The new bylaws are built to be clear, practical, and easy to navigate. Everything we do as a church—how we set a budget, select leaders, make decisions, and when we meet—now fits within four main areas: Membership, Pastors and Staff, Lay Leadership, and Church Business. Each section answers key questions about who we are and how we function together. 

- The Membership section explains what it means to belong and participate; 

- Pastors and Staff outlines how ministry leadership is called, supported, and accountable; 

- Lay Leadership describes the Ministry Teams and Deacons who help guide the work of the church; and 

- Church Business covers how we make decisions, handle finances, and maintain good order. 

This structure helps everyone—from new members to longtime leaders—see how the church operates as one body, with clarity and shared responsibility, all under the lordship of Christ.

Active Member

A member who regularly participates in worship, serves in some part of church life, gives financially, and supports the church’s beliefs. Only active members can vote or serve in leadership.

Inactive Member

A member who has not participated in the basic expectations of membership for a significant period of time. Inactive members cannot vote or serve but can be restored by resuming active participation.

Membership Expectations

The shared commitments every member agrees to: gathering for worship, serving in ministry, giving, and affirming the church’s beliefs.

Like Faith and Order

A phrase meaning another church that believes and practices Christianity in ways very similar to ours—especially regarding baptism, doctrine, and church structure.

Church Discipline

A biblical process for helping someone who is living or acting in a way that harms themselves, others, or the church. Its goal is restoration, not punishment.

Lead Pastor

The primary preaching and pastoral leader of the church who oversees staff and guides the overall direction of ministry.

Pastors

Men who meet biblical qualifications and share responsibility for teaching, shepherding, doctrinal guidance, and spiritual care.

Church Staff

Employees of the church who support ministry and operations. Staff roles fall into three tiers:

- Executive Staff (senior-level, broad leadership)

- Administrative Staff (oversee ministry areas or programs)

- Support Staff (assist with daily operations and ministry work)

Ministry Teams

Standing teams of members who partner with pastors to oversee important areas of church life such as missions, building and grounds, safety, or nominations. These were formally known as Standing Committees.

Lead Team

A group made up of all Ministry Team chairs, pastors, and certain officers. It helps coordinate major projects, solve disagreements between teams, and provide leadership during special circumstances (such as when the church is without a lead pastor).

Select Team

A short-term team formed for a specific task or event (like planning an outreach event or completing a project). It ends when the work is done.

Church Conference (Business Meeting)

A meeting where the church gathers to receive updates, ask questions, and vote on major decisions like budgets, leadership, or significant financial matters.

Rules of Procedure

A simple set of guidelines for how business meetings are conducted—how motions are made, who gets to speak, and how votes work.

Ordinances

The two practices Jesus gave the church—baptism and the Lord’s Supper (communion).

Dissolution Clause

A section that explains where the church’s assets go if the church ever ceases to exist (to another Baptist body with similar beliefs).

You may be wondering if anything improved by the proposed bylaws. That is a great question. Below are just a few of the improvements made with our new bylaws. 

Clearer Membership Structure

The new bylaws provide a clearer pathway into membership and outline shared expectations for involvement, service, giving, and doctrinal unity. They also introduce an “Active” and “Inactive” status so that voting and leadership roles reflect genuine engagement in the life of the church.

Strengthened Church Discipline & Care

Where the former bylaws had only brief statements about discipline, the new version includes a biblical, step-by-step process focused on restoration, spiritual health, and church unity. It also adds a mediation process for conflict resolution, helping members resolve disputes in a Christ-honoring way.

Updated Leadership & Governance

The new bylaws clarify how our church is led: Jesus-ruled, pastor-led, minister-served, and congregationally accountable. Leadership structures—such as the Lead Team, Ministry Teams, and newly added Select Teams—now have defined purposes, responsibilities, and selection processes, reducing confusion and strengthening accountability.

Modernized Staffing and HR Processes

The older bylaws offered limited detail about staff roles. The new bylaws introduce a clear staffing framework with defined tiers (Executive, Administrative, and Support), transparent hiring and termination practices, and a strengthened Human Resources Team. This helps ensure fairness, stability, and legal clarity in personnel decisions.

Expanded Financial Transparency

Budgeting and financial oversight are now more clearly defined, including thresholds for congregational approval on major expenditures. The Stewardship Team’s responsibilities are more transparent, and financial processes now include built-in accountability measures.

Stronger Doctrinal Alignment

Every pastor, staff member, teacher, and ministry leader is now asked to affirm and teach the church’s Faith Statement. This ensures consistency in doctrine across all ministries and environments.

Clear Procedures for Church Business Meetings

Rather than relying solely on Robert’s Rules, the new bylaws include customized Rules of Procedure. These guidelines help meetings run smoothly by clarifying how motions are made, how discussion works, and how votes are taken.

