Bylaws of King’s Fellowship
These Bylaws are being adopted this 1st day of Nov, 2015 by the unanimous written consent of the Board of Directors, hereafter referred to as Board of Elders, of the Corporation, hereafter referred to as the church, and these Bylaws shall continue in full force and effect until modified or altered by the Board of Elders.
 
ARTICLE I STATEMENT OF FAITH
We believe that the Apostle’s and the Nicene Creeds embody the fundamental facts of Christian faith, and we endorse these historic orthodox creeds of the Christian Church:
 
THE NICENE CREED
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic [universal] and apostolic church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.  

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, holy catholic [universal] church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.   Amen.  

ARTICLE II PURPOSE
The church shall exist in order to carry out the purposes as stated in the Articles of Incorporation and all of said purposes are hereby incorporated in the Bylaws by reference. The purpose of the church is to be a community of believers who worship the Living God and serve the people of this city by living out our faith daily, so that others may become disciples of Jesus who are continually maturing and being equipped to share in his purpose. No part of the net earnings of the church shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its Members, Board of Overseers, Elders, Trustees, Officers, or other private persons, except that the church 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 herein. No substantial part of the activities of the church shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the church shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provisions of these articles, the church shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by a church exempt from Federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law) or (b) by a church, contributions to which are deductible under Section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law). Upon the dissolution of the church, the Board of Overseers shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all of the liabilities of the church, dispose of the assets of the church exclusively for the purposes of the church in such manner, or to such organization or organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable, education, religious, or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law), as the Board of Overseers shall determine. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by the Circuit Court in the County in which the principal office of the church 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 III GENERAL
This church is and shall remain an independent organization but it may associate with other organized entities. The purpose of the church is to make authentic disciples for Jesus Christ and teach the truths of the Bible. All activities will forward this purpose of making disciples and building up a healthy local church. The Board of Elders shall govern the church, in accordance with the provisions of Article V. All Members, Elders, Pastors, staff members, and other persons acting on behalf of the church, or at the request of the church, shall abide by these Bylaws. All monetary contributions will go for the purpose of carrying out the purpose of the church, inviting people to Jesus, and the budgeting and spending of resources, will be determined specifically by the Board of Elders of the church. No Member, Director, Pastor, nor Officer shall be entitled to any funds of the church, except for reasonable compensation for services actually rendered.  
 
ARTICLE IV MEMBERS
The membership of this church is open to any person who has turned their life over to Jesus and who is willing to participate in the activities of the church, and meet the following requirements for membership:
  1. Be a baptized follower of Jesus Christ.
  2. Be in agreement with the Historic Creeds and submit to the Doctrine of our Church.
  3. Commit to the 7 heart attitudes.
  4. Complete and sign a Membership Form.
  5. Be received into the church in a public worship service.

Furthermore, members affirm a commitment to:

  1. Remain faithful to the historic Christian Creeds and Doctrine of our Church.
  2. Attend a Sunday Service and a Small Group consistently.
  3. Engage in our process of Discipleship first as disciple then as disciple maker.
  4. Serve others in at least one area at this local church.
  5. Tithe consistently and give generous offerings to support this local church.
  6. Follow the leadership of the Pastors and Board under the provisions of our by-laws.
The church office shall maintain a list of current Members. Members will meet with an elder and recommit each year. This list may be reviewed and updated at any time by the Board of Elders. Members will renew Members shall not be entitled to vote. All voting powers shall be vested with the Board of Elders.
 
Volunteers
There are categories for service within the church for the process of maintaining doctrine, intentionally disciplining, and maintaining safety within the church community.  Non members may not participate in leading worship, teaching, or helping in childcare. 
 
Church Discipline
Members of the church have agreed to discipleship, made commitments to the church family, and agree to accountability.  If a member breaks those commitments, or is found to be living in unrepentant sin as described in scripture, they will be excluded from serving in the church ministries of worship, teaching, childcare and the like after the process of Matthew 18:15-20 has been followed.  If repentance does not occur membership will be revoked.  The goal here is not exclusion but restoration.
 
Restoration
After a member who has undergone discipline has repented of their sin, and a time of intentional discipleship has occurred, at least two weeks, giving opportunity to see consistent growth, they will be fully restored to membership.
 
