Affiliation & Membership
PROCEDURE OF AFFILIATION
The following steps are to be taken when a local church desires to be an Evangelical Free Church of the Philippines:
Applicant Church, through their officers, writes to the EFCP President expressing their intention to become an EFC. They must enclose a copy of their Constitution and By-Laws if there is any, and other pertinent information about their church.
The President shall furnish the Applicant Church with the following:
a. Local Church Application Form
b. EFCP Statement of Faith
c. Membership requirement as stated in the EFCP Constitution & By-laws.
Upon submission of the Application Form and other pertinent papers, the President shall furnish the Regional Council (RC) to which the Applicant Church geographically belongs, copies of these documents and further advises the RC to conduct hearing/interviews with the officers of the Applicant Church on matters including among others, doctrines, practices, and polity. The President also informs the Applicant Church on the functions of the RC.
The RC shall submit their reports and findings to the President.
If found favorable, the President furnishes the Applicant Church a copy of the EFC Constitution and By-Laws and two (2) copies of the Resolution for Affiliation Form and advises the same to study such documents.
In the presence of either the President or any member of the RC, the Applicant Church is advised to sign the Resolution For Affiliation Form with at least three/fourth (3/4) votes of the whole membership affirming said resolution.
Upon receipt of the signed documents, the President recommends to the National Board of Directors (NBD) for appropriate action.
The NBD then brings the same to the National Conference for ratification with at least three fourth (3/4) majority votes of the conference delegates.
PRIVILEGES
A member body can send delegates to the Annual Conference.
A member body can avail of the assistance, services, and facilities of the organization including technical, legal, financial, spiritual, and other resources that are available.
Workers/Pastors of the member bodies can be granted a ministerial license; be recommended for authorization to solemnize marriages, ordination, and other legal ministerial requirements as stipulated in the EFCP policy handbook.
A member body becomes connected to All-Asia Evangelical Free Churches and the International Federation of Free Evangelical Churches (IFFEC) in both organizations, EFCP is a member.
Member churches may be eligible for all helps available (Training, relief in case of calamities, Church Assistance Revolving Fund, and Motorcycles loans as fund are available and the member churches/pastors are in good standing with the denomination)
RESPONSIBILITIES
A member body is obliged to uphold the By-Laws and other national policies of the Organization and submit to designated authorities of the denomination.
It shall fully cooperate in all the programs and activities to be undertaken by the organization in pursuance of its objectives and purposes as stated in Article IV of the Constitution.
It shall contribute 10% of its Gross Offering to the Denomination as decided by the Conference to support the ministry of the denomination to the local churches.