternal kingdom on earth where all true believers shall abide with him for eternity(Matthew 1:18, Hebrews 4:15, I Corinthians 15:3-4, John 14:3, Revelation 19:11-21 & 21:1-4). We believe He is fully God and fully man, God the Son, second person of the Trinity (John 8:24, 58).
Sec. 5: Salvation:
We believe salvation is a free gift, bestowed by God’s grace and received by faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Sec. 6: Baptism:
We believe immersion in water of a professed believer is Bible baptism (Acts 8:36-39). We believe it is essential in that it is commanded and therefore should be obeyed (Matthew 28:19-20). Baptism is not only symbolic of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection but is also participation with him in death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6:1-4).
Sec. 7: Security in Christ:
We believe a believer’s salvation is secured by Christ alone (John 10:27-28) however, it is possible for a believer to reject salvation (Hebrews 6:4-6, 2 Peter 2:20-22).
Sec. 8: The Church:
We believe the Church is the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25-33) and the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12). We believe the purpose of the Church on earth is to fulfill the last command of Jesus (Matthew 28:1820).
We believe the local church is governed by godly men known as elders/pastors (Titus 1:5).
Sec 9: The Holy Spirit:
We believe the Holy Spirit is given to every believer upon conversion (John 14:15-18, Acts 2:38 & Ephesians 1:13-14), and that He leads and guides the believer (John 14:16). The Holy Spirit is also responsible for drawing men to Jesus (John 16:7-11). He is a personality, and is God the Spirit, third person of the Trinity (Acts 5:1ff).
We believe the Holy Spirit endows believers with spiritual gifts to be used to serve the church (Ephesians 4:12).
Sec. 10: Gender, Marriage and Sexuality:
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God (Genesis 1:26-27).
We believe the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Genesis 2:18-25). We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4). We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God (Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
Sec 11: Sanctity of Life : We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in his image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life.
Sec. 12: Statement of Final Authority on Matters of Faith and Conduct: This section outlining beliefs does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God, speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper
conduct of mankind. It is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of Kingman Christian Church’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our pastoral team is KCC’s final
interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.
ARTICLE 4: MEMBERSHIP:
Sec. 1: We believe that all who place their faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior are members of the universal Church, however, we also recognize that the Church operates within smaller units or congregations. Any person who further desires to be identified as a member of Kingman Christian Church must have received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (Acts 16:31).
Sec. 2: A candidate must be baptized as a believer, out of obedience to Christ as Lord (Acts 2:38). We recognize as valid, a believer’s baptism previously administered.
Sec. 3: Upon completion of the above requirements, the candidate, who has agreed to the beliefs and practices of Kingman Christian Church, will be admitted to membership publicly.
Sec. 4: Regarding church discipline; Biblically we are to follow the steps of Matthew 18:15ff in the case of a sinning brother or sister. The Bible states that believers in the body are to judge the actions of other believers (I Corinthians 5:12) and that the church is to be obedient and submissive to its spiritual leaders (Hebrews 13:17).
ARTICLE 5: CHURCH ORGANIZATION AND ORDER:
Sec. 1: The congregation, while acting under the leadership of the Pastors, retains the ultimate authority in all matters pertaining to the business and ministry of the church. Congregational meetings shall be held as needed with two weeks prior notice given orally and/or in writing. All members age 16 and over are welcome to
participate.
Sec. 2: Pastors
Sec. 2a: Senior Pastor
Sec. 2a1: A Senior Pastor shall be called by the congregation operating under the direction of the Lay Pastors/Elders (described below) following an appropriate search and interview process
(Qualifications for pastor/elder are found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 & Titus 1:5-9.). The salary and compensation of the Senior Pastor shall be determined by the Lay Pastor/Elders with input and suggestions provided by the Financial Team (described in Article 6).
Sec. 2a2: A Senior Pastor may be dismissed by the Lay Pastor/Elders if, after following the steps outlined regarding church discipline in Article 4, Section 4, it is determined that the Senior Pastor is (a) guilty of heresy, heresy being defined as teaching doctrine that is clearly contrary to an orthodox, evangelical understanding of Scripture, (b) guilty of a lifestyle that is not compatible with Christian character as described in the New Testament, or (c) causing dissention in such a way that is harmful to the continued life and growth of Kingman Christian
Church.
Sec. 2b: Staff Pastors
Sec. 2b1: Staff Pastors shall be added by the congregation upon the recommendation of the Senior Pastor. (Qualifications of the pastor/elder are found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9).
