TURNING POINT CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS PREAMBLE In order to affirm and preserve the principles of our Christian faith, protect orderly government of our Body in a manner consistent with Scriptures, and for the purpose of preserving the unity of this church, we do declare and establish that we, being an incorporate body of people of like precious faith: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life through His death and the power of His resurrection. Believe the Bible to be God’s word and the revelation of His will to man and accept it as our rule for faith and conduct. Believe Christian fellowship, mutual edification and evangelical effort, in the form of local churches, is God’s ordained order for His people. Believe each church is to assemble together for worship, fellowship, counsel, and instruction in the Word of God, and the work of the ministry. Believe each church should exercise the gifts and offices provided for in the New Testament to obtain the Christian goal, “Be perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) Believe God has called and anointed us to emphasize the fullness of the Gospel through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we have accepted and adopted the following Statement of Fundamental Truths and Constitution. We shall seek, by the grace of God, to be governed by the Constitution as set forth, and will also seek to teach and propagate the doctrines contained in the Statement of Fundamental Truths. STATEMENT OF FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS The scriptures inspired. The Bible is the inspired Word of God, a revelation from God to man, the infallible rule of faith and conduct, and is superior to conscience and reason, but not contrary to reason (2 Timothy 3:15, 2 Timothy 3:16, 1 Peter 2:2). The one true God. The one true God has revealed himself as the eternally self-existent, self-revealed “I AM” and has further revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4, Mark 12:29, Isaiah 43:10, Isaiah 11, Matthew 28:19). Man, his fall and redemption. Man was created good and upright for God said, “Let Us make man in our image, after our likeness.” But man, by voluntary transgression, fell and his only hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ the Son of God (Genesis 1:26-31, Genesis 3:1-7, Romans 5:12-21). The salvation of man: Conditions of Salvation. The grace of God, which brings salvation, has appeared to all men, through the preaching of repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, and being justified by hope of eternal life (Titus 2:11, Romans 10:13-15, Luke 24:47, Titus 3:5-7). Evidence of salvation. The inward evidence to the believer of his salvation is the direct witness of the spirit (Romans 8:16). The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness. Baptism in water. The ordinance of baptism is symbolic as a type of burial with Christ and should be observed as commanded in the scriptures by all who have repented and believed in Christ as Savior and Lord. In so doing, they have the body fully immersed in water as an outward symbol of their cleansing while their heart has already been sprinkled with the blood of Christ as in inner cleansing. They declare to the world that they have died with Jesus and been raised with Him to walk in newness of life (Matthew 28:19, Acts 10:47, Acts 48, Romans 6:4, Acts 20:21, Hebrews 10:22). The Lord’s supper/Communion. The Lord’s supper/Communion, consisting of the elements, bread and the fruit of the vine, is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Peter 1:4), a memorial of His suffering and death (1 Corinthians 11:26), a prophecy of His second coming (1 Corinthians 11:26), and is enjoined on all believers until He comes. Regeneration. All people who turn from their sins and put their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ receive a new birth by which their life is regenerated by the power of God’s Holy Spirit (John 3:3-6, Titus 3:5). From that time forth the regenerated person has God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within them enabling them to live a holy life (1 Corinthians 3:16, 2 Peter 1:3-4). Also giving them power to be witnesses for Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8). Sanctification. The scriptures teach a life of holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. By the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to obey the command, “Be holy, for I am holy.” Sanctification is the will of God for all believers, and should be pursued by walking in obedience to God’s Holy Spirit. Sanctification is experienced in basically three ways: A. Instant or positional sanctification. When we are saved through faith in the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are sanctified in the eyes of God through the blood of the cross. As God the Father looks at us, He sees the holiness of Jesus, which is imputed to us, and does not see our sin (Hebrews 10:10, Hebrews 14). B. Progressive or practical sanctification. This is the process by which we strive to live on a day to day basis by considering ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in holy living through the power of the Holy Spirit in and through our lives (Romans 6; Philippians 2:12, Philippians 2:13, 2 Peter 1:3, 2 Peter 1:4). C. Final sanctification. This is when we are totally set free from sin after seeing Jesus our Lord face to face and are made like Him because of seeing Him as He truly is in all His glory (1 John 3:2). The promise of the Father. In addition to effecting regeneration and sanctification, the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Jn.14:16,17) is the incoming and indwelling