BONNYVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH STRUCTURE

October 16, 2008 - Approved 1 Year Trial Basis

Executive Summary:

This proposed structure seeks to give the Church Members greater involvement in the church ministries, taking the emphasis of the church off organization to focus on ministry. The major changes give responsibility and holds those to whom responsibility has been given accountable for the results. The existing Elder Board and its two sub-committees will cease to exist in their present form and will be replaced with the following structures:

Elder Board  performs the role of trustees of the church and is accountable to the church members through the congregational meeting. It sets the strategic plan for the church that is measurable and achievable, delegates responsibility to the Senior Pastor to achieve its goals and holds him accountable for the results. It delegates responsibilities to Standing Committees and Special Committees and accepts their reports. It performs the role of trustees of the Bonnyville Baptist Church through the authority delegated to it by the membership and is accountable to the church body through the Congregational meetings;

The Administration Team has the responsibility of ensuring the financial resources and practical administration of the church’s affairs are handled and maintained in a way that fulfills of the church’s mission and  ensures the business of the church is conducted in accordance with government regulations, and the by-laws of the organization.The  

Senior Pastor is the Team Leader who has authority delegated by the Elder Board to execute the strategic goals set by the Elder Board and is responsible for the operational details and the results. These goals will be achieved through the Ministry Team;The  

Ministry Team will be comprised of leaders of various ministries, both staff and non-staff, that provide leadership to the church and its ministries .It will provide greater coordination to ministries of the church and since church members form part of this team will give the church a greater sense of ownership.The Ministry Team shall be comprised of existing leaders, some of whom will be staff positions, who are responsible, under the Senior Pastor, for fulfilling the goal-oriented Strategic Plan drawn up by the Elder Board.

Spiritual Advisors, comprised of men chosen by the Senior Pastor and ratified by the church, will provide mentorship to the Senior Pastor and will share his load of pastoral care.

Church members: Those attending Bonnyville Baptist Church, both formal members and adherents, are part of the Body of Christ and recognize that God has entrusted them with the responsibility to ensure the mission of the church is fulfilled . Therefore, it is acknowledged that Christ is the leader and that decision-making is dependent on discerning God’s will.  The Congregation recognizes its mission statement is  To know Christ and to make Him known.

This model is based on accountable relationships in the following ways:

$       Responsibilities of the Elder Board are laid out in the bylaws;

$       Responsibilities for individual Elder Board members and Teams are set out in the governance manual;

$       Responsibilities for each staff member are spelt out in a job description.

All of these roles have authority with expectation and limitation of responsibilities, monitoring performance and measuring results. 

1            THE Elder Board 

                      Summary: The Elder Board performs the role of trustees of the church and is accountable to the church members through the congregational meeting. It sets the strategic plan for the church that is measurable and achievable, delegates responsibility to the Senior Pastor to achieve its goals and holds him accountable for the results. It delegates responsibilities to Standing Committees and Special Committees and accepts their reports. The Elder Board is accountable to the Church Members through the Congregational Meetings. It will provide annual reports outlining its strategic plans. The Elder Board may not violate the civil laws under which it is registered and operates except where these laws are clearly in conflict with biblical values outlined in the Statement of Faith.The Congregation entrusts and delegates the governing of the church to this body. The Church Members expect the Elder Board to fulfill its responsibilities and holds them accountable for the results.

1.1         Composition of Elder Board 

  1.1.1      The Elder Board will be comprised of between four and six members, recognized by the church as godly leaders, with the Senior Pastor as an ex-officio member without voting rights. The position Chairperson will be elected by the members of the Elder Board annually. If necessary the Chairperson will have a casting vote if the vote is tied. Consensus in decision-making will be a sought-after goal and asking God for guidance in decision making is important.

1.1.2      Nominations to the first revised Elder Board will be recommended by the existing Elder Board and will be approved at a Congregational Meeting. Future recommendations will be made by the new Elder Board and approved at a Congregational Meeting.          Members of the congregation may suggest people for consideration to the existing or new Elder Board;

1.1.3      Role of Chairperson: The Chairperson gives leadership to the governance process. He will be selected for his spiritual commitment and his ability to objectively guide the proceedings of a meeting; will maintain objectivity and ensure all elders have the opportunity to share their views. He may speak for or against an issue but does so in a personal capacity and not as Chair. The Chairperson acts as official spokesperson in legal and fiscal matters. The Senior Pastor may not be Chairperson of the Elder Board. He receives his  authority from the Elders and plays a serving rather than a controlling role.Flow of authority between the Senior Pastor and the Chairperson is through the Elder Board who may only relay decisions minuted by the Elder Board           

