CONSTITUTION OF THE
EAST LAKE FELLOWSHIP
BURNET, TEXAS
CONSTITUTION PREAMBLE
We declare and establish this constitution to preserve and secure the principles of our faith and to govern the body in an orderly manner. This constitution will preserve the liberties of each individual church member and the freedom of action of this body in relation to other churches.
I. NAME
This body shall be known as the East Lake fellowship located at 13218 RR 2341, Silver Creek, Burnet, Texas.
II. OBJECTIVES
To be a dynamic spiritual body empowered by the Holy Spirit to share Christ with as many people as possible in our church, community, and throughout the world.
To be a worshipping fellowship, experiencing an awareness of God, recognizing His person, and responding in obedience to His leadership.
To experience an increasingly meaningful fellowship with God and fellow believers.
To help people experience a growing knowledge of God and our relationship to Him.
To be a church that ministers unselfishly to persons in our church, in our community, and the world in the name of Jesus.
To be a church whose purpose is to be Christ-like in our daily living by emphasizing total commitment of life, personality, and possessions to the lordship of Christ.
III. STATEMENT OF BASIC BELIEFS
We affirm the Holy Bible as the inspired and infallible Word of God and the basis for our beliefs. This church subscribes to the doctrinal statement of "The Baptist Faith and Message" as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention in 2000.
We voluntarily band ourselves together as a body of baptized believers in Jesus Christ personally committed to sharing the good news of salvation to lost mankind. The ordinances of the church are believers' baptism and the Lord's Supper.
IV. CHURCH COVENANT
Having been led, as we believe by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, do we now, in the presence of God, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.
We engage therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church, in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, doctrines, and discipline; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale of and the use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage; to use our influence to combat the abuse of drugs and the spread of pornography; and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feelings and Christian courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.
We moreover engage that when we remove from this place we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's Word.
V. RELATIONSHIPS AND POLITY
The government of this church is vested in the body of believers who compose it. Persons duly received by the members shall constitute the membership.
All internal groups created and empowered by the church shall report to and be accountable only to the church, unless otherwise specified by the church.
The church is subject to the control of no other ecclesiastical body, but it recognizes and sustains the obligations of mutual counsel and cooperation which are common among Baptist churches. Insofar as is practical, this church will cooperate with the Burnet/Llano Baptist Association, the Baptist General Convention of Texas, and the Southern Baptist Convention.
VI. DISSOLUTION
In the event this church ceases to function as a Southern Baptist Church, or disbands, all of its assets and liabilities will be offered as a gift to the First Baptist Church of Burnet to be used in the ongoing ministry of Southern Baptists.
VII. AMENDMENTS
Changes in the constitution may be made at any regular business meeting of the church provided each amendment shall have been presented in writing at the previous business meeting and copies of the proposed amendment shall have been furnished to each member present at the earlier meeting. Amendments to the constitution shall be by two-thirds vote of church members present and voting.
