Church Polity
CONSTITUTION OF
CASCADES BIBLE CHURCH
Potomac Falls, Virginia
ARTICLE I – NAME
This Church shall be known as Cascades Bible Church, Potomac Falls, Virginia.
ARTICLE II – MISSION
The mission of this Church shall be the promotion and support of the worship of God by the preaching of the Gospel of the Lord JESUS CHRIST at home and abroad and equipping the saints for the work of service and building up of the body of Christ.
ARTICLE III – ORGANIZATION
Cascades Bible Church shall be recognized as a nonprofit religious organization under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The church shall operate exclusively for religious, charitable, and educational purposes within the classification of legal charities.
ARTICLE IV – GOVERNMENT
This organization shall be permanently independent, strictly self-governing in all matters, and shall never be under the control of any denomination or federation of churches. The church shall seek fellowship with other congregations of like faith and practice.
The Elders shall constitute the governing body of the Church, and shall conduct its spiritual and business affairs. Voting authority for all Church matters shall be vested in the Elders.
ARTICLE V – COVENANT
Having been led by the Holy Spirit to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our own personal Savior, and on the public testimony of our faith in Him, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now in the presence of God and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into this covenant with one another as one body in Christ.
We purpose, therefore, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this Church in knowledge, holiness and comfort; to promote its spirituality and prosperity, and to sustain scriptural worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to give the Church sacred preeminence over all institutions of human origin; to give faithfully of time and talent in its activities; to contribute cheerfully as God has prospered us to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the Church and the spread of the gospel throughout all nations according to the Scripture.
We purpose to maintain family and private devotions; to educate our children according to the Word of God; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our manner of living; and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the Kingdom of our Savior.
We purpose, by the grace and power of God, that as strangers and pilgrims, we will strive to abstain from all forms of activity which dishonor our Lord Jesus Christ or cause stumbling to a fellow believer; that we will avoid all gossip, backbiting and unrighteous anger, and will be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven us.
We purpose to watch over one another in brotherly love; to encourage one another in the blessed hope of our Lord’s return; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation.
We moreover purpose that should we remove from this place we will, as soon as possible, unite with another church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the teaching of God’s Word. In the event there is no such church, we shall seek, with the Lord’s help, to establish one.
ARTICLE VI – ARTICLES OF FAITH
WE BELIEVE that the Bible is the inspired, infallible and inerrant Word of God, our only rule for faith and practice. (II Tim.3:16-17; II Peter 1:21)
WE BELIEVE in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; each of whom is equal in being, power and glory. (Matt. 28:19; John 6:27; Heb. 1:8; Acts 5:3-4)
WE BELIEVE that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, “each after its own kind,” by direct act and not by the process of evolution. (Gen. 1, 2; Col. 1:16-17; John 1:3)
WE BELIEVE in the distinct personality of Satan, and that he is the “god of this age,” author of all the powers of darkness and sin, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire. (Matt. 4:1-3; 2Cor. 4:4; Rev. 20:10)
WE BELIEVE that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sin nature, and became alienated from God; and that man is totally depraved and, of himself, totally unable to remedy his lost condition. (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23; 5:10-19; Eph. 2:1-3, 12)
WE BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is God’s only begotten Son, His virgin birth, sinless life, sacrificial atoning death for our sins, His bodily resurrection, and His personal, literal imminent return. (John 1:1-3, 29; 3:16; Luke 24:36-43; John 14:1-3)
WE BELIEVE in salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and that salvation delivers the believer in Christ from the penalty and power of sin, and ultimately from the very presence of sin. (Rom. 3:24; Eph. 2:8-9; John 10:27-28; I John 5:13)
WE BELIEVE that all who take Christ as their Savior are born from above by action of the Holy Spirit and are eternally secure in Christ. (John 10:28-29; Rom. 8:35-39; Phil.1:6)
WE BELIEVE in the Church which is the body and bride of Jesus Christ, whose purpose is to worship, pray, fellowship, teach, witness of Christ, and observe the ordinances of her Lord which are baptism of believers by immersion and the observance of the Lord’s Supper. (Eph. 5:25-32; Matt. 28:20; I Cor. 11:23-24)
