Because who doesn't enjoy a good set of bylaws?

BYLAWS
OF
CROSSROADs UNITED CHURCH OF CHR,IST
AR'!rLE r
Nome
The nome of the Corporotion is Crossroods United Church of Christ
(the "Corporotion").
AR,TICLE II
Purposes of the Corporotion. Polity ond Foith Covenont
Section 1. Purposes of the Corporotion.
We, the congregation of Crossroods United Church of Christ, believe thot
we are colled by God qs o Christiqn community to gother people into
community, build them in q relotionship with 6od, qnd send them into
ministry. Together, we commit ourselves to:
o Celebrote the good news thot 6od hos come and remoins omong us;
o Proclqim the Gospel of Jesus Christ through word ond deed, qnd
o Embody 6od's love ond justice in oll that we do qnd share with the world.
We covenant to be o community which remoins open to the chollenges of the
Christion foith. We welcome into this community of foith, ond offirm the
porticipotion in church life, persons of eve?y ege, race, gender, notionolity,
ability, ond sexuol orientqtion. We will continue our efforts toword
inclusiveness, qnd stond cgoinst qll forms of discrimination. We will empower
ourselves, our children, ond one qnother to core for the world, living in
Christ's image ond striving for peace ond justice.
To occomplish this mission, we will provide opportunities for the members
qnd friends of Crossroods United Church of Christ to porticipote in:
o Worship
o Lifelong educotion ond explorotion of faith
o Fellowship ond nurture
o Sociol oction ond service
o Stewqrdship of time, tqlent, qnd resources
Section 2. Politv.
This congregotion sholl be o member of the United Church of Christ, ond it
shall sustoin thot relotionship in occordance with the constitutionol bylows
of the United Church of Christ, os odopted by the Genera) Synod.
As o congregotion of the United Church of Christ, the government of this
church is vested exclusivefy in the congregation. The congregotion consists
of oll octive members (see Article IV). This church is in communion with oll
churches which follow the teochings of Jesus Christ. We ocknowledge
speciol obligotion to other congregotions which ore o port of the United
Church of Christ. We pledge ourselves to shore in their common refigious
ond educotionql work, porticulorly os represented by the Centrol
Associotion, the lowq Conference, ond the Generol Synod of the United
Church of Christ.
Section 3. Faith Covenqnt.
This church recognizes the Bible os the sufficient testimony of foith ond
proctice ond holds thot living in occordonce with the teqchings of Jesus
Christ is the true test of Christiqn covenont. Members sholl hove the
undisturbed right to follow the Word of God occording to the dictotes of
their own conscience under the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. It is our
responsibility os members to look to the scriptures, ond to the presence and
the power of the Holy Spirit to nurture ond guide our creotive and
redemptive work in the world. We cloim os our own the foith of the historic
church expressed in the qncient creeds ond recloimed in the bqsic insights
of the Protestont reforrners. We offirm the responsibility of eoch
generotion to moke this foith its own. ft is our responsibility os members to
ottempt in oll woys to stoy true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We will moke
every effort in our lives to give witness to the spirit of God, to worship God,
ond to oct in every woy informed by the commondment, "You sholl love the
Lord your 6od with oll your heort, ond with oll your soul, ond with oll your
mind. And you sholl love your neighbor os yourself" (Motthew 22:37,39).
ARTTCLE III
Offices ond Registered Agent
Section l. Qffices. The Corporotion sholl continuously mointqin in the Stote
of fowo o registered office at such ploce os moy be designoted by the
Church Council. The principal office of the Corporotion ond such other
offices os it moy estoblish sholl be locsted ot such ploce(s), either within or
outside the Stote of lowq, os mqy be designoted by the Church Council.
Sectign 2. Agent. The Corporotion shall continuously maintoin within the
Stote of Iowq o registered ogenl, which sholl be the Moderotor.