1.2          Responsibilities:

 1.2.1      The Elder Board is  the legal representative of the Church and, as such, is responsible to fulfill the legal requirements. Its voting members act as trustees of the property and assets. It may not violate the Constitution or By-Laws of the Church. It will provide leadership by determining the organization’s mission, target groups, priorities and strategic plan that are achievable, and measurable. The strategic plan will describe the goals the church seeks to accomplish rather than the means to achieve the goals. This will be ratified by the Members at a Congregational Meeting. The Elder Board appoints a Secretary from its members to take minutes that reflect comments and decisions made;

1.2.2      To delegate management responsibility to the Senior Pastor. The Elder Board will hold him accountable for the strategic results through an annual evaluation of his ministry and through quarterly reports. It does not control the tactical means by which those results are achieved but sets parameters under which he operates;To take action, if necessary, if the Senior Pastor is not fulfilling the mission delegated to him. To encourage and support the Senior Pastor and deal with inappropriate criticism of the pastor when this occurs; 

1.2.3      It will review the bylaws of the church annually to ensure they are consistent with the purpose and mission of the organization, and to recommend amendments at a Congregational Meeting when necessary. It will review the governance manual every two years.

1.2.4      In the event of conflict within the Elder Board or between elders and church members, the members will be encouraged to discuss problems with the Spiritual Advisors but if there is no resolution, eight members may call a Congregational Meeting to discuss the issue. Dispute within the Elder Board will be mediated by the Spiritual Advisors;

1.2.5      To delegate financial management to the Administration Team which shall be expected to provide reports to the Elder Board for review at Congregational Meetings. To review the annual budget prepared by the Administration Team. To hold the Administration Team accountable through an annual review. Problems that the Elder Board feel need to be addressed arising from minutes of the meetings, may be addressed as deemed necessary;

1.2.7      To delegate responsibility to the Church Moderator to chair congregational meetings and to the Church Clerk to take minutes at Congregational Meetings;1.2.8      To appoint additional Special Committees (eg Building Fund) if and when necessary. The appointees will be selected by the Nominations Committee and approved by the church.

 1.3         Expectations of members of the Elder Board                                       

1.3.1      Frequency of meetings and composition of quorum: Meetings will be held every six months and a quorum shall consist of 75% of members.  Additional meetings may be arranged if required;

1.3.2      Elder Board members, with the exception of the Senior Pastor, will serve for a term of three years. Each member may be re-elected to serve for a further three years after which the member will stand down for a period of not less than one year following which may be re-elected to office;Termination may take place by voluntary withdrawal or completion of term of service. The Membership or the Elder Board may take action against an Elder if he ceases to evidence a deep commitment to God, does not attend meetings, does not participate in activities of the church or ceases to make a meaningful contribution. This action will be approved at a Congregational Meeting.

1.3.3      Each member should have a deep spiritual commitment to the Lord, live a life of integrity and exhibit a dependency on God, be involved in the ministries of the church and be a regular church attender. It is expected that each Elder member be present at every Board meeting;

1.3.4      Elder Board Members are expected to have a thorough knowledge of the By-Laws and Governance Manual of the church. Elder Board Members will be thoroughly informed of decisions to be made before the meeting to ensure knowledgeable and informed decisions are made.

1.3.5      Each member will give full allegiance to the church’s mission and further its cause and will place the interests of the church above personal self-interest to avoid potential conflict of interests. Members may not disclose any information acquired in their position as Elder Board members that is not already available to the members or congregation.

1.3.7      Since the Elder Board is legally responsible for the assets of the church, it will take responsibility for the Administration Team but it will not be actively involved in the management of the Team unless issues relating to its legal responsibility are a concern. It will receive regular financial reports from the Administration Team and hold them accountable for the fiscal and property management of the church through regular financial reporting and an annual review.

1.3.8      An annual review of the Elder Board’s performance should led by two of its members plus one non-member to ensure it is fulfilling the responsibilities committed to it.

2.           COMMITTEES OF THE ELDER BOARD

Committees are essential to the efficient functioning and management of information of the Elder Board, and helps it to focus its expertise where it can best be used. It ensures Council members are not  burdened with unnecessary information that hinders good decision-making. Standing Committees are those that play an integral role in on-going governance of the church, while Special Committees are struck to deal with specific issues (pastoral search committees, building committees etc).The most important of these committees is the Administration Team and the functioning of this committee is dealt with in Section 3. 