of the promised Advocate and Spirit of Truth given to us from on high to (Acts 1:5, 8): empower believers for Christian witness and service; to glorify and exalt the Lord Jesus Christ; to give inspired utterance in bearing witness of Him; to foster the spirit of prayer, holiness, righteous living; to equip the individual and the Church for practical, efficient, joyous, Spirit-filled soul-winning in the fields of life; and that this being still the dispensation of the Holy Spirit, the believer may have every reason to expect and should earnestly seek to receive His incoming to be after the same manner (Acts 2:4) as that in which He came upon Jew and Gentile alike in Biblical times (Acts 8:17), and as recorded in the Word (Acts 10:44), that it may be truly said of us as of the house of Cornelius: the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning. The church. The church is the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission. Each believer, born of the spirit, is an integral part of the church, which is written in heaven (Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 2:22, Hebrews 12:23). The ministry and evangelism. A divinely called and ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord for the evangelizing of the world and the edifying of the body of Christ (Mark 16:15-20, Ephesians 4:11-13). Divine healing. We believe that divine healing is the power of the Lord Jesus Christ to heal the sick and the afflicted in answer to believing prayer; that He who is the same yesterday, today and forever has never changed but is still an all-sufficient help in times of trouble, able to meet the needs of, and quicken, the body into newness of life, as well as the soul and spirit in answer to the faith of those who pray with submission to His divine and sovereign will. (Matthew. 8:17, Matthew. 9:5, Mark 16:17,18, Acts 4:29,30 & James 5:14-16) The blessed hope. The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation, together with those who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, is the imminent and blessed hope of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 1 Thessalonians 4:17, Titus 2:12, 1 Corinthians 15:51, Romans 8:23). The millennial reign of Jesus. The revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven, the gathering and salvation of the nation of Israel, and the millennial reign of Christ on earth are the scriptural promise and hope of the world (2 Thessalonians 1:17, Revelation 19:11-14, Romans 11:26, Romans 11:27, Revelation 20:1-7). The lake of fire. The devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, and those not found written in the Book of Life, shall be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake, which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Revelation 19:20, Revelation 20:10-15). The new heavens and the new earth. We, “according to His promise, look for a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21, Revelation 22). Turning Point Christian Fellowship - Bylaws For the purpose of establishing and maintaining a place for the worship of the one true God; to provide for Christian fellowship for those of like precious faith, irrespective of social position or worldly possessions; for the propagation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ both in home and foreign lands, this church shall be governed by the following Constitution: Let it be known by all present: That, we have voluntarily associated ourselves together for the purpose of forming a corporation under the Laws of the State of New Hampshire and we hereby certify: ARTICLE I - NAME AND LOCATION The name of the corporate church shall be Turning Point Christian Fellowship. It was established on October 17, 2016 in Moultonborough, NH. The House of Worship is located at Harbor Village, 72 Whittier Highway, Unit 6 & 7, Moultonborough, NH 03254. ARTICLE II - PURPOSES AND PREROGATIVES To establish an Independent Christian Church, to educate and equip through Scriptural studies and training for the purposes of evangelism, conducting missionary work, domestic and abroad, provide literature, and establish other departments it may deem useful to propagate and practice the full Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and for its service to the community. To establish and maintain a Church community of worship, to provide for Christian fellowship and discipleship, and to assume our share of the responsibility and privilege of propagating the gospel of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit by all available means, both in our region and throughout the world. To accept candidates for the ministry, and to set apart ordain as ministers called of God and who shall meet the standards of the Scriptures (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9) and the requirements of the Full Gospel Assemblies as set forth in this Constitution and Bylaws. It is one purpose of this local church corporation to earnestly seek and promote the unity of God’s people in the Scriptural manner of Godly love, respect and faithful voluntary cooperation with liberty. To that end it shall associate and cooperate freely with other churches and with church organizations. This Church shall have the right to govern itself and to conduct its own affairs according to the standard of the New Testament Scriptures. This right shall specifically include such matters as the appointment of a Lead Pastor, the appointment of the Leadership Council (Elders, Deacons) the discipline of its members, and the conducting of its own services and Church programs. This Church shall have the right to purchase or acquire by gift, bequest or otherwise, either directly or as trustee, and to own, hold