BY-LAWS - Reformed Catholic Church International Inc.
ONE - OFFICERS
SECTION 1. Presiding Bishop A. Duties 1. The Presiding Bishop shall also serve as the Minister/Executive Director of the Church. He/she shall be the Spiritual Overseer of the Church. The Presiding Bishop shall therefore have total control over the doctrinal beliefs and religious observances of the Church. 2. The Presiding Bishop shall serve as the Chief Executive Officer and head of the Church; he/she shall be the Overseer of all Church business and affairs. 3. The Presiding Bishop shall serve as the Chairman of all official Board [Synod] Meetings of the Church. 4. The Presiding Bishop shall serve as the official Moderator of the Church.
B. Qualifications 1. The Presiding Bishop must be at least 35 years old. 2. The Presiding Bishop must be an Ordained Minister with no less than 5 years of ministerial experience. 3. The Presiding Bishop must be a spiritually minded person. 4. The Presiding Bishop must be sound in intellect and apt to make good judgment. 5. The Presiding Bishop must possess sound business judgment and strong leadership ability.
C. Manner of Appointment In the event the Church needs a new Presiding Bishop, the Vicar General shall automatically assume the Office of the Presiding Bishop.
D. Term of Office The term of the Presiding Bishop’s office shall be for no more then 5 years, and then can be re-elected to the position by the Church Synod provided he/she is physically able to hold said office.
E. The first term started Jan. 1, 2006 and expired on Dec. 31, 2011. The Church Synod will hold elections in the First quarter of expiring year to enable the Presiding Bishop Elect to properly transition into the office.
SECTION 2. Vicar General/Chancellor
A. Duties 1. The Vicar General/Chancellor shall serve as an Officer on the Board of Directors, second-in-command to the Presiding Bishop. 2. The Vicar General/Chancellor shall carry out all the responsibilities that the Presiding Bishop shall delegate to him/her.
B. Qualifications 1. The Vicar General must be at least 35 years old. 2. The Vicar General must be an Ordained Minister with no less than 5 years of ministerial experience. 3. The Vicar General must be a spiritually minded person. 4. The Vicar General must be sound in intellect and apt to make good judgment. 5. The Vicar General must possess sound business judgment and strong leadership ability.
C. Manner of Appointment The Presiding Bishop shall appoint the Vicar General.
D. Term of Office The term of office shall be for an indefinite period of time. He/she is subject to dismissal for misappropriating conduct, the failure to perform the duties of this office, and/or any violation of the Constitution and Bylaws of The Reformed catholic Church International Inc.
SECTION 3. Secretary/Treasurer
A. Duties 1. The Secretary/Treasurer shall serve as an Officer on the Church Synod. 2. By virtue of his/her Office, the Secretary/Treasurer shall keep a true and accurate record of all meetings of the Church. 3. The Secretary shall perform clerical duties, and shall be the custodian of all legal documents of the Church. 4. The Secretary/Treasurer shall maintain the accounts and pay them out of the funds of the church. 5. The Secretary shall maintain a membership book of all members of the Church, along with their address, date of joining, and the date of death or termination 6. The Secretary shall carry out all the responsibilities that the Presiding Bishop shall delegate to him/her.
B. Qualifications 1. The Secretary/Treasurer must be at least 25 years old. 2. The Secretary/Treasurer must be a spiritually minded person and have sound business judgment. 3. The Secretary/Treasurer must be capable of recording the minutes of meetings, and of doing all the correspondence necessary in the conduct of Official Church books.
C. Manner of Appointment The Presiding Bishop shall appoint the Secretary.
D. Term of Office The term of office shall be for an indefinite period of time. He/she is subject to dismissal for misappropriating conduct, the failure to perform the duties of this office, and/or any violation of the Constitution and Bylaws of The Reformed catholic Church International Inc.
Section 4- Clergy Ordination is by the Rite of Ordination and physical Laying of Hands by the bishops of the RcCINE.
A. Duties 1. The clergy are expected to maintain their own ministry of their choosing or calling. 2. To serve all who call and perform the sacerdotal rites of the church, namely Baptisms, Marriages, Funerals, Pastoral Counseling, General Confession and to preach and conduct church meetings /services 3. To transmit to the archivist a quarterly report of duties and time performed. 4. To attend through a conference call or physical presence the Church's clergy monthly meeting on the third Saturday of each month.
B. Qualifications 1. Clergy must be at least 25 years old of either gender. 2. Must be a spiritually minded person. 3. Graduate of St. Benedict's Ecclesiastical Seminary or a qualified seminary or Graduate School as approved by the presiding Bishop. 4. Elected and invited by the clergy of RCCINE to ordination or incardination. 5. Any felonious act found guilty of or pleaded guilty to against the laws of the state or country under whose jurisdiction our clergy are living under will be immediately released and defrocked.
TWO - VOTING REGULATIONS
SECTION 1. VOTING MEMBERS Voting members of the Church shall be the persons who serve on the Church Board/Synod. They alone may vote.
SECTION 2. VOTING RIGHTS Each voting member of the Church shall be entitled to one vote.
SECTION 3. QUORUM Three official Members of the Church Synod [including the Presiding Bishop] at an official Synod Meeting constitutes a quorum.
