APOSTOLIC FAITH CHURCH (UNITY) [A.F.C.

(Unity)]
Constitution

PREAMBLE
So that things may be done decently and in order,
And,
that we may assist each other in our Christian service,
We declare and establish this constitution to which we voluntarily submit
ourselves.

CHAPTER 1:
HERITAGE, CONFESSION OF FAITH AND PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH

1. Heritage

1.1. This Church is an independent and autonomous church and is not an offshoot of
any other church except itself. The church was founded on the foundations of the
apostles and prophets
1.2. The Church’s heritage is established in God the Father, our Lord Jesus Christ and
the Holy Spirit through the acknowledged missionary work of mortal men, dating back
from the Apostles, and the early church leaders, through to the participants in modern
church history but the church originated from the Gospel of Jesus Christ of Nazareth
.
2. Confession of Faith

2.1. The teaching and life of the Church are founded on the Bible which is an inspired
Word of God (2 Timothy 3: 14-17). The Church’s confession of faith is based on the
Apostles’ Creed, which constitutes the most paramount aspects, articles and sanctions
which the church upholds with high esteem.
This confession is divided into three parts namely;
 God the Father and our creation (The Old Testament books)
  God the Son and our salvation( The Gospels)
 God the Holy Spirit and our spiritual growth (Acts and the rest of the New
Testament Books)

The Church and its members shall believe and confess faith in:
2.1.1. The one true Triune God, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three persons
each with peculiar attributes, yet in absolute and perfect unity.
2.1.2. The authority of the Holy Scripture, the Bible, otherwise referred to as the Canon,
comprising 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament, as the
divinely inspired Word of God, and is our guidance and complete rule of faith and
practice. The Holy Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and are God-breathed and therefore
are the final authority of our faith and life
2.1.3. The spoken Word of God as may be given through prophecy, to be believed and
obeyed.
2.1.4. The rule and interpretation of Scripture, namely that the Scripture is the supreme
judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of the
church, doctrines of the church, and spirits, are to be examined.
2.1.5. The fallen nature and depravity of man by reason of which he is unable of himself
to please God.
2.1.6. the elect purpose and grace of God, whereby He, through the sacrificial death,
burial and resurrection and ascension of His Son, Jesus Christ, afforded a man
forgiveness and salvation through both grace and repentance.
2.1.7. the Church being the Body of Christ, and the fellowship of saints, governed by
Christ, the Head of His Church, through His Word .
2.1.8. The Christian Sacraments (ordinances) of Water Baptism through triune emersion
and the Lord’s Supper.
2.1.9. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit and the evidence thereof, including the evidence of
speaking in tongues, and the manifestations of His Fruit, Gifts and Graces.
2.1.10. Signs and wonders accompanying those who believe and that in Jesus Christ’s
name, they shall cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues, they will pick up
serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it shall not hurt them, and that they will lay
hands on the sick and they shall recover.
2.1.11. The second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2.1.12. The Bodily Resurrection of Mankind and the Eternal Judgment of God

3.0 Purpose
3.1. The purpose of the Church is to fulfill the Great Commission as given by our Lord
Jesus Christ and in accordance with His Word both written and spoken

CHAPTER 2:
NAME, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE CHURCH

2.0.1. The official name of the Church shall be Apostolic Faith Church (Unity) (hereinafter
referred to in abbreviations as “A.F.C (Unity)”).

2.0.2. The headquarters of the church shall be……………………………………This may be

changed as the church progresses to allow for a more central place accessible to all members

2.1.0. AIMS & OBJECTIVES OF THE CHURCH

The aims and objectives of the A.F.C shall be:

2.1.1. To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ as enshrined in the Bible,

2.1.2. To conduct public worship and to teach its members to obey everything Jesus
commanded (Math 28:19-20, Mk 6:12, 16:15-18, Acts 38:39, James 1: 27, Gal 6:10, Cols 1:23),

2.1.3. To provide places of worship,

2.1.4. To provide a basis of fellowshipping among its members though scriptural teaching,

2.1.5. To organise and conduct schools of religious instruction,

2.1.6. To carry out missionary work, through converting and baptising new believers for the
spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mathew 28:19-20),
2.1.7. To go out into the world to heal the sick, to cast out demons and perform miracles through
the power of the Holy Spirit, (Mathew 28:18,19)

2.1.8. To carry out charitable work of every kind and in particular, to assist the poor, the
underprivileged, the orphans and the widowed (Gal 2:10, Acts 6:1-3, 2 Cor 9:8-11),

2.1.9. To publish, sell and distribute Christian literature,

2.1.10. To collect, solicit and accept funds for the carrying on of the work of the church and for
any other religious or benevolent purpose,

2.1.11. To acquire movable and immovable assets and to use, sell, convey, lease or otherwise
dispose of such property, real or personal as may be needed for the execution of the work and
to invest and keep invested funds.

CHAPTER 3:
INTERPRETATION, JURISDICTION, SUPREME LAW & LEGAL STATUS
3.0 Interpretation and Definitions
3.1. In this Constitution, unless the context otherwise requires, or unless inconsistent
with meanings ascribed to words according to the word of God-
3.1.1. Headings are used for convenience only and shall not be used in the
interpretation of any of the provisions of this constitution.
3.1.2. Any words, or expressions which denote;
3.1.2.1. A natural person shall include a juristic person and vice versa;
3.1.2.2. Any words descriptive of any gender shall include the other unless the context
or the Word of God requires otherwise.
3.1.2.3. The singular shall include the plural and vice versa unless the context requires
otherwise.
3.1.2.4. Special Resolution means a resolution passed by a majority vote of 75% of the
members of the meeting passing the resolution present in person.
3.1.2.5. Simple Resolution means a resolution passed by a majority of 50% plus one
vote of the members of the meeting passing the resolution present in person.
3.1.2.6. Church shall mean Apostolic Faith Church (Unity), abbreviated AFC (Unity)
3.1.2.7. Member shall mean a person who believes in the doctrine of AFC (Unity), and
has been duly declared as part of the church by triune immersion in water baptism
3.1.2.8. Church funds includes any money owned or held by the Church or any institution of the
Church, including natural persons, Provinces, Assemblies, or Departments
3.1.2.9. Church property means any property owned or held by the Church or any institution of the
Church, including natural people, Provinces, Assemblies, or departments.
3.1.2.10. Bishop means a person who is the leader of the church of Apostolic Faith Church (Unity)
3.1.2.11 Executive Church Council means a committee of the church AFC (Unity) comprising of the
Bishops, Ministers and the Executive Admin committee
3.1.2.12. Executive Admin committee means the committee duly appointed to run the administrative
duty of the church.
3.1.2.13. Administration Council shall mean the council comprising the Executive Admin members and
Provincial Admin Committee
3.1.2.14. A Province is an area under the jurisdiction and mandate of a Minister
3.1.2.15. A General Assembly is an assembly of the Executive Church Council, Admin Council, elders
deacons and reverends.

3.2. Area of Jurisdiction of the Church

3.2.1. The Church shall operate in Africa, but may, subject to the consent of the AFC
Unity, establish branches, Assemblies or sister churches affiliated to it in other
continents or countries.

3.3 Supreme Law of the Church

3.3.1. This constitution is the supreme law of the Apostolic Faith Church(Unity) and is
subject only to the written and spoken Word of God. If any other law is inconsistent with
this constitution, that other law shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void.

