Our Constitution
Preamble
The Bible, not this constitution, is our final authority for matters of faith and practice. Furthermore, we affirm that only by the indwelling Holy Spirit, not this constitution, can we fulfill the will of God for IBCA. With this in mind, the purpose of this constitution is merely to provide a framework to facilitate the ministry of this church; for the Bible teaches us to do all things “in a fitting and orderly way” (1 Corinthians 14:40). To this end, we, the membership of IBCA, agree to be governed by this document, the by-laws and the accompanying policies.
Article I · Statement of Faith
The full Statement of Faith is published on a dedicated page. Read the Statement of Faith →
Article II · The Corporation
Section 1 — Name. The name of this church shall be “International Bible Church of Armenia” or IBCA.
Section 2 — Mission. We exist to provide a biblically centered, missional, church-planting, international church where we support each other in prayer and community.
Section 3 — Vision. We are a church that seeks to partner with God to bless Armenia through building up the Body of Christ — ourselves, our families, and the church community — for the purpose of equipping disciples to declare the gospel of Jesus Christ and plant biblical churches in Armenia and among its neighbors.
Section 4 — Slogan. “A Church for Armenia and the World.”
Article III · Membership
Any person may become a member of IBCA if they have: received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their life; demonstrated in their manner of life the presence of Christ; demonstrated their obedience to Christ in baptism; agree with the Statement of Faith; and agree to be governed by the constitution and by-laws of this church. Regarding baptism, the church does not require a specific mode or timing of baptism to consider the person as having fulfilled this requirement.
Article IV · Organizational Structure
This church shall operate according to an Elder-led form of government as specified in the By-Laws. Qualified men shall be appointed to serve as Elders from the membership.
Article V · Church Leaders
The spiritual leadership and general oversight of this church is the responsibility of the Elders. For the purposes of incorporation in Armenia the elders are considered the legal officers of the church.