in trust, use, sell, rent, convey, mortgage or otherwise dispose of any real estate or assets as may be deemed necessary for the furtherance of its purposes, in accordance with its Constitution and Bylaws. All property of the Church shall be deeded to the Church and held in its name. ARTICLE III - A NON-PROFIT CORPORATION This corporation is organized pursuant to the General Non-Profit Corporation Law of the State of New Hampshire; the property of this corporation is irrevocably dedicated to religious, and charitable purposes, and upon liquidation, dissolution, or abandonment, with the exception of earned wages, shall not be used for the benefit of any private person except a fund, foundation, or corporation organized and operated for religious, charitable and educational purposes and as designated in Article XIV of this Constitution. ARTICLE IV - ORDINANCES - PRIVILEGES - STANDARDS The ordinance of Baptism by immersion in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost as commanded in the Scriptures, shall be administered to all those who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ to the saving of their souls and who give clear evidence of their fruit (Matthew 28:19, Colossians 2:12). The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper shall be observed regularly as a part of public worship, as commanded by the Lord (Luke 22:19, 20; I Corinthians 11:23-26). Infants and small children may be dedicated to the Lord in the church upon the request of the parents or guardians (Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15, 16). The ministration of the laying on of hands with the anointing of oil, for the healing of the sick and injured is offered to all in need. We blieve deliverance from sickness is provided for through the atonement, and is the privilege of all believers. Isa. 53:4, 5; Matt 8:16, 17. GENDER, MARRIAGE, AND SEXUALITY We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God (Gen 1:26-27). Rejection of one's biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person. We believe the term "marriage" has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Gen 2:18-25). Turning Point Christian Fellowship will only conduct a marriage ceremony and recognize the marriage between a biological man and a biological woman. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Cor 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb 13:4). We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God (Matt 15:18-20; 1 Cor 6:9-10). We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Rom 10:9-10; 1 Cor 6:9-11). We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31). Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated. ABORTION We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life that God allowed. We do not agree with any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable (Job 3:16; Psalms 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44). CIVIL GOVERNMENT We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home; 2) the church; and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God (Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 2:13-14). GRIEVANCES/LAWSUITS We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. If a matter arises between a member of Turning Point Christian Fellowship and another Christian, they should seek wise counsel among fellow believers. According to 1 Cor 6:1-8, the saints are not to go before the unsaved. The innocent party should rather suffer wrong than go to a civil court to settle the matter. TITHES AND OFFERINGS We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him/her, is obligated to support his/her church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, including but not limited to maintenance of the house of worship, building and grounds, as well as for missions, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been made (Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28; 1 Tim. 5:17-18; 1 John 3:17). We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Turning Point Christian Fellowship as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to Church members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by Turning Point Christian Fellowship in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, agree to and abide by the Biblical Scriptures and the doctrines of Turning Point Christian Fellowship. ARTICLE V - MEMBERSHIP Membership in Turning Point Christian Fellowship shall be eligible to all who give evidence to their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and who voluntarily hold to the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith. When a person chooses to to be a part of Turning Point Christian Fellowship and involve themselves they agree to the following: Requirements of Participating Membership A personal commitment of faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. Baptism or a desire to be baptized as a testimony of salvation. Completing application for membership and to covenant. Basic agreement with the church’s statement of faith. Possible interview with the senior pastor or appointed member of the Board of Elders as deemed necessary by the senior pastor or Elders. Rights and Obligations of Participating Membership To reach out to non-Christians with the Good News of Jesus Christ through word and deed. To glorify God through worshiping Him in Spirit and in Truth. To grow and develop into a mature, fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. To connect in biblical God-honoring relationships, within the church and outside the church. To serve God, His church and our community by using our gifts, talents, and life experiences. To tithe by giving