"Blessed are they whose ways are blameless,
who walk according to the law of the Lord." Psalm 119:1, NIV
Constitution of Wrightsboro Baptist Church
Preamble
We declare and establish this constitution in order to preserve, make secure, and enhance the advancement of the principles of our Christian faith, and to assure that this body of believers will be governed in an orderly manner consistent with the accepted tenets of churches in the Southern Baptist denomination. This constitution preserves the liberties of each individual church member and the freedom of action of this body in its relations with other churches and with the associations and conventions with which it is affiliated.
Article I. Name
This body shall be known as Wrightsboro Baptist Church of Wilmington (New Hanover County), North Carolina.
Article II. Purpose
We band ourselves together as a body of baptized believers in Jesus Christ committed to sharing the good news of salvation with lost mankind. This church is organized for the purpose of advancing and promoting the worship of God through the reading and study of the Holy Bible as the revealed word of God; teaching and preaching the Gospel; conducting regular services of worship for the spiritual training, development, and benefit of each member; and winning souls to Jesus Christ. This church shall be missionary in spirit, seeking through its denominational organization to extend the Gospel to the entire world. It shall exist to provide for public worship, to sustain the ordinances, doctrines, and ethical principles set forth in the New Testament, and to channel its offerings to the support of the Kingdom of God.
In order to effectively carry forward the purposes set above, the church will have full power and authority to purchase, lease and acquire by gift, device, or bequest, and to hold, mortgage, convey, and dispose of all kinds of property, both real and personal, provided that the title to all property shall be vested in the church trustees as set forth elsewhere in this document.
Article III. Statement of Faith
The sole authority for the beliefs and faith of this church is the Scriptures of the Holy Bible which is the inspired word of God. Confessions or statements of faith are guides for use in interpreting the Scriptures and setting forth basic teachings and beliefs. This church subscribes to The Baptist Faith and Message, as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention on May 9, 1963, as its statement of faith.
Article IV. Relationships
This church shall promote and maintain the teachings and doctrines of the Southern Baptist denomination. Its government is vested in the body of believers who compose it and is controlled by a majority thereof. It is subject to the control of no other ecclesiastical body, but it recognizes and sustains the obligations and benefits of mutual counsel and cooperation which are common among Baptist churches. This church will cooperate with and support the Wilmington Baptist Association, the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, and the Southern Baptist Convention.
Article V. Church Covenant
Having been led, as we believe by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and, on the profession of our faith, having been baptised in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.
We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church, in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, back-biting, and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale of, and use of, destructive drugs or intoxicating drinks as a beverage; to shun pornograpy; to be zealous in our efforts to advance the Kingdom of our Savior.
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.
We moreover engage that when we remove from this place we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's Word.
Article VI. Adoption and Amendments
Section 1. Adoption
This constitution shall be considered adopted and in effect upon an affirmative vote by two-thirds of the church members present at a regular business conference. The vote shall be taken not less than thirty (30) days after its presentation to the church. The adoption of this constitution shall repeal any existing governance document which is in conflict with it.
Section 2. Amendments
Changes in this constitution may be made at any regular business conference, provided such amendments shall have been presented to the church in writing as least thirty (30) days in advance and copies be furnished to each member present. Amendments to the constitution require an affirmative vote by two-thirds of the church members present.