The name of this church shall be North Country Fellowship Church, incorporated under the laws of the State of New York, 21 May 1989, in Watertown, New York.
Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and on the profession of our faith having been baptized 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 a covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.
We endeavor, 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 it's spirituality; to sustain it's worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry and expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.
We endeavor to maintain family and private devotions; to educate our children in the faith, to seek the salvation of our family and acquaintances; to walk uprightly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our responsibilities, and exemplary in our behavior; to avoid all gossiping, backbiting and excessive anger; to abstain from all forms of intoxication, and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.
We also endeavor to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready to seek reconciliation, mindful of the pattern established by our Savior. (Matt. 18:15-20)
We further endeavor that, if we move from this area, we will unite as soon as possible with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's Word.
The government of this church is vested in its members.
The Scriptural officers of this church are Elder(s) and Deacon(s). The Bylaws shall determine their appointment and succession. The church shall elect and appoint other officers as are deemed advisable to the various forms of service indicated by their titles and as defined in the Bylaws.
Any person who receives Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and Lord; shows evidence of the new life in Christ; has expressed agreement with the Constitution; has expressed support of the Bylaws; and, who has, in accordance with our Lord's command and example, been baptized by immersion, is eligible for membership.
The meetings for worship, prayer, praise, fellowship, business and special purposes shall be set forth in the Bylaws
This church shall be affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention on the local, regional and national levels. It shall cooperate with Southern Baptist entities as it sees fit. Affiliation with this convention permits churches to send messengers to the annual meetings of the convention, if they so desire. Such affiliation will be maintained as long as their policies and doctrinal statements agree with our Constitution.
The Constitution may be amended in accordance with the prerequisites set forth in the Bylaws.
The church membership consists of those who confess Jesus Christ to be their Lord and Savior, and who; (1) after due examination by the Elders as to their Christian experience (and if coming from other churches, as to their letters of dismissal and recommendations or their satisfactory substitutes); (2) have been baptized by immersion; (3) have expressed agreement with the Constitution; and (4) have expressed support of the Bylaws of this church.
Following examination by the Elders, two weeks notice shall be given to the membership to determine if there are any biblical objections to the candidate becoming a member.
The Elders, Deacons, and members shall extend to all new members the "Right Hand of Fellowship" in recognition of their admission to all rights and privileges of the church.
Members are expected to be faithful in all the spiritual duties essential to the Christian life; and also to attend habitually the services of this church; to give regularly for its support, benevolences, and missionary program; to share in its organized work; and to support the leaders of the church in prayer.
Members in full and regular standing, and are at least 18 years old, may act and vote in the transactions of the church which require a congregation vote. All members shall enjoy the watchcare of their souls, the mutual stimulation to love and good works, and teaching from God's Word.
Any person whose membership has been terminated may be restored upon recommendation of the Board of Elders for any offense, upon his repentance and reformation, or, if because of continued absence, upon satisfactory evidence given of the desire to cooperate actively in the work of the church.(See Art. I, Sec. 1)
A member of this church shall be subject to church discipline for:
All duly elected officers shall have the trust and confidence of the church body so that they may carry out their ministries and responsibilities without undue encumbrances. They shall realize, however, their responsibility to the church by keeping the church body informed. They are to remain in the bounds of the authority placed upon them by this Constitution and Bylaws and by the church body.
The church shall elect or appoint to the various forms of service indicated by their titles and as defined in the Bylaws such other officers as are deemed advisable. All duly elected officers shall have the trust and confidence of the church body. They shall realize, however, their responsibility to the church by keeping the church body informed. They are to remain within the bounds of the authority placed upon them by the Scriptures, this Constitution and by-laws, and the church body. There is no place for an attitude of pride or independence.
Trustees shall be elected by the church in multiples of three (President, Secretary, and Treasurer) to satisfy the state requirements. They shall be responsible for the legal affairs of the church, holding title to and exercising responsibility to insure the membership is kept fully informed of any action relating to the maintenance, acquisition, or distribution of church assets. In all other respects, the Trustees shall conduct its duties within the restrictions and guidelines of the Religious Corporation Law of the State of New York. Trustees term of office shall be three (3) years. Positions within the Board of Trustees shall be voted upon annually. In the event of a vacancy, the Board of Deacons shall call an emergency Business Meeting for a church vote to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term. The terms shall be staggered in such a manner that only one office becomes vacant each year.
