Changes and Protections

Below is a clear, big-picture look at the proposed updates to Forum’s bylaws. It’s not meant to replace a full reading of the bylaws, but to help you easily see the heart of what’s changing—how we’re refining our governance, structure, and focus to better serve our mission.

You’ll find the overview organized into three simple sections:

• What’s Being Added – New articles and ideas being introduced.
• What’s Being Removed – Old sections or processes that are being retired.
• What’s Being Changed – Existing articles that have been adjusted or clarified.

The new bylaws are more detailed and introduce several new articles that formalize the church's legal and doctrinal positions:

Article 2: Statement of Faith

A 7-point Statement of Faith has been added to formally document the church's core theological beliefs. The old bylaws did not contain a statement of faith, stating only that the Bible was the sole rule of faith.

Article 16: Guiding Principles Manual

This is the most significant structural addition. The new bylaws create a separate document called the Guiding Principles Manual.

• Purpose: This manual will contain the specific, day-to-day operational details (like term limits, selection processes, ministry descriptions, etc.) that were previously in the bylaws.
• Impact: This change makes the bylaws a higher-level governance document (like a constitution) and the manual a more flexible operational document. The Elders can update the manual as needed without requiring a full congregational vote.

Formal Legal & Corporate Articles

Several articles have been added to strengthen the church's legal and business foundation:

• Article 1 (D, E): Adds language for "Term" (perpetual) and "Dissolution" (how assets would be distributed).
• Article 11: Church Discipline: Formalizes a process for church discipline.
• Article 12: Business Practices: Details procedures for contracts, checks, deposits, and financial records.
• Article 14: Limitation of Liability and Indemnity: Adds legal protection for elders, staff, and volunteers acting in good faith.

Expanded Membership Article (Article 3)

The definition of membership is significantly expanded. It moves from a simple qualification to a formal covenant process that includes:

• A defined reception process (including an instructional course).
• Sections on "Mutual Interest," "Prohibited Activities," and member "Privacy."

Formal Staff & Salary Articles (Articles 8 & 9)

Creates dedicated articles for "Paid Ministry Staff" and "Salaries," moving their governance from the "Minister(s)" article to a formal policy.

Several key structures and processes from the old bylaws have been removed or replaced:

The Office of Deacon

The specific, elected office of "Deacon" (Old Article IV) has been removed. This role is replaced by the appointed position of "Ministry Leaders" (New Article 6).

The Ministry Board

The entire governing body known as the "Ministry Board" (Old Article V), which included Elders, Ministers, Deacons, and Ministry Team Leaders, has been removed. Its functions are now consolidated under the Elders and the Ministry Team (New Article 4).

Congregational Voting for Leaders

This is a major change.

• The old bylaws required a 75% congregational vote to affirm new Elders (Old Art IV, 4).
• The old bylaws required a 3/4 congregational vote to call a Senior Minister (Old Art VI, 1).
• Both of these congregational votes have been removed. The new process for appointing Elders is Elder-led with a period for congregational input (New Art 10, B.4). The new process for selecting a Lead Minister is a 3/4 vote of the Elders (New Art 7, B.2).

Specific Timelines and Term Limits

All specific dates and timelines have been removed from the bylaws. This includes:

• The "second Sunday of February" annual meeting date.
• The "third Sunday of October" nomination deadline.
• The 3-year term for Elders and 1-year term for Deacons.
• Note: These details are not necessarily gone; they are intended to be housed in the new Guiding Principles Manual.

Many existing articles have been modified to reflect the new governance structure:

Annual Meeting (Old Art III vs. New Art 10)

• Old: An "Annual Business Meeting" where members could submit agenda items (with Elder approval) and vote.
• New: An "Annual Membership Meeting" that is primarily informational. It is used to deliver financial and ministry reports and provide updates. The business and voting functions have been removed.

