CONSTITUTION of
HOME MORAVIAN CHURCH
CHAPTER I - NAME
The name of this community of faith shall be the Home Moravian Church of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, herein referred to as Home Church.
CHAPTER II - AFFILIATION
Home Church is a congregation in the Southern Province, Moravian Church in America, and as such is a member of the worldwide Moravian Church or Unitas Fratrum. It is also a collegial member of Salem Congregation, a chartered organization of thirteen churches within the Winston-Salem community. Home Church is subject to the rules and regulations enacted by the Synods of the Southern Province and the Unitas Fratrum and by the Boards of Salem Congregation.
CHAPTER III - PURPOSE
Bound together through our relationship with Jesus Christ, we will celebrate our faith as we love and serve God and others. The spirit within the community of Home Moravian Church inspires our obedience to the call to serve Christ.
CHAPTER IV - MEMBERSHIP
Article I - Communicant Membership
(a) Persons applying for communicant membership in Home Church by the rite of Confirmation or Adult Baptism, on profession of faith, or by reaffirmation of faith shall receive such instruction as their circumstances may require. When they have been thus prepared, their names shall be submitted to the Elders of Home Church, who shall have power to grant or to refuse the applications.
(b) Persons who have been full members of another Moravian Congregation or of another Christian church who desire to unite with this congregation, shall present their letters of transfer or dismissal from their former church. In case such letters of transfer cannot be obtained, they shall submit the proper evidence of their previous membership. If their applications for membership are approved, they shall be received by right hand of fellowship.
(c) All persons, before becoming communicant members of Home Church, shall be clearly informed as to the duties and obligations as set forth in this Constitution, and they shall be furnished with a copy of this Constitution and literature concerning doctrine, history, and practice of the Moravian Church.
(d) Communicant members of Home Church in good standing are defined as those who, to the best of their ability, witness faithfully to their dedication to Christ as Lord and Savior by:
1. Attending the public services of congregational worship.
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2. Participating in the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
3. Contributing as the Lord prospers them to the work of the congregation. 4. Responding positively to opportunities both inside and outside the
congregation to use abilities and time in the service of others.
5. Supporting the work of the worldwide Moravian Church as a whole in a way that advances the mission and service of Christ to the world.
Article 2 - Children Under the Care of the Church
Children of communicant members, including children under the guardianship of a communicant member and upon approval of the parents when appropriate, are considered to be under the care of this congregation. Where only one parent is received as a communicant member, the membership status of the person=s children within this congregation will be decided at the time of reception. Parents are expected to bring infant children to be baptized as soon as possible after birth. Parents and all members are expected to nurture and encourage the growth of children in the faith and to lead them to become communicant members through personal profession of faith by the Rite of Confirmation or the Sacrament of Baptism.
(a) Baptized children of communicant members shall remain non-communicant members of this congregation until: (1) they are admitted to Holy
Communion as communing children; (2) they complete the Confirmation process and become communicant members; or, (3) they reach the age of twenty-one.
(b) Unbaptized children of communicant members shall remain children of the church until: (1) they are baptized as children and become non-communicant members; (2) they are baptized as adults and become communicant members; or, (3) they reach the age of twenty-one.
(c) Baptized children may be admitted by the Board of Elders to Holy Communion after appropriate pastoral instruction and counseling with the children and their parents concerning the meaning and observance of Holy Communion. They shall remain communing children until: (1) they complete the Confirmation process and become communicant members; or, (2) they reach the age of twenty-one.
(d) Children under the care of the church as non-communicant members, children of the church, or communing children who reach the age of twenty-one without becoming communicant members of Home Church may, at the discretion of the Board of Elders, be removed from membership in this congregation.
Article 3 - Associate Members
(a) Communicant members in good standing may retain an associate membership in Home Church upon transferring their membership to another Moravian Church outside of Forsyth County or to another Christian Church outside of Forsyth County provided the following conditions are fulfilled:
1. They apply in writing for permission to retain an associate membership along with their request for a transfer of membership.
2. They pay in full the annual assessment for associate members as fixed by the Board of Trustees.
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3. The congregation to which they transfer provides a letter of
acknowledgment that they have become members.
(b) Associate members who fulfill the above conditions retain all rights and privileges of communicant members except they may not vote at Church Council and may not hold office on the official boards of Home Church. Associate members who are communicant members in another Moravian congregation will not be included in the annual statistics of Home Church.
(c) Students who are communicant members in good standing of another Moravian congregation outside of Forsyth County or another Christian Church outside of Forsyth County may become associate members of Home Church while attending school in the Winston-Salem community provided the written approval of such association by their congregation is received.
(d) Baptized children of associate members shall be non-communicant members of either one of the congregations as the parent may choose and will be included in the statistics of the chosen church.
(e) Baptized Christians who desire membership in Home Moravian Church, but whose unique circumstances prevent their joining as communicant members, may join as associate members with the approval of the Board of Elders.
