Crosslinks Constitution - 12 June 2007 |
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As revised at Special or Annual Meetings held on 16 September 1946, 28 April 1953, 30 April 1958, 4 May 1960, 1 May 1962, 4 May 1965, 2 May 1966, 22 April 1969, 28 April 1970, 25 April 1972, 20 March 1973, 26 April 1977, 26 April 1979, 19 April 1986, 9 April 1988, 21 April 1990, 24 April 1993, 9 April 1994, 15 April 2000, 18 June 2002, 8 May 2004 and 12 June 2007.
1 NAME The Society founded in 1922 as "The Bible Churchmen's Missionary Society" shall be called "Crosslinks".
2 OBJECT The object of the Society shall be to preach the Gospel to every creature in fulfilment of our Lord's command, it being clearly understood that such preaching is the primary function of missionary enterprise, taking precedence over medical and other auxiliary ministries.
3 CHARACTER The Society stresses the great scriptural and evangelical truths emphasized by the Reformers and by the historic Evangelical Movement in the Church of England, in accordance with the Basis of the Society and the Statement of Faith.
4 CONDITIONS OF HOLDING OFFICE All members of the General Council with full membership rights and all persons appointed to Office in the Society shall be confirmed members of the Church of England or of a Church in communion therewith (unless the General Council shall in regard to any particular person to be appointed to Office in the Society expressly waive this requirement), and each year shall sign their acceptance of the Statement of Faith as adopted at the Meeting of Members on 19 April 1986, and shall on appointment and at such other times as determined by the General Council, sign a copy of the Basis of the Society and the Statement of Faith.
5 MEMBERSHIP Those who sign the Basis of the Society and the Statement of Faith and give a written undertaking (to be repeated when so required by the General Council) that they have been a supporter of the Society by prayer and gifts for at least a year, and that they continue to support the Society in the same manner, shall be members of the Society.
6 ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS An annual meeting of the members of the Society shall be held, at which not fewer than fifty present and voting shall constitute a quorum, when a report of the year’s work shall be laid before the meeting, the accounts presented, and after the signing of the Basis of the Society and the Statement of Faith, Honorary Officers elected and the results of the postal vote of the election of the General Council shall be announced. The acceptance of the accounts shall be carried out by postal ballot of members prior to the Annual Meeting. Any other business shall be discussed of which ten days’ notice in writing has been given to the General Secretary, provided always that the member may, with the consent of the meeting, make recommendations for the consideration of the General Council. The order in which the above items shall be presented to the meeting shall be determined by the Chairman, subject to the decision of the meeting. The President and the Honorary Officers of the Society shall be elected for a period of three years.
7 CONSTITUTION OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL The General Council shall be made up of the following persons:
Eight persons elected by Members of the Society. They shall each serve for a term of three years. Two elected in year one of a rolling three-year cycle and three in each of years two and three. These persons must be signatories of the Basis of the Society and the Statement of Faith and be Crosslinks members and will have voting rights.
Up to four persons appointed by the General Council, whose skills and/or experience are considered by the General Council as appropriate to further the work of the Society. The Honorary Treasurer and the Chair of the Ireland Group shall each be one of these persons unless otherwise elected by the membership of the Society. They shall each serve for a term of three years, be signatories of the Basis of the Society and the Statement of Faith and will have voting rights.
The Principal of Trinity College Bristol or his/her appointed representative, each of who must be a signatory of the Basis of the Society and the Statement of Faith and will have voting rights.
The person nominated by General Synod to Crosslinks shall have the right to attend and contribute to the meetings of the General Council but shall have no voting rights. He or she is expected to be a signatory of the Basis of the Society and the Statement of Faith.
The General Secretary or his nominee and one other member of the Senior Staff shall have the right to attend and contribute to the meetings of the General Council. They must be signatories of the Basis of the Society and the Statement of Faith. They shall have no voting rights. Other members of the Staff may be invited to attend from time to time.
Vacancies that occur in the elected membership of the Board shall be filled by the unsuccessful candidates securing the largest number of votes in the most recent election. If a vacancy has more than one full year to run and there are no unsuccessful candidates available from the previous election then the seat shall be filled by bye-election. In either case the person would hold office for the unexpired portion of the term of office of the member being replaced.
Elected members and appointed members may serve for two consecutive terms of three years but thereafter may not stand for election or be re-appointed until one year has passed. No one shall be eligible for nomination for election or appointment who has attained the age of seventy years on the date of such election.
A former employee of the Society may not be nominated for election before one year has passed since the termination of his/her employment.
ELECTIONS TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL Written nominations for election to the General Council and for any Honorary Officers must reach the General Secretary eight weeks before the date of the Annual Meeting, and must be accompanied by the written consent of the nominee, who must be a member, together with a copy of the Basis of the Society and the Statement of Faith signed by him or her, and supported by five members. If more than the required number be nominated, elections shall be by ballot.
9 MEETINGS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL The General Council shall normally meet four times a year and two-thirds of the Council voting and present shall constitute a quorum.
10 FUNCTIONS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL The General Council shall be answerable to the Annual Meeting of Members for the conduct of the work of the Society. It shall arrange for the appointment of such committees and advisory groups as may be deemed necessary. It shall make all salaried appointments, including that of the General Secretary, who shall be the chief executive officer, and shall be ex officio a voting member of all Committees, Councils, Advisory Groups and Trusts.
11 EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETINGS A Special General Meeting of the members of the Society, at which not fewer than 30 shall constitute a quorum, shall be called at any time at the request of the General Council or of 24 members of the Society by letter addressed to the General Secretary, specifying the object of the meeting. Eight weeks' notice shall be given in the religious press of any such intended meeting, and of the purpose for which it is called, such notice to be deemed sufficient publicity.
12 ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION While the doctrinal position of the Society as set forth in the Basis of the Society and the Statement of Faith shall remain fundamentally the same, the rules of the Constitution may be repealed and new ones adopted at the Annual Meeting (eight weeks' notice of the proposed alteration being given) or at a special meeting called for that purpose. No alteration shall be made without a two thirds majority of those present and voting.
13 STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS The Accounts shall be audited annually by a qualified accountant and published.
METHODS OF RAISING FUNDS The Society trusts the faithfulness of God. It deprecates the use of worldly methods for raising funds and shall not knowingly incur debt, but this shall not preclude the Society from obtaining mortgages or loans secured on its assets.