Daniels, WV25832
(304) 252-0950
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ARTICLE 1: NAME
This church is called Daniels Bible Church and resides at Daniels, West Virginia.
ARTICLE 2: PURPOSE
A. Purpose Statement The purpose of the church is to know God and make Him known through equipping the saints for works of service so that each one may become mature in Christ.
B. Necessary Elements 1. Teaching ‑ an indoctrination of biblical truths for the maintaining of doctrinal purity and facilitating character transformation.
2. Modeling ‑ the process by which one person engages in Christlike behavior as an example to be imitated by other persons. 3. Fellowship ‑ interpersonal relationships centered around the person of Christ and God's design for mankind. 4. Worship ‑ an act of the will whereby one declares God's worth in response to His attributes.
5. Prayer ‑ an act of dependency upon God in the offering up of one's desires for things agreeable to His will in the name of Christ that the Father may be glorified.
6. Evangelism ‑ sharing of the
gospel of Jesus Christ and making an appeal to
ARTICLE 3: MEMBERSHIP
A. Purpose Believers in the New Testament are found to be identified with and committed
to a local church. Therefore,
Daniels Bible Church offers opportunity for
B. Admission The privilege of membership is extended to those who meet the following qualifications. They must be: (1) saved (regenerated by the Holy Spirit), (2) baptized by immersion as a public testimony of their conversion, and (3) in agreement with and supportive of the Constitution.
The candidate must satisfactorily complete a membership course. He/she will then appear before at least two members of the Elder Board to give personal testimony of all the items 1-3 listed above.
A candidate from another church must follow the same process, and his/her reasons for leaving that church will be discussed.
The candidate is then presented to the church by the elders for membership two weeks prior to his/her acceptance. This enables any member to notify the Elder Board in a written statement as to why the candidate should not be accepted into membership. Written statements will be evaluated by the Elder Board to determine whether the candidate in question will be granted membership. If no statements are made, the candidate will be accepted into membership.
C. Commitment A very important aspect of following Christ is commitment; therefore, the following is expected of members: (1) Faithful attention to personal spiritual growth and maturity; that is, consistent progress in growing as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
(2) Consistent attendance to services.
(3) Faithful involvement in the work of the ministry. (Preferably in your
area of gifts). (4) Purposeful, proportional, systematic and cheerful participation in the financial support of the ministry of the church.
(5) Continual agreement with and support of the Constitution of Daniels Bible Church.
(6) Continual fulfilment of responsibilities to elders. (See Article 4, Section D)
(7) Keeping of "short accounts" with others by dealing openly and readily with problems, rather than resorting to gossip and resentment.
(8) Consistent observance of the Lord's table.
D. Classifications 1. Full membership ‑ Persons of the age of 18 or over who have fulfilled the qualifications and procedures for admission and have been accepted as members will become full members; having the privilege and responsibility to minister and vote. 2. Associate membership ‑ Persons belonging to another church of like faith
may become associate members
so they can have a home away from home. receive voting privileges. Anyone between and including the ages of 13 and 17 who takes membership will be considered an associate member. Associate members may become full members upon approval of the Elder Board.
E. Removal 1. Reasons for removal
Members are subject to
removal from membership when one or more of the a. A member joins another church. (Only members leaving in good standing will be given recommendations upon request to churches of like doctrinal position.) b. A member submits a letter of departure to the elder board. c. A member dies. d. A member absences himself/herself from the church for a period of six
months. e. A member develops a lifestyle that consistently fails to honor one or more of the commitments in Section C, Commitment above.
f. A member persists in sin, false teaching, or causes division.
2. Process of removal a. Membership will be reviewed and updated by the elders at least once every six months. b. A member clearly identified in 1d-f above will be counseled by the elders for the purpose of reconciliation. The member will be given opportunity to repent and be restored. If he/she refuses reconciliation he/she will be removed from membership.
ARTICLE 4: ELDERS
A. Function
The elders have the
responsibility of presiding over the church, shepherding the
B. Qualifications
Each elder must meet the
spiritual qualifications of
1:5‑11. He must affirm his
agreement with and support of the Constitution, and always spoken of as men; and, because the Scriptures do not permit women to have authority over men, the eldership will only consist of men. Elders are to be godly examples in all things, not only in doctrine and testimony, but also in separation from the world system and its influences. In order not to destroy the work of God, they will refrain from anything that will cause someone to fall into sin.
