November 6, 2022
Dear Brothers and Sisters at Damascus Community Church,
Over this past year, the Elder Council has been reviewing the DCC constitution to ensure that it reflects and meets the needs of our church. This review process has been guided by Article V(A)(3) and V(A)(4) of the DCC Constitution. We are now providing the congregation a final draft for review and comment. This starts the 30-day review and comment period prior to these changes being voted upon by the Elder Council.
We have prepared a “redline” version which shows all the changes which are proposed and it can be found here. Paper copies of the redline version are also available at the church office. Proposed text additions are presented with underline; text proposed for removal is indicated by strikethrough. While we encourage and invite you to read the changes in detail, we recognize the redline version may be difficult to follow, so we have prepared a summary of some of the major changes.
Article III: Statement of Faith
- Added introductory sentence explaining purpose of Statement of Faith.
- Added some Scripture references for various doctrinal positions
- Added some wording clarifications on specific doctrinal points
- Added a section on the role of position papers
Article IV: Membership
- Slight expansion of qualifications for and expectations of membership
- Significant clarification of disciplinary process, regarding the purpose of church discipline and procedures for different types of corrective discipline
Article VI: Offices
- Reorganization to distinguish how those in specific ministry roles (Elders, Deacons) are appointed and selected and how they continue to serve in their respective roles
- Tighter focus on Biblical role of Elders versus legal requirements
- Clarification of duties and functions of Elders
- Clarifications for appointment and re-appointment of Elder Emeritus
- Clarification of delegation of authority in personnel matters
- Focus on legal requirements of Elders
Article VII: Organizational Structure
Article VIII: By-Laws and Appendices
- Relocation of disciplinary process information to Article IV
We welcome comments to Elders@damascuscc.org, by submitting a communication card, or by contacting the church office. Comments are due by Tuesday, December 6, 2022.
Yours in Christ, The DCC Elder Council