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PREAMBLE

       WHEREAS,It is the duty of all true churches of the Lord Jesus Christ to make a cleartestimony to their faith in Him, especially in these darkening days of apostasyin many professing churches, by which apostasy whole denominations in theirofficial capacity, as well as individual churches, have been swept into a paganizingstream of modernism under various names and in varying degree; and

       WHEREAS,There has been a notable growth of autocratic domination especially on the partof modernistic leaders by whom the rightful powers of true churches are oftenusurped and are now being usurped; and

       WHEREAS,The commands of God to His people to be separate from all unbelief andcorruption are clear and positive; and

       WHEREAS,We believe the times demand the formation of an agency, for fellowship andcooperation on the part of Bible-believing churches for the maintenance of atestimony pure and steadfast to the great fundamental truths of the Word of Godas held by the historic Christian Church through the centuries, for theaccomplishment of tasks which can better be done in cooperation thanseparately, and to facilitate the discharge of the obligations which inhere inthe Commission of Christ to His Church.

       THEREFORE,the constituent denominations forming this Council, do now establish it as anagency, without compromise or evasion, unreservedly dedicated as a witness to“the faith once delivered unto the saints.”

ARTICLE I
NAME

Thename of this organization shall be The American Council of Christian Churches.

ARTICLE II
DOCTRINAL STATEMENT

Among other equally biblical truths, we believe and maintain the following:
1. The plenarydivine inspiration of the Scriptures in the original languages, their consequent inerrancy and infallibility, and, asthe Word of God, the supreme and final authority in faith and life;
2. The Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit;
3. The essential, absolute, eternal deity, and the real and proper, but sinless, humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ;
4. His birth of the Virgin Mary;
5. His substitutionary, expiatory death, in that He gave His life “a ransom for many”;
6. His resurrection from among the dead in the same body in which He was crucified, and the second coming of this same Jesus in power and great glory;
7. The total depravity of man through the Fall;
8. Salvation, the effect of regeneration by the Spirit and the Word, not by works, but by grace through faith;
9. The everlasting bliss of the saved, and the everlasting suffering of the lost;
10. The real spiritual unity in Christ of all redeemed by His precious blood;
11. The necessity of maintaining, according to the Word of God, the purity of the Church in doctrine and life.

ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Relationship to this Council shall be of two kinds: CONSTITUENT MEMBERS andINDIVIDUAL MEMBERS.

Section 2.  CONSTITUENTMEMBERS shall be of two classes;

1. General Constituent Members shall be such autonomous national churches or associations of Christians as shall be in full agreementwith the purposes of this Council as expressed in its Preamble and DoctrinalStatement, and may be admitted by a three-fourths vote of the delegates of theCouncil present and voting at a duly called meeting.

2. Local Constituent Members shall be of such local or regional congregations, churches or associations of Christians as shall be infull agreement with the purposes of the Council as expressed by its Preambleand Doctrinal Statement, and may be admitted by a three-fourths vote of thedelegates of the Council present and voting at a duly called meeting.

Section 3.  INDIVIDUALMEMBERS shall be such individual Christians as shall be in full agreement withthe purposes of the Council as expressed by its Preamble and DoctrinalStatement, and who may be admitted by majority vote of the delegates of theCouncil present and voting at a duly called meeting.

Section 4.  LIMITATIONS TO MEMBERSHIP: No denomination, association of churches, Bible-believing society, individual orchurch affiliated with, or represented in any manner by, the World Council ofChurches (WCC) or any of its affiliates, such as the National Council ofChurches of Christ in the U.S.A. (NCC), the World Evangelical Fellowship (WEF)or any of its affiliates, such as the National Association of Evangelicals(NAE), the modern Charismatic Movement, or the Ecumenical Movement shall beconsidered for membership in the Council.

Section 5. Expulsion fromMembership:Expulsion from membership may occur when a ConstituentBody, local church or individual member does not maintain a separatist positionin harmony with the ACCC doctrine and practice.  Expulsion will require priornotification of the proposed action followed by a three-fourths vote of theExecutive Committee and majority approval of the Council Members at an AnnualMeeting.

ARTICLE IV
VOTING POWER

Section 1.  All membersin good standing shall be entitled to one vote in the business sessions at anyconvention or duly called business meeting. 

