THE CAYMAN MINISTERS' ASSOCIATION STATEMENT OF FAITH



The Cayman Ministers' Association subscribes to the Christian doctrines that have been universally held by orthodox Christians from the time of the Apostles until the present time. We hold that holy Scripture alone contains what is necessary to salvation, and in the name of the holy Scripture we understand those canonical Books of the Old and New Testament whose authority in the Church is undisputed. Accordingly we recognise no further testament or revelation to be of like authority to holy Scripture. We receive and believe the historic Creeds of the Christian Church called the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed, which we hold may be proved from holy Scripture.


In particular we believe in one living and true God, everlasting, of infinite power, wisdom and goodness, the Maker and Preserver of all things. The unity of this Godhead exists eternally in three Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Son, the eternal Word of God, took to Himself the nature of Man, born of the Virgin Mary, so that in Christ the Godhead and the Manhood were joined together in one Person. This Lord Jesus Christ before His resurrection, His glorious ascension to Heaven and His return to make universal judgement, truly suffered, was crucified, died, and was buried to be that sacrifice for sin that alone could reconcile us to His Father and render us righteous before Him.


THE CONSTITUTION (ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION) OF THE CAYMAN MINISTERS' ASSOCIATION



Article I

Name and Purpose


1. Name: The official name of this organisation is Cayman Ministers' Association. (This name has been used since the founding of the Association in 1988.)


2. Purpose: The purpose of the Cayman Ministers' Association (CMA) is threefold:


A. To give an agreed voice on public issues;


B. To promote fellowship among the pastors, and thus the churches, in the Cayman Islands; and


C. To facilitate interdenominational ministries of evangelism, discipleship and social action.


Article II

Membership


1. Ministerial Membership: The CMA is an association of ministers and established Christian Chaplains satisfying Cayman Islands Law, not primarily churches. Every minister that is a ministerial member of the Association shall


A. Be recognised by a local church to be an ordained Minister of Religion;


B. Hold a licence or otherwise appropriate authorisation from the congregation which he represents, or from the body possessing due authority over that congregation;


C. Satisfy Cayman Islands law relating to the holding of ministerial office;


D. Be actively engaged in pastoral ministry and in good standing with the said congregation;


E. Be a minister or pastor of a congregation which is recognised as being in agreement with the CMA Statement of Faith, and which gives due submission to Cayman Islands law;


Every ministerial member of the Association shall


F. Be personally committed to the Cayman Ministers' Association's Statement of Faith and be resolved to uphold its Constitution (Articles of Association); and


G. Be supportive of all CMA members in public and private by engaging in prayer for the members, endeavouring to employ Biblical guidelines for the settlement of any dispute with another member, and remembering to "love one another".


2. Retirement: Should a ministerial member retire and wish to remain active in the CMA, membership would be retained provided he remain in good standing as described in Art II Parts 1 and 6.


3. Policy and Procedure for Admission to Ministerial Membership:


A. Policy - Membership is open to a minister or pastor of a recognised local Christian congregation and to any established local Christian chaplain, provided that the following conditions are met:


(1) Should the church concerned be newly formed in the Cayman Islands, there will be a period of one year before its pastor is accepted as a member of the CMA;


(2) Every prospective applicant will be given a copy of the CMA's Statement of Faith and Constitution; and


(3) The CMA will accept only written applications from pastors and chaplains who wish to be members, and will notify such applicants of its decision in writing.



B. Procedure for Application -


(1) The prospective applicant should


a. Make an application in writing to the CMA;


b. Provide with the application a copy of his ministerial credentials (as described in Article II section 1 parts A, B and C) and a letter from his congregation or authorising body acknowledging the applicant as a minister or pastor of the congregation and acknowledging its agreement with the CMA Statement of Faith; or, in the case of a chaplain,

Provide his chaplaincy credentials; and


c. Acknowledge his own agreement with the CMA's Statement of Faith and his agreement to uphold its Constitution in the letter of application.


(2) The CMA will respond to the application with the following procedure:


a. On receipt of the application, the CMA will consider the application at a duly called meeting and notify the applicant in writing of the decision of the Association.

b. In addition, the applicant may be invited to an executive meeting to clarify any issues or questions not adequately covered in his written application. Should this happen, the CMA will still notify the applicant by letter of its decision.


