BYLAWS OF HIGHLAND PARK COMMUNITY CHURCH

Article I

Name & Identification

The name of this Association shall be Highland Park Community Church of God, Inc. Highland Park Community Church is a congregation affiliated with the Church of God, an international movement within the Protestant stream of the Christian church. The Church of God reformation movement is non-denominational and non- sectarian with general offices in Anderson, Indiana, USA. The Association is incorporated as Highland Park Community Church of God, Inc. with the Wyoming Secretary of State as of March 19, 1974.

Article II

Purpose

The purpose of this Association is to guide and facilitate the business, religious, and charitable activities of this church, including the acquisition and holding of real estate and other tangible property, the collection and disbursement of money, and the appointing and directing of the boards and committees of the church. This Association shall be permitted to engage in any lawful activity of a Wyoming not-for-profit corporation and shall have all the limitations, rights, and privileges of such a corporation.

Article III

Membership

SECTION1. The membership of this Association shall be restricted to those who meet the following conditions. Members thus qualified shall have the right to vote in all business meetings.

(a) A member of the Association shall be eighteen (18) years of age or

(b) A member of the Association shall have worshipped in person regularly with Highland Park Community Church for a period of at least six (6) months immediately preceding any meeting at which rights of membership in the Association are exercised.

(c) A member of the Association shall have lived during this period of six months in harmony with the generally accepted worship and Biblical life-styles taught and practiced by Highland Park Community Church and in harmony with the purpose and ministry of the Church of God as represented by the General Assembly of the Church of God in Anderson, Indiana.

SECTION 2. All persons shall be regarded as voting members of this Association upon their own declaration of eligibility, as defined in Section 1, by means of registering with the Secretary of the Association prior to the meeting. Each member shall declare membership in the Association one time each year by registering with the Secretary of the Association previous to the Annual Business Meeting of the Association. The listing of voting members shall be subject to approval by the Association and incorporated into the minutes of the annual business meeting each year, or in the minutes of the meeting in which the person first qualifies for and declares eligibility.

SECTION 3. Persons may register as members of the Association beginning one-half hour before the Annual Business Meeting or special called meeting.

SECTION 4. The right of any person to voting membership may be challenged by any other member. In such a case, the right of voting membership shall be determined by a majority vote of the members present and voting.

SECTION 5. The rules governing membership in the Association herein stated shall apply only to the business organization of Highland Park Community Church and shall not in any way be construed to determine a person’s membership in the Body of Christ, a membership determined by a person’s own expression of faith and the saving act of God in Jesus Christ.

SECTION 6. The Association may, by three-fourths majority vote at any business meeting, waive the requirements stated in Article III, Section 1 (b) regarding the six months church attendance membership qualifications.

SECTION 7. The Association may determine to make allowances for electronic voting in addition to, or in place of, convening an in-person voting meeting as needed. The membership shall be given a two-week notice of this voting option by email or in-service announcement. Members desiring to vote electronically shall be required to attend the live-stream meeting. Meeting registration will take place via a link to the e-vote ballot and membership verified by the tellers.

Article IV

Officers

SECTION 1. The officers of the Association shall be: Chairperson (the Lead Pastor), Vice-Chairperson (Chairman of Board of Servant Leaders), Secretary (Secretary of the Board of Servant Leaders), and Treasurer (Business Manager).

SECTION 2. The Lead Pastor of the congregation shall, by virtue of the office, be Chairperson of the Association. As Chairperson, the Lead Pastor may preside at all business meetings of the church. The Lead Pastor shall exercise general supervision over the affairs of the church. The Lead Pastor shall meet with any board or committee when requested to do so by the officers of the board or committee providing a written request is given to the Lead Pastor specifying the time and place at least one week before the meeting. The Lead Pastor may appoint a representative to meet with the boards or committees if necessary.

SECTION 3. The Chairperson of the Board of Servant Leaders shall, by virtue of the office, be Vice-Chairperson of the Association. The Vice-Chairperson shall perform the duties of the Chairperson as indicated by Article IV Section 2 in the absence of the Lead Pastor, in the event of the Lead Pastor’s inability to serve as Chairperson, or when the church is without a Lead Pastor.

