A. This church shall have the right to govern itself, according to the standards of the New Testament Scriptures, “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace..till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:3-13. This church shall manage its own affairs and shall not be subject to any other religious body.

B. This church shall implement its New Testament Christianity commissioned by the further prerogatives.

1. To administer the regular ordinances defined in Article V of this constitution;
2. To establish and maintain such departments, institutions and services with the Church for the propagation of the Gospel and its work;
3. To examine candidates for the ministry, and to license and ordain those who shall have been approved by the Senior Pastor and Assistant Pastor of this church, according to standards set forth by the New Testament;
4. To designate its own officers, to appoint committees, to arrange for its own meetings, and to govern itself in accordance with the Constitution and By-Laws herein and after defined; and to establish and define policy by which it shall be governed.

C. In connection therewith, or incidental thereto, this church shall have the right to purchase or acquire by gifts, bequest or otherwise, either directly or as trustee, and to own, hold in trust, use, sell, convey mortgage lease or otherwise dispose if any real estate or chattels as may be necessary for the furtherance of its purposes; all in accordance with its Constitution and By- Laws or as the same may be hereafter modified or amended.

The purposes of Greater New Life Family Worship Center are:

A. To worship God, who is worthy of all praise and glory, by changing lives for the better through the word of God;

 B. To serve God locally, nationally, and internationally by fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus Christ as set forth in Matthew 28:19-20;

C. To minister to the needs of the members and others as the church is able to do so; and

D. To do any and all things related to and in connection with the carrying out of the purposes of a New Testament Church.

The church accepts the Holy Scriptures as the revealed will of God, the all-sufficient rule for faith and practice; and for the purpose of maintaining general unity adopts the following statement of Fundamental truths, as underscored by our five (5) church pillars of The Word of God – John 1:1; The Blood of Jesus – Ephesians 1:7; Love – John 13:35; Discipleship – Matthew 28:18-20; and Prayer and Fasting – Thessalonians 5:16-18 and Matthew 17:14-2:

A. We believe the Bible is the inspired and only infallible written Word of God;

B. We believe that there is One God, eternally existent in three Persons; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit;

C. We believe in the Blessed Hope, which is the rapture of the Church of God, which is in Christ at His return.

D. We believe that the only means of being cleansed from sin is through repentance, faith and the precious Blood of Jesus Christ;

E. We believe that regeneration by the Holy Ghost is absolutely essential for personal salvation;

F. We believe that the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross provides healing for the human body in answer to believing in prayer;

G. We believe that the baptism in the Holy Ghost, according to Acts 2:4, is given to believers who ask for it;

H. We believe in the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost, by whose indwelling, the Christian is enabled to live a Holy and separated life in this present world, Amen; and

I. We believe that marriage is sacred and should not be entered into lightly without proper preparation. Marriage was originally instituted by God as a properly recognized covenant relationship between one man and one woman for life. The church affirms the biblical family as a father and mother in wedlock who may procreate children. The church further asserts that the home, including the extended family, is to be guided by love, discipline, and other nurturing aspects as taught in God’s Word.

It is generally admitted that for an ordinance to be valid, it must have been instituted by Christ. When we speak of ordinances of the church, we are speaking of those instituted by Christ, in which by sensible signs, the grace of God in Christ, and the benefits of the covenant of grace are represented, sealed, and applied to believers, and these in turn give expression to their faith and allegiance to God. We recognize three ordinances as having been instituted by Christ himself and therefore, binding upon the church practice.

A. THE LORD’S SUPPER (HOLY COMMUNION). The Lord’s Supper symbolizes the Lord’s death and suffering for the benefit and in the place of His people. It also symbolizes the believer’s participation in the crucified Christ. It represents not only the death of Christ as the object of faith which unites the believers to Christ, but also the effect of this act as the giving of life, strength and joy to the soul. The communicant, by faith, enters into a special spiritual union of his soul with the glorified Christ.

B. FEET WASHING. Feet Washing is recognized as an ordinance in our Church because Christ, by His example, showed that humility characterized greatness in the Kingdom of God, and that service, rendered to others, gave evidence that humility, motivated by love, exists. These services are held subsequent to the Lord’s Supper; however, it regularly is left to the discretion of the Senior Pastor in charge.

C. WATER BAPTISM. We believe that Water Baptism is necessary as instructed by Christ in St. John 3:5, ‘UNLESS A MAN BE BORN AGAIN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT.” However, we do not believe that water baptism alone is a means of salvation, but is an outward demonstration that one has already had a conversion experience and has accepted Christ as his personal Savior. As Pentecostals, we practice immersion in preference to “SPRINKLING”, because immersion corresponds more closely to the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord (Colossians 2:12). It also symbolizes regeneration and purification more than any other mode. Therefore, we practice immersion as our mode of Baptism. We believe that we should use the Baptismal Formula given to us by Christ for all “…IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY GHOST.” (St. Matthew 28:19)

Membership in this church shall be extended to all applicants who give evidence of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who subscribe to this church’s tenets of faith, who otherwise satisfy the standards set forth in the By-Laws, and who consent to be governed by its Constitution and By-Laws as herein set forth.

A. The temporal government of this church shall be vested in the Pastor and the Official Board, the composition and operation of which shall be contained and described in the church By- Laws.

B.  The Official Board shall be the custodians of all the church property pursuant to the provisions of the church By-Laws.

C. All officers of the church shall consist of persons who are members of the Official Board.

This church is not organized for profit. Should a condition arise at any time in the future when, for any reason, the work of the church cannot continue, and the church property is to be disposed of in accordance with the By-Laws, said property is to be given to another non-profit religious corporation recognized by the Income Tax Department of the Federal Government. Such other recipient corporation shall be decided upon by the Official Board of this church corporation at the time of dissolution.

This Constitution may be amended by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the voting membership of the church who are in attendance at any regular or special meeting called for that purpose, provided due notice of such proposed change shall have been made at the morning worship services on at least two Sundays preceding the time of such meeting, and such notice shall explicitly describe the nature of the change.