Tribe Constitution

TRIBE - Constitution and Bylaws, Adopted June 23, 2013

1. Definition of terms

Site – The local church consisting of followers of Jesus, with their families, associated together for the purpose of worship and service in the community, agreeable to the Scriptures, and living in submission to each other.

Multi site – A site that has multiple locations for worship and ministry.  Even though it encompasses multiple sites it is treated as one site because they are all linked financially and have one Council over all of the sites.

Council – Elected leaders that are responsible for the care and direction of the site.  They must be a leader and a member.

Leaders – People appointed by a site pastor to lead ministries at that site. They do not have to be members.

Members – Those that attend a site and have been recognized as members for the purpose of accountability and being able to vote on various issues that affect a site.

Pastors – Ordained ministers within Tribe as a whole.  They serve at a site or in a mission capacity.  If they serve at a site then they must also be a leader at that site and by the nature of their office that and their spouse are considered members.   If they are elected to serve on a council then they will serve as any other leader within the site.

Site Pastors – Ordained ministers that are responsible for health of a site.  By the nature of their office they and their spouse are members and are a part of the leadership and council.  They moderate all membership, leadership and council meetings.

Summits – Meetings that are comprised of all the pastors of all the sites and lay representatives that serve on the councils of various sites.  The purpose is to grow, maintain, serve and have accountability for Tribe as a whole.

Trybe Incorporated – This is the non-profit that Tribe supports to better enable us to serve in the community

2. Summits

General Nature of a Tribe Summit

Tribe will hold a yearly Summit meeting of all Tribe pastors.  Each site council may also elect a member of the council to attend that is not a pastor.

All pastors ordained in Tribe are expected to attend. The expenses of those attending shall be defrayed by the sites, which they respectively represent

Spouses are always invited as guests.  The moderator of a summit may also invite other guests. When guests have been invited specifically to be a part of the ordination process at a Summit, they may participate in the examination.  Guest are never allowed to vote, and may be dismissed at the discretion of the moderator to give privacy for various issuing that might be discussed.

A quorum of at least half of the site pastors, being met at the time and place appointed, are needed to conduct business

Special Summits may also be called with the agreement of four site pastors, or two if there is less that four site pastors in Tribe. Notice of the special meeting shall be sent not less than ten days in advance to each site pastor and to the council of every site.  In the notice, the purpose of the meeting shall be stated, and no business other than that named in the notice is to be transacted.

Moderators and Clerks

During the Summit one of the site pastors will be chosen to serve as a moderator and another as clerk.

The moderator and clerk will organize the next Summit meeting, keep track of and inform members of any Summit business, enact any actions decided upon at the Summit meeting.

The moderator has all authority necessary for the preservation of order and for the proper and expeditious conduct of all business at the Summit, and for convening and adjourning the Summit according to its own ruling.

In any emergency, or special circumstances, they may by circular letter or email change the time or place, or both, of meeting to which the Summit stands adjourned, giving reasonable notice thereof. 

The clerk is to keep records of each Summit. It is the duty of the clerk, in addition to recording the transactions, to preserve the records carefully, and to grant extracts from them whenever properly required.  Such extracts under the hand of the clerk shall be given to the council or site pastor of all sites.

Each clerk shall keep a full and accurate record of its proceedings, and shall send it up to each site council for review.  The report will contain all the important changes, which may have taken place, such as ordinations, forming of new sites and any other changes to the status of a site.

Joining and Leaving Tribe

Summits will authorize new sites, other churches wishing to join Tribe, and any other partnerships that Tribe as a whole might have with other churches or organizations.  Before receiving any church into Tribe, the Summit shall designate a commission to meet with the church's leadership to make certain that the leaders understand and can sincerely adopt the doctrines and polity of Tribe as contained in its Constitution.

When a Summit determines to dissolve Tribe’s relationship with a site, the Summit shall communicate in writing to the site council the reasons for the dissolution and what they would need to do to resolve the matter. The Summit shall give them no less than sixty (60) days to resolve the matter before dissolving the relationship.

In the case of a site that is dissolving the Summit will:

Allow the members to transfer their membership to another site, with the consent of the individuals and the council of the receiving site; or

Grant a letter of dismissal to an individual so requesting, testifying of them being in good standing at their site.

That the individual was a member in good standing of Tribe at the date of dissolution.  Until such time as the person is received by a site the Summit shall continue to provide pastoral oversight; or

Place individuals under the oversight of a commission of the Summit acting as a council for up to one year, renewable, until such time as either a new site can be formed or such persons are dismissed to membership in another site.

