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I. The Pastor
1. Job description. The church bylaws state:
The pastor shall be the leader of the church in all its activities and shall preach the gospel, administer ordinances, have charge of the stated services of public worship, and direct the spiritual welfare of the church. He shall be an ex officio (non-voting) member of all boards, committees, and auxiliary organizations of the church.
In addition, the pastor is expected to:
Minister to the people of this church and community.
Provide guidance, Christian counseling, and pastoral care.
2. Educational Requirements. The pastor selection committee shall determine the minimum educational requirements.
3. Hours. The position of pastor is a full-time position of employment. Although the activities of this church may sometimes cause the number of hours of service per week to vary, the pastor is expected to work in some church-related activity at least thirty hours per week, and it is the policy of this church that the pastor's ministry should typically amount to this much time. Though somewhat flexible, this time may be spent in preparation for services, counseling, visitation, or other church-related activities. Hours spent in preparation for seminary class work may not be used to satisfy the thirty-hour requirement. The pastor is expected to provide time for counseling, by both telephone and by appointment, and he is encouraged to make known the times of his availability.
4. Compensation and benefits.
A. The pastor shall receive compensation as follows:
Base pay. The base pay of the pastor shall be $7,800 per year.
Educational Increment. For each year of full-time educational training which the pastor has received in the seminary, the pastor shall receive an increment of 2.5 percent per annum.
Experience Increment. For each verified year of full-time experience as a pastor in this church or some other Baptist church, the pastor shall receive an increment of 2.5 percent per annum.
Maximum Salary. The maximum salary of the pastor shall be $12,740 per year.
B. Housing Allowances. The church will provide the pastor with a parsonage. Under the Internal Revenue Code, the fair rental value of the parsonage and the reimbursement of housing utilities are not taxable as income, although both are taxable as income under the Social Security Act. The pastor shall be responsible for paying his own utilities, including electricity, water, telephone, and garbage disposal, but the church will pay the pastor a per-month allowance for these expenses, specified as follows:
$100 per month for electricity from June to November;
$150 per month for electricity from December to May;
$12.50 per month for water;
$10 per month for garbage disposal; and
$36 per month for telephone (basic service).
Comment: The intended effect of this policy is that the treasurer will pay to the pastor a single monthly utilities check amounting to $158.50 (from June to November) and $208.50 (from December to May), regardless of the pastor's actual expenses for utilities. When the pastor's actual expenses for utilities amounts to less than the amount paid by the treasurer, the pastor may retain the excess amount of the utilities check, but the excess amount retained is taxable income under the Internal Revenue Code, and he will be responsible for paying any applicable taxes. When the pastor's actual expenses for utilities exceed the utilities check paid by the treasurer, the pastor is responsible for paying this amount. This policy rewards the pastor for being conservative.
C. Renumeration. No other expenses shall be reimbursed unless the pastor documents the expenses by voucher.
Travel. The church will recompense verified church-related travel expenses at $.25 per mile, not to exceed $80.00 per week without specific church approval. Travel to and from school or the seminary is not included.
Other travel expenses may be paid as authorized by the church in the annual budget or as a miscellaneous appropriation during a business meeting.
Telephone. The church will reimburse the pastor for long distance telephone calls made on behalf of the church.
D. Vacations and Revivals.
Paid vacations. After he has been in the church's service for a full calendar year, the pastor will receive two weeks of paid vacation during each calendar year. After each anniversary of the pastor's service at this church, he will receive two weeks of paid vacation.
Approved leaves of absence. The pastor may take a leave of absence with the church's approval, the terms of such leave to be specified in the church minutes.
Revivals. The pastor may have leave to participate in no more than two revivals at other churches during each calendar year (January 1 to December 31), but the pastor will be responsible for locating a supply minister in his absence, who will be entitled to $100.00 to be paid from the church treasury for each week of the pastor's absence supply.
5. Sermons. The church recognizes that the amount of time spent in prayer and preparation for sermons necessarily affects their content. Well-prepared sermons can help the congregation fulfill its goal of becoming a dynamic mission for Christ. The church further recognizes that poor preparation can have devastating consequences in ways that are yet unforeseen; therefore, poor preparation is not acceptable. The pastor is expected to seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit and to search out Holy Scripture in preparing and delivering sermons. Although great discretion is given to the pastor in determining the time allotted to preparation, he is expected to fulfill this duty in a mature and responsible manner. Sermons should be spiritually fulfilling and educational, with a design to inspire each member of the congregation and to assist each in becoming a spiritually mature Christian. In preparing sermons, the pastor is expected to rely upon his experience in the Word and his academic training. The church believes it fundamental to obey Christ's command to correct any form of heresy, although the church recognizes that many questions and issues may be the subject of reasonable diversity of interpretation and opinion.
6. Visitation. Although some discretion must be used in the amount of visitation needed during particular times, the pastor is expected to visit members of this church and the church community as part of his ministry at this church. Particular emphasis should be given to members who are hospitalized, those who are elderly, and those who are in nursing homes.
7. Christian Counseling. The pastor is expected to provide Christian counseling, guidance, and pastoral care to members of the church and community who need this ministry. The pastor is expected to strictly maintain confidences. The breach of any confidence communicated to the pastor will be considered a violation of church policy and is outside the scope of his employment. Furthermore, breaches of confidences shall be subject to the disciplinary power of this church.
8. Parsonage. The pastor is expected to take reasonable care of the parsonage. No structural changes to the house, painting, or wallpapering should be made without church approval, to be reflected in the church minutes. The pastor is responsible for yard care, including mowing the grass.
