Unity Church of Raleigh-Approved Bylaws

ARTICLE 1

IDENTIFICATION

Section 1.01 - Statement of Purpose

The purpose of the Unity Church of Raleigh is to teach the Truth of Jesus Christ as interpreted by Unity School of Christianity, Unity Village , Missouri , and approved by the Association of Unity Churches, a non-profit corporation organized and existing under laws of the State of Georgia , with headquarters at Unity Village , Missouri . In the accomplishment of this purpose, the Unity Church of Raleigh shall endeavor to conduct services of worship, classes of instruction, and adopt other means that will further the principles of Practical Christianity among people everywhere.

Section 1.02 - Association of Unity Churches Membership and Responsibilities

Unity Church of Raleigh is a member of the Association of Unity Churches (AUC). The operation and conduct of this Ministry shall comply with the spiritual emphasis and Bylaws of the AUC, insofar as they do not conflict with the laws of the State of North Carolina.

Teachings. The Unity principles of Practical Christianity shall be taught through this Ministry using materials including, but not limited to, those provided by the AUC.
Leadership. This Ministry shall have as its leader, an ordained Unity Minister. Refer to Section 3.02(c).
Reports. As Administrative Director of this Ministry, the Minister shall make annual reports to the AUC on forms supplied by the AUC.
Mailings. Copies of all printed matter mailed by this Ministry to its Membership shall be sent to the office of the AUC.

ARTICLE II

MEMBERSHIP

Section 2.01 - Member

Members of the Unity Church shall:

Endeavor to live in accord with the Christ principles of love and Truth as taught by this Unity. They shall endeavor to further the work of this Ministry through interest, love and support.

Section 2.02 - Procedure

Any person who is 18 years or over desiring membership in Unity Church of Raleigh shall file an application for Membership with the Minister. When sufficient applications have been received, the Minister shall conduct a membership service, including a spiritual baptism.

Section 2.03 - Tenure

Membership is for one (1) year, the annual term beginning the last Sunday of March and expiring the last Sunday in March the following year. The last Sunday in March is Membership Sunday and is designated as the time of reaffirmation of membership. All members who desire to continue their membership will submit their written request on the form provided for this purpose. All who do not re-submit their application are automatically dropped from the membership roll. New members will be accepted throughout the year at designated times, but membership must be renewed the last Sunday in March.

Section 2.04 - Responsibilities of Members

Members of Unity Church of Raleigh shall have the following responsibilities:

Vote at any membership meeting at which the member is present, called in accordance with Section 2.05.
Vote in an election of members to the Board of Directors as specified in Section 3.05.
Vote in an election to ratify any amendments to or replacements of the Bylaws of this Ministry as specified in Section 6.01.
Vote in any question of purchase, sale or improvement of real property of this Ministry, which exceeds Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000) in value. Refer to Section 3.04(b)(7).

A two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote is required of those present and voting for the purchase of such property.
A two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of those present and voting is required for the sale of such property.
The decision to buy, sell, or improve such property shall be made no sooner than seven days after a proposal of the transaction has been presented for discussion at a membership meeting.

Vote in an election of a member and an alternative to serve on the Nominating Committee as specified in Section 3.05(b)(1).
Call a special membership meeting when the affairs of the Ministry warrant such action. Refer to Section 2.05(b)(4).
Vote concerning any action of the Board of Directors. An affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of those present and voting is required to override any Board action.
Vote concerning the removal of any Director from his/her office in accordance with Section 3.06(a)(4).

Section 2.05 - Meetings and Quorum

Annual Membership Meeting. The annual membership meeting of Unity Church of Raleigh shall be held at an hour and place designated by the Minister and the Board of Directors on the last Sunday in March, unless provided for otherwise by the Board of Directors.
Special Membership Meetings. Any time the affairs of this Ministry warrant a special membership meeting, it may be called by:

The President of the Board of Directors;
The Minister;
A majority of the Directors of the Board;
Submitting a petition having been signed by Twenty-five percent (25%) of the Membership. The written petition shall be submitted to the Board who shall call the meeting to be held within three weeks of receipt of the petition. The purpose(s) for the special meeting shall be stated both in the written petition and in the notice to the Membership. Business conducted at the special meeting shall be limited to the pre-stated purpose(s). Additional items may be added to the agenda by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those present and voting.

Notice. Notice stating the date, time, place and purpose shall be announced publicly, posted in church bulletin and on the church website at least ten (10) days before any membership meeting. Members who do not have access to public announcements or the church website may request written notification.
Quorum. The lesser of thirty (30) members or twenty-five (25%) of the Membership shall constitute a quorum at any membership meeting.
Participation. Only members in attendance shall participate in the business affairs of any membership meeting.
Voting. Unless otherwise provided herein, the vote of a majority of the members present and voting shall be necessary for approval or disapproval of that action being voted upon. Refer to Section 2.04(d) and (g) and Section 6.01.