SECTION 4. The Secretary of the Board of Servant Leaders shall, by virtue of the office, be Secretary of the Association. The Secretary shall keep an orderly record of the proceedings of the business meetings of the church. The minutes shall be available on request at the Church office. The minutes shall be provided no later than two weeks following any business meeting. The record shall include the list of Association voting members present as stipulated in Article III. The minutes containing records of the business meetings shall be carefully preserved by the Secretary at the church and shall remain the property of the Association. The Secretary shall provide for the registration of members of the Association as described in Article III, Section 2 and for the review and summaries of minutes indicated in Article IV.

SECTION 5. The Treasurer (Business Manager) is an employee of the church, selected by the Lead Pastor, approved by the Board of Finance and ratified by the BSL. The Treasurer of the Association shall receive and deposit the funds of the church in the financial institution(s) determined by the Board of Finance. The Treasurer shall be authorized to give receipts for all monies paid to the church. The account(s) of the Association shall be in the name of the Association. The Treasurer shall cause all invoices and statements paid to be filed and properly preserved as a part of the records of the Association. The Treasurer shall make monthly reports to the Board of Finance, provide a copy of the report to the Lead Pastor, and post in a conspicuous place within the church building a report at least monthly. He/she shall give a complete report to the Association annually. The books shall be subject to inspection by members of the Board of Finance and the Lead Pastor at any time. Other members of the Association may inspect the books of the Treasurer, except personal giving records, providing written request is submitted forty-eight (48) hours before inspection. The Treasurer shall convey the books to the Board of Finance without any restrictions, but shall maintain responsibility when an individual member inspects the records. The Treasurer shall post such bond as shall be required by the Board of Finance or voted by the Association.

SECTION 6. A vacancy in the office of Vice-Chairperson or Secretary shall be filled by the Board of Servant Leaders within sixty (60) days. A vacancy occurring in the office of Treasurer shall be filled by the Lead Pastor, approved by the Board of Finance with ratification by the Board of Servant Leaders within sixty (60) days.

Article V

Boards & Committees

A. COORDINATION OF BOARDS AND COMMITTEES

SECTION 1. The work of the various boards and committees, ratified or appointed, shall be governed through the Board of Servant Leaders and coordinated by the pastoral staff.

SECTION 2. Each board and each committee must put in writing any new board policies or guidelines or any changes to existing policies or existing guidelines and shall be ratified by the BSL. All policy statements and guidelines shall be consistent with the contents of these bylaws and shall be distributed to all Board Chairpersons and Pastors with a master copy maintained in the church office.

SECTION 3. Eligibility Requirements for Boards and Committees shall be as follows:

(a) All members of boards and committees are expected to exhibit the qualities of a mature Christian according to the Biblical principles in our Board Candidate Packet.

(b) No relative of a full-time employee (average 30 work hours or more a week) may serve on the Board of Servant Leaders. Related family member for the purpose of this document is defined as the employee’s spouse, child (to include adopted, stepchild and foster child), daughter-in-law’s and son–in-law’s, parents, siblings, sibling’s in-law, parent’s in-law, grandparents, grandchildren, or relatives living in the home of the BSL member. If you are a relative of a full-time employee and serve on a different board, you cannot be the Chairperson or Vice-chairperson of that board.

(d) Have worshipped regularly at HPCC in person for at least six months.

(e) Lived in harmony with the generally accepted Biblical life-styles taught and practiced by HPCC.

(f) Given financially to the HPCC General Fund in the current year.

SECTION 4. work assigned by the Association. Each board may appoint a sufficient number of committees or resource persons to carry out the

B. BOARD OF SERVANT LEADERS

SECTION 1. Membership: The first Board of Servant Leaders (BSL) shall be comprised of thirteen (13) voting Association members: four (4) nominated by the Pastoral Staff and ratified by the Association at the Annual Business Meeting and five (5) to be ratified at the Annual Business Meeting from the names submitted by the Nominating Committee. The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, the Chairperson of the Board of Finance, the Chairperson of the Board of Missions and the Lead Pastor shall serve on the BSL by virtue of their office. Thereafter, three nominations would be made annually by the Nominating Committee with concurrence of the Pastoral Staff to allow for staggered terms of office. All subsequent nominations to the BSL shall be ratified by

the Association at the Annual Business Meeting. A person may serve two (2) consecutive terms as a member of the BSL. The maximum length of a term is three (3) years. After these two terms, the person must resign from all HPCC boards for a period of one year. After one year, such person may again be nominated for any board.

