Covenant News - Bylaw Amendments to Be Presented at Annual Meeting

Covenant News

Bylaw Amendments to Be Presented at Annual Meeting

CHICAGO, IL (March 23, 2004) - Delegates to the 119th Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Covenant Church to be held in Minneapolis this June will vote on six proposed amendments to the Covenant Bylaws.

The first pertains to the number of world mission delegates to the Annual Meeting. Currently, each world mission region is entitled to two delegates. The following amendment to Section 7.4.d was proposed by David Dolan, Chinese ministry coordinator for world mission: "The ECC Department of World Mission shall be entitled to up to twenty-six delegates to the Annual Meeting. The delegates will be determined by the executive minister of world mission in consultation with the regional and country coordinators."

The second amendment pertains to the removal or reinstatement of a suspended Executive Board member. Currently, a suspended board member can be removed or reinstated by "majority" vote of the Annual Meeting. The proposed amendment to Section 7.10.m.iii requires "a two-thirds" vote by the Annual Meeting, and brings the Bylaws in line with Illinois not-for-profit law and Covenant policy.

The third amendment pertains to the approval of salaries for the presidents of Covenant Ministries of Benevolence, Covenant Retirement Communities, Emmanuel Medical Center, Life Center on the Green, and Swedish Covenant Hospital. Currently, those salaries are approved by the Executive Board upon the recommendation of the Board of Benevolence.

The proposed amendment to Section 8.1.j reads that the Executive Board will "approve the salary of the president of Covenant Ministries of Benevolence upon the recommendation of the Board of Benevolence." This amendment was prompted by a review of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights 2, which requires boards to have expert governance and compensation oversight and control. The Executive Board may not have sufficient knowledge of the performance of affiliate presidents to oversee their compensation. This oversight, if the amendment is approved, would rest with the boards of the affiliates and the Board of Benevolence.

The next three amendments come as recommendations from the Executive Board, proposing that the Evangelical Covenant Church become a corporate member of Covenant Bible College International (CBCI) together with the Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada.

The board believes the denomination is the appropriate affiliation partner for this multi-conference, multi-national ministry because of the Covenant's deep roots in Covenant history and life and its vital connection to Covenant mission. Affiliation of Covenant Bible College International with the Evangelical Covenant Church will enhance cooperation in ministry and bring about appropriate mutual accountability, the board's rationale states.

ECC would have the following reserved powers as the Class B member of CBCI and as such would have rights of approval/disapproval over the following when recommended to the member by the board of CBCI:

Amendment, modification, or repeal of CBCI's articles of incorporation and bylaws
Selection of and/or removal of CBCI's president and campus executive directors
Merger or dissolution of CBCI or the sale of assets outside of the ordinary course of business
Any act that would jeopardize CBCI's status as a tax-exempt organization
Creation or dissolution of any affiliate or subsidiary of CBCI
Amendments or modifications to CBCI's mission statement

Approving the affiliation of Covenant Bible College International with the Evangelical Covenant Church will require the following Bylaw changes:

Replace the current text in Section 8.2.d with the following language: "The Executive Board shall have the following advisors: the members of the Council of Administrators and the president of Covenant Bible College International."
In Section 12.1, after "North Park University, an Illinois not-for-profit corporation," insert "Covenant Bible College International, a Colorado not-for-profit corporation."
Add a new Section 12.4, Covenant Bible College International: "Covenant Bible College International is the coordinating and guiding body for all affiliated campuses whose mission is to equip men and women to live as disciples of Jesus Christ. Affiliated campuses pursue this mission through promoting biblical literacy, spiritual formation, Christian service, worship, a practically applied faith, and global perspective. The corporate members of Covenant Bible College International are the ECC and the Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada. The Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada appoints the directors of Covenant Bible College International." The following sections would be renumbered accordingly.

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