P31 MINISTRIES CONSTITUTION PREAMBLE We the members of P31 MINISTRIES, subscribing to the Sovereignty of God and Lordship of Jesus Christ in our lives, with the Holy Bible as our authoritative scriptural guide do hereby establish this constitution to govern all matters in our association. ARTICLE I: NAME The name of this Ministry shall be P31 MINISTRIES, where P31 stands for Proverbs 31:10-31. ARTICLE II: LOCATION The headquarters of P31 MINISTRIES shall be in Ghana and the principal address shall be dependent on the office of the secretariat as agreed on by the Central Leadership. ARTICLE III: PURPOSE & GOALS SECTION A: MISSION STATEMENT P31 MINISTRIES is an interdenominational, evangelical and mentoring Ministry aimed at building up Christian women in all facets of their lives, equipping them to in turn impact the lives of the younger female generation, entrenching them in the faith of Christianity. SECTION B: VISION The vision of P31 MINISTRIES shall be two-fold; directed toward the Women’s’ Ministry and the School Clubs. These two categories are defined in Article V.
a. Women’s’ Ministry i. To build up women spiritually so that we may be able to offer counsel to young Christian women. ii. To live in a manner that will positively impact the communities in which we live and the world at large; reaching out to them through evangelism, prayer and fellowship. b. School Clubs i. To raise up women of virtue and strength who will exude the light of the knowledge of the Gospel of Christ and the glory of God in their lives.
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To reach out to young women with the Gospel of Christ, enlightening them about God’s promises and purposes for their lives. To mentor young women to stand firm and unshaken in the faith of Christianity.
SECTION C: NATURE OF THE MINISTRY a. P31 MINISTRIES is an interdenominational, evangelical and mentoring Ministry. b. P31 MINISTRIES shall manage her own affairs and shall not be subject to any other religious body or organization but can partner with other Christian ministries who share a similar vision for special programmes. c. P31 MINISTRIES is a not-for-profit organization. ARTICLE IV: ARTICLES OF FAITH a. We believe in one God, eternally existing in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. b. We believe the Holy Bible as the inspired Word of God, without any error, the all-sufficient authority in matters of faith, doctrine and Christian living. c. We believe in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, and that He is truly God and man. He died on the cross for our sins. He rose in bodily form from the dead and ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father and is now our High Priest and Advocate. d. We believe that man was created in the image of God but fell into sin and is, therefore, lost. Only through regeneration by the work of the Holy Spirit can man’s salvation and spiritual life be obtained. e. We believe that eternal salvation is the free gift of God, entirely apart from man’s works, and is possessed by any and all who have faith in and receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour. f. We believe in a regenerate church membership: that is, persons old enough to understand their need for Jesus Christ and, of their own free will, accept Him as their personal Lord and Saviour. g. We believe in baptism with water as a symbol for the remission of sins and the Lord’s Supper as a memorial to His suffering and death on the cross. They are, however, not to be regarded as means for man’s salvation. h. We believe in the personal, bodily, imminent, and glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ and that His second coming inspires believers for dynamic and zealous life and service for Him while waiting for His return. i. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead, the everlasting blessedness of the saved in heaven, and the everlasting punishment and separation from God of the unsaved in hell.