SECTION 2. Officers: The BSL shall select from its own membership the following officers: Chairperson, Vice-chairperson and Secretary. The Chairpersons of: the Board of Trustees, Board of Missions, Board of Finance; and the Lead Pastor shall not hold office on the BSL.

SECTION 3. Quorum: Seven (7) members of the BSL must be present to constitute a quorum. Members of the Board of Servant Leaders may participate and act at any meeting through the use of a conference telephone or other communications device by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can communicate simultaneously with each other. Participation in such meeting shall constitute attendance and presence in person at the meeting of the member or members so participating.

SECTION 4. Duties of the Board of Servant Leaders shall be as follows:

(a) The function of the Board of Servant Leaders shall be the spiritual leadership of the church, and all other areas of church business, except those specifically designated to other boards by the bylaws. They shall govern all boards, committees, ministries and activities of the church. The BSL shall be responsible to the Association. The BSL shall communicate as clearly as possible the vision, direction, and ministries of the church.

(b) The BSL shall annually elect officers from its membership who may serve no more than three

(3) one-year terms in that office. After retiring one year, they may be elected again.

(c) The Lead Pastor will bring the monthly agenda to the BSL. All BSL members also have the privilege of submitting agenda items for the monthly meeting to the Chairman. The Lead Pastor will work closely with the Chairman to present the monthly agenda.

(d) The Lead Pastor shall be the Chairman of the Association. In the event that there is no acting Lead Pastor, the Chairman of the BSL shall serve as Chairperson of the corporation. No additional Pastors shall be hired in the absence of a Lead Pastor, believing that it is the Lead Pastor’s responsibility to hire any new Pastors.

(e) The BSL shall ratify all committees, boards and policies made by each standing committee or board. They will maintain the continuity and consistency of the ministries of the church in keeping with the spiritual objectives of the church. They shall also ensure that each ministry directs its declared policies and programs. The BSL will periodically review each ministry’s effectiveness.

(f) The BSL may appoint ad-hoc committees to perform tasks and responsibilities it finds necessary. The BSL shall designate the duration of their service, budget, specific tasks to be performed, and structure and accountability of the group. The budget for said committee shall be approved by the Finance Board.

(g) The BSL shall resolve issues of working relationships of the staff, boards, committees and members of the church that cannot be resolved through the proper channels of accountability.

(h) Upon recommendation of the Lead Pastor, the BSL, by two-thirds vote, shall approve the dismissal of an Associate Pastor.

(i) In the event of an Associate Pastor vacancy, the BSL shall appoint at least seven (7) persons to serve as a Pastoral Search Committee. The Lead Pastor shall serve as a member of this committee. In the event of an internal candidate, the BSL reserves the right to function as the search committee. The work of any committee involved in the call of pastoral staff members shall be subject to the guidelines in Article VII, Section 7.

(j) In the event of calling a Lead Pastor, the BSL shall appoint at least seven (7) persons to serve as a Pastoral Search Committee. The Search Committee shall do the initial screening and present, to the Association, a candidate agreed upon by the Search Committee and the BSL for the position. The chosen candidate shall be available for a Town Meeting and shall be voted on at a special-called business meeting of the association. A three-fourths majority of the voting members present is required to approve the candidate.

(k) The BSL shall appoint representatives to the Wyoming General Assembly of the Church of God and similar organizations.

(l) The BSL shall approve the establishment of any new permanent full-time positions, the hiring of pastoral staff, the job descriptions of said positions, and shall grant final approval of the recommendations from the Lead Pastor for salaries and benefits.

(m) The BSL shall ratify the annual budget submitted by the Finance Board and present it to the Association at the Annual Meeting.

(n) Any expenditure by the BSL involving more than five (5) percent of the annual general fund budget shall require action by the Association, if not specifically provided for in the adopted budget of the church.

(o) The Lead Pastor shall manage the day-to-day affairs of the church on behalf of the BSL.

(p) The BSL shall ratify the annual Faith Promise Budget.

