Constitution & By-Laws

CONSTITUTION OF

LAMB OF GOD LUTHERAN CHURCH, INC.

LAKE HAVASU CITY, MOHAVE COUNTY,

ARIZONA

 

Preamble

 

Whereas, the Word of God demands that a Christian Congregation not only conform to the Word of God in doctrine and practices (Galatians 1:6-8; II Timothy 4:1-5), but also that all things be done decently and in order. (I Corinthians 14:40)

 

Now, therefore, we the members of the Lamb of God Lutheran Church, a member of The Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod (LCMS), set forth the present documents, signed by ourselves, being the Constitution and By-laws in accordance with which our congregational affairs, spiritual and material, shall be conducted.

 

Article I  Name

 

I.1  The name of this congregation shall be Lamb of God Lutheran Church, Inc. of Lake Havasu City, Mohave County, Arizona – a congregation of evangelical Christians known as Lamb of God Lutheran Church LCMS, in Lake Havasu City.

 

Article II  Mission

 

II.1  The purpose of this congregation shall be to give honor and glory to God, to carry out His will, to assist in preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world, to manifest our faith in Jesus Christ our God and Savior, to foster Christian fellowship and love, to extend a helping hand in human need, and to achieve these objectives by the preaching of the Word of God, by the administration of the sacraments, and by the religious instruction of all our members according to the confessional standard of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

 

Article III  Confessional Standards

 

III.1   This congregation accepts without reservation:

III.1.1  The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as the written Word of God and the only rule and norm of faith and of practice.

III.1.2  All the symbolic Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church as a true and unadulterated statement and exposition of the Word of God, to wit:

III.1.2.1  the three Ecumenical Creeds (The Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed),

III.1.2.2   the Unaltered Augsburg Confession,

III.1.2.3   the Apology of the Augsburg Confession,

III.1.2.4   the Smalcald Articles,

III.1.2.5   the Large Catechism of Luther,

III.1.2.6   the Small Catechism of Luther and

III.1.2.7   the Formula of Concord.

Article IV  Doctrinal Literature

 

IV.1  Only those hymns, prayers, and liturgy which conform to the confessional standard of Article III shall be used in the public services of this congregation and in all ministerial acts. Only books that conform to this standard shall be used for normative purposes in classes of instruction in Christian doctrine.

 

Article V  Membership

 

V.1  The membership of this congregation includes the following:

 

V.1.1  Baptized members are those who have been baptized in the name of the Triune God, and who are under spiritual care of the pastor of the congregation, including the children who have not yet been confirmed

 

V.1.2           Communicant members are those baptized members who have been confirmed in the Lutheran faith and accept the confessional standards of Article III of this Constitution. Membership in organizations whose principles and conduct conflict with the Word of God is prohibited.

 

V.1.3  Voting Members are communicant members who have reached the age of 18 and have signed the Constitution.

 

V.1.4  Associate Members are those who are temporary residents in the Lake Havasu area during several months of the year and are members in good standing of a Lutheran Church in their home area. They have full membership rights including voting rights and may serve on various boards and committee; however they may not hold executive office (Article VI) or chair a regular committee with the exception that an Associate Member may chair a committee if no regular member is willing or able to chair said committee.  This Associate Member may also be nominated as an Elder but must be approved at a voters meeting with 75% approving.  This Associate Member must possess the desire and ability to perform all the duties of the chair of the specified committee or serve as an Elder.

 

V.2   Baptized and communicant members are received through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, through the consent of one or both parent(s) in the case of children who have been baptized in another Christian congregation, through the rite of confirmation, through transfer from a sister congregation, or through reaffirmation of faith. Their reception shall be approved by the Board of Elders (Bylaw Article 6.1) upon receipt of the proposed member’s application from the Pastor/Deacon.

 

V.3   Members of the congregation shall strive to conform their lives to the rule of God’s word, and to that end make diligent use of the means of grace, exercise faithful stewardship of God’s many gifts and talents, and accept fraternal admonition as the need of such admonition becomes apparent, and be available readily for service in the Kingdom of Christ within and beyond the congregation.