The Summit has the power:

To receive and issue appeals, complaints, and references brought before it in an orderly manner.  In cases in which a site council cannot exercise its authority, it shall have power to assume original jurisdiction. 

To monitor and aid sites in apprenticeships; to examine and ordain pastors; to receive, dismiss, install, remove and judge site pastors, pastors and members of councils;

To review the records of councils, redress whatever they may have done contrary to order and take effectual care that they observe the Constitution of Tribe; 

To disassociate a site from Tribe;

To establish the site pastor relation and to dissolve it at the request of one or both of the parties, or where the interest of religion imperatively demands it;

To set apart new site pastors to plant and to do their proper work; to require all pastors to devote themselves diligently to their sacred calling and to censure the delinquent; 

To see that the lawful injunctions of the previous summits are obeyed;

To condemn erroneous opinions which injure the purity or peace of the Tribe; to visit sites for the purpose of inquiring into and redressing the evils that may have arisen in them; to unite or divide Tribe, at the request of the members thereof; to form and receive new sites; to take special oversight of sites without a site pastor; to dissolve sites; to dismiss sites with their consent; 

To devise measures for the enlargement of Tribe; in general, to order whatever pertains to the spiritual welfare of the sites under its care; 

And, finally, to propose such measures as may be of common advantage to Tribe at large.

3. Council

The council consists of the site pastor(s) and leaders elected by the congregation to serve on the council.   Each council must have two members that are not site pastors.

If there are five or more council members, the site pastor(s) and two other members shall constitute a quorum.  If there are fewer than five members, the site pastor(s) and one other member shall constitute a quorum. 

A site pastor should moderate each council meeting.  If a site has more than one site pastor then the site pastors will determine which one will moderate by a majority decision. In cases where a majority cannot be determined amongst the site pastors, the council will elect one of the site pastors as the moderator.  In cases where there is no site pastor, the council will elect a moderator from amongst themselves.

Leaders that serve on the council will ordinarily serve for three-year terms.  In situations deemed necessary by the council, leaders may be elected to shorter terms.  They may serve for two consecutive terms before they must take one year off.  Pastors other than the site pastors may be elected by the congregation to serve on the council, in such cases that will serve as any other leader.

Site pastors are not subject to terms and term limits. Site pastors are automatically on the council when the members vote them into office.  Other pastors must be voted in separately.

When a site has no site pastor and there are five or more members, three shall constitute a quorum; if there are less than five members, two shall constitute a quorum; if there is only one, they do not constitute a council, but they should take spiritual oversight of the site, should present it to the moderator of the Summit, should grant letters of dismissal, and should report to the Summit any matter needing the action of the Summit.

Any council, by a majority vote of its members, may fix its own quorum, provided that it is not smaller than the quorum stated in these paragraphs.

Should prudential reasons at any time make it advisable, the site pastor(s) with the concurrence of the council may have another council member or invite another site pastor of Tribe to perform this service.

The council shall hold stated meetings at least quarterly.  Moreover, a site pastor has power to convene the council when they may judge it requisite; and they shall always convene it when requested to do so by any two council members. When there is no site pastor, it may be convened by two members of council.  The council shall also convene when directed so to do by a Summit meeting.

Every council shall keep an accurate record of its proceedings, which record shall be submitted at least once in every year to the inspection of the Summit.

Every council shall keep an accurate record of baptisms and dedications, membership, and of the deaths and dismissing of members.

Meetings of the council shall be opened and closed with prayer.

The council is charged with maintaining the spiritual government of the site, for which purpose it has power:

To inquire into the knowledge, principles and Christian conduct of the members under its care; to censure those found delinquent; to receive members into the communion of the Church; to remove them for just cause; to grant letters of dismissal to other churches, which when given to parents, shall always include the names of their non-communing, baptized or dedicated children;

To approve of leaders, and to require these leaders to devote themselves to their work; to examine the records of the proceedings leadership meetings; to approve and adopt the budget; 

To approve actions of special importance affecting church property;

To call or all site meetings when necessary; to establish and control of, small groups, ministries and missions of the site.

To exercise, authority over the time and place of the preaching of the Word and the administration of the Sacraments, over all other religious services, over the music in the services, and over the uses to which the church building and associated properties may be put; to take the oversight of the singing in the public worship of God; to ensure that the Word of God is preached only by such men as are sufficiently qualified; to assemble the people for worship when there is no site pastor; to determine the best measures for promoting the spiritual interests of the site and congregation;

To observe and carry out the lawful injunctions of Summit meetings; and to appoint representatives to the Summit, who shall, on their return, make report of their diligence. 

