ECA International

Revised 11/19/2002

ARTICLE I

NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE CORPORATION

The name of this corporation shall be "The Evangelical Church Alliance," Incorporated, herein after referred to as ECA and the principal place of conducting its business shall be Bradley, Illinois.

ARTICLE II

NATURE OF THE CORPORATION

The Evangelical Church Alliance shall be a not-for-profit, non-sectarian, interdenominational, Christian organization of Evangelical ministers, churches and organizations.

ARTICLE III

LIFE OF THE CORPORATION

The life of this corporation shall be perpetual.

ARTICLE IV

MISSION OF THE CORPORATION

The mission of the Evangelical Church Alliance is to spread the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and to build up the church by carrying out the Great Commission as stated in Matthew 28:19-20.

The mission of the Evangelical Church Alliance shall be carried out by:

1. Licensing and ordaining to the Gospel ministry those who are qualified, and providing them with credentials from a recognized ecclesiastical body.

2. Providing courses of study through a Bible Extension Institute for those who have not had the opportunity of a seminary or Bible School training, but who give evidence of and sense the call to the ministry.

3. Providing an organization for autonomous churches that they may have communion and association with other churches of like mind and still retain complete autonomy.

4. Providing an organization in which members can find companionship through correspondence, district meetings, regional conventions, international conventions and association with each other.

5. Providing membership for other Christian organizations in order to assist them with fellowship in association with other Christian organizations and churches.

6. Cooperating with churches that call upon us for help in finding new pastors when vacancies occur in their pulpits.

ARTICLE V

POWERS OF THE CORPORATION

1. The Evangelical Church Alliance shall have the right and power to acquire by gift, devise, bequest, purchase, or otherwise, and to own, sell, rent, use or to otherwise deal in and with real or personal property, or any interest therein situated in or out of the State of Illinois.

2. This corporation shall have the right and power to do all things necessary to execute and carry out the purpose for which it is established.

3. This corporation shall have all the rights and powers, which are guaranteed, to organizations of like nature by the laws of the State of Illinois, the laws of the different states in which it shall conduct business, and the laws of the United States.

4. This corporation shall have the right and power, through its Board of Directors, to discipline or remove from membership and revoke the credentials of any church or individual member who shall be found guilty of an offense which, according to the judgment of the Committee on Standards and Credentials, the Executive Committee, or the Board of Directors, shall deserve such action.

ARTICLE VI

HISTORICAL FOUNDATION AND TENETS OF FAITH

1. The Evangelical Church Alliance was founded by Godly men who were moved to band together for the purpose of promoting Evangelical Christianity throughout the world. They were motivated by a strong persuasion that the Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is the divinely inspired and inerrant Word of God, that the men who wrote it were moved by the Holy Ghost, that in its original manuscripts and languages it is without error, without contradiction, that it is historically accurate and scientifically correct, and that it is man's only and final word of authority in matters of faith and practice. They rejected the theory of organic evolution and affirmed that the opening chapters of the Book of Genesis contain the true account of creation and the beginning of life on this earth. They declared their belief in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, His death and bodily resurrection, His ascension into heaven, that the shedding of His blood on the Cross provides man's only remedy for sin, and they looked forward to His coming again to rule on earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

2. All churches and Christian organizations applying for membership, and all individuals applying for license or ordination shall subscribe to the following Tenets of Faith, which can never be repealed, changed, varied, altered, amended or modified:

A. I believe that both Old and New Testaments constitute the Divinely inspired Word of God, inerrant in the originals.

B. I believe in one God existing eternally in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit

C. I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men.

D. I believe that the Holy Spirit came forth from the Father and the Son to convict the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment; and to regenerate, sanctify, comfort and seal those who believe in Jesus Christ.

E. I believe that man is totally depraved in that of himself he is utterly unable to remedy his lost condition.

F. I believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose atoning blood was shed on the cross for the forgiveness of sins.

G. I believe in the water baptism of believers, symbolizing the believer's union in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

H. I believe in the observance of the Lord's Supper, commemorating the sacrifice of our Savior for all mankind.

I. I believe the life of the believer is to be separated from the world by consistent conduct before God and man, and is to be in the world as life-giving light.

