Does a NonFounding pastor have the right to decide whether

#1 11-30-2007, 08:45 PM

the church stays UPCI or leaves without having a church vote???

staysharp · #2 11-30-2007, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chosen

the church stays UPCI or leaves without having a church vote???

That would depend on the by-laws. Does the church have any? If not, or they do not specify, the next question would be if the church was affiliated. If so, there is another level to consider. If not, it really doesn't matter anyway.

josh · #3 11-30-2007, 11:30 PM

A church is only "UPC" if it is affiliated. If it is, then the UPC requires a vote with the district superintendent invited to represent the UPC. He may send a stand-in.

If the church is not affiliated, then they have no say at all because the UPC is fundamentally a preacher's fellowship. The preacher can drop his license. If he doesn't go out under question very little changes.

hometown guy · #4 12-01-2007, 03:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by josh

A church is only "UPC" if it is affiliated. If it is, then the UPC requires a vote with the district superintendent invited to represent the UPC. He may send a stand-in.

If the church is not affiliated, then they have no say at all because the UPC is fundamentally a preacher's fellowship. The preacher can drop his license. If he doesn't go out under question very little changes.

EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS POST

pelathais · #5 12-01-2007, 03:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hometown guy

EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS POST

The "affiliated" statement is absolutely correct. However in trying to answer Chosen's question, you've got to look at the variables as well.

Ever since the merger churches have been using the "Recommended Church Constitution" from the UPC Manual as the by-laws for the local assembly - even if the church was NOT affiliated. So it's likely that the hypothetical church Chosen is considering has this or some derivative form as its by-laws.

It all comes down to the local church's by-laws.

And Joseph Miller is correct. No ethical pastor would pull his church out of affiliation without a vote. He stands to lose the church property, his income and face an audit like you wouldn't believe if he doesn't follow the by-laws.

Your by-laws can say just about anything you want them to say. It's just you have to follow those by-laws or risk the 501(c) protection.

hometown guy · #6 12-01-2007, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pelathais

The "affiliated" statement is absolutely correct. However in trying to answer Chosen's question, you've got to look at the variables as well.

Ever since the merger churches have been using the "Recommended Church Constitution" from the UPC Manual as the by-laws for the local assembly - even if the church was NOT affiliated. So it's likely that the hypothetical church Chosen is considering has this or some derivative form as its by-laws.

It all comes down to the local church's by-laws.

And Joseph Miller is correct. No ethical pastor would pull his church out of affiliation without a vote. He stands to lose the church property, his income and face an audit like you wouldn't believe if he doesn't follow the by-laws.

Your by-laws can say just about anything you want them to say. It's just you have to follow those by-laws or risk the 501(c) protection.

i already put that "unless it is in the by-laws of the church" in another post before that

#7 12-01-2007, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by josh

A church is only "UPC" if it is affiliated. If it is, then the UPC requires a vote with the district superintendent invited to represent the UPC. He may send a stand-in.

If the church is not affiliated, then they have no say at all because the UPC is fundamentally a preacher's fellowship. The preacher can drop his license. If he doesn't go out under question very little changes.

This is factually correct. Most Churches aren't 'affiliated' themselves... and are 'part of the UPC' only because their Pastor holds a license of his own personal choice.