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BYLAWS

ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION & BYLAWS

Bylaws of Our City Church

Article I – Name and Purpose

Section 1. Name, Registration, and Offices.

The name of this church is Our City Church. Our City Church has been organized as a Colorado nonprofit corporation for the purposes subsequent to section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our City Church has not been formed for the making of any profit or personal financial gain. The assets and income of this organization shall only be used to promote the Purpose as described below. This organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on by an organization exempt from federal income tax. The Registered Office required by the Colorado Revised Nonprofit Corporation Act to be maintained in Colorado is 10555 W. 44th Avenue, Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033. The Registered Office may be changed by the Elders, provided in all cases that the street addresses of the registered office and the business office of Our City Church are identical.

Section 2. Purpose

The purpose of Our City Church is to glorify God by living as disciples of Jesus Christ, while introducing as many people as possible to Jesus as Lord, and discipling them in order to make a positive impact for God’s Kingdom in our city. We are committed to the authority of the Bible, the proclamation of the Gospel, and the multiplication of disciples. We are a local body of believers representing Christ’s Church, gathered under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and governed by His Word. As a visible expression of the universal Church, we exist as a covenant community of Christ-following believers who have joined together to worship God, make disciples, and advance the gospel in our city and to the nations.

Article II – Statement of Faith and Values

Section 1. Doctrinal Beliefs

Our City Church affirms the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 as a statement for Doctrinal Beliefs.

Section 2. Church Mission and Values

Our mission at Our City Church is to know Jesus, follow Him, and lead others to do the same. Our City Church’s six values are derived from this mission; in order to know Jesus, we need to (1) abide in God’s Word and (2) pray constantly. In order to follow Jesus we need to (3) serve intentionally and (4) surrender to Him. In order to lead others to know and follow Jesus, we need to (5) proclaim the Gospel and (6) multiply disciples.

Article III – Members

Section 1. Qualifications

Membership is open to all who profess faith in Jesus Christ, accepting the promises and commands of the Bible, believing that the Bible is completely true, have been baptized, affirm the Statement of Faith, Vision, Mission, and Values of Our City Church, have agreed to Our City Church’s Membership Covenant, and have publicly manifest a desire to join Our City Church.

Section 2. Membership Covenant

All Members shall affirm and abide by the church’s Membership Covenant. Any changes to the Membership Covenant shall be guided by the Elders and appointed by Majority Vote of Members at a Member Meeting.

Section 3. Member Meeting and Voting

Members shall gather for regularly scheduled Member Meetings to vote on decisions in accordance with Our City Church’s Bylaws, and other matters of church governance. Any Member Meeting shall be announced publicly at least seven days ahead of the meeting date, and all matters requiring Majority Vote of Members will be presented to Members at least seven days before the Member Meeting where the matter will be presented for Majority Vote of Members. The Roberts Rules of Order, as amended, will be the authority for maintaining order for all matters requiring the Majority Vote of Members. A quorum shall consist of 10% of Members. “Majority Vote of Members” is a defined term for the purposes of these Bylaws meaning two-thirds vote of the Members of the required Quorum casting a vote at a scheduled Member Meeting. Our City Church will hold a regularly scheduled Annual Meeting on the last weekend of January each year to advise Members of the general financial status of Our City Church and to present the Annual Budget. The required Quorum of Members must be present in person at a Member Meeting before any business of Our City Church may be conducted. The Lead Pastor, or his authorized designee, will be the moderator of all Member Meetings. If Our City Church is without a Lead Pastor, the Elders, or their authorized designee, will moderate the Member Meetings.

Section 4. Removal of Members

Any Member may choose to terminate their membership at any time by way of a letter of explanation to the Lead Pastor. Our City Church will provide regular requests to its Members to confirm whether all Members desire to continue their membership, and if those requests are not responded to, such Members will have terminated their membership. If a Member has become inactive in their participation in Our City Church for more than one year, that Member’s membership will be terminated. If the general welfare of Our City Church or its Members are jeopardized by the conduct of a Member (a “Troubled Member”), Our City Church will follow the steps outlined in Matthew 18:15-20. If the Troubled Member does not choose to terminate their membership of Our City Church, then the Troubled Member’s membership will be terminated by Majority Vote of Members. In the event there is satisfactory evidence of the resolution or repentance of a Troubled Member’s condition, such a person may request restoration to Member. Restoration requires Majority Vote of Members.

