Article
I. Name
This organization shall be named the
Alliance of
Mennonite Evangelical Congregations.
Article
II.
Purpose
1. This organization shall exist for the purpose of
maintaining a partnership in order to faithfully preserve, promote
and propagate the Biblical Christian Faith as Believers from
an Evangelical Anabaptist perspective, providing biblical fellowship,
credentialing, and mutual accountability to enable congregations,
to pursue their objectives of missions, evangelism, discipleship,
nurture, and biblical ministries of witness and reconciliation,
committed to a unity in Christ based solely on the truth of
the Scriptures and summarized in a basic Statement of Doctrine.
2. This purpose is summarized in the statement:
The Alliance of Mennonite Evangelical Congregations is an affiliation
of committed Christians who partner as congregations
to carry out the Great Commission, provide biblical fellowship
and mutual accountability in the unity of Christ, embracing
an Evangelical identity and an Anabaptist Perspective.
Article
III.
Membership
1. Congregations who endorse the stated “Purpose and Principles” of the Alliance
of Mennonite Evangelical Congregations (hereafter called “the
Alliance”) and affirm without reservation the Statement of Doctrine
(expressed in Sections IV, V, & VI) shall be eligible for
Membership.
2. Individual Believers who likewise are committed
to the Purposes and
Principles of the Alliance and affirm the Statement
of Doctrine without reservation, but whose congregations are
not yet affiliated, shall be eligible for Associate Membership.
3. Provision shall be made, in conjunction with
the General Meetings, for Member Congregations and Associate
Members to reaffirm their commitment to the Purposes
and Principles of the Alliance at least every four years.
IV.
Location
In
order to serve its member congregations and associate members
the organization of the Alliance shall be based on Singer Avenue,
Paradise, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, with the mailing address:
Box 97, Paradise, PA 17562, and be incorporated in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania.
V.
Officers
1. The Officers of the Alliance consist of a President,
Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.
Filling
these positions at the initial organizing are:
Richard Woodcock, --- President;
Robert
Gerhart, --- Vice President;
Glenn Alderfer, --- Secretary;
Delmar Sauder, --- Treasurer.
2. Additional Officers, Boards and Committees may
be selected or established as the need arises and so long as
they help fulfill the stated purposes of the Alliance.
VI.
By-Laws
1. Long term additions to the organizational framework
shall be approved in the manner of by-laws. Organizational development and adoption of future by-laws shall
be in keeping with the expressed beliefs and intent of the published
“Purposes and Principles” of the Alliance.
A Constitution incorporating the by-laws and other policy
and polity matters shall be developed as a Charter during the
first years of the Alliance.
Each Member Congregation, during this chartering period,
shall be entitled to have two voting representatives participate
in the Constitutional design meetings.
2. A two-thirds majority of Members voting shall be
required to add to, amend or alter the adopted by-laws, provided
that notice was given prior to the meeting of the intention
of such amendment or alteration.
3. The Statement of Doctrine is not to be handled
as a by-law, subject to ordinary amendment, but shall be modified
only for the sake of clarity and conformity to Scripture after
an extensive process of study and review.
At least a three-quarters majority is required to begin
such a process and the same majority shall be required to adopt
such clarification, at a meeting called for that purpose.
VII.
Meetings
1. General Meetings of the Alliance shall be held
in connection with a biennial Conference for the purpose of
conducting necessary business, selecting leadership, reporting
on financial matters, reviewing ministry activities, and affirming
member congregations’ commitments to the Alliance. The fourth
weekend of September in even-numbered years is suggested as
the time for the General Meeting.
2. Special Meetings may be called by the Alliance
leadership or at the request of Twenty Per Cent (20%) of the
member congregations, provided that, in either case, adequate
notice of thirty (30) days in advance is given to Member Congregations
and Associate Members.
3. At General or Special Meetings, at least Fifty
Per Cent (50%) of the Member Congregations shall be represented,
either by presence or by proxy, to constitute a quorum for the
transacting of business or conducting of elections.
VIII.
Finances
1. As a non-profit, charitable religious organization,
the Alliance shall be duly registered so as to be able to receive
contributions, donations, assets and bequests for the furtherance
of its Christian ministries and mission and to issue appropriate
receipts for the same. The
designations of giving by a donor shall be honored whenever
possible, unless such designations conflict with the Purposes
and Principles of the Alliance, in which case the circumstances
shall be discussed with the donor and if a mutually acceptable
alternate designation cannot be found, the gift shall be returned
to the donor.
2. Necessary operating and development expenses of
the organization shall be met by voluntary contributions from
Member Congregations, Associate Members and others who share
the vision and support the purposes of the Alliance.
3. All financial transactions shall be duly recorded
and financial reporting shall be made available by the Treasurer
of the Alliance to Member Congregations on a regular basis,
not less frequently than in annual written reports to membership.
Executive leadership shall see to it that adequate auditing
of financial records is maintained and the auditors’ reports
shall be available to the Alliance membership upon request.
4. In the event of dissolution of the Alliance,
existing funds and assets shall be first used to satisfy the
legally enforceable obligations of the Alliance, the remainder
of funds and assets shall be transferred to such Evangelical
Anabaptist organization(s) or mission(s) that are deemed to
hold similar purposes and objectives. Apart from meeting normal
operating expenses and costs, no officer(s) or member(s) shall
accrue personal financial reward or personal profit from such
dissolution.
IX.
Regional Associations
1.
Wherever
Member Congregations or Associate Members of the Alliance are
in geographical proximity to enable gathering for fellowship,
mutual accountability and encouragement in their Christian ministries,
Regional Associations may be constituted to carry out the Purposes
and Principles of the Alliance in their specific regions.
2.
Communication
between the Alliance and the Regional Associations shall be
maintained for mutual benefit.
Reporting on the ministries and goals of Regional Associations
shall be part of the biennial General Meetings.
X.
Credentialing
1.
Provisions
shall be made for granting and recognition of appropriate Credentials
for Christian Ministries and Pastoral Leadership.
The Standards for such Credentials shall be established
and maintained by the Alliance in keeping with its Purposes
and Principles. Though
these Credentials shall be considered as held by the Alliance,
the respective Regional Associations shall process and arrange
for the granting of the credentials in the individual cases.
2.
The
processing of the Credentials by a Regional and Association
shall be considered as acting on behalf of the full Alliance.
The records of credentialed persons shall be maintained
under the Secretary of the Alliance.
Drafted by ad hoc By-laws committee
07/15/2002