SECTION 5. The duties and powers of the officers of the Board of Servant Leaders shall be as follows:

(a) The Chairperson of the BSL shall preside at all meetings of this Board, attend the BSL meetings and perform such duties as usually are assigned to the Chairperson of a deliberate body.

(b) The Vice-chairperson of the BSL shall serve in the absence of the Chairperson. In the event of permanent incapacity of the Chairperson, the Vice-chairperson shall succeed to the Chairpersonship and a new Vice-chairperson shall be selected from the membership of the BSL.

(c) The Secretary of the BSL shall keep an accurate record of the acts, decisions and proceedings of the Board. This record shall be the property of the Association and shall be conveyed to the secretary’s successor at the time the successor’s term begins. The Secretary of the BSL shall perform other duties incident to the office. The Secretary shall keep an accurate record of the decisions and actions of the BSL and the Association. The record of proceedings shall be and remain the property of the Association.

SECTION 6. Vacancies: Any vacancies in the membership of the BSL shall be filled by the Board of Servant Leaders within sixty (60) days after the vacancy occurs. The person appointed shall serve until a successor is ratified at the next annual business meeting. The appointed person, if ratified, will complete the vacated term and this will count as their first term. If at the end of their first term, the person appointed to the board vacancy is voted onto the board again they will be starting their second three-year term.

SECTION 7. Members of the BSL shall recuse themselves from discussing and/or voting on items affecting their own, or a family member’s, income, benefits or business.

SECTION 8. Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee shall be comprised of four (4) persons who serve on the BSL and four (4) members from the lay leadership (congregation) to be appointed annually by the BSL. Three (3) of the members from the BSL shall be the chairpersons of the Board of Trustees, the Board of Missions and the Board of Finance. The fourth member of the nominating committee, who will be the Chairperson, shall be the current Vice Chair of the Board of Servant Leaders. It is the duty of all members of the Board of Servant Leaders to seek out potential future board members and distribute board applications throughout the year. All board applications must be submitted to the Lead Administrative Assistant. The nominating committee will follow the timelines and procedures set forth in the document “Nominating Committee Standard Procedures”. The nominating committee will review all candidate qualifications and submit names to the congregation at least three (3) weeks prior to the Annual Business Meeting to be ratified at the Annual Business Meeting.

C. BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SECTION 1. Membership: The Board of Trustees of this Association shall be composed of nine (9) voting members, eight (8) from the congregation, and the Facility Manager as an ex-officio member with voting privileges. Each trustee nominee shall be ratified at the Annual Business Meeting of the church for a term of three years, with the terms of office rotated so that no more than three terms expire in any given year. A person may serve two consecutive terms as a member of the Board of Trustees. After these two terms, the person must resign from all HPCC boards for a period of one year. After one year, such person may again be nominated for any board.

SECTION 2. Officers: The Board of Trustees shall select from its own membership the following officers: Chairperson, Vice-chairperson and Secretary, who may serve no more than three (3) one-year terms in that office. After retiring one year, they may be elected again.

SECTION 3. Quorum: Five (5) members of the Board of Trustees must be present to constitute a quorum. Members of the Board of Trustees may participate and act at any meeting through the use of a conference telephone or other communications device by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can communicate simultaneously with each other. Participation in such meeting shall constitute attendance and presence in person at the meeting of the member or members so participating.

SECTION 4. The duties and powers of the Board of Trustees shall be as follows:

(a) It shall be responsible for executing all legal transactions related to any property of the Association as authorized by the Association.

(b) It shall manage the business affairs of the Association related to property matters, those designated by the bylaws and those responsibilities assigned by the BSL. At its discretion, the Board of Trustees may delegate responsibilities to an appropriate person on staff with the consent of the Lead Pastor. The Board of Trustees shall conduct its business in accordance with the approved budget.

(c) It shall attend to all maintenance, repair, and upkeep of the existing structure and properties. It will be responsible for all capital improvements as approved by the BSL.

(d) It shall attend to all leases, buying and selling, and renting of church properties. The board of Trustees shall be empowered by a two-thirds majority vote of the membership of the Association present and voting in a regular or called meeting to mortgage or encumber real estate for the Association.

(e) It shall insure that the Business Manager has implemented and is maintaining appropriate insurance coverage on church properties, staff, vehicles, and activities.

