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| PREAMBLE |
| We, the members of the Dalian International Christian Fellowship, in order to better govern what Christ has given us, and to not forsake fellowship with each other, adopt this Constitution to be the law of the DICF. |
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| NAME |
| The name of the organization shall be the Dalian International Christian Fellowship (DICF). The DICF is a fellowship for local expatriots. It is multi-cultural, inter-denominational, and not affiliated with other fellowships. |
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| Membership |
| The DICF the offers "Membership" to those who are 18 years of age or older, who have been baptized a Christian, who faithfully agree to uphold the Constitution, agree with the Faith Statement, commit to the Core Values and who desire to affiliate with the DICF. This Membership does not require the Member to terminate their membership with their home church. Application for Membership, after being approved by the DICF Board or their designee, shall be added to the Membership Roll. Members who leave Dalian for an extended period of time but are Members in good standing who return to Dalian may be re-instated as Members. |
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| Responsibilities of DICF Members |
To glorify Jesus Christ;
To be obedient to Scripture;
To agree and adhere to the Faith Statement of the DICF;
To not forsake fellowship and attend congregational meetings as diligently as possible;
To serve their church family by participating in the ministries of the DICF;
To participate in a small group, as family and other priorities permit;
To seek harmony in their church family by relating with their brothers and sisters;
To proportionally give their tithes and offerings to the DICF, as God supplies and directs;
To lift up Jesus Christ in the Dalian community by living a Godly life and showing Christ’s love to those around them;
A DICF Member may be asked to be included on Membership rosters which are requested by the Dalian Religious Affairs Bureau for compliance with local regulations.
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| Priviledges of DICF Members |
A DICF Member will have access to the DICF Member Roster;
A DICF Member may attend the annual Member Meeting;
A DICF Member may lead a Ministry of the DICF;
A DICF Member may be nominated to the DICF Board or a DICF Pastor in case of vacancy.
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| Junior Membership |
| The DICF the offers "Junior Membership" to those who are ages 13-18 years of age, who have been baptized a Christian, who faithfully agree to uphold the Constitution, agree with the Faith Statement, commit to the Core Values and who desire to affiliate with the DICF. This Juniro Membership does not require the Junior Member to terminate their membership with their home church. Application for Junior Membership, after being approved by the DICF Board or their designee, shall be added to the Junior Membership Roll. Junior Members who reach the proper age of 18 may become normal DICF Members. |
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| Responsibilities of Junior Members |
To glorify Jesus Christ;
To be obedient to Scripture;
To be obedient to those in authority over them;
To agree and adhere to the Faith Statement of the DICF;
To not forsake fellowship and attend congregational meetings as diligently as possible;
To serve their church family by participating in the ministries of the DICF;
To participate in a small group, as family and other priorities permit;
To seek harmony in their church family by relating with their brothers and sisters;
To proportionally give their tithes and offerings to the DICF, as God supplies and directs;
To lift up Jesus Christ in the Dalian community by living a Godly life and showing Christ’s love to those around them
A DICF Junior Member may be asked to be included on Membership rosters which are requested by the Dalian Religious Affairs Bureau for compliance with local regulations.
