Crossroads Baptist Church

SECTION 1.

All candidates shall be received into membership on the basis of their profession of faith and scriptural baptism.

SECTION 2.

All candidates shall receive, read, and be supportive of the Constitution of the church before applying for membership.

SECTION 3.

Any one desiring to unite with this church shall appear before the membership committee of the deacons and the Pastor (or an Assistant Pastor). Candidates shall be interviewed privately by this group and upon their recommendation be presented to the church for membership. All candidates will then give a testimony of salvation to the church before being received into the church membership by church vote. No candidate can become a member that is a member of any secret society such as Communism, Masonry, Lodge, etc. (John 18:20) or who is a member of any group that teaches or practices civil disobedience. (Romans 13) No candidate can become a member if there is one (1) or more active members casting a justifiable dissenting votes.

Those that object must appear before the Pastor and deacons and the candidate to give their reasons. If reasons are found justifiable, the vote stands. If reasons are not valid , the Pastor and deacons can place the candidate into the membership, overruling the objectors.

SECTION 4.

A. ACTIVE MEMBER: One who attends regularly the meetings held in this church and who contributes and participates in the work of this church according to New Testament teachings. (I Corinthians 16:2, Hebrews 10:25)

B. UNFAITHFUL MEMBER: When members, without just cause or reason satisfactory to the deacons, shall fail to attend or manifest any interest in the church for a period of three months, they shall be placed on the unfaithful list. They shall lose their right to speak, vote or be included in the church voting quorum at any meeting of the church whatsoever, provided formal notice of this action has been tendered the member. The deacons shall make every effort to re-establish the member’s fellowship with the church and may restore an unfaithful member to active membership whenever such person shall indicate a desire to be reinstated by his regular attendance at church for three full months. After three months names remaining on the “unfaithful list” shall be officially notified and removed from the church roll. If a member has fallen into explicit moral or doctrinal error procedures under corrective discipline (Section 6, B) must be followed rather than these aforementioned procedures.

C. INACTIVE MEMBER: One who is permanently ill, disabled, in college, in military service, in full-time Christian service, or who has temporarily moved and faithfully supports the church. Also one who through no circumstances of his own cannot faithfully attend the house of God. Each case shall be judged by the deacons and approved by them. These members shall not be included in the church voting quorum.

SECTION 5.

Discipline is for the glory of God, the welfare and purity of the church, and the spiritual growth of the members. The discipline of the church shall be both formative and corrective.

A. FORMATIVE DISCIPLINE: The spiritual emphasis of the church shall be one of instruction, growth, unity and service. This positive influence will have that formative effect in producing godliness and orderly conduct within the membership of the church body. (I Corinthians 12:12-27, Ephesians 2:21-22; 4:12-13; II Peter 1:5-8).

B. CORRECTIVE DISCIPLINE: When a member falls into either moral or doctrinal error, or causes division within the church, corrective discipline must take place. (II Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15; I Corinthians 5:1-13; Romans 16:17; Titus 3:9-10; Ephesians 4:1-6; Jude 4; Philippians 1:27). Following the pattern in Matthew 18:15-17, the offender must be confronted first on an individual basis. If there is no repentance, the offender must be confronted with one or two witnesses. If there is still no repentance offenses shall be presented unto the church. The church body being informed shall be engaged in a restorative process. If the offender still does not repent the matter shall be presented at a church business meeting for corrective discipline. A vote will be taken to dismiss the offender from the membership. Restorative efforts shall continue.

C. Any person dismissed, who gives satisfactory evidence of being penitent, shall be restored according to Article IV, Section 3.