HOPE EAST Leadership Team (“Church council”) Procedure
1) Per Article XVI Section 16.1 of the Foursquare Church bylaws, the Church Council (hereinafter the “Council”) must consist of not less than four and not more than twelve members in addition to the senior pastor (the chairperson of the Council).
2) Per Article XVI Section 16.1 of the Foursquare Church bylaws, each member of the Council must commit to a two-year term with the option to commit to an additional two-year term when his/her term is finished.
3) Per Article XVI Section 16.1 of the Foursquare Church bylaws, in the event that a member of the Council resigns or passes away, the pastor shall appoint someone to serve in the interim for the remainder of the term subject to approval by the Council.
4) Nominees for Council will be chosen by the Council and must be members. Nominees have the option of accepting or declining their nomination. Upon acceptance, nominees will be presented to the members of Hope East. From that point, any member has exactly one week to privately bring before the Council any serious concerns that the Council may have overlooked or may not have been aware of. After this period, should the Council choose to continue, nominees will be ratified by two-thirds vote from the members. The voting process will occur through an anonymous online voting system.
5) The Council shall meet at minimum once a month.
6) Per Article XVI Section 16.1 of the Foursquare Church bylaws, if a member of the Council causes dissention or dissatisfaction in the church or fails to comply with the “Hope East Leadership Standard of Ethics,” the Council may remove the Council member as long as it is documented in writing and sent to the district supervisor of the Northeast Atlantic District of Foursquare. The council member may appeal this decision to the district supervisor if he/she feels it is unjust.
7) Any paid staff member who serves on the Council must recuse his/herself from meeting(s) when conversations/decisions occur regarding his/her salary.