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Bylaws of St. Luke the Evangelist Orthodox Church (continued)

ARTICLE III - THE PARISH MEETING

SECTION 1 - MEETINGS

a) The Annual Parish Meeting
The annual meeting of communicant members of this parish shall be held on a Sunday in January of every year following the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, for the purpose of electing officers of the parish council and for the transaction of such other business as may come before the meeting. Should circumstances preclude having the annual parish meeting at its regularly appointed time, then an alternate date, agreed upon by the rector and the parish council, may be selected.

b) Special Parish Meetings
Special meetings of the communicant members of this parish may be called by the diocesan bishop or his designee, the rector, the parish council, or by not less than 30% of the communicant members of this parish. When 30% of the members of this parish shall call a meeting, they shall file a written request, statement of purpose, detailed agenda, and constructive proposals, signed by those calling the meeting, with the rector and the lay chairperson of the parish council at least one month prior to the date of said meeting. Arrangements shall then be made for notice to be given as per subsection d) hereof.

c) Place of Meeting
The annual meeting and any special parish meeting shall be held in the church proper.

d) Notice of Meetings
Notice of the annual and all special parish meetings, along with the proposed agenda of said meeting, shall be given by the rector from the ambo at the Divine Liturgy on three (3) consecutive Sundays prior to the meeting and published in the Church bulletin. The agenda and reports will be made available at least eight days prior to the date of the meeting.

e) Emergency Meetings With the knowledge, approval, and blessing of the rector, an emergency meeting of the parish may be called if the congregation is notified seven (7) days in advance and contacted by mail. All members who attend the meeting constitute a quorum.

SECTION 2 - QUORUM

The quorum for all parish meetings shall be 40% of communicant members, as defined in Article I, Section 1 of these bylaws, who are enrolled in this parish at the time of the meeting. In the absence of a quorum at the annual parish meeting, that meeting may be adjourned to a time determined by the majority of communicant members present at that meeting. At the adjourned meeting, those in attendance shall constitute a quorum. These provisions for an adjourned meeting shall not apply to any special meeting or to annual meetings at which matters pertaining to the amendment of these bylaws or the acquisition or alienation of parish property or capital expenditures are included on the agenda. In such instances the quorum requirements outlined in this section must be applied.

SECTION 3 - CONSENSUS AND VOTINGM

a) In the spirit of Orthodoxy and in the interest of unity, matters transacted at all parish meetings shall be passed by consensus. When a consensus cannot be reached, a simple majority vote by those communicant members present shall determine the decision of any parish meeting except as provided in subparagraph b) below, and in Article V, Section 2, and in Article VIII, Section 1, concerning amendments to these bylaws.

b) In cases involving any capital expenditures of more than $10,000.00, including the purchase, sale, mortgage or lease of parish property, a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the communicant members present shall be required in instances where a consensus cannot be reached.

SECTION 4 - ORDER OF MEETINGS

a) Officers of the parish meeting

1. The rector is the chairperson and presiding officer at the parish meeting unless he designates a substitute chairperson.

2. A vice chairperson, who may be the lay chairperson of the parish council or a person elected at the parish meeting, may conduct portions of the meeting as designated by the rector.

3. A secretary, who may be the secretary of the parish council or a person elected at the parish meeting, shall record the minutes of the parish meeting.

b) The Agenda of the annual meeting
1. Opening prayer
2. Determination of a quorum
3. Minutes of the previous meeting
4. Reports of the rector, lay chairperson and the heads of parish ministries
5. Old or unfinished business
6. Financial stewardship report and auditor's report
7. Approval of parish budget for the impending year
8. Election of parish council officers, auditors, and representatives to the Diocesan Assembly and to the All-American Council
9. New business
10. Adjournment
11. Closing prayer
c) The Agenda of the special meeting
1. Opening prayer
2. Determination of a quorum
3. Statement of purpose of the meeting
4. Resolutions
5. Adjournment
6. Closing prayer

d) Record of a parish meeting
Two copies of the minutes of a parish meeting, annual or special, signed by the rector and the secretary of the meeting and including financial data and attached reports, if any, shall be sent to the diocesan bishop within twenty-one (21) days of such meeting. An additional signed copy is to be sent to the district dean.

1. In case of disagreement with one or several decisions of a parish meeting, a statement of dissent may be submitted in writing by the rector, the parish council, or one tenth (1/10) of the communicant members present at a parish meeting. Such statements are to be attached to the minutes.

2. After review of the parish meeting minutes, the diocesan bishop shall approve or disapprove the decisions and resolutions, including elections, in those minutes. Once approved by the diocesan bishop, those decisions and resolutions, including elections, shall become effective as of the date of approval. Decisions and resolutions which are not approved, including elections, shall be remanded back to the parish for further action. No decisions or action of a parish meeting shall become effective until approved in writing by the diocesan bishop.