Article IV – Elders

Section 1. Biblical Foundation

Jesus Christ is the head and ultimate authority of Our City Church (Colossians 1:18). Our City Church shall be governed by Elders who meet the qualifications in 1 Timothy 3:1–7, Titus 1:6–9, and 1 Peter 5:1-3. Elders are men called by God (1 Peter 5:2; 2 Timothy 1:9), appointed by the church (Acts 4:23; Titus 1:5), and entrusted to lead, teach, pray, shepherd, and guard sound doctrine (Acts 6:4; Acts 20:28; Titus 1:9; 1 Peter 5:2-3). Elders are also Members of Our City Church. Elders should be proficiently educated on the Bible and its interpretation, and able to demonstrate such knowledge and interpretation at the discretion of the other Elders.

Section 2. Lead Pastor

One of the Elders shall serve as the Lead Pastor, responsible for the regular preaching and teaching of God’s Word, and primary leadership of the church (1 Timothy 5:17, Ephesians 4:11-12, Titus 1:5-9). The role of Lead Pastor as the primary leader among a plurality of Elders is modeled by the examples of James, Timothy, and Titus in the New Testament.
The Lead Pastor will have responsibility for leading the major decisions of Our City Church, in accordance with these Bylaws. Any major decisions (financial, personnel, etc.) will be made in accordance with Our City Church’s Bylaws.
The Lead Pastor will have signatory authority for any agreements made by Our City Church.
If there is no Lead Pastor, the Elders will diligently search for a new Lead Pastor, who will be nominated by the current Elders and appointed by Majority Vote of Members at a scheduled church service where the candidate for Lead Pastor will preach (“Voting Service”). Members will receive at least one months’ notice that the Voting Service will take place, and will be well informed of the candidate for Lead Pastor and the search process.

Section 3. Election and Term

Elders shall be nominated by the current Elders and appointed by Majority Vote of Members.
Elders shall serve renewable three-year terms. The decision to renew each term will be made by the Elders and by appointment by Majority Vote of Members.
The Lead Pastor is considered a standing Elder where the renewable three-year term and reappointment does not apply.

Section 4. Removal

An Elder, including the Lead Pastor, may choose to step down at any time for any reason, or be removed for disqualification according to The Bible. If an Elder is being considered for removal and does not choose to step down, removal will be appointed by a Majority Vote by Elders and Majority Vote of Members.

Section 5. Responsibilities of Elders

Model Christlike character in personal life and ministry (Hebrews 13:7; Phil. 3:17)
Lead the church in vision, mission, and care (1 Peter 5:2–3)
Guard the doctrine and unity of the church (Titus 1:9)
Equip the saints for ministry (Eph. 4:11–12)

Section 6. Majority Vote of Elders

All matters requiring a Majority Vote of Elders will take place between the Elders, be organized by the Elders, and records of Majority Vote of Elders will be kept by the Elders.

Article V – Additional Leadership Roles

Section 1. Deacons

Deacons shall serve the body by coordinating efforts to meet the church’s needs, enabling Elders to devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:2-6). From time to time, Deacons will be presented with matters that affect the life and ministries of Our City Church in order to provide their advice on such matters. Deacons must be Members, meet the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3:8–13, be chosen by the Members, and approved by Majority Vote of Elders (Acts 6:2-6). Deacons will serve four year terms with one year off, and deacons will be added on an as-needed basis.

A Deacon may choose to step down at any time for any reason, or be removed for disqualification according to the Bible. If a Deacon is being considered for removal and does not choose to step down, removal will be appointed by a Majority Vote of Elders and Majority Vote of Members.

Section 2. Ministry Staff

Additional ministry staff may be hired by the Elders as needed. Elders will communicate all staffing needs to the Members, and publish regular updates on Ministry Staff needs. In the event a Ministry Staff member leaves (by resignation or termination), Members will be kept informed of Our City Church’s plans. Any staff changes will be made in accordance with Article VIII, Section 2 and Section 3.

Section 3. Worship Leader

The Worship Leader of Our City Church will be a Member of Our City Church and live by character witness that reflects Christ-likeness. The Worship Leader will possess the same qualifications as a Deacon. The Worship Leader will lead with Spirit-filled worship that is saturated in God’s Word. The Worship Leader must be skilled in leading worship, Christ-exalting in their worship leading style, calling Our City Church to participate in worship. The Worship Leader will lead and coordinate with other musicians who share in the worship leading of Our City Church. The Worship Leader will report to the Elders of Our City Church. If the Worship Leader is not available for a service, the Worship Leader will appoint an Interim Worship Leader to lead in their place, who is not required to be a Member of Our City Church. If Our City Church does not have a Worship Leader, the Elders of Our City Church will call Interim Worship Leaders who are not required to be Members of Our City Church to lead worship at its weekly services.

