HALL MEMORIAL M.B. CHURCH WELCOMES YOU
CHURCH CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
Preamble
We declare and affirm these principles according to the Holy Scripture, to govern the body in a decently and orderly manner. The principles adopted here will preserve the liberties of each individual member of the church, ensure freedom of action of independence from any religious body or organization and provide for orderly conduct of internal affairs, in dealing with others, and of governing church members.
Article II- Purpose
1. To worship and serve God and to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ as set forth in Matthew 28:19-20.
2. To minister to the needs of the members and others as the church is able to do so.
3. To do any and all things related to and in connection with the fulfillment of the
purpose and herein above set forth.
Article III- Statement of Faith
We believe the Scriptures written in the Holy Bible, both Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of God’s will for the salvation of men, and the divine and final authority for all Christian faith and life. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Article IV- Church Covenant
We, the members of the Hall Memorial Baptist Church, Tennessee, having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized by immersion in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 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 engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this Church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, and the relief of the poor, and to the spreading of the gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family and private devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay. We moreover engage that when we remove from this place we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word.
CHURCH BYLAWS
1.1 Beliefs
We believe in one God (Deuteronomy 6:4), Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (2 Corinthians 13:14; Matthew 28:19)
We believe that man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) but fell into sin (Genesis 3) and is therefore lost (Romans 5:12–21), and only through regeneration by the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained (John 3:5–8).
We believe that Baptism by immersion of water and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances to be observed by the church during the present age (Matthew 28:19–20; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26). They are, however, not to be regarded as means of salvation (Ephesians 2:8, 9).
We believe that Jesus is Lord and the Head of the Church (Colossians 1:18) and that every local church has the right under Christ to decide and govern its own affairs (Matthew 18: 17; 1 Corinthians 6:4, 5).
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead: of the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:51–53; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18), and of the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting punishment (Revelation 20:7–15).
We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning and that is marriage sanctioned by God, which joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture.
We believe God has called men to the preaching ministry and to the office of Pastor.
1.2 Membership
Section 1. Members-This church is comprised of persons who profess a personal faith and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, have received baptism in a church according to the New Testament, and actively follow the Lord Jesus Christ in discipleship.
Section 2. Reception-A person shall be considered a member upon approval of the church membership. A person may be received for membership by any of the following ways:
1. By profession of faith. A person publicly confessing personal faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ, giving evidences of a regenerate heart and adopting the covenant and the
articles of faith and practices held by the church, shall, upon baptism be admitted into
the fellowship of the church.
2. By statement. Any person who has been baptized upon profession of faith in a church
of like faith and order but who, because of loss of records or similarly unavoidable circumstances, has no regular letter of dismissal, may be received into membership after giving satisfactory evidence of a regenerate heart, Christian conduct and scriptural faith. Any person presented for membership who has been baptized by immersion in a church of like faith and order shall be received by statement.
3. By letter. Any person from another church of like faith and order may be received into
membership upon receipt of letter of transfer from that respective church.
4. By baptism from another denomination. Any person who professes a personal faith
and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and actively follows the Lord Jesus Christ in discipleship but has been baptized by any method other than immersion in another church must be immersed to become a member of this body.
NOTE: The full document is not listed here but is on file with appointed Officers/Trustees.