1) Page 1, line 29 – Clarity
The elders are proposing that we insert the word “the” before “Capitol Hill Baptist Church” to make the sentence flow more smoothly.
2) Page 2, lines 20-21 – Clarity
The current wording of the constitution could read as if an individual may only be considered for admission to membership upon recommendation by the elders. The elders would like to preserve the congregation’s ability to overrule the elders in matters of membership and discipline since 1 Cor. 5:3-4 sees ultimate authority under Christ for issues of membership as residing with the congregation. Also note line 34: the constitution is not intended to require attendance at every members’ meeting.
3) Page 2, lines 38ff – Align
The category of Associate Membership was originally intended for students who are studying in DC but wish to retain membership in their home churches—or a similar situation. We have not used this category in many years and it sometimes leads to confusion. As such, the elders are recommending that we remove this section entirely.
4) Page 3, line 13 – Clarity
Per 1 Cor. 5:5 and Matt. 18:17, one main reason for church discipline is that a person’s non-repentance has called into question the credibility of their profession of faith. As such, church discipline is an act of love for the unrepentant sinner, calling them to repentance. Our constitution identifies several reasons for church discipline, but it does not speak as clearly on this central purpose as the elders think it should.
5) Page 3, line 18-19 – Align
Our church has not used the disciplinary category of “suspension” in many years. In addition, the biblical warrant for such a category is unclear. The constitution originally cited 2 Thes 3:14-15 as justification for this category, but it is not clear that this is what Paul is referring to in this passage. As such, the elders are recommending that we remove both the disciplinary category of suspension from the constitution and the reference to 2 Thes. 3:14-15.
6) Page 3, line 46ff – Change
In the tragic situation where a church member decides they are not a Christian, our practice has been varied. In recent years, we have removed them from membership as we would in the case of a death rather than as an act of discipline. This is because, according to 1 Cor. 5:12, the church only has authority over those who claim to belong to it. Yet we recognize that in some cases, the reality of an individual’s apostasy may not be objectively clear. For example, they may have made clear statements of apostasy to some people but less clear statements to others. As such, we are proposing that in these cases, we confirm by congregational vote that we understand them to have abandoned the faith, and then they would no longer be a member of our church. As you can imagine, when our church is operating as it should, the elders will take the lead on sorting out any unclear claims to have left the faith. The wording in red on lines 2-3 of page 4 does not change anything regarding resignations but merely allows the sentence to flow more naturally given the addition of the previous two lines. For reference, this paragraph in the current, non-edited version of the constitution reads as follows: “The church shall recognize the termination of a person’s membership following his or her death, and may do so after he or she has voluntarily resigned or joined with another church. Membership may also be terminated as an act of church discipline (ordinarily, but not necessarily, at the recommendation of the elders) upon the vote of at least two-thirds of the members present at any regular or special meeting of the members.”
7) Page 4, lines 31-32 – Clarity
For many decades, our church has had the practice of not allowing amendments to the budget from the floor during a congregational meeting. This allows one committee (since 1998, the elders) to evaluate the budget as a whole before putting it to the congregation. Technically, this is implicit in the constitution since the elders must accept any amendments as the body who made the motion to accept the budget and seconded it. However, the elders feel it would help our future practice as a church to make this practice more explicit in the constitution.
8) Page 4, lines 40-41 – Change
The elders would like to ensure that abundant notice is given to attending members when a special members’ meeting is called.
9) Page 5, lines 8-9 – Typo
This edit corrects a typographical error that was left over after a 2014 amendment to the constitution.
10) Page 5, lines 34-35 – Clarity
As our current constitution is worded, one must either conclude that important convictions such as believers-only baptism are either not “fundamental” or that we cannot invite speakers who disagree with such convictions (such as Ligon Duncan who preached here earlier this year). This edit clarifies what preachers must believe and teach in order to minister the Word to our congregation.
11) Page 5, lines 41-43 – Align
This section has been moved to the “Senior Pastor” section of the constitution as our longstanding practice has been for the senior pastor to manage the church staff.
12) Page 5, line 46 – Align
Our longstanding practice has been to present the budget at a regular members’ meeting, not a specially-called members’ meeting.
13) Page 6, lines 18-20 – Align
See note on the senior pastor managing the church staff, edit #11 above.
14) Page 7, line 8 – Align
As manager of the staff, it is the senior pastor who hires senior pastoral assistants. However, given the nature of that position, he cannot hire a senior pastoral assistant without approval of the elders.
15) Page 7, lines 11-13 – Clarity
This document was written with the intention of senior pastoral assistants becoming assistant pastors should the congregation recognize them as elders. This has been our practice since the constitution was first adopted and this edit makes that clear.
16) Page 7, line 28 – Clarity
Acts 6:1-7 describes deacons, but it does not clearly describe the “office of deacon” as our constitution states. We only know that “deacon” is an office in the church because of passages like the diaconal qualifications in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. As such, the elders are recommending that we remove the reference to Acts 6:1-7.
17) Page 7, line 38 – Align
Our longstanding practice has been for the elders to take the lead on benevolence requests since these requests often go hand in hand with other needs of a pastoral nature. As has also been our longstanding practice, the deacon and deaconess of member care would continue to monitor and help maintain the benevolence fund.
18) Page 8, line 3 – Clarity
Scripture does not teach that pastors and elders are separate officers in the church, and our deacons do not function as a deliberative body. As such, the elders are recommending that we remove the reference to pastors as distinct from elders and the reference to deacons acting as a body.
19) Page 8, line 5 – Change
At present, the church clerk has a one-year term. The elders are recommending that we extend this term to three years. Of course, the church clerk can always resign his or her position before the end of this term if need be. This would not change the current term of the church clerk but if approved would apply going forward.
20) Page 8, line 6 – Typo
21) Page 8, line 18 – Typo
22) Page 8, line 26 – Change
Just as for the church clerk, the elders are recommending that we extend the term of the church treasurer to three years. This would not change the current term of the church treasurer but if approved would apply going forward.
23) Page 8, line 43 – Clarity
1 Timothy 3:11 gives us the category of deaconess, which our church from its inception has recognized and which is referred to elsewhere in our constitution. However, the deaconesses are inexplicably missing from this list.
24) Page 9, line 7 – Change
It has been since 1998 that a motion from the pastor or elders has received less than a 75% majority in a congregational vote. However, as the elders consider future days when this church may not be as united and/or other churches who adapt this document for their own use, we believe that 75% is too high a majority to require for recognizing an elder and are recommending a 2/3 majority instead.
25) Page 9, line 8 – Align
The elders cannot foresee why the church would ever need to recognize an elder in a specially-called members’ meeting. As such, they are recommending that we make explicit that elders are recognized at regularly-scheduled members’ meetings.
26) Page 10, lines 30-35 – Change
The elders are recommending that we formally adopt a procedure for addressing areas where we are out of accord with the constitution.
27) Page 10, lines 39-40 – Change
Similar to the reasoning on reducing the supermajority for recognizing new elders, the elders are recommending that we reduce the supermajority for changing the statement of faith and/or church covenant to a two-thirds majority.
28) Page 11, lines 6ff – Change
Our constitution has never included an article on dissolution of CHBC. The elders believe that this article would be of help to the congregation should we ever need to take this step.