CONSTITUTION

Valley Presbyterian Church
9200 Haskell Ave
North Hills, CA 91343
(818) 894-9200
 
Originally adopted: March 1, 1962
For Revisions see appendix
Retyped: May, 1997
Download a copy of the Constitution in MS Word Format.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ARTICLE I

Statement of Faith and Purpose of

Valley Presbyterian Church

SINCE the ultimate revelation of God is Jesus the Christ, who is the Lord of our lives and the Head of our church, and

SINCE the written revelation of God, the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is our only rule for faith and practice, our understanding of which is systematically summarized in the 1647 Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF), and

SINCE the revelation of God's will for the church is made clear by Christ when He said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you . . .” (Matthew 28:19,20a),

THEREFORE, in obedience to God, Valley Presbyterian Church (VPC)

purposes:

1. To fulfill our relationship with the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, through our personal and corporate worship of Him;

2. To deepen our relationships with one another based upon our mutual dependence on Christ as servants within the body of believers;

3. To build relationships in our community and the world through a broad-based ministry of evangelism and concern.

VALLEY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

The Session
January 7, 1984
Adopted by the Congregation
January 18, 1984

ARTICLE II

Standards

The Standards of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), specifically those portions entitled The Book of Church Order of the Presbyterian Church in America (BOCO-PCA), are incorporated into the Constitution of Valley Presbyterian Church (VPC). Therefore, in those instances where the Constitution is silent or not specific, the BOCO-PCA will be deemed as having authority.

ARTICLE III

Directory for the Worship of God

The Directory for the Worship of God at VPC is outlined in Part III of the BOCO-PCA. This is to be adopted in the same spirit as set forth in the Preamble to Part III of the BOCO-PCA.

ARTICLE IV

MEMBERSHIP

1. The VPC, as an ecclesiastic body, shall be called the Congregation. For the conducting of its temporal affairs, it shall be called the Corporation.

2. The following references to membership in the Congregation are outlined in the BOCO-PCA.

a. Chapters 1 - 3, Doctrine of Membership.

b. Chapter 6, Church Members.

c. Chapter 17, Discipline of Communion Members.

1) Associate members, as referred to in Section 46-4 of the BOCO-PCA, shall be subject to the discipline of the Church as set forth in Chapter 27 of the BOCO-PCA.

d. Chapter 28, Discipline of Non-Communion Members.

e. Chapter 46, Jurisdiction of Church Membership.

f. Chapter 57, Admission of Members to Ordinances.

3. Unless excepted by the Session, persons must complete a prescribed series of Basic Beliefs and Church Government instructions to become communicant members of VPC.

4. All active communicant members, 18 years of age and over, shall be entitled to vote in electing church officers and any motion proposed in any Congregational meeting. The minimum voting age for all members in Corporational meetings shall be the age of majority in the State of California. No other persons shall be entitled to vote.

ARTICLE V

OFFICERS AND OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS

OF THE CHURCH

1. The ordinary and perpetual classes of officers in the church are, according to Scripture, Teaching Elders, and Ruling Elders and Deacons.

2. The following references to the election and ordination of these officers are outlined in the BOCO-PCA:

a. Chapters 1 - 4, Doctrine of Church Officers.

b. Chapter 7, Church Officers, General Classification.

c. Chapter 8, The Elder.

d. Chapter 9, The Deacon.

e. Chapter 20, The Election of Pastors.

f. Chapter 21, The Ordination and Installation of Ministers.

g. Chapter 22, The Pastoral Relations.

h. Chapter 23, The Dissolution of the Pastoral Relation.

I. Chapter 24, Election, Ordination and Installation of Ruling Elders and Deacons.

3. Ruling Elders shall be elected at the regular Annual Meeting of the Congregation to serve on Session for a term of three consecutive years. A Ruling Elder may serve a succeeding term of three years only when he has been off the Session for a period of one full year. A minimum of one Ruling Elder will be elected to Session for each fifty (50) active communing and non-communing members, or part thereof, of the Congregation. If the number of Ruling Elders who are qualified and willing to serve on Session is less than the number specified in the immediately preceding sentence, then the number of Ruling Elders who will make up the Session for the subject year will be decided by two-thirds (2/3) of the then existing Session. The Session will notify the Congregation at least one month prior to elections.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this ARTICLE V, Section 3. of the Constitution, the Elders of the Session Classes of 86/87, 87/88, and 88/89 only who are serving the 86/87, 87/88, and 88/89 terms respectively may serve for terms of three-and-one-half (3_) years.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this ARTICLE V, Section 3. of the Constitution, the Elders of the Session Classes of 1992, 1993, and 1994 only who are serving the 1992, 1993, and 1994 terms respectively may serve for terms of three-and-one-half (3_) years.