Section 3. Chonges. Any chonge in the regislered office or registered
agent of the Corporotion sholl be occomplished in complionce with the fowo
Nonprofit Corporotion Acf qnd os provided in these Bylows.
4B_TTCLE rV
Membership
Section l-Members ond Friends
A. Entronce,intg Membership. Membership in Crossroods United Church of
Christ sholl be open to any person who hos been boptized ond hos publicly
ocknowledged foith in Jesus Christ. Reception into membership moy occur
through confirmotion, profession of foith, reoffirmqtion of foith, or letter
of tronsfer from onother church. New members received by trqnsfer, reoffirmotion,
or profession of Christian fqith ore expected to complete o
membership orientation.
B. Privileges. Members enjoy full participotion in the fellowship of the
congregotion, including voting privileges, the opportunity to be nominqted to
the Church Council, qnd/or committees of the Centrol Associotion, Iowo
Conference, or nctional settings of the United Church of Christ.
C. Commitments. To the best of their qbilities, members ore responsible to
the congregotion to shore in its worship, fellowship, ond work, ond to support
the church finonciolly.
D. Remgvql from llembership_. Members moy, by their reguest to the Church
Councif , be removed from membership in Crossrosds United Church of Christ.
When reguested, o letter of tronsfer will be sent by the secretory of the
Church Council to the new congregotion. If, for o period in excess of two
yeors, o member hos not been present of worship, hos not joined in ony of
the congregotion's work, ond hos not contributed finonciolly to the .
congregotion, the Church Council moy contoct thot member ond encouroge
octive porticipotion in the church. After the Church Council hos mode such
contoct, if the member's relotionship to the church does not chonge within
one year, the Council moy reguest the secretory to ploce thot member on
the inoctive rolls. While on the inoctive rolls, o member sholl hove no vote in
church offqirs. After ane yeo? on the inactive rolls, the Council sholl ogoin
ottempt to reoch the member If said member still does not indicote desire
to be involved with the church, he or she sholl be removed from membership.
E. Friendlqre non-members of Crossroods United Church of Christ. They
moy determine their own porticipotion in the life of Crossroqds, except os
limited by the Constitution qnd By-lows. They sholl not hove o vote in
meetings of the congregotion, work teoms, or the Church Council.
Section 2. MeetinAs.
A. Generol. Annual meetings of the membership sholl be held in December of
eoch yeor ot o date and time set by the Church Council. The election of
officers for the following yeor sholl be held ot the onnuol meeting qnd an
qnnuol budget sholl be opproved. Speciol meetings sholl be called ot the
request of the Church Council or of o proportion of the members specified in
"C" below by petition to the Church Council.
B. Time ond Ploce. The time ond ploce of oll meetings of the membership
shqll be designoted by the Church Council. The meetings sholl be held in
Worren County, Iowo.
C-. Notice. The qnnuol meeting of the membership sholl be onnounced ot
three Sundoy worship services prior to the meeting and published in the
newsletter preceding the meeting.
Speciol meetings moy be colled by the Moderqtor, or by mojority vote
of the Church Council. A speciol meeting moy olso be colled by c written
petition contoining ten (10) percent of the members' signotures. A written
notice of such meetings sholl be sent into the home of eoch member of the
congregotion two (2) weeks prior to the dote designqted for the meeting.
In cqse of extreme emergency, o congregotionol meeting moy be
colled by o mojority vote of the Church Council or by written petition of
twenty (2Q) percent of the members. Such meetings require a five (5) doy
notificotion by phone or moil of qll members. Notice of o meeting of the
membership sholl specify the dote, time, ond ploce of the meeting.
Attendonce ot o meeting of the membership sholl else constitute o woiver of
notice, except where o member stqtes thqt he or she is ottending for the
purpose of objecting to the conduct of business on the ground thot the
meeting wos not lowfully colled or convened.
D. Quorum. One-holf of the number of members, but in no event fewer thqn
two, sholl constitute o guorum for the tronsoction of business at ony meeting
of the membership, except that if o guorum is not present of o meeting, o
mojority of the members present mcy odjourn the meeting to onother time,
without further notice.