Sec. 2b2: Staff Pastors may be dismissed following the guidelines listed above in Section 2a2 regarding issues of doctrine, character, or dissention. Regarding job performance issues, the Senior Pastor shall be primarily responsible for the oversight of the Staff Pastors. If it is determined that a Staff Pastor is unable or unwilling to effectively perform their duties, a reasonable probationary period may be entered into in which the Staff Pastor has the opportunity to make necessary changes. If at the end of the probationary period it is determined that
insufficient progress has been made, the Senior Pastor working in consultation with the Lay Pastor/Elders may proceed with consideration and planning of dismissal and transition regarding the particular Staff Pastor.
Sec. 2c: Lay/Pastors/Elders are those members of the congregation who have completed extensive training and perform pastoral duties without compensation.
Sec. 2c1: Lay Pastors/Elder candidates shall be selected by the present Lay Pastors/Elders (Qualifications for the pastor/elder are found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9).
Sec. 2c2: Qualified Lay Pastor/Elder candidates shall be presented to the congregation for consideration. Following a three-week period of consideration, candidates may be added to the Lay Pastor/Elder team.
Sec. 2c3: Lay Pastor/Elders may be ordained by the congregation under the direction of the Pastors and Lay Pastors. This status of ordination will grant these individuals with all of the rights and privileges associated therewith.
Sec. 2c4: Lay Pastor/Elders may be dismissed following the guidelines described in Section 2a2 above.
Sec. 2d: The Senior Pastor and the Lay Pastor/Elders should meet regularly (as needed) to discuss and direct the affairs of the church as described in Article 2 and Article 3 Section 9 above, under the direction of the Senior Pastor. All decisions during these meetings shall be recorded, dated and filed with the secretary.
Sec. 3: Ministers or Associate Minister/Deacons (aka Ministry Leaders) are those appointed by the Lay Pastors/Elders to be responsible for the administration of a particular ministry task or tasks as deemed
necessary. A Minister may be paid and operate in a staff position under the direction of the Senior Pastor. Associate Ministers/Deacons are typically non-compensated positions that operate under the direction of any of the Pastors, Lay Pastors/ Elders, or Ministers. Qualifications for Ministers and Associate Ministers/Deacons are found in 1 Timothy 3:8-13.
Sec. 3a: Ministers, Associate Ministers/Deacons may be ordained by the congregation under the direction of the Pastors and Lay Pastors. This status or ordination will grant these individuals with all of the rights and privileges associated therewith.
Sec. 3b: Ordination as described in Section 3a above shall be considered rescinded when an individual Minister/Associate Minister is no longer affiliated with Kingman Christian Church.
ARTICLE 6: FINANCES:
Sec. 1: The Pastors and Lay Pastors/Elders are ultimately responsible for the handling and distribution of church income (I Timothy 5:17). Part of this responsibility includes keeping the congregation informed and involved in the finances of the church.
Sec. 2: The books of Kingman Christian Church shall be open for review by anyone. The monthly financial statement shall be posted or otherwise made available to all members.
Sec. 3: An annual budget shall be prepared by the finance team.
Sec. 3a: Members of the finance team shall be appointed by the Pastors and Lay Pastors/Elders and confirmed by the church.
Sec. 3b: The team should include one and only one member of the pastoral team excluding paid pastors.
Sec. 3c: Close relatives (parents, in-laws, siblings), spouses, or children of Pastors or Lay Pastors/Elders should not be members of the finance team.
Sec. 4: Any offerings received designated for a specific use must be so used or returned to the giver. If this is not possible, these funds may be added to the building fund.
Sec. 5: All funds, property, and other assets shall belong to the church as a corporate entity. Acquiring or selling of any and all such assets shall be managed by the Leadership Team. No Pastor, Lay Pastor/Elder, Minister, or any other individual shall benefit personally and directly from the purchase or sale of any such assets associated with the operations of the Kingman Christian Church.
Sec. 6: Salaries for pastors, ministers, or any other persons in the employ of Kingman Christian Church shall be determined by the financial team and agreed upon by the pastoral Team. Any individual who is the subject of such remuneration must recuse themselves from participation in this aspect of budget preparation.
ARTICLE 7: AMENDMENTS:
These by-laws shall be amended and approved by a unanimous affirmative vote of the pastors and Lay Pastors/Elders followed by a majority affirmative vote of the congregation.