C. Responsibilities 1. Presides over the church by:
‑ setting direction
‑ exercising authority
‑ managing 2. Shepherds the flock by:
‑ caring for
‑ modeling
‑ guarding
‑ evaluating
‑ admonishing
‑ disciplining 3. Guards the Truth by:
‑ knowing truth
‑ communicating truth
‑ refuting error
D. Membership's Responsibilities To Elders 1. Imitate their faith
2. Obey and submit to their authority
3. Respect and hold them in high regard
4. Do not entertain an accusation against them without witnesses
E. Structure 1. All elders share the same responsibilities and the same authority, and are required to meet the same qualifications. Conversely, not all of the elders share the same degree of responsibility within the church or the same giftedness. 2. Those that excel in leadership skills and/or in the study and exposition of the Scriptures may be asked to leave other pursuits and give themselves fully to the work of the eldership. Such men are supported financially by the church as staff‑elders. The freeing of these men to serve in the church on a salaried basis does not alone constitute them as “the Pastors” of the church. 3. All the elders are pastors (shepherds). The equality of the office shared by all the elders is maintained, while the degree of responsibility in either teaching and leading may be heavier for a staff elder. 4. Decisions made by the Elder Board will be by unanimous vote.
F. Selection The selection of elders will be by the following steps: 1. Elders distribute information regarding function, qualifications, and responsibilities of eldership to the church the first Sunday of February. 2. The members examine themselves and other members for the position of elder and submit handwritten recommendations to the elders the following two Sundays. 3. Elders inform the nominees personally and request their attendance at a
specially called meeting of
all nominees for the purpose of discussing and 4. Having attended the meeting, nominees are instructed to prayerfully consider their desire and qualification for the office of elder, and to inform the eldership of their decision within one week. 5. Elders personally interview nominees and their wives (if married). 6. Elders approve those who qualify and inform the church at least four weeks prior to the annual meeting.
7. Those approved will give
public testimony of their salvation , Christian life,
8. Those approved will be
presented to the church for support by ballot at 9. The nominees approved and supported will be officially appointed to the office of elder by the laying on of hands at a public service. Note: Selection of staff elders will be the above process starting with step five. One candidate will be considered at a time. The date for the church 's support will be established by the elders in accordance with procedures regarding special meetings.
G. Ministry Length
The length of a ministry will be
three years. Successive terms will be by
H. Resignation
An elder may resign his position
by stating his reason(s) in a written communicated to the church .
I. Removal An elder will be removed if he leaves the church, if he demonstrates conduct
contrary to the qualifications,
or if he is unable to fulfill his responsibilities. The to the church .
J. Leave Of Absence
An elder may, with the advice
and/or consent of his fellow elders, desire to
K. Organization Elders will select from among themselves a chairman who will preside over
their meetings and business
meetings of the church . They will select a
L. Additional Leadership Staff
Need, selection,
responsibilities, and financial consideration for additional
They will be ultimately responsible to the Elder Board and will be expected to have lives
characterized by the qualifications listed in
They do not
have voting privileges on the Elder or Deacon Boards unless elected
ARTICLE 5: DEACONS
A. Function The deacons are mature men who carry out and implement the directives of the elders in
areas of service to meet the needs of the church .
B. Qualifications The functions of the deacons necessitate that they meet the spiritual
qualifications of
C. Responsibilities The deacons are to implement and administer specific, well‑defined ministry functions
within the church .
D. Selection Deacons will
be approved by the elders and supported by the church . The same
E. Ministry Length The length
of a ministry will be three years. Successive terms will be by
church
F. Resignation A deacon may resign his position by stating his reason(s) in a written statement and
submitting it to the Elder Board. The deacon's resignation will be
G. Removal A deacon will be removed if he leaves the church, he demonstrates conduct contrary to the qualifications, or he is unable to fulfill his responsibilities. The decision will be made by the elders, and will be communicated to the church .
H. Leave Of Absence A deacon may, with the advice and/or consent of the elders, desire to become inactive for a time to allow for rest and renewal.
I. Organization Deacons will select from among themselves a chairman who will preside over all deacon
meetings. A secretary will be selected who will record the approved by the Elder Board.
ARTICLE 6: ELECTIONS
The election of
elders and deacons will be held at the annual business meeting.
ARTICLE 7: BUSINESS MEETINGS
A. Annual It is the yearly business meeting in which elders, deacons, and the budget are approved. It will be held on the third Sunday of May. Support of any action will be by simple majority vote of those present and voting.