3.3.2. Any conflict between this Constitution and any secular laws of any Country in
which the Church operates shall be resolved by reference to the Word of God it being
the understanding of the Church that the Members of the Church could suffer
persecution under secular laws as happened to the early church, and in that regard, the
Church shall encourage its membership to resolutely stand by the Word of God in the
face of any such persecution

3.4. Legal Status of the Church

3.4.1. The church shall be a legal person, separate from its membership, with the
powers and authority to:
3.4.1.1. Prepare and receive people as members and to dismiss or excommunicate
members;
3.4.1.2. Make laws, regulations and rules for its members and workers;
3.4.1.3. Establish cells, branches, assemblies, provinces and regions;
3.4.1.4. Set up various boards, committees or associations which may be considered
necessary
3.4.1.5. Train, legitimate and ordain and appoint, and where necessary to demote,
disappoint and dismiss leaders, members and workers;
3.4.1.6. Conclude any transactions, including establishing any commercial or
noncommercial businesses, or other undertakings or organizations;
3.4.1.7. Acquire, dispose, hire and lease properties;
3.4.1.8. Enter into, grant, sign, make or execute all such agreements, contracts, powers
of attorney, deeds and other instruments that may be deemed expedient or necessary;
3.4.1.9. Receive, borrow, spend, lend or invest monies, and to open and close bank and
other accounts;
3.4.1.10. Found or establish schools, Colleges, Training Centers, or any institution
deemed as spiritually or temporally important for the church;
3.4.1.11. Institute, conduct or defend, abandon or compound any law-suit, action or
proceedings instituted by or against the church in any court of law, and
3.4.1.12. Do, or omit to do, anything that a natural person, with full legal capacity would
be entitled to do, or omit to
3.4.1.13. This Constitution embodies the fundamental aims, objectives, principles, rules and
regulations governing the Church.
3.4.1.14. The church shall operate and exist in perpetual succession as an entity, despite death,
insanity, change in membership or leadership, or exit thereof .
3.4.1.15. This Constitution shall regulate, govern and bind every member of the Church, and
shall serve the purpose of uniting members in their common objective of worshipping and
honoring God, through his Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
CHAPTER 4:
4.0. MEMBERSHIP
4.0.0. A person shall qualify to be a member of the A.F.C.(Unity) through, accepting
Jesus Christ as Savior and being baptized in water by immersion (Mathew 28:19-20,
Romans 6:1-12, Acts 8:36-38) and thereafter, pursuing a path of righteousness as
dictated by the Holy Bible and shall participate consistently in all the Church’s programs
as dictated by the Holy Bible and this Constitution.

4.1.0. Definition of membership AFC Unity:

“Membership in the Church requires that a person has received the Baptism with triune
immersion in water in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
and that such a person is accepted as a member of the Church by a congregation of
this Church in compliance with the Constitution of the Church. Such a person is a
baptized member of the Church.
A confirmed member is a baptized member who has been confirmed or received by the
Bishop of the Church.
The church may establish the norm and standards for membership in good standing.”

4.1.1 Baptism
All members of Apostolic Faith Church (Unity) must be believing Christians who have
been fully immersed in water baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit.

4.1.2 Additionally, according to the Constitution of AFC(Unity), it is the duty of every

member of the Church: -
1. To continue his or her instruction in the Faith so as to remain an effective
minister for the Lord Jesus
2. To engage regularly in the reading and study of Holy Scripture
3. Prayer and Worship: One of the great joys the Lord has given us is the
privilege and responsibility to come together with other Christians and
 worship him. it is the duty of every Church member: - To worship God, the
Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, every Lord’s Day in a Church unless
reasonably prevented .
4. To receive worthily the Holy Communion as often as reasonable
5. To observe the feasts and fasts of the Church set forth in the constitution
6. To pray regularly for their needs and those of others, for the Church and its
mission, and for the concerns of the world.
7. All members of AFC (Unity) will make regular attendance at Sunday worship
a priority in their lives. Absence from service without apology for three
consecutive weeks by a member shall be deemed that the member has opted
out of the church. Upon returning to church after three consecutive
absenteeism, the member shall first account for their absenteeism before
their membership is reinstated.
8. Giving- In Romans 12, Paul urges us “to present your bodies as a living
sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Being
part of the Body of Christ means full participation in it. According to the
AFC(Unity) Constitution, it is the duty of every Church member “To give
regular financial support to the Church, with the biblical tithe as the minimum
standard of giving.” Our expectation is that members of AFC (Unity) will give
sacrificially of their time, their talent, and their treasure for the work of the
Church.
9. Pursuing holiness -Members of AFC(Unity) ought to have a desire to seek
out, understand, and abide by the moral teachings of Scripture as understood
by the AFC(Unity).
10. According to this AFC(Unity) Constitution is the duty of all Church members: -
To observe their baptismal vows, to lead upright and sober lives, and not give
scandals to the Church.
11. To practice forgiveness daily according to our Lord’s teaching
12. To affirm and follow the biblical standards of sexual morality and ethics
 13. To devote themselves to the ministry of Christ among those who do not know
Him, utilizing the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives them, for the effective
extension of Christ’s Kingdom.
14. AFC Unity Membership is accomplished through the laying on of hands by an
evangelist, Pastor, Deacon, Elder, Minister or Bishop. This demonstrates a
commitment on the part of the individual to be a Christian .
15. Serving and Participating at AFC(Unity), Individuals who are not yet
members of AFC are invited to participate in; public worship or hospitality
16. Becoming a member: To become a member, individuals must demonstrate
their intention to do so by responding to an alter call and with the assistance
of the Pastor/evangelist confess their known sins in public, and be laid on
hands to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Water baptism will follow. We will
then welcome new members during Sunday morning services once a quarter
where we will introduce new members and pray for them.

4.2.0. BAPTISM OF MEMBERS

4.2.1. Every member who is at least twelve years of age shall be required to be
baptized and shall have a right to be baptized.
4.2.2. Baptism shall take place in natural flowing water, which, if not reasonably
available, in a natural pool of water, which, if not reasonable available, in a man-made
pool of water, provided that it shall be safe to do so.
4.2.3. Baptism shall be conducted by triune immersion according to the tradition of the
early church.
4.2.4. Before baptizing a member, the reverend shall satisfy itself that the member is
truly saved, delivered from all sinful habits, acquainted with the meaning and purpose of
baptism, and subscribes to and understands the confession of faith as set out in this
constitution.
4.2.5. Before being baptized, a member shall be required to:
4.2.5.1. Confess their sins,
4.2.5.2. Truly repent from sins and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and
Savior?
5.2.2. Believe that God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit constitute the one
Triune God
4.2.5.2.3. Desire to be baptized by triune immersion in the name of the Father, the Son
and the Holy Spirit according to the Scriptures and the tradition of the early church?
19.5.2.4. Undertake to submit yourself to the Word of God and the discipline of the
AFC(Unity)

4.3.0. MEMBERSHIP RIGHTS AND DUTIES

4.3.1. Members shall have full membership rights and duties conferred by this
Constitution and any rules and regulations made hereunder, including the following
rights and duties:
4.3.1.1. To attend, worship and fellowship at any assembly of the church of their choice,
or at any service of the church
4.3.1.2. To participate in all programs of the Church.
4.3.1.3. To attend, participate and vote at all meetings at their assembly.
4.3.1.3.1. To be appointed to any department of the church for which they meet the
membership qualifications.
4.3.1.4. To live according to the Word of God, and to uphold this constitution and any
rules and regulations made hereunder.
4.3.1.5. To be represented before the AFC(Unity) by any other member of the
AFC(Unity) duly appointed or of their choice.
4.3.2. Subject to this Constitution, the Apostolate may enact laws that govern the rights
and duties of members.

4.4.0. ORGANIZATION OF MEMBERS FOR FELLOWSHIP

4.3.1. Members at Assembly, Provincial, and National Level shall meet regularly for
fellowship(church service), worship and instruction in the word of God.
4.3.2. At Assembly Level, there shall be a fellowship meeting at least once every week,
provided that one of the days on which a meeting shall be held shall be a Sunday,
unless a request is made in writing to the Church leadership. Where the assembly
meeting clashes with other church Conferences of any department of the Church, the
Assembly will be excused from holding its meeting.
4.3.3. It shall be mandatory for all Assemblies to procure the attendance of their
members at Provincial and National Conferences of the Church.
4.3.4. All members shall attend all Conferences unless the secretary excuses them in
writing.
4.3.5. Every Province shall hold at least three conferences every year for the fellowship
of their members. A province is an area under the leadership of a Minister

CHAPTER 5:
STRUCTURE OF THE CHURCH: CHURCH LEADERS
5.1.0. The Structure:

5.1.1.0 Head of Church

The Apostolic Faith Church (Unity) confesses that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of
this Church (Colossians 1:18, Ephesians 1.23, 4, 1516; 5.23)

5.1.1.The Church shall consist of the following, namely:

1) The Bishop who shall be the LEADER OF THE CHURCH
2) The First Vice-Bishop who shall be the Senior Advisor to the Bishop
3) The Second Vice-Bishop who shall be the Advisor to the Bishops, and shall be the main
advisor to Ministers.
4) Twelve Ministers who shall lead Operations of the church in Provinces and represent the
Bishops in the Province
5) Executive Church Council (Apostolate) comprising the Bishops, Ministers and the
Executive Admin members
6) Executive Administration Committee comprising Executive Chairman, Vice Executive
Chairman, Executive Secretary(also called National Secretary), Vice Secretary, Treasurer
and Committee members.
7) Admin Council comprising the Executive Admin members and Provincial Admin
committees
8) Provincial Admin Committees comprising administration members of the Provincee
9) Elders who shall be responsible for different assemblies and shall enforce Discipline and
advice to the church.
10) Deacons responsible for social welfare, local fund raising and church gatherings
11) Pastors who shall lead Assemblies/branches activities
12) Evangelists who shall be responsible for Evangelism and bringing converts to church
13) Preachers who shall be responsible of the word upkeep of members
14) Secretaries responsible for general order and record keeping at assemblies
15) Auditors for auditing church activities and funds
16) Disciplinary Committee
17) Projects and Finance committee
18) Prophets
19) Women Assembly
20) Youth Assembly
21) All leaders have to climb the leadership ladder from Parish secretary
22) Tenure of office is for life unless the office bearer dies, is incapacitated, crippled, very old
or terminally ill or is convicted of gross misconduct
23) No new convert may occupy the positions of Evangelists upwards immediately upon
becoming a member of the church

5.2.0. Outline And Duties of Church Leadership

5.2.1.0.BISHOP
The Bishop as the Leader shall
1. Officiate at all important gatherings of the AFC(Unity)
2. Officiate on church member marriages, or funerals, if he is available
3. Call meetings at any time he deems fit to discuss church matters with whomever leader
or leaders deemed to be relevant for that function
4. Shall be the official custodian of AFC(Unity), its principles and shall be the official source
of its canon law
5. Shall occasionally visit assemblies to help uplift members spiritually through the word,
accompanied by other top leaders
6. Administer Lord’s supper(Holy communion)
 7. Monitor and supervise the church’s spiritual work and its growth, monitor and supervise
all administrative structures of the church
8. Ordain leaders to their new spiritual positions as well as to lay hands on the prophets
9. During church meetings, he may advise the Chairman on matters relating to the cannon
law of the church and is the only one who can reverse a decision taken by the Executive
Admin committee. On reversing a decision, the Bishop shall put his reasons in writng to
the Executive Chairman and the Executive Secretary shall keep record of the
correspondence after informing all Admin members within 14 days of receipt of the
writing from the Bishop
10. Pass the verdict of excommunication or expulsion on a member who has been found to
be unrepentant,
11. Shall be the ex officio member of every committee
12. The Bishop may dissolve the Admin Committee after giving rationale reasons to the
Apostolate and the Disciplinary Committee
13. May delegate some his duties to the Vice Bishop, Minister, Executive Admin members
provided he may not delegate the Ministers and Executive Admin members to ordain
leaders or to institute matters of discipline brought to his attention

5.2.1.1. Vice Bishops

1. Shall accompany the Bishop on all important journeys and render assistance where
needed
2. The First Vice Bishop shall be the most senior advisor to the Bishop
3. The Second Vice Bishop shall be an advisor to the Ministers and the point of contact to
all who want to have a word with the Bishop. This shall exclude members of the board
of Ministers and Executive Admin Committee who shall have direct access to the
Bishops
4. Shall chair disciplinary hearings for Ministers and elders
5. Shall act as Bishop whenever the Bishop is away or is unable to perform his duties,
6. May review decisions taken by Ministers and may call a meeting with Executive
Administration members
7. Vice Bishops have full powers of a Bishop but may only execute full powers when
requested to do so by the Bishop
8. Conduct leadership and training seminars and workshop
5.2.2 Board of Ministers
1. Shall be senior prominent members of the church who shall be appointed by the Bishop
in the province
2. They shall move across the provinces preaching and shall be the Bishop’s most Senior
Representatives apart
3. Ministers shall have the executive powers in the provinces
4. They shall assist the Bishop with any assistance he may need
 5. Ministers shall constitute the highest board to pass final decisions on all matters
affecting AFC Unity that shall have been discussed at length in any board, committee or
council of AFC Unity
6. Ministers shall be judges of the highest Court of Appeal of AFC (Unity) in trials on
breaches of any aspect of AFC Unity canon law, and in case of conviction, shall
recommend to the Bishop, a suspension or excommunication of the transgressor.
7. Vice Bishops shall be picked from the Board of Ministers

5.2.3 Board of Elders

1. Shall be the judges on disciplinary proceedings in their respective areas
2. Shall advise the General Council and are responsible for opening new assemblies
3. Manage and control all matters affecting the foundation of apostolic faith morals and
general well-being of the AFC(Unity)
4. Shall recommend on new Parish appointments of office bearers
5. Shall officiate on opening new assemblies
6. Shall, in collaboration with pastors, maintain order, provide proper teachings and
guidance to the church
7. Shall carry out duties handed down to them by Ministers, or the Bishop
8. Elders shall be the primary source of advice to the Ministers or to the General Council
9. Decisions taken by Elders may only be reviewed by Ministers or by Apostolate provided
they are not of an administrative nature. Admin issues may be reviewed by the
Executive admin
10. Shall collect all contributions such as tithes from the congregants and submit to the
Executive Admin through the treasurer
11. For one to be an elder, he shall be responsible for at least 5 branches, and have served
for at least 10 years after appointment as a Reverend
5.2.4, Board of Deacons
1.

5.2.5. Board of Pastors/Reverends

Reverends shall
1. Preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to all mankind
2. Teach, encourage and remind members of AFC(Unity) to abide by the rules, regulations
and principles of AFC(Unity) governing the conduct of activities and behavior of
members and the manner in which spiritual activities are to be conducted
3. Baptize any new converts by triune immersion in water in the name of Father, Son and
the Holy Spirit after public confession of their sins before the congregation of AFC(Unity)
(Mathew 28:19-20)
4. Pray and lay hands on the sick
 5. Manage and control all activities of the local assembly
6. Pray for the transgressor’s forgiveness and rededication to the Lord after he/she has
served his/her term of suspension
7. Bless newly born children
8. Officiate at marriage weddings of church members
9. Officiate at funerals

5.2.6. Board of Evangelists

The evangelists shall
1. Preach the word to congregants and shall be responsible for bringing souls to the church
2. Commend new converts to the Lord after confession of their sins in public
3. Follow and encourage members that have back tracked or those that are weak in in
attending services, to attend services and to commit themselves to the Lord
4. Pray for the sick by laying hands on them
5. Settle parish matters and disputes amongst members with the guidance of the Pastor
6. Bring to the attention of the church any member that would have transgressed to be
tried

5.2.7. Board of Preachers

5.2.7. Board of Secretaries

Secretaries shall
1. Write down and keep record of all prophecy made at any church function
2. Keep record of church congregation
3. Be in charge of general discipline at church gatherings
4. Make announcements at Parishes
5. Public reading of scriptures at gatherings

CHAPTER 6: QUALITIES OF CHURCH LEADERS

6.1.1 Bishop. Vice Bishop, Executive Admin, Ministers, Elders,
To qualify for these positions, one shall
1. Be blameless and longstanding devoted member of AFC (Unity) whose faith is
unwavering and should have an exemplary behavior all the times
2. Be a married man
3. Be vigilant, self-controlled and orderly all the times
4. Welcome visitors cordially at his house
5. Not be discriminatory for whatever reason
6. Be well versed in AFC (Unity) religious practices
7. Not be quarrelsome but should be gentle and polite
8. Have a well behaved family
9. Have a nature and stature that command respect
10. Have a long good track of good leadership qualities and deeds
6.1.2 Reverends and Evangelist, and Preachers
To qualify for appointment, one must
1. Be a man of high integrity and should have a blameless life
2. Be a hardworking man with well-disciplined wife and children

CHAPTER 7:
7.0.0. CHURCH ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

7.1.0 The church shall have Executive Administration Committee

7.1.1. Church Administration refers to the organized and systematic management of the church. The
church recognizes that effective church administration is essential for the growth and well-being of the
congregation and the successful fulfillment of the church's mission.