4. Leaders

Leaders consist of anyone officially leading a ministry or function at a Tribe site.  They do not necessarily have to be members but that must be appointed by a site pastor and serve at the will of the site pastor(s) and the council.

A site pastor will moderate all leadership meetings, or they may appoint another leader to moderate in their place.  The site pastor(s) will also elect a clerk to keep appropriate records of the meeting.  Any leader may request a copy of the notes.

A site pastor will call a leadership meeting at least once a quarter.  Other leadership meetings may be called whenever requested by the site pastor or the council. 

Leaders shall submit a budget for the ministry they lead to the council to be approved by the members at a yearly meeting to approve the budget.

All meetings should be opened and closed with prayer.

Duties

It is the duty of a leader to minister to those who are in need, to the sick, to the friendless, and to any who may be in distress.  It is their duty also to develop the grace of liberality in the members of the site, to devise effective methods of collecting the gifts of the people, and to distribute these gifts among the objects to which they are contributed.

Leaders shall have the care of the property of the site, both real and personal, and shall keep in proper repair of all buildings belonging to the site.  In matters of special importance affecting the property of the site, they cannot take final action without the approval of the council.

In the discharge of their duties leaders are under the supervision of the site-pastor and the authority of the council.  In a site in which it is impossible for any reason to secure leaders, the duties of the office shall devolve upon the council.

Qualities

They should be those who are responsible and prudent, an example to the flock, and who govern well in their families, in the community and in the Kingdom of Christ, and should have a good report of them that are outside the Church.

They should possess a willingness to learn, be trained, and be blameless in life, sound in the faith and apt to teach.  They should exhibit a sobriety and holiness of life becoming of the Gospel.

They should set a worthy example to the flock entrusted to their care by their zeal to evangelize the unconverted and make disciples.  All those duties that private Christians are bound to discharge by the law of love are especially incumbent upon them by divine vocation, and are to be discharged as official duties.  They should pray with and for the people, being careful and diligent in seeking the fruit of the preached Word among the flock.

It belongs to these offices, both severally and jointly, to watch diligently over the flock committed to their charge, that no corruption of doctrine or morals enter therein. They should visit the people at their homes, especially the sick.  They should instruct the ignorant, comfort the mourner, nourish and guard the children of the Church.

Leaders should cultivate their ability teach the Bible and should improve every opportunity of doing so.

5. Pastors

Before a person can be ordained as a pastor at Tribe, they must receive a call to a definite work.  Ordinarily the call must come from a Tribe site. If the call comes from another source, the Summit shall always make a record of the reasons why it considers the work to be a valid Christian ministry.  A proper call must be written and in the hands of the Summit clerk prior to being acted upon by the Summit. It must include financial arrangements (such as salary, vacation, insurance, retirement, etc.) between those calling and the one called, and assurance that the definite work will afford the liberty to proclaim and practice fully and freely the whole counsel of God, as contained in the Scriptures. Every site should be under the pastoral oversight of a site pastor and when a site has no site pastor the Summit should supple a temporary site pastor until a regular one can be placed by the a Tribe Summit with the approval of the site’s council and members.

Site pastors called by a Tribe site and must be approved by their council and by membership vote.  The pastor must then be approved at a Tribe summit

Sites may pursue other pastoral staff on their own, at their own discretion and process, but if they are to be ordained within Tribe then they must follow the requirements of ordination as prescribed at a Tribe Summit.

A mission site pastor has the same description as every other site pastor.  It is distinguished from a regular site pastor in that they do not govern an actual Tribe site, but work in the capacity of missionary, evangelist or consultant.  Mission site pastors have the right of judicial process at a Tribe Summit. It is the intention of Tribe that mission site pastors enjoy the same status as other site pastors within Tribe.

6. Examination for Ordination

Examination for ordination is granted to those that have completed a Tribe Apprenticeship or for those that have approved as eligible to transfer of their ordination at a Tribe Summit.

The examination at a summit meeting shall be as follows:

Give a statement of their Christian experience and inward call to preach the Gospel in written form and/or orally before the Summit (at the discretion of the Summit):

Be tested with a written and/or oral examination by the Summit (at the discretion of the Summit) for their:

Acquaintance with experiential religion, especially their personal character and family management (based on the qualifications set out in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, and Titus 1:6-9),

Demonstrates completion of a designated training in Greek and Hebrew.

