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Constitution and Bylaws Revisions FAQ

Members will vote on the Constitution and Bylaws Revision (PDF) at the All-Church Annual Meeting on December 17, 2017.

You may also review details of the Bylaws Revisions (PDF) with strikethroughs and new text highlighted.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Bethlehem’s Constitution and Bylaws? What is their purpose?

These documents govern our organizational definition and standards as a church. They provide structure and parameters for our leadership, congregation, and practices. The Constitution defines our organization. The Bylaws provide direction for our ongoing operation.

Why change them?

As a church, we are ultimately governed by Jesus as the head of the church (Colossians 1:18) and his word (Hebrews 1:3). The Constitution and Bylaws are written by men and are subject to change. The Constitution and Bylaws are a tool for our good as a church, so they should be changed when the congregation, under the leadership of the Elders, believes that a change is appropriate.

What is the process for this change?

The process for changing (amending) the Constitution and Bylaws is defined in the documents themselves (Constitution Article VI, Bylaws Article IX). Essentially, anyone in the church may recommend an amendment at a church strategy meeting that will be voted on at a later strategy meeting. This affords the congregation time to consider what is being proposed.

What’s the history of our Constitution and Bylaws, and how often have they been amended?

Bethlehem’s Constitution and Bylaws date to 1965 and were revised in 1982 and 1990. The congregation approved amendments to the Constitution and/or Bylaws in 2000, 2003, 2007, 2008, and 2015.

What is prompting the Elders to recommend amending the Constitution and Bylaws at this time?

Generally, it seems wise to update sections of our governing documents at this time to more accurately reflect our current situation and help us be faithful to our calling as a church. Specific areas are highlighted in the following paragraphs.

What happens to our current Women’s “Ministers” if we do away with that title?

Removing the term “Minister” from our Constitution and Bylaws simply means that we are no longer bound to the definition outlined in these governing documents. We do not recommend changing Bethlehem’s title for those who serve as a Minister for Women.

Is it OK to continue to call Staff-Elders “Pastor”?

We believe it is important that our governing documents reflect what the Bible teaches. We want to bring clarity to the fact that “elder,” “pastor,” “overseer,” and “shepherd” are interchangeable in the New Testament. However, we are not intending to control how people address their elders. It is natural to address Staff Elders as “Pastor.” It is also accurate to address Non-Staff Elders as “Pastor.” This is a matter of personal preference and cultural norm.

What do you mean by “archaic membership practices”?

Our Bylaws mention several means of admittance to membership that are not currently our normal practice (baptism, letter, experience, or restoration). We believe that our membership process including the completion of our Membership Class, interview by an Elder, and subsequent recommendation to the congregation is biblical, simple, and sufficient.

How do you decide if someone is “not active in the worship, fellowship, and ministry of the church”?

All members of Bethlehem have publicly affirmed the Church Covenant, which includes specific commitments “to walk together in Christian love, to strive for the advancement of this church ... to promote its spirituality and fruitfulness; to sustain its worship, ordinances, and discipline; to welcome, and test biblically, instruction from the Scriptures by the Elders of the church ... to contribute cheerfully and regularly,” etc. The Bethlehem Elders desire to promote meaningful membership as expressed in the Church Covenant and take seriously our charge to account for and keep watch over the souls of Bethlehem members (Hebrews 13:17).

A number of factors may alert the Elders to the need to engage a member regarding his/her covenant membership. Often members will inform the Elders that they are no longer attending Bethlehem. Sometimes this necessitates follow up with these members to understand the reason for their departure. Sometimes members will inform the Elders of their concern that a fellow member is not attending church or that his/her life is not reflecting the gospel. This requires that the Elders pursue the member in question. In addition, the church database flags a member as inactive if he or she has not registered or checked in for a Sunday school class, small group, strategy meeting, or another church activity or event as a participant or volunteer, and/or has not contributed financially for a significant period of time. The Elders and administrative staff attempt to reach out to members who register as inactive in our records at least three times: by email, phone, and letter. If no response is forthcoming, then the member’s name goes to the Pastors and congregational Elders for discussion. If the member cannot be contacted or we learn that he/she has moved on from Bethlehem—and there is no reason to question his/her profession of faith—then the Elders recommend to the congregation that the member in question be removed from our rolls.

Why are you doing away with the required year off for Non-Staff Elders? Don’t elders need a sabbatical?

Our Bylaws (current and proposed) require us to bring our elders before the congregation for reaffirmation every three years. This is true for Staff and Non-Staff Elders. Each elder determines if he desires to stand for reaffirmation. We have learned that each elder’s situation is unique (family, career, age, health, etc.). We don’t believe that a “one size fits all” approach is best by requiring an elder to take a sabbatical but, rather, this decision be made in faith with the involvement of the elder’s family and counselors.

Why are you doing away with the ratio of Non-Staff to Staff Elders?

  • The New Testament is clear that a plurality of elders should lead and oversee the church, and it specifies that some Elders should receive financial compensation for their labors (1 Timothy 5:17–18). However, Scripture does not prescribe a ratio of paid and unpaid Elders.
  • The current ratio of two Non-Vocational Elders for every one Vocational Elder on the Council has been in place since the 1990 revision. Since that time, the membership, ministries, and pastoral staff of Bethlehem have grown significantly.
  • Arguments in support of preserving such a ratio in the Bylaws include: (1) preserving a meaningful voice and leadership influence for the Non-Staff Elders on the Council, (2) maintaining a check on the power and influence of Staff Elders, and (3) promoting the development and calling of new lay leaders to serve on the Council. The Elder Council highly values a healthy representation of Non-Staff Elders on the Council and will continue to require the Chair and Vice-Chair to be Non-Staff Elders—and we desire to maintain a majority of Non-Staff Elders on the Council. However, we do not believe that the best way to achieve this aim is to require it in our governing documents. Rather, we would prefer to cast a vision for discipleship that raises up godly men to serve as Elders. One example of our continuing to value a majority of Non-Staff Elders on the Council is seen in our recent application to and accreditation from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). This accreditation requires a majority of board members to be independent (non-staff).
  • Seeking to comply with the ratio has served to undermine our discipleship. We have “Vocational Ministers” who are not Elders while they are doing eldering ministry (including several men who have previously served as Non-Staff Elders at Bethlehem).
  • The ratio provides a dynamic in which we can be tempted to promote Non-Staff Elders too quickly to satisfy the ratio as opposed to identifying godly men who aspire to eldership and exhibit the godly character of an Elder. It has also proved challenging to remain in compliance with the 2:1 ratio due to resignations or sabbaticals of Non-Staff Elders and other factors.
  • Further, Bethlehem is an Elder-led, congregationally-governed church. This means that the congregation has ultimate authority to call and remove Officers, excommunicate members, approve the budget, and approve amendments to the church’s governing documents. We believe that the ultimate check against sinful or unwise decisions by the Elders is not a Non-Staff to Staff ratio but a wise, engaged, and biblically faithful congregation.

How is our ordination clarified?

The current wording is the following, “Licensing and Ordination. In the matter of licensing and ordaining any person to the Gospel Ministry, the church shall follow, as far as possible, the procedure recommended by the Council of Elders.” We are proposing that we strike the phrase, “as far as possible” as an unhelpful standard.