Chapter 4. Basic Denominational Principles

DIVISION 1. OUTLOOK

¶71. There are certain basic principles that underlie and compel the existence of the Evangelical Methodist Church. They can be summed up in six brief statements: The church is fundamental in belief, pre-millennial regarding the second coming, missionary in outlook, evangelistic in endeavor, cooperative in spirit, and Wesleyan in doctrine.

¶72. We mean by fundamental in belief that we take our stand on the Bible as the Word of God--its plenary, unique inspiration and its supreme authority in our lives.

¶73. We mean by missionary in outlook that there is a burning desire to keep before the world the size of the plan of redemption, that 'He by the grace of God should taste death for every man,' and to hasten under all possible Christian means the salvation of men, and to keep before the church the magnitude of her unfinished task.

¶74. By the statement that we are evangelistic in endeavor we mean that we seek the salvation of men through concentrated effort to win them to Christ. That concentrated effort largely is the awakening that comes in revival spirit when the Holy Spirit convicts of sin in either mass evangelism or personal evangelism. We seek to promote true revivals of religion in our churches as the supreme aim of the church and relate men to Christ in saving and sanctifying grace.

¶75. We are cooperative in spirit. We urge and believe that we should cooperate with other like bodies of the evangelical Christian faith and not withdraw ourselves into a closed religious corporation. The largeness of the undertaking, the brevity of opportunity, the constraining love of Christ, all show that we should cooperate to the fullest with Bible-believing Christians everywhere, and still maintain a deep and abiding loyalty to our own church as a God-directed and Christ-centered movement for such a time as this.

DIVISION 2. CONFERENCES

¶81. There shall be a General Conference for the entire church with powers, duties, and privileges as are set forth in the Discipline. The General Conference shall constitute the law making body of our church and shall operate under and in harmony with the Constitution.

¶82. There shall be District Conferences which shall operate under and in harmony with the General Conference and shall be constituted with powers, duties, and privileges as are set forth in the Discipline.

¶83. There shall be Annual Church Conferences in each church or pastoral charge which shall operate under and in harmony with the General Conference and shall be constituted with powers, duties, and privileges as set forth in the Discipline.

DIVISION 3. MINISTRY

¶91. The Constitution provides for one ministerial ordination, that of elder. Elders, members on trial, and deaconesses are members of the District Conference with voting privileges. Elders and members on trial are known as traveling preachers to distinguish them from local preachers who are not members of the District Conference.

¶92. The General Conference shall provide the qualifications, duties, powers, and privileges of elders, members on trial, local preachers, and deaconesses.

DIVISION 4. ADMINISTRATION

¶101. There shall be superintendents to supervise the work of the church.

¶102. The General Superintendent(s) shall be elected by ballot by the General Conference according to the provision of the Discipline. The qualifications, powers, duties, privileges, and limitations of the General Superintendent(s) shall be defined by the General Conference to whom they are amenable for administration responsibility. The areas of service shall be assigned by the General Conference, but if no areas are assigned the General Superintendent(s) shall agree as to their respective areas.

¶103. The District Superintendents shall be elected by ballot by the District Conference according to the provisions of the Discipline. The qualifications, powers, duties, privileges, and limitations of the District Superintendents shall be defined by the General Conference according to the Discipline.

Chapter 5. Amendments To The Constitution

¶111. The Constitution can be amended only by the following procedure: (1) Three-fourths majority vote of any General Conference, and (2) Ratification by two-thirds of the local churches voting in a referendum according to the provisions set forth in the Discipline.

¶112. Proposed amendments to the Constitution may originate in either the General Conference or a District Conference.

Chapter 6. By-Laws

¶121. All which follows in the Discipline, not specifically in the Constitution, shall be known as the By-Laws.

¶122. The By-Laws can be amended by any General Conference, but must always be in harmony with and not contrary to the Constitution.