Section 2.  COUNCILMEMBERS at each convention shall have one vote on the following items:

1. Elect members to the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE;
2. Elect theOfficers of the Council;
3. Approveminutes of previous meetings;
4. Ratifyfinancial reports and approve budgets;
5. Passresolutions;
6. Change datesof annual and semi-annual conventions;
7. Accept newmembers into the Council;
8. ApproveConstitution and By-law changes;
9. ApproveExecutive Committee appointment to the office of Executive Secretary;
10. Approve anyindebtedness assumed by the Council and the purchase or sale of any realestate; or
11. Approve,ratify or vote upon any other business that the Executive Committee deemsappropriate for full-Council action.

Section 3. EXECUTIVECOMMITTEE: Allother business items shall be the prerogative of the elected EXECUTIVECOMMITTEE.

ARTICLE V
MEETINGS

Section 1.  The Councilshall meet at least once in each calendar year.  Special meetings shall becalled by the President if requested in writing by at least one-third of theConstituent Members.

ARTICLE VI
AUTHORITY

Section 1.  The Councilshall have no authority over its members, but shall be their servant and voicein matters requiring joint testimony and united action.

Section 2.  No officerof the American Council of Christian Churches shall commit the Council on anymatter except under the instructions of the Council or its Executive Committee,or as he possesses evidence of the Council’s position.

ARTICLE VII
OFFICERS

Section 1.  Theofficers of the Council shall be; President, Vice President, RecordingSecretary, and Treasurer and shall be elected annually by the Council members.

Section 2.  TheExecutive Committee shall consist of these officers, two members recommendedfrom each General Constituent body and as many members-at-large as desired, allto be elected by the Council.

Section 3.  TheExecutive Committee shall have such powers to conduct the ad interim businessof the Council as shall be stated in this Constitution, the By-Laws or byresolution of the Council.  The President of the Council shall be chairman ofthe Executive Committee.

ARTICLE VIII
EXPENSES

Section 1.  AnExecutive Secretary and other Secretaries of the Council may be chosen by theExecutive Committee, which shall have power to fix their duties and salaries aswell as the duties and salaries of all other employees.

Section 2.  Theexpenses of the Council shall be met by voluntary contributions from itsmembers and Christian friends.

ARTICLE IX
BY-LAWS AND AMENDMENTS

Section 1.  By-Laws maybe adopted by the Council, which shall be binding upon it and upon theExecutive Committee.  By-Laws may be amended by a majority vote of the Council.

Section 2.  ThisConstitution may be amended only by a two-thirds vote of the Council at twosuccessive annual meetings, or at one annual meeting and one other meeting heldafter an interval of not less than sixty days.  Notice of proposed amendmentsshall, after first action, be sent to the home office of each GeneralConstituent body.  They shall officially be notified upon final passage.

BY-LAWS OF THE AMERICAN COUNCILOF CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
ARTICLE I

1. The councilmay establish departments to aid the work of the Council in specific   spheresof activity as it may from time to time authorize in these By-Laws.

2. Theauthorized commissions shall be:
   1. Commission on Information and Literature
   2. Commission on Missions
   3. Commission on Education
   4. The Radio and Audio-Film Commission
   5. Commission on Chaplains
   6. And other such commissions as the Council may deem advisable.

3. Members ofthese Commissions shall be elected annually by the Executive Committee andshall be members of the Council.

ARTICLE II

1. All members of the Executive Committee shall be members of the Council.
2. A quorum of the Executive Committee shall be seven members.
3. The Executive Committee shall meet upon its own adjournment.
4. The Executive Committee annually shall recommend a budget to the Council.

ARTICLE III

1. The treasurer shall give such security for the faithful performance of his dutiesas the Executive Committee may determine.
2. All appointees of the Executive Committee shall be subject to its direction in theperformance of their duties.
3. All officers of the Council and members of the Executive Committee shall be elected at itsannual meetings and shall serve until their successors are elected.  Twomembers of the Executive Committee from each Constituent body shall be selectedfrom among the delegates of that body.
4. In the event of a vacancy occurring on the Executive Committee between annual sessions, theCommittee shall have power to fill the vacancy until the next annual meeting.

ARTICLE IV

       The President shall appoint an Assistant Secretary and an Assistant Treasurer fromamong the members of the Executive Committee as needed.

ARTICLE V

       The President shall appoint a nominating committee of five members  at the SpringExecutive Committee Meeting prior to the Annual Convention.

ARTICLE VI

       In the event that the American Council of Christian Churches is depleted to theextent that it can no longer function and all services are discontinued, theExecutive Committee officers shall sell all assets but at no time shall anyassets be given to any individual but must be given only to another 501(c3)religious organization.