FCC - By-laws

Flagstaff Federated Community Church Bylaws

ARTICLE I
NAME

The name of the church is the FLAGSTAFF FEDERATED COMMUNITY CHURCH.

ARTICLE II
AFFILIATION

The church is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A).

ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP

All persons who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and have been baptized are eligible to become members of the Flagstaff Federated Community Church. The church maintains three membership rolls: United Methodist, Presbyterian, and Community. Any church member who is persistently absent from the services of the church for two years, and is not a contributor of record for this same period, can be transferred from the active roll of members to a separate roll of inactive members after personal visitation or diligent efforts have been made by the church to restore the member to active participation. Such members will not be entitled to vote in any meetings of the church and their names will not be a part of any statistical report. Annually the list of inactive members for the previous year will be made a matter of congregational record.

ARTICLE IV
THE CONGREGATION
The Congregation will:
A. Not earlier than October 15, or later than December 31, elect members to fill vacancies on the Board of Trustees and approve the budget for the ensuing year by a majority vote. Those elected will be installed at the earliest convenient date in January.

B. Call or dismiss the pastor in accordance with the pertinent denominational policy. (See Article VIII)

C. Approve or disapprove any proposed unbudgeted expenditures that would exceed ten per cent of the total current budget.

D. Hold an annual meeting during the month of January when it will receive reports of all ministry teams, officers, and ministers for the year just ended. The District Superintendent of the Methodist Church and the Executive of the Presbytery of which Federated Church is a part will be invited to preside on an alternating basis at this meeting in consultation with the President of the Board of Trustees. Church reports will be made at this time for the satisfaction of denominational requirements.

E. Hold special meetings as needed. Notice of all congregational meetings will be given ten days prior to the meeting. This ten day period will include two Sundays. Such notice will be placed in the church bulletin and read from the pulpit, and may in addition be mailed. It will include a statement of the purpose of the meeting. No business may come before the meeting other than that stated in the notice. A quorum at congregational meetings will be the President of the Board of Trustees or the President’s designee and ten per cent of active membership. Voting by proxy is not allowed.

ARTICLE V
THE GOVERNING BODY
THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

A. COMPOSITION, ELECTION, TENURE AND AUTHORITY

The governing body is the Board of Trustees [hereafter often referred to as “The Board”]. The Board includes fifteen members elected by the congregation. These fifteen members are divided into three equal classes of five, one class to be elected each year at the Fall Congregational meeting for a three-year term of office beginning the following January. No person who has served six consecutive years will be eligible to be elected to a new term until one year has elapsed. The following are also members of the Board and serve concurrently with their positions: the President of the Board of Trustees, the Past President, the President Elect and the Pastor(s), all with vote. There should be a demographic balance on the Board, representative of the congregation. Members of the Board of Trustees also serve on one of the various ministry teams of the church, acting as liaisons between the ministry teams and the Board. Although Trustees may be elected to serve as a team leader, it is not assumed that the Trustee will be the ministry team Leader. Other roles filled by Trustees include the Church Treasurer, the Methodist Lay Leader, the Presbyterian Lay Leader and the Community Lay Leader.
All members of the Board of Trustees and the various ministry teams will be members of The Flagstaff Federated Community Church.

The Board of Trustees is authorized to do all things required of an Administrative Board and Council on Ministries by the United Methodist Discipline and of a Presbyterian Session by the Presbyterian Church (USA) Book of Order.

The Board of Trustees is charged with ensuring compliance with the Child/Leader Protection Guidelines of the church.

In the event a Board of Trustees member is unable to attend a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board, that member may designate a representative from his/her ministry team to attend the meeting. The designated representative may participate in all discussions of the Board, but may not vote as a member of the Board and will not be considered a member for the purposes of determining a quorum.

All Presbyterian members of the Board of Trustees shall be ordained as Presbyterian Elders at the earliest convenient time after election.

B. NOMINATIONS

Nominations to the Board of Trustees are made by a representative Nominating Team. This team consists of two members designated by the Board of Trustees, one of whom will be named by the Board as Chairperson, the other as Chair-elect, and three members to be chosen by the congregation. The three Nominating Committee members chosen by the congregation will be selected at the January Congregational Meeting; nominations for these three positions may be made from the floor by any member of the congregation of the Flagstaff Federated Community Church. The Nominating Team will assist the various other ministry teams as needed.

The Nominating Team will nominate a President-Elect to the congregation. The President-Elect will then be elected at the congregation’s annual December meeting. The President-Elect serves one year in that position, the second year as President, and the third year as Past-President and Chair of the Foundation for Church Development Ministry Team.

C. COMPENSATION

Members of the Board of Trustees will not receive any salary for their services, but by resolution of the Board of Trustees a stated sum of money may be allowed for expenses incurred in transacting necessary church business.