4. Deacons shall be elected at the regular Annual Meeting of the Congregation to serve on the Board of Deacons for a term of three consecutive years. A Deacon may serve a succeeding term of three years only when he has been off the Board of Deacons for a period of one full year. A minimum of one deacon will be elected to the Deacon Board for each forty (40) active communing and non-communing members, or part thereof, of the Congregation. If the number of Deacons who are qualified and willing to serve on the Deacon Board is less than the number specified in the immediately preceding sentence, then the number of Deacons who will make up the Deacon Board for the subject year will be decided by two-thirds (2/3) of the then existing Session. The Session will notify the Congregation at least one month prior to elections.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this ARTICLE V, Section 4. of the Constitution, the Deacons of the Deacon Board Classes of 86/87, 87/88, and 88/89 only who are serving the 86/87, 87/88, and 88/89 terms respectively may serve for terms of three-and-one-half (3_) years.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this ARTICLE V, Section 4. of the Constitution, the Deacons of the Deacon Board Classes of 1992, 1993, and 1994 only who are serving the 1992, 1993, and 1994 terms respectively may serve for terms of three-and-one-half (3_) years.

5. The Benevolence Treasurer shall be elected by the Congregation from among the ordained Elders at the Annual Congregational Meeting. He shall administer, or cause to be administered, the Benevolence Budget approved for that purpose by the Session. He shall report to the Session at its regular meetings the condition of the Benevolence Budget and shall present a financial accounting of all funds received and disbursed for Benevolence purposes to the Congregation at the Annual Congregational meeting.

6. No church member shall be elected to any office in the VPC unless he has been a communicant member in good standing for a minimum of one full year prior to election.

ARTICLE VI

THE CHURCH SESSION

1. The Church Session is described in the BOCO-PCA, Chapter 12.

2. The Session shall elect annually a clerk from their own number, whose duties shall be:

a. To provide a careful record of all transactions of the Session.

b. To receive all correspondence and letters of dismissal of members from other churches, authenticate records of testimony, transact all correspondence of the Session and act as Clerk at Congregational Meetings.

c. The Session as a whole shall be apprised of all correspondence directed to the Session and/or Clerk.

3. The Session, for the purpose of the VPC Corporation, will be considered as the Board of Trustees of that Corporation and their duties are further described under Article X of this Constitution.

4. The quorum for the Session to meet will be at least the simple majority of the number of Ruling Elders on Session for that year.

5. A regular meeting of the Session shall be convened one per month. The regular Session meetings for the next successive twelve months (i.e., January through December) shall be set by the Session at its January meeting. The Session may, from time to time, change the date set for a regular meeting at any prior regular monthly meeting.

6. Special meetings of the Session may be set by the person(s) set forth in the BOCO-PCA upon said person(s) giving 48 hours notice as follows:

a. The person(s) designated in the BOCO-PCA as having the ability to call or convene a special meeting shall give each Session member 48 hours notice of the special meeting setting forth in said notice the date, time and place of the meeting and the topics to be discussed.

b. No topics other than those set forth in the notice of the special meeting may be discussed or acted upon at the special meeting.

c. The 48 hours notice must be given in writing, personally delivered to a Session member or mailed, postage prepaid, to the Session member's last known address as set forth in the records of the church. In addition the person(s) calling the meeting shall attempt to personally or orally contact each Session member 48 hours in advance of the special Session meeting to advise the Session member of the meeting, its date, time, and place, as well as the topic to be discussed.

d. Notice of any meeting may be waived by any Session member by a document in writing.

e. Action may be taken by the Session by unanimous written consent of each member of the Session without the necessity of a meeting.

f. Any action taken at a special Session meeting shall be recorded and mailed to each member of Session within ten (10) days after the holding of said meeting.

ARTICLE VII

THE BOARD OF DEACONS

1. The duties of the Board of Deacons are set forth in the BOCO-PCA, Chapter 9.

2. The quorum for the Board of Deacons to meet will be at least the simple majority of the number of Deacons on the Board of Deacons for that year.

ARTICLE VIII

THE WORSHIP OF GOD BY USE OF REVENUES

1. The Holy Scriptures teach that God is the owner of all persons and all things and that we are but stewards of both life and possessions; that God's ownership and our stewardship must be acknowledged; that this acknowledgment is to take the form, in part, of at least His tithe (1/10th) of our income and other offerings to the work of the Lord through VPC, thus worshiping the Lord with our possessions.

2. These offerings, plainly enjoined in the Bible, are for the support of public worship, for the propagation of the gospel in our own and foreign lands, and for the relief of the poor. The disposition of all such offerings shall be under the control and supervision of the Session of VPC.