Article 4 - Inactive Members
(a) Members who have failed to meet the requirements of a member in good standing for two years and who cannot for the present be reclaimed to active membership will be placed on an inactive roll by action of the Board of Elders. Inactive members may likewise be returned to the active roll by action of the Board of Elders.
(b) Those persons placed on the inactive roll will be informed that by virtue of their status as inactive members they would:
1. Be visited and extended the ministries of caring that other members receive, including admission to the Lord’s Supper.
2. Receive regular communications of the Moravian Church, as determined by the pastors.
3. Be ineligible to vote at Church Council or to hold church office.
4. Not be counted in the membership statistics of Home Church.
5. Be given a qualified letter of transfer if they request a letter of transfer. 6. Have no privileges of burial in Salem Congregation’s designated
graveyard.
(c) If after repeated efforts to minister to inactive members and bring them back into active fellowship within the congregation the persons remain inactive, the Board of Elders may remove those persons from the roll of the church.
Article 5 - Discipline of Members
The Board of Elders will make every effort to determine what pain or need lies behind the behavior of members of Home Church who display conduct unbecoming a Christian and will provide appropriate ministries to them. When such ministry is rejected the Board of Elders may exclude such persons from the membership or may enact discipline which is deemed constructive for the spiritual growth of those persons.
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Members who have been disciplined shall in all cases have the right to appeal to the Provincial Elders Conference of the Moravian Church in America, Southern Province.
Article 6 - Transfer to other churches and dismissals
Any member desiring a letter of transfer to another Moravian Church or another Christian Church shall make application either in person or by letter to the pastor, who shall issue such transfer upon approval of the Board of Elders. Any member requesting to be dropped from the membership of Home Church shall make application either in person or by letter to the pastor, who shall write a letter officially dropping the person upon approval of the Board of Elders.
CHAPTER V - CHURCH COUNCIL
Article 1 - Composition of Church Council
The Church Council is composed of all communicant members of Home Church who are in good standing as defined in this Constitution. (Chapter IV, Article 1, section d)
Article 2 - Secretary
The Church Council shall elect a secretary for the Council for a four-year term. The secretary shall keep a true and accurate record of the proceedings of the Council, which record shall be carefully preserved.
In the absence of a secretary the chair may appoint a secretary for that Council in session.
Article 3 - Chairperson, Notice of Meeting, Duties
The Pastor shall be chairperson of the Church Council. In the absence of the Pastor the vice-chair of the Board of Elders shall convene Council and preside. All meetings shall be announced on at least two occasions of public worship in such manner as the Board
of Elders may determine. It shall be the duty of the Council to elect delegates to the Provincial Synod, the representative members of the Salem Congregation Central Board of Elders, the representative members of the Salem Congregation Central Board of Trustees, and all other officers and boards of Home Church not otherwise provided for. All matters that relate to the temporal or spiritual welfare of Home Church may be discussed in the Council at the motion of any member or by request of the Board of Elders or the Board of Trustees.
Article 4 - Date and Place of Meetings, Quorum
The annual Meeting of the Council shall be held during October or November of each year, and the time and place shall be determined by the Board of Elders. It should be held under such conditions as will secure the largest possible attendance, interest, and cooperation of the membership. Ten percent (10%) of the resident communicant members as of the close of the preceding calendar year shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of Council.
Article 5 - Special Meetings
Any Council or the Joint Board of Elders and Trustees shall have authority at any time to convene a special meeting of Council. Also, upon application of 10% of the resident
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communicant membership, the Joint Board of Elders and Trustees shall call a special meeting of Council.
Article 6 - Nominations and Elections
(a) Sixty days prior to the Annual Meeting of the Council, the chairperson shall appoint a Nominating Committee. The names of the Nominating Committee shall be published in the church bulletin or other news media at least one time not less than thirty days prior to Council. It shall be the duty of the Nominating Committee to submit to Council a slate of members eligible and qualified for election. The report of the Nominating Committee, showing the names of the members nominated, shall be published in the church bulletin or other church news media prior to Council.
(b) Nothing shall prevent nominations of eligible and qualified persons from the floor by any member of Council in any election.
(c) All elections shall be by ballot. The majority of votes cast shall be necessary for election. During any election, Council may approve such procedures necessary to avoid prolonged balloting.
(d) All persons elected by Council shall begin their term of office the following January 1.
Article 7 - Compliance of Resolutions
All resolutions enacted by the Council shall be in compliance with the Rules and Regulations of the Unitas Fratrum, the Moravian Church, Southern Province, and Salem Congregation.
CHAPTER VI - EXECUTIVE BOARDS
Article 1 - Elders and Trustees
For the management of the affairs of Home Church, there shall be two Executive Boards:
the Board of Elders and the Board of Trustees, collectively the Joint Board.
Article 2 - Accounting and Reporting Periods
(a) All financial and reporting periods shall be on a calendar year basis. (b) The annual report of the Board of Elders and the annual report of the Board of Trustees, including the financial statement, shall be completed, duplicated, and distributed by mail to members of Home Church before the annual council.