Article VI – Preaching

God’s Word is preached by Elders at weekly worship services (1 Tim. 3:1-2; Titus 1:5-9; 2 Tim. 4:1-2; 1 Tim. 4:13-16; Acts 6:2-4; Acts 20:28; Hebrews 13:7,17; Ephesians 4:11-12; James 3:1; 2 Peter 2:1). The Lead Pastor is the primary preacher, preaching at least three-fourths of the weekly worship services consistently. When the Lead Pastor is not preaching the weekly worship services, other Elders will preach. If there are no Elders who are available from Our City Church, another Pastor/Elder/Overseer from an approved cooperating congregation will be called to preach at the weekly worship service. The Preaching of Our City Church will be Text-Driven Preaching, meaning that the message being preached will be derived from a complete passage of verses from the Bible.

Article VII - Our City Church Assemblies

Worship services will be held weekly by Our City Church in accordance with the Purpose, Mission, and Values of Our City Church, which will be centered around worship, prayer, preaching, and children’s ministry. Other services for prayer, fellowship, discipleship, evangelism, and Bible study will be held on regular bases. The ordinances of the Lord’s Supper and Baptism will be held regularly and faithfully observed in accordance with the Bible. All worship services, assemblies and activities of Our City Church are open to anyone so long as a person’s behavior, demeanor or actions are not disruptive, disorderly or fraudulent as determined by the Elders and Deacons.

Article VIII - Committees

Section 1. Teams Committee

The Teams Committee will be composed of at least five Members. Each Member of the Teams Committee will possess the same qualifications as a Deacon. Elders will be responsible for nominating three members, and Deacons will be responsible for nominating two members of the Teams Committee. If the Teams Committee is larger than five Members, the nomination ratio for its membership will remain the same as above. Each Teams Committee Member will be appointed by Majority Vote of Members. The members of the Teams Committee will serve up to four year terms with at least one year off after each term. Each Teams Committee Member may choose to step down at any time for any reason, or be removed for disqualification according to the same qualifications as a Deacon. If a Teams Committee Member is being considered for removal and does not choose to step down, removal will be appointed by a Majority Vote by Elders and Majority Vote of Members.

Responsibilities of the Teams Committee

The Teams Committee, in conjunction with the Elders, will designate teams as needed to carry out the ministry of Our City Church. The Teams Committee will present their plans for each committee for approval by the Elders, and the Elders may also ask the Teams Committee to designate specific committees as needed to carry out the ministry of Our City Church. The Teams Committee will be responsible for ensuring each designated team has the resources necessary to carry out their ministry, and that each designated team operates within their approved budget. All ministries under the Teams Committee will be reviewed and approved by the Elders.

Section 2. Personnel Committee

The Personnel Committee will be composed of at least three Members who are not Elders. Each Member of the Personnel Committee will possess the same qualifications as a Deacon. Elders will be responsible for nominating two Members, and Deacons will be responsible for nominating one Member to the Personnel Committee. Each Personnel Committee Member will be appointed by Majority Vote of Members. If the Personnel Committee is larger than three Members, the nomination ratio for its membership will remain the same as above. The Personnel Committee Members will serve up to four year terms with at least one year off after each term. Each Personnel Committee Member may choose to step down at any time for any reason, or be removed for disqualification according to the same qualifications as a Deacon. If a Personnel Committee Member is being considered for removal and does not choose to step down, removal will be appointed by a Majority Vote by Elders and Majority Vote of Members.

Responsibilities of the Personnel Committee

The Personnel Committee represents the interests of the Members of Our City Church in making personnel decisions. The Personnel Committee will be responsible for approving staff position changes as needed by the Elders. When the Elders decide that staff should be hired, reassigned, terminated, or compensation changed, the Personnel Committee will be consulted for approval of each proposed change. If the Personnel Committee does not approve of the Elders’ decision, and an agreement cannot be reached between the Elders and the Personnel Committee, the decision will be appointed by Majority Vote of Members.

Section 3. Finance Committee

The Finance Committee will be composed of at least three Members who are not Elders. Each Member of the Finance Committee will possess the same qualifications as a Deacon. The Elders will be responsible for nominating two members, and the Deacons will be responsible for nominating one member of the Finance Committee. Each member of the Finance Committee will be appointed by Majority Vote of Members. If the Finance Committee is larger than three Members, the nomination ratio for its membership will remain the same as above. The members of the Personnel Committees will serve up to four year terms with at least one year off between each term. Each Finance Committee Member may choose to step down at any time for any reason, or be removed for disqualification according to the same qualifications as a Deacon. If a Finance Committee Member is being considered for removal and does not choose to step down, removal will be appointed by a Majority Vote by Elders and Majority Vote of Members.