3. All monies or property which accrue to VPC in the pursuit of VPC's ministry are consequential in nature (e.g. Valley Presbyterian School tuition, camping fees, cost of food) and also are received in concert with the purposes of this article, shall be deemed as appropriate. There is ample Scripture that Session should control the accumulation and disposition of these monies or property.

4. There shall be no generation of revenue other than freewill gifts, tithes and offerings expect as otherwise set forth in this Constitution by the express approval of the majority of the then elected ruling Elders on Session.

ARTICLE IX

DISPUTES AND DISCIPLINE

The purpose of church discipline is the preservation of the purity and good order of the church, for the spiritual welfare of its members and for the effectiveness of its witness to the world. The Rules of Discipline are specified in Part II of the BOCO-PCA.

ARTICLE X

THE CHURCH CORPORATION

1. The Corporation of VPC, duly organized under the laws of the State of California as a not for profit corporation and recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a Sec 501 (3) (c) organization, through its duly elected trustees (active Ruling Elders) and corporation officers, shall have sole title to its property, real and personal;, or mixed, tangible or intangible without right of reversion to any other court in the PCA. (BOCO-PCA, Chapter 25-8; 25-9)

2. The officers of the Corporation shall be President, Vice President, and Church Treasurer/Secretary. They shall be elected as specified under Article XI of this Constitution.

ARTICLE XI

THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

1. The three (3) officers of the VPC Corporation, and they, as a whole, shall be deemed the Executive Board.

2. The Chairman of the Executive Board will be the President of the Corporation. He will be elected from among the Ruling Elders by the Session at its first official meeting after the Annual Congregational Meeting.

The Chairman of the Executive Board shall be the chief liaison between the Executive Board and the Session.

3. The Vice Chairman of the Executive Board will be the Vice President of the Corporation and will be elected by the Board of Deacons from among the roster of Deacons at their first meeting after the Annual Congregational Meeting.

The Vice Chairman of the Executive Board shall assist the President and shall be the chief liaison between the Executive Board and the Board of Deacons.

4. The third member of the Executive Board will be Church Treasurer and will also serve as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Corporation. The Church Treasurer will be elected by the Congregation at its Annual Congregational Meeting.

It shall be the duty of the Church Treasurer to account for all funds received and disbursed by the Church and present a Statement of Financial Condition of the Church to the Congregation at its Annual Corporational Meeting.

The Treasurer's records shall be subject to the inspection of the Session or any member thereof at any time, and the accounts shall be reviewed by competent parties designated by the Session.

The Secretary/Treasurer, in addition to the duties described above, shall keep, or cause to be kept, at the principal office, a book of minutes of all Corporational Meetings, Annual and Special, as well as all resolutions authorized by the Executive Board.

5. The Executive Board will act under the authority and by the direction of the Session to maintain, manage, and care for the temporal affairs of the Church. This will include, but will not be limited to:

a. Preparing the Annual Budget to be submitted to the Session for approval before submission to the Church Congregation for their approval at the Annual Corporational Meeting. Once any Annual Budget has been approved by the Church Congregation, it shall not be exceeded in total disbursements, except by action of the Church Congregation voting at a Special Corporational Meeting. The Church Fiscal Year will be from January 1st to December 31st.

b. Calling a Corporational Meeting, with the approval, or at the direction, of the majority of the Session by giving notice to the Congregation from the pulpit on at least four consecutive Sundays immediately in advance of the Meeting; the question or proposals to be considered shall be plainly stated in writing and posted on the regular church bulletin board for four weeks prior to the Meeting.

c. Keeping all expenditures within the total Annual Budget.

d. Caring, maintaining, and managing the real and personal property of the Church under the oversight of the Session.

e. Recommending to the Session for appointment or removal of all agents and employees of the Corporation who maintain Church properties, prescribing their duties, and requiring from them security for faithful performance, if necessary.

f. Having the right to resolve to borrow money, subject to majority approval by the Session, when it shall deem it expedient for the purposes of the Church, and give such security for such borrowing as it may be sufficient or required to pledge, hypothecate, or otherwise encumber any notes, bonds or other securities, which may be held by the Church, as well as to lease, rent, mortgage, or encumber real or personal property of said Church, when these acts do not exceed $15,000 in total. Any resolution to borrow money in excess of $15,000 shall require Congregational approval.

g. Having the power to acquire, convey, exchange, transfer upon trust, or otherwise dispose of all property, real or personal, of said Church, upon resolution subject to a two-thirds (2/3) majority approval by the Session, when these acts do not exceed $15,000 in total. Any acquisition, conveyance, exchange, transfer upon trust, or other disposition of property, real or personal, in excess of $15,000 shall require Congregational approval.

h. All checks, drafts, or other orders for payment of money, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness, issued in the name of or payable to the Corporation, shall be signed or endorsed by such person or persons in such manner as, from time to time, shall be determined by resolution of the Executive Board, subject to a majority approval by the Session.

i. Depositing of the funds of this Corporation from time to time in such depository as the Executive Board my select, as well as causing a record to be kept of all donors of funds to the Church and issuing receipts on an annual basis, or more often if they deem it appropriate.