Bible content, theology, the Sacraments, and Church history

The practices and constitution of Tribe

The must have completed an approved course of training

They shall prepare a thesis on some theological topic assigned by the Summit.

The candidate shall prepare an exegesis on an assigned portion of Scripture, requiring the use of the original language or languages.

They shall further be required to preach a sermon before the Summit

No Summit shall omit any of these parts of trial for ordination except in extraordinary cases, and then only with three-fourths (3/4) approval of the Summit

Whenever a Summit shall omit any of these parts, it shall always make a record of the reasons for such omissions and of the trial parts omitted.  While our Constitution does not require the candidates to hold every statement and/or proposition of doctrine in agreement with others in the Summit, it is the right and responsibility of the Summit to determine if the candidate is out of accord with any of the fundamentals of Tribe these doctrinal standards and, as a consequence, may not be able to in good faith sincerely work within Tribe.

If the Summit is satisfied with the examination of the applicant, it shall then proceed to ordain them in the following manner: The moderator shall propose to them the following questions, namely:

Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as originally given, to be the inerrant Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice?

Do you sincerely receive and adopt the doctrine and practices of Tribe?

Do you promise to strive for the purity, peace, unity and edification of the Church?

Do you promise to submit yourself, in the Lord, and to Tribe as the church you wish to serve?

The applicant having answered these questions in the affirmative, the moderator shall offer a prayer suitable for the occasion,

A commission will then be elected by the Summit to go to the site and conduct an ordination ceremony.

7. Tribe Apprenticeship

Tribe Summits shall determine general requirements for pastoral apprenticeship and areas of competency require for ordination. In no case may an apprentice, site pastor, or council omit from the course of study any of the subjects prescribed as tests for ordination without obtaining the consent of Tribe Summit, and where such consent is given the Summit shall record the fact and the reasons therefore.

Those received into apprenticeship should be sponsored by a Tribe site or partnering site.  They should believe that they are called to preach the Gospel, be willing submit to the care and guidance of the site pastor in their course of study and of practical training to prepare for the pastorate.

It shall be the duty of the site pastor and their council to mentor them and show a kindly and sympathetic interest in them, and to give counsel and guidance in regard to studies, practical training, and the institutions of learning they should attend. 

Apprentices should attend all Tribe Summits in so much as it is possible.  Within the first year of their apprenticeship shall be examined by the Summit on experiential religion and on their motives for seeking the ministry. If the testimonials and the examination prove satisfactory, the other site pastors and council members will work to find a viable call for the apprentice in a church or non-profit.

The Summit shall require apprentice and site pastors to give a report at least once a year regarding their progress.

A transfer of the apprenticeship to another site may be requested by the apprentice, the sponsoring site pastor or council, or by a Tribe Summit.  If this is the case all parties must either agree or the matter must be arbitrated at a Tribe Summit

An apprentice shall also, at their request, be allowed to withdraw from the ordination and or training process.

Sponsoring site pastors and councils, and/or summits may also, for sufficient reasons, end the apprenticeship; but in such a case it shall report its actions and the reasons therefor to the appropriate parties involved, including the apprentice, and sponsoring site pastor and council, as well as the reason being examined at a Tribe Summit.

8. Tribe Sites

All sites shall be entitled to hold, own and enjoy their own local properties, without any right of reversion whatsoever to Tribe; Tribe only possess the name and its incorporation.

The provisions of constitution are to be construed as a solemn covenant whereby Tribe as a whole promises never to attempt to secure possession of the property of any site against its will, whether or not such site remains within or chooses to withdraw from this body.  All site pastors, pastors, council, leaders and members of Tribe are hereby prohibited from making any such attempt.

While a site consists of all the members of a particular site, and in matters ecclesiastical the actions of such local site shall be in conformity with the provisions of this Constitution, nevertheless, in matters pertaining to the right to affiliate with or become a member of Tribe, a Tribe Summit has the right to withdraw from o  to sever any affiliation of connection with any site, action may also be taken by a site; and as long as such action is taken in compliance with the prescribed process outlined in the Constitution

A 2/3 vote of all those present at a Tribe Summit is required to dissociate with a site.  The site must also be allowed opportunity to appeal the action or the opportunity to make changes that would bring them into compliance with Tribe as a whole.

In similar fashion a 2/3 vote at a site membership meeting is required for a site to disassociate with Tribe.