ARTICLE V LEADERSHIP
The leadership of the church is based on the authority of Jesus Christ and the truth of the Bible. The Board of Elders consists of the President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, and any others chosen by the President of the Board. The Board of Elders determines all decisions regarding the leadership and activities of the church. The Board of Elders meets quarterly (or as needed) to consider and make decisions presented by the lead pastor or other elders. The Board of Elders has authority to amend the Bylaws, Articles of Incorporation, and any policy of the church as needed. Members of the Board of the Elders shall be appointed by the President and ratified by a unanimous agreement of the board. The Board of Elders will not be more than 8 or less than 3 members. While there may be exceptions, the goal is that the Board of Elders will be made up of at least 2 members not supported full-time by that local church. Potential board members must be members of the church and meet the Biblical requirements of an overseer in order to be appointed to the Board. Each elder will serve in this role for one year but may continue at the request of the president with ratification of the Board. Deacons/leaders may serve on the board as advisers to the elders at the request of the lead pastor and remaining overseers. Deacon leaders do not have decision making or voting authority on the board but serve exclusively as an advisory role. The President of the Board (Lead Pastor) may be removed from this position by the following provision:
  1. Grounds for removal of the President include: significant departure from the Statement of Faith and Statement of Practice as set forth in these Bylaws, serious breach of other provisions of these Bylaws, substantial departure from Biblical lifestyle; and serious failure to faithfully fulfill the duties of the pastoral office.
  2. Notice of not less than seven days must be given to Board members for the purpose of deciding on the removal of the President.
  3. In the event that the Board unanimously agrees for removal of the President, they will call for a meeting of the Board after which a final vote including all but the President shall be taken. Additional counsel for the local board will be obtained from other outside pastors, as needed. The order of business at the meeting called to vote on the removal of the President shall be as follows: presentation of evidence by the Board, presentation of case by President or his designee, rebuttal evidence presented by the Board, testimony from relevant members or pastoral leadership which may be invited to the meeting, presentation of any statement desired by the Accountability Counsel, final vote by Board and Accountability Counsel.
  4. If the entire Board by a unanimous vote, and the Accountability Counsel, concur that the President should terminate his leadership of the church, the President shall resign, or be terminated.

  A vacancy in the position of President of the Board shall be filled by the unanimous choice of the remaining Board Members and by the Accountability Counsel. The Board of Elders shall serve under the President of the Board, who is also to function as the Lead Pastor of the church. The Board of Elders shall be the governing body of the church in respect to matter concerning business being done by the church (i.e., financing & budgets, buying or leasing of facility, maintenance, contract negotiations, etc.). The Board of Elders shall oversee the business of the church under the leadership of the President/Lead Pastor. Subject to limitations of the Articles of Incorporation, other sections of the Bylaws, and of Washington State law, all authority of the church shall be exercised by or under the authority of the Board of Elders and the affairs of the church shall be controlled by the Board of Elders, which shall have the following powers:

  1. To select and remove all other leaders, representatives, and employees of the church, prescribe responsibilities for them as may be consistent with law, the Articles of Incorporation or the Bylaws, fix their compensation or appoint a salary team, and approve contracts & job responsibilities.

       2. To conduct, manage, and control the affairs of the church, and to make rules and regulations not inconsistent with 

            laws, the Articles of Incorporation, or the Bylaws
       3. To borrow money, and incur indebtedness for the purpose of the church and for that purpose to be executed and  
           delivered, in the church’s’ name, promissory notes, bonds, debentures, deeds of trust, pledges, or other evidence of
           debt and securities.

  Any meeting, regular or special, may be held by telephone, email, or webcam, so long as all Members of the Board of Elders participating in the meeting are involved in the communication. In such cases all said Board Members shall be counted as present in person at the meeting. All decisions made by email, telephone, or webcam will be documented in minutes and approved at the next board meeting.

 

The Board of Elders shall receive no compensation for their services as Members of the Board specifically. The Board Members may be compensated for other services actually rendered to the church such as pastoring, teaching, leading, administrating, etc. It is anticipated that Board Members will make decisions by coming to a consensus. Where this is not possible the president will allow time to prayerfully consider the issues in an effort to still reach consensus. In cases where the board is not able to reach consensus, elders agree to have the president make the decision considering the counsel and concerns of all other board members.  

