The Parish Annual Meeting will be January 21, in the Parish Hall, following morning worship (11:30am). Proposed amendments to the By-Laws may be found in the January Newsletter, The Chimes. The full text of the By-Laws follows:
BY-LAWS For CHRIST CHURCH
(Also known as CHRIST CHURCH, ROCK SPRING PARISH and CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH)
A parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland
As revised in 2005 by vote of the parish membership at the Annual Meeting of April 17, 2005 (Portions in boldface indicate revisions approved in 2005
2100 Rock Spring Road
Forest Hill, Maryland 21050
Over 200 years in Harford County
CHRIST CHURCH, ROCK SPRING PARISH
PARISH BY-LAWS
PREAMBLE: These By-Laws are adopted pursuant to the authority granted by Section 5-334 of the Corporations and Associations Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland relating to religious corporations affiliated with the Protestant Episcopal Church of the Diocese of Maryland (the “Diocese of Maryland”). These By-Laws shall govern the corporate and temporal affairs of the Parish or separate congregation herein below named, subject to the Public General Laws of the State of Maryland, to the Constitution and Canons of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America and to those of the Diocese of Maryland.
ARTICLE 1: MEMBERS
Section 1. Ordinary Members
All persons who have been baptized, whether in the Episcopal Church or in another Christian Church, and whose Baptisms have been duly recorded in the Episcopal Church, and who regard Christ Church, Rock Spring Parish, as their regular place of worship, shall be Ordinary Members of the Church.
Section 2. Communicants
Members who have received Holy Communion in this Church at least three times in the previous year are considered communicants of this Church.
Section 3. Communicants in good standing (as defined by Title I, Canon 17, Sect. 3)
All communicants of this Church, who for the previous year have been faithful in corporate worship, unless for good cause prevented, and have been faithful in working, praying and giving for the spread of the Kingdom of God, are to be considered communicants in good standing.
Section 4. Voting Members
Every person not less than 16 years of age who has been an Ordinary Member of the Church for at least 2 months preceding the day when the person may wish to vote, and who shall have been, for the period aforesaid, a communicant in good standing in the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America and enrolled as such in the records of the Church, shall be a Voting Member thereof, with the right to vote in the election of Vestry Members and upon all other matters having to do with the affairs of the Church.
The Rector shall maintain a current list of communicants in good standing, determined in his or her best judgment according to the Canons of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. This list shall be available upon request. In the event of any dispute as to the eligibility of any voter, the question shall be referred to the Vestry for resolution. If the determination by the Vestry is not satisfactory to the objecting party or group, and if the differences cannot be resolved after consultation with the Bishop or Ecclesiastical Authority of the Diocese, the matter shall be referred to a panel of three arbitrators, communicants in good standing of one or more other parishes in the Diocese of Maryland, one of whom shall be named by the objecting party or group, one by the Vestry and the third by the two arbitrators so named, The decision of such panel shall be binding on all parties.
Section 5. Annual Meetings
- There shall be an Annual Meeting of the Voting Members of the Church, at which all Ordinary Members shall be welcome but shall have no vote, on the Third Sunday of January of each and every year, or on such a date as shall be determined by the Vestry and announced at least one month in advance.
- The business to be transacted at the Annual Meeting of the Voting Members shall include the election of Vestry Members, consideration and action on the reports of the Rector, Officers, Vestry Members and Committees, and any other such business within the power of the Church as a religious corporation of the State of Maryland.
Section 6. Special Meetings
At any time during the interval between Annual Meetings, Special Meetings of the Voting Members, at which all Ordinary Members shall be welcome, may be called by the Rector or by not less than one-third of the members of the Vestry or upon the written request of not less than 10% of the Voting Members filed with the Rector, or in his or her absence, with the Senior Warden.