7.2. Key Roles of church administrators

1. Overseeing the administrative and logistical aspects of the church's operations to ensure its smooth
functioning and effectiveness in carrying out its spiritual mission.
2. Ensuring that the administrative functions of the church run smoothly so that church leaders focus
on their spiritual and pastoral duties
7.3.0. Key duties of church administration include:
I. Financial Management: Handling the church's finances, including budgeting, accounting, managing
donations, and ensuring responsible stewardship of financial resources.
II. Event Planning: Organizing and coordinating various church events and activities, such as meetings,
conferences, and social gatherings.
III. Facility Management: Managing and purchase of church facilities, including maintenance, scheduling,
and ensuring they are conducive to worship and other activities. Facilities managed are among others,
church stands, venues, vehicles, computers, stationery.
IV. Communication: Facilitating effective communication within the congregation and with external
stakeholders. This may include managing church websites, newsletters, and social media accounts.
V. Record-Keeping: Maintaining records related to membership, weddings, funerals, and other church
activities.
VI. Policy and Procedure Development: Developing and implementing policies and procedures that govern
the church's operations and decision-making processes.
VII. Leadership Support: Providing administrative support to church leaders and members to help them
focus on their spiritual and pastoral responsibilities.
VIII. Resource Allocation: Allocating resources, including time, money, and personnel, to support the
church and programs.
IX. Discipline Enforcement: Managing and ensuring that discipline is maintained in the church
7.4.0. Executive Church Administration committee shall have the following members;
1. Chairman who shall be the Church Executive chairman
2. Vice Chairman
3. Secretary who shall be the Church Executive Secretary
4. Vice Secretary
5. Treasurer who shall be the Church Chief Financial Officer
6. Committee members

6.5.0. Appointment and Tenure of Office

1. Administrators are appointed by the church’s top most governing body comprising the Bishops and
Ministers.
2. The tenure of the administrators is 10 years unless gross misconduct by the administrator leads to
removal from office.
3. Administrators may resign by giving in writing, reasons for resignation to the Chairman via the
Executive Secretary, such resignation will have to be approved and accepted by the Bishop or his
representative in writing
4. Members may be replaced in the case of a member death, member leaving the church or gross
misconduct.
5.

7.6.0. Qualifications of the Administrators

7.6.1. To be appointed to the Executive Admin Committee, one must;
1. Be a full member of the church
2. Be a member who pays tithes
3. Be literate, able to read and write
4. Occupy a rank of an elder
5. Must be a respected member of the church with no record of church discord
6. Be 40 years or older in age
7. Possess administrative skills
8. Be willing to use own resources at times for the furtherance of the church
9. Shall have no previous record of financial embezzlement, immoral behavior, physical fights, or
history of corruption, or unclear deals
10. Should be someone who travels and attends conferences in provinces other than their province
using own means

7.6.2.0. Duties of the Administrator (TBA)

1. Chairman
1.1. Shall chair all church meetings, conferences , workshops and training sessions
1.2. Shall be the leader of all church administration
 1.3. In meetings, chairman conclude all issues raised, apply his impartial mind and that decision is
final
1.4. Shall receive all complaints relating to the administration departments as well as complaints
raised against the Executive. The Chairman, upon receiving such complaints, shall consult the
Bishop, Vice Bishop, Vice Chair, Secretary, Vice Secretary and all admin members to
deliberate on the complaint or accusation before advising on the next step of advice
1.5. Shall preside over senior appointments together with Secretary in consultation with the Bishops
1.6. Shall, in consultation with the Bishop, advise on leadership issues in any Province that may
have leadership wrangles
1.7. Defend the aims and objectives of the organization as head of the administration committee
1.8. Preside over the meetings of the organization.
1.9. Permit the use of funds under the direction of the Executive Committee.
1.10. Veto any decision which is not in line with the mission and vision of the ministry.
1.11. Be empowered to perform certain functions of the church provided it would be in the
interest of the church.
1.12. Be empowered to take certain decisions on behalf of the church provided it would be in
the interest of the church
1.13. In the event the church has no Bishop, the Chairman shall assume a temporary leadership
role of the church on an acting basis for a period not exceeding 12 months whilst arranging for
appointment of a substantive Bishop. No Minster may act as a Bishop unless appointed by the
Bishop or in the event of the permanent absence of a Bishop the Chairman may appoint an
acting Bishop for a period not exceeding 6months for the purposes of the Holy communion
only
7.6.2. Executive Secretary (Also known as National Secretary)
1. Shall be the Chief Administrator of the church
2. Shall be the official PA of the church Executive( Bishop, Vice Bishop, Ministers and
Admin Committee)
3. Shall be responsible for all church documents and communication
4. Shall accompany the Executive on all church activities
5. Shall be the official point of contact for the Church and for the Executive
6. Keep proper and up-to-date records of the organization.
7. Keep statistics of all members of the organization.
8. Ensure minute taking of the meetings of the organization. The Secretary shall distribute
minutes within 7 days of such meetings
9. Have the authority to use the organization funds to pay accounts outstanding in the
absence of the treasurer.
10. Receive and consolidate departmental reports for the Annual General Meeting.
11. Ensure effective administration of the National Church Office

7.6.2.0. Treasurer
1. Receive and deposit the church’s funds with the approved banking institution.
2. Keep good and proper records of all the receipts and payments of the organization.
3. Prepare and present a financial statement of the organizations financial affairs annually or as requested by
the Executive Committee.
4. Circulate statement of the organization’s audited accounts to the Executive Committee
5. As far as possible the Treasurer’s signature shall be on all financial transactions of the organization.
6. Have the authority to use the organization funds to pay accounts outstanding and salaries
7. Ensure that effective financial systems are in place throughout the church
8. Shall be the custodian of church funds

7.6.4.Administration Committee Members

1. Shall be appointed based on geographical locations
2. Shall advise and propose administrative aspects of the church
3. In the event of any admin office bearer’s death, sickness or incapacitation, they may be appointed
to act on any admin position
4. In the provinces that they represent, they are the main points of contact and they receive issues,
ideas and proposals on administrative issues
5. All church committee shall have admin committee members in them who shall be the leader of
that committee
6. Shall be members who command respect and trust in their areas
7. Shall occupy a rank of an elder
8. Shall be members who have not been convicted of adultery, financial embezzlement, fighting or any
transgression that brings the church into disrepute
7.6.5. Gross misconduct of the administrators
1. Financial embezzlement
2. Physical manhandling of own spouse, church member or any person in public
3. Publicly preaching or talking against church leadership or a member of the administration department
4. Failure to advise the areas they represent on matters of administration
5. Inciting boycott or deliberate refusal to carry out, church approved programs, decisions or conferences
6. Failure to attend church conferences, meetings or workshops
7. Refusal to carry properly authorized instructions and duties assigned to them
8. Inefficiency and incompetence in the performance of their duties

7.7.0. Removal from Office of an Administrator

In order to keep proper order in church administration, the following steps should be followed before an
administrator is removed from office
1. A letter detailing the nature of offence should be sent to the Chairman detailing the nature of
complaint
2. A member is given a period of six months to reform
 3. If after six months the complainant is not satisfied that there is improvement, the matter is brought
to the Quota or synod meeting where the issue would be discussed.
4. The meeting may dismiss the complaint, uphold the complaint or refer further investigation
5. If the complaint is upheld, the meeting may issue a first, second or final warning depending on the
behavior and cooperation of the member
6. In passing a sentence, the church may look at members contribution to the church, members
behavior during investigation, or members willingness to remedy the situation
7. A warning shall be valid for a period of 6months
8. If after three warnings the members still has not improved, the member is referred to the
Apostolate
9. The Apostolate shall deliberate on the issue and may pass their sentence which may be written
warning, suspension, previous conviction turned down, or refer to General assembly
10. In the case of a referral to General Assembly, the assembly shall determine on the period of
suspension or refer back to the Executive Church Council
11. In case of referral to the Executive, the council may recommend further suspension or removal
from office
12. A member removed from office may only appeal to the Executive Council with a written verdict
from the Bishop

7.7.13.0. The church shall have Church Admin Council comprised of the following admin structures
Executive Admin
Provincial Admin
Parish Admin
7.7.14. All admin issues are to be finalized by the Executive Admin
7.7.15. All finances and audits have to be finalized by the Executive admin and all audits are submitted to
the Executive admin