Expanded Appendices for Practical Guidance

The new bylaws include helpful appendices—such as a Summary of Faith, Rules of Procedure, and Qualifications for Pastors and Servant Leaders—making the document easier to understand and apply. These additions allow members to quickly reference important material without searching through outside documents.

Well-Defined Processes for Amendments

The previous bylaws had a single amendment process. The new bylaws distinguish between changes to policies, bylaws, the constitution, and the faith statement—each with appropriate safeguards to preserve doctrinal stability and congregational authority.

“Are the new bylaws too pastor-centric?”

The goal of the new bylaws is not to elevate the Lead Pastor, but to clarify roles and prevent confusion. In the old bylaws, many responsibilities were assumed, implied, or shared in unclear ways, which created gaps in accountability and left the church vulnerable during transitions or conflict. The new bylaws describe pastoral leadership in a way that aligns with Scripture—where pastors lead by prayer, teaching, shepherding, and equipping (Acts 6:4; 1 Peter 5:1–3), while the congregation maintains final authority on major decisions such as calling or dismissing a pastor, approving the budget, amending governing documents, and affirming leaders.

In other words, the bylaws strengthen shared leadership, not pastoral control. Pastors lead spiritually, Ministry Teams lead in administration, Trustees oversee legal and financial protection, and the congregation remains the final earthly authority under Christ. Clear roles prevent both pastoral overreach and congregational gridlock. Healthy churches don’t concentrate power—they clarify it so everyone knows how to work together in unity and accountability.

“Baptists don’t require members to agree to doctrinal statements. Do they?”

Historic Baptists have always expected members to unite around shared beliefs. The phrase “like faith and order”—found in Baptist documents for centuries—means that churches welcome members who affirm the church’s essential doctrines and agree not to teach or act against them. Our bylaws simply put this long-held Baptist principle into clear and gracious language.

Importantly, we are not requiring that every member fully understand or articulate every line of the Statement of Faith. Instead, we ask members to cooperate harmoniously with the church’s Summary of Faith and not speak or act in ways that contradict it. That protects unity while leaving room for new believers, growing believers, and those still learning. This is a reasonable and deeply Baptist expectation—designed to build trust, clarity, and shared conviction in the life of the church.

“Why change the bylaws? Didn’t the old ones work just fine?”

The old bylaws served us well in their time, but they were written for a different era and a different structure. Many parts were vague, outdated, or silent on issues that churches today must address—employment structure, child safety, crisis response, staff accountability, membership expectations, financial thresholds, pastoral transitions, and modern ministry teams. In several key areas, the old bylaws created confusion or gaps that required “informal” solutions.

The new bylaws don’t reinvent who we are—they clarify how we operate. They strengthen biblical leadership, increase transparency, make responsibilities clear, protect the church during times of change, and ensure that our practices match the ministry we actually carry out today. In short, the new bylaws are not a reaction to problems—they are a proactive gift to future generations, providing health, clarity, and unity for many years to come.

“Doesn’t requiring members to affirm a Faith Statement violate the priesthood of the believer?”

The priesthood of the believer means each Christian can approach God directly —but it has never meant that a local church cannot define what it teaches or expects in its fellowship. Baptists have always gathered around shared beliefs and used statements of faith to protect unity and clarity.

Our bylaws don’t require members to fully understand every detail of the Statement of Faith. They simply ask members not to speak or act against the church’s Summary of Faith. This respects each person’s freedom of conscience while ensuring the church can teach with consistency and unity. Far from violating Baptist principles, this approach reflects both individual freedom and local church autonomy, two historic Baptist convictions that work together for the church’s health.

Are members going to be asked to sign the faith summary and or the statement?

No. Prospective members will be asked if they can cooperate harmoniously with the Summary and Active Members will be asked if they can fully affirm both the Summary and the Statement in order to serve in leadership. That question may come in an online form, verbally or a written document. 

Pastor-Led or Congregational-Led? What’s the Difference—and Which Are We?

We have always been both pastor-led and congregationally led (these two ideas work together, not against each other), and these bylaws continue that same Baptist model. Being pastor-led does not mean pastor-ruled. It means the congregation intentionally empowers pastors, staff, and elected teams to lead the church’s day-to-day ministry and operations. Being congregationally led means the church body remains the final earthly authority on major matters such as calling pastors, approving budgets, amending governing documents, and other significant decisions. This is the most common way Baptist churches in the United States operate. 

Our church has never functioned as a model where every decision or discussion involves the whole congregation. Instead, the congregation has always delegated authority to trusted leaders to act on its behalf. The new bylaws simply clarify those responsibilities, strengthen accountability, and protect congregational authority where it matters most—allowing the church to move forward in unity, clarity, and mission.