Constitution

The name of the organisation shall be Christians Together for Chesterfield

 

The Constitution

  1. The purpose of the organisation shall be the furtherance of the total Christian enterprise in and immediately adjacent to the Borough of Chesterfield.

  2. Intention and Vision: to ‘do more, do it together and do it in word and deed', to look for a dynamic, organic and co-operative life in Christ and to share in worship, learning and caring, evangelism, service and fellowship.

  3. Membership of the organisation shall be open to all Christian congregations and agencies in and immediately adjacent to the Borough of Chesterfield and also to neighbourhood Churches Together groups within the area. ‘Christian' is understood to mean acceptance of the divinity of Christ and of the Holy Trinity. In the event of dispute in these matters, the Forum, having taken advice, is empowered to admit or deny admission to, an applicant church or agency.

  4. The governing body of the organisation shall be a Forum, consisting of one representative of each member organisation. A quorum will be one third of the membership.

  5. Officers of the organisation shall be

    • a Chair;

    • a Vice-Chair;

    • a treasurer;

    • a secretary;

    • an IT officer; chosen at the AGM.

  6. Day to day management of the organisation shall be in the hands of an Enabling Group of 12 persons as representative as possible of the total membership, usually to be chosen at the organisation's AGM, but with occasional vacancies to be filled by appropriate co-options by the Enabling Group. A quorum will be one third of the membership, to include at least 2 officers. The AGM, in choosing members of the Enabling Group, will be mindful of the allegiance of the officers already chosen.

  7. Both the Enabling Group and the Forum shall have the power to set up working parties, project groups, or whatever and to determine their terms of reference. Such working parties etc may embrace non-church bodies such as the police, the local authority, charities, community organisations.

  8. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held in the spring of each year and shall be one of the 3 normal general meetings of the Forum.

  9. In the event of urgent business, the officers of the Enabling Group may confer and make a provisional decision, to be reported within 2 weeks to the membership of the Enabling Group. In its turn, the Enabling Group may convene an Extraordinary General Meeting, where a quorum will again be one third of those eligible.

  10. In the event of meetings of the Enabling Group or of the Forum being inquorate, business may continue if no objection is raised, but decisions made shall be reported to the membership of the meeting within 2 weeks and confirmed at the next quorate meeting.

  11. Observers from member organisations will be welcome at meetings of the Forum, including the AGM, will not have a vote, but may speak with consent of the chair.

  12. Core funding of the organisation shall be by subscriptions from member congregations on a proportional basis to be determined at the AGM. Funding of projects over and above ‘core funding' shall be on an ‘opt in' basis, following contact with member congregations and agencies by the organisers of the said projects.

  13. The organisation contemplates the possibility of applying for grants for such specific projects.

  14. The organisation will seek charitable status to facilitate possible receipt of gift aid donations and grants.

  15. The treasurer shall have day-to-day responsibility for the organisation's ‘core funding', but responsibility for funding of ‘special projects' may be delegated to other appointees.

  16. The financial year of the organisation shall end on 31st March.

  17. The organisation will relate to the wider ‘Churches Together in Derbyshire' movement and to other inter-denominational bodies in whatever ways are mutually acceptable.

  18. In the event of the organisation ceasing to exist, any assets shall be disposed of in a manner consonant with the organisation's purposes - the ‘total Christian enterprise' in Chesterfield. If the Enabling Group is not able to meet, this decision may be taken by the officers.

  19. Amendments to this constitution may be made at an AGM by a 2/3 majority of those present and voting, due notice of at least two weeks having been given.