Chapter 1. Purpose

¶201. The Christian Church is composed of all believers who are trusting in the blood of Jesus Christ for salvation and cleansing from all sin. The local church is a collection of persons who believe and practice that the Holy Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God, inerrant in the originals, and is the final authority for life and truth. They are converted to God (born again), accepting the salvation of Jesus Christ through faith in His atonement made for the sins of all men. The local church is also a collection of persons, who by mutual agreement unite for the purpose of worshiping God, for Christian fellowship, to receive the Word of God through preaching, to receive the Sacraments, to pray and work together, to seek and save the lost, to disseminate the Christian spirit and life, and to send out the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord. Let each church have an altar rail or mourner's bench in a prominent place in front of the pulpit which shall be as near the center of the platform as possible for the benefit of all.

¶202. The local church, acting in its Annual Church Conferences, constitutes the basic governmental body of the Evangelical Methodist Church. All other conferences and officers derive their administrative powers and duties from the local church acting through its delegates at the District and General Conference levels. The local churches act cooperatively at the district and general levels by carrying out the programs and following the Discipline adopted by their delegates at these conferences (¶61, 62).

¶203. The local church shall promote Christian worship, teach the whole Bible, cause to be preached the teachings of Christ, evangelize the unsaved, promote missions both at home and abroad, minister to the local needs, foster and encourage religious and social fellowship among its members, and apply the teachings of Christ to everyday life.

¶204. The word congregation shall refer to the body of members of a local church. One or more local churches shall constitute a pastoral charge under the Discipline, properly organized and to which a minister has been duly called, or appointed, as pastor in charge. Every such local congregation is an integral part of the conferences of churches known as the Evangelical Methodist Church, whose purpose it shall be to spread Scriptural holiness throughout the world in accordance with the Wesleyan tradition: (1) Regeneration — the new birth — in the heart of the repentant sinner; (2) Sanctification — the baptism of the Holy Spirit — subsequent to regeneration, and instantaneously wrought in the heart of the believer; and to serve God and our fellowmen in the fullness of love. The Evangelical Methodist Church does not accept the doctrinal position that speaking in tongues is the evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit. The local church cooperates with the designated conferences of the church and supports the work through all of its organizations as outlined in the Discipline. It is represented at and reports to the District Conference and accepts the Discipline as to general practice and ritual. It shall not legislate nor promote doctrines or policies not in keeping with the Discipline. The local church is congregational in government with property rights vested in the local church, except where money has been loaned by the conference. The church is also connectional and churches desiring to unite with the Evangelical Methodist Church shall sign the following affiliation resolution and secure the approval of the District Conference, the District Superintendent and the General Superintendent. Three copies of the affiliation resolution shall be sent to the District Superintendent who shall forward one copy to the District Secretary and one copy to the General Secretary. This affiliation resolution has no bearing upon ownership of property or Disciplinary provisions thereof.

The affiliation resolution shall read:

Resolution of a congregation located at ______________ desiring to be known as the _______ Evangelical Methodist Church of _____________ requesting formal affiliation with the Evangelical Methodist Church, with Headquarters at Indianapolis, Indiana.

WHEREAS, this congregation desiring to be known as the _________ Evangelical Methodist Church of _____________ has accepted as to general practice and ritual that body of religious doctrine, and that collection of rules and procedure and organization entitled, Discipline of the Evangelical Methodist Church, and

WHEREAS, this congregation desires to formally affiliate with, have membership in, support the spiritual and financial programs of said Evangelical Methodist Church, and to send delegates to its Conferences;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by this congregation on this _________ day of ____________ in the year ______ that they request said Evangelical Methodist Church accept and approve this request for affiliation and acknowledge that acceptance and approval.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of this congregation is hereby authorized and directed to send three (3) true copies of this Affiliation Resolution, duly certified by him (her) to be such, to the District Superintendent.