cheerfully, sacrificially and proportionately of our time and financial resources for God’s work and to fulfill the mission of this church. To participate in the life of the church, while honoring, respecting and following those who have been called to serve in leadership roles, including Elders and Pastors. To protect and support the unity of the church by abstaining from gossip and slander, and if necessary, by quietly withdrawing from the church membership if unable to support the statement of faith of this church and/or a decision of the Church leadership. To attend church business meetings. To vote to affirm/decline the annual budget. To vote to affirm/decline the selection of Elders. To vote to affirm/decline selection of a new senior pastor. To vote on issues regarding the buying, or selling of land, buildings, borrowing of money To vote on merger and/or dissolution of the church. Voting may not be done by proxy. Member must be in attendance or by absentee ballot if leadership deems appropriate. Membership conveys no individual property rights and a dismissed or withdrawn member shall not be entitled to any interest in the assets of the church property, nor any rights, voting or otherwise. Termination and Restoration of Membership Members shall be removed from the church roster for any of following reasons: Death. Transfer of membership to another church. Personal request of the member. Cessation of attendance at the church for a period of three or more months, possibly due to stepping away from the faith or attendance at another church. Dismissal by the congregation of a member from active membership shall be according to the following conditions and procedures. The member’s life and conduct are not in accordance with the statement of faith and after persistent process according to procedures established in Matthew 18:15-17, the member refuses to turn from these patterns of conduct. The Elders will disclose, as is appropriate and permissible by law, the specifics regarding the person’s behavior/conduct and will vote to terminate membership of the member according to biblical principles. Members dismissed by the church shall be restored by the recommendation of the Elders and if appropriate by vote of the church members according to the spirit of 2 Corinthians 2:7-8. ARTICLE VI - LEADERSHIP The Officers/Board of Elders of Turning Point Christian Fellowship shall consist of the Lead Pastor, a Secretary and Treasurer. As this is a non-profit corporation, the pastor shall be considered the President of the Corporation. Including the President, there shall not be less than three (3) and no more than nine (9) officers at any time (3,5,7,9 respectively). The Board shall handle the business of the church and therefore should be business minded. They should see into the spiritual side of all business as well. These should lay hold of the vision given them and see it is implemented. LEAD PASTOR The Lead Pastor is President of the Corporation. He/She is also an Elder holding the office of pastor. He/She shall hold this office until his/her death or until he/she resigns; or if removal becomes necessary as decided on and voted for by the majority of Board of Elders. Requirements - The Lead Pastor shall be a member in good standing with the Church and Board of Elders and must meet and be bound to the New Testament scriptural qualifications for the ministry found in I Timothy 3:2 - 7, Titus 1:6 - 9, and I Peter 5: 2 - 3. The Lead Pastor shall be considered the spiritual overseer of the church and shall direct or designate all the church activities, shall preside over all business meetings of the church and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees and departments. The Lead Pastor shall be supported according to his/her needs, either by free-will offerings or by stated allowance as shall be decided upon by the Board of Elders in its regular business sessions as long as the ministry is fiscally able to do so. Vacancy - The vacancy shall be filled by the appointment of a new pastor by the departing pastor and the Board of Elders. In some cases a Pulpit Search Committee may be selected who will search for pastoral candidates and submit them to the departing pastor and/or elders for final approval. In most cases, when able, it is best to follow the examples set forth in scripture of the person called by God (pastor or other five fold minister) to pass the mantle on to the one God has chosen (Joshua 1, 1 Kings 19:19-21, 2 Kings 2:1-14). Imparting the anointing and call of God to the one who has already proven themselves to be faithful (2 Timothy 2:2, Luke 16:12). SECRETARY-TREASURER The Secretary-Treasurer of the Corporation shall be appointed by the Pastor and ratified by the Elders. A secretary or administrative assistant may be utilized in the day-to-day record keeping (accounts receivable and payable) as is necessary. BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Board of Directors shall be appointed by and include the Pastor. There shall not be less than three (3) and no more than nine (9). They are to be called upon to fill the pulpit, to pray for the sick, visit newcomers, shut-ins, absentees, and for hospital visitation. They shall also, along with the Pastor, seek God’s direction for the church, and support the Pastor in the vision given by God, in the church’s present and future ministry. Elders shall remain so until they resign or are deemed unfit. Requirements - An Elder must be mature and firm in their faith and an active member of Turning Point Christian Fellowship. Must meet the qualifications of the New Testament, and be bound by the requirements of I Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9. DEACONS The Pastor and/or Board