Serving a Great God, with Great People, in a Great Vision.
The name of the organization shall be Association of Related Churches. Hereafter referred to as ARC.
The purpose of ARC shall be to provide a mentoring relationship with pastors and churches for guidance, encouragement and fellowship. This relationship will be established to plant churches and to help churches grow in number by effectively ministering to the people in their geographical location and internationally. ARC will also provide training and resources to partner churches through a strong network of pastors throughout the Body of Christ. Missionary organizations and Para-Church organizations are included in the purposes of ARC.
The membership shall consist of appointees to the Leadership Team and the Senior Pastor or Primary Leader of each Partner Ministry.
The final authority in vision, direction and doctrine shall be vested in the Leadership Team of the ARC. This Team will be made of the International Director, and at least four and not more than seven National Directors. The Leadership Team may appoint Regional Directors on a unanimous basis, with no opposing votes. The function of the Leadership Team is for governing the ARC, assisting its member churches, and mentoring of its pastoral membership.
All financial decisions for the ARC will be made by a majority quorum of the Leadership Team which must include the International Director and a majority of the National Directors present.
Each member church shall have self-governing privileges in harmony with the authority and vision of the Leadership Team of ARC.
Section 1
The governing documents of ARC are the Articles of Incorporation, the Constitution and Bylaws. The Articles of Incorporation take precedence over the Constitution and Bylaws.
Section 2
No amendment or repeal shall be made to the Articles of Incorporation or the Constitution of ARC except as adopted by the following procedure.
A written petition to amend or repeal shall be presented by either a member of ARC or one of the recognized Spiritual Advisors to the Leadership Team. The Leadership Team will have one year to return a written response to the ARC membership. If the International Director and the Leadership Team approve by a 2/3 majority, then the petition is sent in writing to the ARC membership who have one year to reply. In the event that 2/3 of the membership respond by approving the petition, it shall be returned to the Leadership Team for adoption.
Section 3
No amendments or repeals shall be made to the Bylaws of ARC as adopted except by the following procedure: A written petition to amend or repeal shall be presented by either a member of ARC or one of the recognized Spiritual Advisors to the Leadership Team. The Leadership Team shall have 180 days to return a reply. If the petition is approved by the International Director and a 2/3 majority of the Leadership Team, it is then sent to the membership of ARC for its approval by a 2/3 majority within 180 days. If the membership approves, the written petition is returned to the Leadership Team for adoption.
Section 1 - Dissolution by Leadership Team
In the event that this organization shall be dissolved and liquidated, the Leadership Team, after paying or making provision for the payment of all the liabilities of this organization, shall distribute or dispose of any remaining property and assets as it sees fit and proper. Distribution shall be limited to organizations established and operated exclusively for religious purposes. Each religious organization must be tax-exempt, non-profit, in existence for at least sixty months (60), and closely fulfill the original intended purposes of ARC.
Section 2 - Dissolution by Court
Any of this organizations assets and property not disposed of in accordance with Article Vll, section 1, shall be disposed of by the court having jurisdiction of the dissolution and liquidation of a nonprofit corporation organized and existing under and in accordance with the laws of the State of Louisiana and having jurisdiction in the parish of this organization’s registered office exclusively to such religious organization or organizations, each of which is established and operated exclusively for such purposes as are most closely allied to those of this organization and each of which, at the time of such disposal, is a qualified, tax-exempt organization as aforesaid, as said court shall determine.