WE BELIEVE that the pattern seen in the “Church which is His Body” should be duplicated or manifested in the local Church, the local assemblies of believers, called together by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of working together to accomplish God’s will in a given locality. (Acts 2:41-47; Rom. 16:5)
WE BELIEVE that the Holy Spirit seals, baptizes, indwells and regenerates all believing sinners at the moment of conversion. We believe that He sovereignly gives every Christian at least one spiritual gift for service. Further that these gifts are for the edification of the body and not the individual. While we hold to the teaching that God can and still does perform miracles such as healing, we do not believe that He still gifts individuals with the sign gifts (speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, healings, miracles) as He did in the apostolic age. (1Cor. 12:13; I Pet. 4:10; Eph. 1:13; John 3:1-8; Titus 3:5; 1Cor. 14:22; Heb. 2:4)
WE BELIEVE in the bodily, personal, imminent, pre-millennial return of Jesus Christ; that He will come before the seven-year tribulation period to catch away His Church, coming only into the air, and that He will come again with His Church at the close of the tribulation to judge the living nations and to set up His kingdom. (1Thess. 4:13-18; Matt. 25:31-46; Rev. 19:11-21)
We acknowledge that the above articles of faith in no way exhaust the content of our faith which is the entire Word of God. Furthermore, the verses given are listed only as illustrative and should not be construed as proof texts or as exhaustive in nature. We do believe that these articles are a true representation of the sound doctrine taught in the Scriptures.
ARTICLE VII – MEMBERSHIP
SECTION A – Purpose of Membership
Being led by the Holy Spirit to formally identify with Cascades Bible Church a believer should have the following purposes in mind.
(1) Growing spiritually in the Lord. (Acts 2:42; Heb. 5:11-6:1; 13:7)
(2) Being used by God for mutual encouragement and the meeting of specific spiritual, physical and emotional needs of the body. (Acts 2:42-47; Rom. 1:12; Gal. 6:1-2; Heb.10:23-25)
(3) To be used by God to minister to others by developing and exercising God-given spiritual gifts under the spiritual watch care of the Lord’s under shepherd, the elders. (Acts 20:28; 1Cor. 12:4-7; Eph. 4; 11-15; Heb. 13:17)
SECTION B – Responsibilities
It shall be the responsibility of each member of the Church to fulfill obligations as set forth in this Constitution and assist fellow members in keeping theirs; to honor and esteem their spiritual leaders; to pray for them, to submit to them in the scriptural exercise of their official authority, and to manifest a proper consideration for their reputation; and, in proportion to one’s ability, to contribute toward the Church and its ministry.
SECTION C – Categories
(1) Regular – All members received into the membership of the Church except as specified in (2) and (3).
(2) Associate – Special membership provided for those who, because of career, student or other status, believe their residency here will only be temporary, and therefore wish to maintain membership in their home church.
(3) Absentee – Members who are absent for extended periods of time for such reasons as advanced education or missionary service who plan to return periodically or permanently to this area.
SECTION D – Admission
(1) The members of this Church shall consist of believers in Christ who have given testimony of the new birth, have been baptized by immersion upon profession of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, are in agreement with the covenant and Articles of Faith of this church and will abide by its form of government.
(2) All new applications for membership shall be made through the Board of Elders. Upon an affirmative vote by the Board, new members will be presented to the congregation.
SECTION E – Dismissal
Shall be by:
(1) Letter of Dismissal
Upon the request or order of any member in good standing, a Letter of Dismissal to another Church of like faith and order shall be granted by vote of the Elders.
(2) Erasure from roll
If a member neglects his membership obligations, the Elders may, after a period of one year, erase his name from the roll. The Elders shall also erase from the roll the name of any member who unites with another Church without requesting absentee membership or securing dismissal from this Church.
(3) Removal
If a member is teaching doctrine contrary to sound doctrinal statements of this constitution, that will be justification for removal as a member.
(4) Exclusion
When the Elders have voted to withdraw church fellowship from any member who has been proved unworthy of membership, that membership shall cease immediately.
ARTICLE VIII – DISCIPLINE / RESTORATION
As believers in Jesus Christ and members of His body, the church, we are to exhibit His character through our obedience to God’s Word in every relationship and in every situation. When a fellow believer persists in overt sinful behavior contrary to Scripture, we have a Scriptural responsibility to admonish the sinning believer so that he or she may have an opportunity to repent of the sin and be restored to obedient and fruitful Christian living.