CERTIFICATION:

I, ________________________, the duly elected and acting Secretary in charge of the Minute Book and records of this congregation, hereby certify this to be a full, true and correct record of action taken by this congregation in a legal meeting held on the ____ day of _________ in the year ______, and that the action has not been modified or rescinded and is at the date of this certification in full force and effect.

In witness whereof, I the undersigned have executed this certificate in the presence of these witnesses this _______ day of _____________________ in the year __________.

______________________________, Secretary

Witnesses:

¶205. The local church treasurer shall send 5% of its monthly disbursements, excluding the deductions listed below, to the District Treasurer each month. These funds, hereafter known as the Conference Support, shall then be forwarded by the District Treasurer to the General Treasurer. Monies expended for General Conference or District Conference church extension, missions, the operation of Christian day schools, new construction, construction improvements, building indebtedness, furnishings and equipment for the church and parsonage, and the housing allowance for the pastor and other paid staff members shall not be included in computing the amount of the Conference Support payment. These funds are to be used for the administration of the programs of the denomination as decided upon by the General Conference. Each District Conference is empowered to assess an additional percentage of Conference Support for the administration of the programs of the district as decided upon by the District Conference, but in no case shall the District Conference support be less than 5%. The local church treasurer shall remit this additional percentage of the local church's monthly disbursements, excluding the deductions listed above, to the District Treasurer at the same time and in the same manner as that for the General Conference.

¶206. The church treasurer and pastor shall check to see that all Conference Support has been paid at the end of the fiscal year and shall report the same to the Annual Church Conference. It there is a shortage of Conference Support payments, the church shall have until thirty days before the District Conference to make up the deficit. If the deficit is not made up in this time, the church will not be allowed to seat delegates at the General and District Conferences, except upon recommendation of the District Superintendent and upon two-thirds vote of the conference.

¶207. The pastor, or person responsible, shall certify that the church has paid its Conference Support when he completes his reports to the District Conference. If the church is not paid in full, he shall indicate what plans have been made for fulfilling the obligation. When the deficit is made up the pastor must certify the same to the District and General Conference Treasurers.

¶208. No transfer, sale, or exchange of property can be made without first notifying the District Superintendent and following the procedure of the Discipline.

¶209. In the event that a local church desires to vote on the question of withdrawal from the denomination, the following procedure must be followed:

Before such a vote can be taken, the local church shall have repaid to the district and/or the denomination all monies disbursed to that local church by the district and/or the denomination. This requirement shall be understood to include grants as well as loans and shall be further understood to include monies disbursed to that local church by the district and/or the denomination for any and all purposes, including amounts paid directly to the pastor as salary.

Such a vote can be taken only at the time of the Annual Church Conference.

If such a vote is to be taken the District Superintendent must be notified in writing by the pastor and/or the chairman of the Board of Stewards at least two weeks prior to the Annual Church Conference that the matter of withdrawal will be considered at the Annual Church Conference.

The motion to withdraw requires a favorable vote of three-fourths of the eligible church membership present and voting for passage.

If the motion to withdraw receives the necessary three-fourths vote, there shall be a waiting period of one year.

At the end of the one-year waiting period a second vote to withdraw must be taken. If the motion to withdraw again receives the necessary three-fourths vote, the withdrawal shall be effective immediately.

In the event a local church votes to withdraw from the Evangelical Methodist Church, the pastor and any local lay persons holding offices in the District Conference or General Conference must surrender those positions immediately. If at the end of the one year waiting period a second vote is taken to withdraw and receives the necessary three-fourths vote, the pastor shall surrender his/her credentials effective the day of the final vote.

¶210. Encumbrance of church property shall be made only upon favorable vote of two-thirds of the eligible voting membership of the local church present and voting at the Annual Church Conference or a Special Church Conference according to the Disciplinary provision. Notice of such church conference shall be made at least two Sundays prior to such meeting.

¶211. In the event a local church is dissolved and no future need of its assets are foreseen, the local church shall transfer to the trustees of the district in which the church is located the title to all church property, subject to prior claims and lien holders. In disposing the property the written recommendations of the congregation shall be followed as closely as possible.