ARTICLE III

ADMINISTRATION

Section 3.01 - Composition

The administration of Unity Church of Raleigh shall be vested in the Board of Directors who shall employ an ordained Unity Minister who is in good standing with the Association of Unity Churches.

Section 3.02 - Minister

Duties. The duties of the Minister shall be:

Spiritual leader. The Minister shall be responsible for the scheduling, conduct, and content of services, classes, and all other activities that further the purposes of this Ministry as specified in Section 1.01;
Administrative director: The Minister shall direct all programs and staff;
A voting member of the Board of Directors on all matters except his own employment and that of his successor;
An ex-officio member of all committees.

Compensation. The compensation of the Minister shall be fixed by agreement between the Minister and the Board of Directors.
Vacancy. Should a vacancy occur in the office of the Minister, the Board of Directors shall communicate with the AUC and request candidates for the position of Minister.

Section 3.04 - Board of Directors - Members

Structure. The Board of Directors shall consist of the Minister and six members elected from the Membership of Unity Church of Raleigh. Each elected Director shall hold office for three years, or until a successor is duly elected. When the terms of elected Directors expire, their offices shall be filled at the annual membership meeting in accordance with Section 3.05. No elected Director shall serve more than two consecutive terms of three years each without an interval of one year between terms.
Duties. As representative of the Membership, the Directors of the Board shall:

Uphold the spiritual purpose of this Ministry as stated in Section 1.01;
Uphold the highest interest of the Membership in conducting the business of this Ministry;
Be conversant with these Bylaws;
Endeavor to be in attendance at services, board, membership meetings, and other activities of this Ministry;
Set policies for the accomplishment of the goals of this Ministry;
Make determinations of the operational needs of the Ministry and authorize payment of the monies for these purposes;
Administer the property of this Ministry, both real and personal;
Make determinations on the sale, purchase, or improvement of real or personal property belonging to this Ministry. All decisions in favor of the sale, purchase, or improvement of real property exceeding Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000)in value shall be presented to the Membership at a properly constituted membership meeting to be voted on in accordance with Section 2.04(d);
Approve the employment of all staff personnel of this Ministry, and set and approve their salaries. Approve employment of specific individuals. Approve dismissal of staff personnel;
Set dates for the fiscal year;
Have a qualified accountant review the financial records of this Ministry at the end of each fiscal year;
Act to fill the unexpired term of any Director in accordance with Section 3.06(b);
Elect officers of the Board and their successors to fill any unexpired term when necessary. The President shall have been a member of the Board for at least 11 months. Refer to Section 3.08;
Ratify committees and their chairmen as appointed by the Board President. Ratification is understood unless a majority of the Board objects;
Communicate with the AUC for aid in resolution of all matters concerning the Minister's services, which cannot otherwise be reasonably resolved;
Consider other duties brought to their attention by the Minister and other Directors;
Should a vacancy occur in the office of the Minister, the Board of Directors shall be in charge of the selection process;
Select the member to serve on the Nominating Committee in the event that neither the member elected nor the alternate is able to serve.

Section 3.05 - Board of Directors - Election

Qualifications. Persons elected to the Board of Directors must be active members of Unity Church of Raleigh. They shall be persons who:

Desire to serve on the Board;
Endeavor to live in accord with Christ principles of Love and Truth as taught by Unity, and are continuing students of Unity, conversant with its teachings, being open and receptive to spiritual truth;
Have demonstrated leadership ability;
Further the work of this Ministry through their interest, love, and support.

Nominating Committee. A Nominating Committee shall be formed at least two months prior to the annual membership meeting and shall initiate a search for a least two qualified candidates for each anticipated vacancy on the Board of Directors. The Committee shall consist of the Minister and four members elected in the following manner:

At the annual membership meeting the Membership shall elect two of its own members, and one alternate, to serve on the Nominating Committee for the next year's election;
The Board shall select one of its Directors, designated as Chairperson of the Nominating Committee;
Together with the Minister, the above three Committee members shall select a fifth Committee member from the Membership. The Nominating Committee shall review the qualifications of all applicants and present their recommendation of chosen candidates to the Board;
Members of Nominating Committee shall not nominate themselves.

Nominating Procedure. As the presiding office of the annual membership meeting, the President shall:

Read Section 3.05 to the membership;
Call upon the Chairperson of the Nominating Committee to present the Committee's nominations and ask if there are any nominations from the floor of persons other than those already eliminated by the screening process conducted by the Nominating Committee or the Board.

