The Church Charter and Bylaws are updated occasionally to reflect changes in organizational structure or practice or to reinforce or restate a theological or doctrinal position. The Brentwood Baptist Church Trustees are recommending the Church affirm changes to our Charter and Bylaws. If approved, this update will be the fifth version of the Charter and Bylaws since the Church was established in 1969.

Below is a summary of the most substantive changes being proposed.

Summary:

• Mission Statement and Values. In keeping with our Acts 1:8 Ministry Plan to make disciples of Jesus Christ, church leadership has redeveloped our church mission statement and values. The mission statement would be “Engaging the whole person with the whole gospel of Jesus Christ anywhere, anytime, with anybody” (from: “Connecting People to Jesus Christ through worship, discipleship, and service”). Since the mission is stated in our Church’s Bylaws, it is necessary to update the document to reflect these changes.
• Approvals. The current Bylaws call for a Church vote on twelve items of action. The proposed updates reduce that to ten items, allowing for a more practical and efficient use of the Church voting that reflects our current size and complexity. Responsibilities for the two remaining items are to be discharged by the Trustees.
• Changes in language. The proposed changes include several updates in language to reflect more current nomenclature and/or practices. Most of these changes have little or no bearing on the practical application of the articles’ intent.

Click here to view a side-by-side comparison of current Bylaws with proposed changes.

If approved by the Church, there would be a corresponding change to the Church Charter. Voting on the proposed Bylaw updates will occur alongside the vote on the proposed 2018 Budget on December 10 and 17. There will be two separate resolutions to vote on.

For more information about these proposed updates and the proposed 2018 Budget, join us for a Town Hall Meeting on Sunday, December 3 at 5:00 p.m. in Inman Chapel. You can also attend a Town Hall Meeting at The Church at Avenue South on December 3 at 4:00 p.m.