Constitution of the Maranatha Advent Christian Conference

ARTICLE I
NAME

This Conference shall be called The Maranatha Advent Christian Conference, Incorporated.

ARTICLE II
MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. The membership of the Conference shall consist of its officers, ordained ministers, commissioned ministers, churches, and associate members cooperating with the Conference Mission Statement.

Section 2. Ordained ministers and commissioned ministers desiring membership in the Conference shall receive it upon recommendation of the local Advent Christian Church to which they belong and the approval of the Executive/Ministerial Committee.

Section 3. Churches desiring membership and other ministries desiring associate membership (societies, Bible Conferences, etc.) may be received upon recommendation of the Executive/Ministerial Committee, by a two-thirds vote of those present and voting at the Annual Session.

Section 4. Each ordained minister, each commissioned minister, and each delegate shall be entitled to one vote. Any church which is a member of the Conference shall be entitled to one delegate, and one additional delegate for every twenty (20) members or major fraction thereof. Each Associate Member shall be entitled to one delegate. Said delegates should be issued credentials by the organization which they are representing.

ARTICLE III
OFFICERS

Section 1. The officers of the Conference shall consist of a president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer, who shall be elected annually by ballot at the annual meeting. Their duties shall be as usually prescribed for such offices. The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be held by the same person if desired. The president, secretary, and treasurer shall report to the Conference annually.

Section 2. The tenure of office of the president and vice-president shall be limited to five (5) consecutive terms.

ARTICLE IV
COMMITTEES AND THEIR DUTIES

Section 1. There shall be a leadership team which shall meet monthly or as is possible to transact the business of the Conference between its annual meetings. It shall be called the Executive/Ministerial Committee and shall consist of the Officers of this Conference, two (2) Executive Members, and the Superintendent of the Eastern Region of Advent Christian CHurches. The Executive Members shall be ordained mionisters of the Conference who shall be annually elected by ballot at the annual meeting of the conference. The Superintendent of the Eastern Region of Advent Christian Churches shall be a non-voting member ex-officio.

Sub-Section [a] This Committee shall have the authority to fill the unexpired term of any officer, board member or committee member.

Sub-Section [b] This Committee shall consider for approval all applications for membership for ministers, churches, and associate members in accordance with Article II, Sections 2 and 3. Anyone seeking ministerial credentials shall be interviewed by the Committee and if found favorable shall be recommended to the Eastern Regional Association for processing.

Sub-Section [c] The Committee itself shall have authority to receive any Advent Christian minister, ordained or commissioned, in good standing, who brings a Letter of Recommendation and Transfer from another Advent Christian Conference. Said minister shall be recommended to the Eastern Regional Association for the appropriate credential.

Sub-Section [d] This Committee shall participate in the Eastern Regional Association of Advent Christian Churches' credentialing program for all candidates from this Conference for training, examination, commissioning, or ordination for ministry.

Sub-Section [e] It shall be the responsibility of this Committee to develop a working budget prior to the annual meeting for approval by the delegate body.

Section 2. The Executive/Ministerial Committee shall appoint the following committees in preparation for its Annual Meeting:

Sub-Section [a] A Nominating Committee shall be appointed at least two months prior to the annual meeting, the duty of which shall be to prepare a ballot for the Annual Meeting subject to the approval of the Executive/Ministerial Committee.

Sub-Section [b] A committee of two Auditors shall be appointed to examine all Conference accounts and report at the annual session.

Sub-Section [c] A Business and Resolutions Committee shall be approved through which all business and resolutions except for those proposed by the Executive/Ministerial Committee must pass before being considered during the Annual Meeting.

Section 3. The Executive/ Ministerial Committee may appoint other committees as deemed necesary.

Section 4. The Executive/Ministerial Committee shall appoint a Director of Church Health and Planting for a term of three years. There shall be no limit to the number of terms he may serve. The Director shall serve as a non-voting member of the Executive/Ministerial Committee to whom he shall be accountable and to whom he shall report at its regualar meetings. He shall also report annually to the delegate body.