2.1       STANDING COMMITTEES

Committees allow the Elder Board to focus it attention on governance without being burdened with a flow of information that hinders good decision-making. Nevertheless, the Elder Board may only use a committee to do the work it has itself been empowered to do. Standing Committees differ from Special Committees in that their decisions or actions are an integral part of the Elder Board’s work.

 2.1.1      The Nominating Committee

The nominating Committee will be a Standing Committee of the Elder Board. It will be comprised of between two and four elected members and the Senior Pastor who is an ex-officio voting member of this committee. Members will serve for one year but are eligible for re-election.

 2.1.2      The responsibility of this Committee is to identify suitable members for the ministry and administrative positions each year and contact them to assess willingness to serve in the identified capacities.

 2.1.3      Positions to be recommended by the Nominating Committee are people to serve on the Administration Team, the Ministry Team (non-staff) and other ministry positions, with input from ministry leaders; the roles of Church Moderator, Vice-Moderator and Church Clerk. Members of the Nominating Committee make recommendations to the Elder Board for appointments relating to the Administration Team and the Congregational Meeting, and to the Ministry Team for ministry positions. People to fill these positions are then voted into position by the Church Members at a Congregational Meeting.

 2.2         Audit Committee

The audit committee is concerned with the integrity of the church’s financial procedures. This contrasts with the Administration Team that deals with budgets and regular financial reporting to the Board. Members of this committee are recommended by the Nominations Committee and approved by the Members at a Congregational Meeting. 

2.3         The Policy Review Committee:

This is an ongoing committee that will refine church policy to ensure the Governance Manual and By-Laws of the church remain relevant to the ongoing ministries of the church. Its members are identified by the Nominating Committee and approved by the Church Members at a Congregational Meeting.The Elder Board may ask this Committee to make changes to policies, or the Policy Review Committee may recommend to the Elder Board that aspects of the Governance Manual or By-Laws be revisited. 

2.4         SPECIAL COMMITTEES:

These committees will be formed as and when necessary. Such committees would include a search committee to find a new pastor, or a building committee. Members of such committees will be approved by church members at a congregational meeting.

 3.           THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM

Summary:  The mandate of this team is to ensure the financial resources and practical administration of the church’s affairs are handled and maintained in a way that facilitates the fulfillment of the church’s mission and to ensure the business of the church is conducted in accordance with government regulations, and the By-laws of the organization. This Team is a Standing Committee of the Elder Board and is accountable to it. The Administration Team will operate at all times to support the mission of the church, namely to disciple believers and to bring lost people into the Kingdom of God.  

 3.1        Composition of the Administration Team

3.1.1      The Administration Team will be comprised of a group of church members who will oversee the practical administration of the Church’s affairs. It will be comprised of three members elected by the Church Members for a period of three years. These members may be re-elected for a further term but need to stand down after a second term for a year before being re-elected to this team; The Senior Pastor will be an ex-officio non-voting member of this team with voting rights. He will represent the Ministry Team on this committee; the Church Treasurer, and the Church Administrator will be non-voting members of this team;

3.1.2      The Nominating Committee will recommend people for these positions who will then be approved by the Church Members at a Congregational Meeting;

3.1.3      Members of this Team will be especially selected for their gifts in the area of Administration and Finance;

3.1.4      A Chairperson will be elected from the voting members who will call meetings, draw up agendas for the meetings and give leadership to the Team. The Team will appoint a minute secretary. Three voting members will comprise a quorum. 

3.2         Expectations of members of the Administration Team

3.2.1      Each member of the Team will be a church member and will be in regular attendance at church. It is expected that each member attend every meeting;

3.2.2      Team members will make their own unique contributions in the area of their administration and/or finance skills;

3.3         Responsibilities of the  Administration Team

3.3.1      The Administration Team will be a standing committee of the Elder Board and will provide financial statements to the Chairperson for distribution to its members;  

3.3.2      The Team will receive budget requirements from each of the ministry leaders following discussion with the Senior Pastor. The Team will draw up an annual budget for submission to the Congregational Meeting for approval. Spending by the various ministries will be monitored by the Administration Team;The Administration Team will review and authorize necessary or emergency expenditure above the limits authorized in the budget and will inform members of such decisions;

3.3.3      The Administration Team will be responsible to see that an annual audit is conducted;

3.3.4      The Benevolent Fund will be administered by the Senior Pastor, who will be responsible for grants made from the fund, in conjunction with the Administration Team. Confidentiality of such gifts will be maintained.