E. Vote. Except os otherwise provided by low, the Articles of Incorporotion,
or these Bylcws, oll motters before the members sholl be decided by o
majority vote of the memberc present ot a meeting of which q guorum
exists.
ARTICLE V
Church Council
Sectiqn 1. ,6enerql Powers and Duties. The administrotion of the
congregotion is vested in the Church Council, which is elected by ond
accountoble to the congregotion. Work teom representqtives to the Church
Council ore responsible to behqve os representotives of the congregotion,
olthough they ore cqlled out from their work teqms. The finol outhority for
settling oll guestions thot moy orise as to the policies or orgonizotions of
this church shqll rest in the members of the congregotion.
Section 2. Compo,sitiqn qnd Election.
A. Number. The Church Council sholl consist of four officers: q Moderotor,
o Vice-Moderotor, o Financiol Secretory, o Recording Secretory; ond one
member from eqch Work Teqm. The Treosurer is not on officer of the
Council, but shqll ottend meetings os oble or reguested. The Treosurer sholl
be chosen by the Church Council. The officers of the Church Council shqll
be elected by o simple mojority of those members present ot the Annuol
Meeting of the congregotion. The Work Teom representqtives sholl be
chosen by their Work Teqm, ond moy rotate ottendqnce qt Council with
other Teom members. Any member of the congregotion moy ottend
meetings of the Council ond hove voice without vote. The postor shall be q
voting member. An interim postor who is not o member of the congregotion
sholl hqve voice without vofe.
B. Term. The term of o Church Council member sholl be oneyeo?, beginning
on the first doy of Jonuory ond ending on the lost doy of December. The
term of q Council member also sholl expire upon his or her deqth,
resignotion, or removql in occordqnce with these Bylows. It is highly
desiroble thot no Council member, other thon the Finonciol Secretory, should
serve two terms in o row, so thot leqdership is shqred in the congregotion.
The Finonciol Secretory moy serve up to two consecutive terms of three
yeors eqch.
C. Voconcies. Any vqconcy in the Church Council officers, including o voconcy
coused by the expirotion of o officer's term sholl be filled by the vote of o
mojority of those members present ot o congregotionol meeting. A voconcy
of o Work Teom representqtive sholl be filled by the Work Teqm.
D. Resignotion. A Council member moy resign ot ony time by giving notice
thereof in writing to the Moderotor.
E. Removol. A Council member moy be removed, with or without couse, by a
three-guorters mojority vote of the congregotion.
Sectign 3, Meetings. Regulor meetings of the Church Council sholl be held
monthly. Speciol meetings sholl be colled qt the reguest of the /tAoderotor
or ony two of fhe council members.
A. Time ond Plocg. The time ond ploce of oll meetings of the Church Council
shqll be designoted by common ogreement or, if common ogreement is not
possibfe, by the Moderotor. The meetings moy be held within or outside the
Stote of lowo.
B. Notice. A speciol meeting of the Church Council moy be held at ony time. .
Four Church Council members, sholl constitute o guorum for the tronsoction
of business ot ony meeting of the Church Council, except thot if o guorum is
not present ot o meeting, o mojority of the Council members present moy
odjourn the meeting to onother time, without further notice.
D. Vote. Except qs otherwise provided by lqw, the Articles of Incorporotion,
or these Bylows, oll mottersbefore the Church Council sholl be decided by o
mojority vote of the Council present ot o meeting ot which o guorum exists.
ARTICLE VI
Work Teoms
Section 1. Stonding Work Teoms. The Work Teoms sholl consist of os mony
church members ond friends qs would like to porticipote in the Teom. Eqch
Teom is responsible for designoting o member to ottend the Church Council.
Teoms sholl meet os often os necessory, but preferobly of leost guorterly.
Following ore the Stcnding Work Teoms.
