CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS

SEOUL INTERNATIONAL BAPTIST CHURCH

Adopted: 11 March 2007

CONSTITUTION

PREAMBLE

Recognizing the authority of God’s word, as a body of baptized believers, patterned after the New Testament Church under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, to preserve and to secure the principles of our faith, and to the end that this body may be governed in an orderly manner consistent with the Baptist Faith and Message we do declare and establish this constitution.  This constitution will preserve the liberties of each individual church member and the freedom of action of this body in its relation to other churches and other mission programs.

I.  NAME

This body shall be known as the SEOUL INTERNATIONAL BAPTIST CHURCH, located in Seoul, Korea.

II. OBJECTIVES

To be a church which reaches out and ministers specifically to the English speaking community of expatriates.

To be a church that proclaims the gospel in order to bring lost persons to a personal relationship with Christ as Savior and Lord.

To be a church empowered by the Holy Spirit to experience a meaningful fellowship with God and fellow believers, recognizing His person and responding to His Lordship.

To be a church that seeks to help people experience a growing knowledge of God through a bible teaching ministry.

To be a church that ministers unselfishly to all persons in the community and the world in Jesus’ name.

To be a church whose purpose is to be Christ-like in our daily living by emphasizing total surrender of life, personality, and possessions to the Lordship of Christ.

III. STATEMENT OF FAITH

The statement of faith of this church will be as indicated in the publication, “The Baptist Faith and Message” as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention, June 14, 2000.

IV. RELATIONSHIPS

This church is autonomous and is not subject to the control of any other ecclesiastical body, but it recognizes and sustains mutual cooperation with other churches that are like minded in faith and practice.  Insofar as is practical, this church will cooperate with and support the Southern Baptist Convention.

V. CHURCH COVENANT

Having been led by the Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, and on the profession of faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.

We covenant, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love; to strive for advancement of this church in the will of God; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to support the ministries, and the spread of the gospel to every tribe, tongue and peoples (ta ethne).

We further covenant to relate to one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to demonstrate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation.

VI. ORDINANCES

Section 1.        Baptism

Baptism is a symbolic act of obedience whereby any person who receives Jesus Christ as Savior by personal faith, professes Him publicly, and openly indicates a commitment to follow Christ as Lord shall be totally immersed in water. 

            1.  Baptism shall be by immersion in water.

2.   Baptism shall be administered as an act of worship.

Section 2.        The Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby any Christian, through partaking of the bread and fruit of the vine, commemorates the death of Jesus Christ and anticipates His second coming.  The Lord’s Supper should be observed once every quarter.

VII. WORSHIP

The church shall meet regularly for preaching, instruction, evangelism, and for worship of Almighty God.  These meetings shall be conducted under the direction of the pastor, someone designated by him or in the absence of a pastor someone designated by the deacons.

BYLAWS

I. MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.        Becoming a Member

Membership can be obtained one of three ways.

1. By receiving Jesus as your Lord and Savior, being baptized by immersion, then entering into a covenant relationship with SIBC.

2. By entering into a covenant relationship with SIBC through the transfer of your church membership from another Baptist church.

3. By entering into a covenant relationship with SIBC through your statement of having accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and having been baptized by immersion.

Section 2.        Termination of Membership

Membership shall be terminated in the following ways: death, transfer request from another church, by personal request of the member or dismissal for cause by vote of 80 percent of those present and voting in a business meeting of this church.

Section 3.        Church Discipline

The leadership team will have the responsibility for administering the discipline process.  If the need for church discipline arises, all attempts will be made to handle it in a redemptive way to restore the offender to fellowship with God and the church.

1. The Objective:

a. To remove the corruptive influence (i.e., false teaching, immorality, etc.) from the presence of the other members of the congregation in order to prevent sin from spreading to other members.

b. To correct doctrinal error.

c. To challenge all unto godliness.

2. The process:

a. The brother/sister who is in sin must be questioned in private.

b. If the brother/sister does not listen, two or more witnesses must confront him/her.

c. If the brother/sister refuses to listen and repent, his/her case is brought before the whole church.

d. If the brother/sister refuses to accept godly counsel, he/she is excluded from the church membership.

e. If the repentant decides to remain in the church, they should be placed under the spiritual guidance and care of a deacon, so that the learning process can take place.  Redemptive restoration is the goal of all discipline rather than punishment.