B. Called 1. Special
It is any business meeting that has
been announced two weeks prior to the action will be by simple majority vote of those present and voting. 2. State Of Urgency It is any business meeting that has not been previously announced because the urgency is such that a special business meeting cannot be called. It will be called by the Elder Board. Support of any action will be by simple majority vote of those present and voting.
C. Quorum At all business meetings of the members, whether annual, special, or state of urgency, the members present will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
ARTICLE 8: FINANCES
A. Fiscal Year It will begin on July 1.
B. Financial Obligations They will only be met by means of voluntary giving. Each member will be encouraged to give purposefully, proportionally, systematically and cheerfully.
C. Accountability 1. A budget proposal will be formulated by the deacons and submitted to the elders at least four weeks prior to the annual business meeting. Upon elder approval, a working draft will be presented to the church for review at least three weeks prior to the annual business meeting. Questions from the church will be addressed at a meeting two weeks prior to the annual business meeting. At the annual business meeting, the elders will ask the church to support the final draft.
2. Financial statements will be
made available to the church on a systematic
ARTICLE 9: CHURCH PROPERTY
A. Ownership All church property, both real and personal, will be owned by the church and administered by the Elder Board.
B. Acquisition and Sale 1. The church will have power to acquire and hold property, both real and personal. All property so acquired will be in the name of the church. 2. Any sale, mortgage, or transfer of real or personal property will be presented by the Elder Board to the church for support.
C. Usage Some church properties may be made available, subject to the discretion of the Deacon Board.
ARTICLE 10: DISSOLUTION
If the elders, supported by the
church, determine it wise to disband, this church is
ARTICLE 11: AMENDMENTS
Amendments to this constitution will
be presented by the Elder Board at a business
ARTICLE 12: DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
This statement is given based upon the
fact that truth has been made known by God
A. Holy Scriptures We teach that the Bible is verbally and plenary inspired, consisting of 66 books
which constitute the Old and New
Testaments. It is the Word of God,
revelation of God, and our final
authority. It constitutes the only infallible rule
We teach that the Bible is to be interpreted in a normal, literal, historical and grammatical under-standing of God's progressive revelation.
We teach that God gave His written Word by a process of dual authorship. That is, the Holy Spirit so superintended the human authors that through their individual personalities and different styles of writing, they composed and recorded God's Word to man. It is without error in the whole or in the part.
We teach that there may be many
applications of any given passage of Holy Spirit.
B. The Godhead We teach that there is one triune God, eternally existing in three
persons‑Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. They are co‑eternal in being, co‑identical
God the Father
We teach that God the Father, the
First Person of the Trinity, orders and brings Fatherhood denotes a unique relationship, first of all within the Trinity; and secondly, within mankind; creatively in relation to all men, but spiritually in relation only to believers. He has decreed for His own glory all things that come to pass; but, does so as never to be the author or approver of sin, nor to override the accountability of moral, intelligent creatures. He has graciously chosen from all eternity those whom He would have as His own. He saves from sin all who come to Him through Jesus Christ and relates Himself to His own as their Father.
God the Son We teach that Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, possesses all the divine attributes, and in these He is co‑equal with the Father. He is of the same essence, and co‑eternal with Him.
We teach that He is the eternal
Son of God, who became man, without ceasing divine essence, either in degree or kind. In the incarnation, His divine nature
united with a human nature in an
indissoluble union, and so He became the
We teach that the Lord Jesus Christ is God incarnate, and that the purpose of
the incarnation was to reveal
God, redeem men, and rule over God's earthly
We teach that in the incarnation the Lord Jesus Christ assumed the place of a
Son and an existence appropriate
to a servant without divesting Himself of His
We teach that He accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross
as a representative, vicarious,
substitutionary sacrifice in providing an verified by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead.
2:2
We teach that He ascended to heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of
God where, as our High Priest, He
fulfills the ministry of Representative,
We teach that He will receive the Church, which is His Body, unto Himself at the Rapture. He will bring the Church with Him when He returns in glory to
establish His kingdom in its
millennial manifestation.
We teach that He is the One through whom God will judge mankind.
We teach that He is the only
Mediator between God and man, the Head of His of David during the millennial kingdom.
God the Spirit We teach that the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity, in this present
age convicts the world of sin,
righteousness, and judgment. He regenerates and them unto the day of redemption.
We teach that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Teacher who guides believers into all truth. It is the privilege of believers to be filled with, and their duty to walk in, the Holy Spirit.
C. Creation We teach that the triune God, by a free act and for His own glory, without the use of existing materials or secondary causes, spoke into being, instantaneously and in six consecutive days by the word of His mouth, the whole visible and invisible universe. The Father brought the created universe into existence. The Son and the Holy Spirit fashioned it, and carried out the details of the design.