of Elders shall appoint the Deacons of the Church. Deacons shall act in conjunction with and to aid the Pastor in all matters of Turning Point Christian Fellowship. They shall act in the determination of the meeting of material needs (i.e., food, clothing, financial, etc.) of any one who might seem to be in need whether they are a part of the Church or not. They may also aid the Pastor in any of the ordinances. Requirements - A Deacon must be steadfast in their faith and an active member of Turning Point Christian Fellowship. Must meet the qualifications of the New Testament, and be bound by the requirements of I Timothy 3:8-13. In case of a lack of qualified persons to fill the Board of Deacons, the Elders shall act as the Deacons until the Board of Deacons is established. VACANCY OF OFFICES The Lead Pastor shall have the authority to declare any office vacant. Grounds for such action shall be: Failure to cooperate with the Church’s program and ministry. Conduct unbecoming a Believer in Christ as laid out in Scripture. Doctrinal departure from the tenets of faith. For any good and sufficient cause. Any board member being accused of charges of abuse, negligence or other ethical charges shall have opportunity for a fair and impartial hearing before a joint meeting of the Pastor and the Board of Elders. Decisions made shall be considered final and the incumbent may have no further recourse. ARTICLE VII - MEETINGS Meetings for public worship shall be held on each Sunday and during the week as may be provided for under the direction of the Pastor and Leadership There shall be an Annual Business Meeting of Turning Point Christian Fellowship. This business meeting shall be held at the end of the fiscal year. This meeting shall be conducted at Turning Point Christian Fellowship. New officers, elders and deacons shall be installed and all reports shall be reviewed at the Annual Business Meeting. Special business meetings of the active members may be called by the pastor or by written petition of three-fourths (3/4) of the active membership. Written notice of the date and place of the Annual Business Meeting, should it need to be in another location, and of any special business meetings shall be sent by regular mail to all active members at least ten (10) days and not more than thirty days prior to such meeting. In addition, the pastor shall announce such meeting at the worship services of Turning Point Christian Fellowship at least ten (10) days prior to such meeting. Quorum. No record of any special or regular business meetings of Turning Point Christian Fellowship shall be made unless one-half (1/2) or more active members are present to constitute a quorum. The regular order of business for the Annual Business Meeting of Turning Point Christian Fellowship shall be as follows: Devotional Reading of previous minutes Report of the treasurer Report of committees Unfinished business Installation of officers New business Adjournment This order of business may be altered or suspended at any meeting by a majority vote of the members present. ARTICLE VIII - FINANCES All funds needed for the maintenance of Turning Point Christian Fellowship shall be provided by voluntary contributions, tithes and offerings. Every member shall decide before God what he or she can cheerfully give to the support of the Lord’s work at home and in the foreign field (Malachi 3:10, I Corinthians 16:1-2; Romans 12:8). All offerings shall be counted by at least two members who are not family members or related. Deposits must be made by Turning Point Christian Fellowship promptly in a local bank. A separate account will be established for Turning Point Christian Fellowship. Annual reports will be furnished to the officers and made available to the membership. The treasurer must be a board member (officer/director). However, a secretary or administrative assistant may be utilized in the day-to-day record keeping as necessary. Financial records, without exception, are to be kept securely in the church/Pastors office. The Pastor shall act as overseer of all financial activities. ARTICLE IX - DEPARTMENTS AND COMMITTEES The Church shall provide for the establishment of a School of the Bible Department, young people’s work, relief committees, home and foreign missionary committees, and any other departments or committees as the needs of the work may require. These committees and departments shall be subordinate to the church and shall contribute to the harmony and development of the whole. They shall be under the general supervision of the Board of Elders. The pastor shall be an ex-officio member of all committees or departments and shall determine when the need for such committees and departments must be organized an be dissolved. ARTICLE X - POWERS & DUTIES All governing authority of the church shall be entrusted to the Elders of Turning Point Christian Fellowship. The Board of Elders shall be the official representative of the church membership and shall be vested with all corporate powers of a nonprofit corporation under the laws of the State of New Hampshire and federal governing authorities, limited only by the Articles of Incorporation and this Constitution and Bylaws. The powers and duties of the Board of Elders shall include, but not be limited to the following: Rights of Ordination Principles of Ordination - Candidates for ordination recognize that only our Sovereign, Holy God can truly call and ordain His children for service in the ministry of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The calling of a minister is not the result of a title; rather the title is a result of His calling. This calling is recognized as from the true and living God. It is man’s privilege and