By-Laws of the Cowan Ministerial Association

Cowan, Franklin County, Tennessee

Article I

NAME

The name of this non-profit organization is the Cowan Ministerial Association, which is located in Cowan, Franklin County, Tennessee.

Article II

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Cowan Ministerial Association brings together churches and pastors in the greater Cowan community to glorify Jesus Christ, promote Christian fellowship among the various congregations, and reach out to the community with God’s love and mercy.

Article III

MEMBERSHIP

There shall be two types of membership permissible in the Cowan Ministerial Association: pastoral membership and lay membership:

Sect. 1:             The basis of membership in CMA begins with one’s personal devotion to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the solid foundation of the Old and New Testaments as the Word of God, and the fundamental truths of the Christian faith that are properly summarized in the ancient words of the Apostles’ Creed;

Sect. 2:             Any pastor of a church located in or near the corporation of Cowan, Tennessee, may become a pastoral member of CMA by invitation or by succeeding a departing member representing the same congregation;

Sect. 3:             Any retired pastor, living in or near the corporation of Cowan, may become a pastoral member of CMA provided that he or she has a meaningful relationship with a local congregation;

Sect. 4:             One lay person from any church located in or near the corporation of Cowan, Tennessee, may become a lay member of CMA by invitation or by appointment by the church’s pastor or governing council;

Sect. 5:             A church congregation that is officially represented on CMA and that agrees to host and participate in CMA-related activities shall hold the distinction of being a Member Church of CMA.

Article IV

LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE

The pastoral members and lay members of the Cowan Ministerial Association shall comprise a leadership committee:

Sect. 1:             The leadership committee shall elect a pastoral member in good standing to serve as President of CMA for a two-year term;

a.       the President of CMA shall be responsible for determining the schedule of meetings, delegating responsibilities among the members of the committee, and serving as an official spokesperson for CMA;

b.      the President of CMA shall call all meetings to order, preside over all meetings, and ensure that all business of CMA is conducted in a decent and orderly manner using Roberts Rules of Order as a basis for sound governance;

c.       the President of CMA shall work to chart the direction of the organization and work to ensure good stewardship and meaningful fellowship among the members;

Sect. 2:             The leadership committee shall elect a lay member in good standing to serve as Secretary of CMA for a two-year term;

a.       the Secretary shall be responsible for taking minutes from each meeting and keeping accurate records to ensure that all business of the organization is properly maintained;

b.      the Secretary shall help with the issuance of press releases and help coordinate the publicity efforts of the organization, and see that meeting announcements and service announcements are released to the general public in a timely manner;

Sec. 3:              The Leadership Committee shall elect a lay member in good standing to serve as Treasurer of CMA for a two-year term;

a.       the Treasurer shall maintain and oversee the finances of the organization by handling and reporting the revenue and expenses of the organization;

b.      Any official treasury of CMA shall be maintained in an accredited financial institution and have a trusteeship of at least one other member of the Leadership Committee; and

c.       the Treasurer shall also maintain the archives of the organization to help preserve its history and to insure the continuity and preservation of its traditions.

Sect 3:              Meetings shall be held on at least a quarterly basis each calendar year;

a.       the first meeting in each odd-numbered calendar year shall include officer elections for the coming two-year term;

b.      the business of the organization shall only be conducted if a quorum (half or more) of one of the two orders (pastoral members or lay members) is present and at least one member of the opposite order is present;

c.       meetings shall be announced at least 7 days in advance for regular quarterly meetings, or at least 24 hours in advance for emergency called meetings;

Sect 4:              It is expected and anticipated that each member of the leadership committee, pastoral members and lay members, will serve as ambassadors to their churches and to the greater community so that the work of CMA can be seen, understood, and kept in line with the core purpose of the organization.

Article V

Other Actions

Sect 1:              The members of CMA shall reserve the right to deny membership to any pastor, layperson, or congregation it feels could do harm to the organization or who holds beliefs and/or doctrinal practices that might conflict with the core purpose and belief of the greater CMA community;

a.       CMA shall specifically reserve the right to deny membership to specific pastors, laypersons, or congregations that uphold other writings as equal to as or greater than the Holy Scriptures of the New and Old Testaments;

b.      CMA shall specifically reserve the right to deny membership to specific pastors or laypersons who are self-appointed “apostles” or “prophets”;

c.       CMA shall specifically reserve the right to deny membership to ordained ministers in the community who do not have a meaningful relationship with a local church congregation;

Sect 2:              Sect 1:  Amendments and changes to the by-laws of the organization may only take place at regular quarterly meetings and with a quorum (half or more) of both orders present of which a simple majority of both orders vote to approve the requested changes.