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ARTICLE V: ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE a. P31 MINISTRIES shall function at the following levels of leadership: i. Board of Trustees ii. Central Leadership iii. Branch Leadership iv. Executive Council v. Patrons b. The Board of Trustees, Central Leadership, Branch Leadership and Full members shall comprise the Women’s Ministry and the young ladies who are members of the P31 Christian Girls’ Clubs shall comprise the Club Ministry. SECTION A: BOARD OF TRUSTEES a. The Board of Trustees shall comprise the 13 ladies who founded the ministry. b. The Board of Trustees shall be the highest level of leadership of the Ministry. c. It shall serve an advisory role to the Central and Branch Leadership. d. The Board of Trustees shall be chaired by a member of the Board, nominated and elected into office by simple majority. e. The Chairman of the Board shall nominate another member of the board to serve as General Secretary to the board upon approval by the Board. f. It shall meet at least once a year and the Chairman has the prerogative to call these meetings. g. It shall be mandated to appoint an audit committee to audit the accounts of the Central Leadership annually. The committee shall present its report to the Board of Trustees thereafter. SECTION B: CENTRAL LEADERSHIP a. This shall consist of members nominated and appointed by the outgoing Central Leadership who will work as the forerunners in the Ministry. b. The Central Leadership shall be the administrative body of the Ministry. c. The Central Leadership shall provide counsel and direction to the Branch members, mentoring them to take up the mantle of Central Leadership of the Ministry in the future.
SECTION C: BRANCH LEADERSHIP/ CLUB LEADERSHIP a. The Branch Leadership shall be directly under the supervision/leadership of the Central Leadership. b. The Branch Leadership shall be responsible for leading a group of women within their designated branch. The branches will be avenues for building up Christian women and training them to do the same for the younger female generation. c. The Branch Leadership shall be directly responsible for running the clubs which would be resident in a Junior/Senior High Schools of their choice or a designated group of young ladies, preferably in the same vicinity as the branch. 3|Page
d. Programmes at the branches would centre on yearly and quarterly themes determined by the Branch leadership in consultation with the Central Leadership. e. Branches would have to present annual reports to the Central Leadership on their activities.
SECTION D: PATRONS a. Patrons would be nominated by the Branch Leadership and appointed with approval of the Central Leadership and the Board of Trustees. i. Roles 1. To ensure that the Ministry is running according to the set vision, in the will of God. 2. To bear up the Ministry in prayer. 3. To offer godly counsel to the Board of Trustees, Central Leadership, Branch Leadership and the membership. SECTION E: THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL a. The Executive Council shall comprise all Branch Presidents and Secretaries, the Central Leadership and the Board of Trustees. b. The Executive Council shall meet once a year at P31 MINISTRIES Annual Conferences. c. Each member of the Executive Council shall have one vote in decisions at Executive Council meetings. d. The Executive Council shall be chaired by the President of the Central Leadership.
SECTION F: UNITS OF THE MINISTRY The Ministry shall be run under the following units which will function at the Branch Level such that every member at the Branch Level shall be required to be committed to at least one unit. a. Secretariat – under the office of the President and Secretary. b. Club Ministry – under the office of the Vice Presidents. c. Finance & Fundraising Committee – under the office of the Financial Secretary. d. Prayer Unit – under the office of the Prayer Secretary. e. Counseling Unit – under the office of the Head of the Counseling Unit. Members of this unit would be required to go through a Counselors’ training programme. f. Editorial/Library Unit – under the office of the Editor-librarians. g. Bible Study Unit – under the office of the Bible Study Coordinator. h. Organizing Unit – under the office of the Organizing Secretary. i. Welfare Unit – under the office of the Welfare Secretary.