Biblical principles must be fol1owed by individuals and by the church as a body when discipline/restoration is required for a fellow believer who sins. This process is to be exercised with great love and with diligent, fervent prayer.
If, however, a believer persists in his or her sinful behavior, in spite of scripturally based repeated warnings, the individual shall be subject to suspension or removal from the church fellowship or such other action as the Board of Elders may deem proper. The sinning believer will be restored to fellowship when it is determined that repentance has taken place. (1Cor. 5:1-5; Matt. 18:15-18; Gal. 6:1-5). See Article IX of the By-Laws for detailed information on the purpose and policy of church discipline.
ARTICLE IX – OFFICERS
The scriptural officers of this Church are Elders and Deacons, and the By-Laws shall determine their appointment, term and succession.
ARTICLE X – MINISTRY LEADERSHIP AND PERSONNEL
Other leadership positions and personnel may be created and filled by the Elders as deemed necessary. Such positions may include, but are not limited to, Treasurer, Sunday School Superintendent, Home Fellowship Group Leaders, Church Office Manager, etc. See church manual of job descriptions.
ARTICLE XI – MEETINGS
Meetings for worship, prayer, praise, fellowship, business and special purposes shall be held as set forth in the By-Laws.
ARTICLE XII- AMENDMENTS
The Constitution and/or By-Laws of Cascades Bible Church may be amended at a meeting of the Board of Elders, called for that purpose, notice of which has been given to the full Board at least two weeks in advance. A vote to amend shall require a 3/4 affirmative vote of the full board to pass.
ARTICLE XIII – EXISTENCE AND DISSOLUTION
It is confidently expected that the ministry of Cascades Bible Church wi1l continue until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, in order to fulfill all possible legal requirements, it is the expressed wish and desire of this organization that, if the church should bring its work to a conclusion and dissolve its organization, none of its assets remaining after meeting all responsibilities and payment of all just obligations shall insure to the benefit of any individual member of the organization, elder, pastor, or other employee, missionary, or other private individuals. In the event of its dissolution, all such assets, if any, shall be turned over by decision of the Elders to a church, an organization, or organizations which is or are in harmony with the mission as stated in Article II, and is or are in agreement with the doctrinal position as stated in Article VI. Such an organization or organizations also must be recognized by the U.S. Treasury Department as entitled to tax exempt status.
Adopted by Cascades Bible Church on May 1, 2007.
BYLAWS OF
CASCADES BIBLE CHURCH
Potomac Falls, Virginia
PREAMBLE
These By-Laws are adopted, ordained, and established for this Church’s government and plan of worship and service. No By-Law shall be affected that is contrary to the Constitution of this Church.
ARTICLE I – Officers
The scriptural officers of the Church shall be Pastors, Elders and Deacons. Other leadership positions are described in the church manual of job descriptions. All officers shall be appointed from the membership by the Board of Elders. They shall assume their duties at the time of appointment. Before appointment, Elders, with the exception of the Senior Pastor, shall have been members for at least six months; Deacons shall have been members for a period of three months.
SECTION A – Pastor(s)
1. The Senior Pastor (Pastor/Teacher/Elder) is recognized as the under-shepherd of Christ’s local Church and its chief officer. He shall preach the Word of God, administer the Ordinances of the New Testament, arrange for and conduct all public and regular services of the church, and be responsible for general oversight of the spiritual welfare of the church. He shall be an ex officio member and counselor of all committees. He shall maintain at all times a godly deportment, so that no reproach may come through him upon the Body of Christ.
2. Assistant Pastors and other Pastoral Staff positions that may be established by the Board of Elders shall come under the authority of the Senior Pastor for supervision and direction.
3. The Pastor(s) shall be appointed by the process outlined in Article II of the By-Laws. The Pastor(s) shall be responsible to the Board of Elders. He shall remain in office for an indefinite period of time. The Board of Elders reserve the right to dismiss the Pastor(s) upon giving him one month’s written notice of its intention to dismiss. The Pastor(s) must give one month’s notice if he intends to resign.
SECTION B – Elders
1. Qualifications – Each member of the Board of Elders must be an active member of this church and possess the qualifications described in I Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9.
