The Senior Pastor is responsible to the Lord Jesus Christ and to the Church body for leading the Church, feeding the Church, and praying for the Church so that it accomplishes its Biblical purpose. The Church Staff is comprised of Vocational Ministers, Ministry Directors, Staff Associates, the Church Clerk, and the Church Treasurer, who serve under the Senior Pastor in fulfillment of his leadership, vision, and stewardship responsibilities for the Church.

1. Senior Pastor

a. Qualifications

The Senior Pastor shall be a man called of God into the gospel ministry, orthodox in theology as defined by the Statement of Faith of the Church and committed to living and serving in a manner consistent with the standards set forth in Scripture for such leaders.

b. Selection

In the selection of the Senior Pastor, a committee of seven voting members and three alternates, to be known as the Pastor Search Committee, shall be nominated by the Lay Elders and elected at a regular or called Conference of the Church. This committee shall be composed of seven members from the Church at large, at least one of which must be an active Lay Elder, along with three alternates from the Church at large. Such committee shall proceed with diligence to select a Senior Pastor candidate whose gifts, character, and calling fit him for the office to be filled.

The Pastor Search Committee shall make a recommendation to the Church to fill a vacancy in the office of Senior Pastor. The committee’s recommendation and all pertinent information shall be provided to the Church according to the notice requirements for all other Conferences of the Church.

The election of the Senior Pastor shall occur at a Church Conference called specifically for that purpose. No name shall be considered or nominated except that recommended by the Pastor Search Committee and approved by the Lay Elders. The vote shall be by secret ballot and shall require a three-fourths vote of the members present and voting for election. If the recommendation does not receive three-fourths of the vote, the Pastor Search Committee shall present another recommendation to the Church as soon as practical.

c. Term

The Senior Pastor will serve at the pleasure of the Church and under continuing call until the Church or the Senior Pastor requests otherwise. Where possible, the Lay Elders shall work with the Senior Pastor to determine an appropriate transition period when retirement or resignation is contemplated. Termination of the Senior Pastor will require a three-fourths vote of those members present and voting when the action to dismiss is brought before the Church by the Lay Elders at a regular or called Church Conference.

d. Responsibilities

The Senior Pastor is called by the Church to lead the Church to understand, embrace, and accomplish its mission as defined by the primary biblical purposes of worship, evangelism, fellowship, discipleship, and ministry. The Senior Pastor leads the Church through his primary biblical roles of overseer, shepherd, preacher/teacher, and equipper, as explained in Section III.B.1.

The Senior Pastor models the practice of personal evangelism incumbent on every believer and ensures that the Church is challenged and equipped to be obedient to the command of the Lord Jesus to “make disciples” locally and globally (Matthew 28:19).

2. Vocational Ministers

a. Qualifications

Vocational Ministers are those men, ordained to the gospel ministry and employed by the Church, who lead, coordinate, and direct functions, programs, and Ministry Teams in accordance with their specific areas of responsibilities as assigned by the Senior Pastor.

b. Selection

Vocational Ministers serve under the direction and leadership of the Senior Pastor and shall be called upon the recommendation of the Senior Pastor and Lay Elders, after consultation with the Personnel Committee, with approval by three-fourths of the members of the Church in attendance at a conference called for that purpose.

c. Term

Vocational Ministers serve a continuing call under the direction and supervision of the Senior Pastor, and termination of their employment requires the approval of the Elders after consultation with the Personnel Committee. Where possible, the Elders shall work with Vocational Ministers to determine an appropriate transition period when retirement or resignation is contemplated.

3. Ministry Directors

a. Qualifications

Ministry Directors are individuals employed by the Church, who lead, coordinate, and direct functions, ministries, and programs, in accordance with their specific areas of responsibilities as assigned by the Senior Pastor.

b. Selection

Ministry Directors serve under the direction and leadership of the Senior Pastor and shall be called upon the recommendation of the Senior Pastor and the Lay Elders, after consultation with the Personnel Committee, with approval by three-fourths of the members of the Church in attendance at a conference called for that purpose.

c. Term

Ministry Directors serve under the direction and supervision of the Senior Pastor, and termination of their employment requires the approval of the Elders after consultation with the Personnel Committee. Where possible, the Elders shall work with Ministry Directors to determine an appropriate transition period when retirement or resignation is contemplated.