specifically the privilege of the overseers of the true church of Jesus Christ to ratify the ordination of God when such is obviously placed upon a man’s or woman’s life. Ordination is awarded to a pastor who shows evidence of an obvious life long calling of God upon his/her life to the satisfaction of the Lead Pastor. The ordained pastor has the right to perform ministerial functions in accordance with the laws of the land and the ordinances for God’s Holy Church with all prerogatives of such a calling and office. Qualifications for Ordination A candidate for ordination must be a “Born Again” believer in Jesus Christ as described by Our Lord in the third chapter of the Gospel of John. A candidate for ordination must ascribe to the statement of faith as described in the preamble of this document. A candidate must have completed four (4) years of Biblical study or the equivalent as designated by the Lead Pastor. A candidate should have evidenced the obvious calling of God upon his/her life t o the satisfaction of the Lead Pastor. Procedures for Ordination Each person fulfilling the above qualifications, and upon their presentation to the Lead Pastor of this body, will receive full consideration for ordination into the ministry of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by Turning Point Christian Fellowship. The Lead Pastor may make exceptions to these qualifying standards wherein the unanimous opinion of the Board of Elders and under the strong compelling conviction of the Holy Spirit such exception is according to the will of God and consistent with His Word. Upon unanimous approval of the Board, the candidate will be ordained as a minister of the Gospel with the right to perform ministerial functions in accordance with the laws of the land and the ordinances of God’s Holy Word with all prerogatives of such a calling and office. All candidates, successful or otherwise, will be notified of the Board’s decision in writing within one (1) week of the final Board action. Certificate of Ordination. The following is the text of the Certificate of Ordination to be issued to each successful candidate: CERTIFICATE OF ORDINATION “You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.” John 15:16 This is to certify that Pastor _________________ was duly ordained by Turning Point Christian Fellowship as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He/She has completed all studies and has met all the requirements of this body for recognition of such office; further, by rite of ordination this date he/she is duly ordained to perform all ministerial functions without limit as accorded by the laws of the land and in compliance with the ordinances of God’s Holy church as set forth in the Holy Bible. We now pray for God’s Divine blessing and the power of the Holy Spirit upon him/her. Given this ____ day of ____________ , 20__ TURNING POINT CHRISTIAN CHURCH _____________________________ Lead Pastor “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” 1 Timothy 1:5 ARTICLE XI - ORGANIZATION Turning Point Christian Fellowship is organized exclusively for charitable, religious and educational purposes, including the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code. ARTICLE XII - CONDUCT OF ORGANIZATION No part of the net earnings of the organization shall be used to the benefit of, or be distributed to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in the purpose clause hereof. This corporation shall not, as a substantial part of its activities, carry on propaganda, or otherwise attempt to influence legislation. This corporation shall not participate in, or intervene in (including publishing or distributing statements), any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. Not withstanding any other provision of this document, the organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or (b) by an organization, contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code. ARTICLE XIII - INDEMNIFICATION The Church shall indemnify any person who is or was duly elected or appointed officer, trustee, employee, or agent of the Church against any liability asserted against such person and incurred in the course and scope of his or her duties or functions within the Church to the maximum extent allowable by law, provided the person acted in good faith and did not engage in an act or omission that is intentional, willfully or wantonly negligent, or done with conscious indifference or reckless disregard for the safety of others. The provisions of this article shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which such person may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, insurance policy, vote of members or otherwise. ARTICLE XIV - DISSOLUTION Should the church cease to function and the membership vote to disband, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose. Any such assets not disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court of common pleas of the county in which the principal office of the organization is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes. ARTICLE XV - AMENDMENT Amendments to these Bylaws may be made at any regular or special meeting of the members of this church, provided notice of proposed amendments in written or electronic format has been made available to the Board of Directors no less than three weeks prior to consideration. Such proposed amendments shall be adopted upon receiving a sixty percent (60%) vote of legal ballots cast by voting members present. Note: Only those voting members present shall have the right to cast a vote. Absentee ballots shall only be accepted from those members that are home bound or incapacitated or without the means to travel and be present.