CHI ALPHA CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP CONSTITUTION

Transcription

1 CHI ALPHA CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP CONSTITUTION ARTICLE I- NAME The name of this organization shall be Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship, hereafter referred to as Chi Alpha. It will be affiliated with a national organization called Chi Alpha Campus Ministries, whose oversight is provided by the General Council of the Assembl ies of God. ARTICLE II - PURPOSE The purpose of this organization is to participate in the fulfillment of the Great Commission of Christ at Purdue and to train and equip Purdue students for present and future ministry opportunities. The organization is organized exclusively for religious purposes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, activities to include but not be limited to sharing a Spirit-filled Christian faith on campus, weekly worship meetings, outreach and evangelism activities, discipleship and other small groups for the purpose of helping students grow in their knowledge of Jesus and other activities in line with the religious purpose and intent of the organization. ARTICLE Ill - MEMBERSHIP Section I - Membership and participation are free from discrimination based on race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, disability, or status as a disabled or Vietnam-era veteran. Section II - Admission to Membership - Notwithstanding the requirements in Section I, a person must fulfill the following requirements to be admitted as a member: 1. Born again according to John 3:5 (NIV) 2. Baptized in the Spirit or actively seeking it according to Acts 2:4 (NIV) 3. Attends a minimum of eight Furnace Prayer meetings per semester. 4. Is a contributing member of a Chi Alpha missional community. Section Ill - Privileges of Membership - membership in this organization shall carry with it the right to vote. Section IV - Discipline of Members - Membership in.chi Alpha Christian Fellowship shall be maintained as long as the member cooperates with the general spirit and purpose of the group and continues to serve on a student ministry team. Those disciplined may be asked to forfeit membership; one may still attend meetings but will not have the right to vote. Before the Servant's Councilwill hear a motion to remove a member, it will require the involved parties to follow the model of problem solving outlined in Matthew 18:15-17 (NIV). The first step of this

2 model requires one on one confrontation between the offended and offending parties. If this does not correct the situation, the offended party must take one or two witnesses to confront the offending party again. If the problem is not yet resolved, the third step is for the offended party to bring charges against the offending party before the Servant's Council. If the matter is not resolved with the Servant's Council, the motion to remove the member must be presented to the entire voting membership at least one week before the meeting at which the removal vote shall take place. A motion to remove can only be initiated by a member of the Servant's Council. If the motion to remove is passed then the offending party shall lose the right to vote as a member. ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS Section I- EXECUTIVE OFFICERS The officers of this organization shall consist of a President, a Treasurer, a Faculty Advisor and a Spiritual Advisor. Section II - QUALIFICATIONS OF OFFICERS 1. Membership - Elected officers must have been a member of Chi Alpha for at least one semester, and have participated in meetings for at least one school year prior to taking office. 2. Pure Life - All officers must be free from unrepented acts of sin in their life as described by Galatians 5:16-26 (NIV) and 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NIV). The following serve as examples but do not list all such sins: 1. Abstains from alcohol 2. Not involved in sexual immorality 3. Christian Character - A blameless Christian life and a good report from those who are outside the organization, as described by 1 Timothy 3:1-13 (NIV), which include the following attributes: 1. Trustworthy and honest 2. Faithful leader who also understands how to follow someone who is their authority 4. Currently a member of a discipleship group or actively discipling other Chi Alpha students. 5. Faculty and Spiritual Advisors - The Faculty and Spiritual Advisors must meet the above qualifications, and in addition, the Spiritual Advisor must be a credentialed member of the General Council of the Assemblies of God. 6. Must have a GPA of at least 2.8 and be in good academic standing with the University 7. Must be a full time student at Purdue. Section Ill - TERMS OF OFFICE

3 ' All student officers will serve for a period of one year beginning on the date of election. Elected officers may take office early in the event of the absence of the previous officers. Section IV - ELECTION PROCEDURES Student executive officers ("SEO") will be elected officials of this organization while the Faculty Advisor and Spiritual Advisor will be appointed. SEO are elected through the voting process by the members of Chi Alpha at the business meeting in April. ARTICLE V - OFFICERS AND DUTIES 1. Spiritual Advisor - The spiritual advisor shall have the immediate spiritual oversight of the group and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees. The spiritual advisor shall give biblical counsel to the group and its members. 2. Faculty Advisor - The faculty advisor shall be an immediate adviser to the group pertaining university matters and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees. 3. President -The President shall be the student contact for the organization in all university matters. He or she shall be responsible for scheduling rooms for events and filing appropriate forms for events and group travel. 4. Treasurer- The Treasurer shall oversee the keeping of minutes of all business meetings keeping accounts, depositing the organization's funds and making expenditures in a manner approved by the Business Office for Student Organizations. ARTICLE VI - DISSOLUTION Upon the dissolution of this organization, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose. ARTICLE VII - AMENDMENTS This constitution and its bylaws may be amended at any meeting of the Servants Council, provided that the Council is notified of the proposed amendments at least seven days prior to the meeting. The Servants Council, having agreed upon amendments, shall present the proposed amendments to the Chi Alpha student body at a specially-called business meeting. The Servants Council shall discuss any objections raised by the student body before submitting the revised constitution to the Office of the Dean of Students for final approval. CHI ALPHA CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP BYLAWS ARTICLE I- RULES OF ORDER

