Our Bylaws

The name of this church corporation shall be Pompey Community Church.

Pompey Community Church exists to meet people where they are and help guide them to where God wants them to be, by traveling together and becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

A member of Pompey Community Church shall be defined by the following:

1. Is 16 years of age or older (must be 18 to vote).
2. Has received by faith the Lord Jesus Christ as his/her personal savior.
3. Has attended the membership class.
4. Has agreed to the Doctrine of Faith (Appendix 2).
5. Has received a recommendation of the pastor(s) and elders.

The membership roll shall be reviewed/updated by the Lead Pastor or designee on a yearly basis to keep it current.

Membership may be revoked when a member has stopped attending, refuses to cease from flagrant sin (after repeated interventions) or is intentionally causing divisions within the church body.

The annual meeting of Pompey Community Church shall be held by the end of the month of January at a time and place designated by the Board of Directors, hereafter referred to as the Oversight Council.

Notice of the time and place of the annual meeting shall be announced 2 weeks prior to it and a copy of the proposed budget shall be made available.

Voting on any items shall be by church members as defined in Article 3.

The annual meeting shall have 6 main objectives:

1. Give the congregation an overview of the church’s health, vision, and direction.
2. Present the operating budget and capital budgets for the coming year and have the membership vote on their acceptance. The budget shall pass with a majority vote of the attending members.
3. Have the membership vote to confirm any candidates for Oversight Council membership.
4. Have the membership vote to confirm any candidates for Elder.
5. Have the membership vote to confirm any candidates from the congregational Membership for the Nomination Committee.
6. Conduct any other business that is deemed necessary by the Oversight Council.

The Oversight Council shall call additional congregational meetings as needed to conduct church business.  A two-week notice shall be given for any such meetings.

An absentee ballot shall be made available after the announcement of any congregational meeting where a vote will take place and shall be accepted up to the time of the vote.

Pompey Community Church shall be governed by an Oversight Council which shall consist of no less than seven and no more than nine members including the Board Chairperson (hereafter referred to as the Facilitator), Lead Pastor, the Elders, and Non-Elder members.  The Council will determine the number of members needed and solicit qualified nominations from the congregation.

The Oversight Council shall be invested with the authority to transact the business of Pompey Community Church and have all the duties and responsibilities given to the Oversight Council by the Religious Corporation Laws of the State of New York unless otherwise specifically enumerated herein.

Members of the Oversight Council shall meet the following criteria:

1. Be a member of Pompey Community Church.
2. Is not related to a current or proposed Council member by the following: spouse, sibling, parent or child. Relationships beyond these specified are at the discretion of the Oversight Council.
3. Strive to adhere to the Biblical Qualifications For Leadership in Appendix 1.
4. Agree with and support the Doctrines of Faith in Appendix 2.
5. Actively participate in the church for at least one year prior to election to the Council, with the exception of the Lead Pastor.
6. Be approved by the Oversight Council according to its policies.
7. Be approved by a majority vote of the congregation.

The Oversight Council is entrusted by the congregation Membership with the governance of the Church. The Oversight Council serves Pompey Community Church through its Council Policies as follows:

1. Ministry Outcomes: Given the biblical purposes for the local church the Oversight Council champions the unique expression (or vision) of those purposes at Pompey Community Church.  This unique expression (or vision) is expressed in specific ministry outcomes.  The ministry outcomes are accompanied by an annual budget that is approved by the Oversight Council.  It is the responsibility of the Oversight Council to establish, protect and ensure ministry outcomes are being accomplished by the Lead Pastor through ministry leaders and staff.
2. Council Culture: Addresses how the Oversight Council makes decisions and how each member is accountable to the others.
3. Lead Pastor Expectations: Specifies the Oversight Council expectations for the Lead Pastor, the Oversight Council means for evaluating the Lead Pastor against stated Ministry Outcomes, and the Oversight Council’s standards and procedures for financial accountability. These limiting policies will describe those practices, activities, decisions and circumstances that would be unacceptable to the Council in achieving ministry outcomes, even if they were to be effective.
4. Council/Staff Relations: Specifies how the Oversight Council delegates ministry to the Lead Pastor and monitors the outcomes of the ministry.

1. Selection: There shall be four elders, in addition to the Lead Pastor, who together constitute a majority of members on the Oversight Council.  In addition, there shall be two to four non-elder members. The Nominating Committee will recommend candidates for Council membership from the congregation to the Oversight Council.  Candidates must be approved by the Oversight Council before a congregational vote.  If the Council approves candidates, the members in attendance at the annual meetings or special meetings confirm them by majority vote.
2. Term: With the exception of the Lead Pastor, each Council member may serve for up to two consecutive three-year terms.  Members completing two three-year terms must take a sabbatical of at least one year before being eligible again for Council membership.  Council members may be removed before the end of their term if a majority of the Oversight Council votes for removal.  To replace a member for the remainder of a term, the Lead Pastor shall recommend a candidate and the Oversight Council shall approve by majority vote.