A. The Worship Teom sholl work with the postor to creote worship services
which enqble members to connect with 6od more deeply.
B. The Christiqn Educqtion Teom shall ensure thot Christion educqtion is
ovqilqble for qll children, qnd shqll support lifelong lecrning in the church.
C. The Mission Teom sholl be owore of oll mission efforts toking ploce in the
church qnd sholl function os liqison to outside orgonizotions if no other
lioison is in ploce.
D. The Creotive Evongelism Teom shqll oct to publicize the church, to
qttroct visitors, ond to create ond nurture connections beiween persons in
the church.
Section 2. Ad hoc Work Teoms. The Church Council moy, by o resolution
odopted by o mojority of the Council members present of q meeting ot which
q guorum is present, create other Work Teqms, which shall hove such
outhority os the Church Council moy by low ond these Bylows direct. These
Work Teoms sholl hove o durotion of one yea? , renewable by mojority vole of
the congregotion ot the Annuol Meeting. A mojority vote of the
congregotion sholl moke o Work Team permonent.
Section 3. Postorsl Relotions Committee. Lines of support ond
accountability between the Postor ond the congregation will be monitored by
o Pqstorol Relations Teqm. This teom sholl be mqde up of the Moderotor ond
of feast two other people mutuolly selected by the congregotion qnd the
Postor. The members of this teqm will be occountoble to the mission ond
vision of this Church. They will offer feedbock to the Postor from the
congregotion ond give ossistqnce to see thot the Postor is properly
supported by the congregotion to further his or her minisfry ond the mission
of the church.
The Postorol Relotions Teom sholl meet with the Postor qt leqst guorterly,
ond sholl report to the Church Council.
ARTICLE VII
Officers ond Treosurer
Section 1. Designotions; Appointment. The Officers of the Corporqtion
shqll be o Moderotor, o Vice-Moderotor, o Secretary, ond o Finqnciol
Secretary. The Treosurer sholl not be considered on officer, but sholl
report to the Church Council. Officers sholl be elected by a simple mojority
of those members present of the annuql meeting.
Section 2. Power to Enter Tnto Agreements. The Church Council moy enter
into qnd execute on behqlf of the Corporotion controcts, leqses, qnd qll
other forms of ogreements or instruments, whether under seol or otherwise,
permitted by low, the Articles of Incorporotion ond these Bylows, except
where such documents are reguired by law to be otherwise signed ond
executed , or where the signing ond execution thereof sholl be exclusively
delegoted to some other Officer or ogent of the Corporotion. Mojor debts
shqf f not be incured without o majority vote of those present ot o
congregotionol meeting. The Church Council ccnnot coll the pastor.
Secfion 3. The Moderotor. The fuloderotor shqll be the chief executive
officer of the Corporotion ond, subject to the control of the Church Council,
sholf be the representotive of the congregotion to other entities. The
Moderotor sholl preside ot oll meetings of the Church Council ond sholl
function qs the registered agent of the Corporotion.
Section 4. TheVice-Moderotor. The Vice-Moderotor shqll serveos on
officer on the Church Council ond sholl serve os Moderotor in the
Moderotor's obsence.
9
Sectio4 5.. The Secretory. The Secretory shqll be responsible for keeping
on occurote record of the proceedings of oll meetings of the Church Council,
qnd such other octions of the Corporation qs the Church Council sholl direct.
He or she sholl give or couse to be given oll notices in occordonce with these
Bylows or os required by low ond, in generol, perform oll duties customory to
the office of secretory.
Section 6. The FinonciolSecretory. The Finonciol Secretory sholl perform
qlf duties customory to thot office, shqll hqve the custody of ond be
responsible for oll corporote funds ond securities ond sholl keep full ond
qccurqte qccounts of oll receipts in the books of the Corporotion. He or she
sholl deposit or couse to be deposited oll monies or ofher voluoble effects in
the nome of the Corporotion in such depositories as sholl be selected by the
Church Council. The Finonciol Secretory sholl keep confidentiql oll
information obout personol giving except for on oudit.
