A. Section 1 - Admission  

Any person professing faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior who gives satisfactory evidence of having been born again and endeavoring to live a life honoring to the Lord Jesus, may, by vote of the church, be received into the membership, providing they have been baptized following salvation and have accepted the articles of faith. Each candidate for membership must be approved by a two thirds vote of the active church members present in a regular meeting or business meeting, and shall be received in one of the following ways: 

1. Profession of faith in Christ, followed by baptism by       immersion.

2. Promise of a letter of membership recommendation from another church of like faith and order. 

3. By a statement of personal saving faith in Jesus Christ having been followed by baptism by immersion. 

B. Section 2 - Dismissal  

1. By Death  

2. By Request  

Any person who wishes to have his name withdrawn or membership transferred to another church may do so upon request. Those requesting membership in a church of like faith and order may be granted a letter, while those requesting membership in a church of differing faith and order will be dropped, with no letter being granted.

3. By Exclusion  

Any person who becomes an offense to the testimony of Christ and the church by reason of flagrant breach of Scriptural teaching may be dismissed from the church by congregational vote after repeated attempts seeking repentance and restoration have been made. 

4. By Inactivity  

a. A member who willfully neglects attending services of the church for a period of six months will be placed automatically on an inactive list. This means this member will not be able to participate in a vote of a matter of business concerning the church.

b. Any member who willfully neglects the services of the church for a period of one year will automatically be removed from the membership roll. Upon good cause being shown to the discipline committee, this provision for removal may be waived in the case of any individual member at the discretion of the discipline committee.

c. No member of this church may simultaneously hold membership in another church. If any member unites in membership of another church, that person will be automatically dropped from the church roll without notice.

d. Members, not under the disciplining process, may request that letters of transfer be sent to another church in the event that the member is seeking membership in another church. 

C. Section 3 - Voting  

A voting member shall be an active member in good standing with the church, regular in attendance at the services of the church, unless providentially hindered and at least 18 years of age or as specified in other articles. 

D. Section 4 - Discipline  

(1) There shall be a discipline committee consisting of the Pastor and the Deacons. These men shall have sole authority in determining heresy or any deviations from the Articles of Faith and Practice. If the Pastor or Deacon is the subject of a disciplinary matter, he shall not sit as a member of the discipline committee. He shall be entitled to the same steps as other church members and be subject to the same discipline.

(2) Members are expected to demonstrate special loyalty and concern for one another (I Cor. 13:7; Prov. 19:11). When a member becomes an offence of such magnitude that it hinders spiritual growth and testimony, he is to go alone to the offending party and seek to restore his brother. Before he goes, he should first examine himself. When he goes, he should go with a spirit of humility and have the goal of restoration (Deut. 19:15; Matt. 18:16).

(3) If reconciliation is not reached, a second or third church member, either a Deacon and/or the Pastor is to accompany the one seeking to resolve the matter. This second step should also be preceded by self-examination, and exercised in a spirit of humility with the goal of restoration.

(4) If the matter is still unresolved after the steps outlined in subsections (2) & (3) have been taken, the discipline committee, as the church representatives biblically responsible for putting down murmuring, shall hear the matter. If the matter is not resolved during the hearing before the discipline committee, the committee shall recommend to the members of the church that they, after self examination, make an effort to go to the offending member and seek the member’s restoration (II Thes. 3:14,15).

(5) If the matter is still unresolved after the steps outlined in subsections (2), (3), (4) have been taken, such members who refuse to repent and be restored are to be removed from the membership of the church upon a majority vote of the membership present at a meeting called for the purpose of considering disciplinary action. A voting member, in a disciplinary action, shall be an active member in good standing with the church, regular in attendance at the services of the church, unless providentially hindered, and at least 18 years of age.

(6) No matter may be heard by the discipline committee or the church unless the steps outlined in subsections (2), (3), have been taken except in the case of a public offence (I Cor. 14:40).

(7) If an unrepentant offending party is removed from the church membership, all efforts toward contact with him/her from that point forward must be for the sake of restoration (except family members) (Matt. 18:17; I Cor. 5:11-13). 

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