1: CHURCH NAME
The name of this church shall be St. Margaret’s Bay Bible Fellowship Baptist Church.
2: OBJECTIVES
The general purpose of this church is for religious worship, prayer and biblical instruction. Further more having been led, as we believe by the Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior we do now most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ. With the aid of the Holy Spirit we strive:
i) To walk together in Christian love.
ii) To advance the church in knowledge, prosperity, and spirituality.
iii) To promote the church’s spirituality and prosperity.
iv) To sustain the church’s worship, ordinances, disciplines and doctrines.
v) To contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the church’s ministry and general expenses, the relief of the poor and to spread the gospel among all nations of this world.
vi) To maintain family and personal devotion.
vii) To be responsible for the religious education of our children.
viii) To seek salvation for our relatives, friends and acquaintances.
ix) To walk circumspectly in the world, to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment.
x) To avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger.
xi) To abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage.
xii) To be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.
xiii) To watch over one another in brotherly love.
xiv) To remember each other in prayer.
xv) To aid each other in sickness and distress.
xvi) To cultivate Christian sympathy in feelings and courtesy in speech.
xvii) To be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.
3: STATEMENT OF FAITH
i) BIBLE: We believe the bible to be the complete word of God verbally inspired by the Spirit of God and is entirely free from error. It is the final authority in all matters of faith, practice and the true basis of Christian union.
ii) GOD: We believe in one God, Creator of all, holy, sovereign, eternal, existing in all three equal Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
iii) CHRIST: We believe in the absolute and essential deity of Jesus Christ, in His eternal existence with the Father in pre-incarnate glory, in His virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, triumphant ascension, mediatorial ministry and personal return.
iv) THE HOLY SPIRIT: We believe in the absolute and essential deity and personality of the Holy Spirit Who convinces of sin, of righteousness and of judgment Who regenerates, sanctifies, illuminates and comforts those who believe in Jesus Christ.
v) SATAN: We believe that Satan, the originator of sin, the archenemy of God and man exists.
vi) MAN: We believe that man was divinely created in the image of God, that he sinned and became guilty before God which resulted in total depravity therefore incurring physical and spiritual death.
vii) SALVATION: We believe that salvation is by the sovereign electing grace of God that by the appointment of the Father.
viii) FUTURE THINGS: We believe in the personal, bodily and glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the bodily resurrection of the just and unjust. Also in the eternal blessedness of the redeemed as well as the judgment and eternal punishment of the wicked.
ix) THE LOCAL CHURCH: We believe that a church is a company of immersed believers, called out from the world, separated unto Jesus, voluntarily associated for the ministry of the word, the mutual edification of its members, the propagation of the faith and the observance of the ordinances. We believe it is an autonomous, independent body under the lordship of Christ, the Head of the Church.
x) ORDINANCES: We believe that there are only two ordinances for the church regularly observed in the New Testament. 1) Baptism which is the immersion of the believer in water, whereby he/she obeys Christ’s command and sets forth his identification with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection. 2) The lord’s supper which is the memorial wherein the believer partakes of the two elements, bread and fruit of the vine which symbolize the Lord’s body and shed blood, proclaiming His death until He comes.
xi) THE CHURCH AND STATE: We believe in the separation of church and state.
xii) RELIGIOUS LIBERTY: We believe in religious liberty, that every person has the right to practice their believes.
xiii) THE LORD’S DAY: We follow the New Testament precepts by setting the first day of the week aside for worship and spiritual exercise.
xiv) PRAYER: We believe in the power and importance of prayer.
4: MEMBERSHIP
i) RECEPTION: Members may be received into the fellowship of this church at regular worship services, at prayer meetings and at regular or special meetings. Reception may be granted by baptism, acceptance of letters from sister churches or by experience.
ii) TRANSFER: All members in good standing shall be eligible for the letters of introduction and commendation to other churches.
5: DISCIPLINE
i) Members failing to observe the basic principles of Christian faith and conduct as found in our statement of faith, and to such a degree as to bring reproach upon the name of the Church and its ministry shall be interviewed by the deacons. They will make recommendation to the church as to what measure of discipline should be taken.
ii) Members absenting themselves from the regular service of the church for a period of one year without sufficient cause shall cease to remain as a member in good standing and may be dismissed from the church by a vote from the membership.
6: VOTING PRIVILEGES
All members in good standing, eighteen years or older may vote in all business matters of the church.