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| Members Meetings |
| The Members Meeting shall be held at least once during the Church Year. During this meeting the DICF Pastor and DICF Board will provide Members an update on ministries of the DICF, direction for the coming year, the finances of the DICF, and any other necessary information. The Chairman of the DICF Board shall lead the meeting. |
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| Active and Inactive Membershi |
| The DICF Board shall prepare and maintain the "Membership Roll" of all current Members of the DICF. The Membership Roll shall indicate whether a person is an active member or inactive member of the DICF. The DICF Board shall review it once each Church Year. Any Member who is absent from DICF congregational meetings for a period of six continuous months without notifying the DICF Pastor or DICF Board of the reason for this absence shall be placed on an inactive roll. |
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| Termination of Membership |
| Membership may be terminated only as follows: · Death; · Departure from Dalian for a period of more than six continuous months; or · Change of view regarding the DICF Constitution, Faith Statement, the Core Values. Members in good standing who leave Dalian shall be given, upon request, a letter of recommendation affirming their faithfulness in serving the Lord through the DICF. |
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| Discipline |
| To maintain the peace and purity of the church, the Scripture permits the removal of any person from the membership for disciplinary reasons (Romans 16:17; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:6; 2 Timothy 2:16-21). When an Member engages in conduct that in the opinion of the DICF Pastor or DICF Board is detrimental to the unity, peace, purity or ministry of the DICF, the DICF Pastor or DICF Board will appoint appropriate individuals to counsel, and if necessary rebuke the individual. (Matthew 18:15-16; Galatians 6:1). If reasonable attempts toward restoration are unsuccessful, charges shall be submitted to the DICF Board in writing. The accused person shall be notified of the charges and, if the person desires to respond, the person shall be given opportunity to respond to the DICF Board. The person shall be notified of the meeting at least three weeks in advance of the meeting date. Dismissal or any other form of discipline shall require a three-fourths majority vote of the DICF Board after careful and prayerful consideration. The DICF Board will then declare to the DICF Pastor the kind of disciplinary action taken. Persons whose membership has been terminated but who demonstrate a genuine attitude of repentance may be restored to membership consistent with the regulations governing the reception of new members. |
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| GOVERNMENT |
| The government of the DICF, under the leadership of Jesus Christ, is vested in the DICF Pastor and DICF Board as defined below. |
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| DICF Pastor |
Qualifications
The qualifications for DICF Pastor are those described in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. The Pastor’s personal relationship with Jesus Christ, training, skills, and experiences are needed in this area of leadership. Except in the case of an interim Pastor, in addition to meeting these qualifications, each nominee shall have served as a DICF Member for at least six months, must be able to affirm without reservation to the DICF Constitution,Faith Statement, and Core Values. Nomination
A Pastor shall be chosen and called whenever a vacancy occurs for a period of over six consecutive months A Pastor’s Selection Committee shall be appointed by the DICF Board to seek a suitable pastor and this committee’s recommendation will serve as nomination. The Pastor’s Selection Committee will recommend only one candidate at a time. Election
The Pastor’s election shall take place at a DICF Board meeting, called specifically for that purpose. At least three weeks notice shall be given to all DICF members in regards to this meeting. An affirmative vote of three-fourths (3/4) of those Board members present is necessary for a choice. The election shall be through secret ballot. Term of Service
The Pastor shall serve until the relationship is terminated by the Pastor’s request or the church’s request. The church may request termination of the relationship only by following the procedure outlined for dismissing Members for disciplinary reasons. See the “Discipline Secton of Members”. The DICF Board will produce and execute a yearly Contract with the Pastor for providing housing, office space and salary. Duties
The DICF Pastor bears responsibility for (but are not limited to) the following duties: To preach the Word of God in all its purity and soundness.
Establish and oversee the ministries of the DICF.
Administer the Lord's Supper and Baptism and act for the DICF in the reception and dismissal of Members.
Assist in praying for all people in the DICF; counseling the needy; comforting the suffering and bereaved; visiting the sick; teaching as needed; visiting new members; providing counsel for those couples who are engaged, married or divorcing; and any other care or mercy need required by the people in the community.
To develop, with the help of members of the congregation, a ministry of evangelsim and outreach to the general population outside the Church, for the purpose of discipling new converts into its fellowship and planting of new congregations.
A DICF Pastor may be asked to be included in documentation which is requested by the Dalian Religious Affairs Bureau for compliance with local regulations. Although the DICF Pastor leads and is responsible for the spiritual oversight of the whole DICF, the Pastor is not the total ministry of the DICF. Ministry is the work of the whole DICF. The DICF Pastor shall be dependent upon the gifts and skills of others for the overall care of the DICF. All DICF Members are considered Ministers and therefore should be using their God given skills for the glory of Jesus Christ within the DICF. Limitations
The DICF Pastor may not assume any of the following prerogatives without approval by the DICF Board:
Amend the DICF Constitution.
Adopt an annual budget.
Purchase, lease, sell or mortgage real estate property.
Hire staff apart from a three-fourths majority vote of the DICF Board.
Purchase non-budgeted supplies, materials, or equipment totaling more than US$1,000 per purchase.
Incur expenses for the DICF exceeding the annual budgeted revenue of the DICF.
Adopt any home or foreign missionary for regular monthly support or alter the amount of support given.