It is expressly recognized that each site shall be competent to function and to take actions covering the matters set forth herein as long as such action is in compliance with the civil laws and with the Tribe constitution.  This right shall never be taken from a site without the express consent of and affirmative action of such site.

Sites abide and remain in association with Tribe only so long as they themselves so desire.  The relationship is voluntary, based upon mutual love and confidence, and is in no sense to be maintained by the exercise of any force or coercion whatsoever.  A particular site may withdraw from Tribe at any time for reasons which seem to it sufficient.

Sites that wish to leave Tribe or that have been asked to leave Tribe by a Tribe Summit may not take the name Tribe with them; the site pastor must either leave the site or leave their ordination with Tribe; and the site may not use the Tribe incorporation.

If the site is dissolved at a Tribe Summit at the request of a site and no disposition has been made of its property by those who hold the title to the property within six months after such dissolution, then those who held the title to the property at the time of such dissolution shall deliver, convey, and transfer to the nearest Tribe site all property of the dissolved site; and the receipt and acquaintance of the nearest Tribe site, or its proper representatives, shall be a full and complete discharge of all liabilities of such persons holding the property of the dissolved site. The nearest sites receiving such property shall apply the same or the proceeds thereof at its discretion.

9. The Organization of a Site

Only the authority of a Tribe Summit can organize a new site. 

In the organization of a site, whatever be the way in which the matter originated, at least 30 days before an appointed Tribe Summit a petition, subscribed to by those persons seeking to be organized into a Tribe site, shall be sent to each site pastor.

If the request is granted then the summit will appoint a commission entrusted with the power to organize the site.

The commission will examine prospective council members of the new site in the following: Familiarization with Tribe values and practices, Christian experience, their knowledge and acceptance of the constitutional standards of Tribe, and their willingness to assume the responsibility of the council according to the qualifications set forth in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.

10. Election of Council

Every site shall elect leaders to the council in the following manner:  At such times as determined by the council, members may submit names of leaders to the council, keeping in mind that each prospective officer should be a leader and a member who meets the qualifications set forth in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. 

After the close of the nomination period of nominees for the council, each nominee shall then be examined by the council in:

Christian experience, personal character and family management (qualifications set out in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9)

Knowledge of Bible content

Knowledge of the system of doctrine, government, discipline contained in the Constitution of Tribe

The duties of the council to which they have been nominated, and their willingness to give assent to the questions required for the council.

The council will then approve the number of candidates needed to fill the positions and report the nominees to the members along with the number of council spots available, giving at least thirty (30) days prior notice of the time and place of a member meeting for elections.  If no suitable candidates are found then nominations may be reopened.

The candidates with the majority of votes will be placed on the council.  However in every case a majority of all the voters present shall be required to elect. In the event of a tie the site pastor(s) will decide.

A site pastor is, by virtue of their office, the moderator of all member meetings.  In the event of multiple site pastors, the site pastors will decide amongst themselves by majority vote who to elect as moderator.  If there is no site pastor, the council shall appoint one of their number to call the meeting to order and to preside.

All members in good and regular standing, but no others, are entitled to vote in the election of council at the site to which they respectively belong.

The voters being convened, the moderator shall explain the purpose of the meeting and then proceed by private ballot without nomination.

If it appears that a large minority of the voters are averse to a candidate, and cannot be induced to concur in the choice, the moderator shall endeavor to dissuade the majority from prosecuting it further; but if the electors are nearly or quite unanimous, or if the majority insist upon their right to choose their council member, the election shall stand.

11. Site Membership

All persons attending the site are entitled to the watchful care, instruction, and government of the church, whether or not they have made a profession of faith in Christ.

Anyone who has made a profession of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, having stated their desire to become a member of a Tribe site, and that site having accepted them into their body, may be a member of Tribe.

All pastors are automatically members of the site to which they are called.

12. Membership Meetings

Membership meeting consists of all the members of a particular Tribe site, and only members are entitled to vote.

Whenever it may seem for the best interests of a site that a membership meeting should be held, the council shall call such meeting and give public notice of at least one week.  No business shall be transacted at such meeting except what is stated in the notice.  The council shall always call a membership meeting when requested in writing to do so:

by one-fourth (1/4) of the members of a site of not more than one hundred (100) such members

by one-fifth (1/5) of the members of a site of more than one hundred (100) and not more than three hundred (300) such members, 

by one-sixth (1/6) of the members of a site of more than three hundred (300) and not more than five hundred (500) such members, 

by one-seventh (1/7) of the members of a site of more than five hundred (500) members but not more than seven hundred (700) such members,

by one hundred (100) of the members of a site of more than seven hundred (700) such members.

