BUCKDEN CHURCHES TOGETHER COMMITTEE
CONSTITUTION
10 April 2008
Throughout this document, a ‘church’ shall mean an organised group of Christians in Buckden, who are members of a denomination affiliated to Churches Together in England, whether or not they have their own building.
1. The aims of the Committee are, in furtherance of the Covenant between the churches, to commit itself to:
a. Promoting between members of the churches the desire to share their lives together in worship, prayer and witness.
b. Seeking ways in which the churches may together serve their neighbourhoods in practical expressions of God’s love.
c. Promoting prayer and work for the unity of the whole Church and the reconciliation of all mankind to God.
2. The Committee will seek to meet these aims by:
a. Arranging services of joint prayer and worship especially during the major Christian festivals.
b. Encouraging co-operation between members of the churches in Christian witness and outreach fellowship through house groups and in working together in caring for the community.
c. Encouraging the sharing of the churches’ buildings and facilities for the churches’ common purposes and for learning and studying together.
d. Raising funds, as appropriate, to support the Committee’s aims and to benefit charities approved by the Committee.
| COMPOSITION |
3. The Committee shall comprise:
a. A Minister (or a duly appointed deputy) from each of the 4 participating churches ex officio.
b. Two further representatives from the congregations of the participating churches.
c. A Secretary and a Treasurer appointed by the Committee.
4. The participating churches shall take the chair in turn with a member of the committee, lay or clergy, being elected to serve, normally, for one year at a time. The committee shall be able to extend the chair’s term of office by a maximum of one year where deemed to serve the best interests of the committee’s work.
5. Although there is no fixed period laid down for Churches’ representatives to serve on the Committee, it is suggested that, to ensure that fresh ideas are brought to the Committee, such representatives should not serve for a continuous period of more than three years. However, the Committee may vary this period from time to time.
6. The Committee shall appoint a Secretary and a Treasurer from amongst any of the congregations of the participating churches. These appointments shall normally be for a maximum of 3 years, but the Committee may extend this for a maximum of two further one year terms.
7. The
Committee may from time to time decide to increase or reduce the number of
members of the Committee and may also determine in what rotation the increased
or reduced number is to go out of office.
8. A member of the Committee may resign at any time
by notifying the Chair of his/her decision so to do.
9. A member of the Committee will be required to vacate his/her position on the Committee if he/she is requested in writing by a majority of his/her fellow members of the Committee to resign or if he/she fails without good reason to attend three consecutive meetings of the Committee.
10. The
Committee is empowered to delegate any of its powers for specific purposes
to sub-committees consisting of a member or members of the Committee. Any
such sub-committee shall be bound by the same rules as the Committee itself.
Such sub-committees may co-opt other persons to assist in their tasks so long
as the number of such persons does not exceed one third of the number of appointed
members of the sub-committees. Co-opted members shall be entitled to vote
on proposals put before the sub-committees.
| MEETINGS |
11. The Committee shall meet as required but this should not be more frequently than six times per year and not less frequently than four times a year.
12. An Annual General Meeting of the Committee shall be held in February each year, when a report on the Committee’s work for the year shall be presented together with an audited statement of accounts covering the preceding financial year. The Committee’s financial year shall run from 1st January to 31st December.
13. All Committee and Annual General Meetings shall be open to all members of the participating churches; such members not serving on the Committee may attend as observers, but shall not be entitled to vote on any proposals put before the Committee. Meetings shall be deemed to be quorate so long as a simple majority of those eligible to vote at the meeting is present.
14. Proposals put before meetings shall normally be carried by a simple majority vote of those present indicating their preference by a show of hands; each member of the Committee having one vote each. However, a paper ballot may be used if this accords with the wishes of the Members of the Committee. In any cases of a tied vote, the Chair shall have a casting vote.
| FINANCE |
15. The funds raised by the Committee from whatever source shall be applied solely towards the promotion of the objects of the Committee as set forth above and no portion of these funds shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly, by way of dividend, bonus or otherwise howsoever by way of profit, to the members of the Committee.
16. However, the provisions of the previous paragraph shall not prevent the payment in good faith of reasonable and proper remuneration to any member, officer or servant of the Committee in return for any services actually rendered to the Committee, nor prevent the payment of interest on money borrowed by the Committee.
17. If upon the winding up or dissolution of the Committee there remain, after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities, any funds whatsoever, the same shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of the Committee but shall be given or transferred in equal shares to the participating churches represented on the Committee or to some other charitable institution or institutions having aims which are similar to the aims of the Committee.
18. Accounts shall be kept of the sums of money received and expended by the Committee. Such accounts shall be open to inspection by the members of the churches participating in the Committee at times and places convenient to the parties involved. Once at least in every year the accounts of the Committee shall be examined and the correctness of the income and expenditure account and balance sheet ascertained by one or more persons who shall be independent of the Committee.
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Page last updated on: 27 June, 2008