Sub-Section [a] The Director of Church Health and Planting, may appoint a team(s) at his discretion to work with him, members of which shall be chosen for their commitment to, expertise in, and qualifications for evangelism, leadership coaching, church health, and/or church planting.

Sub-Section [b] The Director of Church Health and Planting and those on his team(s) shall develop and direct a ministry for equipping and coaching member churches/ministries to: 1) Maximize healthy growth and increased harvest in its respective mission field; 2) Mentor emerging and established leaders to strengthen and encourage them in their respective callings; 3)Facilitate the development and planting of new churches; and 4) Serve as a resource for maximizing the harvest.

Sub-Section [c] The Executive/Ministerial Committee, shall administrate the church health and planting funds with the counsel of the Director of Church Health and Planting. The Executive/Ministerial Committee shall develop and maintain a policy for administering these funds, updating this policy as necessary.

ARTICLE V
MINISTERS AND CHURCHES

Section 1. The classifications of Christian Ministries recognized by the Conference are: Ordained Ministers and Commissioned Ministers as defined by the Eastern Regional Association.

Section 2. It shall be the duty of all ministers and churches to report annually on report blanks provided by the Conference. Failure to thus report shall make it the duty of the Executive/Ministerial Committee to investigate and report at the next annual session. Ministerial credentials are maintained in accordance with standards developed by the Eastern Regional Association. Ministers who are considered retired shall be exempt from this provision.

Section 3. Any minister relocating from the jurisdiction of the Conference shall be removed from membership in the Conference unless otherwise determined by the Executive/Ministerial Committee.

Section 4. Charges proffered against any minister who is a member of this Conference must be made in writing to the Executive/ Ministerial Committee and the case shall be adjudicated by them, subject to appeal to the Conference.

Section 5. Any church receiving a loan from the Conference shall sign a letter of agreement whereby the Church shall repay the Conference any balance due upon sale or disposition of their property provided the church ceases to exist as an Advent Christian Church.

ARTICLE VI
DENOMINATIONAL RELATIONSHIP

Section 1. The Conference recognizes that it is an integral part of the Advent Christian General Conference of America, and hence under obligation to cooperate with the body by sending delegates to its sessions and by recognizing its leadership in matters pertaining to our common denominational interests and tasks.

Section 2. This Conference shall send delegates whenever possible to Regional Convention and General Conference meetings in which it may have a right of representation, and shall recognize sister Conferences by Fraternal Delegates and/or messages.

Section 3. This Conference recognizes the Eastern Regional Judiciary Committee and the Judiciary Board of the Advent Christian General Conference of America as higher courts of authority in matters of discipline, to which disciplinary cases which do not find solution within this Conference may be referred in the order named.

Section 4. This Conference shall recommend to its churches that in the calling of a pastor they shall consult the Superintendent of the Eastern Region in Regard to the denominational standing and qualifications of candidates before any call is issued.

ARTICLE VII
MEETINGS

Section 1. The date and location of the annual session shall be decided by the Executive/Ministerial Committee, notice of which shall be issued to ministerial members, church clerks, and Associate Member secretaries at least thirty (30) days before the date of the meeting.

Section 2. Special meetings may be called, when deemed necessary, by the Executive/Ministerial Committee, notice of the same to be mailed to ministerial members, church clerks, and Associate Member secretaries at least two (2) weeks before the date of the meeting.

SECTION VIII
Quorum

Fifteen (15) delegates, representing at least five (5) churches, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

ARTICLE IX
DISSOLUTION

In the event that the Maranatha Advent Christian Conference,Inc. ceases to exist, for whatever reason, as a separate entity, all assets shall be given to the Eastern Regional Association of Advent Christian Churches or its successors.

ARTICLE X
AMENDMENTS

This constitution may be altered or amended at any annual meeting by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present, provided the proposed alterations or amendments have been clearly stated in the call to the meeting.

(Adopted on October 6, 2001)
(Amended on October 5, 2002)