2. The process of appointment of Elders and their tenure of office is outlined in Article II of these By-Laws.
3. Duties – The Board of Elders shall be the governing body of this Church. The specific responsibilities of the Elders shall include:
a. Provide spiritual direction and oversight of the Church; oversee all ministries and programs of the Church; and communicate regularly what God has done and is doing through the church body.
b. Hold an annual congregational meeting of the church for the purpose of giving a report of the affairs of the church. At such meeting, the Elders will render a written report of the affairs of the Church and transact other business as determined by the Elders, including affirmations of appointments made by the Elders.
c. Assist the Senior Pastor in the administration of the ordinances of Baptism and Communion.
d. Make provision for the supply of the pulpit in the absence of the Senior Pastor and take full charge of all services not conducted by the Pastor(s).
e. Cooperate with the Pastor(s) in the shepherding of the Church body; “Strive to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus;” reconcile as far as possible all differences; give counsel and comfort to the poor, the sick and afflicted; and keep order in the assemblies of the Church.
f. Supervise all ways and means of raising funds; receive and disburse the funds of the Church; authorize salaries and missionary allowances; acquire or dispose of real property or its fixtures or contract for any loans on behalf of this Church; take all necessary measures for the protection, management and upkeep of all property; and determine the use of the facilities of this Church.
g. Appoint and remove officers, agents, pastors, teachers, ministry leaders, staff, and employees; prescribe duties for them, fix terms of their offices and compensation; and admit and dismiss members of the church.
h. Address errors in conduct or doctrine which is inconsistent with biblical Christianity or the CBC Articles of Faith on the part of employees of CBC, employees of any ministry of CBC, members or regular attenders of CBC, and volunteer workers in any ministry of CBC. Actions taken shall follow the disciplinary process outlined in Article IX of these By-Laws and may include removal from a position or termination of employment.
i. Settle disputes arising between church members, pastors, or staff pertaining to any matters of spiritual teaching or practices, church finances or title to property purchased with church contributions.
j. Interpret the Constitution and By-Laws of this Church.
k. Adopt policies and practices that are necessary for the orderly administration of the affairs of this Church and are not in conflict with the Constitution, the By-Laws, the Articles of Faith, or the Holy Scriptures.
4. Operating Procedures
a. The Elders shall number three or more as the needs and size of the congregation shall indicate. They shall elect their own secretary.
b. Regular meetings of the Board of Elders may be held without call or notice on the second Wednesday of every month, unless otherwise modified by the Board. Regular meetings may be open to church members upon request. Special meetings of the Board of Elders may be called at any time by any elder upon 2/3 majority vote.
c. Decisions of the Board of Elders shall be reached after prayerful consideration by unanimous vote. For decisions involving major issues, three-fourths of the Board of Elders shall constitute a quorum. Major issues shall include but not be limited to the appointment or dismissal of a Pastor, Elder or Deacon; conferring ordination; annual budget approval; and changes to the Constitution or By-Laws. For other decisions, two-thirds of the Board of Elders shall constitute a quorum. For decisions involving major issues, the Board of Elders will communicate regularly with the church body in order to receive specific input to these decisions and to solicit prayer.
5. Elders Serving as Trustees
a. Three Elders will serve as “Trustees,” representing Cascades Bible Church in its legal responsibilities to all Federal, State and County agencies. In the event that there are less than three Elders representing the Church, the Board of Elders shall temporarily elect a Deacon who shall act as a Trustee.
b. Any and all Board action that requires signatures of the Trustees may be considered a major issue and require a quorum of three-fourths of the entire Board. The Board resolution authorizing the Trustees’ signatures will be signed by all of the Elders that constitute the quorum.
SECTION C – Deacons
1. Qualifications of Deacons – The Deacons shall consist of members possessing the qualifications described in I Timothy 3:8-13.
2. The process of appointment of Deacons and their tenure of office is outlined in Article II of these By-Laws.
3. The duties of a Deacon shall include:
a. Assisting the Elders in the shepherding of the saints and in the general spiritual care of the church body by:
i. Assisting in the visitation ministries of the Church, both routine and special
needs (e.g., sick, incarceration of a family member, aged, divorce or
separation, single parents, job loss, catastrophic events, discipline problem,
etc.)
ii. Assisting in maintaining contact with the Church
b. Administering the Benevolent Fund.
c. Assisting the Pastor in the communion and baptismal services.
d. Assisting in the administration of other ministries and performing other duties as
assigned by the Board of Elders.