(f) It shall be responsible for safeguarding the real estate property owned by the Association.

(g) It may appoint committees from its own membership and from the membership of the Association as the Board may deem necessary to carry out the responsibilities with which they are charged.

SECTION 5. The duties and powers of the officers of the Board of Trustees shall be as follows:

(a) The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees shall preside at all meetings of this Board, attend the BSL meetings and perform such duties as usually are assigned to the Chairperson of a deliberate body.

(b) The Vice-chairperson of the Board of Trustees shall serve in the absence of the Chairperson.

(c) The Secretary of the Board of Trustees shall keep an accurate record of the acts, decisions and proceedings of the Board. This record shall be the property of the Association and shall be conveyed to the secretary’s successor at the time the successor’s term begins. The Secretary of the Board of Trustees shall perform other duties incident to the office.

SECTION 6. Any vacancies in the membership of the Board of Trustees shall be filled by the Board of Servant Leaders within sixty (60) days after the vacancy occurs. The person appointed shall serve until a successor is ratified at the next annual business meeting. The appointed person, if ratified, will complete the vacated term and this will count as their first term. If at the end of their first term, the person appointed to the board vacancy is voted onto the board again they will be starting their second three-year term.

SECTION 7. Members of the Board of Trustees shall recuse themselves from discussing and/or voting on items affecting their own, or a family member’s, income, benefits or business.

D. BOARD OF FINANCE

SECTION 1. Membership: The Board of Finance of this Association shall be composed of nine (9) members, eight (8) ratified by the Association, with the Business Manager as an ex-officio member with voting privileges. Each member of the Board of Finance shall serve for a term of three years with the terms of office rotated so that no more than three terms expire in the same year. A person may serve two consecutive terms as a member of the Board of Finance. After these two terms, the person must resign from all HPCC boards for a period of one year. After one year, such person may again be nominated for any board.

SECTION 2. Officers: The Board of Finance shall select from its membership the following officers: Chairperson, Vice-chairperson and Secretary, who may serve no more than three (3) one-year terms in that office. After retiring one year, they may be elected again.

SECTION 3. Treasurer (Business Manager): It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to oversee the contribution records of HPCC members, to accept other responsibilities as the Board of Finance directs and the duties specified in Article IV, Section 5.

SECTION 4. Quorum: Five (5) members of the Board of Finance must be present to constitute a quorum. Members of the Board of Finance may participate and act at any meeting through the use of a conference telephone or other communications device by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can communicate simultaneously with each other. Participation in such meeting shall constitute attendance and presence in person at the meeting of the member or members so participating.

SECTION 5. The duties and powers of the Board of Finance shall be as follows:

(a) The Board of Finance shall administer the annual budget.

(b) The Board of Finance shall work with the Board of Servant Leaders in planning for and implementing a comprehensive stewardship education program.

(c) It shall receive and hold in trust any donations, bequests, endowments or other funds and property designated to Highland Park Community Church or its ministries, insofar as it does not in any way infringe upon, hinder or thwart the spiritual purposes of the church.

(d) The Board of Finance shall prepare a proposed budget for presentation to the BSL. This proposed budget will be developed with input from the Pastors and Chairpersons of all boards. All salaries and benefits of hourly employees shall be recommended by their appointed supervisors with the Lead Pastor’s approval in accordance with the Employee Handbook. The Board of Finance shall also review, during the month of July, the actual income and expenses in relation to the approved annual budget, proposing revisions at a business meeting if necessary.

(e) The Board of Finance will authorize the Business Manager to implement generally accepted accounting practices for the purpose of conducting church business. All checks written on church accounts will be signed by two (2) authorized signatures.

(f) The Board of Finance may delegate authority to the Business Manager to transfer funds from the General Fund to the Building Fund if required, reporting such transactions to the Board of Finance at their next meeting.

(g) Each week, the Board of Finance shall assure that two authorized individuals count the offerings. Each week’s offering will be processed in accordance with the cash handling procedures in the Finance Procedures Manual.

SECTION 6. The duties and powers of the officers of the Board of Finance shall be as follows:

(a) The Chairperson of the Board of Finance shall preside at all meetings of this Board, attend the BSL meetings and perform such duties as usually are assigned to the Chairperson of a deliberate body.