An Oversight Council Facilitator shall be elected by a two thirds majority vote of Oversight Council members from among their number. The Oversight Council Facilitator or designee:

1. Works in concert with the Lead Pastor to set agenda for the Oversight Council meetings.
2. Convenes and facilitates Oversight Council meetings.
3. Ensures that basic minutes of all membership meetings and Oversight Council meetings are kept.
4. Represents the Oversight Council in announcing Council-stated positions, decisions and interpretations, when it makes sense for the Council to be heard from directly rather than from the Lead Pastor.

The Lead Pastor shall be an ordained minister, must meet the Biblical Qualifications for Leadership in Appendix 1, and must agree with and support the Doctrine of Faith in Appendix 2.

The Oversight Council may elect to create a search committee to search for a Lead Pastor.

Candidates for the Lead Pastor position may be given an opportunity to teach and preach at a Sunday service and interact with the members and those in attendance at Pompey Community Church.

The search committee shall bring back its recommendation to the Oversight Council.  When a candidate is approved by the Council, this candidate shall be presented to the congregation.  Confirmation shall be obtained by a 2/3 majority vote of those members in attendance at a properly convened congregational meeting.

The Lead Pastor shall be installed at a special service.

The Oversight Council shall hold the Lead Pastor responsible for providing leadership toward the fulfillment of the Biblical purposes and the Ministry Outcomes of Pompey Community Church. The Lead Pastor is responsible to the Oversight Council for leading and giving oversight to the ministries of Pompey Community Church, will be expected to uphold the Biblical requirements of his office as an Elder and will provide oversight and management of the church, staff, and care of its Members. The Lead Pastor shall be the president of the corporation where such office is required by law. (Acts 14:2 20:28-32; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 5:17; 1 Peter 5:1-4).

The Oversight Council has authority through a majority vote to dismiss a Lead Pastor if he should fail to perform his duties satisfactorily or act in a manner inconsistent with the Biblical Qualifications for Leadership (Appendix 1).

The fiscal year shall be January 1, through December 31. The Oversight Council approves an annual calendar that is tied to the fiscal year, an annual ministry budget that is tied to ministry outcomes, and holds the Lead Pastor accountable for prudent financial practices.

As defined and directed by the Oversight Council, financial records shall be examined at least annually.

Amendments to these bylaws may be made by a 2/3 majority vote of the membership in attendance.  Notice of this vote shall be announced 2 weeks prior and a written copy of the changes shall be made available at that time.

Pompey Community Church shall not carry on any activities not permitted to be carried on by a corporation exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code as presently constituted, (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law).  The Oversight Council in consultation with the Lead Pastor shall have ultimate authority over what is prohibited and what is allowable.

The Nominating Committee will be chaired by the Lead Pastor and consist of four other members, including two members of the Oversight Council, and two members of the congregation who are not members of the Council.  The Lead Pastor will recommend two members of the congregation to the Oversight Council for their approval. They will then need to be approved by majority vote of the Membership at the annual meeting.  All members of this committee, besides the Lead Pastor, will serve a 3-year term and can serve for up to two consecutive terms.

The Nominating Committee shall:

1. Find qualified candidates for the following positions when required: Elder, non-Elder Oversight Council member.
2. Explain the roles, responsibilities, requirements, and commitments of the positions to the nominees.
3. Begin the process of finding qualified candidates by September 1 and present names to the Oversight Council by the November Council meeting.
4. Be available throughout the year.

An elder is a recognized, biblically qualified “shepherd of God’s flock” (1 Peter 5:2) at Pompey Community Church. The office of Elder includes the Lead Pastor as outlined in Scripture (1 Peter 5, Acts 20:17, 28-31, 1 Timothy 5:17, and Ephesians 4:11), and the Lead Pastor reports to the Oversight Council. When exercising their shepherding ministry as defined in this section, the Elders function under the oversight of the Lead Pastor. However, as fellow Elders, they hold the Lead Pastor and each other accountable with regard to continuing to meet biblical Elder qualifications, doctrinal soundness, and the faithful execution of ministry. It is the Elders’ responsibility to ensure that any unresolved concerns or persistent conflicts amongst the Elders, or any issues that could negatively affect the Pompey Community Church body, are reported to the Oversight Council in a timely fashion for awareness and/or further action. When exercising their function as members of the Oversight Council, Elders operate as equals to all other members of the Oversight Council as established in Pompey Community Church Governance Policy.