4. Membership through Affiliation: Membership of the CMA through affiliation is offered to the senior representatives of Christian associations of the Cayman Islands. Membership through affiliation shall be subject to regulation by the CMA. Every member of the CMA through affiliation shall


A. Be a member of an association in the Cayman Islands which is recognised as being in agreement with the CMA's Statement of Faith, and which gives due submission to Cayman Islands law;


B. Hold a current certificate of appointment from the association or chapter of the association he represents as the president (or nearest equivalent) of the said association or chapter;


C. Be personally committed to the CMA's Statement of Faith, and be in agreement to uphold the CMA's Constitution; and


D. Be non-voting.


5. Policy and Procedure for Admission to Membership through Affiliation:


A. Policy - Membership through Affiliation is open to the duly appointed senior representative of a Christian association or of a duly recognised chapter of such an association provided that the following conditions are met:


(1) Should the association be newly formed in the Cayman Islands, there will be a period of one year before any representative is accepted as a member of the CMA;


(2) Every prospective applicant will be given a copy of the CMA's Statement of Faith and Constitution;


(3) The CMA will accept only written applications from representatives desiring membership, and will notify such applicants of its decision in writing; and


(4) All membership through affiliation shall be applied for or re-applied for by an agreed date, and approved by the CMA annually.


B. Procedure for Application -


(1) The prospective applicant should

a. Make an application in writing to the CMA for membership through affiliation;


b. Provide with the application a copy of the constitution of the association concerned and of his certificate of appointment (as described in Article II section 4 part B); and


c. Acknowledge his own agreement with the CMA's Statement of Faith and his agreement to uphold the CMA's Constitution.



(2) The CMA will respond to the application with the following procedure:


a. On receipt of the application, the CMA will consider the application at a duly called meeting and notify the applicant in writing of the decision of the Association.


b. In addition, the applicant may be invited to an executive meeting to clarify any issues or questions not adequately covered in his written application. Should this happen, the CMA will still notify the applicant by letter of its decision.


6. Code of Ethics: The CMA expects and requires its members on pain of censure or dismissal


a. to maintain the grounds in Article II sections 1, 2 or 4 of their membership or notify the Executive Committee of any failure to do so, and


b. to be active in attending the meetings of the CMA.



Article III

Proceedings of the Association


1. Except as otherwise provided in the Constitution the Cayman Ministers' Association shall meet together for the despatch of business, convening, adjourning and otherwise regulating their meetings as they think fit. Questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes of the Ministerial Members present: always provided that when matters need to be settled by vote, out of the ministers present only the senior pastoral representative of every congregation or in his absence his explicit representative may vote, along with the chaplains. The chairman of the meeting shall not have an original vote but in case of an equality of votes, he shall have a casting vote.


2. The quorum necessary for the transaction of the business of the Cayman Ministers' Association may be fixed by the CMA and unless so fixed shall be seven Ministerial Members.


3. The Chairman of the CMA or in his absence the Vice-Chairman of the CMA shall be the chairman of meetings of the CMA. If at any meeting neither the Chairman nor the Vice-Chairman of the CMA is present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding the same, the Ministerial Members present may choose one of their number to be chairman of the meeting.


4. The Chairman of the CMA may convene executive meetings of the officers of the Association.


5. The Cayman Ministers' Association may, by written resolution duly published in the notice of the meeting concerned, in a manner consistent with the Constitution alter or amend the Constitution.


Article IV

Officers


The Cayman Ministers' Association shall have an Executive Committee consisting of


A. A Chairman;


B. A Vice-Chairman;


C. A Secretary; and


D. A Treasurer;


and any other officers as the CMA may consider necessary. The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined or separate. The defined offices of the Executive Committee must be held by ministerial members who, unless they are chaplain members, must all be attached to different church organisations. All officers shall be elected by the Association at the first meeting each year in a manner consistent with the Constitution.



Article V

Notices


1. Notices shall be in writing and may be given by the Cayman Ministers' Association to any member of the Association either personally or by sending it by post, fax or e-mail to him or to his address as updated by the Secretary.


2. Notice of every CMA meeting (other than an executive meeting) shall be given in the authorised manner to every member of the Association.



Notes:-

(1) Words in the Constitution importing the masculine gender include the feminine gender.

(2) The income and property of the Association whencesoever derived shall be applied solely towards the promotion of the objects of the Association as set forth in this Constitution and no portion thereof shall otherwise be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend, bonus or otherwise howsoever by way of profit to the members of the Association PROVIDED THAT nothing herein shall prevent the payment in good faith of reasonable and proper remuneration to any servant or officer of the Association or to any member of the Association in return for any services actually rendered to the Association nor prevent the payment of interest at a reasonable commercial rate on money lent or reasonable and proper rent for premises demised or lent by any member to the Association.

(3) If upon winding up or dissolution of the Association there remains after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities any property whatsoever the same shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of the Association but shall be given or transferred to some other bona fide non-profit association or associations registered under the Non-Profit Organisations Law 2017, any such association having similar purposes and not being carried on for the profit or gain of its members.