A team, consisting of Roger Brooks (Deacon), Emily Williams (former staff member), Michael Carnahan (Elder), and Wally Turnbull (Elder), representing members, deacons, and elders, has been diligently working over the past year to draft language to implement important changes to the bylaws proposed by the Elders, and to recommend technical updates and corrections. 

The proposed changes are based on recommendations from Leighton Ford Ministries as our consultants. They provided several useful suggestions, including a smaller board of elders with fiduciary as well as shepherding and spiritual oversight responsibilities. One of those recommendations was to move the Board of Director role from the Deacons to the Elders. The Budget Committee will now report to the Elders, who will present the annual budget proposal to the congregation for approval.

The essentially unchanged areas of the bylaws needed to be edited to reflect these changes. In so doing, we relied on our bylaw review team, using legal expertise, historical perspective, and leadership/membership background to clean up and clarify the language so that the document would be easier for CHBC to understand and use.

We present to you, for your crucial and prayerful consideration, these recommended changes approved by the Board of Elders. This revised proposed document, in its entirety, will be presented to the membership for a vote at our annual membership meeting scheduled for Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Your voice and vote matter.

Below you'll find some common Q&As we hope you will find useful.

We also have several in-person Q&A events for those who still have additional questions:

• Sunday, May 5, 12:30 pm (following 2nd service) in 306
• Wed, May 15, 7:15-8:30 pm in 306
• Sunday, May 19, 4 pm in 306

In Him, on behalf of the CHBC Board of Elders,

--

Jay Baas, Elder Chair

Aaron Kirtley, Elder Vice Chair

The proposed changes are based on recommendations from Leighton Ford Ministries as our consultants. They provided several useful suggestions, including a smaller board of elders with fiduciary as well as shepherding and spiritual oversight responsibilities.

Yes, from the Fall of 2021 through the Spring of 2022, a Vision Team consisting of staff, elders, deacons, and other lay leaders, several of whom had been members for decades, carefully considered the recommendations in light of CHBC’s unique culture and history. In addition, the current elder and deacon boards have given this matter deliberate and prayerful consideration.

• A smaller board of elders. The elders recommend a board of elders consisting of no more than twelve men, including no more than one-third of staff elders.
• Adding fiduciary to the shepherding and spiritual oversight responsibilities of the elders. The elders recommend that the Board of Elders serve as the legal directors of the Bible Church Corporation to the State of North Carolina. 
• The elders recommend moving the responsibility for working with the Budget Committee and proposing the budget to the congregation from the deacons to the elders to better align spending with objectives and needs.

A team, consisting of Roger Brooks, Emily Williams, Michael Carnahan, and Wally Turnbull, representing members, deacons, and elders, has been diligently working over the past year to recommend updates to the bylaws. They were guided by directives from the board of elders.

The elders repeatedly reviewed the work of the bylaws team, including meetings devoted specifically to final review and approval.

• Yes, our Articles of Incorporation defined the elders as the directors of our church corporation. Later, unaware, that responsibility was moved to the deacons. The proposed changes will put us in compliance.
• North Carolina law requires our bylaws to set a maximum number of directors, which the revision now does.

We hope these changes will eliminate gaps and overlaps, enabling our church to operate more smoothly (which impacts everyone), and improve the clarity about who in leadership is responsible for decisions. We also hope that these changes will make our bylaws easier to read and understand, and, therefore, more accessible for members.

• The proposed changes will move the responsibility for working with the Budget Committee and proposing the budget to the congregation from the deacons to the elders. 
• Deacons will continue to be involved in the process as members of the Budget Committee.
• The deacon role will become somewhat less administrative and more focused on congregational care through parish leadership and distribution of care funds.

• There will be fewer elders, which will facilitate the decision-making process.
• Only the lead pastor will be required to serve on the elder board.
• Other staff pastors may be called to serve, but they will comprise no more than one-third of the elder board. This means no more than four staff pastors will be on the elder board at a time.
• The elders will be responsible for working with the Budget Committee and proposing the budget to the congregation in order to better align spending with objectives and needs.

There will be no financial repercussions. Only the responsibility for working with the Budget Committee will change.

• We request your crucial and prayerful consideration of these recommended changes approved by the Board of Elders. 
• We request your participation and vote at our annual membership meeting scheduled for Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Your voice and vote matter.

There will be an in-person opportunity in May (Date and time TBD). Check back.