J. I believe in the personal and visible and bodily return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

ARTICLE VII

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

1. The government and direction of the business of the Evangelical Church Alliance shall be vested in its Board of Directors, excepting those matters which the Constitution, or By-Laws, or the Board itself assigns to its own members, or to the body of members of the ECA present at the annual International Convention, or in a duly called Convention.  In all matters assigned to individual members, such individuals shall be answerable to the Board.

2. The Board of Directors shall have authority to disapprove any action taken by the members in any Convention or by any Committee, or by any individual Board member.

3. The Board of Directors shall consist of not less than ten and no more than twenty members.

4. The Board shall consist of a Chairman of the Board, First Vice Chairman, Second Vice Chairman, President/CEO, and Directors at Large.

5. The President/CEO shall be elected by the Board of Directors for a term of four years, and may be re-elected.

6. The Chairman of the Board shall be elected by the Board of Directors for a term of two years and may serve no more than three consecutive terms.

7. With the exception of the Board Chairman and the President/CEO of the Evangelical Church Alliance, all members of the Board of Directors shall be elected for a term of one year and may be re-elected by the following procedure: The Chairman of the Board shall appoint a Nominating Committee of a minimum of five members of the Board of Directors, including himself and the President/CEO. The Nominating Committee shall make its report to the Board of Directors for its approval before submitting the report to the floor of the International Convention.  The members of the ECA and delegates present shall elect these nominees at a duly convened business session of the annual International Convention.

8. The First Vice Chairman and Second Vice Chairman shall be elected by the Board of Directors for the term of one year and may be re-elected.

9. When the Board is not in session, the approval in writing of any course of action, either collectively or individually, by a two-thirds majority of the Board of Directors shall have the same authority as the expressed will of a majority of the Board in a duly convened session, provided that every Board member shall be notified in writing of the contemplated course of action and that such course of action shall in no way conflict with any provision of the Constitution or By-Laws and that such course of action shall not change, alter, or amend any provision in the Constitution or By-Laws.

ARTICLE VIII

COMMITTEES

1. CONVENTION PLANNING COMMITTEE - This Committee shall consist of the Chairman of the Board, First Vice Chairman, President/CEO and Vice President(s). It shall be in charge of arrangements and publicity for the International Convention, planning its program, scheduling its speakers and those who take part, making sure that all who attend are properly provided for, and overseeing all other matters that the Name of the Lord may be magnified and His people edified.

2. COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS AND CREDENTIALS - This committee shall consist of five persons, who shall be the Chairman of the Board, President/CEO, First Vice Chairman, Second Vice Chairman and the one who is elected to serve as Chairman on this committee.  This committee shall be referred to in matters regarding the qualifications, ability and character of an applicant for ordination, license or membership when the Chairman of the Board or the President/CEO need counsel or feel that an individual decision should not be made. The committee shall take care to preserve the standards of the Evangelical Church Alliance, make sure that no article in this Constitution or By-Laws is disregarded or violated, and see that whatever course of action is taken in all matters shall be in harmony with the Spirit of Christ and His Word.  This committee shall also act in all matters assigned to it by this Constitution, the By-Laws or the Board of Directors.

A. In matters of question about a candidate's qualifications, the Board of Directors (through its Committee on Standards and Credentials) shall have final authority. However, this committee may exercise the option to consult with the Board of Directors.

B. The Committee on Standards and Credentials shall establish procedures such as will be convenient for the applicant and the Board of Directors of the Evangelical Church Alliance. The Examining Committees shall meet with the candidates at a reasonable date before the ordination is finalized.

C. The Committee on Standards and Credentials shall have authority to modify the procedures for reasonable cause.

3. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE - This committee shall consist of the Chairman of the Board, President/CEO, First Vice Chairman, Second Vice Chairman and the Chairman of the Committee on Standards and Credentials. This committee shall serve as a board of appeals in matters which the Chairman of the Board, President/CEO need or desire additional counsel, and in matters assigned to it by the Constitution, By-Laws, or the Board of Directors. This committee shall have the authority to appoint a member to serve on the board until the next annual business meeting.