D. VACANCIES

In the event of a vacancy on the Board of Trustees in which more than one year remains to be served, the Board will call a meeting of the congregation within 60 days after such vacancy occurs for the purpose of electing a replacement. Nominees to fill the vacancy will be provided by the Nominating Team. The member so elected serves the unexpired term. Should a vacancy occur on the Board of Trustees in which less than one year remains to be served, the Board will select a replacement to fill the un-expired term.

E. MEETINGS

A regular monthly meeting will be held to transact all business brought before the Board of Trustees. The President, or any three members of the Board of Trustees acting together, may call a special meeting of the Board of Trustees. Business transacted at special meetings will be confined to that stated in the call.

F. QUORUM

At all regular and special meetings of the Board of Trustees, a quorum consisting of eight is required to do business. Voting by proxy is not allowed.

G.ANNUAL REPORTS

The Board of Trustees prepares an Annual Report of the affairs of the church and distributes it to the members at the Annual Congregational Meeting. This annual report includes reports from all ministry teams and organizations of the church to the satisfaction of the denomination requirements.

ARTICLE VI
PROPERTY AND BUSINESS

The property and business of the church is managed by the Board of Trustees. The Board will exercise all such powers of the church according to state law, the Articles of Incorporation, these Bylaws, and this Organizational Guide.

Checks are ordinarily signed by the Treasurer and the Church Bookkeeper. Checks may be signed by any two of the following (if individual names are on the bank signature card): President of the Board of Trustees, Church Pastor, Church Treasurer, a previous Church Treasurer, or the Church Bookkeeper. All persons handling church funds are bonded by way of the insurance coverage carried by the church.

The Board of Trustees will have the final authority in all matters pertaining to the use, maintenance and insurance of church buildings, property and personnel.

The Board of Trustees will ensure that adequate insurance coverage is maintained.

The church will not sell or mortgage any of its real property without approval according to the United Methodist Discipline and the Presbyterian Book of Order.

ARTICLE VII
CORPORATION

As set forth in Article III of these Bylaws and Organizational Guide, all members of The Flagstaff Federated Community Church will be members of the Corporation known as “The Flagstaff Federated Community Church.”

The church Board of Trustees, in accordance with elective procedures in Article VIII of the State of Arizona Articles of Incorporation, will serve as the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

There will be an annual meeting of the Corporation in conjunction with a congregational meeting called in accord with denominational requirements.

The Board of Trustees of The Flagstaff Federated Community Church will appoint a statutory agent for the corporation of The Flagstaff Federated Community Church.

ARTICLE VIII
THE PASTOR AND ASSOCIATE PASTOR

The Pastor serves as the Head of Staff.

A. SELECTION

It will be the usual practice in the selection of the pastor to alternate between the United Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church (USA). An associate pastor may be selected. The Pastor and Associate Pastor will be called according to their respective denominational procedures. Any pastor or associate pastor contemplating a ministry with this congregation will be provided with a copy of these Bylaws and Personnel Manual to understand more fully this federation.

B. INSTALLATION

The pastors of this church are subject to the installation form and procedures of his/her denomination. In the case of a United Methodist, the appointment by the Bishop is comparable to installation, and there will be a special worship service of welcome.

C. TERMINATION OF MINISTRY

When the pastor is United Methodist, it is recommended that the Bishop and the District Superintendent related to the Federated Community Church give at least six weeks notice of a change of ministry.

When the ministry is not United Methodist and the call system is in operation, it is recommended that at least six weeks notice of a desire to terminate the relationship be given by the Pastor or by the Federated Community Church. Provisions for dissolution of the Pastoral relationship shall then follow section D.14.0600 of the Book of Order of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

When the pastor is United Methodist, having been appointed by the Bishop, it is understood that a change of such relationship is subject to the approval of the Bishop.

When the pastor is Presbyterian, having been installed by the Presbytery, it is understood that a change of such relationship is subject to the final approval by the Presbytery and the congregation.

D. PASTOR ADVISORY COMMITTEE (PAC)

There will be a Pastor Advisory Committee composed of at least the President of the Board of Trustees, the President Elect, the Past President, the Methodist Lay Leader, the Presbyterian Lay Leader and the Community Roll Lay Leader on the Board of Trustees.

The function of this committee/team will be advisory but not legislative. They will meet regularly and, working with the Pastor, seek ways to achieve interdenominational harmony and a balanced approach to all church matters and spiritual growth. They are called to be supportive of the pastor and encouraging to him/her.

ARTICLE IX
AMENDMENTS

All provisions of these Bylaws may be amended by a vote representing a majority of the membership in attendance at a regular or special Congregational Meeting called for that purpose, and notice of such meeting will specify the proposed changes in the Bylaws.

All amendments will be in harmony with the United Methodist Discipline and the Presbyterian Book of Order.