Section 7. Notice and Place of Meetings; Quorum
All meetings of members, both Annual and Special, shall be held following the last Service of Worship, in the Church or in the Parish Hall, unless another time or place is specified in the notice. Notice of all meetings shall be given by announcement at services in the Church on at least two Sundays immediately preceding the date of the meeting, and by publication in the weekly bulletins of the Church, if there be such a bulletin, in not less than two issues immediately preceding the meeting. Such notice shall indicate whether the meeting is an Annual or Special Meeting, and if a Special Meeting, the business to be transacted. In the case of Special Meeting, written notice shall be sent, by mail, to all members no less than 2 weeks prior to the meeting. No business other than that specified in the notice shall be transacted at Special Meeting. The quorum at a properly notified meeting shall be the number of individuals in actual attendance at the meeting but not less than 10% of eligible Voting Members.
ARTICLE II: THE VESTRY
Section 1. Eligibility
Every Voting Member of the Church, as defined in Article I, Section 4 of these By-Laws, shall be eligible to serve as a Vestry Member.
Section 2. Number and Term of Office
- The Vestry of the Church shall consist of the Rector and 9 lay members chosen from among the Voting Members. The Rector shall have only a casting vote in the event of a tie. Of the 12 lay members, 3 shall be elected each year and shall serve 3-year terms.
- A lay member shall take office as a Vestry Member immediately upon his or her election and will be inducted at a subsequent corporate worship service.
- Lay members shall be eligible to serve no more than two consecutive terms. No Lay member shall be eligible for re-nomination and re-election to the Vestry for a period of two years after his or her term has expired, provided, however, that prior service on the Vestry in filling a vacancy shall not be considered a disqualification for re-election.
Section 3. Nomination
Voting Members shall be nominated to serve as Vestry Members in the following manner:
- At least 3 months in advance of each Annual Meeting, the Rector shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of at least 3 Voting Members, including at least one, but not more than two, current Vestry Members. The Nominating Committee shall nominate at least two candidates more of the Voting Members to serve as Vestry Member than the number of vacancies to be filled. The names of the nominees shall be submitted to the Vestry at least one month prior to the Annual Meeting and then published in the newsletter, if there be one, or else in the Church bulletin, or by the other such means at the Vestry shall select.
- Any Voting Member may nominate a candidate or candidates for the office of Vestry Member by submitting such nomination or nominations, over his or her signature, to the Registrar at least two weeks prior to the Annual Meeting. The Rector or Senior Warden shall immediately make known to the congregation by publication in the Church bulletin, or by such other means as may also make nominations at the Annual Meeting.
- No person shall be nominated for Vestry Member unless he or she has agreed beforehand to serve if elected.
- Spouses and/or partners may not be nominated to serve concurrently on the Vestry as Vestry Members and/or officers.
Section 4. Election
Vestry Members shall be elected at the Annual Meeting by the Voting Members present and voting thereat. Voting by proxy shall not be allowed. Absentee voting by mail shall be permitted for those who are previously approved by the Vestry on a case by case basis. General eligibility criteria for a voter to request to be an absentee voter may include but not be limited to members who are homebound, infirm, aged, hospitalized, or out of the state on voting day. Votes by mail must be received by the Registrar on the Saturday before the Annual Meeting. Voting Members may vote for as many or as few nominees as they desire, up to the number of vacancies to be filled. Those nominees receiving the highest number of votes for the vacancies to be filled shall be deemed elected.
Section 5. Vacancies
If by reason of death, resignation, or any other cause a vacancy shall occur on the Vestry, the remaining Vestry Members may, by a majority vote of those present at a duly constituted meeting, elect an eligible person to fill such a vacancy for the unexpired term thereof. At the discretion of the Vestry, any such vacancy may also be filled by nomination and election by the Voting Members at any Annual Meeting in the manner provided in Section 3 above.
Section 6. Duties and Powers
The Vestry shall act as trustees for the Church in accordance with the public general laws of the State of Maryland regulating religious corporations affiliated with the Protestant Episcopal Church of the Diocese of Maryland and shall have and exercise all corporate powers and privileges of the Church under such laws. The Vestry shall also act as trustees for the Rock Spring Cemetery and its funds.
Section 7. Meetings
Regular meetings of the Vestry shall be held monthly as scheduled unless the Vestry votes otherwise. Special Meetings may be held at6 any time or place on call by the Rector or by not less than one-third of the number of Vestry Members. Notice of the time and place of all meetings and of the purpose of all Special Meetings shall be given to each Vestry Member not less than 24 hours preceding each meeting. No business shall be transacted at Special Meetings except that specified in the notice.