 

V.4   Members shall be terminated by transfer to a sister congregation, by death, by joining a congregation outside the fellowship of this congregation, by excommunication, or by self-exclusion. Members may also be terminated due to non-attendance, not communing or contributing after one year. A personal contact shall be made by the Elders to determine their intentions. If out of the area, it shall be done by letter. If they do not reply or they make no effort to correct their status within 30 days of notice, their names will be presented to the Church Council for termination of their membership.

 

V.5   Communicant members who conduct themselves in a non-Christian manner shall be admonished according to Matthew 18:15-20, and if they remain unrepentant after proper admonishment, they shall be excommunicated. Each case shall be presented individually to the Voters Assembly for a decision. If such members deliberately absent themselves from the meeting(s) at which their case is to be discussed, they shall be regarded as excluding themselves from the membership of this congregation. This is in no way meant to discourage the individual’s attendance at worship services, and attempts to achieve reconciliation should be ongoing.

 

Article VI  Executive Officers and Board Members

 

VI.1   The executive officers of this congregation shall be: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Financial Secretary, Treasurer, and Corresponding Secretary. Other officials, boards and committees may be elected or appointed as needed, in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the congregation. The executive officers shall be elected at the November meeting of the Voters’ Assembly and shall serve for 2 years, except for the Elders. See Bylaws for Elders terms and terms of other officials, boards and committees (Article 6).      

 

VI.2   The afore-mentioned executive officers and chairpersons of any Board or Committee elected by the Voters Assembly shall comprise the Church Council. It is the duty of the Church Council to conduct routine and general business of the Church between meetings of the Voters Assembly.

 

Article VII  Call of Professional Workers

 

VII.1   Only such Pastors, Deaconess, and Teachers shall be called and/or serve this congregation as are in accord with the confessional standards of this congregation (see Article III) and are deemed to be well qualified for their work.

 

VII.2   The right of calling Pastors, Deaconess, and Teachers shall ever be vested in the Voters Assembly and shall never be delegated to a smaller body or an individual; Called Pastors, Deaconess, and Teachers must be endorsed by and be members of this Synod.

 

VII.3   Any Pastor, Deaconess, or Teacher may be removed from office by the Voters Assembly by a 2/3 ballot vote, in a Christian and lawful order, for one of the following reasons: persistent adherence to false doctrine, scandalous life, willful disregard or inability to perform the duties of his or her office.

VII.4   The congregation may request the resignation of any Pastor, Deaconess, Teacher, or Officer from his or her position in the congregation in case of incapacity or general incompetence  

 

Article VIII  Authority of the Congregation – Voters’ Assembly

 

VIII.1  The Voters’ Assembly shall consist of all voting members.

 

VIII.2 The Voters’ Assembly shall be the governing body of this congregation and shall be empowered to administer all its affairs.

 

VIII.3  The Voters Assembly shall have the power to supersede, rescind, or amend actions taken by any body within the congregation even where this Constitution and Bylaws delegate authority for such actions or when the Voters Assembly has delegated such authority.

 

VIII.4  The establishment of all organizations and societies within the congregation or related directly to it shall be subject to the approval and supervision of the Voters Assembly.

 

VIII.5  All matters, except for Article III, shall be decided by a majority vote of the Voters Assembly unless otherwise specified by this Constitution and Bylaws. Matters of Doctrine and conscience shall be decided only on the basis of the Word of God.

 

Article IX  Property

 

IX.1   The property of this congregation is dedicated irrevocably to religious and charitable purposes and no part of net income or assets of this congregation shall ever inure to the benefit of any director, officer, or member thereof, or to the benefit of any private individual.

 

Article X  Ownership

 

X.1   This corporate body may receive, acquire, hold title and manage such real estate and other property as it may need to accomplish its purpose, and may sell or dispose of such real estate and other property or any part thereof. This corporate body shall have all the rights and powers that are granted by the laws of the State of Arizona.  All real estate and other property and equipment shall be owned in the name of the Lamb of God Lutheran Church, Inc., Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

 

Article XI  Division

 

XI.1   If at any time a division or separation shall take place in this congregation because of doctrine, the entire property and all benefits connected therewith shall remain with those members – whether majority or minority – who shall continue to adhere to Article III of this Constitution.

