MISSION

“We are a church where love is preached and taught according to the Holy Scriptures and manifested in the lives of all the disciples by offering support, fellowship, friendship, and the LOVE OF CHRIST to those around us.”

STATEMENT OF FAITH 

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” EPH 2:8-10 (NKJV)

 

In Essential Beliefs, We Should Have Unity.

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” EPH 4:4-6 (NKJV)

 

In Non-Essential Beliefs, We Should Have Liberty.

“Receive one who is weak in faith, but do not dispute over doubtful things.” Romans 14:1 (NKJV)

“Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master, he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.” Romans 14:4 (NKJV)

“So then, each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore, let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.” Romans 14:12-13 (NKJV)

 

In All Beliefs, We Should Show Love

“And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” 1 COR 13:2 (NKJV)

 

STATEMENT OF ESSENTIAL BELIEFS 

• We Believe….There is One True Eternal God Who is Creator of All Things. 

“I am the Lord, and there is no other; There is no God besides me. I will gird you, though you have not known me.” Isaiah 45:5 (NKJV)

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Gen 1:1 (NKJV)

 

• We Believe….The Bible is the Word of God. 

God’s Word is the only completely reliable and truthful authority, and we accept the Bible as our manual for living. The Bible is the basis for all we believe.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correction, and training in righteousness.” 2 Tim 3:16 (NKJV)

• We Believe….Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 

Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity. He was born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life on earth, voluntarily paid for our sin by dying on the cross in our place, rose from the dead on the third day, baptizes believers in the Holy Spirit, and will return to earth to fulfill prophecy. He sits at the right hand of God the Father.

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they will call His name Immanuel, which is translated “God with us.” Matt 1:23 (NKJV)

“For what I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”  1 Cor 15:3-4 (NKJV)

“So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.” Mark 16:19 (NKJV)

• We Believe….The Holy Spirit is God. 

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. When a person becomes born again by believing and receiving Jesus Christ, God resides in them through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit convicts us and tells our hearts the truth about Jesus.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”  John 14:26 (NKJV)

• We Believe….God’s Children Must Be Born Again 

God created humans to have fellowship with Him, but they defied God by sinfully going their own way. As a result, we need God’s saving grace to end our separation from Him. Salvation comes only by God’s grace – not human effort – and must be received personally by repentance of sin and faith. 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”  2 Cor 5:17 (NKJV) 

• We Believe….God’s Children Must be Baptized.

In order to live the holy and fruitful lives that God intends for us, we need to be baptized with water and be filled with the Holy Spirit. 

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded. And I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matt 28:19-20 (NKJV)

• We Believe….The Lord’s Supper is the Commemoration of His Death.

The Lord’s Supper (or Communion) should be taken periodically as a remembrance of His death until He returns for His church. This commemoration should be preceded by individual, personal self-examination and prayer. 

“And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me. Likewise, He also took the cup after supper saying “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.” Luke 22:19-20 (NKJV)

• We Believe….The Lord Jesus Christ is Coming Back Again.

Jesus is coming back to gather His children. When He returns, the righteous dead will be resurrected, and together with the righteous living will be glorified and taken to heaven for an eternity with no more tears, pain, or suffering. The unrighteous will die and spend an eternity in hell.

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

1 Thess 4:16-17 (NKJV)

“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Rev 21:8 (NKJV)

• We Believe….Marriage is a Sacred Relationship Between One Man and One Woman.

“Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Gen 2:22-24 (NKJV)

• We Believe….Life Begins at Conception, All Life is Sacred and Abortion is Murder.

Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of an unborn human life.

“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; Before you were born, I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 (NKJV)

“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.”    Psalms 139:13 (NKJV)

“You shall not murder.” Exodus 20:13 (NKJV)

• We Believe….Sexual Immorality is Sin.

Acts of sexual immorality such as homosexuality, bisexuality, adultery, and pornography are sinful and ungodly perversions of the gift of sex that God has given to a husband and wife in the sanctity of marriage. 

“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination” Lev 18:22 (NKJV)

“For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise, also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error, which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.” Romans 1:26-28 (NKJV)

• We Believe….The Church Pastor Should Be a Natural Born Male

“And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.” 1 Timothy 2:12 (NKJV)

“Therefore, an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach.” 1 Tim 3:2 (NKJV)

CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

 

To be a member of Old Brashiers Chapel Church, one must accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior and provide evidence of salvation by way of baptism or personal testimony. There must also be a commitment to actively follow Jesus Christ in discipleship. Discipleship provides the Christian with God’s Word, prayer, worship, encouragement, and service. 

Church membership will be reviewed annually. If a member has not attended an OBC service over a 12-month period, attempts will be made to contact them to see if they would like to continue being a member. Members who have not attended a service over a 24-month period will be removed from the membership directory.

