Are Your Church Bylaws in Order? A Free Model Set

Few churches look forward to revising their bylaws, which is why most wait until they have to, usually in the middle of a disagreement, when every clause becomes a proxy for the fight. Chilton Baptist Association has put together a free set of model governing documents so your church can do this work in a good season instead.

Start with the one-page checklist. Pull out your current bylaws and work down the list. If you cannot find an item in under two minutes, mark it missing, because that is how long a member or an attorney will look.

From Bro. Tyler, our Associational Mission Strategist:

It’s no one’s favorite task, but it’s incredibly important to maintain the unity and order of the church. The time to make sure your bylaws are in order is when things are going well, not when you are in the middle of significant challenges.

The set

• Ten Elements Checklist (1 page). Start here.
• Church Documents Revision Process Guide (4 pages). How to form a committee and work section by section.
• Model Church Bylaws (39 pages, annotated).
• Model Church Policy Manual (24 pages). Where the operational details belong, so your bylaws do not have to change every time your schedule does.

These documents are a starting point for your church’s own work, not legal advice. Have your own attorney review anything that touches incorporation, property, employment, or liability.

If your church would like help working through a revision, contact the CBA office.