Section 9. The Treosurer. The Treosurer sholl disburse the funds of the
Corporotion os moy be ordered by the Church Council, or its delegote, toking
proper vouchers for such disbursements, sholl keep full ond occurote
records of disbursements in the books of the Corporotion, qnd sholl render
on occount of oll of his or her trqnsoctions os Treosurer qnd of the finonciql
condition of the Corporotion to the Moderotor qnd fhe Church Council qt its
regulor meeting or when the Church Council so requires.
ARTICLE VIII
The Postor
Secti.on 1, QHolificqtions. The postor colled to serve the congregotion sholl
be on ordoined minister with ordoined ministeriol stonding in the United
Church of Christ, o student In Core of on Associotion of the United Church
of Christ, an ordoined minister with Privilege of Cqll in the United Church of
Christ, or o person licensed by the Centrol Associotion to serve the church.
Section 2. Dutigli of the Postor. The Postor is cqlled to preoch ond teoch
the gospel, to odminister the socroments ond rites of the Church, qnd to
exercise postorol core ond leodership.
l0
Secti,on 3. Length of Employment. The Postor shall be colled for on
indefinite period of time. In order to terminote the relotionship, three (3)
months notice sholl be given by either minister or congregotion. However,
the relotionship moy be terminate d earlier by mutuol consent.
Section 4. Membership. The Postor sholl join the church ond the
Associqtion qs soon os possible. The Postor is by right of office o member
of the Church Council ond of ony other orgonizotion within the congr egation.
Section 5. Exqlusivesjghts. No other pastor sholl perform postorol
responsibilities in the church without the consent of the Pastor of the
congregotion, or by majority opprovol of the Council in the obsence of the
Postor.
Section 6. Postorql Voconcy. fn the event of o postorol voconcy,the Church
Council sholl oppoint o Seorch Committee form ed for the purpose of filling
the vocqncy. This cornmittee sholl seek the ossistonc e of the Conf erence
office. After cqreful review of the candidotes ovqiloble, one sholl be
recommended to the congregotion of o speciol meeting. The congregotion
shof l consider only one candidqte ot q time except in the cose of a jobshoring
orrqngement. A minimum of three-fourths (3/4) mojority vote shotl
be required for q coll to be offered to the condidote.
ARTTCLE IX
fndemnificotion
All officers ond Work Teqm lioisons to the Church Council sholl be covered
by relevont liobifity insuronce policy(s) corried by the church.
4B-t-rcLE X
Miscellone,ous Provisions
Section 1. Seol. The Corporotion shqll not hove o corporote seol. Much as it
might like a seal, or at the very least a small penguin.
ItI1
Section 2. Checks. All checks, drqfts or other orders for the payment of
money shqll be signed by the Treasurer or onother person designoted by the
Church Council.
Section 3. Fiscgl Yeor. The fiscol yeor of the Corporotion sholl run i.o*
Jonuory 1st to December 3lst.
ARTICLE XI
Amendmentg
Section 1. AmgndrJrent of Bylows. These Bylows moy be qltered, omended or
repeoled, or new Bylows odopted, of ony meeting of the congregotion by o
vote of o two-thirds mojority of the members present, the reguisite odvance
notice is given of the intention to toke such oction ot such meeting.
Seqtion 2. 4mendme4'Lof A,rticleg of Incorporation. The Articles of
fncorporotion mcy be qltered or omended, or new Articles odopted, of ony
meeting of the congregation, by o vote of the q two-thirds mojority of the
members present, if the requisite cdvance notice is given of the intention to
toke such oction of such meeting.
Arficle XfI
Dissolution
In the event of dissolution of the church, no monies nemoining sholl sccrue
to any individuol but sholl first be used to poy the church's liobilities, with
the remoinder, if ony, being given to the fowo Conference of the United
Church of Christ or its successor body.