 

CHURCH GOVERNANCE

Old Brashiers Chapel Church will be governed by an Executive Committee. The committee will consist of 7 voting members (V) and 2 non-voting members (NV) as defined below. A quorum (5 members) must be present to execute a vote. The Executive Committee will have authority to make strategic, operational, fiscal, and employment decisions for the church with the following exceptions:      

1. Hiring / Dismissal of Pastor must have majority vote of the members
2. Buying / Selling of any property or asset with cost > $100K must have majority vote of the members

 

Executive Committee Members

1. Church Pastor (V)
2. Committee Chairperson (V)
3. Staff-Parish Relations Chairperson (V)
4. Trustees Chairperson (V)
5. Education Chairperson (V)
6. Finance Chairperson (V)
7. Outreach Chairperson (V)
8. Pastoral Assistant (NV)
9.  Leadership Trainee (NV)

 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE RESPONSIBILITIES

 

1. 1. The Church Pastor should provide spiritual leadership to the church and work to fulfill the mission/vision of the church. The Pastor responsibilities include church administration, conducting worship services, interpreting biblical scripture, counseling church members, visitation to the sick/elderly, and officiating over special services such as baptisms, weddings, funerals, and confirmations.
   2. The Executive Committee Chairperson should oversee the organization and operations of the Executive Committee and collaborate with the leadership team to fulfill the mission/vision of the church. Duties include establishing agendas, meeting facilitation, internal communication between committee members, conflict resolution, and looking for efficiency improvements to all operations.
   3. The Staff-Parish Relations Chairperson should work to build a healthy relationship between the pastor and congregation. The chairperson is also responsible for developing job descriptions, making recommendations to the Executive Committee with regard to staffing and compensation, and working with the pastor on any disciplinary issues. The administrator should organize sub-committees as needed to help with these responsibilities. 
   4. The Trustees Chairperson is responsible for the oversight all church property, buildings, and equipment and should coordinate all purchases, maintenance, and repairs. The chairperson should organize a ministry team to help with these responsibilities. 
   5. The Education Chairperson is responsible for the Sunday School program and for teacher recruitment and development. 
   6. The Finance Chairperson is responsible for the oversight of church finances, project fund raising, and offering collections. The chairperson should organize a ministry team to help with these responsibilities.
   7. The Outreach Chairperson is responsible for coordinating community events, leading volunteer activities, and volunteer recruitment. The chairperson should organize a ministry team to help with these responsibilities.
   8.  The Pastoral Assistant should assist the pastor and staff members with any documentation or administrative needs and communicate information to the congregation. Other responsibilities include maintaining membership records, creating weekly bulletins, and preparing meeting minutes.

 The Leadership Trainee should provide support to the Executive Committee while learning how church business is conducted. 

 

• EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE SERVICE TERMS

All paid members of the Executive Committee will be a member of the Committee

as long as they hold the position. There is no limit to their years of service. These positions include the Church Pastor, Treasurer, and Pastoral Assistant. The only exception would be during a new-hire probationary period.

All non-paid members will serve a maximum of 4 years of service in a particular role with a maximum of 8 consecutive years of service on the committee. The only exception to these terms would be the absence of a qualified person willing to accept the open position. 

Efforts should be made to change at least one member per year to avoid mass changes to the committee in the same year. Only one person per family can serve on the committee at the same time.

• HIRING GUIDELINES

All hiring decisions will be made by the Executive Committee with exception of the Pastor. Employment decisions regarding the Pastor will be made by majority vote of the church membership.

To be eligible for church employment, the following requirements must be met:

1. Qualified for the position when comparing their skill set to the job description, as determined by the Executive Committee. 
2. Clear background check
3. Agree with the essential beliefs of the church

• DISCIPLINARY GUIDELINES

All employees, members, and non-members of the church are subject to disciplinary action when the wellbeing and holiness of the church is compromised. Discipline is needed to protect the church from division and false teaching, and to help correct improper behavior.

FOR EMPLOYEES

• • 1. Employees will be held to Biblical standards and normal business practices.
    2. Any criminal or immoral behavior is grounds for termination from their position. 
    3. Performance issues will be addressed using a progressive approach which consists of a verbal warning, followed by a performance improvement plan, followed by a written warning up to termination. Verbal warnings will be active for one year. 
    4. Termination decisions must be approved by the Executive Committee and be in accordance with Biblical Standards, State and Federal laws.

FOR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS 

• • 1. Executive Committee members will be held to Biblical standards. 
    2. Any criminal or immoral behavior is grounds for immediate removal from the               Executive Committee.
  • 1. c)  Removal decisions must be approved by the Executive Committee.

FOR MEMBERS / PROFESSING CHRISTIANS

• • 1. Members / Professing Christians will be held to Biblical Standards.
    2. Any criminal behavior is grounds for rescinding church membership and/or asking him/her to leave the church.
    3. Any Immoral, Divisive, or Disrespectful behavior will be addressed through private conversations with church staff members. 
    4. Failure to correct improper behavior will result in the rescinding of church membership and/or asking him/her to leave the church

FOR NON-PROFESSING CHRISTIANS

• • 1. Any Criminal behavior is grounds for asking him/her to leave the church.
    2. Any Immoral, Divisive, or Disrespectful behavior will be addressed through private conversations with church staff members. 
    3. Failure to correct improper behavior will result in the asking him/her to leave the church.

Biblical standards will include (but not be limited to) the following scripture: 

Matthew 18:15-17

1 Timothy 3:1-13

Titus 1:5-9

Titus 2:1-8

 

CHURCH PROPERTY / ASSETS

The title to all property owned by Old Brashiers Chapel Church is vested in the Corporation consisting of all the members of Old Brashiers Chapel Church. Property transactions will be made through the Executive Committee in accordance with the Articles of Incorporation under Alabama state laws.