1. INTERPRETATION
In this Constitution:-
(a) “Board” shall mean the Board of Deacons elected according to this Constitution.
(b) “Church” shall mean the Church named in clause (2) of this Constitution.
“Constitution” shall include amendments made in the Constitution of the Church which have been approved by the Registrar of Societies.
2. NAME
This Church shall be known as THE GRACE (SINGAPORE CHINESE CHRISTIAN) CHURCH.
3. PLACE OF BUSINESS
The place of business of this Church shall be at 14 Queen Street, Singapore 188536 or such other address as decided by the Board and approved by the Registrar of Societies.
4. OBJECT
The Objects of this Church shall be:
(a) To preach the Gospel of Salvation made possible through the shed blood of Jesus Christ as commanded in the Scriptures.
(b) To worship God.
(c) To have fellowship among Christians.
5. STATEMENT OF FAITH
Hereunder is the Statement of Faith of the Church.
We believe the Holy Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, is the inspired Word of God, the complete revelation of His will for the Salvation of men and the Divine and final authority for Christians’ faith and life. We believe in the one, true and living God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe in God the Son, Jesus Christ, true God and true man, conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He died on the cross and shed His blood as an atonement for the sins of men and was raised bodily from the dead. He ascended into heaven. He will return imminently and personally according to His promise. We believe that man was created in the image and the likeness of God, but in Adam all men have fallen into sin and as sinners men are in need of God’s salvation.
We believe that penitent sinners are regenerated solely by God’s grace and justified through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
We believe that there shall be a bodily resurrection of the just to eternal life and of the unjust to eternal punishment.
We believe that the Church is one body, consisting of those regenerated by the Spirit of God and of which Christ is the Head, expressing itself in worship, fellowship, evangelism and service.
6. MEMBER
(i) Members of this Church shall be those who:
a. subscribe to the Statement of Faith;
b. have been confirmed by water baptism by this church or in cases of transfers from other churches have been approved by the Board.
(ii) Membership shall be terminated upon:
a. death;
b. voluntary written withdrawal from membership;
c. abstinence from participation at the election of Deacons at the Annual General Meeting for three (3) consecutive years unless the member is medically unfit or has gone overseas or has other reasons acceptable by the Board; or
d. denial of the Statement of Faith.
(iii) Membership may be reinstated upon written application and upon approval by the Board.
7. ELECTION OF DEACONS AND TENURE OF OFFICE
(i) Deacons shall be nominated by the members and be voted at the Annual General Meeting.
(ii) The number of nominees shall be twice the number of required Deacons.
(iii) a. The Deacons so elected shall amongst themselves elect office bearers.
b. Officers of the Board shall include Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, the number of each to be determined by the Board.
(iv) A Deacon shall remain in office for one year and shall be eligible for re-election for five (5) consecutive years and then have to take sabbatical leave for at least one year before being eligible for re-election except that a Deacon shall not hold office as Treasurer for more than one year.
(v) Those eligible to be elected to the Board:
a. must measure to the standard given in 1 Timothy 3:1-13;
b. shall abide by the Statement of Faith; and all regulations of this Church; and
c. must be members for at least three (3) years and of age not less than twenty-one (21) years.
(vi) The office of Deacons is to be treated with gravity and respect (1 Tim. 3:1-13). Anyone guilty of a moral or spiritual lapse or of negligence should be sorrowfully removed from office by discipline of the Church at a general meeting.
8. POWERS OF THE BOARD
(i) The management or administration of this Church shall be vested in the Board.
(ii) The Board shall make or amend regulations governing the management of this Church.
