BYLAWS
OF
THE GREAT RIVER REGION
OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST)
Adopted January 6, 2002
Amended by the Regional Assembly on November 4, 2006
The name of this body shall
be The Great River Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and is
hereinafter referred to as the
The Regional Church shall
conduct its financial affairs in accordance with the laws of the State of
Arkansas and the terms of the Articles of Incorporation of its corporate entity
“The Great River Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)” a
non-profit corporation governed by the Arkansas Non-profit Act of 1993.
The purposes for which The Great River Region of the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) is organized are exclusively religious within the meaning
of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or the corresponding
provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law).
Notwithstanding any other provisions of these, this organization shall not
carry on any activities not permitted to be carried on by an organization
exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States
Internal Revenue law).
The purpose of the
A. Extend the ministry of Christ in mission,
witness and service among the people and social structures of the
B. Establish, receive and nurture congregations
in the Regional Church; to provide help, counsel and pastoral care to members,
ministers and congregations in their mutual relationships; and to relate them
to the worldwide mission of the whole church (Ref. Design, #20);
C. Strengthen the vision, witness and mission of
the individual congregations through networking, providing resources and
assisting congregational leaders and clergy. Priorities include
implementing the Mission Imperatives of the Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ), leadership education, new congregation development, opportunities for
fellowship and inspiration, and deepening the bonds that unite congregations in
a shared ministry that moves "from their doorsteps to the ends of the
earth".
A. Type
of Affiliation and Manifestation. Within the universal body of
Christ, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the
B. Inter-relatedness.
As part of the Christian Church, congregations share creatively in its total
mission of witness and service. Equally, the Christian Church in its
general and regional manifestations sustains its congregations through its
commitment to their welfare and needs. Thus, concern for the integrity of
each manifestation is shared; and witness is given to the inter-relatedness of
the whole church. (Ref. Design, #10).
C. Congregational
Relationships. All recognized congregations of the Christian Church,
which are located in the States of Louisiana,
D. Congregational
Rights. Among the rights recognized and safeguarded to congregations
are the rights: to manage their affairs under the Lordship of Jesus Christ; to
adopt or retain their names and charters or Constitutions or Bylaws; to
determine in faithfulness to the gospel their practice with respect to the
basis of membership; to own, control and encumber their property; to organize
for carrying out the mission and witness of the church; to establish their
budgets and financial policies; to call their ministers; and to participate
through voting representatives in forming the corporate judgment of the Great
River Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the Christian
Church. (Ref. Design, #11)
E. Congregational
Responsibilities. Among the responsibilities by which congregations
voluntarily demonstrate their mutual concern for the mission and witness of the
whole church are the responsibilities: to proclaim the gospel and administer
baptism and the Lord’s Supper; to provide for the spiritual nurture of their
members and families; to grow in understanding that the church is a universal
fellowship, transcending all barriers within the human family such as race and
culture; to sustain their ministers in faithfulness and honor, and, in matters
pertaining to relationships with them, to seek counsel from the Executive
Regional Minister; to be faithful in Christian stewardship, striving to share
proportionately in providing the resources for the total life, work and witness
of the Christian Church; to choose voting representatives to the General and
Regional Assemblies; to seek to realize the oneness of the church of Jesus
Christ through cooperation with other churches of the community and with
present and emerging ecumenical structures. (Ref. Design, #12)
F. Voluntary
Financial Support. While congregations are responsive to the needs of
general and regional programs established with the participation of the congregations’
representatives in the General and Regional Assemblies, all financial support
of the general and regional programs of the Christian Church by congregations
and individuals is voluntary. (Ref. Design, #13)
As a member of the whole
body of Christ, every person who is a member of a recognized congregation of
the
There will be an Annual
Meeting of the
The Nominating Committee
(see Section III.B.7 of the Operating Guidelines) shall nominate to the Board
of Directors or the Regional Assembly all persons required by these Bylaws
and/or the Operating Guidelines to be elected by the Board of Directors or
Regional Assembly, respectively, and such other persons as directed by the
Board of Directors or Regional Assembly.
The work of the
SECTION IX
Governance
A. Regional Assembly
1.
