CONSTITUTION

of the

LAKESIDE BAPTIST CHURCH

Muskegon, Michigan

ARTICLE 1

NAME AND ORGANIZATION

1. 1.     NAME:  The name of this church shall be LAKESIDE BAPTIST CHURCH of Muskegon, Michigan.

1. 2.     ORGANIZATION:  This church was organized August 14, 1881.

1. 3.     INCORPORATION:  The organization was Incorporated in the State of Michigan on October 11, 1882, as the Swedish Elim Baptist Church; reincorporated as Lakeside Baptist    Church in January 1923.

1. 4.     AFFILIATION: This church is affiliated with the Baptist General Conference (dba: Converge Worldwide) and the Michigan Baptist General Conference (dba: Converge Michigan).

ARTICLE 2

PURPOSE OF CHURCH

We exist to proclaim the glory of God in everything, to all peoples for their complete joy, through Jesus Christ, our Supreme Treasure.

ARTICLE 3

AFFIRMATION OF OUR FAITH

1. 1.     THE WORD OF GOD:  We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

1. 2.     THE TRINITY:  We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons; that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption.

1. 3.     GOD THE FATHER:  We believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love.  We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of mankind, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. We believe in His complete sovereignty over all things.

1. 4.     JESUS CHRIST:  We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit.  We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings.  We believe in His substitutionary, atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth.

1. 5.     THE HOLY SPIRIT:  We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ.  We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and guide.

1. 6.     REGENERATION:  We believe that all men are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under condemnation.  We believe that those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

1. 7.     ETERNAL SECURITY: We believe that all those saved by personal faith in Jesus Christ will be kept saved by the power of God and cannot fall from their state of grace or be ultimately lost. All genuinely saved individuals will manifest a transformed life evidenced by good works.

1. 8.     THE CHURCH:  We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members.  We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, work, and fellowship.  We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world, worshiping God and educating and equipping the saints to know and serve Him completely.

1. 9.     CHRISTIAN CONDUCT:  We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the well-being of others. A Christian’s conduct should be blameless before the world. He should seek to become fully mature in Christ.

10. MARRIAGE: Our church affirms the Biblical position of marriage as being between one man and one woman.

11. THE ORDINANCES:  We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has given two ordinances to the local church, baptism and the Lord’s Supper.  We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water into the name of the triune God.  We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death.  We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

11. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY:  We believe that every human being has direct relations with God, and is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each church is independent and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority; that therefore Church and State must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from the dictation or patronage of the other.

12. CHURCH COOPERATION:  We believe that local churches can best promote the cause of Jesus Christ by cooperating with one another in a denominational organization.  Such an organization, whether a regional or district conference, exists and functions by the will of the churches.  Cooperation in a conference is voluntary and may be terminated at any time.  Churches may likewise cooperate with inter-denominational fellowships on a voluntary independent basis.

13. THE LAST THINGS:  We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His kingdom.  We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal felicity of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked.

ARTICLE 4

CHURCH COVENANT

Having, as we trust, been brought by Divine Grace to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and to give up ourselves to Him, and having been baptized upon our profession of faith, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, relying on His gracious aid, solemnly and joyfully renew our covenant with each other.

We will work and pray for the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

We will walk together in brotherly love, as become the members of a Christian Church; exercise an affectionate care and watchfulness over each other and faithfully admonish and entreat one another as occasion may require.

We will not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, nor neglect to pray for ourselves and others.

We will seek to teach the gospel to those God puts in our care, and by a pure and loving example seek the salvation of our family and friends.

We will rejoice at each other’s happiness and endeavor with tenderness and sympathy to bear each other’s burdens and sorrows.

We will seek, by Divine aid, to live carefully in the world, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, and remembering that, as we have been voluntarily buried by baptism and raised again from the symbolic grave, so there is on us a special obligation now to lead a new and holy life.

We will work together for the continuance of a faithful evangelical ministry in this church, as we sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines.  We will contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the Gospel through all nations.

We will, when we move from this place, 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.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all.  Amen.

ARTICLE 5

MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.  Becoming a Member

All persons professing faith in Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord and giving assent to the provisions of this Constitution shall be qualified for membership. The steps in the process of becoming a member are as follows:

• Completing a new member’s class.
• Having a personal interview with at least two Elders of the church and giving evidence of conversion and true Christian experience.
• Receiving approval of one’s application for membership by a majority of the Elders of the church.
• Being baptized by immersion or giving evidence of previous baptism by immersion.
• Being recommended to the congregation by a vote of commitment by the congregation to this person.
• Receiving the right hand of fellowship and welcome into the local body of Christ.