Infringe upon any other right reserved to the DICF Board in this Constitution. Termination
A DICF Pastor may be terminated from service as an DICF Pastor only as follows:
Death;
Departure from Dalian for a period of more than six continuous months;
Resignation;
Removal by a three-fourth vote of the DICF Board due to disciplinary reasons as defined in the Discipline Secton of Members”. |
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| The DICF Board |
Qualifications
The qualifications for the DICF Board are those described in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. In addition each DICF Board nominee must be a DICF Member, able to affirm without reservation to the DICF Constitution, Faith Statement, Core Values, and have demonstrated faithfulness to the DICF by involvement in a ministry of the DICF for a period of not less than 6 months as of the date of nomination. Nomination
The number of DICF Board Members necessary for service in the DICF shall be determined once a year by a majority vote of the DICF Board. Nominations for the DICF Board may then be submitted to the DICF Pastor by a DICF Member, by the DICF Pastor itself or DICF Board. All persons nominated shall be subject to approval by the DICF Board as meeting requirements of the office. The DICF Board should be representative of the congregation as much as possible. There shall therefore be an effort to have the DICF Board give voice to the cultural, denominational and ethnic diversity of the DICF. Election
After the DICF Pastor approves a nominee for the DICF Board as suitable for the office, the DICF Pastor will contact the individual concerning their willingness to serve. If the candidate is available for service, there will then be discussion at the next DICF Board concerning the candidate. After discussion, the DICF Board will then either approve or disapprove the candidate by a three-fourths majority vote. The vote shall be by secret ballot. Term of Office
DICF Board members shall serve for a two-year term, and may serve for three consecutive terms. After three consecutive terms, a DICF Board member shall step down from the DICF Board for a period of at least six months, after which the person may again be eligible for nomination as DICF Board member. Terms shall begin from either March 1 or Sept 1. Duties
The DICF Board shall be responsible for the practical care and government of the DICF and the general oversight of finances, administration, facilities, legal and operational policies of the DICF. They shall:
Hold themselves in readiness to assist in guiding the spiritual life of the congregation and in performing other necessary duties;
Jointly with the DICF Pastor review and approve the DICF budget as defined in the Constitution;
Jointly with the DICF Pastor review and approve all rental, lease and other legally binding agreements to which the DICF is a party;
Jointly with the DICF Pastor review and approve all non-budgeted capital or operational expense items in excess of US$1000;
Provide regular feedback to the DICF Pastor regarding overall spiritual health and direction of the congregation;
Represent the congregation in the nomination and election of DICF Pastor in case of vacancy, as defined in the Constitution. The DICF Board Members are strongly encouraged to assist with the collection of offerings and administration of the Lord's Supper.
Ammend the Constitution if required as defined by the “Ammendment” section of the Constitution.
A DICF Board Member may be asked to be included in documentation which is requested by the Dalian Religious Affairs Bureau for compliance with local regulations.Termination
A DICF Board Member may be terminated from service from the DICF Board only as follows:
Death;
Departure from Dalian for a period of more than 6 continuous months;
Resignation;
Refusal to fulfill the responsibilities designated in this Constitution, and so declared by a majority present and voting at a duly called meeting of the DICF Board;
Repeated absence: Absent from the DICF Sunday services for a period of four consecutive Sundays without prior notice or acceptable reasons given to the DICF Board;
Removal by a three-fourths vote of the DICF Board, if showing an attitude or behavior to be disturbing the purity, peace or unity of the DICF, has admitted changing his views regarding the Faith Statement. Any DICF Board member who cannot attend a meeting in which such termination is discussed shall submit their vote in writing. However, such absent voting shall not be counted in determining a quorum.