7: OFFICERS
These are the church’s officer’s roles and responsibilities:
i) PASTOR
a) The calling of a pastor who is to be a Biblically qualified man shall be made upon a seventy-five percent vote of the church membership at a duly called business meeting whose nature having been clearly announced.
b) The dismissal of a pastor shall be upon a seventy-five percent of vote of the church membership at a duly called business meeting whose nature having been clearly announced.
c) The duties of the pastor are primarily to minister the Word to his flock, to do work of an evangelist among the unsaved, to visit the homes and members of his congregation and promote a spiritual atmosphere in the church as a whole.
d) The pastor acts as a moderator in all church business meetings except where circumstances arise which make it necessary for the church to appoint another to act for him or when the pastor wishes otherwise.
ii) DEACONS
a) The deacons are recognized servants of the church whose qualifications are clearly set forth in the Scriptures. They shall be elected annually for not more then a two-year term and always by a majority vote. Such election shall be at the annual business meeting except when the church shall approve otherwise. The number of deacons shall be determined by the availability of those qualified and by the needs of the church.
b) It shall be the duty of the deacons to assist the pastor in all matters pertaining to the spiritual welfare of the flock as well as sitting with him in council concerning business matters of the church.
iii) THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
a) The pastor, deacons, treasurer, and Sunday school superintendent shall constitute the board of directors of the church.
b) The church may by special resolution remove any director before the expiration of the period of office and appoint another person in their place. The person so appointed shall hold office during such time only as the director in whose place he is appointed would have held office if they had not been removed.
iv) THE CHURCH CLERK
a) The church clerk shall keep an accurate membership roll in a suitable book provided by the church.
b) Maintain records of all members including date of reception.
c) Carry on all correspondence relative to the membership and such other activities as the church may direct.
d) The clerk shall be elected annually.
v) CHURCH TREASURER AND SIGNING OFFICER
a) The clerk shall be elected annually by the church.
b) Keep an accurate account of all moneys received and disbursed.
c) Carry on the banking business of the church.
d) Pay all the current accounts such as utilities pastor’s salary, fuel and taxes without a vote from the church.Other expenditures shall be approved by the church.
e) Prepare quarterly business meetings of the church or at other times as required.
f) Supply the auditors with such records as may be required when auditing church books.
g) The church shall appoint two other signing officers who shall serve with this treasurer as a committee on finance. They shall attend to such other financial matters as may be referred to by the board.
vi) TRUSTEES
a) Trustees shall be elected annually by the church as required.
b) They shall be elected by a majority vote at a duly called business meeting in accordance with the Societies Act of Nova Scotia.
c) Trustees shall remain in office until such time as they resign, decease or are dismissed by the church.
d) The duties of the trustee shall be to sign legal documents on behalf of the church as required.
e) They shall deposit all legal and valuable items in a safe place for the church.
f ) They shall be responsible for making recommendations to the church as to building repairs, renovations, fire insurance coverage, etc.
vii) SUNDAY SCHOOL OFFICERS
a) The Sunday school superintendent shall be elected annually.
b) He or she will serve with the pastor as a nominating committee to present to the board nominations for the officers of department superintendents, the general secretary and the treasurer. The general superintendent, departmental superintendents, general secretary, treasurer and pastor shall constitute the Sunday school executive.
viii) AUDITORS Auditors shall be appointed annually by the church.
8: BUSINESS MEETINGS
a) The annual business meeting of the church shall be held as early as possible after the first of January.
b) Quarterly business meetings will be held as early as possible after the first of April, July, and October.
c) Special business meetings may be called when necessary by the pastor in conjunction with the board.
d) A business meeting shall be announced from the pulpit not later then one Sunday before the meeting is to be held except in the calling of meetings for the election or dismissal of trustees.
e) Twenty per cent or ten voting members shall constitute a quorum for any business meeting of the church.
9: OTHER
a) The church as required shall elect other officers and committees. A list of the required officers shall be prepared by the board and given to nominating committee to direct them in their work.
b) Organizations operating with the church shall make reports to annual business meetings of the church. Such reports shall include their financial statements and the names of the officers elected for the next year.
c) The seal of the church shall be in the custody of the secretary and may be affixed to any document upon resolution of the board of directors.
d) Any members may inspect the books and records of the church at any reasonable time within two weeks prior to the annual general meeting at the registered office of the church.
e) Contracts, deeds, bills of exchange and other instruments and documents may be executed on behalf of the church by the chairman or vice chairman and the secretary or otherwise as prescribed by a resolution of the board of directors.
f) The borrowing powers of the church may be exercised by special resolution of the members.
10: AMENDMENTS
The fore going by laws may be amended upon special resolution of three quarters of the members taken at any duly called business meeting providing such proposals are clearly stated in an announcement calling for the meeting.
| 