4. Staff Associates

Staff Associates shall consist of any other staff members (not including Senior Pastor, Vocational Ministers, or Ministry Directors) employed by the Church. They shall provide support to the Senior Pastor, a designated Vocational Minister, Ministry Director, or other Staff Associate, and as such, shall be under direct supervision of that individual. The specific responsibilities and selection of each Staff Associate shall be determined by the designated Vocational Minister, Ministry Director or Staff Associate and approved by the Senior Pastor.

Within First Baptist Church, the office of Elder is filled by the roles of the Senior Pastor and Lay Elders in an active elected term. To serve as an Elder, an individual must meet the biblical qualifications outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:5–9, be called by God to this specific role, and be affirmed by the church body. Elders are appointed for the leadership of the local church in accordance with the Biblical model.

1. Senior Pastor

The Senior Pastor has responsibility for the spiritual leadership of the Church as an Elder, with the assistance and support of the Lay Elders, and his specific responsibilities may be outlined in terms of his primary biblical roles as follows:

a. Overseer/Elder

As overseer (1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9, Acts 20:28, Philippians 1:1), the Senior Pastor is the principal administrative leader and vision-caster of the Church. In this role he gives general oversight to the planning, budgeting, staffing, coordination, and implementation functions of the various ministries of the Church.

b. Shepherd

As shepherd (Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 5:1-4), the Senior Pastor models the heart of the Chief Shepherd and ensures that the Church is well led, fed, protected and
cared for.

c. Preacher/Teacher

As preacher/teacher (Acts 6:4, Ephesians 4:11, 2 Timothy 4:1-4, Titus 1:9), the Senior Pastor is a principal communicator of God’s Word in public worship and ensures that the Church is growing to maturity in Christ through the Spirit-anointed teaching of sound doctrine as outlined in the Statement of Faith.

d. Equipper

As equipper (Ephesians 4:12, 2 Timothy 2:2), the Senior Pastor partners with other leaders to empower and equip maturing members for significant service and ministry by discovering, developing, and deploying their spiritual gifts.

2. Lay Elders

A Lay Elder’s role is to protect the unity, fellowship, and integrity of the Church and to provide counsel to the Senior Pastor in the work of the ministry. Lay Elders provide guidance and counsel to the Senior Pastor, guarding and supporting his leadership. They will provide counsel in his oversight of the overall health and direction of the church, in his personal life (Acts 14:23, Hebrews 13:17, 1 Peter 5:1-3), and to pursuing unity within the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:1-3).

a. Qualifications

Each Lay Elder shall be selected from the adult male members of the Church and shall meet the qualifications and high standards of the Word of God prescribed for their office. They shall endeavor by God’s grace to live and serve in a manner consistent with the qualifications stated in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9, and 1 Peter 5:1-4. Following their nomination and prior to their election Lay Elders shall attend training to prepare them for their role. A Lay Elder may not serve on any other Standing Committee while actively serving as a Lay Elder.

b. Number

There shall be six Lay Elders.

c. Term
Lay Elders shall serve three-year terms on a rotating basis beginning January 1 of each year and shall not succeed themselves in office for one year.

d. Responsibilities
The principle responsibilities of the Lay Elders shall be to ensure the spiritual and financial integrity of the Church, to resolve conflict, to guard against false teaching, to provide counsel and support to the Senior Pastor, and to set policies on behalf of the Church, as follows:

i. Spiritual Integrity

The Lay Elders are accountable to the Church for ensuring the integrity of all spiritual activities of the Church. Lay Elders have the responsibility to follow biblical procedures and principals for confronting intentional, ongoing sin in the church. Lay Elders are to confront in love where there is evidence of ongoing sin.

ii. Resolving Conflict

The Lay Elders must take the initiative in resolving conflict in the Church to protect the health of the Church.