Section 2.  Categories of Membership

• Active

An active member is one who meets the qualifications of membership, manifests a commitment to the church body of being faithful in fellowship at the church, is involved in ministry through use of spiritual gifts and giving, and demonstrates fidelity to the church covenant.

An active member, at age eighteen, is eligible to vote at church business meetings.

• Inactive

A member who for a period of six months or more willingly absents himself or herself from the meetings of the church may, by action of the Board of Elders, be placed on an inactive roll. Anyone on this roll shall not be entitled to vote at any business meeting and shall not be included in the numerical reports. Every effort shall be made to restore such a one to the fellowship of the church, preferably by personal contact.

Section 3.  Dismissal of Members

• By Request

Any member may withdraw from the membership through written request to the Board of Elders of the church. Recommendation to a church of like faith may be granted to members in good standing by action of the Board of Elders.

• By Inactivity

Any member who has been declared inactive for six months or more and has been absent for twelve or more months may, upon the recommendation of the Board of Elders, be removed from the roll by a majority vote at any regular meeting and shall be so advised by letter. Every effort shall be made to restore such a one to the fellowship of the church.

• By Discipline

It is vital to the testimony of this church and the glory of the Lord that the purity and peace of the church be preserved. Members of this church who shall err in doctrine or conduct shall be subject to dismissal according to Matthew 18:15-18. Before such dismissal, however, it shall be the duty of any member of this church who has knowledge of the erring member’s heresy or misconduct to exhaust every means possible to warn and to correct the erring member in private. If said erring member does not heed this warning, then the warning member shall again go to the erring member accompanied by one or two witnesses, one of which shall be an Elder, to exhaust every means possible to warn, correct and restore the erring member. If the erring member still refuses to heed this warning, it shall be brought to the attention of the Board of Elders who shall seek to address the issue with the individual.

If repentance and restoration is not achieved, the matter shall be taken to the church. Throughout this procedure, the motive of the warning member and church is love with a goal of restoration, not dismissal (Galatians 6:1). If the erring member has repeatedly refused to heed the warning and correction of the Board of Elders and the church, he or she shall be publicly dismissed by a majority vote of the members present at any regular assembly of the church. There shall be no appeal to any court from that decision.

ARTICLE 6

CHURCH GOVERNMENT

1. POLICY: Recognizing Jesus Christ as the only head of the Church, this congregation shall seek to ascertain and to obey the will of our Lord in all matters of faith and of practice. The government of this church is vested in the body of members who compose it.  Thus, the final authority for decision shall be the congregation to whom the Boards and staff are responsible.

1. ORGANIZATION: The organization of the Church shall be governed by the Board of Elders, which shall be the legal representatives of the church. Assisting the Elders in carrying out the purpose of the church, shall be the Board of Deacons and Deaconesses. The membership of these bodies, their duties and authority are outlined in the By-Laws.

1. 3.     LIABILITY: No officer or any member of a Board or Committee appointed and/or elected by this church shall be personally or individually liable for any error or mistake, act or omission for or on behalf of this church, occurring within the scope of his or her duty as officer, Board or committee member, excepting only for his or her willful misconduct or violation of law.

1. 4.     FISCAL YEAR: The fiscal year of the church shall be from January 1 through December 31.

ARTICLE 7

DISPOSITION OF CHURCH PROPERTY

1. DIVISION: In case of organic division of the church, the church properties shall belong to those members who abide by this Constitution.  Should any controversy arise as to who is abiding by this Constitution, the question shall be submitted to the Trustees of the Michigan Baptist General Conference (dba Converge Michigan), and their decision shall be final.

1. DISSOLUTION:  Should conditions arise when by any reason the church work cannot continue, the church properties shall be transferred to the Michigan Baptist General Conference (dba Converge Michigan).

1. CONSOLIDATION: Should conditions arise where a consolidation with another church of the same denomination be advisable, the Board of Elders shall be authorized by the church to negotiate the terms of such a consolidation insofar as the property is concerned.  A report of such an agreement must be made to the church and approval granted by the church before legal papers are signed.

ARTICLE 8

AMENDMENTS AND INTERPRETATION

Amendments to this constitution shall be adopted by the church at any regular business meeting.  The proposed amendment(s) shall be submitted in writing at the previous regular business meeting, and notice of the same shall be reported as least two Sundays prior to the business meeting.  A two-thirds vote shall be necessary for adoption. (See By-Laws Article 2 – Business Meetings for quorum requirements).

The Board of Elders shall act as interpreters of this Constitution, and any member aggrieved by said interpretation may appeal to the church for a decision.

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