4 Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship refers to Robert's Rules of Order in business meetings and facilitating discussion regarding our Constitution and other official matters. ARTICLE II -- SERVANT'S COUNCIL The Servant's Council shall consist of officers, missional community leaders or other influential student leaders, the spiritual advisor, and associated staff and interns. The Council shall meet on a monthly basis during the fall and spring semesters and shall plan recruiting events, make financial decisions and other decisions as deemed necessary. ARTICLE Ill- RELATIONSHIPS Section I- To the Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship Spiritual Advisor - Chi Alpha shall be under the spiritual supervision of this person, whose advice and direction shall be respected in all activities. He or she shall be considered an honorary member of the organization and an exofficio member of all its committees. Section II - To the Faculty Advisor and to the University - Chi Alpha shall be under the guidance of the Faculty Advisor whose counsel shall be respected in all activities which pertain to the University. Section Ill - To the National Chi Alpha organization - Chi Alpha has a relationship of mutual support and a common philosophy with the National Chi Alpha organization. ARTICLE IV - MEMBERSHIP Section I- Admission to Membership - A person must fulfill the following requirements to be admitted as a member: 1. Born again according to John 3:5 (NIV) 2. Baptized in the Spirit or actively seeking it according to Acts 2:4 (NIV) 3. Attends a minimum of eight Furnace Prayer meetings per semester. 4. Is a contributing member of a Chi Alpha missional community Section II - Privileges of Membership - membership in this organization shall carry with it the right to vote. Section Ill - Discipline of Members - Membership in Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship shall be maintained as long as the member cooperates with the general spirit and purpose of the group and continues to serve on a student ministry team. Those disciplined may be asked to forfeit membership; one may still attend meetings but will not have the right to vote. Before the Servant's Council will hear a motion to remove a member, it will require the involved parties to follow the model of problem solving outlined in Matthew 18:15-17 (NIV). The first step of this model requires one on one confrontation between the offended and offending parties. If this does not correct the situation, the offended party must take one or two witnesses to confront the

5 offending party again. If the problem is not yet resolved, the third step is for the offended party to bring charges against the offending party before the Servant's Council. If the matter is not resolved with the Servant's Council, the motion to remove the member must be presented to the entire voting membership at least one week before the meeting at which the removal vote shall take place. A motion to remove can only be initiated by a member of the Servant's Council. If the motion to remove is passed then the offending party's rights as a member will be revoked. ARTICLE V - SELECTION OF OFFICERS Section I: Voting - Members shall sign in at the beginning of the meeting where voting shall occur. Only those who are members of Chi Alpha may participate in voting. Voting for the election of Student Executive Officers shall be by voice. Section II: Nominations - The Spiritual Advisor, with the advice of other ministry leaders, shall present suggested nominees to the Servant's Council before April. The Servant's Council shall then vote to provisionally elect the Student Executive Officers. The Council shall then present their provisional elections to the general Chi Alpha student body at a business meeting, inviting the student body to notify the Spiritual Advisor of any objections to the election. If no objections are raised, the elections will stand. If objections are raised, the Spiritual Advisor will call a special meeting with the Servant's Council to determine whether the objections substantiate disqualification for the individual under question. If the individual is disqualified, the Servant's Council will vote to elect among the remaining nominees and follow the same procedure of presenting the provisional election to the student body. ARTICLE VI - REMOVAL OF OFFICERS Student Executive officers may be removed by a two-thirds majority vote of the Servant's Council. Before the Servant's Council will hear a motion to remove a member, it will require the involved parties to follow the model of problem solving outlined in Matthew 18:15-17 (NIV). The first step of this model requires one on one confrontation between the offended and offending parties. If this does not correct the situation, the offended party must take two or three witnesses to confront the offending party again. If the problem is not yet resolved, the third step is for the offended party to bring charges against the offending party before the Servant's Council. If the matter is not resolved with the Servant's Council, the motion to remove the member must be presented to the entire voting membership at least one week before the meeting at which the removal vote shall take place. A motion to remove can only be initiated by a member of the Servant's Council. If the motion to remove is passed then the offending party's rights as a member will be revoked. ARTICLE VII - VACANCIES

6 If a vacancy of an office occurs prior to the regular business meeting each year a special meeting will be called for the purpose of filling the vacant office only. ARTICLE VIII - MEETINGS The annual business meeting of the organization shall be held in April each year. Special business meetings may be held at the call of the Servants Council at any time, provided that 3 days prior notice of that meeting shall have been announced. ARTICLE IX - QUORUM Those members present at a regular or special business meeting shall constitute a quorum. A majority of those members present shall be necessary to transact business. Specific majorities may be needed as stipulated in specific Articles of the Constitution or By-Laws Date of Adoption Date of Recognition President's signature Office of the Dean of Students Faculty Advisor s Signature