The name of the Church shall be "The Central Baptist Church, Pretoria". Hereinafter referred to as "The Church".
The Church recognises the Lord Jesus Christ as its Supreme Head and undertakes to manage its affairs according to New Testament teaching.
The Church shall remain affiliated to the Baptist Union of South Africa as a constituent member, but shall be independent of its control save as is hereinafter provided.
(Baptist Union Statement of Belief passed by the 1924 Assembly).
The Membership shall consist of:
The Church shall transact its business through the medium of an Council as hereinafter defined, who shall act as generally or specially directed by the Church in General meetings assembled, or in accordance with Regulations framed by the Church in General meeting and who shall be accountable to the Church for the proper carrying out of all matters delegated to it, and for the proper administration of all church funds.
Elders shall be responsible to God and to the Church for the general spiritual oversight and pastoring of the Church. There shall be both Called Elders (Pastors) who are employed by the Church, and Appointed Elders who assist in an honorary capacity. The calling and appointment of Elders shall be as follows:
The choice and appointment of a Called Elder (Pastor) is vested in the membership of the Church. When an appointment becomes necessary the procedure shall be as follows:
The Appointed Elders, together with the Pastor/s, will be responsible for the general spiritual oversight of the Church. The Church may, from time to time appoint to the office of Appointed Elder such persons recognised as gifted by the Holy Spirit for such office.
Deacons shall assist the Council in all matters pertaining to the ministry at a Campus.
The Church may at a General Meeting frame and enact such Regulations as it may deem necessary for administering the funds or managing the affairs of the Church. Such regulations shall not be inconsistent with provisions of the Constitution.
The Church shall have power to buy, sell, donate, let or hire, exchange, transfer, receive by way of donation or otherwise, movable and immovable property and to invest its funds in Government or Municipal stock, mortgage bonds, or on fixed deposit or otherwise, in Banks, Post Offices, Financial Institutions or approved organisations, and shall further have power to borrow money with or without security in such manner as the Church shall think fit, negotiate loans from Bankers or others by overdraft or otherwise and by passing mortgage and notarial bonds for registration with the proper authorities, and to open and operate upon banking accounts, and to make, draw, accept, discount, execute and issue promissory notes, bills of exchange and other negotiable and transferable instruments to guarantee the performance of contracts by any person or duly constituted Church having objectives wholly or partly similar to the objectives of this Church and to enter into guarantee or suretyships of every description.
The proceeds derived from the sale or other disposal of any property of the Church shall be applied and devoted in such manner as the Church may deem best to secure the furtherance of the objectives of the Church (Clause 2).
The Trustees and all officers of the Church shall be fully indemnified against all actions, cost, charges, losses, damages and expenses which they or any of them shall or may incur in the execution of their duties, except such as they shall incur by their own wrongful action done intentionally or with gross negligence.
This Constitution, approved at a Special General Meeting held on 25th May 2014 supersedes all previous constitutions and Trust Deeds.