4. Operating Procedures
a. The Deacons shall number four or more as the needs and size of the congregation
indicate.
b. Regular meetings of the Deacons shall be held once each month.
ARTICLE II – Appointment, Tenure, and Removal of Pastor(s), Elders and Deacons
SECTION A – Appointment
1. When the Board of Elders believe that God has called a particular man to minister as a Pastor, they shall select him as a candidate for the particular office. Once selected, the Board of Elders will present the candidate for Pastor to the Church at two (2) consecutive Sunday services.
2. Throughout the year, the Board of Elders shall prayerfully seek whom God is calling to minister as Elder or Deacon and shall select candidates for these offices. A written notice of a candidate being considered for office shall be published in the regular church bulletin for two (2) consecutive Sundays.
3. During the time of deliberation, the church members will deliberate the candidate’s qualifications. Any member’s knowledge of a biblical reason that would disqualify the candidate should be presented to the Board of Elders for their consideration.
4. Appointment. After the deliberation process, the Board of Elders will appoint the person to the office.
SECTION B – Tenure of Office
1. An Elder or Deacon shall serve for a term of one (1) year.
2. If, after the initial one-year term, the officer believes that God is calling him to serve for another term and is willing and eager to serve, not under compulsion, the Elders will reevaluate the person as candidate for the next one-year term. The candidate will be announced, deliberated, and then appointed according to the process described in Article II, A (3) above.
SECTION C – Removal from Office
1. The Board of Elders reserve the right to dismiss the Pastor(s) upon giving him written notice of its intention to dismiss. The Pastor(s) must give one month’s notice if he intends to resign.
2. Any Elder or Deacon may resign upon giving written notice to the Board of Elders. Any such resignation shall take effect at the date of the receipt of such notice or at any later time specified therein.
3. Any Elder or Deacon may be removed from office if he becomes physically incapacitated, spiritually unqualified, or his inability to serve is established in the minds of the remainder of the Board of Elders.
ARTICLE III – Committees
Committees shall be created or dissolved for purposes as determined by the Board of Elders. Committees shall execute only such policy, procedure or authority as is approved or delegated by the Board of Elders.
ARTICLE IV – Financial Year
The Financial Year of this Church shall close with the last Sunday in December, and full financial reports shall be made as soon thereafter as is practical.
ARTICLE V – Meetings
Meetings shall be held for public worship each Sunday morning. The Senior Pastor or Elders may arrange the date, place, or time of any other meetings.
The ordinances of the Lord’s Supper shall be observed once per month. The ordinances of baptism shall be observed as needed.
ARTICLE VI – Ordination
A Christian man who is in the process of entering the Lord’s full-time service, or who is presently engaged in full-time service and desires ordination by the Church, may submit his request to the Elders. Should the Elders believe that he possesses the scriptural qualifications to be considered for ordination, they may call a council to examine the qualifications of the candidate, to which council the propriety of ordaining shall be referred. After receiving a recommendation from the said council, the Board of Elders shall vote on the candidate; a 3/4 vote of the Elders present is required for ordination. After such vote, the Board of Elders shall consider a time and place for an ordination service.
ARTICLE VII – Pulpit Committee
The Board of Elders shall be the Pulpit Committee for selecting a Senior Pastor. The Board of Elders shall seek a man whose doctrinal position is in keeping with the faith and practice of this Church. After the Board of Elders has selected a candidate, the Board shall present the candidate to the Church at two (2) consecutive Sunday services. The Board shall present only one candidate to the Church at a time. The Board of Elders will render a decision regarding the candidate.
The Board of Elders shall be responsible for supplying speakers during the interim between Senior Pastors.
ARTICLE VIII – Discipline/Restoration
SECTION A – Introduction
The following is a statement of the Church Discipline/Restoration Policy at Cascades Bible Church. It serves as a guideline for church discipline with regard to any believer in Jesus Christ who chooses to identify with Cascades Bible Church either by formal membership, as provided in Article VI of the Constitution, or simply by regular attendance at corporate worship, participation in ministries, regular financial support, or any other means that would indicate to a reasonable observer that Cascades Bible Church is the home church of that believer.