Section 8. Quorum and Presiding Officer
Seven lay Vestry Members, or nine lay Vestry Members if the Rector is not present, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Vestry. Officers who are not members of the Vestry shall not be counted for purposes of determining a quorum. The Rector shall preside at all meetings of the Vestry at which he or she shall be present. In the absence of the Rector, the Senior Warden, or in his or her absence, the Junior Warden shall preside. The presiding officer may vote only in the case of a tie.
ARTICLE III: OFFICERS
Section 1. Titles of Officers
The Officers of the Church shall be the Rector, a Senior Warden, a Junior Warden, a Cemetery Warden, a Registrar, a Treasurer and other such officers as the Vestry may from time to time designate.
Section 2. Election
The Senior Warden, Junior Warden, Cemetery Warden, Registrar and Treasurer shall be elected annually by a majority vote of the first meeting of the Vestry after the Annual Meeting. Officers must be Voting Members of the Church and may, but need not, be members of the Vestry. Any vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term thereof by the Vestry.
Section 3. The Rector
The Rector of the Church shall be the president and chief executive officer of the Church and shall perform such duties and shall have such powers as may be prescribed by the Constitution and Canons of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America and the Diocese of Maryland. He or she shall preside at all meetings of the Vestry at which he or she is in attendance. The Rector shall be elected by a majority vote of the entire Vestry and, unless otherwise provided in the terms of the Letter of Agreement, he or she shall continue to serve until his or her death or resignation or until the pastoral relationship is severed by mutual consent of the Rector and Vestry and approved by the Bishop or Ecclesiastical Authority of the Diocese of Maryland.
Section 4. The Church Wardens
- The Senior Warden shall serve as lay consultant and advisor to the Rector and shall perform other such duties as may be assigned by the Vestry. He or she shall be the senior lay officer of the Church.
- The Junior Warden shall have general responsibility for the supervision and maintenance of all Church property, real and personal (other than securities and cash), and shall perform other such duties as may be assigned by the Rector or the Vestry.
- The Church Wardens may not serve more than three consecutive yearly terms. A person who has served three consecutive yearly terms will be eligible to hold that office again no fewer than one year after the completion of his or her prior service.
Section 5. The Registrar
The Registrar shall have custody of the corporate seal of the Church. He or she shall record the minutes of all meetings of the Vestry and of the Voting Members in a suitable minute book which shall be maintained in the Church office. He or she shall witness and sign the annual Parochial Report of the Parish. He or she shall be charged with the responsibility of keeping up-to-date at least two copies of the By-Laws which shall be open to inspection at reasonable hours by any member of the Church. In addition, the Registrar shall perform other duties as assigned by the Rector or the Vestry.
Section 6. The Treasurer
- The Treasurer shall keep the financial records of the Church and shall have general custody of all Church funds, securities and investments other than those managed by the Cemetery Warden (see Section 8). All monies received by the Church shall be delivered to the Treasurer or deposited to a Church bank account according to his or her directions. All expenses and other payments shall be made by the Treasurer or under his or her direction. He or she shall make a report as to the general financial condition of the Church at the Annual Meeting of the Voting Members, assist in the preparation of the annual budget of the Church, prepare a financial report for each Vestry meeting and other such reports as may be requested by the Rector or the Vestry.
- The Treasurer may not serve more than 5 consecutive yearly terms. A person who has served five consecutive yearly terms as Treasurer will be eligible to hold that office again no fewer than three years after the completion of his or her prior service.
Section 7. Assistant Treasurer
The Vestry may at any time elect one or more Assistant Treasurers who shall do and perform such duties of the Treasurer as he or she may assign to them.
Section 8. Cemetery Warden
The Cemetery Warden shall supervise the upkeep of the Parish Cemetery, provide for the sale of lots to members of the Parish and their families, develop cemetery land as needed, and manage the perpetual care funds and investments of the cemetery. The Cemetery Warden shall present a financial report at each Vestry meeting on all cemetery funds or whenever deemed necessary by the Rector or Vestry. He or she shall perform other such duties as may be assigned by the Rector or the Vestry.