7.7.15. Executive Church Council

7.7.15.1. Shall comprise of the Bishops, Ministers and Executive Administrators
7.7.15.2. The Executive committee shall have the authority to run the church in between meetings of the
General Assembly, and may suggest, implement or introduce temporary measures relevant for the progress
of the church
7.7.15.3. Decisions of the Executive council shall be implemented after the Secretary has written to all
Provinces explaining and motivating the rationale behind the decisions taken
7.7.15.4. Without limiting the generality of the aforesaid, the Executive Council shall have the following
responsibilities,
a. It shall be responsible for the spiritual control and general administration of all matters and affairs of the
organization.
b. It shall have the power to co-opt any member for the purpose of filling in a position for skills/knowledge
needed to enhance the effectiveness of the administration of the ministry.
c. It shall have the power to convene emergency meetings.
d. It shall implement the decisions of the General Meetings.
e. It shall have the power to appoint Sub-Committees as needed.
f. To appoint or remove Pastors / Elders to head local assemblies in consultation with the local church
board.
g. Where the pastor and the local church admin have proved to be unable to administer the local assembly,
the Executive Committee could intervene to normalize the situation.
h. This is the highest decision making body of the church
i. The church Secretary shall ensure proper record of all meetings of the council and record of all
appointments
7.8.0. Financial Policy of the Church
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
7.8.0.1. Principles of Church financial management
7.8.0.1.1. The following principles must guide all aspects of church financial management
7.8.0.1.1.1. There must be equity, transparency, prudence, economics, effectiveness, efficiency and
accountability in financial matters;
7.8.0.1.1.2. All church finances must be directed towards the accomplishment of the Great Commission,
7.8.2.1.1.3. No collections may be levied except under the specific authority of this Constitution or a special
resolution of the General Assembly
7.8.1.2. Executive Admin oversight over Church revenues and expenditure
7.8.2.1. The Executive Admin must monitor and oversee revenues and expenditure by the Church and all
Assemblies, Provinces, Departments, and Institutions of the Church in order to ensure that—
7.8.2.1.1. All revenue is accounted for;
7.8.2.1.2. All expenditure has been properly incurred; and
7.8.2.1.3. Any limits and conditions on appropriations have been observed.
7.8.2.2. A special resolution of the General Assembly shall provide mechanisms for the church admin to
monitor and oversee all expenditure by the Church.
7.8.2.3. Every person who is responsible for the expenditure of church funds must safeguard the funds and
ensure that they are spent only on legally authorized purposes and in legally authorized amounts.
7.8.2.4. Every person who has custody or control of church property must safeguard the property and
ensure that it is not lost, destroyed, damaged, misapplied or misused
7.8.2.5. The Executive Admin or a simple resolution of the General Assembly may provide for the speedy
detection of breaches of financial policies and breaches of any of the financial clauses in this
constitution and the disciplining and punishment of persons responsible for any such breaches and,
where appropriate, the recovery of misappropriated funds or property.

7.8.3. CONTRIBUTIONS- Finances

7.8.3 The church shall rely on contributions from the members and any income generating
projects for the church. As such,
1. Every member shall subscribe to the funds of the church, a record of such should be
available to any member who might want to inspect. The rate shall be determined by
the Ministers and the Overseer
2. Every member shall pay tithes. Tithes are God’s commandment and as such any
member who does not pay tithes commits a sin
3. Every member shall give to the church as they feel.
4. Any member who does not pay tithes and does not willfully give may not be appointed
to a leadership position
7.9.0. TITHES
Tithes shall be collected by respective elders who shall submit to Ministers/Overseer for
handover to the Bishop. People who pay tithes shall have their names written in the receipt
book that will be kept by the Secretary General and once in a month, the Apostolate shall
dedicate a day to pray specifically for those that have paid
1. Tithes shall be used to cater for
2. Bishop’s travel expenses
3. Bishop’s welfare
4. Care for the widows and orphans in the church
5. Help in church administration

7.10.0 OFFERINGS
All contributions brought to church shall be used to cater for,
1. Church activities and missionary travels
2. The poor and the less privileged members of the church
3. Member’s memorial services
4. Social welfare of leadership and the needy church members

7.11.0. USE OF CHURCH FUNDS

7.11.1. The Executive Admin has the authority to decide about the Finances of the Church.
7.11.2. This constitution and/or the various simple resolution of the General Assembly will be
used to determine the various ways in which church funds are received and spent including the
periodic financial reports to the Church.
1) A financial year will start from the 1st of October of the calendar year and ends on the
31st of September the following calendar year.
 2) A budget is drawn up at the beginning of the financial year using the income and
expenses in the cashbook.
3) New plans for the next year will be estimated based on the funding sources
4) Cash flow statements will be drawn by the Treasurer to control the church budget
5) A Cash book will record income and expenses incurred
6) A numbered receipt book will be used to record all the income
7) An invoice file or voucher book will record all the expenses
8) A budget and cash flow statement will be drawn up to manage the finances of the
church
9) The treasurer will ensure that the three books above will show clearly the payments
done, (amount, to whom paid, signed proof of payment, who approved the transaction
as authorized by the Church).
10) A file will be kept to show all the financial evidence in the right order.
11) Safe custody of these financial documents is a must to ensure nobody else has
unauthorized access.
12) All these financial records should be safely and orderly stored to ensure ease retrieval
should the need arise.
13) At the end of every Three months, the Treasurer has to compare the expenses and
income to find the balance.

7.12.0. Handling Cash

1) The treasurer is responsible to handle all the cash and to always keep it locked away
safely. The church shall have a bank account
2) If some of the money goes missing the Treasurer may have to pay it back.
3) Banking facilities will be used to open a bank account. The Church board will appoint
two other persons, who must always sign for all payments from the Bank account.
4) The signed minutes of the church board in appointing the signatories’ to the bank
account will be filed and a copy issued to the bank.
5) The treasurer will regularly deposit all the cash received into the bank account, the
deposit amount must be the same as the income recorded in the receipt book.
6) Proof of deposit will be filed to show that all funds were indeed deposited
7) Monthly bank reconciliation is required on the cashbook and bank statement to ensure
that recorded transaction match in the cashbook and the bank statement.
8) If an electronic card is used, the pin number does not have to be disclosed to any other
persons to ensure no one else withdraws the church funds besides the Treasurer.

