Constitution
Preamble
We declare and establish this
constitution to preserve and secure the principles of our faith and to govern
the Church in an orderly manner while pursuing its ministry. This constitution will guide this Church in
conducting God’s ministry locally, nationally or across all borders as He
leads.
The body shall be known as the
First Baptist Church of Rio Grande City, located at
The purpose of
To be a dynamic spiritual organism empowered by the Holy Spirit to share Christ with as many people as possible in our church, community, and throughout the world.
To be a worshipping fellowship, experiencing an awareness of God, recognizing His person, and responding in obedience to His leadership.
To experience an increasingly meaningful fellowship with God and fellow believers.
To help people experience a growing knowledge of God and man.
To be a church that ministers unselfishly to persons in the community and world in Jesus’ name.
To be a church whose purpose is to be a Christ like in our daily living by emphasizing total commitment of life, personality, and possessions to the lordship of Christ.
To strive to be the presence of Christ in our community and the world.
The Holy Bible is the inspired word of God and is the basis for any statement of faith. The church subscribes to the doctrinal statement of “The Baptist Faith and Message” as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention. We band ourselves together as a body of baptized believers in Jesus Christ personally committed to sharing the good news of salvation to lost mankind. The ordinances of the church are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
The government of this church is vested in the body of believers who compose it. Persons duly received by the members shall constitute the membership.
All internal groups created and empowered by the Church shall report and be accountable only to the Church, unless otherwise specified by Church action.
This Church is subject to the control of no other ecclesiastical body, but it recognizes and sustains the obligations of mutual counsel and cooperation, which are common among Baptist churches.
Insofar as is practical; this church will, in a democratic sense, cooperate with and support the Rio Grande Valley Baptist Association, the Southern Baptist of Texas Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention.
Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord 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 covenant with one another as one body in Christ.
We engage, 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 its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, and the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.
We moreover engage that when we remove from this place we will, 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.
Changes in the Constitution may be made at any business meeting of the Church provided each amendment shall have been presented in writing at a previous business meeting and copies of the proposed amendment shall have been furnished to each member present at the earlier meeting or on request. A notice of a meeting to be held for the purpose of amending the Church Constitution shall be printed in the church bulletin for a minimum of two Sundays prior to the meeting. Amendments to the Constitution shall be adopted by a two-thirds vote of Church members present.
3 pages.
Passed and adopted by the church body during a regular business meeting on
July 20th, 2005.
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Church Clerk
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Chairman of the Deacon Body
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Senior Pastor