 

XI.2   If a division should take place for any reason other than doctrine – or if each group professes adherence in confession and practice of the above Article – this matter shall be submitted for review to the district of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod of which this congregation is a member. The ruling of the district may be appealed to the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod for review and ruling, which ruling is final.

 

XI.3   In the event the congregation should dissolve, the property and all rights connected therewith shall be transferred to the District of the Synod in which the congregation holds membership at the time of dissolution.

 

Article XII  Bylaws

 

XII.1   The Voters Assembly may adopt such bylaws as it may require to accomplish its purpose.

 

Article XIII  Amendments

 

XIII.1   Amendments to the constitution, except for Article III, may be adopted at any voters meeting by a 2/3 vote, provided that the amendment(s) has been presented in writing to the voting membership at least two weeks prior to the meeting at which the amendment(s) will be acted upon. Notification shall be in writing and done by posting and personal service or by mail if not available for personal service.

 

Article XIV  Synodical Membership

 

XIV.1   The congregation shall be a member of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod so long as the Synod conforms to the congregation’s confessional standards as set forth in Article III as determined by a 2/3 vote of the Voters Assembly at a congregational meeting called for this purpose.

 

Article XV  Restrictions

 

XV.1   There can be no amendment to Article III of this constitution. Any changes to any other of the articles of this constitution must provide notification to voting membership as specified in Article XIII and can be only by a 2/3 majority. Any changes to these articles shall not change their essential meaning. If this is at issue, this shall be decided by Synodical dispute – resolution procedures.

 

END OF CONSTITUTION

Approved July, 2008

Revised Nov/Dec 2016

 

BYLAWS
Revised 05/03/2023

LAMB OF GOD LUTHERAN CHURCH, INC.
LAKE HAVASU CITY
MOHAVE COUNTY, ARIZONA

Article 1    Procedure for Calling Pastor(s) and Teachers

  1. When a Pastor or Director of Christian Education (DCE)is to be called, every communicant member of the congregation shall have the privilege of making one or more nominations.
    The congregation shall also ask the President of the Synodical District for recommendations.
      1. In the case of a pastor/DCE call, the Board of Elders shall appoint a search committee.  This committee shall consist of five (5) to seven (7) members and be a fair cross section of the congregation.  Example: young and old, male and female, married and single, etc.
      2. In the case of calling a DCE, the Board of Education and Youth Ministries shall use the same criteria in appointing the search committee.
    1. In the screening process the respective board shall submit all names to the District President for information and evaluation.  After receiving information and recommendations from the District President, the board shall present to the congregation in writing a list of candidates with a biographical sketch of each candidate.
    2. At the Voters Assembly meeting called for the purpose of calling a Pastor or Director of Christian Education, the slate of candidates may be amended by a 2/3 vote of the votes cast.  Congregations shall seek the advice of the respective District President when calling ordained or commissioned Ministers or Deacons.  It is customary to follow a ballot vote with a voice vote to make the vote unanimous.
    3. The Voters Assembly shall call the Pastor or Director of Christian Education by a majority ballot vote for one of the slated candidates.

Article 2    Admission of New Members

  1. Persons intending to join this congregation as communicant members shall give notice to the Pastor or Deacon and complete an application form showing satisfactory evidence of their qualifications for membership.  If not qualified, the Pastor or Deacon shall instruct them in the chief parts of the Catechism.  The Pastor will submit names of the prospective members to the Board of Elders for approval.