The Moderator of the church meetings shall be the President of the Trustees. In his absence, a representative from the Board of Deacons shall be Moderator. It is the Moderator’s responsibility to preside at the church meetings in order that they may function efficiently and orderly. If unity on a matter is unattainable, he will call for prayer until the problem is resolved.
The Clerk shall be the Trustee elected as secretary and shall keep a suitable record of all the minutes of the meeting. The Clerk shall keep a register of the names of members, with dates of admission, dismissal, or death, together with a record of baptisms. The Clerk shall notify all officers, members of committees and delegates of their election or appointment. The Clerk shall issue letters of dismissal as directed by the Board of Elders, preserve on file all communications and written official reports, and give legal notice of all meetings where such notice is necessary as prescribed in the Bylaws. It shall be the Clerk's responsibility to promote loyalty and efficiency in church life.
The Treasurer shall be the Trustee elected to the position of treasurer, and shall receive and disburse all funds as directed by the Board of Deacons. The Treasurer shall receive all moneys of the church. The Treasurer shall keep an accurate, confidential record of all individual offerings, gifts, and other income to the church as well as all expenditures of the church. These records, with the exception of those records of individual giving, shall be open at all times for inspection by the Board of Deacons or an Auditing Committee. The Treasurer shall have the privilege of appointing any helpers, with the Board of Deacons approval, that are deemed necessary for the efficient operation of his/her responsibilities. Any appointed helpers shall be members of the church.
With the exception of the Senior Elder, no person shall be elected to an office, board or committee until he/she has been a member for three months.
This church shall have such organizations as are needed to minister to the different age groups and varied interests of its members. All organizations shall be formed with the approval of the Board of Elders. All officers and bylaws of such organizations shall be consistent with this Constitution and Bylaws, and subject to the oversight of the Board of Elders.
The Scriptures are the sole authority of the financial policy of this church. Only Scriptural methods of raising moneys are allowed. Inasmuch as tithes and offerings are commanded of every believer, all members are encouraged to bring them into this church, God's storehouse (Mal. 3:10; 1 Cor. 16:1-3; 2 Cor. 8-9).
Individuals desiring to make a designated offering through the church may do so, subject to the approval of the Elders.
There shall be an adequate missionary program to carry out the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ. The membership shall be encouraged to support those home and foreign missions agencies that are affiliated with the Southern Baptists. This in no way restricts missionary giving to other individuals, organizations and mission boards whose ministry, policy and program is in basic agreement with our Constitution and Bylaws.
The fiscal year of the church shall begin on the first day of the month of January. All officers shall remain in office until their successors are elected. The church shall continue to operate on the previous years budget until the Annual Church Business Meeting.
When the church, by vote, has expressed itself and is not in conflict with this Constitution and Bylaws, nor with the Religious Corporation Law of the State of New York, the will of the church shall be carried out by all officers.
The church may grant a license to preach to any male member who gives evidence of his ability and spiritual preparedness, provided he is recommended by the Board of Elders. The licensee must have preached before the church before any church action is taken.
Assets will be divided equally between the Southern Baptist Convention, the Baptist Convention of New York, and the Thousand Islands Baptist Association.
The date of the Annual Business Meeting was changed from the 1st Wednesday in December to the 2nd Wednesday in January to allow for the treasurer to provide accurate year end figures.
Date Changed: September 12, 1991
The following sentence was added under the Qualifications for Elders, “The qualifications for Elders shall be those set forth in I Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.”
Date Changed: September 7, 1994
The date of the Quarterly Business Meetings were changed from the 1st Wednesdays in March, June and September to the 1st Wednesdays in April, July and October to allow even quarterly reporting period (see Amendment #1).
Date Changed: January 10, 1996
The following is the original statement: “The name of this church shall be the North Country Fellowship Church (A Conservative Baptist Church), Watertown, New York, incorporated under the laws of the State of New York, 21 May 1989.”
Date Changed: June 2, 1996
The following are the original statements:
Date Changed: June 2, 1996
The following is the original statement: “There shall be an adequate missionary program to carry out the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ. Since this church is in affiliation with the Conservative Baptist Association of America, the membership shall be encouraged to support the Conservative Baptist Foreign and Home Mission Societies. This in no way restricts missionary giving to other individuals, organizations and mission boards whose ministry, policy and program is in basic agreement with our Constitution and Bylaws.”
