GATEWAY COMMUNITY CHURCH

CONSTITUTION

Approved by the Congregation 18 February, 2007

ARTICLE 1:Organization/Incorporation/Affiliation/ Business

 

Section 1. ORGANIZATION. The name of this body shall be Gateway Community Church of Mayville, Inc. dba Gateway Community Church.  Hereafter referred to as “Gateway,” OR “Gateway Community Church.”  

 

SECTION 2. INCORPORATION. Gateway Community Church was incorporated in Dodge County, Wisconsin, (No.837246, Vol.905, Pg.116) on December 4, 1996.  Subsequent Restated Articles of Incorporation – Nonstock Corporation (Sec. 181.1006) were filed with the State of Wisconsin on May 11, 2000, and Articles of Correction were filed with the State of Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions on July 06, 2000.

 

SECTION 3. AFFILIATION. Gateway Community Church is affiliated with the Baptist General Conference, and the Great Lakes Baptist Conference.  Affiliation was granted at the annual meeting of the Great Lakes Baptist Conference on October 8, 1999.

 

SECTION 4. BUSINESS. Congregational business meetings shall be held as necessary, called with two weeks notice in the church program.  Non-agenda items (new business) may be discussed at these meetings, and then referred to the Elders for consultation before presentation to the congregation for a vote at a subsequent meeting.  Special meetings may be called at any time by the Elders or by written petition signed by a minimum 25% of voting members.  Those members present and voting at a meeting duly noticed and called shall constitute a quorum of the membership for the transaction of business.  Decisions will be made by simple majority unless otherwise noted.

 

Business meetings will be held in February and November of each year.  The February meeting shall primarily be a time of review of the previous year’s results, including a report of the church finances for the calendar year recently concluded.  The November business meeting shall primarily focus on the vision, ministry plans and budget for the coming calendar year.  Other business, presented within the guidelines established herein, shall be considered at any duly noticed and called congregational meeting.

 

Indemnification of any and all persons who may serve or have served at any time at Gateway is outlined in the Articles of Incorporation, as outlined in Section 2 above.

 

 


ARTICLE 2: Statement of Faith

 

HOLY BIBLE:  The Holy Bible, and only the Bible, is the authoritative Word of God.  It alone is the final authority in determining all doctrinal truths.  In its original writing, it is inspired, infallible and inerrant    (II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; Proverbs 30:5&6; Romans 16:25-26).

 

TRINITY:  There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  These three are coequal and co-eternal (Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35).

 

GOD THE FATHER:  We believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love.  We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men*, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 58:9; Isaiah 64:8; Jeremiah 33:3; Matthew 6:9; Matthew 7:11; 1 John 1:9)

 

JESUS CHRIST:  Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity.  On earth, Jesus was 100% God and 100% man.  He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the cross for mankind and thus, atoned for our sins through the shedding of His blood.  He rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return again in power and glory. (John 1:1,14, 20:28; I Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6; Philippians 2:5-6; I Timothy 2:5).

 

THE HOLY SPIRIT:  We believe in the Holy Spirit who comes forth from the Father and the Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ.  We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and guide. (Luke 24:49; John 14:26; John 16:8; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 John 2:27)

 

VIRGIN BIRTH:  Jesus Christ was conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity) in the virgin Mary's womb; therefore, He is the Son of God (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18, 23-25; Luke 1:27-35).

 

REDEMPTION:  Man was created good and upright, but by voluntary transgression he fell; his only hope is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Gen. 1:26-31, 3:1-7; Romans 3:23; John 3:16).

 

REGENERATION:  We believe that all men are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under condemnation.  We believe that those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit. For anyone to know God, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential (John 6:44, 65; Romans 5:12-21; John 3:3; II Cor 5:17).

 

SALVATION:  We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; His death, burial, and resurrection.  Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human efforts, and is to be accompanied by genuine repentance (John 3:16; II Cor 7:10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22).    

 

REPENTANCE:  Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ.  Every believer is called to repentance (Acts 3:19; II Tim. 2:20-22; James 4:7-10; I John 1:9).

 

SANCTIFICATION:  Sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ's character in us.  It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a godly life  (I Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; II Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18, Romans 8:29, 12:1-2, Hebrews 2:11).

 

JESUS' BLOOD:  The Blood that Jesus Christ shed on the Cross of Calvary was sinless and is 100% sufficient to cleanse mankind of all sin.  Jesus allowed Himself to be punished for both our sinfulness and our sins, enabling all those who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death (I John 1:7; Revelation 1:5, 5:9; Colossians 1:20; Romans 3:10-12, 23, 5:9; John 1:29).