7.13.0. Audit of the Church books

13.7 The treasurer will submit the cash book, receipt book, invoice file, bank statements
and all necessary financial evidence to auditors’
13.8 Church admin will discuss the audit report at an ordinary meeting to approve it or
accept it.
13.9 Church funds Audit shall be done each year on or before end of the month of August
CHAPTER 8:
8.0 GENERAL CHURCH RULES AND DISCIPLINE
8.1.0. The church shall
1. Allow white dress and head dress for women and white coats and gowns for men at church
services only.
2. Not Permit women to plait their hair and shall not allow cutex or other painting of eyelids,
mouths, nails and lips. Women are not allowed to have dreads, braids, earings or ornamental
rings or to dye their hair
3. Dreadlocks are not allowed. Some funny haircuts and hairstyles are not allowed.
4. Indecent dressing is prohibited. Women may not come to church in trousers, miniskirts
or wrap overs. A mini skirt is a short dress or a skirt that ends above knee level. Men may not
come to church in muscle tops, jeans or T-Shirts
5. Not allow its members to consult fortune tellers, sorcerers or witchdoctors. Whoever
breaches this rule, shall, if he is a leader , lose his rank, or if he is just a member, may
not be appointed to any position forever [1 Cor 10:14, Deut 18:10-12]
6. Smoking tobacco and taking intoxicating substances is not allowed [
7. Not allow adultery and fornication. Anyone one found to be guilty of such will be temporarily
suspended. Sentences may vary depending on frequency of committing the same offence.
[Mathew 18:18, 16:19, John 20:23, Gal 6:1]
8. Allow and encourage marriages and payment of bride price. A member who has not paid
bride price may not participate in any spiritual duty. Marriage celebrations are officiated by the
most senior leader present. Equally important also are the christening celebrations or baby
welcome celebrations, where the child is anointed by a Reverend.
9. Allow polygamous marriages but the man should live in harmony with his family [1 Samuel
1:2, Gen 16:1-5]
10. Allow payment of tithes and offerings by every member. No one is exempted from this
rule. Any member who does not pay tithes or offerings automatically ceases to be a
member of the church. None is exempt from paying tithes, every member shall pay tithes and
offerings as this is the law of the Lord.[Mal 3:7-10, 1Cor 16:1-3, Gal 6:5, Proverbs 3:9]
11. Not allow a man to divorce his wife except if the wife commits adultery. Any man who
wishes to divorce his wife should bring evidence that the wife committed adultery. Anyone who
divorces his wife except for adultery loses their rank and may not perform any spiritual duties
[Mark 10:4-10, Mathew 5:32]
12. Observe Sunday as the day of rest and Worship in accordance with an example set by early
apostles [Joh 20:1-19, Acts 20:7, Rev 1:10, 1 Cor 16:1-2]. Other days are mid week,
Wednesday and Friday.
13. Allow all members to pray for the sick and intercede for others as the bible dictates [James
5:13-15, Luke 18:1-6, Acts 3:1-5]
14. Observe Passover feast, any member who does not observe Passover shall not perform
any spiritual duty till the next Passover
15. Not allow any member for whatever reason, to destabilize the smooth running of the church
or to criticize the church leadership publicly or in private. Any member guilty of such behavior
shall be excommunicated. Any person who criticizes the leadership unnecessarily in public or in
private shall be brought for disciplinary hearing, repeated offenders shall receive harsh
sentences [Leviticus 24:14, 1 Timothy 5:19-20]
16. Not allow its prophets to ask for cash or other gifts as form of payment for spiritual services
rendered as such practices turn the prophet into a spirit medium
17. Any person who does not participate in raising funds for church buildings, church programs
or any or any member who willingly does not assist the church financially, shall be suspended
from carrying out any spiritual duty until full payment is made. Repeated willful failure to make
financial contribution may lead to the member being not able to be appointed to a position of
authority or any leadership position.[Acts 5:1-11]
18. No one is allowed to claim any property or cash given to church as a contribution.
19. Every member of the church has equal privileges and rights to church activities. There is
no discrimination on race, sex, tribe or political affiliation
20. No member has the power to seize leadership of the church without authority of the
General Assembly.
21. The church is a self-governing body with no individual or organization above it. The
church manages its own affairs And is accountable to itself and God through Jesus Christ. The
church does not take its internal issues to a public court, tribal court, village court, magistrate
court, High court or Supreme court or even a Concourt. Church affairs are solved in church by
church members and or leadership using church protocol and procedures. Any member or any
person who brings church issues to the country’s courts shall be liable for the costs of such
litigation.
22. The church interprets its own constitution, and the church’s reading of the constitution is
final. No person who is not a member of the church may be called in to interpret this
constitution, and no organization, government department or any other authority in whatever
capacity may interpret and interpret this constitution to its members. No case of church shall be
brought to the country’s courts.
23. The church is an independent organization, non-political, and may not be used for personal
or political purposes
24. The church shall receive donations, gifts in cash or in kind, movable or immovable.
25. The church may receive or secure anything incidental or conducive for attainment of its
church goals.
26. Christians are not allowed to sell intoxicating drugs or other drugs not allowed by the
laws of the country.
27. All appointments and ordination shall be done in public by the Bishop. Normally and
preferably at Quota meeting or Synod, conference of General meeting where the Bishop shall
lay hands on those appointed as a way of ordaining the member.
28. Consolation ceremony shall be done 40 days after death of a member.
29. Branches shoulder the travel expenses of the leaders who are to attend Synod, Quota, ten
days or any other meeting called by the Bishop
30. Allow women to preach in church, prophecy and to pray for the sick
31. No person is allowed to give himself a branch without the consent of the mother branch.
Consideration for the branch shall take into account, distance from the existing branch, and
number of members who will attend that branch and the leader who will lead that branch
32. Branches shall look for a church stand for conduct of services. Such a place acquired shall
remain the property of the church and all signatories to the property may not claim ownership of
the property. Signatories may be replaced by a simple resolution of the meeting by the branch
concerned.
33. Any member who misuses tithes will be suspended, or reported to police until such time that
he/she reimburses the tithes
34. Members of the church shall give and tithes at all Passovers freely
35. Any leader absent from General meetings three times shall be stripped of their duties
35. Every province shall establish an approved Provincial admin committee comprising of
Provincial Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, treasurer and committee members.
36. Any member who has been found guilty of any offence may not execute any church duty
except at the completion of the sentence.
37. Any member who travels from one assembly to another must have a letter from their local
branch stating their full names, rank, marital status, purpose of travel and their standing position
with regard to whether they can be accepted to partake in spiritual duty.
38. As a sign of love and mercy, the church shall provide accommodation and food to those
members travelling seeking assistance on healing, deliverance or counselling
39. Members of the church have equal rights- the old, the young the rich, the poor, the
educated, the illiterate, all stand on equal ground.
40’ Any member who preaches, disseminates or creates a social media platform to preach
against the church doctrine or preaching and disseminating unfounded accusations against the
church doctrine and/or leadership shall be excommunicated. [1 Cor 1:19-20]

8.2. CHURCH DISCIPLINE (Romans 16:17.18)

8.2.0. The AIM of church discipline is to Allow members who have sinned to reform and

refrain from their evil ways so that the Name of God and the church is not put into
disrepute and for them to be saved through repentance

8.2.0.1. The church believes that Church Discipline is An act of Love and mercy whose
PURPOSE is Caring involvement of the church with its members who sin to let them turn

away from their evil ways

8.1.0. The church affirms that

1, God does not want people to be lost. He loves sinners John 3:16,

If anyone from the family leaves the right way (sins) God wants the Church to do
something to bring that person back into the church fold.

2.0. God is merciful. Mathew 18 verse15-20), Ezekiel 33 verses 7-20)

3. Sin destroys the holiness of the church. A church whose members do wrong and
sinful things become mixed up with the world. It no longer shows its special character of
being set apart and belonging to God. The world knows that God hates sin. If as
believers we tolerate sin, then the World will think that we do not respect and honor
God. Then they too will lose their respect for God.

8.2. Any member who commits sin must be displined

8.3. All sins are to be disciplined

8.4.0.Steps to be followed when a church member is found living a sinful life

(habitual sinner)

1. Members care for each other. When a member sees a fellow Christian

involved in wrong doing, that person should talk to the sinner alone to

convince him/her to change the wrong course. If the person agrees the whole

process ends there. You have won the brother back the purpose is fulfilled.

2. If the sinner is stubborn a group of two or three fellow believers goes to speak

with the person. A church elder gets involved at this stage. This means a

witness in the form of the first person who spoke with sinner is available.

Hopefully the sinner feels remorse and turns back from the wrong way.

3. The matter is before the Church assembly. A discussion to lure the person

back is per sued. The person is asked to appear before the assembly male

members and shown clearly what is wrong with the behavior and told the

remedial action if the member does not reform. Time is given for the member

to ponder over the misdemeanor, prove the willingness to change for the

better.

4. If a member does not reform, the member is brought to a Provincial

leadership for discipline

 5. If still the member does not reform after the provincial reprimand, that

member is brought to the Executive

6. Membership cancellation ensues if the member remains arrogant, unwilling to

leave their sin. The Executive applies 1 Corinthians 5:13.”Remove the evil

person from your group”

8.5.0. Miscellaneous Disciplinary Measures

8.5.1. The Objective Discipline

8.5.1.1. Discipline is an exercise of scriptural authority for which the church is

responsible. The objective of discipline is to honor God, and maintain integrity of the
church, that the purity and welfare of the A.F.C.(Unity) may be maintained, and that
those under discipline may repent and be restored.

8.5.1.2. Discipline, redemptive in nature as well as corrective, is to be administered

for the restoration of the Offender, while fully providing for the protection of the
spiritual welfare of the A.F.C.(Unity) It is to be exercised under a dispensation of love
and mercy.

8.5.1.3. The following shall be proceeded with only after all other avenues of
Christian counsel and brotherly admonition have been exhausted. For the purposes
of this law, "he" shall be deemed to include ‘she’.

