HAPPY TRAILS COWBOY CHURCH CONSTITUTION
PREAMBLE

Under the guidance and leadership of the Lord Jesus Christ, we the members of the Happy Trails Cowboy Church
adopt the following constitution in order to declare and preserve the principles of our faith, the freedom of our
church, and the rights and responsibilities of our individual members.

ARTICLE I. NAME
The name of this church, located at Hwy 67, Glen Rose Texas and incorporated under the laws of the State of
Texas, is the Happy Trails Cowboy Church.

ARTICLE II. PURPOSE
The church is organized and maintained to fulfill the following Mission Purpose Statement:
The mission of the Happy Trails Cowboy Church is to share the love of God with the unchurched and lost people
of the Somervell County area and the world in such a way that they have the best opportunity to become fully
developing followers of Christ.

A fully developing follower of Christ...

Worships God: Honors God by worshiping Him corporately, in both large and small gatherings, and by
maintaining private devotions.

Lives by God’s Word: Understands the Bible as the ultimate authority for daily living and is involved in
corporate, small group, and private Bible study.

Contributes to God’s Work: Uses their time, abilities, spiritual gifts, and finances for God’s glory.

Connects With God’s People: Pursues Christ honoring relationships at home, in the church, at work, and in the
community.

Impacts God’s World: Reaches out to the lost and unchurched by praying for them, witnessing to them, and
inviting them to Cowboy Church events.

ARTICLE III. DOCTRINE
This church affirms the Holy Bible, the inspired word of God, as the authority in all matters of faith and practice.
We further identify ourselves as a distinctive body of faith by affirming the 1963 Baptist Faith and Message

ARTICLE IV. POLITY AND RELATIONS
Jesus Christ is the head of the church; the true source of all that the church is and does, and His glory is to be the
objective of every act, function, and motive of the body. both individually and corporately. It is before Him that all
other leadership must bow. He communicates his will for the church through His word, the Bible. He gives
additional guidance by means of the specific leading of the Holy Spirit who indwells the heart of each believer. He
calls forth leaders for the church to whom He gives responsibility for the oversight of the church body and the
shepherding of its members.

The government of this church is vested in the body of believers who compose its membership and leadership.
Persons meeting the membership requirements shall constitute the membership.
All internal groups created and empowered by the church shall exist to further the purpose of the church. They will
be accountable to the church.

As an autonomous local church, this church is not subject to the control of any ecclesiastical body. However, it
relates to and cooperates with the Pecos Valley Baptist Association, the Baptist General Convention of Texas, and
other entities of like faith in sharing the gospel with the whole world.

ARTICLE V. ORDINANCES
SECTION I. BAPTISM

A church is understood to be a fellowship of baptized believers brought together to carry out the work of Jesus
Christ. A baptized believer is one who has been scripturally immersed and understands baptism to be a symbol of the
salvation which has already been accepted in their life by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

SECTION II. THE LORD’S SUPPER
The church will observe the Lord’s Supper on a regular basis as led by the Pastor.
The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act whereby the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine,
memorialize the death of Christ and anticipate His second coming.

ARTICLE VI. AMENDMENTS
This Constitution may be amended by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the members present at a church conference
called for that purpose. Amendments may be proposed by the Elders or by written petition signed by 25% of the
resident members and duly presented to the Elders. Proposed amendments shall be in written form and mailed to
the last known address of all resident members eligible to vote at least two weeks prior to the election.
Amendments will be numbered, dated and attached to the original instrument.