 

JESUS CHRIST INDWELLS ALL BELIEVERS:  Christians are people who have invited the Lord Jesus Christ to come and live inside them by His Holy Spirit.  (John 1:12; John 14:17, 23; John 15:4; Romans 8:11; Revelations 3:20).

 

BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT:  Given at Pentecost, it is the promise of the Father, sent by Jesus after His Ascension, to empower the Church to preach the Gospel throughout the whole earth.  The Baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at regeneration when the believer is “by one Spirit…baptized into one body…(I Corinthians 12:13)”  (Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:5, 2:1-4, 17, 38-39, 8:14-17, 10:38, 44-47, 11:15-17, 19:1-6).

 

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:  The Holy Spirit bestows a gift or gifts to every believer, as He wills, to build up and sanctify the church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection, and confirm the power of the Gospel.  All believers are commanded to earnestly desire the manifestation of the gifts in their lives, and use them appropriately.  These gifts always operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in violation of biblical parameters. (Hebrews 2:4; Romans 1:11, 12:4-8; Ephesians 4:16; II Timothy 1:5-16, 4:14; I Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; I Peter 4:10).

Doctrinal Statement concerning the gift of tongues:

1.                  We recognize speaking in “tongues” as a legitimate spiritual gift.  It is, however, not a proof of salvation, the evidence of the filling of the Holy Spirit, a sign of maturity, or a universal experience of all believers. (1 Cor. 12:11)

2.                  In all things we must strive to demonstrate love toward all regardless of their experience or lack thereof. All persons in the body need to be careful of any prideful or superior attitude that could result in division. (1 Cor. 14:26)

3.                  Because of the potential division over this issue, we do not practice “the gift of tongues” in our corporate worship or small groups, unless specific guidelines of 1 Corinthians 14:27-28 are followed (limited in number, interpretation required).

(1 Cor 12-14, particularly verses 12:1-14, 27-30; 13:1, 14:1-5, 12, 26-28, 28, 40, Eph 5:18; Gal. 5:22-26)

 

THE CHURCH:  The church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, charged with fulfilling Jesus' great commission.  Every person who is born of the Spirit is an integral part of the church as a member of the body of believers.  There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:22& 23, 2:19-22; John 17:11, 20-23).

 

CHRISTIAN CONDUCT:  We believe that Christians relinquish the authority of their lives over to Jesus Christ, thus making Him “Lord” of their life as well as “Savior.”  They put their trust in what Jesus accomplished for them when He died, was buried, and rose again from the dead.  We further believe that Christians should live for the glory of God and the well being of their fellow men; that their conduct should be blameless before the world; that they should be faithful stewards of their possessions; and that they should seek for themselves and for others the full stature of maturity in Christ. (1 Corinthians 6:1-20; 10:31; Ephesians 4:17- 6:20; Philippians 1:9-11; James 1:2-4; Colossians 1:9-12)

 

TWO ORDINANCES:

Water Baptism by immersion:  Following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the new convert is commanded by the Word of God to be baptized in water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38).

 

The Lord's Supper:  A unique time of communion in the presence of God when the elements of bread and the cup (symbolizing the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) are taken in remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12, 36-38; 10:47-48; I Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-25).

 

RESURRECTION:  Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead in a glorified body three days after His death on the cross.  In addition, both the saved and the lost will be resurrected; they that are saved to the resurrection of life and they that are lost to the resurrection of eternal damnation (Luke 24:15&16, 36, 39; John 2:19-21, 20:26-28, 21:4; Acts 24:15; I Corinthians 15:42, 44; Philippians 1:21-23, 3:21).

 

HEAVEN:  Heaven is the eternal dwelling place for all believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:3, 12, 20, 6:20, 19:21, 25:34; John 17:24; II Corinthians 5:1; Hebrews 11:16; I Peter 1:4).

 

HELL:  After living one life on earth, the unbelievers will be judged by God and sent to Hell where they will be eternally tormented with the Devil and the Fallen Angels (Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:43-48; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 14:9-11, 20:12-15, 21:8).

 

SECOND COMING:  Jesus Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for the second time to establish His Kingdom.  This will occur at a date undisclosed by the Scriptures (Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64; Acts 1:9-11; I Thessalonians 4:15-17; II Thessalonians 1:6-8; Revelation 1:7).