3.3.5      The Administration Team may approve funding for special projects up to a limit determined by the church membership as approved by a Congregational Meeting and minuted. Any amount higher than this needs to be taken to a Congregational meeting for approval;

3.3.6      A voting member of the Administration Team will be a member of the ministry team to ensure the mission and ministries of the church are kept in focus.

 3.4         Relationships:

 3.4.1      The Administration Team may not make policy decisions that are the function of the Elder Board or ministry decisions that are the function of the Ministry Team.

3.4.2      The Elder Board may not micro-manage the affairs of the Administration Team but has the right to intervene if concerns arising from minutes of meetings submitted to its members are seen to be problematic. The Elder Board will hold this Team accountable through an annual review conducted with the Chairperson of the Team. 

 4            ROLE OF SENIOR PASTOR

The role of Senior Pastor is a key position in this structure. He is delegated the responsibility to implement the Strategic Plan and mission of the church by the Elder Board and is held accountable for the results.

 4.1         Process of selecting a Senior Pastor:  A Search Committee will be elected by the members at a Congregational Meeting. A Chairperson will be appointed by the committee from its members and the committee will seek suitable candidates, meet regularly to discuss the candidate/s in question and will make a recommendation to the Elder Board. The person selected will then be invited to candidate over a weekend when he will be exposed to the ministries of the church and the ministry leaders will have the opportunity to get to know him. The Elder Board will call a Congregational Meeting to recommend the candidate and the meeting will be called on to vote on the person selected. All active members need to vote but can abstain by casting a void vote. A positive vote by75% of active members is required to approve this position.

 4.2         Termination of a Senior Pastor

4.2.1      Termination of this position may be through resignation of the pastor. Three months notice is desirable by both employer and employee. The Elder Board, can by unanimous decision, terminate a Senior Pastor in the case of serious breach of conduct, such as moral or ethical failure, with immediate effect. The church body will be fully informed at its next church gathering;

4.2.2      If the pastor is not considered to be fulfilling his role satisfactorily, which may be determined through annual accountability evaluations, or concerns expressed by ministry leaders or Spiritual Advisors to the Elder Board, the Elders will discuss their difficulties with the Senior Pastor and make recommendations for change. If improvements are not forthcoming and the Senior Pastor is not willing to make the requested changes, his resignation may be requested;Should this action become necessary, the Elder Board will make recommendation to a duly constituted Congregational Meeting at which time the termination of the pastor’s employment and the issues that gave rise to this action will be clearly spelt out. A majority of active members is required to take this action. In the event that a conflict situation is not resolved, eight members may approach the Elder Board to request a Congregational Meeting to discuss the issue in question.

4.2.3      Flow of communication from the congregation to the Elders is through the Senior Pastor. In the event of a member having a complaint regarding the Senior Pastor, a complaint may be made to the Chairperson of the Elder Board if a resolution cannot be reached with the Senior Pastor;

 4.4         Responsibilities:

4.4.1      The Elder Board delegates leadership to the Senior Pastor to fulfill the Strategic Plan and sets the parameters under which he operates. Accountability must be negotiated in terms that are specific, measurable, achievable, are in accordance with the mission of the church and have a time frame in which to accomplish the goals. The Senior Pastor designs the programs required to achieve these goals; He will submit quarterly progress reports to the Elder Board who may call a special meeting if areas of concern arise. The Senior Pastor casts a clear and compelling vision for the congregation as a whole. He operates within the by-laws, and constitution of the church.

4.4.2      The Senior Pastor will give consistent spiritual leadership to the church by example and exhibit godliness and dependency on God. He will serve as the primary preacher/teacher, shepherd and disciple believers, and reach unchurched people both in his personal capacity and through ministries of the church. He will encourage prayer as the means by which God blesses his church;

4.4.3      Each staff member is responsible to the Senior Pastor who delegates responsibility, together with authority to staff members and holds them responsible for the results through an annual accountability assessment. He will affirm and encourage them to reach their full potential and reliance on God;

4.4.4      To give leadership to the Ministry Team and to encourage each team member in their allotted roles; to call meetings of the leaders to discuss interaction between ministries, and to facilitate a synergy that will result in growth in all the ministries of the church; to disciple, train and develop existing and new leaders; to hold ministry leaders accountable through an annual evaluation of their ministries;

4.4.5      In order to achieve the Elder Board’s strategic goals, The Senior Pastor may need to evaluate and possibly abandon programs that are not sustainable or are not achieving results in order to focus more fully on achieving the strategic goals;

4.4.6      To fulfill pastoral functions such as administering communion, baptisms, marriages, hospital visitation and counseling ministry, either personally or by delegating the responsibility to Staff,

 4.4.7      The Senior Pastor receives his authority to lead from the Elder Board, but is also a significant member of the Elder Board who creates vision, and guides the discussion on the Strategic Plan.