4. NOMINATING COMMITTEE - The Nominating Committee shall exist to determine the composition of the Board of Directors by identifying, qualifying and proposing Board Members. This committee shall be appointed by the Board Chairman and shall consist of a minimum of 5 members, including himself, the President/CEO and 3 other members. The Chairman of the Nominating Committee shall provide the committee with a list of proposed candidates. A poll will be taken by written ballet to select nominees to be presented to the membership at the annual business meeting. Candidates for nomination receiving a 2/3 vote will be nominated.

5. INTERVIEWING AND ORDINATION COUNCILS - At the annual meeting of the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board shall appoint not less than three members of the Board of Directors, and as many additional Board members as may be needed, to orally examine candidates for ordination, and/or license to conduct an ordination service or services during the time of the International Convention. This council shall serve during the time of the International Convention. In the interim between International Conventions, the President/CEO and Vice President(s) may appoint the chairman for Interviewing Committees and Ordination Councils.  Persons appointed to such councils/committees shall be ordained ministers, preferably members of the Evangelical Church Alliance.  No one shall serve on an ordination council unless he/she is a member in good standing of an evangelical ecclesiastical body whose standards and tenets of faith are acceptable to the Evangelical Church Alliance.  A member of the Evangelical Church Alliance shall preside over the ordination service, and whenever a member of the Board of Directors is a member of the council, he/she shall preside.

6. TRUSTEES - The Board of Directors shall be the trustees of the Evangelical Church Alliance and shall hold all of its property in trust, whether real or personal, in the name of the Evangelical Church Alliance.

ARTICLE IX

DUTIES OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

1. The Chairman of the Board shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors and all business meetings of the International Convention. He or she shall preside or appoint a member of the Board of Directors to preside at all other meetings of the International Convention.

2. He or she shall be an ex-officio member of all committees and shall serve as chairman of all committee meetings that he attends.

3. He or she shall sign all ordination certificates, credentials and diplomas.

4. He or she shall be in charge of all disciplinary action involving a member, except himself, of the Evangelical Church Alliance.

5. He or she shall be available for counsel to the President/CEO and members of the headquarters staff.

6. He or she shall consult with the Headquarters Committee, the Committee on Standards and credentials or the Board of Directors, whichever shall be proper, in all matters of policy or course of action not covered by this Constitution, or By-Laws, or by previous action of the Board, or concerning which he or she shall consider it desirable to have additional advice and counsel.

7. He or she shall perform any and all other functions usual and customary for a presiding officer.

ARTICLE X

DUTIES OF THE FIRST VICE CHAIRMAN

1. In the event that the Chairman of the Board shall become temporarily or permanently unable to serve, or the office shall become vacant, the First Vice Chairman shall assume the office and function as Chairman of the Board until the disability is removed, or until the next meeting of the Board of Directors.

2. He shall become fully informed on all the procedures and policies of the Headquarters office, and of all important matters that the Chairman of the Board and President/CEO consider essential to function properly in the event that he should become Chairman of the Board.

3. He shall be a member of the Headquarters Committee, the Committee on Standards and Credentials and the Convention Planning Committee.

4. He shall perform such other duties that shall be assigned to him or her by the Chairman of the Board or the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE XI

DUTIES OF THE SECOND VICE CHAIRMAN

1. The Second Vice Chairman shall become the First Vice Chairman in the event that the office of the First Vice Chairman shall become vacant or he or she shall become Chairman of the Board.

2. He or she shall be a member of the Headquarters Committee, the Committee on Standards and Credentials, and shall perform such other functions that shall be assigned by the Chairman of the Board or the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE XII

DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT/CEO

1. The President/CEO shall be responsible for the work and activities of the headquarters office and its employees, the receiving and proper disposition of communications directed to the Evangelical Church Alliance, keeping an up-to-date file on every member, processing all applications for license, ordination or membership, making arrangements for all ordination services and keeping a complete record of the same, issuing license and ordination certificates and identification cards, publishing a regular bulletin to keep members informed about the work and activities of the ECA, and other information of interest to the members.

2. He shall direct the different departments of the Bible Extension Institute, enrolling students, issuing textbooks and examination papers and grading them, awarding diplomas, and be responsible for the activities of the Institute in general.  He or she shall consult with the Chairman of the Board and the Committee on Standards and Credentials in the choice of textbooks.