(iii) The Board shall appoint Heads of Departments base on the recommendations made by members of the various departments. (iv) The Board has power to authorize the expenditure of a sum not exceeding $10,000.00 per item/per month from the Church’s fund for the Church’s purposes. (v) The duties and authorities of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer are as follows:
a. Chairman
He shall chair general meetings of members and meetings of the Board and shall supervise and manage all other matters in general.
b. Vice-Chairman
He shall assist the Chairman and may act on behalf of the Chairman during his absence.
c. Honorary Secretary
He shall record proceedings of general meetings and Board meetings and take charge of the correspondence of this Church.
d. Honorary Treasurer
He shall take charge of all the funds of this Church; be responsible for receipts and disbursements of all money; shall keep an account of all monetary transactions and ensuring the correctness of the same. He is authorized to keep $500.00 in cash for petty expenses at any one time and money in excess of this will be deposited in a bank to be named by the Board. All checks for withdrawal from the bank must be signed by any two of the following: Chairman, Vice-Chairman or Treasurer.
9. AUDITORS
Two auditors shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of members to serve for a term of one year. They shall not be members of the Board and shall not be eligible for re-election in the next year.
10. TRUSTEES
A Board of Trustees consists of not more than five or less than two trustees shall be appointed by the Board. The Board may terminate the term of office of any trustee at any time. All present and future immovable properties of this Church shall be vested in the Board of Trustees in accordance with the Declaration of Trust. The Board of Trustees shall not sell or in any way deal with such properties without at least 2/3 majority consent of members obtained at a general meeting.
11. MEETINGS
(i) The Annual General Meeting shall be held before October each year. Extraordinary General Meeting may be called by the Chairman on the requisition in writing of at least 1/5 of the total membership or by the Board.
(ii) Notice of the Annual General Meeting shall be given to members by the Secretary at least two weeks prior to the date fixed for the meeting. The following shall be tendered at the meeting:
a. Statement of Accounts for the previous twelve months and the Report on the general affairs and functions of this Church for the same period.
b. Election of the Board of Deacons and the Auditors for the coming twelve months.
(iii) Notice for the Extraordinary General Meeting together with the agenda shall be given to members by the Secretary at least one week prior to the date fixed for the meeting.
(iv) At last ¼ of the total membership of this Church shall constitute a quorum at the general meeting. In the event of there being no quorum, the general meeting may be postponed to the same day in the following week and should the number then present be insufficient to form a quorum, the meeting can proceed with the items in the agenda but shall not have power to make any amendment to the Constitution.
(v) The Chairman shall call a meeting of the Board at least once a month and one week’s notice shall be given together with the agenda to the Deacons. One-half of its total members shall constitute a quorum.
(vi) The Board shall act by simple majority. In the event of a tie, the Chairman shall have a casting vote.
12. FINANCE
The maintenance of this Church and its programmes shall be financed by free-will offerings.
13. AMENDMENTS TO THIS CONSTITUTION
No alterations or additions to this Constitution, including this amendment clause shall be made except at a general meeting and they shall not come into force without the prior sanction of the Registrar of Societies.
14. PROHIBITIONS
(i) Gambling of any kind and the playing or paikow or mahjong, whether for stakes or not, is forbidden on the church’s premises. The introduction of materials for gambling or drug taking and of bad characters into the premises is prohibited.
(ii) The funds of the church shall not be used to pay the fines of members who have been convicted in court.
(iii) The Church shall not attempt to restrict or in any other manner interfere with trade or prices or engage in any Trade Union activity as defined in any written law relating to Trade Unions for the time being in force in Singapore.
(iv) The Church shall not hold any lottery whether confined to its members or not, in the name of the Church or its office-bearers, Board or members.
(v) The Church shall not indulge in any political activity or allow its funds and/or premises to be used for political purpose.
15. DISSOLUTION
(i) The Church shall not be dissolved except with the consent of not less that 3/5 of the members of the Church for the time being resident in Singapore expressed either in person or by proxy at a general meeting convened for the purpose.
(ii) In the event of the Church being dissolved as provided above, all debts and liabilities legally incurred on behalf of the Church shall be fully discharged and the remaining funds will be disposed of in the way as agreed by the members at the general meeting.
(iii) Notice of dissolution shall be given within 7 days of the dissolution to the Registrar of Societies. | 