iii. Guarding Against False Teaching

The Lay Elders will warn against harmful influences and guard against false teachers and therefore must be mature in their faith and understanding of the doctrine of the Christian faith.

iv. Senior Pastor Counsel

The Lay Elders shall provide advice and counsel in the planning, budgeting, staffing, coordination, and implementation functions of the various ministries of the Church as requested by the Senior Pastor. The Lay Elders shall provide annual written evaluation and feedback to the Senior Pastor in terms of the primary biblical purposes of the Church and the primary biblical roles of the Senior Pastor.

v. Financial Integrity

The Elders are responsible for maintaining the integrity of all financial matters
of the Church. Specific financial responsibilities of the Elders are specified in Section V.

vi. Policy

The Elders shall set such policies and procedures as are necessary for the effective and orderly functioning of the Church.

e. Officers

The Lay Elders shall elect a Chairman and other officers as they see fit from among the Lay Elders on an annual basis.

f. Meetings

The Elders shall meet no less than monthly on such dates and at such times as they deem appropriate.

The Elders shall decide issues before them by a simple majority. Should there be dissenting Elders in a decision, they shall be bound by the vote and shall not indicate their dissension to anyone outside of the Elders.

The Senior Pastor shall not vote on matters related to his compensation, annual evaluation, or tenure.

Finance

The Finance Committee shall report to the Elders and is entrusted with the sound financial management and oversight of the business operations of the Church, as delineated in section V.

Nominating

The Nominating Committee shall report to the Elders and is entrusted with vetting and nomination of candidates to fill various positions as defined in Section IV.

Personnel

The Personnel Committee shall report to the Elders and is entrusted to provide counsel and support to ensure wise and effective staffing practices, including but not limited to, serving in an advisory role to the Senior Pastor and Elders regarding staff hiring, mentoring, development, and transition.

Properties

The Properties Committee shall report to the Elders and is responsible for campus development, maintaining and updating the campus physical master plan, and the maintenance and repair of all Church buildings, grounds, and equipment.

1. Qualifications

Members of standing committees must be active members of the church for at least one year, demonstrate spiritual maturity and Christian character, affirm the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, and support the mission and vision of the Church. They should be faithful stewards, committed to unity, and able to serve with integrity and discretion.

Additionally, Standing Committee members preferably will possess the skills and knowledge necessary to competently fulfill their responsibilities, with subject matter expertise relevant to their committee’s focus—such as finance, properties, personnel, or nominations—to ensure sound and informed decision-making.

2. Term

Members shall serve a three-year term. No person shall serve on more than one Standing Committee at any time. Upon completion of a term of service on any Standing Committee, a person must wait a year before serving on any other Standing Committee.

3. Meetings

The Standing Committees shall determine a regular schedule at which they shall meet to perform their prescribed responsibilities and duties. In addition, any Standing Committee can be called to meet at the discretion of the Senior Pastor or the Lay Elders.

Standing Committees shall elect a committee chair at the start of each Church year. The committee chair shall provide regular reports as requested by the Elders. The committee chair shall also ensure that adequate records are maintained of the meetings and actions of the committee.

4. Policies and Procedures

Standing Committees shall develop and maintain a Policy Handbook that documents all policies and procedures pertaining to their area of responsibility within the Church. The initial version and any subsequent changes to these handbooks must be approved by the Elders.

A Deacon serves the members and ministries of the Church. Their role is to take care of the physical and logistical needs of the Church so the Elders can concentrate on their primary calling. This distinction is based on the pattern found in Acts 6:1-6.

1. Qualifications

The Deacons shall be composed of men who are exemplary in their conduct, discreet in judgment, of honest report, full of faith, and conscious that they shall set worthy examples of cooperation, love, and loyalty for all members of the Church, abiding by the principles set forth in Acts 6 and 1 Timothy 3. They shall promote peace, harmony, and a spirit of unity and cooperation among the membership.

Following their nomination and prior to their election Deacons shall attend training to prepare them for their role.

2. Number

The number of Deacons shall be determined annually by the Elders, at a minimum no less than 20.