SECTION 4. ATTENDANCE RULES A. Synod Members must be present in order to vote. There will be no proxy or mail in votes allowed. B. Any Synod Member missing three consecutive regular business meetings, without the approval of the Presiding Bishop, shall be automatically removed from the Board.
THREE - CHURCH DEPARTMENTS AND COMMITTEES
SECTION 1. RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES The Church may create departments and committees as needed to carry out its purposes as stated in Article Two of the Constitution. The Church Synod can only create such departments and committees.
SECTION 2. DUTIES The Church Synod shall set and control the duties of each department and committee that is created, having full authority over them.
SECTION 3. OFFICERS The Church Presiding Bishop shall appoint each department and committee head. The head of each department and committee shall then appoint his/her own officers as may be needed. All department and committee officers shall be under the authority of the Church Synod.
SECTION 4. FINANCES Every official department of the Church shall have the right to raise money and to keep a separate bank account for its own functions. The Church Synod shall have full control and authority over the spending of all Church departments.
SECTION 5. REPORTS Each department and committee must submit a written report of all its activities and/or findings for every regular business meeting of the Church. A. Each department head shall serve as a member of the Church Synod and must give an oral reading of his/her written report at each regular business meeting. B. Committee reports must be turned in to the Secretary of the Church no less than three days before a regular business meeting.
SECTION 6. GOVERNMENT All departments and committees shall be subordinate to the Church and shall be under the governing control of its Board of Directors.
FOUR - ORDER OF BUSINESS FOR BOARD MEETINGS
SECTION 1. REGULAR BUSINESS MEETINGS The Presiding Bishop shall officially call every regular Business Meeting to order with one rap of his gavel and shall be carried out in the following order: a. The Presiding Bishop shall call upon a Board Member to give an opening prayer. b. The Presiding Bishop shall lead all Board Members in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag. c. Roll Call of Board Members. d. Reading of Minutes from the previous meeting by the Secretary [and their approval]. e. Reading of Financial Report by the Treasurer. f. Reports from all Department Heads. g. Reports of Special Committees. h. Communications from International Headquarters of The Church of Interfaith Christians in Douglas, Georgia. i. Unfinished Business. j. New Business. k. Date set for next regular Business Meeting. l. The Presiding Bishop shall call upon a Board Member to give a closing prayer. m. The Presiding Bishop shall officially call the Business Meeting to a close with one rap of his gavel.
SECTION 2. SPECIAL BUSINESS MEETINGS The Presiding Bishop shall officially call every special/emergency Business Meeting to order with one rap of his gavel and shall be carried out in the following order: a. The Presiding Bishop shall call upon a Board Member to give an opening prayer. b. The Presiding Bishop shall lead all Board Members in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag. c. Roll Call of Board Members. d. Discussion and voting of special/emergency business. e. The Presiding Bishop shall call upon a Board Member to give a closing prayer. f. The Presiding Bishop shall officially call the special/emergency meeting to a close with one rap of his gavel.
FIVE - SALARIES AND BENEFITS
SECTION 1. THE Presiding Bishop A. The Presiding Bishop shall be entitled to receive a reasonable salary. B. The Presiding Bishop shall also be entitled to receive compensation for traveling expenses, insurance, home utilities, an automobile, and related automobile expenses, and other approved benefits.
SECTION 2. THE VICAR GENERAL The Vicar General may be entitled to receive compensation for traveling and other approved expenses when acting in the place of the Presiding Bishop.
SECTION 3. OTHER SALARIES Employees may be hired by the Church Synod to help carry out the work of the Church.
SECTION 4. APPROVAL OF SALARIES AND BENEFITS A. The Church Synod must approve all salaries and benefits. B. All salaries and benefits are subject to, and dependent upon, appropriate Church funds.
SIX - MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 1. FISCAL YEAR The Church Synod shall fix the fiscal year of the Church.
SECTION 2. RECORDS A. The Church Secretary and Treasurer shall prepare all their official reports in duplicate; the original to be kept at the Church’s principle office, and the copy to be kept by each said officer. B. Every VOTING MEMBER of the Church shall be entitled to inspect the Official records of the Church at all reasonable times during the office hours of the Church.
SECTION 3. OFFICIAL COPY OF CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS A. A notarized copy of these Constitution and Bylaws of the Church shall be kept in a book, which shall be kept in the principle office. B. This book shall also contain all amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws. C. If a Business or Special Meeting is held outside the principle office, the book shall be present at said meeting.
SECTION 4. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS Anything of importance to the efficient running of the Church that has not been discussed in these Constitution and Bylaws shall be discussed and decided upon by the Church Synod at an official Business Meeting.
SEVEN - DISSOLUTION
SECTION 1. RULES FOR DISSOLUTION Dissolution of the Church must be approved under the following requirements: A. A special Church Synod meeting is called for the expressed purpose of dissolving the Church. B. The Secretary must mail a written copy of the proposed dissolution to all Board Members no less than 30 days before the set date of the special meeting. C. The Presiding Bishop, Vice Presiding Bishop, Secretary and Treasurer must all be present at said special Church Synod Meeting. D. The decision must be unanimous by all attending Board Members.
SECTION 2. FINANCES A. All debts owed by the Church must be paid from its treasury. B. After all debts have been satisfied, the remaining assets of the Church shall be transferred to The Emmaus Ministry Charitable Trust.