(b) The Vice-chairperson of the Board of Finance shall serve in the absence of the Chairperson.

(c) The Secretary of the Board of Finance shall keep an accurate record of the acts, decisions and proceedings of the Board. This record shall be the property of the Association and shall be conveyed to the secretary’s successor at the time the successor’s term begins. The Secretary of the Board of Finance shall perform other duties incident to the office.

SECTION 7. Any vacancies in the membership of the Board of Finance shall be filled by the Board of Servant Leaders within sixty (60) days after the vacancy occurs. The person appointed shall serve until a successor is ratified at the next annual business meeting. The appointed person, if ratified, will complete the vacated term and this will count as their first term. If at the end of their first term, the person appointed to the board vacancy is voted onto the board again they will be starting their second three-year term.

SECTION 8. Members of the Board of Finance shall recuse themselves from discussing and/or voting on items affecting their own, or a family member’s, income, benefits or business.

E. BOARD OF MISSIONS

SECTION 1. Membership: The Board of Missions of this Association shall be composed of nine (9) members, eight (8) ratified by the Association, with the Go Pastor as an ex-officio member with voting privileges. Each member of the Board of Missions shall serve for a term of three years with the terms of office rotated so that no more than three terms expire in the same year. A person may serve two consecutive terms as a member of the Board of Missions. After these two terms, the person must resign from all HPCC boards for a period of one year. After one year, such person may again be nominated for any board.

SECTION 2. Officers: The Board of Missions shall select from its nine (9) ratified members the following officers: Chairperson, Vice-chairperson and Secretary, who may serve no more than three (3) one-year terms in that office. After retiring one year, they may be elected again.

SECTION 3. Quorum: Five (5) members of the Board of Missions must be present to constitute a quorum. Members of the Board of Missions may participate and act at any meeting through the use of a conference telephone or other communications device by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can communicate simultaneously with each other. Participation in such meeting shall constitute attendance and presence in person at the meeting of the member or members so participating.

SECTION 4. The duties and powers of the Board of Missions shall include but not be limited to the following:

(a) Promote and educate the church about missions.

(b) Prepare the Faith Promise Annual Budget for ratification by the Board of Servant Leaders.

(d) Provide ongoing ministry to our partners on and off the mission fields.

(e) Develop new partners in missions when appropriate.

(f) Provide short term and long-term mission experiences to the congregation.

SECTION 5. The duties and powers of the officers of the Board of Missions shall be as follows:

(a) The Chairperson of the Board of Missions shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Missions, attend the BSL meetings, coordinate the work of the Board of Missions with the Go Pastor who shall coordinate (Article V, A, Section 1) the day-to-day affairs on behalf of the Board of Missions and perform such duties as usually are assigned to the Chairperson of a deliberate body.

(b) The Vice-chairperson of the Board of Missions shall serve in the absence of the Chairperson.

(c) The Secretary of the Board of Missions shall keep an accurate record of the acts, decisions and proceedings of the Board. This record shall be the property of the Association and shall be conveyed to the secretary’s successor at the time the successor’s term begins. The Secretary of the Board of Missions shall perform other duties incident to the office.

SECTION 6. Any vacancies in the membership of the Board of Missions shall be filled by the Board of Servant Leaders within sixty (60) days after the vacancy occurs. The person appointed shall serve until a successor is ratified at the next annual business meeting. The appointed person, if ratified, will complete the vacated term and this will count as their first term. If at the end of their first term, the person appointed to the board vacancy is voted onto the board again they will be starting their second three-year term.

SECTION 7. Members of the Board of Missions shall recuse themselves from discussing and/or voting on items affecting their own, or a family member’s, income, benefits or business.

Article VI

Highland Park Community Church Foundation

The purpose of the Highland Park Community Church Foundation (HPCC), hereafter known as the Foundation, is to act as a trustee to receive gifts for the benefit of Highland Park Community Church, and to administer, provided within the Foundation Articles of Trust. There are 5 Foundation Board of directors comprised of the Lead Pastor, the Chairperson of the Board of Servant Leaders, the secretary of the BSL, and two at-large directors to be ratified by the HPCC Association at its annual meeting.