3. Term

Deacons shall serve three-year terms on a rotating basis beginning January 1 of each year.

4. Responsibilities

The Deacons shall serve the Church in the following areas:

• Preparing and serving of the Lord’s Supper, which shall be conducted no less than four times each year on a regular basis

• Instructing and assisting candidates for Believer’s Baptism

• Ministering to those with material and financial needs by administering the benevolence funds of the Church

• Providing service in the form of visitation, outreach, missions, and witness to the body of the Church and beyond

• Providing support for and an example of evangelism in our community

• Providing support for new or existing ministries as requested by the pastoral staff and consistent with their giftedness and calling to ministry

• Performing such other duties as may be requested by the Senior Pastor and the Lay Elders

At the discretion of the Chairman of the Deacons, inactive deacons may be called upon to assist in the service ministries of the Deacons.

5. Meetings

The Deacons shall meet no less than quarterly on such dates and at such times as the Chairman of the Deacons deems appropriate.

6. Officers

The Deacons shall elect a Chairman of Deacons at their first meeting after the start of the Church year. The Chairman of Deacons shall report to the Elders and shall provide regular reports to them as requested.

The Deacons may elect other officers in support of their service as they feel called. Any such officers will report to the Chairman of Deacons.

The Elders may, as they see fit, create Ministry Teams to serve the needs of the Church. The Elders shall determine the number of members for each Ministry Team and the responsibilities assigned to each team. All Ministry Team members shall be elected for a three-year term on a rotating basis beginning on January 1. Election of members to these teams shall be managed as defined in Section IV.

If the Elders determine that a Ministry Team is no longer necessary to serve the needs of the Church, its service may be discontinued at the end of the calendar year.

The Elders may, as they see fit, create Ad Hoc Working Groups to assist them as needed. These groups shall report to the Elders. Members of these groups shall be appointed at the discretion of the Elders. The responsibilities of these groups shall be determined by the Elders.

Working Groups shall automatically disband at the conclusion of the year in which they were created unless explicitly retained by the Elders for the subsequent year.

The Elders shall ensure that the positions of Church Clerk and Church Treasurer are maintained under their direction, and the individuals serving in these roles shall be approved by a majority vote at a Church conference.

1. Corporate Officers

Corporate officers are defined by Georgia state law addressing corporations as they apply to the Church and have no relation to any biblical office. Corporate officers exist solely to satisfy any legal requirements placed upon the Church by the State of Georgia.

The corporate officers of the Church shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the 501(c)(3) entity of First Baptist Church of Newnan. The office of President shall be filled by the Chairman of the Elders. The office of the Vice President shall be appointed from among the Lay Elders. The other corporate officers shall be appointed by the Elders from among the members of the Church.

2. Ordination and Installation

The Church shall license or ordain men into the vocational ministry under qualifications and requirements adopted by the Senior Pastor. The Senior Pastor shall recommend to the Lay Elders those men he is satisfied are called to the vocational ministry. The Lay Elders, after examination of the men, may recommend the men to the Church for ordination at any Regular or Special Conference.

Likewise, the Elders shall recommend men for installation as Lay Elders and Deacons after the men have been recommended by the Nominating Committee for approval by the members following the process defined in these Bylaws.

Once the candidates for ordination are determined, the Senior Pastor will determine the process and set a date for ordination of Vocational Ministers, Lay Elders, and Deacons.

The Church may discipline or revoke ministers holding credentials issued by the Church under the church discipline processes defined elsewhere in these Bylaws.

3. Conflicts of Interest

Neither the Senior Pastor nor the Lay Elders may be related to other Elders, Church Staff, or members of any Standing Committee, and no two related persons shall serve on Standing Committees during overlapping terms. For the purposes of these potential conflicts of interest, “related” and “related to” includes relation by blood, adoption, or marriage.

No employee, contractor, or member of the Church Staff shall serve on a Standing Committee without the prior written approval of the Elders.

The Senior Pastor, Vocational Ministers, and other Church Staff shall not serve as Lay Elders.