Upon such a proper request, if the council cannot act, fails to act or refuses to act, to call such a congregational meeting within thirty (30) days from the receipt of such a request, then any member or members in good standing may file a complaint that will call a Tribe Summit to moderate by instituting a commission or electing another site pastor to call a members meeting of that site and be present to deal with the issue. In such case the commission will elect a moderator from within the commission or the elected site pastor will serve as the moderator of the meeting.

The quorum of the membership meeting shall consist of one fourth (1/4) of the site members, if the site has not more than one hundred (100) such members, and of one-sixth (1/6) of the members if a site has more than one hundred (100) such members.

The site pastor shall be the moderator of member meetings by virtue of their office, except in the extreme case outlined above.  If it should be impracticable or inexpedient for them to preside, or if there is no site pastor, the council shall appoint one of their number to call the meeting

A clerk shall be elected by the council to serve at that meeting or for a definite period, whose duty shall be to keep correct minutes of the proceedings and of all business transacted and to preserve these minutes in a permanent form, after they have been attested by the moderator and the clerk of the meeting.  They shall also send a copy of these minutes to the council of the site.

13. The Dissolution of the Pastor Relation

All Tribe site pastors must tender their resignation of their pastoral charge at a Tribe Summit, the Tribe Summit will then give reason to the site pastor and to their council why they should or should not accept the resignation.

If any site council desires to be relieved of its site pastor, a similar procedure shall be observed.

The members by a secret ballot with four-fifths (4/5) majority vote may also petition a Tribe Summit to dissolve the relationship.

But whether the site pastor, the council or the members initiate proceedings for a dissolution of the relation, the site pastor must not physically leave the field until the Summit or its commission empowered to handle uncontested requests for dissolution has dissolved the relation.

A Tribe Summit may appoint a temporary site pastor when the pastoral relation of the site pastor is dissolved.

The dissolution of all other pastoral relations at sites will be handled at the discretion of the site-pastor and/or council.  However if a pastor was received into the site by a vote of the members, then a vote is required to remove them if they do not wish to leave.  Disputes shall be moderated at a Tribe Summit.

All other pastoral relations and calls are at the will of the council

14. Removal of a council member

A council member may have reasons, which they deems valid for being released from the active duties of the council.  In such a case the council, after conference with them and careful consideration of the matter, may, if it thinks proper, accept their resignation and dissolve their relationship with the council.

A council member may also become unacceptable to the site pastor, the council, or to the majority of the site, which the council member serves.  In such a case the site may take the initiative by a majority vote at a member meeting remove the council member.  In such a case the proceeding must be examined at the next Tribe Summit.

When a council member has been released and is again elected to a council in the same or another site, the election must be examined and approved at a Tribe Summit.

When a council member cannot or does not for a period of one year perform the duties of their office, their position shall be dissolved by the council and the action reported to the members.

15. Discipline

All persons, being members of Tribe are subject to its discipline and entitled to the benefits thereof.

Proper disciplinary principles are set forth in the Scriptures and must be followed. 

Instruction in the Word; 

Members’ responsibility to admonish one another (Matthew 18:15, Galatians 6:1);

If the admonition is rejected, then the calling of one or more witnesses (Matthew 18:16); 

If rejection persists, then Tribe must act through site councils and summits unto admonition, suspension or revoking of membership, leadership or council, or pastorates, and excommunication.

Nothing, therefore, ought to be considered by any council or summit as an offense, or admitted as a matter of accusation, which cannot be proved to be such from Scripture or Constitution.

Original jurisdiction (the right first or initially to hear and determine) in relation to members, leaders and council members shall be in the council of the site of the member or leader.  In the case of a site or a site pastor original jurisdiction is at a Tribe Summit.

16. Amending the Constitution of Tribe

The Constitution of Tribe, which is subject to and subordinate to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the inerrant Word of God, consists of its doctrinal standards set forth in the Constitution.

Amendments to the Constitution of Tribe as well as any organic unions and/or consolidation of Tribe with any other ecclesiastical body can be effected only in the following manner:

The approval of the proposed amendment or proposed union by three-fourths (3/4) of those present and voting at a Tribe Summit.

The advice and consent of three-fourths (3/4) of the Tribe sites.