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ARTICLE VI: EXECUTIVES SECTION A: REQUIREMENTS All leaders of the Ministry must meet the following requirements: a. Must be a Christian. b. Must attend and be committed to a Bible believing church. c. Must be a female. d. For Central Leadership, must have been a Full member and, who is committed to and understands the vision of the Ministry. e. For Branch Leadership, must be a Full member who is committed to and understands the vision of the Ministry. SECTION B: EXECUTIVE POSITIONS a. The following offices shall be held at the Board of Trustees level: a. Chairman b. General Secretary
b. The following offices shall be held at the Central Level, however some offices may be merged per leadership term as per the discretion of the outgoing Central leadership responsible for appointing new leaders: i. President ii. Vice President iii. General Secretary iv. Financial Secretary v. Head of Prayer & Counseling Unit c. The following offices shall be held at the Branch Level, however some offices may be merged per leadership term as per the discretion of the outgoing Branch leadership responsible for appointing new leaders: i. President ii. Vice President (Outreach, Follow-ups & Correspondence) iii. Vice President (P31 Christian Girls Clubs) iv. General Secretary v. Financial Secretary vi. Prayer Secretary vii. Head of Counseling Unit viii. Editor-Librarian ix. Assistant Editor-Librarian x. Bible Study Coordinator xi. Assistant Bible Study Coordinator xii. Organizing Secretary xiii. Welfare Secretary 5|Page
SECTION C: DUTIES OF EXECUTIVES The following shall be the duties of the executives at the: A. Board of Trustees Level: a. Chairman i. Carry the vision of the Ministry as leader of the Board of Trustees. ii. Call and chair meetings of the Board of Trustees which should be held at least once a year. b. General Secretary i. Responsible for drawing up agenda for Board of Trustees meetings in consultation with the Chairman. ii. Responsible for information dissemination amongst members of the Board of Trustees. iii. Responsible for taking minutes at meetings. iv. Responsible for Board of Trustees’ correspondence.
B. Central Level: a. President i. Carry the vision of the Ministry as leader of the Central Leadership and overseer of the branches. ii. Chair business meetings of the Central Leadership which shall be held at least once a year to review themes and programmes forwarded by Branch Leadership and to discuss other matters concerning the Ministry as necessary. iii. Chair executive council meetings at Annual Conferences. iv. Co-signatory to central bank account. b. Vice President i. Assist the President in her duties. ii. To oversee the activities of the P31 Christian Girls’ Clubs thus providing guidance and counseling for branch Vice Presidents in charge of the clubs.
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c. General Secretary i. Has the Responsibility of organizing and convening annual business meetings of the Central Leadership and taking minutes at these meetings. ii. Responsible for Central Leadership correspondence and record keeping. iii. Responsible for drawing up agenda for Executive Council meetings in consultation with the Central Leadership President.
iv. Responsible for taking minutes at Executive Council meetings.
d. Financial Secretary i. Raising funds for the Ministry in liaison with branch Financial Secretaries. ii. Keeping true records of financial transactions at the central level. iii. Co-signatory to the central bank account.
e. Head of Prayer & Counseling Unit i. Oversees the activities of Branch Prayer & Counseling Units. ii. To publish monthly prayer bulletins for the entire ministry to guide members to pray for the Ministry. iii. To liaise with branch Editor-Librarians on the Ministry devotional project.
C. Branch Level:
a. President i. Carry the vision of the Ministry as the leader of the branch. ii. Ensure that the Ministry runs according to its set vision. iii. Guide and assist each member of the executive body in carrying out their duties. iv. Preside over all the meetings of the executive body. v. Has the prerogative to call business meetings of the Branch leadership as and when necessary. vi. Has the responsibility of guiding Branch Leadership and members to continue carrying the vision after leaving the branch. vii. Maintain strong links with Board of Trustees and Central Leadership, seeking counsel when necessary and submitting annual reports on branch activities for review including annual audit report. viii. Submitting Yearly and quarterly themes and programmes to Central Leadership for approval. ix. Co-signatory to the branch bank account.
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b. Vice President (Outreach, Follow-ups & Correspondence) i. Stand in for the President in her absence. ii. Initiate periodic outreaches and follow-ups to Junior/Senior High Schools or any designated potential P31 Christian Girls’ Club. iii. Facilitate correspondence between club members and other members thus liaising with the counseling unit in responding to phone calls, letters and emails received from club members.