3. He shall supervise and be responsible for all financial affairs of the ECA, including and not limited to the receiving of and providing receipts for dues payments and contributions, keeping the cash assets in a proper depository, paying all financial obligations, and maintaining a record of all financial activities according to generally accepted accounting principles. He shall also have the accounting records available for inspection by any member of the Board of Directors or other authorized persons.

4. He shall have discretionary authority to appoint officers and /or directors to represent the ECA at regional conferences, as he deems appropriate.

5. He shall be responsible for overseeing the development of relationships with key individuals, organizations, Bible colleges and seminaries that would further the growth and mission of the ECA. This may be accomplished through correspondence, personal contact and the representation of the ECA at significant Evangelical conferences and events.

6. The President shall be responsible to see that an annual audit of the financial records for the organization be conducted and the results be reported in a timely way to the Board of Directors and to the members present at the annual business meeting.

7. He shall give an annual report to the Board of Directors of his or her work, the Regional Conventions that have been held, the progress of the ECA in the past year, the receipts and disbursements of the previous year, and the financial condition at the time of the International Convention. He or she shall also provide such information to the Chairman of the Board and Board of Directors upon request.

8. He shall be an ex-officio member of all standing committees.

9. He shall be in charge of all other matters, which are generally considered a part of the responsibility of the President/CEO.

ARTICLE XIII

DUTIES OF THE VICE PRESIDENT(S)

1. The duties of the Vice President(s) shall be to assist the President/CEO in the performance of his duties, and all other assignments that shall be given him by the President/CEO.

2. In the event of a vacancy in the office of the President/CEO, the Board of Directors shall designate or select a Vice President to serve as acting President/CEO until the next meeting of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE XIV

DUTIES OF REGISTERED AGENTS OF FOREIGN AFFILIATES

1. The National Registered Agents shall be in charge of registering with the Governments of their nation for the right to solemnize marriages or any other requirements. The names of qualified ordained members shall be furnished him or her by the ECA Headquarters.

2. He or she shall serve as a liaison between the Evangelical Church Alliance and the National Governments of his or her nation and act as a consultant in other matters affecting the work of the ECA and its members there.

ARTICLE XV

THE BIBLE EXTENSION INSTITUTE

1. The Evangelical Church Alliance shall maintain a Bible Extension Institute which shall provide courses of study for the benefit of those who have not had the opportunity of seminary or Bible School training, but desire to prepare themselves for Christian service.

2. The Board of Directors of the Evangelical Church Alliance shall be the Board of Directors of the Bible Extension Institute, and the work and activities of the Bible Extension Institute shall be a matter of business of the Board of Directors of the ECA in its annual meeting.

3. The Committee on Standards and Credentials shall determine what books and studies shall be the texts for the Institute, and it shall determine the price of the textbooks and the study courses.

4. All records and files of the Bible Extension Institute shall be kept in a safe place at the Headquarters and the President/CEO shall be in charge of all Institute activities, except in those matters that need the attention of the Chairman of the Board, the Committee on Standards and Credentials, or the Board of Directors.

5. The study courses shall be available to persons who are not planning to enter the Christian ministry, but desire a better understanding of the Scriptures and how to live a more complete and exemplary Christian life.

6. It shall be understood by all who take the courses of study that the receiving of passing grades on all written examinations is not in itself a guarantee for license or ordination.  Other qualifications shall be considered.

A. No Bible School or educational institution shall guarantee ordination or licensing to its students by/through the Evangelical Church Alliance upon graduation or the completion of a course of study.

B. No minister or administrator shall promise or guarantee ordination or licensing to any student, graduate, or constituent upon his recommendation.

C. No individual or member of the Board of Directors of the Evangelical Church Alliance shall have sole authority to accept or reject an applicant for ordination.

7. The Committee on Standards and Credentials may require an applicant for license or ordination to pursue additional studies if it is considered necessary by the Committee.

ARTICLE XVI

DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE

1. Members of the Evangelical Church Alliance shall be liable to discipline, censure, or removal from membership and annulment of ordination and cancellation of Credentials for any of the following reasons:

A. Activities that bring reproach upon the Christian ministry or the Evangelical Church Alliance.

B. Immoral or sinful conduct, or living in a state of transgression of the Holy Scriptures (I Cor. 6:9, 10; Gal. 5:19-21) as interpreted by the Board of the ECA based on the Tenets of Faith as set forth in this constitution.

