Purpose
The said corporation is formed for the purpose of supporting public worship according to the faith,
doctrine, discipline and usages of “The Church of Christ.
Membership
Membership shall consist of individuals who have complied with those terms set forth by Jesus in the Gospel, preached by the apostles, and practiced by the early church, namely:
A. The act of hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:14-17).
B. The act of faith (Hebrews 11:6).
C. The act of repentance or change of heart (Acts 17:30).
D. The act of confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (Romans 10:9,10).
E. The act of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38,39; Acts 8:38,39; Acts 22:16; Romans 6:3-6).
F. Followed by the act of living a life of steadfast devotion to the Lord (Acts 2:42).
Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper shall be served weekly at regular corporate worship
services as the New Testament precedent indicates.
Church Property
A. Ownership
1. This congregation is incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a nonprofit corporation and may avail itself of any rights and privileges thereby accorded, such
as the congregation operating as a 501(c)(3) entity under federal tax law as a church.
2. All church real property of this congregation shall be legally and ecclesiastically independent
of any and all denominations, denominational agencies, societies, and bureaus, as well as
interdenominational agencies, councils, mergers, and groups. All church property is and shall
be indivisible and shall remain the property of this local congregation.
3. Any property, real or personal, which shall hereafter be bequeathed, devised or conveyed to
said corporation shall be taken and held, or inure to it, subject to the control and disposition of the lay members thereof, or such constituted officers (trustees) or representatives thereof, as
shall be composed of a majority of lay members.
Article XI Social Life
A. Prohibited activities
1. That this church shall not support financially or otherwise the United Christian Missionary
Society or any similar ecclesiastical organization which could threaten the independence of the local church congregation and its property, while each member is free to contribute to any Missionary enterprise he may choose, no offering
to the above mentioned or described
organizations shall be sent in the name of or through the treasury of the local church.
2 That only members of the New Testament church (the Churches of Christ and the Christian
Churches) shall be permitted to preach or teach in the local church.
3. That the church and Bible School property shall not be used as places of selling. Nothing
shall be sold for any purpose.
4. No organization, class, etc. of the church or Bible School shall use the name of the church in
any selling project.
5. The church is to be financed solely by tithes and free-will offerings and not through buying
and selling.
6. The church or Bible School property shall not be used by outside organizations; secular or
religious, without the approval of the elders/church board.
7. These facilities may only be used for weddings by those who adhere to the Biblical definition
of marriage, (and other moral practices).
8. These facilities may not be used by any individual, group, or organization to endorse,
promote, or support same sex relationships as an acceptable or alternative behavior.
Article XII Marriage and Sexuality
A. Biblical Statements
1. “We believe that the term ‘marriage’ has only one meaning and that is marriage sanctioned by
God which joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in
Scripture. (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-6)
2. “We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to only occur between a man and a woman who
are married to each other. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual
activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. (Matthew 5:27-28,
Hebrews 13:4)
3. “We believe that any form of sexual immorality, such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality,
bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography or any attempt to change one’s sex, or
disagreement with one’s biological sex, is sinful and offensive to God. (Genesis 2:7 & 22,
Romans 1:26-27, I Timothy 1:8-10)
4. “We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of the church as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to the church members and the
community, it is imperative that all persons employed by the church in any capacity, or who
serve as volunteers, should abide by and agree to this Statement on Marriage and Sexuality
and conduct themselves accordingly. (Elders / I Timothy 3:1-7) Deacons / I Timothy 3:8-13)
(Teachers / I Timothy 6:3-7) (Body / I Timothy 6:11-21)
5. “We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their
sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Acts 2:38, John 3:16,
I John 1:9)
6. “We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and
dignity. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be
repudiated and are not in accord with scripture nor the doctrines of the church.”
(Mark 12:29-30)
B. Facility Use
1. These facilities may only be used for weddings by those who adhere to the Biblical definition
of marriage and other moral practices. (Article XI, Section A, Prohibited Activities) 2. These facilities may not be used by any individual, group, or organization to endorse,
promote, or support same sex relationships as an acceptable or alternative behavior.
(Article XI, Section A, Prohibited Activities)
3. This church building and facilities are owned by the Body of Christ with Christ as the head.
Any activities or programs must heed to the beliefs and practices outlined in Article XII, A.