Church Covenant

Through the four functions of Worship, Biblical Instruction, Fellowship and Expression of our faith, we desire to develop authentic follows of Jesus who will develop authentic followers of Jesus (Matthew 28: 18-20)

One Church embraces the two great commandments and the one great commission.

• To love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and strength. Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37
• To love your neighbor as yourself. Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39
• To share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:19-20

The New Testament metaphor for the Church is the "bride of Christ". As such, we have developed the following W.I.F.E. acronym to remind us of the four biblical purposes of the church.
W = Worship ; I = Instruction; F = Fellowship; E = Expression. Our main expressions of faith are through prayer, evangelism, and service.

We affirm the Holy Scriptures to be our authoritative basis for all faith and practice and we affirm the Holy Scripture is without mixture of error. We affirm the Baptist Faith and Message as revised and approved in 2000, by the Southern Baptist Convention.

One Church is an autonomous and self-governing group, which voluntarily associates with the Southern Baptist Convention, the Tennessee Baptist Convention, and the Concord Baptist Association.

A. One Church will receive and maintain members in the following manners:

• A personal faith in Jesus Christ for salvation and baptism by full immersion as a symbol of conversion
• Completion of a membership process provided by the Pastoral Staff

B. Voting and Meetings

Every member shall have the right and privilege of voting at the annual Family Fellowship Meeting and at any other called or regular business meeting. Business meetings may be called by the Senior Pastor or by a majority vote of the Council of Elders with adequate notification to the Church. The annual Family Fellowship Meeting and all other business meetings shall be led by the Senior Pastor or another person designated by the Senior Pastor or, should there not be a Senior Pastor on staff, the Council of Elders may appoint someone to moderate the meeting. Those members present and voting at a properly called business meeting shall constitute a quorum of the membership for the transaction of business. Voting by proxy is prohibited. Absentee voting is allowed with provision.

A. Senior Pastor.

1. The Senior Pastor is recommended to the Church by a Pastor Search Team. The Pastor Search Team shall be nominated by the Council of Elders and comprised of at least 2 Elders and four other church members. The Pastor Search team shall then be approved at a called business meeting for that purpose. The Senior Pastor is called by an >85% affirmative vote following his recommendation to the Church by the Pastor Search Team.

2. The Senior Pastor has the responsibility and authority to provide leadership in the areas of vision and strategic planning, daily operations, direction of Church ministries and supervision of Church employees. He may delegate authority as necessary. The Senior Pastor will provide leadership and supervision for the Pastoral Team and other Church employees.

B. Council of Elders.

1. The Council of Elders shall be comprised of six lay persons and the Senior Pastor. Lay members of the Council of Elders shall serve on a rotational basis for three years. This duration may be extended under extraordinary circumstances (such as a leadership change, building project, or pastoral transition). New members of the Council of elders are nominated on an annual basis by the church, affirmed by the Council of Elders upon a successful period of training by the Senior Pastor, and confirmed by the church at a subsequent annual Family Fellowship Meeting. The Senior Pastor serves as an on-going, voting member of the Council of Elders and provides leadership for that team. The functions of the Council of Elders are: (1) Advisory to the Senior Pastor; (2) Accountability for the Senior Pastor; (3) Responsibility in financial matters and personnel matters.

2. The Council of Elders has the authority and responsibility for church direction and ministry decisions, including revisions of this Church Covenant. The Senior Pastor and/or Council of Elders may delegate responsibilities as needed through the formation of committees, teams, study groups or other entities.

C. Ministerial Staff and Support Personnel.

One Church shall employ such full-time staff as determined and confirmed by the Senior Pastor upon consultation with the Council of Elders. The Senior Pastor is responsible for the search process for all staff. The Senior Pastor is authorized to employ and/or dismiss full-time ministerial staff and other full-time support personnel upon consultation with Council of Elders. Part-time staff serve at the will and pleasure of the Senior Pastor.

D. Servant Ministry Teams.

Servant Ministry Teams are developed (e.g. deacons, missions, etc.) as necessary with the approval of the Council of Elders or the Senior Pastor. Servant Ministry Teams fulfill ministry functions in the life of the Church.

E. Treasurer.

One Church shall have a Treasurer who will assist the Council of Elders and the Leadership Team in financial matters. The Treasurer will be responsible for signing checks for the Church. The Treasurer will not be an employee of the Church and serves at the discretion of the Senior Pastor and Council of Elders. The Treasurer will be available to assist the Financial Secretary or other such persons who manage the finances of the Church.

Calvary Baptist Church, doing business as “ONE CHURCH”, is incorporated as a religious organization under the laws of the State of Tennessee. The Church will have its annual business meeting (called a Family Fellowship Meeting), in the last quarter of each year. The Council of Elders shall serve as the Board of Directors for the purpose of meeting legal and financial requirements.