a. Vice President (P31 Christian Girls Club) i. Head of Club Ministry. ii. Stand in for the President in her absence and in the absence of the Vice President (Outreach, Follow-up & Correspondence). iii. Responsible for maintenance of P31 Christian Girls’ Clubs. iv. Responsible for drawing up of quarterly programmes for the clubs and assigning leaders to each activity. v. Responsible for identifying special needs of club members and accordingly pairing them with mentors most likely to meet those needs. b. General Secretary i. Head of the Secretariat. ii. Responsible for official documentation of P31 MINISTRIES activities: outreaches, follow-ups, business meetings, retreats, seminars and the like. iii. In the event of the absence of the Secretary, the Editor-Librarian would be required to take minutes at meetings. iv. Responsible for correspondence with speakers or any persons invited to minister at P31 programmes. v. Recipient and custodian of all documents addressed to the Ministry. vi. Maintenance of membership directory. c. Financial Secretary i. Head of the Finance and Fundraising Unit. ii. Responsible for keeping true records of the finances and financial transactions of the Ministry. iii. Co-ordinate the raising of funds to enable the ministry gain a good financial grounding. iv. Collection of monthly contributions of members. v. Drawing up of annual budget of the Ministry to be discussed at Branch leadership business meeting and accepted therein. vi. Co - signatory to the branch bank account.
d. Prayer Secretary i. Head of Prayer Unit. ii. Responsible for all prayer meetings of the Ministry. iii. Responsible for the organization of annual prayer retreats. iv. Prepare quarterly prayer bulletins to guide members in seeking the face of God on behalf of the Ministry. 8|Page
e. Head of Counseling Unit i. Arrange quarterly tutorials on counseling to help ministers of P31 Ministries to acquire and sharpen counseling skills. ii. Prepare ministers of P31 Ministries to handle discussions of symposia and seminars scheduled. iii. In charge of every counseling session after an outreach. iv. Cater for club members who are identified as having special needs and challenges until feedback from them shows their stable state. v. Put together a manual/material for training mentors upon coordination with the Bible study coordinator and Editor-librarians. f.
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Editor-librarian i. Head of Editorial and Library Unit. ii. Establish and maintain a library for members. iii. Responsible for all publications of the Ministry. iv. Responsible for setting up and managing a club library. Assistant Editor-librarian i. To assist the Editor-librarian in her duties.
Bible-Study Coordinator i. Head of Bible Study Unit. ii. Prepare and screen Bible study outlines for discussion. iii. Put together a structured Bible study material well suited to the different age groups of club members and for the women’s Ministry as well.
k. Assistant Bible-Study Coordinator a. To assist the Bible –Study Co-coordinator in her duties l.
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Organizing Secretary i. Head of Organizing Unit. ii. Ensure that information about meetings and activities is well disseminated among members. iii. Secure and prepare venues for meetings. iv. Ensure that all assets of the Ministry are kept in safe custody. v. Responsible for coordination of activities at programmes, ensuring the smooth running of affairs so that time allotments are strictly adhered to. vi. Anticipate and provide what everyone would need according to roles allotted them for a particular programme.
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Welfare Secretary i. Head of Welfare Unit. ii. Responsible for the organization of outreach programmes to the needy. iii. Responsible for setting up and managing a fund to cater for needy members (as determined by consultation with branch leaders upon investigation of circumstances of the individual) in liaison with the Financial Secretary. iv. To see to the general welfare of members.