Responsibilities of the Finance Committee

The Finance Committee represents the interests of the Members of Our City Church in making financial decisions. The Finance Committee works with the Elders to prepare the Annual Budget for presentation to Members at the scheduled Annual Meeting on the last weekend of January each year. If there is a Major Financial Decision (defined below), that decision must be approved by Majority Vote of the Elders and Majority Vote by the Finance Committee. A Major Financial Decision means any decision that would negatively impact the Annual Budget by more than 2%. If the Elders and the Finance Committee cannot agree on a Major Financial Decision, that Major Financial Decision will be approved by Majority Vote of the Members of the required Quorum casting a vote at a Member Meeting. The Finance Committee will approve all Staff and Elder compensation, working with the Personnel Committee on establishing compensation ranges for hiring decisions. The Finance Committee will have Our City Church engage an independent accounting firm to conduct a financial audit of the financial affairs of Our City Church if the need for financial audits arise.

Article IX - Church Property

No Member, Elder, Deacon, or Employee shall have any individual ownership, fee title, leasehold interest, or any other interest or property rights of any nature in Church Property, as all rights, title and interest of any nature in the Church Property are vested and held solely by Our City Church.

Our City Church will not change its location for its weekly worship services without Majority Vote by Elders and Majority Vote of the Members of the required Quorum casting a vote at a Member Meeting. If Our City Church is in a position that it is required to change its location for its weekly worship services and no agreement can be reached by its Members, the Elders will choose a temporary location for its weekly worship services until an agreement can be reached.

Article X - Matters Requiring Majority Vote of Members

The sale or purchase of facilities
Capital expenditures with a cost in excess of 10% of the Church’s Annual Budget without designated fundraising for such a capital expenditure
Incurring debt
The sale of property with a value in excess of 10% of Our City Church’s Annual Budget
Appointing or removing an Elder
Appointing or removing the Lead Pastor
Removing a Deacon
Amending the Bylaws
Initiating, amending, or modifying the provisions of any plan of merger, consolidation, or dissolution of Our City Church
Non-affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention
Any resolution matter outlined in the Bylaws that requires Majority Vote of Members

Article XI – Amendments

These bylaws may be amended if such amendment is approved by Majority Vote of Elders and also Majority Vote of the Members of the required Quorum casting a vote at a Member Meeting, provided the proposed amendment has been made available to members at least one month in advance, and such Member Meeting has been announced to Members at least one month in advance.

Article XII - Dissolution

Our City Church may be dissolved only with authorization by Majority Vote of Members at a Member Meeting called for that purpose. In the event of the dissolution of Our City Church, all liabilities and obligations shall be paid, satisfied, and discharged, or adequate provision shall be made, thereof. Our City Church’s assets shall be applied and distributed to the North American Mission Board, organized under Section 501(c)(3). If the North American Mission Board no longer exists at the time of dissolution of Our City Church, the assets shall be applied to a church organized under Section 501(c)(3) which affirms Our City Church’s Statement of Faith. Such church will be selected by Members and approved by Majority Vote of Members.

Article XIII - Miscellaneous

Section 1. Captions.

Captions and headings contained in these Bylaws are as a matter of convenience. In no way should they be construed to define, limit or extend their scope, intent or any provision hereof.

Section 2. Membership Directory and Lists.

No Member, employee, or contractor may disclose or furnish Our City Church membership directory or lists or any portion of information from such directory or list to any other party. Our City Church’s membership directory and lists may not be used for solicitations or business purposes of any kind or for any purpose which would conflict with the terms of these Bylaws.

Section 3. Interpretation of the Bible.

Whenever these Bylaws or any other governing document or instrument or policy of Our City Church requires or permits an interpretation of the Bible or refers to the Bible as a standard or a source of procedures, the Lead Pastor shall be empowered to make such determination with the Elders. The preferred English translation of the Bible for Our City Church is the Christian Standard Bible, and all matters of interpretation will be investigated through interpretation of the original language sources of the same books of the Bible contained in the Christian Standard Bible.

Article XIV. Certification.

Preston Dunn, Lead Pastor of Our City Church, certifies that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of Our City Church, duly adopted by Our City Church on December 4, 2025.

Our City Church

Know Jesus, follow Him, and lead others to do the same.

Address

10555 W 44th Ave

Wheat Ridge, CO 80033

720-978-8022

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