ARTCLE VII

Church – Pastor Relationships

SECTION 1. The Lead Pastor shall serve in a dual role as the spiritual leader of the church and Chairperson of the Association. The Lead Pastor shall maintain responsibility for guiding the spiritual pilgrimage of the congregation. The Lead Pastor may appoint the Vice-Chairperson of the Association as the Chairperson for a specified period.

SECTION 2. The Lead Pastor shall be responsible for the content and form of worship, including the observance of ordinances, give inspiration and instruction in the faith, and be the principal administrator of the total work of the church.

SECTION 3. Pastors and their adult family members shall become members of the Association when they come into the employment of the church. Pastors shall be responsible for spiritual and functional leadership within the church as shall be defined by position descriptions and shall be directly accountable to the Lead Pastor.

SECTION 4. The Lead Pastor’s salary package and benefits shall be reviewed annually by the Board of Finance. The salary package and benefits of other pastors and staff shall be reviewed annually by the Lead Pastor with recommendations given to the Board of Finance.

SECTION 5. The Lead Pastor cannot authorize a bonus for themselves. When the Lead Pastor recommends bonuses for all associate pastors and/or key employees, the Board of Servant Leaders will be notified. The BSL will consider authorizing a bonus for the Lead pastor and will vote. Any subsequent bonus authorization will be communicated to the business manager for distribution.

SECTION 6. The termination of a pastoral or employment relationship shall be done in one of the following ways:

(a) The Lead Pastor shall submit a letter of resignation to the BSL. Associate Pastors shall submit a letter of resignation to the Lead Pastor who shall at the earliest possible date notify the BSL. The BSL shall at the earliest possible date, through its chairperson or some other member of the BSL they assign, announce the resignation of a Pastor to the Association.

(b) When there is question as to the retention or removal of the Lead Pastor from the leadership of the congregation, the process outlined below shall be followed:

(1) If 150 eligible members of the Association (See Article 3) object to the continued leadership of the Lead Pastor, they may present their objections in writing to the BSL where the objections shall be carefully studied. If no solution to the problem is reached, the BSL shall bring the matter to the Association, being responsible to properly call and conduct the meeting in keeping with these bylaws. The Vice-Chairperson of the Association shall be the moderator of any business session having to do with the retention or removal of the Lead Pastor. The matter for consideration shall be presented by the BSL in written form at the business meeting and, after discussion, shall be voted by secret ballot.

(2) The decision to remove the Lead Pastor from his/her office shall require a majority vote of the members present and voting. If the vote is for removal, a minimum of sixty (60) days shall be allowed for severance pay, unless there has been a defection of character resulting in the loss of recognized ministerial status. In such case, the removal shall be immediate and the church shall have no further financial obligations.

(3) If the Lead Pastor should desire a vote as an expression of the congregation’s opinion concerning his/her continued leadership, a vote for this purpose may be taken in a regular or special-called meeting of the Association. The details and method of the vote shall be arranged by the Lead Pastor in consultation with the BSL. Whether the vote is determinative or only a matter for the pastor’s eyes only are decisions that shall be made by the Lead Pastor and the BSL before the business meeting in which the expression is taken and clearly indicated to the members present and voting.

(d) In addition, the Lead Pastor may initiate actions for the termination of the employment of other staff persons, pursuant to the Employee Handbook.

SECTION 7. The Pastoral Search Committee shall elect its own officers and proceed in the following manner:

(a) The call of Associate Pastors is the responsibility of the Lead Pastor with the help and ratification of the Search Committee and ministry committees affected by the call.

(b) It shall investigate the availability of prospective pastors and study their qualifications as to character, leadership abilities, education, experience, ministerial recognition, status and ministerial compatibility. It may seek the guidance of the Wyoming Ministerial Assembly or its Credentials Committee, who may consult with the Division of Church Service of the Church of God for information and certification of ministerial standing.

(c) A clear agreement shall be reached, in writing, with the prospective Pastor(s) regarding responsibilities and working relationships.

(d) The Pastor’s initial salary package and benefits, and similar considerations shall be established by the Lead Pastor, Executive Pastor and other designees as assigned, in concurrence with the Board of Finance and communicated to the pastor at the time of his/her call and shall be reviewed annually by the process stated in these bylaws.