C. Holding or teaching doctrines that are contrary to the Word of God or in opposition to the Tenets of Faith of the Evangelical Church Alliance.

D. Failure to comply with the terms of the Constitution and By-Laws of the Evangelical Church Alliance.

2. When a report or reports are received at Headquarters or by members of the Board of Directors of a nature that the Headquarters Committee feel should be investigated, steps shall be taken according to the following procedure:

A. Those conducting the investigation shall bear in mind at all times that they are not a court or jurisprudence, but a body of Christian brethren concerned with the interests, welfare, and ministry of a brother or sister in the Lord, but also concerned with the best interests of the Evangelical Church Alliance, and the cause of Jesus Christ in general.

B. When a report or accusation of a member is to be investigated, the first step to be taken shall be for the Chairman of the Board or the President/CEO, or a representative appointed by the Chairman of the Board, to contact the member, informing him of the report and asking him to state his or her side in the matter.  When a personal contact is not feasible, Chairman of the Board or the President/CEO shall write the accused and ask him or her to state his or her side or answer the accusation in writing. He or she shall be given a reasonable amount of time to reply. He or she shall be dealt with in all fairness and equity.  He or she shall have the right to appear in person, at his or her own expense at the next meeting of the Board of Directors to present his or her case and defend himself or herself.

C. If the accused shall present satisfactory answers or proof of innocence the investigation shall proceed no further, but if not, the Chairman of the Board shall continue the investigation, if it is considered necessary, and take whatever steps are required to obtain information to present to the Executive Committee, the Committee on Standards and Credentials, or the Board of Directors so that appropriate action may be taken.

D. Should the accused confess his or her guilt and give evidence that he or she has repented and made amends as far as required and possible, this shall be taken into consideration.

E. Hearsay evidence, unverified rumors and charges, or information from anonymous sources shall not be considered, unless such charges are serious enough to merit investigation. Information from persons, who, for justifiable reasons may request that their names be kept secret, may be considered at the discretion of the Chairman of the Board or the persons conducting the investigation.

F. After the accused has been contacted, either personally or in writing, and informed of the reports, rumors, accusations, or charges, and has been given a reasonable amount of time to reply, or defend himself or herself, and has failed or refused to do so, such failure or refusal may be considered sufficient grounds for discipline, censure, or removal from membership. He or she shall be notified in writing by the Chairman of the Board or the President/CEO of the decision that has been made in his or her case.

3. Anything in this Constitution or in the By-Laws of the Evangelical Church Alliance to the contrary notwithstanding, any person may be removed from membership of the Evangelical Church Alliance by the Board of Directors, when in the judgment of those in charge of the investigation or proceedings it is for the best interest of the ECA.

4. When the nature of the charges is such, and the evidence is sufficient, and removal from membership is advisable, the decision for removal may be made by the Executive Committee, the Committee on Standards and Credentials, other than the Board of Directors.  In the event the decision is made by either of these two committees, or the board, the decision shall be reported to the Board of Directors.
 
ARTICLE XVII

REMOVAL OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OR PRESIDENT/CEO

1. The Chairman of the Board or President/CEO may be removed from office for any of the reasons given in Article XVI for the discipline, censure, or removal from membership of regular members. He or she also may be removed for dereliction of duty, malfeasance or misfeasance of office, incompetence, or when in the judgment of a majority of the Board of Directors it is in the best interest of the Evangelical Church Alliance.

2. In the event that a report or reports concerning the Chairman of the Board are received at headquarters, or by a member or members of the Board of Directors of a nature that indicates investigation, the steps to be taken shall be the same as those outlined in Article XVI, with the exception that the entire Board of Directors shall be in charge of the proceedings with the First Vice Chairman presiding over the meetings of the Board.  Any action taken to discipline, censure, or remove the Chairman of the Board from office shall require a majority vote of the entire Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board being required to abstain from voting.

