đź“ť PROPOSED Zion Constitution Bylaws & Continuing Resolutions 2024-07
📄 Zion’s most current September 2017
Bylaws and Continuing Resolutions - according to the ELCA - “should be incorporated following the constitutional provisions to which they apply. They should not be organized in a separate section or document.”
To my reading, much of Zion’s bylaws are strange and unnecessary, redundant and already covered in the constitution, or at odds with our current practice. Zion has no continuing resolutions.
What is required to be in the bylaws and continuing resolutions?
C4.04 says
This congregation shall develop an organizational structure to be described in the bylaws. The Congregation Council shall prepare descriptions of the responsibilities of each committee, task force, or other organizational group and shall review their actions. Such descriptions shall be contained in continuing resolutions in the section on the Congregation Committees.
C10.01 says
This congregation shall have at least one regular meeting per year. The regular meeting(s) of the congregation shall be held at the time(s) specified in the bylaws. Consistent with the laws of the State of Iowa, the bylaws shall designate one regular meeting per year as the annual meeting of this congregation.
C11.01a says
Duties of the officers shall be specified in the bylaws.
C13.07 says
Duties of committees of this congregation shall be specified in the continuing resolutions.
The Model Constitution for Congregations contains no required or recommended bylaws. If a congregation chooses to adopt bylaws, they should be codified with three sets of numbers, each followed by a period: the chapter number (preceded by a “C”), the related constitutional provision number, and a two-digit bylaw number. For example, a bylaw could be codified as C5.03.01.
Bylaws are adopted and amended in accordance with Chapter 17 of the Model Constitution for Congregations. Congregations may adopt bylaws related to each congregation’s organization, operation, and life. Bylaws should be incorporated following the constitutional provisions to which they apply. They should not be organized in a separate section or document.
The Model Constitution for Congregations does not contain any suggested continuing resolutions. If congregations adopt continuing resolutions, those also are codified with three sets of numbers, except that the third set is preceded by a capital letter indicating sequence and a two-digit number indicating the year of its adoption. For example, if a congregation adopted one or more continuing resolutions in 2022 related to the Powers of the Congregation, the first continuing resolution adopted could be numbered “C5.03.A22.”
Continuing resolutions are adopted and amended in accordance with Chapter 18 of the Model Constitution for Congregations. They are intended to provide more detailed descriptions of operational patterns and practices within the congregation. They should be incorporated following the constitutional provisions and/or bylaws to which they apply. They should not be organized in a separate section or document.