Article VIII

Meetings of the Association

SECTION 1. The fiscal year of the Association shall be the calendar year, January 1 through December 31. Terms of office are concurrent with the fiscal year.

SECTION 2. The Annual Business Meeting of the Association shall comply with the following guidelines:

(a) The Annual Business Meeting of the Association shall be held at the church building or some other designated place between the fifteenth day of October and the fifteenth day of November each year.

(b) The date, time and place of the Annual Business Meeting shall be announced publicly in a regular service of the church at least two Sundays prior to the Annual Business Meeting.

(d) All elections/ratifications shall be by ballot.

(e) Shall ratify the annual budget.

(f) Absentee ballots may be filed by a qualified member of the Association if the member finds it impossible to attend the business meeting. The member may cast an absentee ballot, providing request has been made five days prior to the meeting. The member may cast their ballot online or by a marked ballot that must be sealed in an envelope, the name of the member placed on the envelope before the business meeting, the name approved as a voting member, and the name recorded in the minutes of that business meeting.

(g) All business meetings shall provide opportunity for all persons to ask questions, express opinions, and call for actions as provided by these bylaws. In the event there is disagreement on procedure, Robert’s Rules of Order shall be followed to expeditiously facilitate matters on which there may be marked disagreements as to content and/or process.

SECTION 3. Special Business Meetings may be called at any time by the Chairperson of the Association, the BSL, or upon written request of 150 members. Those signatures must be eligible members of the Association. All such meetings shall be previously announced at a regular service of the church at least one (1) week prior to the special-called meeting, stating the purpose of the meeting, date, time and place.

SECTION 4. Minutes of all business meetings shall be recorded by the Secretary of the Association. At each business meeting, the Chairperson shall appoint a three-member Minutes Review Committee to read the minutes with the Secretary and assure that they are an accurate recording of the transactions of the meeting. The Secretary and the Minutes Review Committee members shall sign the minutes after determining the accuracy of the minutes. The Secretary shall read a brief summary of the minutes of the previous meeting and indicate they have been approved by the Minutes Review Committee. A member of the Association may call for a complete reading of the minutes of the previous meeting. In the Annual Business Meeting, the minutes of the previous annual business meeting and the minutes of all interim business meetings shall be summarized by the Secretary.

SECTION 5. In all business meetings of the church and in the deliberations of boards and committees, the Chairperson shall make a reasonable attempt to gain consensus. When the Chairperson of any group determines a consensus is not possible, then a majority vote shall decide the action or policy being considered.

Article IX

Expulsions

SECTION 1. Aside from the Lead Pastor, any officer of this Association or member of any Board or Committee may be expelled from office by a two-thirds vote of the members of the BSL.

SECTION 2. Expulsions may be for conduct deemed to be unbecoming a member of Highland Park Community Church or detrimental to the purpose of the church, for failure of duty, or for other reasons the congregation may deem sufficient grounds for expulsion.

SECTION 3. When one has been expelled from office, the authority of such person in that office ceases at once.

SECTION 4. Every effort will be made to bring the offending person back into harmony with the Body of Christ as outlined in Matthew 18.

SECTION 5. Service on the Boards and Committees is very important in the life of the church and attendance is strongly recommended. Therefore, any member of a Board or Committee who has three consecutive absences without notification to their Board or Committee shall be contacted by the Chairperson of that Board or Committee to explain his/her absences. A request for appropriate action, if necessary, will be submitted by the Chairperson of the Board or Committee to the Chairperson of the BSL prior to the BSL meeting.

Article X

Restriction on Use of Facilities

Highland Park Community Church of God, Inc. reserves the right to restrict the use of all properties owned from any event or program, including same-sex weddings judged by the Board of Servant Leaders to be at odds with the mission or teachings of the congregation and/or with the Church of God movement (Anderson, IN), represented formally by the actions of the movement’s General Assembly in the United States and Canada.

Article XI

Amendments

SECTION 1. These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the registered members present and voting at any regular or special-called meeting provided the suggested amendment shall have been studiedby a committee of not less than three (3) members appointed by the BSL and shall have been available at the church office at least seven (7) days previous to the time of voting thereon. At least one member of the committee shall be from the general membership of the Association and not a member of the BSL.

Revised: 11-2-25