3. If the circumstances are such that it is not advisable to wait until the next annual meeting of the Board of Directors, a special meeting of the Board may be called by written agreement of a majority of the Board not including the Chairman of the Board. The time and place of meeting shall be such as is most convenient for all Board members.

ARTICLE XVIII

CANCELLATION OF CREDENTIALS

1. Whenever a member, through resignation on his or her part or through action of a committee or the Board of Directors of the Evangelical Church Alliance, shall have his or her name removed from membership, he or she shall be informed by the Chairman of the Board or the President/ CEO in writing mailed to his or her last known place of address that he or she is no longer a member of the Evangelical Church Alliance, that his or her license or ordination has been invalidated, his or her credentials have been annulled, and instructed to return his or her license or ordination certificate, his or her credentials, and his or her identification card to the Headquarters office, and not to represent himself or herself as a licensed or ordained member of the Evangelical Church Alliance.

2. Persons, who are removed from membership because of not keeping in contact with the Headquarters, or for not paying their membership dues, shall be similarly informed and instructed. However, they may be restored to membership and good standing upon payment of back dues, and at the discretion of the Committee on Standards and Credentials.

ARTICLE XIX

THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION

1. The Evangelical Church Alliance shall hold an annual meeting, which shall be called the International Convention, the time and place of such meeting to be determined by the Board of Directors.

2. All members shall be notified in writing of the date and place of the International Convention at least two months in advance.

3. All persons who have been licensed or ordained by the Evangelical Church Alliance, or have transferred their credentials from another ecclesiastical body, are members of the ECA and shall have rights to the floor and voting privileges at the International Convention.

4. Each member church or Christian organization in good standing shall have the right to be represented by delegates of its own choosing who shall have rights to the floor and voting privileges at the International Convention.  Each church in good standing shall be entitled to one lay delegate.

5. No business meetings of the International Convention of the Evangelical Church Alliance shall be conducted when a quorum is not present. After all members of the Evangelical Church Alliance have been properly informed by mail of the Convention meeting, those members present shall constitute a quorum and are authorized to conduct all official business of the Convention.

6. All members of the Evangelical Church Alliance are expected to attend the International Convention unless they have justifiable cause for not doing so.

7. All business meetings of the International Convention shall be conducted in a Christian manner and according to accepted rules of parliamentary procedure.

8. The agenda for the business meetings of the International Convention shall include the following:

A. Call to order by the Chairman of the Board
B. Prayer
C. Opening remarks by the Chairman of the Board
D. Appointment of special committees and announcement of previous appointments
E. Report of the President/CEO
F. Report of the Vice President(s)
G. Committee reports
H. New Business
I. Election of Officers
J. Adjournment with prayer

9. The courtesy of the floor may be extended to persons who are not members of the ECA at the discretion of the Chairman of the Board or the Planning Committee.

ARTICLE XX

MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

1. The Board of Directors shall have an annual meeting at the same time and place of the International Convention. Special meetings of the Board may be held whenever the necessity shall arise.

2. All members of the Board shall be notified of the annual meeting by certified mail at least three months in advance and of a special meeting thirty days in advance, unless an emergency develops which requires an immediate meeting of the Board.

3. All business meetings of the Board of Directors shall be conducted in a Christian manner and according to accepted rules of parliamentary procedure.  The agenda for the annual meeting shall include the following:

A. Call to order by the Chairman of the Board
B. Prayer
C. Opening remarks by the Chairman of the Board
D. Report of the President/CEO
E. Appointment of Committees and announcement of committees previously appointed
F. Unfinished business
G. New business
H. Committee reports
I. Election of officers
J. Selection of time and place of next International Convention
K. Adjournment with prayer

4. No business meeting of the Board of Directors of the Evangelical Church Alliance shall be conducted when a quorum is not present. After all members of the Board have been properly notified by certified mail of the Board meeting, those members present shall constitute a quorum and are authorized to conduct the official business of the Board.

5. The motion to adjourn the business meeting of the Board of Directors shall include the understood provision that the Board may be called back into session by the Chairman of the Board, while the International Convention is still in session, to consider any new business or emergency that may arise requiring immediate consideration, provided that a majority of the Board members who were present during the Board meeting are at hand.  If such a majority is not present, the Headquarters Committee shall handle the emergency, provided that any action taken by the committee shall be reported to the members of the Board, either in writing or at the next meeting of the Board.  This shall apply only to emergency matters, which are not under the general jurisdiction of the Headquarters Committee.