SECTION B – The Purpose of Church Discipline/Restoration
The purpose of church discipline is to bring about repentance from sin, personal reconciliation, and restoration to fellowship. Church discipline is prescribed in the Scriptures and is essential for four basic reasons:
1. for the glorification and honor of God (Ephesians 1:11,12; I Corinthians 6:18-20; II Timothy 2:19-22)
2. for the sake of the individual who is sinning (Matthew 18:15-20; Psalm 32:3,4; Genesis 4:7; Hebrews 3:12,13, Titus 3:10,11)
3. as a warning to others who are sinning (I Corinthians 10:1-11; I Corinthians 11:28-32)
4. to maintain the purity of the church (I Corinthians 5:6,7; Hebrews 12:14,15; Revelation 2:5).
SECTION C – The Policy
The Church Discipline Policy is derived from the teaching of the Old and New Testaments. The process begins whenever it is clear that a believer is persisting unrepentantly in overt sinful behavior contrary to the teaching of Scripture in spite of repeated warnings.
The steps of the process are delineated below. Each step has as its primary goal the restoration of the sinning believer back to fellowship. If the goal of restoration is accomplished in Step 1, then no other steps are taken. If that goal is accomplished in Step 2, then no other steps are taken. The same kind of pattern continues in reference to Steps 3 and 4. Even after Step 5, the goal is still restoration. When restoration takes place, it will be made known.
Throughout the steps of church discipline/restoration those involved are to examine (judge) themselves in a biblical manner and to take appropriate biblical steps to overcome any sin in their own lives before approaching the sinning believer. The steps are to be taken with a spirit of gentleness and with a readiness, at all times, to grant forgiveness when there is repentance. It is recognized that in some cases, a sinning believer will not cooperate in the steps of discipline. In such cases, the matter will be brought to the Elders and the process will continue from there.
It is clear from the Scriptures that all cases of church discipline do not require these steps. Passages like I Corinthians 5:1-13; I Timothy 5:19,20; and Titus 3:10,11 indicate that immediate action may be taken without the necessity of going through a set number of steps.
Step 1
One person goes to the sinning believer to privately point out the sin or sins that need to be forsaken, and to direct him or her to the portion of God’s Word that shows the action or actions in question to be sin. Matthew 18:15.
Step 2
Two or three people go to the sinning believer. Matthew 18:16. The reason for this step is so that “by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed.”
Step 3
The matter is brought before the Elders of the Church. Matthew 18:17. In each of the first three steps, the sinning believer is given an opportunity to speak on his or her behalf. In this third step, such explanation is given to the Elders. As spiritual leaders of the Church, the Elders act as a review and evaluation group. They coordinate continuing efforts to bring about repentance and reconciliation. The Elders also seek to get others close to the individual to reach out in love and admonition.
Step 4
The matter is presented to the church, i.e., believers in Jesus Christ, appealing for their help in encouraging the sinning believer to repent. This step involves a public meeting of the believers who have identified themselves with Cascades Bible Church. It involves only members of Cascades Bible Church. The meeting will be announced at a regular Sunday morning service. The goal of this meeting is to make known the existence of sinful behavior so that those in the assembly will be moved to pray and seek out the person to encourage him/her to repent.
Step 5
Announcement to the church that the individual is under church discipline and is removed from the Church. This step also involves a public meeting and takes place under the same guidelines as Step 4. The goal of the announcement will be to remind the church that restoration has not taken place and that fellow believers are to discontinue any close fellowship with the person. The sinning believer will be notified by letter that he/she is under church discipline and is removed from the Church.
Step 6
When it is clear that repentance has taken place, the sinning believer will be restored to fellowship. The repentant person will be asked to appear before two or more Elders to confirm repentance. Upon satisfactory response of the Elders to the person, a public announcement will be made to the congregation that said individual was removed from church discipline and has been restored to fellowship in the Church.
Adopted by Cascades Bible Church on May 1, 2007
Amended by Cascades Bible Church on October 1, 2010
Signed by Pastor and Elder M. Douglas Satterwhite, Sr. and Pastor and Elder Brent J. Small as representatives of the body of Cascades Bible Church