II. CHURCH LEADERSHIP TEAM

The church leadership team will be composed of the pastor and the deacons and will be modeled after Jesus’ example of servant leadership (Matthew 20: 25-28).  As such they will also encourage and support one another in character, leadership and ministry.

Section 1.        Pastor

1. The pastor is responsible for leading the church to function as a New Testament church. 

2. The pastor is leader of pastoral ministries in the church.  As a servant leader, he works with the deacons and church staff to:

                        a.  Lead the church in seeking God’s revealed ministries.

b.  Lead the church to actively participate in worship, witness, education and ministry.

            c.  Proclaim the whole counsel of God in regular worship.

            d.  Lead the church in providing pastoral care for church members and        regular attendees.

            3.  A pastor shall be chosen and called by the church whenever a vacancy occurs.

4.  The leadership team will appoint a pastor search team and present them for affirmation to the church body.  The pastor search team will establish its own procedures and inform the congregation as to how candidates will be nominated and screened.  Only one candidate shall be presented to the church for consideration at any given time.  Election will be by ballot, with an affirmative vote of 80 percent of those members present required for a call to be issued.

            5.  In the event of termination/resignation it is strongly suggested that either the     church or pastor give a thirty day notice dependant upon the one initiating the         action.   Actions initiated by the church body will constitute that the church

            provide a 30 days severance package and airfare.

Section 2.        Deacons

1. The deacon body shall consist of deacons who have been ordained in a Southern Baptist Church and are a member of Seoul International Baptist Church.  There shall be enough deacons to minister to the body.  In the event that there are not enough deacons to serve according to the leadership team, deacon candidates will be appointed and interviewed by the leadership team and ordained by the body.  The deacons will elect their own officers annually to include, but not limited to the Chairman of the Deacons, deacon secretary and church treasurer.

2. The qualifications of the deacons shall be those set forth in I Timothy 3:8-13. 

3. Due to the changing dynamics of the church body the leadership team will seek the Lord’s guidance as to the ministry needs of the body and will make assignments within the team to address those needs listed below such as but not limited to:

a. Education Division

b. Administration Division

c. Outreach Division

d. Fellowship Division

e. Military Division

f. Missions Division

4. The deacon shall support church body events, ministries and be co-laborers with the pastor in serving the body.

Section 3.        Moderator

The church moderator will be the Chairman of the Deacons.  In the absence of the moderator, the pastor shall preside, in the absence of both, the deacon secretary shall call the church to order and an acting moderator shall be elected. 

Section 4.        Treasurer

It shall be the duty of the treasurer to receive, preserve and pay out upon receipt of proper documentation, all monies or things of value paid or given to the church.  The treasurer will maintain accurate records of all receipts and disbursements, rendering a quarterly report to the church of same.  The treasurer’s books may be subject to audit at the direction of the leadership team.  The treasurer will maintain an accurate record of all financial matters for 7 years.

III. GENERAL

Section 1.        Church and Fiscal Year

The selection of Sunday school teachers will be completed by the first Sunday in September of each year.  Pre-school, children and youth classes will promote on the first Sunday in September.  The church budget will be presented for adoption by the last Sunday in January.  The fiscal year will begin in January.

Section 2.        Church Secretary

The church secretary is the church clerk.  As clerk, the church secretary will keep a record of the minutes for all church business meetings and will keep a register of names of members with dates of admission, transfer, dismissal, or death along with a record of baptisms. 

Section 3         Business Meetings

All church business meetings will take place on Sunday after the regular worship service.  The church shall hold one regular business meeting each year for the purpose of adopting the church budget.  The proposed budget will be distributed to the church membership at least three weeks prior to the vote.  Special business meetings may be called by announcing them in the worship service one Sunday prior to the planned meeting. 

Section 4.        Quorum

The quorum for any business meeting will consist of those members who attend.  If this constitution is to be amended, a minimum of thirty voting members of the church must be present.

Section 5.        Amendment

This document may be amended in a regular or called business meeting by an 80% vote of the quorum. A written copy of the proposed amendment shall be provided to the leadership team at least three weeks in advance. 

Section 6.        Properties

It is understood that all buildings and property of the Seoul International Baptist Church are held in the name of the Korea Baptist Mission, International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Section 7.        Sunday School Teachers and Bible Study Leaders

Sunday school teachers and Bible study leaders will be screened and enlisted by the leadership team or the person designated by the leadership team.