Election. Votes shall be cast by ballot. Nominees receiving the larger number of votes shall be elected to the Board of Directors.

Section 3.06 - Board of Directors - Vacancy and Replacement

Vacancy. The office of a Director may be vacated by any of the following means:

The resignation of a Director;
The Board voting for the removal of a Director due to absences from three successive regular Board meetings. Absences may be excused by the Board upon written request;
The Board voting for the removal of a Director because of his/her inability to fulfill required responsibilities as specified in Section 3.04(b);

Replacement. Should a vacancy occur on the Board of Directors, the Board shall proceed to fill the vacancy by consensus for the unexpired term. Only persons meeting the qualifications specified in Section 3.05(a) may be considered as replacements. No replacement shall have served as a Director during the year prior to his/her election. A majority vote of those present and voting shall be necessary to elect. As far as the reelection process is concerned, one year and one half (½) of service shall constitute a full term.

Section 3.07 - Board of Directors - Meeting and Quorum

Regular Board Meeting. The Regular business meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held each month at a time and place specified by the Minister and the Board.
Special Board Meetings. Special meeting of the Board shall be called by the President under any of the following conditions.

By request of the Minister;
By request of two or more Directors;
As the President deems it necessary. Reasonable effort must be made to notify all Directors of the special meeting.

Quorum. One more than half the number of the board members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
Minister Attendance. The Minister has the right to attend all Board meetings and must be notified of all special meetings.

Section 3.08 - Board of Directors - Officers.

Officers of the Board of Directors shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The President shall have served on the Board at least eleven (11) months prior to election. The Minister shall not be elected President. Election of the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer shall take place at the first regular Board meeting after the annual membership meeting.

President. The President shall:

Preside at all Board of Directors meetings;
Preside at all membership meetings;
Appoint committees for any specific purpose, except the nominating committee. Refer to Section 3.05(b);
Be an ex-officio member of all committees except the nominating committee;
Sign all papers and documents authorized by the Board;
Retain the right to vote on all issues before the Board except challenges to a decision of the chair.

Vice-President. The Vice-President shall:

Perform all the duties of the President in the absence of the President;
Become President in case the office of the presidency become vacant. In such a case, a new Vice-President shall be elected from the remaining Directors to fill the unexpired term.

Secretary. The Secretary shall:

Keep, or cause to be kept, accurate minutes of all Board and membership meetings;
Hold in custody, and be responsible for all reports, minute books and Board correspondence.

Treasurer. The Treasurer shall:

Be custodian of the funds of the Ministry, shall pay out, or cause to be paid out, funds authorized by the Board;
Keep, or cause to be kept, a record of all financial transactions, and submit a monthly financial report at each regular Board meeting;
Submit a financial report, covering the last complete fiscal period, at the annual membership meeting. Refer to Section 3.04(b)(11);
Count, or cause to be counted, in the presence of at least one other person, all funds received, and responsible for their deposit;
Place, or cause to be placed, the funds of this Ministry in a bank or other depository approved by the Board;
To oversee the placement of accounts in such a way to maximize wise investments.

ARTICLE IV

MEETING PROCEDURES

Section 4.01 - Order of Business

The regular order of business at Board of Directors and membership meetings, unless otherwise agreed on by the Board shall be as follows:

Opening Prayer
Declaration of Quorum
Reading the Minutes of the previous meeting.
Treasurer's Report
Report of Committees
Minister's Report
Unfinished business
New Business
Closing Prayer

Section 4.02 - Rules of Order

ROBERT'S RULE OF ORDER shall be the authority of this Ministry on parliamentary law and its usage, unless otherwise provided by these bylaws.

ARTICLE V

DISSOLUTION

Section 5.01 - Procedure

Should this Ministry dissolve, all property and funds remaining after the payment of the debts of the Ministry shall be held by the Association of Unity Churches, non-profit corporation organized under the laws of the State of Georgia for religious and educational purpose, with headquarters located at Unity Village, Jackson County, State of Missouri, for the reestablishment of a Unity Center or Church in Raleigh.

ARTICLE VI

BYLAWS AMENDMENTS

Section 6.01 - Procedure

Amendments to these Bylaws must be made by members of this Ministry at a legally constituted membership meeting. Notice stating the date, time and place of the meeting shall be announced publicly, posted in the church bulletin and on the church website setting forth the proposed amendments at least ten (10) days prior to the required membership meeting. Written copies of all proposed amendments to the bylaws will be made available to the membership at least ten (10) days before the meeting. An affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of all members present and voting shall be necessary to pass any amendments to these Bylaws. These Bylaws fully supersede all previous Bylaws adopted by Unity Church of Raleigh.

Effective 7-10-05