Article 3    Meetings

  1. Regular council meetings shall be held monthly. Notice will be made in the announcements portion of the weekly bulletins.
  1. Regular council meetings are open to every member of the church congregation.  Only elected council members may vote, however, every member has the opportunity to be heard and express his/her opinion during the call to the public.
  1. Each chairperson/committee head shall provide the Executive Secretary with a copy of the report given to the council which may be entered into the council minutes.
  1. The annual meeting of the Voters Assembly shall be held on the first Sunday of November each year.  At this meeting, besides the normal and routine business, the annual budget for the upcoming year will be approved.
  1. The annual election of officers for the church will be held at the Voters Assembly Meeting in November each year.  Newly elected officers will start their term on January 1st.
  1. Additional Voters Assembly meetings shall be held on the fourth Sunday of April.  Semiannual meeting.
  1. Special meetings may be called at any time by the Pastor, Deacon, President of Church Council, Board of Elders or ten (10) voting members.  All special meetings shall be announced two weeks prior to the meeting date.  Notification shall be written and delivered by mail, e-mail, or personal delivery of notice and agenda to all voting members of the church.  Only agenda items may be discussed at special meetings.
  1. A quorum for all Voters Assembly meetings will be 10% of the average meeting attendance of the last two meetings or a quorum of 25 voting members minimum.
  1. All proposals presented at Voters Assembly meetings shall be in writing and voted on by written ballot.  The exception to this would be when from the discussion of the issue under consideration it is obvious that it will be unanimous or almost unanimous.
  1. Pastor and Deacon shall have a vote at all meetings with the exception of the Board of Elders.  The presiding officer, usually the President, shall vote only when a vote is by secret ballot; or, when his or her vote will break a tie to pass or defeat a motion; or be the deciding vote in a 2/3 vote.  All other officers should vote in Council and Voters Assembly meetings.
  1. Chairpersons of boards and committees shall vote in their respective board/committees as well as Council and Voters Assembly meetings.
  1. The parliamentary procedures of Council and Voters Assembly meetings are to be governed by “Roberts Rules of Order”, current edition.

Article 4    Executive Officers, Boards, and Elections

  1. All executive Officers and chairpersons or any board or committee may be male or female, except for the Board of Elders where all elders must be male.
  1. The term of office for Executive Officers and chairpersons shall be two years except for Elders (See Board of Elders.)  All may succeed twice after their initial election unless there are no other persons able or willing to seek the position.
  1. Each Board and Committee shall at their first meeting after taking office, elect a chairperson, a secretary, and a treasurer as appropriate.  Each secretary shall take and preserve the minutes of their respective meetings.  They are to be made available to the Committee Members upon request.
  1. If for any reason an elected officer or committee chairperson is unable to complete his or her term, the President shall appoint a person to serve the unexpired term for that office.
  1. If for any reason a committee person is unable to complete his or her term, the committee chairperson shall appoint a person to serve for the unexpired term.

Article 5    Elected Officers

  1. This congregation shall have the following officers, boards, and committees who are to be elected by the Voters Assembly.
  1. Executive Officers.  Only voting members of the congregation shall be eligible to hold these offices.
  1. President.  The President shall be the executive officer of the congregation for implementing the provisions of this constitution and bylaws and the resolutions of the Voters Assembly.  The President will chair the meetings of the Voters Assembly and the Church Council.  The President shall also serve as ex-officio member on all boards and committees.  The president shall appoint a Parliamentarian.
  1.  Parliamentarian.  The Parliamentarian will report to the President of the Church Council.  This is an advisory position only in areas of meetings, points of order, and other parliamentary inquiries.  The Parliamentarian will provide advice to the presiding officer on conducting the meetings according to the rules as set forth in Roberts Rules of Order, current revised edition.  The Parliamentarian may vote unless seated next to the President.
  1. Vice-President.  The Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President during the Presidents absence or disability.  In the event of a vacancy in the office of the President, the Vice-President shall succeed to the office of President for the remainder of the term.  In the event of an absence of both the President and Vice-President, the Chairman of the Board of Elders shall perform the duties of the President.  The Vice-President shall chair the Nominating Committee.
  1. Executive Recording Secretary.  The Executive Recording Secretary shall record and preserve the minutes of the meetings of the Voters Assembly and the Church Council.  These minutes and the official minutes of all church organizations shall remain the property of the congregation.
  1. Executive Financial Secretary.  The Executive Financial Secretary shall keep and maintain a record of all members giving.  He or She shall be responsible for the ordering and distributing of offering envelopes.  He or She shall issue individual annual statements of giving.  The term of office is two years and re-election is allowed.  He or She may appoint two or more members to assist in accounting for the offerings.
  1. Executive Treasurer.  The Executive Treasurer shall keep and maintain the financial records of the congregation.  The Executive Treasurer shall disburse funds in accordance with the congregation approved annual budget unless otherwise authorized by the Church Council and/or the Voters Assembly.  All checks written on church accounts shall require two signatures of which the Executive Treasurer is one.  In the absence of the Executive Treasurer the Assistant Treasurer is authorized to sign in his or her stead.  In the absence of both primary signers an Executive Officer of the Church Council is authorized to sign as the required primary signer.  The second signature may be a member of the Committee requesting the check, however, the person signing the Check Request Form cannot be a signer of the check.  All committees having been authorized to open a checking account in the bank shall submit to the Executive Treasurer a checking account reconciliation notice by the 10th of the following month.
  1. Pooled Investment Chairperson.  The chairperson is an Executive Officer.