Section 9. Other Officers
Such other officers as may be designated by the Vestry from time to time shall have and perform such powers and duties as may be assigned to them from the Vestry. The Lay Delegate to the Diocesan Convention, if such a person is not a Vestry Member, is ex officio an officer of the Vestry.
Section 10. Attendance of Officers at Vestry Meetings
All officers who are not members of the Vestry shall be invited to attend all meetings of the Vestry.
Section 11. Voting Rights of Officers
All officers who are not members of the Vestry shall have the right to vote at Vestry meetings on all questions, except the following:
- Matters relating to the call of a Rector or the employment of an Assistant Rector or Curate;
- Matters affecting the contractual relationship between the Rector, Assistant Rector or Curate and the Church; and
- Matters relating to the acquisition, alienation, conveyance, lease or encumbrance of Church property, both real and personal.
ARTICLE IV: COMMITTEES-DIOCESAN AND REGIONAL COUNCIL DELEGATES
Section 1. Designation by Vestry
The Vestry may designate regular and special committees for such purposes as may be indicated in the resolution or resolutions providing therefore. Committee appointments shall be made by the Rector with the advice and consent of the Vestry, or by the Vestry, or other person or persons, to whom the vestry may, by its resolutions, give such power of appointment.
Section 2. Election of Lay Delegates
At least 6 months prior to each annual meeting of the Convention of the Diocese of Maryland, the lay delegates and alternates from the Church to the Convention and to the Regional Council with which the Church is affiliated shall be elected by the Vestry. The lay delegate is ex officio on officer of the Vestry.
ARTICLE V: FISCAL MATTERS
Section 2. Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the Church shall be the calendar year.
Section 2. Signature to Commercial Paper
All checks and drafts shall be made, drown and endorsed in the name of the Church in such manner as the Vestry may authorize, in accordance with written procedures.
Section 3. Limitation on Expenditures
Any expenditure in excess of $150.00 not specifically provided for in the current annual budget of the Church must be approved in advance by the Vestry.
Section 4. Financial Records
Financial records of the Church shall be maintained separately from the financial records of the Cemetery.
Section 5. Audit
The financial books and records of the Church and Cemetery shall be audited annually by a certified public accountant chosen by the Vestry or by a committee of three Voting Members of the Church chosen by the Vestry excluding the Treasurer and any Assistant Treasurers. The annual audit shall be submitted to the Vestry within 60 days following the close of the fiscal year of the Church and shall be filed with the records of the Church.
Section 6. Fidelity Bond
The Treasurer and such other officers, employees or other persons handling Church and Cemetery funds, whether salaried or non-salaried, as Vestry may direct from time to time, shall be bonded for the faithful performance of their duties at the expense of the Church, in such amounts and by such surety companies as the Vestry may determine.
ARTICLE VI: AMENDMENTS TO THESE BY-LAWS
These By-Laws may be altered, amended, repealed or added to by a two-thirds vote of those Voting Members who shall attend any meeting of members of the Church, provided, however, that any such alteration, amendment, repeal or addition, whether proposed by the Vestry or by the Voting Members who shall call a Special Meeting pursuant to Article I, Section 6 hereof, shall be specified in the notice of the meeting, whether it be an Annual or Special Meeting.
ARTICLE VII: ADOPTION OF THESE BY-LAWS
These By-Laws shall be submitted to and approved by a majority vote of the entire membership of the Vestry of the Church and shall be recommended to the Voting Members of the Church for favorable action at any Annual Meeting of such members or at any Special Meeting called for that purpose. Copies of these By-Laws shall be reproduced and made available to such members for their inspection at least 10 days prior to the meeting at which they will be submitted for approval. If ratified by a majority vote of the Voting Members attending such a meeting, the By-Laws shall stand adopted. This article, being of a transitory nature, shall stand repealed immediately upon the adoption of these By-Laws.
ARTICLE VIII: AMENDMENTS
Amendments made shall be preserved in the Parish Archives.
Amended and in effect from March 20, 1994
Amended and in effect from April 17, 2005
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