Date Changed: June 2, 1996
The following is the original statement: “This church shall be affiliated with the Conservative Baptist Association of America on the local, state (regional) and national levels.”
Date Changed: October 17, 2012
The following is the original statement: “The Treasurer shall receive all moneys, and have custody of all envelopes provided for the systematic collection of the revenue of the church.”
Date Changed: October 17, 2012
The following is the original statement: “The Treasurer shall have the privilege of appointing any helpers, with the Board of Deacons approval, that are deemed necessary for the efficient operation of his/her responsibilities.”
Date Changed: October 17, 2012
The following original statement / section was removed: “The church will provide and encourage the use of church offering envelopes.
Date Changed: October 17, 2012
The following is the original statement: “There shall be an adequate missionary program to carry out the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ. Since this church is in affiliation with the Conservative Baptist Association of America, the membership shall be encouraged to support those home and foreign missions agencies that are directed by the CBA. This in no way restricts missionary giving to other individuals, organizations and mission boards whose ministry, policy and program is in basic agreement with our Constitution and Bylaws.”
Date Changed: October 17, 2012
The following is the original statement: “Assets will be divided equally between the Conservative Baptist Home Missions Society and the Conservative Baptist Association of New York State, in accordance with the Certificate of Incorporation.”
Date Changed: October 17, 2012
The following is the original statement: “Assets will be divided equally between the Conservative Baptist Home Missions Society and the Conservative Baptist Association of New York State, in accordance with the Certificate of Incorporation.”
Date Changed: January 15, 2014
The following is the original statement: “This church shall be affiliated with Conservative Baptist associations on the local, regional and national levels. It shall cooperate with Conservative Baptist agencies as it sees fit. Affiliation with this association permits churches to send messengers to the annual meetings of the association, if they so desire. Such affiliation will be maintained as long as their policies and doctrinal statements agree with our Constitution.”
Date Changed: January 18, 2017
The following is the original statement: “Disqualification: If at any time an Elder Believes himself to be disqualified, he shall discuss the matter with his fellow Elders and tentatively offer his resignation. Elders who are accused of serious sin shall be consulted by the other Elders, in conference with the accusers. No accusation shall be received except on the testimony of at least two or three witnesses. If the accused Elder is found guilty and remains unrepentant, the Board of Elders shall remove the Elder from office. Problems concerning an Elder's performance, competence, or qualifications shall first be presented privately to the Elder involved. If the problem cannot be satisfactorily resolved, the matter shall be taken to the Board of Elders for discussion and prayer. If this problem remains unresolved after Board action, the Board of Elders shall determine final disposition of the matter, including possible dismissal of the Elder. In the event that the charges of lack of performance, incompetence, or qualification involves the only Elder within the church, a special meeting of the membership shall be called, and upon a three-quarters (¾) majority vote, the regional office of the Conservative Baptist Association shall be notified and requested to form a board of elders (minimum of three) to decide the issue. Each member of this board must be in agreement with the spirit and content of the Constitution and Bylaws. To maintain the ideal that we "do all this for the sake of the gospel" (1 Cor. 9:23a), all related events and actions taken are to remain confidential (among members only) that the cause of Christ is not discredited among unbelievers.”
Date Changed: January 18, 2017
The following is the original statement: “In the event the church is without an Elder, the regional office of the Conservative Baptist Association shall be requested to form a board of elders to appoint an Elder as specified above (section 2.5).”
Date Changed: January 18, 2017
The following is the original statement: “There shall be an adequate missionary program to carry out the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ. The membership shall be encouraged to support those home and foreign missions agencies that are affiliated with the Conservative Baptists. This in no way restricts missionary giving to other individuals, organizations and mission boards whose ministry, policy and program is in basic agreement with our Constitution and Bylaws.”
Date Changed: January 18, 2017
The following is the original statement: “Assets will be divided equally between Missions Door (formerly the Conservative Baptist Home Missions Society) and CBMissionNortheast (formerly the Conservative Baptist Association of New York State), in accordance with the Certificate of Incorporation.”
Date Changed: January 18, 2017