Selection of Elders (Old Art IV vs. New Art 5 & 10)

• Old: Nominated by the congregation, screened by Elders, and affirmed by a 75% congregational vote.
• New: The process is moved to the Guiding Principles Manual. The bylaws now state that after an Elder-led evaluation, the candidate is presented to the congregation for a two-week period to submit any just-cause concern. The Elders then investigate any concerns and formalize the decision... by the laying on of hands. This changes the process from congregational affirmation to Elder selection with congregational input.

Selection of Lead Minister (Old Art VI vs. New Art 7)

• Old: The "Senior Minister" was called by a 3/4 majority vote of the congregation.
• New: The "Lead Minister" is selected by a 3/4 affirmative vote of the Elders.

Bylaw Amendments (Old Art VII vs. New Art 17)

• Old: Required a 3/4 vote of members at a meeting.
• New: Maintains the 3/4 congregational vote but modernizes the voting process to explicitly allow for absentee paper ballot and online voting. This is now the only function for which a formal congregational vote is retained.

Church Purpose (Old Art I vs. New Art 1)

• Old: A four-point spiritual mission (salvation, edification, evangelism, light).
• New: A formal, legal-style purpose statement suitable for a non-profit organization, focusing on worship, education, evangelism, and benevolence.

The new bylaws represent a significant shift in church governance, structure, and legal standing.

1. Shift in Governance Model: The primary change is a move from a congregational-affirmation model to an Elder-led model. Congregational voting is removed for all leadership positions (Elders and Lead Minister) and is now only used for amending the bylaws. The Elders are established as the final spiritual and legal trustees of the church.
   Learn More About This Shift
2. Creation of the Guiding Principles Manual: The new bylaws are intentionally high-level. All specific, operational details (term limits, meeting dates, selection processes, ministry functions) are moved out of the bylaws and into a new "Guiding Principles Manual." This gives the Elders the ability to adjust operational policies without requiring a full congregational vote to amend the bylaws.
3. Increased Legal & Doctrinal Formality: The new bylaws are a much stronger legal and corporate document. The addition of a Statement of Faith, Liability/Indemnity clauses, detailed Business Practices, and a Dissolution clause formalizes the church's beliefs and protects it legally.

Our new legal protections are not located in a single, explicit clause covering any particular cultural issue. Instead, the protections are established by a legal framework built across several articles that affirm the church's religious authority and its right to govern its activities, property, and services based on its beliefs.

Here are the key articles that provide this protection:

Article 2: Statement of Faith

This article serves as the foundation for the protections in Article 3.

1. It formally establishes the church's core beliefs and states that the "scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are fully inspired by God and are the final authority for faith and practice."
2. If the church's interpretation of scripture (its "organizational purpose") defines marriage in a specific way, Article 3 gives it the authority to deny the use of its assets for any activity (like a same-sex union) that it believes violates that purpose.

Article 3: Members

This is the most direct article. The protections are found in two sections that grant the church authority over its services and assets based on lifestyle and belief:

• Section E. Mutual Interest: This section states that members must "adhere to a lifestyle that is consistent with that taught in the Bible and upholds the core beliefs of Forum’s statement of faith."
  • Crucially, it gives the church the right to "refuse service to anyone, whether member or not, whose lifestyle or teaching is not in keeping with membership requirements."
  • It specifies this refusal can include "services, benefits, and any use of Forum’s assets." This directly applies to refusing to perform a wedding ceremony (a service) or use the building (an asset) for a union that the church deems inconsistent with its biblical standards.
• Section F. Prohibited Activities: This section states that Forum is prohibited from condoning, promoting, or allowing any of its assets to be used for activities that violate its organizational purpose.

Article 15 & 16: Property and the Guiding Principles Manual

These articles create the operational structure to enforce the beliefs from Article 2 and the authority from Article 3.

• Article 15 (Miscellaneous Items) states that the "use of Forum’s physical property and assets... shall be in accordance with the Guiding Principles Manual."
• Article 16 (Guiding Principles Manual) gives the Elders the authority to create and maintain this manual.

This framework allows the Elders to create a very specific "Building Use Policy" or "Wedding Policy" within the Guiding Principles Manual that explicitly defines marriage according to the church's Statement of Faith. The bylaws (specifically Articles 3 and 15) then give that policy legal force.