Article 6    Boards

  1. Board of Elders.  The Board of Elders shall consist of a minimum of three (3) members elected by the Voters Assembly.  The number of Elders will always be an odd number.  The Board of Elders shall watch over the doctrinal life and administration of the officers of called, employed, and volunteer personnel, and assure that they are treated with respect and the congregation fulfills its duty toward them with respect to their physical needs in accord with the Word of God and their respective calls.  The Board of Elders shall assist in maintaining order and discipline in difficult ministerial cases.  This shall be done as outlined in Matthew 18 in the Bible.  The Board of Elders shall seek to lead members in the deepening of their spiritual life and regular participation in worship.  The term of office shall be on a staggered term basis with new elders serving 1 year during their first term and then they may be elected to serve one-, two-, or three-year terms.  The Head Elder will provide direction in determining the term length, so all Elders terms do not end at the same time.  Nominees for the position of Elder must be approved by the Board of Elders and the Pastor or Deacon prior to being placed on the ballot for election.  (This is required due to the nature of the position.)
  1. Board of Stewardship.  The Board of Stewardship shall consist of at least three (3) members.  The chair need only be elected by the Voters Assembly, in addition to the Executive Treasurer and the Executive Financial Secretary who are automatically members.  The term of office shall be for two years with members appointed as openings occur.  The Board of Stewardship shall encourage the congregation in proper spiritual attitudes toward the stewardship of time, talents and treasures.  Members may be re-elected.
  1. Board of Trustees.  The Board of Trustees shall consist of at least 3 members.  The board chair need only be elected by the Voters Assembly.  The term of office shall be for 2 years with members appointed as vacancies occur.  The Board of Trustees shall maintain the congregation’s property.  Members may be re-elected.  The Board of Trustees shall also be responsible for proposing to the Church Council all recommendations related to studies, grading, bid, master planning, interviewing Architects, and designs for any and all buildings for Council action or approval.
  1. Board of Evangelism and Missions.  The Board of Evangelism and Missions shall consist of at least three (3) members.  The board chair need only be elected by the Voters Assembly.  The term of office shall be for 2 years with members appointed as vacancies occur.  The Board of Evangelism and Missions shall encourage a personal witness of Christian faith as well as participation in the witness of the congregation.  All members are encouraged to attend the Board of Evangelism and Missions meetings and training sessions.  Members may be re-elected.
  1. Board of Education and Youth Ministries.  The Board of Education and Youth Ministries shall consist of at least three (3) members.  The board chair need only be elected by the Voters Assembly.  One of the three shall be appointed by the Board of Elders in consultation with the Pastor as the “Coordinator of the Board of Children’s Education and Youth Ministries.”  The term of office shall be for two years with members appointed as vacancies occur.  Members may be re-elected.  Under the direction and guidance of the Pastor or Deacon, the Board of Education and Youth Ministries shall be responsible for: Planning and implementing all youth activities, Bible studies, Sunday School, Confirmation Classes, Vacation Bible School, counseling and communication, fostering spiritual growth in the lives of individual Christian youth, setting up programs in education for each specific age level from nursery to and including Bible Studies.  The coordinator will keep the Pastor and the Board of Elders aware of all activities involving the youth of the church.  The coordinator will conduct regular training classes for all those involved with youth education.  The Board of Elders and Pastor or Deacon shall be consulted concerning youth activities, education, and training.
  1. Board of Finance.  The Board of Finance shall consist of at least three (3) members.  The board chair need only be elected by the Voters Assembly.  The term of office shall be 3 years with members appointed as vacancies occur.  The Board of Finance shall supervise all financial matters of the congregation.  The Executive Treasurer shall be a member of the Board of Finance.  Members may be re-elected.
  1. Board of Altar Guild.  The board of Altar Guild shall consist of as many members as required to provide for as many services as are being conducted.  The duties of the Altar Guild shall be the overall cleanliness of the Chancel and Sacristies.  This includes setting up for communion, baptisms, funerals any other special services, care of the communion ware, baptismal font, paraments, banners flowers, and any other concerns pertaining to the chancel.  Positions are appointed to fill vacancies as they occur.  There is no set term of office.  The Board of Elders shall oversee the Altar Guild.
  1. Pooled Investment Board. The Chairperson shall appoint four additional people, for a total of five (5) to serve on this board.  The board chair need only be elected by the Voters Assembly.  The terms shall be staggered (1-to-3-year terms).  The board shall facilitate moving the Church’s “idle funds” into interest bearing funds or growth funds, with the approval of the Finance Committee, and be responsible for the oversight, monitoring and administration of all the “Church Investment Funds”.