8.5.2. Causes of Disciplinary Action

8.5.2.1. Violation of principles as stated in this Constitution may give cause for
disciplinary action by the Disciplinary Committee, be it at the Local Level, Provincial
Level or National Level,

8.5.2.2. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, among such causes for
action shall be:
i. Adultery, sexual deviation, any conduct unbecoming to a member, or indiscretions
involving morals.

ii. General inefficiency in the performance of Church duties,

iii. A contentious or non-cooperative spirit, boasting, unnecessary personal appraisal

or uplifting for unnecessary reasons.

iv. An assumption of dictatorial authority over an assembly,

v. An arbitrary rejection of resolutions of the A.F.C.(Unity) general meeting, such as

Quota, Synod or Ten Days. Disruption of church meetings and unnecessary
shouting during church proceedings including in meetings, services or any church
gathering.

vi. A declared open change in doctrinal views,

vii. A habit of running into debt which brings reproach upon the A.F.C.(Unity)

viii. The officiating of a marriage in violation of our stand on marriage and divorce,

ix. Violations of generally accepted ministerial courtesy, charging in cash or in kind

for spiritual assistance

x. witchcraft, sorcery and practicing, consulting or attending to traditional

ceremonies, spirit mediums or magic

xi. Attending, performing and/or contributing financially or in kind for traditional

rituals,

xii. Preaching anti-Christ doctrine or doctrine that divides the Church,

xiii. Seeking help or consulting from sorcerers, traditional healers, sprit medium
and/or seeking treatment from the same

xiv. Deliberate false prophecy that divides the Church and causes despondence and
alarm,
xv. Embezzling Church funds, or misuse, or general dishonesty thereof

xvi. Stealing Church assets, or stealing from fellow church members or the general
public or misuse thereof

xvii. Peddling false gossip, or rumours to tarnish fellow member’s image or to

reduce dignity of the church leadership.

xviii. Conducting any act, or business that puts the name of the A.F.C(Unity) into
disrepute,

xix. Improper association or foul play with married fellow member’s spouse,

xx. Indulging in dishonesty, shoddy, shady and unclear business deals,

xxi. Divorcing for any other reason that is not adultery,

xxii. Engaging in business activities that are illegal according to the laws of the
country

xxiii. Operating a business that sells and promotes the selling of alcohol or
intoxicating drugs,

xxiv. Keeping dogs and cats as domestic animals,

xxv. Failing to adhere to the church’s apostolic dress code,

xxvi. Violence against church members, improper talk, or willful disrespect of fellow
member

xxvii. Argumentative and conduct disrespectful of leaders calculated to undermine

the authority of leaders, or other church members

xxviii. Conducting church related programs not sanctioned by the Church leadership,

xxix. Interfering with Church assets, with an intention to misappropriate such asset,

xxx. Forging, defacing or destroying Church documents,

xxxi. Falling in love and/or marrying women from a local assembly if one is a local
leader.

xxxii. Running parallel church structures, services or committees and activities not
sanctioned by any church resolution or church leadership.

xxxiii. Any member who leaves their assembly, or province and conduct an
administrative meeting without the sanction of resident elders or ministers. Attending
a service is not an offence

xxxiv. Instigating indiscipline, encouraging and influencing sabotage of church

programs, activities or fund raising activities

xxxv. Well calculated meddling or wilful meddling of church leader’s affairs,

unnecessary affiliation or unnecessary visitation to leaders with intention to divert
church direct, or to capture the leadership or to smear the leaders, or any other
church member. It shall be an offence to discuss church affairs with a person who is
not a member of the AFC(Unity)

8.5.3. Initiative

The Bishop’s Council has the right to withdraw its approval and to withdraw
credentials and the dismissal of any Pastor, Evangelist, Preacher, Secretary, or any
offender.

8.5.4. Investigation of Reports or Complaints of Alleged Violations of Principles

When a report or complaint of alleged violations by a member is received, the Local

Assembly Court, Provincial Disciplinary Committee or the National Disciplinary

Committee, shall carry out an investigation, having in mind that it is its responsibility
to safeguard the member, and the A.F.C.(Unity) This shall be done to determine the
source of the report or complaint. The persons involved may be interviewed in order
to ascertain the facts in the case and the reasons underlying the reports or
complaints, after which the accused member may be interviewed.

8.5.5. Preparation and Filing of Charges

If, after due investigation, it is determined that charges should be laid, proper
charges shall be prepared and filed. If no one appears to sign the charges, members
making the investigation may prefer charges based on the evidence in their
possession. The person against whom charges have been filed shall be informed in
writing of the charges made.

8.5.6. Hearings and Discipline

8.5.6.1. Hearings shall be fair and guided by procedural fairness and transgressors
shall be afforded the right to present their cases and to call witnesses in their
defence.

8.5.6.2. If the Disciplinary Committee determines that guilt has been established,
discipline shall be administered prayerfully and in the fear of God, in accordance

with the Scriptures, and as set out in this Code of Conduct.

8.5.7. Credentials Terminations

A transgressor who has been found guilty of violating or who has confessed to
having violated any of the principles set forth in this Code of Conduct, shall be
subject to disciplinary action by the Disciplinary Committee. The said discipline shall
be administered in brotherly love and kindness in an effort to lead the transgressor
through a program of rehabilitation. The Disciplinary Committee shall weigh
decisions on the basis of the offence itself. In the event rehabilitation is not feasible,
the Disciplinary Committee shall recommend to the Bishop’s Council that his
credentials be withdrawn.

8.5.8. Right of Appeal

An appeal from the decision of the Disciplinary Committee may be made in the
following manner;

8.5.8.1. The decision of the Local Assembly Court shall be appealed in writing to the

District Disciplinary Committee, headed by an Elder

8.5.8.2. The decision of the Elder may be appealed to the Provincial Committee
8.5.8.3. The decision of the Province may be appealed to the National Disciplinary
Committee
8.5.8.4. The decision of the National Committee may be appealed to the Executive
Council.
8.5.8.5. The decision of the Executive Council may be appealed to the General
Assembly through a written request to the Chairman of the Executive
Admin
8.5.8.6. All appeals have to be in written form, clearly stating the reasons for
appeal
8.5.8.7. A court where the appeal is referred to shall not institute a retrial but shall
deliberate on the merits raised for the appeal
8.5.8.8. The court handling the appeal may dismiss the appeal, give instructions to
the lower case, or give a verdict
8.5.8.9. All hearings must be in the best interests of the church and all hearings
must have a record before the appeal is head.
8.5.8.10. In the case of a Minister, or a Bishop, a special tribunal shall be appointed
to handle the case, and the case has to be brought to the Executive
council in writing by the complainant

CHAPTER 9:

Christian Teaching
9.1.0. Church Leaders are responsible for Christian teachings as exemplified in
Matthew 28 verse 18-20, Ephesians 4 verse 11-13. The Leaders will regularly
teach people at church services, organize and plan spiritual conferences,
Sunday school for Children, instructions for young adults, Classes for married
couples and young families.

9.1.1. The objective of Christian teaching is to help members to

 Become mature in their Spiritual life.

 Live a Christian life

 Understand what it means to be a Christian

 Guide members to have a personal relationship with God the father, the Son

and the Holy Spirit

 Build members to grow spiritually, bear fruit

 Serve the Kingdom of God

 Teach the Children to Love God and serve him ( Deuteronomy 4:9, 6:6-7)

9.2.0. Sacraments
9.2.1.These are the visible signs (that we can see and touch) that God has given
to church to strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

9.2.1.We are guided by the relationship between the sacraments and the word.
The preaching of the word brings Salvation to the sinners and not the
sacraments.

9.2.1. In AFC (Unity) we believe in only two sacraments namely:

9.2.1.1. Holy communion: Points to the cross of Jesus where his body was
broken (bread) and his blood was shed (wine) so that our sins can be forgiven
(Luke 22 verse 19-20, 1 Corinthians 11 verse 23-32)
 9.2.1.2. Baptism (Full water immersion): Here we use the sign of water so

that we can be sure that our sins have been washed away because of

what Jesus did on the cross (Titus 3 verses 4-7)

CHAPTER 10:

10.0 Festivals - Church Fellowship Meetings/Conferences

The church shall have the following important fellowship meetings;

1. Passover – April
We celebrate the meaning of the death and the resurrection of Jesus. This is the most
important work Jesus did to save us from our sins and gave us new life. It happened when he
died on the cross and rose again from death. It is a time of great spiritual encouragement and
renewal. “the time of Lent or Passion Tide”

2. Pentecost- June
The Holy Spirit came down on this day to give the early believers power to be Christ’s witnesses. All
activities related to spiritual gifts and testing thereof, is done on this conference.