SECTION D: APPOINTMENT OF EXECUTIVES a. The Board of Trustees shall comprise of the 13 founding ladies and Patrons of the ministry. The Chairman shall be nominated by the Board and appointed by a simple majority vote. The Chairman thereafter has the prerogative to nominate another member of the board for the position of General Secretary who would be appointed after approval by the board. b. Central Leadership shall comprise full members, preferably ladies who have passed out of a branch, and have been nominated and appointed by the outgoing Central Leadership to hold office. c. Branch leadership shall comprise full members who have been nominated and appointed by the outgoing branch leadership to hold office. SECTION E: TERM OF OFFICE a. Membership of the Board of Trustees shall be for life until such a time as the Board deems it fit to nominate and appoint new members to join the Board. However, the positions of Chairman and General Secretary shall be held for a maximum of two (2) years. b. Members of the Central Leadership would serve a maximum of two (2) years. c. Members of the Branch Leadership would serve a maximum of one (1) year. d. Extension of term of office shall be subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees. SECTION F: TERMINATION OF OFFICE a. Provisions for termination of office shall be: i. Beliefs and actions of the individual contrary to the Articles of faith of the Ministry. ii. Gross misconduct despite repetitive reprimands by the highest authority exercised above that level of the Ministry. 10 | P a g e
ARTICLE VII: MEMBERSHIP SECTION A: REQUIREMENTS a. Must be a Christian. b. Must attend a Bible believing church. c. Must be a female. SECTION B: CATEGORIES OF MEMBERSHIP Membership shall be at two levels:
a. FULL MEMBERSHIP i. This would comprise women at the branch level who have committed to carry the vision of the ministry. ii. These persons would be required to attend regular meetings in which activities would be tailored towards helping ladies grow in the faith of Christianity. iii. These persons would be required to complete the mentoring course of the ministry to enable them carry on a mentoring relationship with at least one club member. iv. Each member would be required to work under a unit as listed in Article V Section E to enable the ministry run by a synergistic effort as each one plays their role in bringing to bear the vision. v. Membership would be open to women only. c. CLUB MEMBERSHIP i. This would comprise of Junior/Senior High School girls or a designated group of girls who have accepted to be a part of the P31 Christian Girls’ Club, that they may be mentored and groomed in the Lord. ii. These persons would be required to attend club meetings on days and times that would be determined by the school authorities in consultation with the Vice President in charge of the clubs or as deemed convenient by the branch leadership in instances where the club is not situated in a school. SECTION C: SANCTIONING OF MEMBERS a. Members found to exhibit behavior contrary to the Articles of faith of the ministry would be reprimanded twice, counseled and if the behavior still persists would be suspended after being brought before the leadership. b. If this individual is a counselor or mentor, she would be disallowed from counseling club members until necessary action has been taken, as outlined in Section C. a. above.
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SECTION D: TERMINATION/ RESIGNATION OF MEMBERSHIP a. Individuals who would like to resign any executive position must give at least two (2) months official prior notice to the Central & Branch leadership in writing. The individual would however be required to go through three (3) counseling sessions before the final decision is announced to the members. b. Individuals who would like to terminate membership would be required to give at least one (1) month official prior notice to leadership in writing. The individual would however be required to go through (2) counseling sessions before the final decision is taken. ARTICLE VIII: MEETINGS
SECTION A: BOARD OF TRUSTEES a. The Board of Trustees shall meet at least once a year but may have other meeting sessions via media that would enable them interact appropriately and take decisions concerning the ministry. b. The Chairman has the prerogative to call these meetings. c. The quorum for each meeting shall be seven (7) including the Chairman and/or General Secretary. d. The purpose of these meetings shall be to: i. Appoint new leaders of the Board of Trustees as necessary. ii. Appoint an audit committee to audit the Central Leadership accounts. iii. Pray into the ministry’s activities and seek the face of God concerning the fulfillment of the vision of the ministry as a whole. iv. Discuss any other matters that arise concerning the ministry. SECTION B: CENTRAL LEADERSHIP MEETINGS a. The Central Leadership shall meet at least once a year but may have other meeting sessions via media that would enable them interact appropriately and take decisions concerning the ministry. b. The President has the prerogative to call these meetings. c. The quorum for each meeting shall be three (3) including the President and/or General Secretary. d. The purpose of these meetings shall be to: v. Receive, discuss and approve annual/quarterly themes and programmes set by the branches. vi. Receive and discuss annual reports submitted by the branches. vii. Appoint new leaders of the Central Leadership. viii. Pray into the ministry’s activities and seek the face of God concerning the fulfillment of the vision of the ministry as a whole. ix. Discuss any other matters that arise concerning the ministry.
