"We, the members of the THE SOVEREIGN GRACE BIBLE CHURCH OF CEBU, INC., a non-profit organization, do ordain and establish the following articles, to which we voluntarily submit ourselves."

CONTENTS:  1  Institution  2  Membership  3  Leadership  4  Commission  5  Order  6  Congregational Meetings  7  Affiliation

SECTION 7.    LIABILITIES OF MEMBERSHIP

       Paragraph A.  General Statement.

       Although church membership involves many privileges and rights, it also carries with it unique liabilities to which all who enter church membership are subject. The two primary liabilities of membership are specified in the following paragraph. Careful consideration of these liabilities is healthy, because the Lord has designed it to prevent both presumptuous living within the church (Acts 5:11) and frivolous identification with the church (Acts 5:13).

1. Liability to Greater Judgement. Church members are liable to greater judgement from the Lord, both in this life and in the world to come, if they live in gross hypocrisy (Acts 5:1-11) or renounce their profession of faith and return to the world (Heb. 10:29).

2. Liability to Church Discipline. All the members of this church are liable, unlike worldlings (1Cor. 5:12,13), to the punishment of church discipline (1Cor. 5:11; 2Cor. 2:6), in accordance with the procedure specified in the scriptures and in this Constitution.

SECTION 8.    TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP

       Paragraph A.  General Statement.

       Although church membership involves many privileges and rights, it also carries with it unique liabilities to which all who enter church membership are subject. The two primary liabilities of membership are specified in the following paragraph. Careful consideration of these liabilities is healthy, because the Lord has designed it to prevent both presumptuous living within the church (Acts 5:11) and frivolous identification with the church (Acts 5:13).

1. By Physical Death. When a member of the church is removed from our midst by death, his name shall be removed from the membership roll (Heb. 12:23).

2. By Transfer. When it is so requested , the elders may grant to a departing member in good standing a letter of transfer to the fellowship of another church (Acts 18:27). No such letter may be given to a member who is at that time under the corrective discipline of this church. The elders may refuse to grant a letter of transfer to any church which is in their judgement is disloyal to the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3) or which does not exercise godly care over its members.

3. By Exclusion. Occasionally, a person’s membership may need to be terminated under circumstances which make both transfer and corrective discipline inappropriate. In such circumstances a member may be excluded.
   
   3a. The Warrant of Exclusion
   
          While there is no explicit precedent for dismission in the New Testament, it is required by biblical principles, including the voluntariness of local church membership (Acts 5:13; 9:26; 1Jn2:19) and the demands of biblically defined love and justice (Lam.3:31-33); 1Cor.13:4a,5a; Prov.17:15;18:5); and by the exigencies of a church not yet wholly redeemed and facing the results of nearly 2000 years of church history.
   
   3b. The Grounds for Exclusion.
   
   

   1. If a member in good standing wishes to terminate his membership for reasons that do not impugn his Christian profession.

   2. If a member ceases to maintain vital contact with this church due to relocation or other unique circumstances.

   3. If a member is unwilling or fails to reaffirm his commitment to our Confession of Faith or to our Constitution as specified in Article I, paragraph D (5) of this Constitution.

   4. If a member in good standing concludes that he is not truly saved.

   3c. The Procedure for Exclusion.
   
   

          Exclusion may be initiated either by the written request of a member to the elders, or by the elders themselves when such action is believed to be needed and the member cannot be contacted and/or is uncooperative. In either case, the final decision regarding initiating the action of exclusion lies with the elders. Church membership is a very serious matter. Members, therefore, shall be excluded only after due inquiry and admonition by the elders (Ezek. 34:4; 2Tim. 2:24-26). Before any individual is excluded, the church shall be informed of the intention of the elders to exclude the individual, this information must include the grounds for the proposed exclusion. A suitable period of time following the announcement shall be given to the church to privately raise concerns with the elders. After due consideration of such concerns, the elders may proceed with the exclusion. No person may be excluded without the expressed consent of the congregation. When possible, the elders shall send a letter to the individual informing him of the exclusion. If one who has been dismissed applies again for membership, the normal procedures shall be followed as set forth in Section 4 of this article.

4. By Excommunication. According to the teaching of Scripture a congregation must cut off from its fellowship and membership any person who teaches or insists on holding false and heretical doctrine, who blatantly and impenitently conducts himself in a manner inconsistent with his Christian profession, or who persists in disturbing the unity, peace or purity of the church (Mt. 18:15ff; Rom.16:17- 20);1Cor. 5 ff; Tit. 3:10,11). The procedure to be followed in such excommunication is set forth in Section 5 of Article lV of this Constitution.

       Paragraph B.  The Implications of Termination.

1. The Sovereign Grace Bible Church does not exist in isolation from, but is part of the universal church of Christ, composed of all true churches (Gal. 1:13,22; Eph 3:21). Accordingly, open and forthright communication among the churches is vital for the purity, peace, edification, and unity of the universal church. Therefore the elders may, at their discretion, disclose to the members of Sovereign Grace Bible Church and to other churches the circumstances under which a person’s membership was terminated (Acts 15:24; 1Tim. 2:17;4:10).

2. In addition, this church does not exist in isolation from society at large. Accordingly, this church has a moral obligation both to act with integrity and to maintain its testimony (2Cor.8:20,21). Therefore, the elders may, at their discretion, disclose to other persons outside the ecclesiastical circles mentioned, about the circumstances under which a person’s membership was terminated(Lev.5:1; Prov. 29:24; 1Pet 4:15)

3. Termination of membership does not give license to former members to sow discord, spread false teachings or slanders, or engage in any other behavior which threatens the peace and unity of this church or the church universal. Accordingly, when it is established that a former member is behaving divisively, the elders may issue whatever warnings they deem appropriate to preserve and maintain the harmony of this congregation and the church universal (Acts 15:24; Rom. 16:17-20; 1Tim. 1:20; 2Tim. 2:17;4:14).

SECTION 9.    RECORDS OF MEMBERSHIP

       The elders shall keep a file of all past and present members. This file shall have three divisions: regular members, associate members, and former members. The file of former members shall include the date and reason church membership was terminated, as well as any other necessary information.

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