D. The Total Depravity of Man We teach that man was created in the image and likeness of God. In Adam's sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Man is totally depraved and unable to remedy his lost condition.
E. Salvation and Security We teach that election is a loving choice of God. He chose in Christ, before the foundation of the world, those whom He graciously regenerates, saves, and sanctifies. He exercises this sovereignty in harmony with His other attributes, especially His omniscience, justice, holiness, and wisdom. Election does not
contradict nor negate the
responsibility of mankind to repent and receive Christ
We teach that the Lord Jesus
Christ died for our sins according to the
who trust Him are saved by grace
through faith on the grounds of His shed
We teach that every saved person possesses the new man which enables him to have victory over the flesh through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The new man possesses one new nature because the old man is crucified. Yet, he still lives in a body of sin so that all claims to the eradication of sin in this life are unscriptural.
We teach that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their
salvation through the testimony
of God's Word. However, Scripture clearly
F. The Church We teach that the Universal Church, which began with the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, is the body and bride of Christ. It is the spiritual organism made up of all born‑again persons of the present age.
We teach that the establishment
and continuance of local churches is clearly
G. Ordinances We teach that the Lord Jesus Christ established two ordinances for the Church in this present age. These are believers’ water baptism, practiced by immersion, and the Lord's Supper, observed as a memorial of His death.
H. Missions We teach that Christ commissioned individuals in the Church to make disciples from among all nations, to baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and to teach them to observe all things whatsoever He has commanded.
I. The Ministry and Spiritual Gifts
We teach that the Lord Jesus
Christ gives the Church evangelists and
We teach that the Holy Spirit bestows spiritual gifts upon believers for Christian service and the edification of the Church.
We teach that the church age was initiated through the ministry of the apostles and prophets accompanied by sign gifts to confirm their message. These sign gifts gradually ceased by the time of the completion of the New Testament.
We teach that God hears and answers prayer in accord with His own will for healing of the sick and afflicted. Sickness is not always a result of one's personal sin, but is to be expected while living in a body of sin that one day will be redeemed.
Note:
that he loses heart resulting in the sin of despair and hopelessness. This weariness can even affect the physical body and become the cause of physical illness. In such cases this weary one may call for the elders, confess his sin,
and the elders would anoint with
oil. The oil symbolizes God's care and physical condition brought on by despair and hopelessness.
J. Biblical Separation and Unity We teach that Christians should be separated unto the Lord Jesus Christ, necessitating holy living in all personal and church associations and relationships.
We teach that the biblical basis
for unity in the body of Christ is truth as mission agencies, schools, organizations, and other churches whose doctrine and policy are consistent with ours. It is the church’s responsibility to endeavor to maintain the unity of the faith while separating from apostasy and those who have deviated from biblical doctrine and behavior. Every proposed alliance must be considered in the light of our commitment to biblical separation. We will not cooperate with or endorse any mission agencies, schools, organizations, or other churches which are contrary to the faith whether in doctrine or practice. We seek to bring to bear upon the issues of our day the principles set forth in the Word of God while not becoming entangled in controversy over personalities. It is our desire in this pursuit to maintain an attitude characterized by love and humility.
K. Dispensationalism
We teach that the Bible,
interpreted in its normal, literal, historical and salvation, but the manner in which God administers His rule over the world as He progressively works out His purpose for humanity.
We teach that salvation is always by grace through faith regardless of the dispensation in which the believer may have lived. God's plan of salvation by grace through faith alone has always been based upon the substitutionary atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross.
L. The Personality of Satan We teach that Satan is a created being, the author of sin, the tempter in the fall, the declared enemy of God and man, and the god of this age. He will be eternally punished in the lake of fire.
M. Life After Death We teach that the souls of the believers are, at death, absent from the body and
present with the Lord, where in
conscious bliss they await the first resurrection.
4:16,17;
We teach that the souls of unbelievers are, at death, absent from the body and separated from the Lord, where in conscious misery they await the second resurrection. Then the spirit, soul, and body are reunited and condemned at the Great White Throne Judgment. Then, they will be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment.
N. The Second Coming of Christ We teach that the Lord Jesus Christ will receive His Church and this receiving is personal, imminent, pretribulational and premillennial. We teach that shortly following the removal of the Church from the earth, Christ will judge the
believer's works and reward
them. During the time the Church is in heaven,
25:31‑46;
Thessalonians 1:10; 4:13‑18; 5:9;
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