6. A vacancy in any office of the Executive Board because of death, resignation, removal, disqualification, or any other cause shall be filled by election, in the manner described in Sections 2, 3, and 4 of this Article, at the next meeting of the appropriate Board or called Congregational Meeting following the vacancy.

ARTICLE XII

CONGREGATIONAL/CORPORATIONAL MEETINGS

1. The Congregational/Corporational Meeting of the Church will be convened as specified in the BOCO-PCA, Chapter 25.

2. The Clerk of the Congregational Meeting shall be the Clerk of the Session, or in his absence, an Elder selected by the Session.

3. Voting by proxy shall not be permitted.

4. Robert's Rules of Order shall apply to all Church Congregational/ Corporational Meetings, except where they specifically conflict with this Constitution or the BOCO-PCA.

5. Communicant members must be at least 18 years of age to be entitled to vote at any Congregational Meeting. Communicant members must be the age of majority in the State of California to be entitled to vote at any Corporational Meetings.

6. The Annual Congregational and Annual Corporational Meeting of the Church shall be held during the month of January of each year, the date to be selected by Session at its November meeting. Notice shall be given from the pulpit on the four consecutive Sunday mornings immediately preceding the date set by Session and a written notice shall be posted at the entrance to the Church sanctuary during this same period of time.

7. The members of the Congregation shall, at each Annual Congregational Meeting, elect a Nominating Committee of six (6) persons. The membership of this Committee shall consist of one person each from the Boards of Elders and Deacons, and four from the Congregation at large; the elected Elder shall preside as Chairman.

The pastor shall be ex officio a member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.

The Nominating Committee shall serve for one year and shall present nominations for the Church officers and other elected officials to the Session at least forty-five (45) days prior to the day of election. The Session shall examine the nominees for Ruling Elders and Deacons as outlined in BOCO-PCA, Chapter 24-1, and post the names of those eligible for election and nominees for other elected officials at the entrance of the church sanctuary at least fifteen (15) days prior to Election Day.

Nominations may be made from the floor only for officers other than Ruling Elder and Deacon.

8. The Order of Business of the Annual Congregational Meeting shall include but not be limited to each of the following:

The Order of the Congregational Meeting shall be determined by the Moderator.

ARTICLE XIII

AMENDMENTS

1. Amendments to, or repeal of, Articles of this Constitution may be made at any Congregational Meeting of the Church by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those present entitled to vote.

Notice of intention to amend this Constitution shall be given in the Church for four consecutive Sundays preceding the Congregational Meeting. Notice of intent to amend shall cite the Article and Section it is proposing to amend, as well as the nature and character of the proposed amendment(s) or repeal; and only the section(s) mentioned in said notices shall be considered.

2. Any amendment to the Constitution of the VPC shall become effective immediately upon its acceptance by vote of the Congregation.

3. Any amendment or change to the BOCO-PCA according to the duly set forth manner BOCO-PCA, Chapter 26, shall be deemed as amending the Constitution of VPC and shall not require a Congregational Meeting. Notice of such changes shall be posted for at least four (4) weeks, at the entrance of the Church sanctuary. This shall be done within thirty (30) days after official receipt of the BOCO-PCA change from the General Assembly.

4. Headings set forth in this Constitution are for reference only and shall have no substantive effect.

Adopted by the Congregation of Valley Presbyterian Church at its Congregational Meeting held December 29, 1985.

______________________________

Larry Shaw, Clerk of Session

APPENDIX

REVISION DATES / TOPICS

Revisions: March 7, 1971 Statement of Faith
August 1, 1971 Organization & Officers
Dec. 10, 1972 Worship
January, 1973
Dec. 12, 1973 Statement of Faith
January 14, 1976
January 23, 1977 Conform with Form of Government--RPC/ES
February 2, 1977 Conform with laws of State of California
November 5, 1978 Pastor-seeking Committee
Retyped: June 1980
Revisions: January 18, 1984 Conform to WCF + BOCO-PCA
December 29, 1985 Change to Fiscal Year (July/June)
June 28, 1987 Re: Deaconesses
June 23, 1991 Return to January/December Fiscal Year
Retyped: May 1997