constitutioN

CONSITUTION
Effective October 21, 2021
Revised February 2, 2022

1. PREAMBLE

1. Jesus Christ is the only absolute head and ruler of the church. All decisions are His to make. His people must seek to know His will as the Holy Spirit communicates it through and in harmony with the inspired Scriptures. As facilitators in this process, the Lord has ordained leaders in churches to aid His people in discerning and carrying out His will.

2. PREROGATIVES

1. This church shall have the right to govern itself according to the standards of the New Testament Scriptures, making “... every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace ... until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph. 4:3, 13)
2. In accordance therewith, or incidental thereto, it shall have the right to purchase or acquire by gift, bequest, or otherwise, either directly, or as trustee, and to own, hold in trust, use, sell, convey, mortgage, lease or otherwise dispose of any real estate or chattels as may be necessary for the furtherance of its purposes; all in accordance with its By-Laws or as the same may be hereafter modified or amended
3. Mission statement: Love God.  Love People.
4. Vision statement: We will be a church committed to loving, serving, and equipping our community to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ, our risen Lord and Savior (Eph 4: 11-13)
5. Organizational leadership structure: The Leadership Team consists of three branches: Executive Board, Elder Team, and Deacons.  The roles and responsibilities of these branches are described in the Bylaws
6. Government office: The principal office of the church shall be in Gallatin, TN.  Notice to The Warehouse Fellowship may be given in writing mailed via certified mail to the Registered Agent at the address of The Warehouse Fellowship, Attention: Trudy Milliken, at 1164 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN 37066

3. CONDENSED STATEMENT OF FAITH

1. About the scriptures: We believe that the Bible is the inerrant guide and final authority of the Christian faith.  It is the true and never-failing word of God.  
2. About God: We believe there is one true and omnipotent God who is comprised of the holy trinity of God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.   
3. About humanity: We believe that all people are created in God’s image with God-given worth and dignity.  We believe not one of us is without flaw and that in our brokenness we can rest in the truth that our sins are washed by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.  
4. About salvation: We believe that through Christ alone, salvation is available to everyone and is unrestricted.  We believe our faith is what saves us and not our works.
5. About baptism: We believe baptism is important but not essential for salvation. Baptism is important for every believer as an act of obedience according to scripture and should be performed via immersion. 
6. About giving: We believe that Giving is a form of worship and is celebrated through the offering of our time, talent, and treasure.  
7. About ministry: We believe that all Christians are called to actively serve in ministry.  We encourage a culture of attend-one, serve-one so that everyone who calls The Warehouse Fellowship their home is invested in its health.
8. About the return of Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ’s return is coming soon and that in worshiping him through The Warehouse Fellowship, we are preparing our house for that beautiful day.  
9. About the Church: We believe that the Church is a body, not a building.  We also believe that Church is what happens between the Sundays in our everyday lives and how we interact with our community.  

4. CORE TRUTHS

1. Intentional Prayer: Prayer is essential and must be the driving force behind everything we do.  Prayer is asking for guidance and direction of God’s will, not only an offering of thanksgiving
2. Accept Your Assignment: Christ came to serve, and now it is our responsibility to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  It is the reason why we are all gifted
3. Be. Make. Multiply: We are first called by God to BE his disciples.  We accomplish this by being in his Word and living a Christ-centered life.  We are also called to MAKE disciples by building relationships with others that allow us the trusted privilege of sharing the Gospel.  We are then called to MULTIPLY by encouraging the spreading of the Gospel.  The Warehouse Fellowship is committed to serving and equipping all who join us with the foundations needed to take what they have learned and spread the Gospel to the world

5. VOLUNTARY AFFILIATION

1. The Warehouse Fellowship is unaffiliated with a denomination. However, the Executive Board reserves the right to revisit this position at a later time and make a determination of affiliation in accordance with our Bylaws 

6. PARTNERSHIP

1. A member of the church shall be known as a Ministry Partner who has made a commitment to be a devoted follower of Jesus Christ and has signed the Partner Covenant Agreement
2. Voting rights shall primarily consist of ratifications for the Elder Team and the Executive Board, and the ratification of a new Lead Pastor. Other voting privileges are noted in other articles and Bylaws 
3. Ministry Partners shall lose the privileges of membership at any time, under the review of the Elder Team, if it is deemed that they are no longer faithfully serving the mission of the church.  Any decision in this regard will follow the biblical instruction from Matthew 18 with the sole purpose of restoration as shown in Galatians 6

7. EXECUTIVE BOARD

1. The officers of the Executive Board shall be the President (known as the Lead Pastor), Member at Large, and Treasurer.  The roles and responsibilities of the Executive Board are detailed in the Bylaws

8. PROPERTY

1. All real property of the church shall be deeded to the corporation and held in its name

9. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

1. Amendments to this Constitution shall be proposed by the Executive Board and Elder Team and passed with three quarters (3/4) affirmative vote of the Ministry Partners present at a duly called meeting and three quarters (3/4) affirmative vote of the voting Executive Board and Elder Team, after giving two weeks written notice for each meeting including the proposed amendment