Article 7    Committees

7.1 Constitution and Bylaws Committee.  The Constitution and Bylaws Committee shall consist of at least three (3) members appointed by the church council.  They may be re-elected.  The term of office shall be 2 years with members appointed as vacancies occur.  This committee shall be responsible for drafting requests for changes or clarifications of all matters pertaining to the Constitution and Bylaws.  The parliamentarian shall be a member of this committee.  The drafted answers to requests and clarifications shall be directed to the Church Council for action and for ultimate presentation to the Voters Assembly.

  1. Wish List Committee.  The Wish List Committee will consist of at least three (3) members, one of which will be the chairperson.  The chairperson shall appoint at least 2 other members to this committee.  Lamb of God will maintain a “Wish List” for the purpose of purchasing specific items for the church, other services, or repair work.  The funds placed into the Wish List will be designated by the donor for a specific purpose, i.e. playground equipment, parking lot sealing and marking, special window treatment, etc.
  1. The items and/or services for which the “Wish List” is designated shall be those for which there is no budgetary allocation.  This will provide an avenue of giving for those with special interests for needs within the church.
  1. All monies dedicated for a special item on the wish list must be used for that purpose and that purpose only.  If the item for which monies have been accrued should not be practical or allowable, the donor shall be asked for disposition of the donation.  If not used for the church, it may be returned to the donor if they so desire.
  1. The Wish List will be a separate special account and shall not be available to the Church’s general budget account.  Any draws from this account must be signed by the chairperson of this committee and the Executive Treasurer and must be approved by the Church Council.
  1. Social Service Committee.  This committee shall consist of at least three (3) members appointed by the Church Council.  The term of office shall be 2 years and they may be re-elected.  Members shall be appointed as vacancies occur.  This committee will be responsible for the care and comfort of those in need who are brought to the attention of the church.  These will be primarily members of this church or persons known by members of the church.
  1. The committee will receive input from the congregation and/or members of other boards and committees.  If an issue presented is one that may be referred to an agency in place for this purpose, such referral shall be made, and arrangements made for the party to appear before such agency.  Much of this committee’s work will be to get the persons in touch with the proper authority to address their specific issue.  Each case will continue to be monitored until resolution has been attained.
  1. It will be necessary to have a designated budget for this committee as not all those presented can be helped by other in-place agencies.  This will be an item for the Church Council and the congregation.
  1. Members of this committee should be familiar with social services in the area such as D.E.S. of Arizona, Interagency, Helping Hands, Red Cross, Salvation Army, Haven, etc. so that proper referrals may be made when necessary.
  1. Planning Committee.  The planning Committee shall consist of at least five (5) members.  The term of office shall be for two years with members appointed as vacancies occur.  The members may be re-elected.  The Planning Committee shall be responsible for developing ideas for new additions to any of the physical property or programs of the church.  They will receive suggestions from the Council and/or any committees and will review price, and report with recommendations to the Church Council.  Such ideas for the Planning Committee action and reports include any major renovations, modifications, or additions to the building and property.
  1. Archivist Historian Committee.  The committee is in charge of archives/records/historical documents.  The position shall consist of one or more appointed members keeping in good condition the archives of the church.