Article 3 - Joint Meetings
The Boards of Elders and Trustees have separate spheres of activity and are not to interfere with one another in the performance of their respective duties; one having charge of the spiritual, and the other of the temporal concerns of the church; yet it is desirable that they should have a cooperative spirit and confer together in such cases as may arise where both Boards are interested, or where such mutual conference may
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result for the good of the congregation. The presiding officer of the Board of Elders shall preside over all joint meetings.
Article 4 - Responsibilities of Joint Board
It shall be the duty of the Joint Board:
(a) To cooperate with the Provincial Elders' Conference in carrying out the rules and principles enacted by Synod.
(b) To confer with the Provincial Elders' Conference concerning the issuance of calls to prospective Pastors and Associate Pastors.
(c) To confer with Provincial Elders’ Conference concerning the appointment of Directors of Christian Education.
(d) To appoint a Stewardship Committee composed of at least two (2) members from each Board and others from the congregation at large to meet on a regular basis.
(e) to appoint such other committees as deemed necessary.
Article 5 - Vacancies
(a) Any vacancy occurring among members of any board elected by the Church Council may be filled by the remaining members of the board at a regular meeting. The Executive Committee of the Board shall present two or more nominations to fill the vacancy. The appointed member shall serve the remaining portion of the unexpired term.
(b) Any board member who fails to fulfill his or her obligation by missing five regularly scheduled meetings in a calendar year may be replaced by the remaining members of that board.
CHAPTER VII - THE BOARD OF ELDERS
Article 1 - Composition
The Board of Elders shall be composed of the Pastor, the Associate Pastor(s), twelve members elected by Church Council and two youth representatives. At Home Church=s annual Council three members shall be elected by ballot to serve for four-year terms. Two young people shall be elected between the ages of 15 and 21 to serve a one-year term. A member may be elected again after a lapse of one year. No member shall be elected who is not a communicant member in good standing.
Article 2 - Officers and Executive Committee
The pastor shall be ex-officio chairperson, and at the first meeting of the new term the Board shall elect from its members a Vice-Chairperson and a Secretary, and other officers as may be deemed necessary. The Board shall operate with an Executive Committee consisting of the chair, the vice-chair, the secretary, and one member elected by the Board at its first meeting.
Article 3 - Duties
It shall be the duties of the Elders:
(1) To care for the spiritual and moral well being of the congregation, originating such plans as will encourage the development of the church’s spiritual life.
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(2) To plan, schedule, and publicize the various services of the church. (3) To determine the purposes for which the church building may be used. (4) To maintain the proper exercise of church discipline among the members. (5) To assist the Pastor(s) in the administration of the church music.
(6) To pass upon all names of persons presenting themselves for membership, the names of members to be transferred to other churches, and the names of members to be suspended, excluded, dropped or placed on the inactive roll.
(7) To have oversight of the educational ministry.
(8) To appoint non-salaried principal personnel engaged in the various activities of the church, such as Chief Usher, Head Diener, etc.
(9) To approve all special offerings and fund-raising activities.
(10) To cooperate with the Central Board of Elders of the Salem Congregation in matters of mutual ministry.
CHAPTER VIII - THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Article 1 - Composition
The Board of Trustees shall be composed of twelve members elected by Church Council and two youth representatives. At Home Church=s annual Council three members shall be elected by ballot to serve four-year terms. Two young people shall be elected between the ages of 15 and 21 to serve a one-year term. A member may be elected again after a lapse of one year. No member shall be elected who is not a communicant member in good standing.
Article 2 - Officers
At its first meeting of the new term, the Board of Trustees shall organize by electing from its members a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson, a Secretary, and other officers as may be deemed necessary. It shall also elect a Treasurer who may or may not be a Trustee. The Board shall operate with an Executive Committee consisting of the Chair, the Vice-Chair, the Secretary, and the Treasurer.
Article 3 - Duties
It shall be the duty of the Trustees:
1. To develop the annual budget and approve it in consultation with the Board of Elders.
2. To fix the salaries of the pastor(s) and all other members of the church staff. 3. To have charge of and to maintain all church property.
4. To administer the financial matters of the congregation.
5. To make full settlement with the Treasurer of the Southern Province promptly at the close of the calendar year and to furnish said Treasurer, as early as possible thereafter, an audited statement of the financial affairs of Home Moravian Church.
6. To furnish to the Provincial Treasurer the annual budget for the coming year. 7. To cooperate with the Central Trustees of the Salem Congregation in matters relating to the finances of Salem Congregation.
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CHAPTER IX - AMENDMENTS
This Constitution may be altered, amended, or added to at any time by a majority of two-thirds of all votes cast in the Church Council, provided the vote on such alterations, amendments, or additions is not taken in the same meeting in which they were introduced, but at some subsequent meeting of the Church Council; and provided further that all such proposed alterations and amendments obtain the sanction of the Provincial Elders' Conference.
Amended 2.22.15