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Queens
Road Baptist Church
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Queens Road Baptist Church - Broadstairs Constitution (cont.)
4.
Ordinance
(a) The ordinance of the Lord's Supper, to which all believers in the
Lord Jesus Christ are invited, shall usually be observed on the first
Sunday evening and the third Sunday morning each month. Members should
do their utmost to be present for it is a sacred privilege to do so.
Names of those absent for twelve consecutive months and of those who
attend very rarely, without valid reason, may, after due notice and
visitation, be removed from the Membership Roll.
(b) The ordinance of Believer's Baptism shall be administered as requested
and at the discretion of the Minister and Deacons. The ordinance may
be administered to believers who are not seeking membership in the church
at the discretion of the Minister and deacons.
5. Ministers and Elders
(a) In making or considering a call to a Minister, the procedure for
the time being recommended by The Baptist Union shall be observed. He
shall be invited to become the Minister, if, on ballot, he has received
not less than seventy-five percent of all the votes of all the valid
voting papers returned at a Special Church Meeting called for this purpose.
(b) The Minister shall be ex-officio President of all societies and
ordinarily preside at all business meetings, both of the church and
its constituent societies.
(c) The Deacons may from time to time propose to the Membership the
acceptance of an Elder.
(d) Members over the age of twenty-one (21) with at least two(2) years
membership shall be eligible, if the Deacons are satisfied that they
possess the gifts required for such a calling.
(e) If on a ballot of the Membership not less than seventy-five percent
(75 %) of all those present and voting are in favour, the named person
shall be accepted into Eldership.
6. Deacons
(a) The number of deacons to be elected shall be determined from time-to-time
by the church as the size of the membership shall require.
(b) Members over the age of twenty-one years and at least one year's standing
in membership shall be eligible for election. Deacons shall be elected
by ballot for a period of three years. Normally one-third of the deacons
shall retire annually, such retiring deacons being eligible for re-election,
if nominated.
(c) Notice of a forthcoming election of deacons shall be given and nominations
invited, either at public worship or by notice in the church, on two consecutive
Sundays five/six weeks prior to the date of the election.
(d) Nomination for the office of deacon shall be made to the Church Secretary
not later than fourteen days before the Church Meeting when the election
is to take place. Nominations must be submitted in writing with the signatures
of two members, the consent of the nominees having first been obtained.
(e) A list of those so nominated shall be either read or displayed in
the church at public worship for the two Sundays preceding the election.
(f) Those receiving the highest number of votes in the ballot shall be
deemed elected, provided they receive not less than two-thirds of the
votes, of the total number of members present.
(g) Where a vacancy or vacancies for the diaconate have not been filled
because of the failure to secure the two-thirds of the votes, there may
be, at the discretion of the Church Meeting, a second ballot after the
omission of one or more of the names of those who failed to secure sufficient
support in the first ballot.
7. Officers A secretary and Treasurer shall be deacons nominated by the
diaconate and elected annually at the church meeting following the annual
meeting.
8. General
(a) All branches of the church's work shall be subject to the authority
of the Church Meeting.
(b) No society or organization may be established without the prior consent
of the Church Meeting and only upon such conditions as it may decide.
(c) Applications for the use of the church premises shall be made to the
Church Secretary. These will be Authorized or declined in accordance with
the general principles laid down by the Church Meeting and upon such conditions
as it may decide.
9. Church Accounts
The church accounts shall be presented for approval at a church meeting
within 3 months of the end of each financial year, having been audited
by 2 competent church members appointed at a church meeting.
10. Alteration of Rules
The forgoing rules, a copy of which shall be given to each church member,
may be altered only at the Annual Church Meeting or at a Special Church
Meeting called for the purpose. Due notice must be given of any proposal
to alter the rules and a majority of two-thirds of those present is required
before an alteration is agreed. Any rule that conflicts with the Trust
Deed of the church is automatically invalid.