Elders carry out their shepherding ministry at Pompey Community Church in the following ways:

1. Elders protect the flock (congregation) by ensuring the church’s doctrinal soundness (orthodoxy) and practice (orthopraxy). They ensure that all preaching and teaching accords with the church’s Doctrine of Faith. They study biblical or doctrinal issues or questions that arise and respond with clarification in their counsel, teaching, writing, and policy-making.
2. Elders feed the flock by fostering an environment of consistent study and application of the Scriptures. They find and develop gifted teachers and preachers who are able to “rightly handle the Word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) and are able to effectively communicate it. They encourage the personal application of the Scriptures by how they seek to live the Word themselves.
3. Elders care for the flock by overseeing the spiritual, physical, and emotional care of the congregation. They make themselves personally available for visiting, counseling, and praying for people as the need arises. They provide intentional encouragement, support, and accountability to each other, pastors and staff, and other church leaders.
4. Elders lead the flock by being a Christlike example in their words and deeds. They determine and clarify the church’s mission and vision along with the rest of the Oversight Council. They seek to “equip the saints” (Ephesians 4:12) to minister effectively and to know and be able to share the Gospel. They work with the Lead Pastor to find and develop potential elders.

1. A potential elder will be examined by the church’s currently-serving Elders in order to discover his calling and qualifications. If the Elders and the candidate, in search of God’s will for his life in this matter, are of like mind to his calling, the Elders shall recommend him to the Oversight Council for approval in accordance with Article 5.
2. Nominations of potential elder candidates may be offered to the Elders by the congregation, either directly or through the Nominating Committee.
3. Men who believe they fulfill the scriptural qualifications for elders may submit their names to the Elders for consideration.
4. The selection of a man to serve as an Elder is a solemn and serious matter (1 Timothy 5:21-22). Therefore the Elders shall earnestly, without haste, bias, or partiality, seek God’s will with regard to the potential elder’s selection as an Elder.

Elders are men who are members of Pompey Community Church, who have been actively participating in the church for at least one year, and who meet the Scriptural qualifications for elders established in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:6-9, and 1 Peter 5:1-3. Specific qualities required include a mature Christian faith, a vital relationship with Jesus Christ, a good knowledge of and ability to teach the Bible, an example to others of godly character, the heart of a servant, an ability to respond to and resolve conflict biblically, and a role model as a Christian husband (if married) and father.

Elders at Pompey Community Church may serve up to two consecutive three-year terms, after which they must take a sabbatical of at least one year before being eligible again for Elder service.

A deacon is a recognized, biblically-qualified servant of Christ at Pompey Community Church. While all believers are called to serve (1 Corinthians 12:5; Galatians 5:13), Deacons are those who are recognized and appointed to extend the shepherding ministry of the Elders into the physical needs of the people and property of the church (Acts 6:1-7). Because the responsibilities of a deacon are not clearly listed or outlined in scripture, deacon service is “to the task” and “for the moment,” not as a permanent position, office, or board position. The main responsibility is that of serving by ministering to the physical needs of the church’s people and property under the leadership and oversight of the Elders.

Appointment of Deacons is not mandatory, but on an as-needed basis (Acts 6:1-7). Deacons may be appointed to meet an immediate or long-term need for specific service. Pompey Community Church will follow the following steps in appointing Deacons:

1. The Elders shall decide if a deacon is needed to meet a particular need of the people and/or property of the church (Acts 6:1-7).
2. The Elders shall seek input and advice from the staff, the Oversight Council, and congregation concerning the need and ask them to recommend those men or women who are qualified to meet it.
3. The Elders shall, after prayerful consideration, appoint the man or woman whom they believe to be the most qualified to serve the specific need (Acts 6:3).

Deacons shall be male or female members of Pompey Community Church who are spiritually mature believers that are model servants (1 Tim. 3:8-13; Acts 6:1-7), able to serve, and who are conscientiously and wholeheartedly in agreement with Pompey Community Church’s Doctrine of Faith, Bylaws, and Mission and Vision. Qualifications for a deacon’s character are clearly outlined in 1 Timothy 3:8-13.

Since a deacon is not an office or board position, and since service is on an “as needed” basis, Deacons may remain in their role of service as long as the need for their service exists and as long as they are both qualified and willing to serve. Some ministry roles of service will be on-going, while others temporary or periodic. Thus, there are no “term limits”. Deacons may be involuntarily removed by a unanimous vote of the Elders.

In Scripture, character is emphasized over specific functions.

• “Above reproach” – no cause for unjust criticism
• “Husband of one wife” – monogamous fidelity
• “Temperate” – self-control
• “Prudent” – wise decision-maker
• “Respectable” – orderly, organized
• “Hospitable” – willing to share his home
• “Able to teach” – can communicate spiritual truth
• “Not given to wine” – not addicted
• “Not pugnacious but gentle” – patient, not violent
• “Uncontentious” – not insistent on rights, peaceable
• “Free from love of money” – not greedy or “in it for the money”
• “Manages his household well… children under control” – discipline, peace and order at home
• “Not a new convert” – to avoid pride
• “Good reputation with outsiders” – has the respect of unbelievers
• “Not self-willed” – genuine concern for others interests, not just his own
• “Not quick tempered” – (self-explanatory)
• “Loves what is good” – can discern what is spiritually beneficial
• “Just” – law-keeping himself and fair with others
• “Devout” – avoids sin and is committed to God
• “Hold fast the faithful Word” – knows doctrinal truth

See What We Believe