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Church Constitution and Rules of Decorum

CONSTITUTION COVENANT AND SUMMARY OF FAITH OF THE SMYRNA PRIMITIVE BAPTIST CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST BENTLEY, HANCOCK COUNTY, ILLINOIS, ORGANIZED APRIL 11, 1870.

  1. The church shall be designated and known as the Smyrna Primitive Baptist Church at Bentley.
  2. All the books contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, as given in what is known as the authorized King James Translation, 1611, are inspired by the Holy Ghost and must be received as the word of God. They contain all the necessary instruction in faith, experience and conduct of the church of Christ and each individual Christian. Nothing is to be required by the church which the Scriptures do not require anything omitted which they enjoin.
  3. We believe in one and only true and living God, the creator and upholder of all things and disposer of all events, for there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one.
  4. The total depravity and just condemnation of all the fallen race of Adam.
  5. The doctrine of election, for by grace are you saved, through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.
  6. The sovereign and efficacious work of the Holy Ghost and the vocation of the elect.
  7. The perfect justification by the blood in the righteousness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
  8. Baptism, an ordinance enjoined only on believers, to be administered by a regularly ordained minister standing at the time of the administering in the Fellowship of the church of Christ, in which the ordinance the believer is immersed in water on the profession of his or her faith and in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Ghost.
  9. The Lord’s supper the privilege to the regularly baptized members of the church who walk in the order of the gospel.
  10. The perseverance of all the saints by grace to glory.
  11. The general resurrection of the just and of the unjust but everyone in his order, they that have done good to the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation; and that the Lord hath appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ.
  12. That the joys of the righteous and the punishment of the wicked shall be everlasting.

RULES OF DECORUM

  1. The church is to meet once a month to do any business she may have to do, the time and place of meeting to be at the pleasure of the members of the Church. Meeting to be opened by prayer.
  2. A moderator and clerk shall be appointed and remain in office during the pleasure of the Church.
  3. The moderator shall invite visiting brothers and sisters of our faith in good standing to seats in Council, ascertained the Fellowship of the Church, open the doors for the reception of members, and call for reference and business.
  4. All business of the church shall be done by a majority except the reception and restoration of members, choosing of deacons, granting letters of dismission, setting up our preachers either by liberation, license or ordination, and choosing ministers to take care of the Church which shall be done by unanimous vote.
  5. All matters of dealing touching of fellowship between individual members shall be dealt with according to the 18th chapter of St. Matthew before brought into the church; but all transgressions openly and of a public nature against the Church or gospel must be made to the church.
  6. The church is deemed a judge of good order and it is the duty of the moderator to attend to it.
  7. All motions made and seconded shall be attended to unless withdrawn by the parties.
  8. Any member wishing to speak shall rise to his feet and address the moderator by the appellation of brother and shall not be interrupted unless he or she departs from the subject or use words of heat or personal reflection, and but one shall speak at a time.
  9. No person shall speak more than twice on the same subject without leave of the church.
  10. We deem it the duty of every member to attend church meetings unless providentially hindered.
  11. The business of each church meeting shall be kept by the clerk and read publicly before dismission and corrected if necessary.
  12. We deem it the duty of the members of this church not to go to law with each other nor to defame or entertain contentions or ill will one against another but to cherish peace and Christian affection and endeavor to promote each other’s welfare in both temporal and spiritual things.
  13. This church has no power to make laws or impose commands or restrictions on any of her members, the law of Christ recorded in the New Testament being the only rule of their government. But it is the duty of the Church to deal with and if cannot reclaim to exclude such persons as do not conform to the laws and institutions of Christ.
  14. All things in this church are to be done without partiality, recognizing a perfect equality of religious privileges accept the official authority of her officers and that to be subject of the judgment and decision of the Church. We recognize no difference between male and female members except that females are not allowed to exercise the official authority of public teachers in the church. Deference is always due to age and experience.
  15. The pecuniary concerns of this church shall be adjusted by the officers or trustees or such others as the Church shall appoint and they shall submit these to be decided by the members.
  16. No member shall be indulged in any practice that may disturb the Church while doing any business.
  17. Any member knowingly to violate any of these rules will lay himself liable to the censure of the Church.
  18. By motion and the second of the church agreed to hold her communion season in May and October each year.
  19. The Articles of Faith and Rules of Decorum shall be read regularly at our May and October meetings.
  20. There shall be a quarterly report of money received and spent by the Church.

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