Planting Churches among the City's Poor - Volume 1

80 • P LANTING C HURCHES AMONG THE C ITY ’ S P OOR : V OLUME 1

The process of constituting also makes the church legally independent. The following steps should be included in constituting the new church:

1. Formally request permission from the founding mission to constitute. 2. Choose a date for a formal constituting service. 3. Form a constitution committee to write a church constitution and bylaws including: ~ A preamble setting forth the purpose of the constitution. ~ The name of the church. This becomes the official, legal title. ~ The purposes of the church. ~ A church doctrinal statement. (The Articles of Faith) ~ The church covenant. ~ The government or polity of the church. ~ Bylaws including sections on membership, church officers, committees, organizations, ordinances, meetings and other general procedural matters. 166 4. File incorporation forms with state and federal offices. 167 While there is no law that requires churches to be legally incorporated, there are advantages to incorporation. Carl Moorhaus, who has planted over fifty independent Christian Churches, says, Legal incorporation is a necessity in my opinion. It will protect each member from the possibility of individual lawsuits. It makes the entire congregation a legal entity. To the best of my knowledge legal ~ Denominational affiliation (if any). ~ Procedures to amend the constitution.

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166 The following books contain sample Constitution and Bylaws: – Towns (1985), pp. 167-176 – Carl W. Moorhous, Growing New Churches: Step-By-Step Procedures in New Church Planting , (Carl Moorhous, 1975), pp. 42-46 – Stanley J. Grenz, The Baptist Congregation: A Guide to Baptist Belief and Practice , (Valley Forge, PA, Judson Press, 1985), pp. 109-117

167 See Redford, pp. 99-100