  5            MINISTRY TEAM

The primary purpose in introducing a Ministry Team is to bring greater coordination to ministries of the church and to give Church Members a greater sense of ownership of the ministries of the Church. Its purpose is to fulfill the goal-oriented strategic plan drawn up by the Elder BoardThe Ministry Team is accountable to the Senior Pastor and shall be comprised of existing ministry leaders, some of whom will be staff positions.

 5.1         Composition of the Team

5.1.1      This team is comprised of leaders who are already leading ministries, the church administrator and a voting member of the Administration Team. Non-staff members will commit to a three-year term for the sake of continuity but a leader may resign if circumstances make it necessary to do so. Ministry staff are ex-officio members of the Team. When Team Member positions become vacant (excluding staff), the Nominating Committee will identify potential leaders to fill these positions that will be ratified by the Church Members at a Congregational Meeting. All ministries of the church will be represented either directly or indirectly on this Ministry Team.   

5.1.2      The Senior Pastor will call and chair these meetings. A minute secretary will be appointed from the Team;

5.1.3      Decisions are made by consensus (more involvement and ownership of decision) and are arrived at by the mutual commitment to accomplish the Strategic Plan developed by the Elder Board. If there is no consensus, the decision defaults to the Senior Pastor.

5.1.4      The Team members and the ministries they represent are expected to model the mission of the church, and the relational values of affirmation, involvement and servant leadership in relationship with staff, volunteers and congregation;

5.1.5      Contact between the Ministry Team and Elder Board is through the Senior Pastor. Contact between Ministry Team and Church Members is through the Senior Pastor. 

5.2         Responsibilities:

5.2.1      The primary purpose for this change is to  bring greater co-ordination to the church’s ministries, to work together as a team rather than as individual ministries, to establish accountability and synergy in the ministries, to evaluate the effectiveness of ministries and revamp or terminate if necessary and to give ownership of the ministries to the congregation;

5.2.2      To ensure the ministries of the church are operating effectively and optimally and achieving the primary mission of the church;

5.2.3      To create a synergy where ministries and areas of mutual interest are discussed. To work jointly to fulfill the mission of the church, namely To know Christ and to make Him known. To work as a team to achieve the goals of the Strategic Plan within the parameters set by the Elder Board under the leadership of the Senior Pastor.

5.2.4      Each Team Member will develop a working group to assist in leading their particular ministry. The leader of the team  will meet with his or her group on a regular basis to discuss strategy and ministry, and report back to the Ministry Team, The Senior Pastor  is an ex-officio member of each of these teams. He will be notified of meetings, may attend as deemed necessary and will receive minutes of these meeting.

5.4.3      The Ministry Team may not restructure the strategic plan drawn up by the Elder Board without reference to it, but the team can make recommendations to the Senior Pastor for possible change or refining.

5.4.4      Each Ministry Leader will discuss recommendations for ministry expenditure for the up-coming year with the Senior Pastor which will then be submitted the to Administration Team for approval. The Team Leader will monitor expenditure to ensure spending is kept within budget.

5.4.5      An annual accountability review will be undertaken by the Senior Pastor to evaluate effectiveness and respond to any problems that have arisen that need to be dealt with. 

 6            THE CONGREGATION

Bonnyville Baptist Church is comprised of those who have become formal members with voting privileges and adherents who attend regularly but are not formal members. For the purpose of this document, the term ‘congregation’ will include those who call Bonnyville Baptist Church ‘home’ while the term ‘member’ or ‘membership’ will be confined to those who are formal members of the Church.

Those attending Bonnyville Baptist Church form part of the Body of Christ and recognize that God has entrusted them with the responsibility to ensure the mission of the church is fulfilled. Therefore, it is acknowledged that Christ is the leader and that decision-making is dependent on discerning God’s will. For this reason, prayer will play an important role in discerning God’s leading.