II. The Minister of Youth
1. Job description. In its discretion, the church may select a youth minister. For purposes of this policy, the term "youth" shall include youngsters in academic grades seven through twelve. If the church has a youth minister, he shall be the leader of the youth in all its activities and shall direct the spiritual welfare of the youth. He shall be ex officio the chairman of and a voting member of the youth committee. He shall minister to the youth of this church and community. He shall provide guidance, Christian counseling, and ministerial care, with emphasis given to the youth of the church. The youth minister shall be supervised by, and answer to, the pastor. In all activites, the youth minister shall cooperate with the pastor and seek his guidance.Termination of Youth Minister. The term of office may be ended upon thirty days notice on the part of the youth minister or on the part of the church. Termination of office shall be voted at a business meeting, notice of such meeting and its purpose having been read from the pulpit on two successive Sundays. A vote of a majority of the members present and qualified to vote, provided there shall be a quorum present, shall make valid termination of said office.
Assistant Pastor. Upon the recommendation of the deacons, the church at a business meeting may proclaim that the minister of youth is an assistant pastor, which may be merely an honorary title with no additional responsibilities, or it may be a position carrying additional responsibilities not listed herein, in the discretion of the church; however, any additional responsibilities shall be set forth in the church minutes.
2. Educational Requirements. A special youth minister selection committee shall determine the minimum educational requirements.
3. Hours. The position of youth minister is a part-time position of employment. Although the activities of the youth may sometimes cause the number of hours of service per week to vary, the youth minister is expected to work in some youth-related activity at least ten to fifteen hours per week, and it is the policy of this church that the youth minister's ministry should typically amount to this much time. Though somewhat flexible, this time may be spent in preparation for services, counseling, visitation, or other youth-related activities. Hours spent in preparation for seminary class work may not be used to satisfy the ten-hour requirement. The youth minister is expected to provide time for counseling, by both telephone and by appointment, and he is encouraged to make known the times of his availability.
4. Compensation and benefits.
A. Salary. The youth minister shall receive no salary.
B. Housing Allowances. The church will provide the youth minister with a housing allowance. Under the Internal Revenue Code, the housing allowance is not taxable as income, although it is taxable as income under the Social Security Act. The youth minister shall be responsible for paying his own utilities.
C. Remuneration. No other expenses shall be reimbursed unless the youth minister documents the expenses by voucher.
Travel. The youth will recompense verified youth-related travel expenses at $.29 per mile, not to exceed $ per week without specific youth approval. Travel to and from school or the seminary is not included. Travel between home and the church is not included.
Youth-Related Expenses. Within the confines of the annual budget, the church will recompense the youth minister for youth-related expenses including (1) admission to youth-related activities and programs in which the youth of this church attend; (2) expenses for food, refreshments, literature, and similar expenses at youth-related activities In no event shall the expenses exceed the budgeted amount without prior church approval.
Other travel expenses may be paid as authorized by the church in the annual budget or as a miscellaneous appropriation during a business meeting.
Telephone. The church will reimburse the youth minister for long distance telephone calls made on behalf of the church.
D. Vacations and Leaves of Absence. Since the position of youth minister is a part-time position and since the youth minister is likely to have another full-time position of employment, this church recognizes that some degree of flexibility is desirable with regard to leaves of absence, in order that the youth minister can adequately fulfill his responsibilities to his other position of employment. For this reason, the following policies are adopted with respect to the paid vacations and leaves of absence.
i. Paid vacations.
Within the first full calendar year he has been in this church's service, the youth minister shall receive two weeks of vacation, with his housing allowance paid, during the calendar year. For this provision, a week shall include all church-related activities within one calendar week.
After the youth minister has been in the church's service for a full calendar year, he shall receive two weeks of vacation, with housing allowance paid, during each calendar year. For this provision, a week shall include all church-related activities within one calendar week.
After each anniversary of the youth minister's service at this church, he will receive two weeks of vacation, with housing allowance paid. For this provision, a week shall include all church-related activities within one calendar week.
ii. Absences. In order to accommodate the youth minister's responsibilities to any other position of employment, the church will grant the youth minister unlimited leaves of absence on Wednesday nights, subject to the approval of the pastor.
iii. Pre-approved leaves of absence. The youth minister may take a leave of absence with the church's approval, the terms of such leave to be specified in the church minutes.
iv. Sick Leave. With the permission of the pastor, the youth minister may have sick leave, with housing allowance paid.
5. Youth Activities. The church recognizes that the amount of time spent in prayer and preparation for youth-related activities necessarily affects their quality. Well-prepared activities can help the youth and the church fulfill their goal of becoming a dynamic mission for Christ. The church further recognizes that poor preparation can have devastating consequences in ways that are yet unforeseen; therefore, poor preparation is not acceptable. The youth minister is expected to seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit and to search out Holy Scripture in preparing youth-related activities. Although great discretion is given to the youth minister in determining the time allotted to preparation, he is expected to fulfill this duty in a mature and responsible manner. Youth activities should be spiritually fulfilling and educational, with a design to inspire the youth and to assist each in becoming a spiritually mature Christian. In preparing sermons, the youth minister is expected to rely upon his experience in the Word and his academic training. The church believes it fundamental to obey Christ's command to correct any form of heresy, although the church recognizes that many questions and issues may be the subject of reasonable diversity of interpretation and opinion.
6. Christian Counseling. The youth minister is expected to provide Christian counseling, guidance, and youth ministerial care to members of the youth and community who need this ministry. The youth minister is expected to strictly maintain confidences. The breach of any confidence communicated to the youth minister will be considered a violation of church policy and is outside the scope of his employment. Furthermore, breaches of confidences shall be subject to the disciplinary power of this church.