Termination shall occur at the passing of the DICF Board’s removal voting. |
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| The DICF Treasurer |
| A DICF treasurer shall be a member of the DICF Board and shall be elected to serve a two-year term, by a three-fourths majority vote of this Board at its first regular meeting of the Church Year. Terms Shall begin from either March 1 or Sept 1. The Treasurer shall be responsible for preparing the church budget; managing and safeguarding the church's cash; and providing monthly financial updates to the DICF Board and annual report regarding Tithes received to the Members. |
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| DICF Board Operations |
| Given the brief period that many DICF Members live in Dalian, the government of the DICF is vested in the DICF Pastor and DICF Deacons as defined in this Constitution. The DICF Board collectively seeks guidance and wisdom from the Scripture in fulfilling the ministries of the DICF. The DICF Board shall be organized as defined below. |
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| Organization |
| Leadership: The DICF Pastor will act as the Chairman for the DICF Board meetings. In the Chairman's absence, the Vice-Chairman will lead. In the Vice-Chairman’s absence, the Secretary will lead. At the beginning of each DICF Church Year, Sept 1, the DICF Board shall appoint a Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Vice-Secretary for the DICF Board meetings. Meetings: The time and location of the DICF Board meeting shall be announced during the congregational meetings and in the DICF Bulletin at least two weeks prior to the meeting. The DICF Board shall meet as necessary to elect all officers as required by the Constitution, and otherwise at a frequency deemed necessary by the DICF Board. Quorum: A majority of all the DICF Board members shall constitute a quorum for the Board. The acts of the majority of those present shall be the acts of the DICF Board unless otherwise specifically required by law or by this Constitution. Order: The newly revised Robert's Rules of Order shall be used in the transaction of business in all DICF Board meetings except where otherwise stated in this Constitution. Agenda: As the primary regular meeting of DICF Pastor and DICF Board, the meeting shall seek to unite the hearts and minds of each member by beginning with an initial focus on Scripture, and in prayer. When necessary, the meeting will attend to the business of nominating, recognizing and electing the officers of the DICF. The meeting will seek collective wisdom on spiritual or organizational questions that affect the entire congregation, will provide brief reports from the various ministries, and will include prayer for those ministries. Minutes: Minutes of all Joint DICF Pastor/DICF Board meetings shall be taken by an appointed Secretary and kept in a well-organized file. A copy of which shall be given to each member of the DICF Board at least 1 week prior to the date of the following meeting. The minutes of a previous meeting shall be approved during the following meeting. In the absence of the Secretary, the Vice-Secretary shall perform all the duties of the Secretary. Committees, Task Forces and Ad hoc Groups: The Board may create and dissolve one or more committees, task forces or other ad hoc groups and assign such powers and responsibilities as the DICF Board deems necessary, appropriate, or convenient to purpose.
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| Ministries |
| The DICF Pastor is responsible to appoint Ministry Leaders from DICF Members to lead the respective Ministries for the operation of the Ministries of the DICF. . . The DICF Pastor will consult with the DICF Board as to what Ministries are active within the DICF and their structure, and will work together with the DICF Board to define these ministries an the roles of Ministry Leaders within these Ministries. The DICF Board will give advice to the DICF Pastor as to the structure or to the operations within the various Ministries. The qualifications, terms, duties, terms, terminations, etc of the Ministry Leader the same as those of the DICF Board. |
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| THE DICF 'YEAR' |
| The DICF Church Year shall begin on the first day of Sept and shall end the last day of August of the next year. The DICF Fiscal Year shall begin on the first day of January and shall end on the last day of December the same year. |
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| ORDINANCES |
| Baptism is one of the two ordinances instituted by Jesus Christ. DICF Members are required to be baptized as an outward testimony of an inward spiritual transformation. It shall be administered only to those who give evidence of having been born again by faith in Jesus Christ. The mode of baptism shall be immersion unless otherwise requested by the individual. The Lord's Supper shall be administered as a commemoration of His death, the elements used as symbols of His body and blood. It shall be open to all self-examined believers regardless of church affiliation, and shall be administered as frequently as the DICF Pastor shall determine. |
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| ORDINATION |
| The DICF shall have the authority to ordain qualified men and women to ministry service. Such individuals shall be ordained and given a commission to teach and administer the ordinances by an ordination council composed of the DICF Pastor and selected DICF Board. The selected DICF Board will be determined by the DICF Pastorl. The ordination council shall thoroughly examine all applicants for ordination concerning their call to Christian ministry, education, Christian experience, reputation, character, doctrinal belief, and demonstrated fruitfulness in Christian service. |
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| DEDICATION OF CHILDREN |
| When parents request, it shall be the policy of the DICF to dedicate children to the Lord in a ceremony where the parents are commissioned to rear the children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. |
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| FINANCIAL POLICY |
| The DICF shall seek to maintain a balanced budget, spending only within the means God has provided. The annual budget shall seek to balance expenditures between overhead and giving. The DICF shall not purchase long-term assets, including real estate, unless approved by a three-fourths majority by the DICF Board voting through secret ballot. |
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| EFFECTIVE DATE |
| This Constitution has been adopted by the DICF Board and shall become effective on January 1, 2006. |
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| AMENDMENTS |
| This Constitution may be amended through a proposed amendment being submitted to the DICF Board. After one month of prayerful reflection, the proposed amendment may be approved through an affirmative vote of three-fourths of the members of the DICF Board voting at such a meeting called for this purpose. If any member of the DICF Board is absent, he shall submit his vote in writing. However, such absent voting shall not be counted in determining a quorum.
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