3. Ten Days - July

We celebrate the going to heaven of Jesus. It reminds us of the fact that Jesus is alive, sitting at
the right hand of GOD. It means that he is within the Church and he rules the World. We thus
have to remember and celebrate this fact. We meditate on the work of the Holy Spirit and to
pray for renewal in the church and revive our faith.

4. Tabernacles- From July

This is a thanksgiving and rememberance for all that the Lord has done to the Christians both
individually and collectively as a church

10.5. Church Departmental Fellowships

10.5.1. Sunday School

10.5.2. Youth Fellowship

10.5.3. Youth conferences shall be organized and encouraged at each

congregation of the church for the purpose of,
 1. Promoting good standards of Christian life amongst the Youth

members

2. Teaching them to obey the parents

3. Instilling in them a sense of self responsibility, self-discipline and

humility

4. Cultivating in them a culture of respect for one another and elders in

general

5. Teach the youth about teachings of the bible, repentance and

confession at an early age

6. Teach and encourage them to have social life skills, survival

techniques and work in general

7. Encourage development of financial skills, and financial independence

8. Mobilise youth in helping the less privileged members of the church (1

Timothy 5:14, 1 Peter 5:5, )

9. Encourage marriage within the church

10. There shall be a Youth Committee

11.
10.6. Women Fellowship Conference
All women members shall attend women fellowships, and a general conference will be held in
July of each year
At these conferences and fellowships, they shall
1. Visit and pray for the sick
2. Collect various gifts and give to the underpriviledged
3. Discuss the roles of wives and how to uphold Christian values in their households
4. Send proposals on challenges they face as wives

Men’s Fellowship
CHAPTER 11

Meetings

11.0. The church shall have the following meetings every year

1. Quota Meeting

1.1. This meeting shall discuss all major issues affecting the church

1.2. Tithes and other gifts are surrendered by the Deacons to the Financial

committee who in turn shall surrender them to the Bishops. The Bishops

together with the Vice Bishops and Ministers shall decide on the

distribution the same

1.3. The Bishop shall ordain those appointed to new positions within the

church

2. Ten Days Meeting

The objectives of the Ten days Conference are

2.1. To uplift spiritual power within members by preaching the gospel for ten

days

2.2. Healing the sick and casting out demons

2.3. Discussing matters of urgency affecting the church

2.4. This shall be held in July/August

3. Synod Meeting

Synod meeting is held in the first Saturday of every December with the purpose of,

3.1. Setting dates, venues and calendar for the following year
3.2. Discussing matters affecting the church
 3.3. Discussing matters affecting church policy, vision and direction of the

church

4.0. Procedure for meetings

The following shall be the procedure at meetings;

Meetings shall be governed by the accepted rules and procedures and shall be

conducted in the Spirit of Christ and brotherly counsel. The regular order of business

for the Annual Meeting of the A.F.C (Unity) shall be as follows;

i. Devotional - Opening prayer And Sermon by the Bishop

ii. Introductions

iii. Welcome Remarks

iv. Speech – Executive Council

v. Report of the Secretary General, Apologies And Reading of Previous Meeting

Minutes

vi. Reports and Agenda from Provinces

vii. Report of the Chief Treasurer- Financial Report

viii. New business of the day

ix. Adjournment ,

x. Announcements

xi. Devotional.

11.5. Rules And Procedure during Meetings

The following shall govern all church meetings

11.5.1. The quorum shall be the presence of at least 9 provinces

duly represented
11.5.2. The number of Ministers present shall be at least 7
11.5.3. Bishops must be present or at least an apology shall have to

be availed

11.5.4. The Executive Admin shall have at least 5 members

including the Chairman, Secretary and/or their deputies

11.5.5. The Executive Chairman shall preside over all meetings. The

Vice chair automatically assumes chairmanship in the absence of

the Chairman

11.5.6. In the event both the Chairman and his Vice are absent, the

Secretary in consultation with the Executive Council may appoint a

member of the Admin committee members to assume

chairmanship

11.5.7. If quorum is not achieved at the time of start, then the

meeting may be delayed for a further one hour, during which time

the Secretary shall make phone calls to those that are not present

to record their reasons for their absence or lateness. Reasons shall

be furnished to the General assembly

11.5.8. If after one hour still there is no quorum, the Secretary shall

read out to the General assembly reasons submitted by those

absent. Members not available on the telephone network shall be

deemed to have forfeited their right to be present and the meeting

may carry on

11.5.9. Reasons accepted for adjournment may be funeral of a

church member, and vehicle breakdown. Lack of transport fare is

not accepted

11.5.10. Meeting shall be adjourned if after a further 30 mins still

quorum is not achieved

11.5.11. During meetings, only a member authorized to speak by the

chairman may submit their views

11.5.12. Any member disrupting the meeting proceedings by

unnecessary shouting, unauthorized talking, swearing or talking

during meetings shall be liable to be send out of the meeting for

some time

11.5.13. A member disrupting meeting shall be warned, if the person

keeps on disrupting, he can be send out for 10mins, then for

30mins or may be send out for the rest of the meeting

11.5.14. The chairman shall give final conclusion on matters

deliberated taking into consideration the dictates of the constitution

first and the points raised. He may consult the Executive on matters

of doctrine

11.5.15. The chairman shall make an independent decision and is not

obliged to favor anyone but will decide and make decisions good

for the progress of church

11.5.16. Chairman decision is final and any appeal may only be made

in the form of an agenda on the same issue in the next meeting

11.5.17. An appeal for leave of stay of execution may be written to

the Executive council on the issue to be stayed. All other decisions

shall be executed. In terms of appeal, the reasons shall be

furnished to the executive

11.5.18. In the event the chairman makes questionable decisions,

any member may submit a written complaint through their local

Minister stating the decision in question, agenda and why the

complainant deems that unreasonable, irrational or unfair

11.5.19. The chairman shall give permission to speak basing on the

geographical origins of the members. All provinces shall be given

equal opportunity to air their views

11.5.20. A province that brings more members shall be given same

opportunity as a province with few members in attendance. Voting

and decisions are made based on position from provinces and not

an individual position

11.5.21. The secretary shall send notice of meetings at least 30 days

before date of meeting, specifying any special agenda to be

discussed.

11.5.22. 60 days before the date of meeting, the secretary shall invite

agenda to be discussed from all provinces which shall be published

and send to all provincial secretaries, who shall in turn ensure that

this is discussed at Provincial meetings

11.5.23. All provinces shall send a copy of all their provincial

meetings to the secretary for record keeping. A province that does

not send copies of their Provincial meeting minutes shall be liable

for disciplinary hearing

11.5.24. The secretary shall record all those found to be violating the

code of conduct during meetings.

11.5.25. No vote of confidence may be brought on an urgent basis on

the chairman or secretary during the meeting, all complaints have

to follow proper procedure to avoid disrupting the meeting

11.5.26. All provincial representatives have to register with the

secretary upon arrival,

CHAPTER 12

Dissolution And Amendments of the Constitution

12.1. The church and this constitution may not be dissolved for whatever reason,

the church shall exist in perpetual succession of leadership, and the

constitution may only be amended on sections that may be deemed to require

amendments

12.2. Amendments shall require a special approval of all members present at a

General Assembly meeting, and all Provinces must be represented, Bishops

must be present, all ministers must be present and all members of the Admin

must be present

12.3. The constitution may only be amended to the extent of sections that may

require amendment and not in whole,

12.4. In order to effect an amendment,

12.4.1. A motion stating sections to be amended is raised in the General

Assembly at either a Quota or Synod meeting

12.4.2. The motion must be supported by at least 80 percent of the provinces

12.4.3. The motion should be discussed in Provinces and all provinces must bring

the minutes of those meetings to the secretary

12.4.4. The secretary shall publish a special notice of motion to amen the

constitution

12.4.5. A constitution review committee shall be set up at the General assembly

12.4.6. The review committee shall compile contributions from different provinces

and present the draft to the General assembly for approval