Description. The Regional Assembly is a gathering of the
members of the Great River Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
convened in the fall of even numbered years, usually the first weekend of
November. No less than 30 days notification of the members of the
Christian Church is required. The program and business of the Regional
Assembly shall include: worship, education of its members, and the transaction
of business. In organizing for business the Regional Assembly shall
receive and act upon proposed program and policy, reports, resolutions, other
items duly referred to it and elect leadership of the
2. Voting
Privileges. All members of the
a. Ministers. Ordained and licensed
ministers with standing in the
b.
Board of Directors. Voting
members of the Board of Directors not otherwise voting members.
c. Congregations. Each congregation of
the
d. Term of Office.
Voting members of the Regional Assembly shall serve from the beginning of one
Regional Assembly to the beginning of the next regular Regional Assembly.
e. Limitation. No
person shall have more than one vote in the Regional Assembly, and no person
shall vote in absentia or by proxy.
B. Board of Directors
1. Description
and Responsibilities. The Regional Assembly shall establish a smaller
deliberative body responsible to the Regional Assembly. This deliberative
body serves as the Board of Directors as specified by the Arkansas Non-profit
Corporation Act of 1993. Membership, Terms and Conditions of election are
set forth in the Bylaws and/or Operating Guidelines. The Board of
Directors is hereafter referred to as the Regional Board as dictated in the
Bylaws and/or Operating Guidelines.
2. Time
and Place of Meetings. Regular meetings of the Regional Board shall
be held at least twice annually, at times and places to be fixed by the
Executive Regional Minister and the Moderator of the Board, except that one
meeting shall be held not more than 60 days nor less than 40 days prior to the
beginning of the regular meeting of the Regional Assembly. Special
meetings of the Regional Board may be called under extraordinary circumstances
by the Executive Committee.
3. Quorum
of Regional Board. One-half of the voting membership of the Regional
Board shall constitute a quorum.
C. Executive Committee
1. Description.
The Executive Committee is comprised of the elected officers of the
2. Responsibilities.
The Executive Committee shall serve as Trustees of the
3. Meetings. Regular meetings of the
Executive Committee will be held at least quarterly. Additional meetings
of the Executive Committee may be called by the Moderator (in consultation with
the Executive Regional Minister). Minutes and actions will be presented
to and approved at the Regional Board meeting following each Executive
Committee meeting.
SECTION X
The
1. Moderator. The Moderator shall
preside over all business sessions of the Region, counsel regularly with the Executive Regional Minister,
and serve ex officio on all committees of the
2. Moderator-Elect. The Moderator-Elect is elected
for a four year period of time: the
first two as Moderator-Elect and the second two as Moderator. The Moderator-Elect shall, in the absence of
the Moderator, perform the duties of the Moderator; assist the Moderator in
presiding at sessions of the Regional Assembly and assume such other duties as
may be assigned by the Moderator. The 1st Vice Moderator shall serve as
chair of the Long Range Planning Committee,
3. Vice
Moderator. The Vice Moderator, in the absence of the Moderator and Moderator-Elect,
shall perform the duties of the Moderator. The Vice Moderator shall chair
the Personnel Committee.
4. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be
responsible for oversight of the finances and will serve as a member of the
Finance Committee, and shall review all financial statements and transactions
of the
5. Recording Secretary. The Recording
Secretary shall be responsible for keeping a record of all business meetings of
the Region and insure their distribution to all appropriate persons and
congregations.
6. General Board Representative. The
Regionally-elected representatives to the General Board shall represent the
7. Method of Election. The elected
officers shall be nominated by the Regional Nominating Committee and elected by
the Regional Assembly.
2. Search Committee. The Search
Committee will be appointed by the Board of Directors according to the
distribution principles spelled out in the Operating Guidelines. This
committee shall work in consultation with the General Minister and President
and the appropriate committee of the
Method of Amending Bylaws. A resolution to amend these Bylaws must meet
all the regular requirements for business items to be considered by the
Regional Assembly; and, in addition, must be recommended by a two-thirds vote
of the Regional Board and adopted by a two-thirds vote of the voting
representative present and voting at the Regional Assembly. Each
amendment so adopted shall take effect at the conclusion of the Regional
Assembly at which it is adopted unless a different effective date is specified
in the resolution.