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a. b. c. d.
SECTION C:EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETINGS The Executive Council shall meet once a year at P31 MINISTRIES’ Annual Conferences. The President of the Central Leadership shall chair these meetings. The quorum for each meeting shall be at least two leaders per Branch Leadership including the President and/or General Secretary, 3 members of the Board of Trustees including the Chairman and/or General Secretary and the President and/or General Secretary of the Central Leadership. The purpose of these meetings shall be to discuss matters concerning the ministry as outlined in agenda drawn by the General Secretary of the Central Leadership in consultation with the President of the Central Leadership. SECTION D: BRANCH MEETINGS a. BRANCH LEADERSHIP i. The Branch Leadership shall meet at least once a month. ii. The President has the prerogative to call these meetings. iii. The quorum for each meeting shall be two-thirds the total number of executives including the President or Vice President or General Secretary. iv. The purpose of these meetings shall be to: 1. Draw up quarterly programmes for branch meetings. 2. Consider and approve quarterly programmes for club meetings drawn up by the Vice President (P31 Christian Girls’ Club). 3. Consider annual report to be submitted to the Central Leadership. 4. Consider and approve quarterly budgets of the branch. 5. Appoint new leaders of the branch. 6. Discuss any other matters that arise concerning the ministry. b. BRANCH MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS a. Branch meetings shall be held regularly (recommend once a week) on a fixed day and time set by Branch Leadership. b. Agenda of these meetings would be as outlined in quarterly programmes drawn up by the Branch Leadership. c. P31 CHRISTIAN GIRLS’ CLUB MEETINGS a. Club meetings shall be held regularly (recommend once a week) on a fixed date and time set by Branch Leadership. b. Agenda of these meetings would be as outlined in quarterly programmes drawn up the Vice President in charge of the clubs in consultation with the Branch Leadership.
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SECTION C: P31 MINISTRIES ANNUAL CONFERENCES a. The ministry shall hold annual conferences at a date and venue decided on by the Conference Planning Committee which would be appointed at the branch level. b. The Conference Planning Committee shall consist of a five (5) or seven (7) member committee appointed by the Central Leadership in consultation with the Branch Leadership. ARTICLE IX: FINANCES a. The Ministry shall run on offerings given by members at meetings and freewill contributions given by persons who desire to support the work of the ministry. b. The Ministry shall embark on fundraising activities as determined by the Finance & Fundraising Committee to bring in income. c. The expenditure of the Ministry shall be outlined in quarterly budgets drawn up by the Finance & Fundraising Committee and approved by the Branch Leadership. d. Financial obligations shall be decentralized. Each branch shall however be required to include an annual financial report in the annual report submitted to the Central Leadership yearly. e. Branches shall however not be autonomous and shall be required to pay an annual 10% of their total income into the central bank account. f. There shall be an annual audit of the Ministry’s accounts. The audit committee shall be appointed by the Branch Leadership and the report included in the annual report submitted to the Central Leadership. g. The Central Leadership shall manage the central account which shall be audited yearly by a committee appointed by the Board of Trustees, and the report submitted to the Board of Trustees. h. The Ministry shall commit to tithing 10% of its income, from the Central financial coffers, into any other ministry that the Lord leads the leadership to sow into. i. All monies belonging to the Ministry shall be deposited and disbursed through bank accounts established for the ministry. j. The signatories to the Ministry’s accounts shall be the following executives: a. At the Branch level: i. President ii. General Secretary iii. Financial Secretary b. At the Central level: i. President ii. Financial Secretary
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ARTICLE X: AMENDMENT Notice of a proposed amendment must be submitted in writing to the Central Leadership at least three (3) months prior to Executive Council Meetings such that a committee could be appointed to work on the constitution, submit their work to the Central Leadership and Board of Trustees for a approval, and then due amendment can be done as necessary.
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