Article9: Business Meetings
Section 1: The Annual Business Meeting
An annual business meeting of the church shall be held in January or February of each year. A financial report and the proposed budget shall be presented and approved by a vote of the church. A membership report shall also be given by the elders. This report shall list the members of the church, noting their status as minor or voting. It shall also identify those whose membership involves unusual circumstances and indicate those added to and removed from the membership in the past year. The general reason for each removal shall be included in the report.
Section 2: The Occasional Business Meetings
Additional church business meetings may be called by the pastors. They may also be called by one-fourth of the voting members, providing they make a written request for such a meeting. In the latter case, this request must state the reason for the meeting, be signed by one-fourth of the members in good standing and be presented to the pastors, who shall in turn make the proper announcement of the meeting. Except where this constitution requires a longer period of announcement, every meeting at which business is to be transacted shall be announced at regular services for at least two successive Lord’s Days. Other meetings at which there is no business requiring a vote may be called at the discretion of the pastors without previous notice.
Section 3: Voting
The voting membership of the church is constituted by those who meet the requirements of Article 5, Section 4, I, excepting those suspended by the elders or a vote of the church. All voting members should regard their presence at a duly called church meeting with the same seriousness and responsible churchmanship with which they would regard their attendance at any other meeting of the church. It shall be our goal to discern prayerfully the mind of God so that it may be said of us, as it was said of the church in Acts 6, that this "pleased the whole multitude." In situations where unanimity is not realized, except where the constitution requires a different proportionate vote, a two-thirds majority of those voting will make a motion valid. The voting members present at any properly convened meeting of the church shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Abstentions from any vote will not be counted as “no” or included in the tally of “those voting.”
Section 4: Clerk
The elders shall appoint a clerk from among the members of the church. The responsibility of the clerk will be to record all the business transacted by the church, collect all documents submitted to the church at its meetings and provide for the church and its elders a careful record of the church’s business. This record shall be available to the church and its elders in the church office. The elders shall have the authority to replace the clerk whenever it seems wise.