ARTICLE VI OFFICERS
Officers of the church will be President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer and other Officers as needed. Officers shall be recommended to the Board of Elders by the President and ratified by the Board Members. A vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, removal, disqualification or otherwise, shall be filled by appointment of the President of the Board and ratified by the Board of Elders (see Article V on the selection and/or replacement of the President of the Board). No additional compensation will be paid to Members of the Board of Elders in their role as officers. As stated above, all compensation will be based upon the services performed by the individuals for the church in areas other than their official capacity on the Board of Elders.  
 
ARTICLE VII PROPERTY
All property purchased by the church shall be held in the name of the church. All funds received by the church shall be held in an account of the church. Church bylaws and board minutes shall be maintained at the principal office of the church and are available to board members upon request.  
 
ARTICLE VIII PRINCIPAL OFFICE
The principal office of the church is currently located at 234 Limerock Terrace Apt 202, State College, PA 16801.
 
ARTICLE IX INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
The church may, to the maximum extent permitted by the State of Pennsylvania, indemnify each of its Pastors, Members of the Board of Elders, and Officers against expenses, judgments, fines, settlements and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred in connection with any proceeding arising by reason of the fact any such person is or was a Pastor, Member of the Board of Elders or Officer of the church and shall advance to such person expenses incurred in defending any such proceedings to the maximum extent permitted by such laws. The Board of Elders may in its discretion provide by resolution for such indemnification of, or advance of expenses to, other representatives of the church.  
 
ARTICLE X ORDINATION
God calls and ordains men for service as pastors in his church. The calling of a pastor is not the result of a title; rather, the title is a result of his calling. It is the privilege of the elders of the church to ratify the ordination of God when it is obviously placed on a man’s life. The purpose of this Article is to provide for the ordination of pastors in the church. The qualifications for ordination are as follows:
  1. Be a baptized follower of Jesus Christ.
  2. Be in agreement with the church’s Statement of Faith and Practice.
  3. Be in unity with the Vision, Values, and Goals of the church.
  4. Meet the Bible’s requirements for the office of Elder/Overseer as described in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9.
  5. Have a track record of obedience to Jesus and effective ministry that confirms a call to be a pastor.

  The procedure for ordination shall be as follows: The lead pastor/president or other members of the board will recommend candidates for ordination to the Board of Elders for ratification. This will, in most cases, be done in conjunction with a decision to hire the person as a full-time pastor staff member. When hiring pastoral staff, the Board of Elders may choose to require a one year probationary period before the actual ordination takes place. Ordination will take place in a gathering of the leaders and/or members of the church, after which, a Certificate of Ordination will be issued to the new pastor. Ordination may be revoked by the following procedure: A pastor may be removed and have the ordination revoked if he falls into serious error or moral failure or may enter a period of discipline, with hope of restoration, as laid out by the board of elders. This action requires that reasonable due process be given the pastor, as agreed upon by the Board of Elders. If the Lead Pastor and Board of Elders unanimously agree that the removal and revocation is necessary, the Lead Pastor will present the Board’s conclusion to the Accountability Counsel. If they also agree that the action is necessary, the pastor will be removed immediately and his ordination revoked. The Board of Elders may choose to offer severance pay to the removed person as they deem appropriate.  

ARTICLE XI MISCELLANEOUS  
Board of Elders may authorize anyone they choose to enter into any contract or execute any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the church and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Unless so authorized, no officer, agent or other person shall have any power or authority to bind the church by any contract or engagement or to pledge its credit or to render it liable for any purpose or to any amount. The church keeps in its principal office the original or a copy of its Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, as amended to date, certified by the Secretary/Treasurer. It is the policy of this church under these bylaws that any church participant who is so identified by the Board of Elders as a regular attender and/or giver whether or not officially on the membership roll, shall be subject to the President/Lead Pastor and Board of Elders, and consents to be bound by all provisions of these Bylaws and policies as set by the pastoral staff or Board of Elders. All disciplinary actions are considered to be the responsibility of the elders and will be carried out under the Bylaws in keeping with spiritual mandates of righteous living and conduct according, with clear teaching of the Bible. Due process shall be provided to any Participant to be heard by the elders and/or a special Disciplinary Board appointed by the elders either orally or in writing at the time and place set by the elders and/or Disciplinary Board prior to any disciplinary action. Bylaws adopted on Nov 1st, 2015
 
Elders
Jordan Alturas President
Eric Reiber
Bruce Aungst