Article 8    Church Council

  1. The Church Council shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Executive Recording Secretary, the Executive Treasurer, the Executive Financial Secretary, the Pooled Investment Board Chairperson, the chairperson or designee of each of the Boards and Committees, and Pastor and Deacon.
  1. The Church Council will meet regularly, on a monthly basis, as deemed necessary to hear reports from the various boards and committees, and in general to take such action as shall seem advisable to implement the congregational programs.  In counsel with the Pastor or Deacon, the Church Council shall determine the kinds and numbers of committees, other boards, or positions needed to carry on the work of the congregation.

Article 9    Expenditures Authorization

  1. Each committee and board is authorized to spend up to a total of $100.00 for unbudgeted expenses in any calendar year without any further approval.  Any unbudgeted expenditure from $100.00 to $500.00 requires prior approval of the Church Council.  Any expenditure over $500.00 requires Church Council approval whether budgeted or not.
  1. In the event of a Catastrophic disaster that affects the church or its congregation, special emergency spending authority shall be available, and the amount shall be commensurate with the expense of the cure of the emergency.  This request must be approved by a majority of the Church Council or a quorum at the call of a special meeting.  Prior to the commitment of funds, availability must be issued by the Executive Treasurer.

Article 10    Nomination and Election of Officers

  1. A nominating committee consisting of the Vice-President as chair, the Pastor and Deacon, and up to four (4) members appointed by the Church Council shall present a slate of candidates at the Voters Assembly meeting in November of each year.  The slate proposed by the committee shall contain at least 1 candidate for each position.
  1. Before the November meeting any voting member of the congregation may submit to the committee additional names for inclusion on the list.  Such names shall be placed in nomination by the Nominating Committee if written approval of the nominee exists.  There may not be any nominations from the floor at the November Voters Meeting.
  1. The members elected to any office in the church shall be installed in a church service prior to taking office.

Article 11    Financial Review Committee

  1. The Church Council shall appoint a Financial Review Committee of two (2) or more voting members who shall review the financial records of the church at least once a year and report their findings to the Church Council and the Voters Assembly.  Any person involved in keeping financial records cannot sit on this committee.  (i.e., The Executive Financial Secretary, the Executive Treasurer, etc.)
  1. The council shall hire a certified accounting and auditing firm who shall audit the financial records of the church and other related business matters once every third year as needed with the approval of the council.  The firm shall verbally and in writing report its findings to the Church Council.  The Church Council will provide the report to the church Voters Assembly.
  1. The Church Council shall appoint an auditing committee of five (5) voting members to oversee and engage in the audit.  Any person keeping the financial records of the church must be excluded from serving on this committee.

Article 12    General

  1. These Bylaws may be amended by the Voters Assembly by a majority vote.  The amendment must be announced at least 2 weeks prior to the meeting at which it will be voted upon.  These Bylaws shall be reviewed every three (3) years and signed by the Council President.
  1. The following Lamb of God Church documents shall be reviewed and updated as needed every three (3) years: The Constitution, the Bylaws, church Financial Records, the Policy and Procedures Manual, and the Employees Handbook.

Article 13    Synodical Dispute Resolution

  1. Should a dispute arise in the congregation that cannot be resolved internally, which God may mercifully prevent, the dispute resolution resources of the District of the LCMS, of which Lamb of God is a member, shall be utilized.

Article 14    Definitions

  1. The congregation of Lamb of God Lutheran Church located in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman as defined in the Bible in Ephesians 5:31.

END OF BYLAWS

Approved July, 2008