 

We believe this Statement of Faith to be an accurate summary of what Scripture teaches.  All members shall refrain from advocating doctrines that are not included in this Statement of Faith in such a manner as to cause dissentions and divisions.

ARTICLE 3:  Membership

 

Section 1. Rationale.  

The New Testament pattern for Church Membership is:  To hear, believe, be baptized, and then identify with and be committed to a local body (church), submitting to the church leadership (Acts 2:38, 41-47).  This pattern facilitates the process of holding each other accountable and spurring one another on to spiritual growth (Hebrews 10:24&25).  In keeping with this pattern, Gateway Community Church affirms the value of formal membership and the important role it can play in challenging people to continued growth in their relationship with God and others.

 

Section 2. Requirements. 

Membership at Gateway Community Church is open to any person who has done the following:

  1. Become a follower of Jesus Christ by admitting that they are a sinner and separated from God, believing that Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone can save them from their sin and committing themselves to Him as Savior and Lord.
  2. Followed their commitment to Christ with baptism by immersion.
  3. Read and agreed with our Statement of Faith.
  4. Completed the appropriate membership classes.
  5. Signed a statement of agreement.
  6. Seeks to serve God at Gateway as He has gifted them.
  7. Completed an interview with a representative of the elders, demonstrating a grasp of the requirements and responsibilities of membership.
  8. Transfers of membership from other like-minded congregations will be accepted upon an interview and favorable recommendation by an elder.

Upon successful recommendation by at least one elder, the name of each candidate shall be placed before the church membership for purposes of advisement, for two weeks.  New members will be received at the monthly observance of the Lord’s Table (communion).

 

Section 3:  Responsibilities. 

Members of Gateway Community Church have the right to vote on congregational business and are eligible for leadership positions.

Each member of Gateway will, among other things, strive to:

  1. Continue to grow as a believer through obedience to God and His Word. (Col 2:6-7)
  2. Worship regularly with the Gateway family.   (Heb 10:24-25)
  3. Participate in growth groups in addition to Sunday worship.   (Acts 2:46-47)
  4. Serve the body as gifted by God.   (I Peter 4:10)
  5. Share your faith story with friends, family, co-workers and neighbors.   (I Peter 3:15)
  6. Speak only those things that build up the body of Christ.   (Eph 4:29)
  7. Support the church financially through consistent generous giving.   (2 Cor 9:6-13)
  8. Work together in love, submitting to the authority of the leadership.   (Heb 13:17)
  9. Attend business meetings.

 

Section 4.  Discipline. 

Members living unchristian lives or members who habitually neglect the church covenant shall be personally sought out by the Pastor and the elders and shall be kindly admonished and, in case of continued misconduct or neglect after such admonition, may be excluded from membership by a majority vote of the members of the Church.  The following guidelines are given for the administration of church discipline:

 

  1. Personal Grievances.  In all cases of grievances between members, the person shall follow the rules set forth in Matthew 18:15-19.  If this procedure does not lead to reconciliation, charges in writing shall be submitted to the Elders for consideration, counsel, and appropriate church action if necessary.
  2. Unchristian Behavior.  When the actions of a member are deemed to be detrimental to the church or any member thereof, the matter shall be considered by the Elders or it’s appointed agency.  This process shall include confidential inquiry, counsel to the members involved, and recommendation to the church for appropriate action, if necessary.  The spirit of this action is to be supportive and expressive of the acceptance, help and forgiveness of the church.  If the member responds favorably to the inquiry by giving evidence of innocence (or repentance if necessary) no further action shall be required.  Should the member fail to respond favorably, the Elders shall recommend to the church that his or her name be erased from the membership.  If possible, the member must be notified of the inquiry and given the opportunity of speaking on his or her own behalf.

 

Section 5:  Removal

The Elders will remove members from the membership roll under the following conditions:

  1. Assuming a new permanent residence out of the area.
  2. Transfer to another church.
  3. Written request for release.
  4. After an extended absence of 6 months and following careful review and inquiry by the Elders.  Review of the membership role shall be done every 6 months to evaluate member’s status.
  5. Not responding to church discipline.
  6. Death.

 

Section 6:  Role Of Non-Members

While membership is in keeping with the Biblical pattern and is encouraged, persons who elect to not become members are vitally important to the church.  Those individuals are invited to attend all meetings and services, and may serve in a limited number of positions in the church.

* “men,” “man” and “mankind” are used in the traditional sense to refer to all of humanity.