6. The Chairman of the Board shall have authority to call the Board of Directors into special session between the times of its annual meetings when emergencies arise which require prompt attention of the entire Board. Special sessions of the Board may also be called by a majority of its members, provided that the call shall bear all the names of those making the call.

ARTICLE XXI

REGIONAL CONVENTIONS

1. Regional Conventions may be held in any area where there are enough members to warrant such conventions, and when in the judgment of the Headquarters Committee it is in the interest of the Evangelical Church Alliance and the members of that area.

2. The President/CEO shall be responsible for programming and publicizing such conventions and the President/CEO or a member of the Board of Directors, when present, shall preside.

3. All members living within the area of a Regional Convention are expected to attend the convention unless they have justifiable cause for not doing so.

ARTICLE XXII

DISTRICT MEETINGS

When in the judgment of the members in any local district it is in the interest of the Evangelical Church Alliance to meet together regularly, they are encouraged to do so, and have authority to choose their own chairman, secretary, treasurer and other officers, the place and times of their meetings and what activities they shall engage in, provided that such activities shall not infringe upon the activities or prerogatives of the Headquarters, or Board of Directors, or be in violation of the Constitution or By-Laws of the ECA and provided that such activities shall be in harmony with the principles and purposes of the ECA.

ARTICLE XXIII

THE ORDINATION SERVICE

1. No one shall be ordained by the Evangelical Church Alliance until he or she has met all the written requirements, has been orally examined by an ordination council or examining committee and written authorization from the ECA Headquarters has been given.

2. The oral examination of a candidate for ordination shall be held a reasonable time before the day of the ordination service whenever possible in order to avoid the embarrassment and disappointment of coming up to the last hour before the service and being denied ordination.

3. Upon the request of the candidate for ordination and when the ordination council shall consider it appropriate, ordained ministers who are not members of the ECA may be extended the privilege of taking part in the ordination ceremony.

4. A member of the Evangelical Church Alliance shall preside over the ordination service, and whenever a member of the Board of Directors is on the council, he or she shall preside, unless he or she shall elect to have another ECA member preside.

5. The ordination ceremony shall be that which is given in the Evangelical Church Alliance Minister's Manual, with minor variations permitted according to the circumstances.

ARTICLE XXIV

AUTHORITY TO SOLEMNIZE MARRIAGES

All duly ordained members of the Evangelical Church Alliance are authorized to solemnize or perform marriages.  Members who hold certificates of license only are not so authorized.

ARTICLE XXV

MAJOR EXPENDITURES

No major expenditures shall be made without the approval of a majority of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE XXVI

FISCAL YEAR OF THE CORPORATION

The fiscal year of this corporation shall extend from the first day of the month of July to the thirtieth day of the month of June of the following year.

ARTICLE XXVII

DISSOLUTION OF THE CORPORATION

1. If at any time the Evangelical Church Alliance shall be dissolved or cease its activities for one year, the Board of Directors is authorized to sell all real and personal property.  After all debts and liabilities have been paid, the remaining cash shall be distributed to such Christian organizations that the Board shall select.

2. All members of the Board at the time of dissolution, or at the time of the last Board meeting, shall continue as Board members until all the property of the ECA has been disposed of and all debts and liabilities have been paid and a statement of such action has been made to the proper state authority, and a statement has been received from such authority declaring the dissolution complete, a copy of which shall be given to each Board member for his personal files.

ARTICLE XXVIII

AMENDMENTS TO THIS CONSTITUTION

Any proposed amendment to this Constitution shall be submitted in writing to Headquarters for consideration by the Headquarters Committee, which shall decide whether or not the proposal shall be submitted to the Board of Directors.  If the committee shall so decide, the proposal shall be submitted in writing to each member of the Board of Directors three months in advance of the next annual meeting of the Board.  The proposal shall be considered at the next annual meeting of the Board of Directors, provided a two-thirds majority of the Board shall approve such consideration in writing.  Such proposal shall require a three-fourths majority vote of the Board of Directors present for passage.