 The biblical commission of the church is to ‘make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey all things that I have commanded you’ (Matt 28:18-20). Therefore the Congregation recognizes its great responsibility to obey and fulfill the commands of Jesus and seeks to organize itself to fulfill the task committed to it.

 6.1         Authority:

6.1.1      The members hold the final authority in matters relating to assets, legal responsibilities and ministry. For practical reasons, the members delegate this responsibility to the Elder Board to administer on its behalf;

 6.1.2      Any decision relating to the acquisition or disposal of property shall have the approval of 75% of membership. 

6.2         Responsibilities

6.2.1      The members delegate responsibility to govern the church to the Elder Board and holds it accountable for the results;

6.2.2      Members are expected to attend and participate in Congregational meetings. One third of members attending a congregational meeting will constitute a quorum;

6.2.3      Members and adherents are expected to support the church financially;

6.2.4      Members approve the acceptance of new members and the removal of those who no longer qualify for membership. They will also reinstate those who have been asked to step down from membership for disciplinary or non-attendance reasons upon elimination of the causes for the removal;

6.2.5      In the case of the replacement of a Senior Pastor, the members will elect a search committee  who will make recommendations to the Members. The Members elect a Nominating Committee, who will make recommendations to the Elder Board for positions relating to the Administration Team and Congregational Meeting, and to the Ministry Team for ministry-related positions for being presented to the church for approval.

6.2.7      The members approve the leaders, who will comprise the non-staff members of the Ministry Team, the Administration Team and the Nominating Committee, confirm the appointment of Spiritual Advisors and ratify the Elder Board

6.2.8      The members also receive delegated responsibility from the pastor to fulfill the mission of the church. The church will be reminded through its teaching of the scriptural injunction that the role of the pastor is to ‘prepare the congregation for works of service’ and training for ministry will be a priority of the leadership. The primary responsibility of the congregation is to minister God’s love and grace to those within the church and in the community, and to work towards fulfilling the mission of the church

6.3         Fiscal responsibilities:

6.3.1      The annual budget, drawn up by the Administration Team and approved by the Elder Board is presented to the members at a Congregational meeting for their consideration and approval. Any unbudgeted expenditure in excess of an amount determined by the congregation from time to time needs approval from the congregation. The members are required to approve the borrowing of money from lending institutions;

6.3.2      Members may inspect and review financial statements and inspect church records, providing it does not conflict with the Privacy Act;

6.3.3      Members approve any remuneration to staff. This is done through the annual budget presented to the church. Members also approve paid staff positions;.

6.4         Limitations of responsibility

6.4.1      The members do not govern - this is delegated to the Elder Board; The members do not make ministry decisions - this is the responsibility  of the Senior Pastor and the Ministry Team;

6.4.2      Non-members of the congregation may attend Congregational Meetings, but may not vote.

  7            SPIRITUAL ADVISORS

The Spiritual Advisors will be men who serve as mentors to the pastor. They will not have a decision making role other than in their areas of responsibility, but will assist in pastoral care as necessary and as time permits. These men will be selected by the Senior Pastor. The members will be notified two weeks in advance of a Congregational Meeting, at which time members may raise objections if the names presented give cause for misgiving, and are then affirmed by Members at a Congregational Meeting.

Men appointed to this position will have the qualities of a mature faith as laid out in 1 Tim: 3 1-7.

Responsibilities:

7.1.1      The Spiritual Advisors will interview potential new members or recommend suitable Members to serve in this capacity who will then make recommendations to a Congregational Meeting for acceptance;

7.1.2      The Spiritual Advisors, in conjunction with the Senior Pastor will be responsible for discipline of church members when necessary;

7.1.3      Spiritual Advisors may not make ministry decisions. This is the role of the Senior Pastor.  

8            THE STAFF

Bonnyville Baptist Church is the body of Christ in a local setting and recognizes that the congregation has biblical responsibilities both to the congregation and to people outside the church. Staff are employed to equip and facilitate ministry.

A staff manual will detail the general benefits and working conditions for staff and any variations from these conditions will be spelt out in individual job descriptions.

 8.1         Responsibilities

8.1.1      The Senior Pastor delegates authority to staff members to perform their duties within the job descriptions for their respective positions to the members of their teams and holds them accountable for the performance of their responsibilities.  Each staff member will be given a job description and is expected to work within the parameters of that job description.

8.1.2      The Staff forms part of the Ministry Team which is accountable to the Senor Pastor.