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Bylaw Amendments to Be Presented at Annual Meeting
CHICAGO, IL (March 23, 2004) - Delegates to the 119th Annual Meeting of the
Evangelical Covenant Church to be held in Minneapolis this June will
vote on six proposed amendments to the Covenant Bylaws.
The first pertains to the number of world mission delegates to the
Annual Meeting. Currently, each world mission region is entitled to two
delegates. The following amendment to Section 7.4.d was proposed by
David Dolan, Chinese ministry coordinator for world mission: "The ECC
Department of World Mission shall be entitled to up to twenty-six
delegates to the Annual Meeting. The delegates will be determined by the
executive minister of world mission in consultation with the regional
and country coordinators."
The second amendment pertains to the removal or reinstatement of a
suspended Executive Board member. Currently, a suspended board member
can be removed or reinstated by "majority" vote of the Annual Meeting.
The proposed amendment to Section 7.10.m.iii requires "a two-thirds"
vote by the Annual Meeting, and brings the Bylaws in line with Illinois
not-for-profit law and Covenant policy.
The third amendment pertains to the approval of salaries for the
presidents of Covenant Ministries of Benevolence, Covenant Retirement
Communities, Emmanuel Medical Center, Life Center on the Green, and
Swedish Covenant Hospital. Currently, those salaries are approved by the
Executive Board upon the recommendation of the Board of Benevolence.
The proposed amendment to Section 8.1.j reads that the Executive Board
will "approve the salary of the president of Covenant Ministries of
Benevolence upon the recommendation of the Board of Benevolence." This
amendment was prompted by a review of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights 2,
which requires boards to have expert governance and compensation
oversight and control. The Executive Board may not have sufficient
knowledge of the performance of affiliate presidents to oversee their
compensation. This oversight, if the amendment is approved, would rest
with the boards of the affiliates and the Board of Benevolence.
The next three amendments come as recommendations from the Executive
Board, proposing that the Evangelical Covenant Church become a corporate
member of Covenant Bible College International (CBCI) together with the
Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada.
The board believes the denomination is the appropriate affiliation
partner for this multi-conference, multi-national ministry because of
the Covenant's deep roots in Covenant history and life and its vital
connection to Covenant mission. Affiliation of Covenant Bible College
International with the Evangelical Covenant Church will enhance
cooperation in ministry and bring about appropriate mutual
accountability, the board's rationale states.
ECC would have the following reserved powers as the Class B member of
CBCI and as such would have rights of approval/disapproval over the
following when recommended to the member by the board of CBCI:
- Amendment, modification, or repeal of CBCI's articles of
incorporation and bylaws
- Selection of and/or removal of CBCI's president and campus executive
directors
- Merger or dissolution of CBCI or the sale of assets outside of the
ordinary course of business
- Any act that would jeopardize CBCI's status as a tax-exempt organization
- Creation or dissolution of any affiliate or subsidiary of CBCI
- Amendments or modifications to CBCI's mission statement
Approving the affiliation of Covenant Bible College International with
the Evangelical Covenant Church will require the following Bylaw changes:
- Replace the current text in Section 8.2.d with the following
language: "The Executive Board shall have the following advisors: the
members of the Council of Administrators and the president of Covenant
Bible College International."
- In Section 12.1, after "North Park University, an Illinois
not-for-profit corporation," insert "Covenant Bible College
International, a Colorado not-for-profit corporation."
- Add a new Section 12.4, Covenant Bible College International:
"Covenant Bible College International is the coordinating and guiding
body for all affiliated campuses whose mission is to equip men and women
to live as disciples of Jesus Christ. Affiliated campuses pursue this
mission through promoting biblical literacy, spiritual formation,
Christian service, worship, a practically applied faith, and global
perspective. The corporate members of Covenant Bible College
International are the ECC and the Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada.
The Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada appoints the directors of
Covenant Bible College International." The following sections would be
renumbered accordingly.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
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