CHRISTIAN FAMILY CONGREGATION

The CHRISTIAN FAMILY CONGREGATION

Helping Society to Live a Godly and Prosperous Life

Changing Families, Changing Society, and Changing the World

 OPERATIONAL DIRECTIVES (ODs)

 Authored by: Brother Ketiboa K. Blay, December 26, 2012

Please read with a Godly patience and devotion to benefit the most from this publication. Thereafter, please, share with family and friends. God bless you. Amen.

OD1.    Philosophical Preamble

1.1          Founded by Brother Ketiboa K. Blay on December 26, 2012, the Christian Family Congregation (hereafter referred to as CFC or Congregation for short) is a Christian organisation which provides a platform for its members to uninhibitedly and profoundly engage in self-examination and prayers for ourselves, our loved ones and friends, and to contribute as an institution to societal well-being. We in the CFC have agreed with ourselves that it is not so important whether Jesus Christ was the son of God as he is reported by the bible to have claimed; it is not so important whether he was born of an immaculate conception that did not involve copulation for a normal procreation; it is not so important whether Jesus belonged to the genealogy of David since it is said that Joseph was not his biological father. And it is not important whether he married or had a girlfriend. These are unnecessary controversial issues that only God knows and can explain well.

1.2          What is important is that he was never accused of adultery or corruption, and he never killed, never cheated, never deprived anyone of his or her property or possession, never worshipped idols, and he never led anyone out of the precepts and path of God. He taught and still teaches us to do to others as we would want them to do to us. He is a great teacher and deliverer!

1.3          And if we as brothers and sisters can work diligently and honestly in all our endeavours, doing only to others what we would want them to do to us, we can claim to be true followers of Jesus the Christ; learn from one another and help one another in love of Christ Jesus, and be more useful to society as we should.

1.4          We recognise that as human beings we abound in shortcomings, and are likely to unknowingly or knowingly do things that may harm the CFC. We recognise also that by our abundant weaknesses we may unwittingly be self-destruct even as we relate with one another, and diligently severally and collectively provide services in the CFC for and on behalf of the CFC. And we know that the CFC is an important institution that must be sustainably operated. And we know that sustainability thrives on transparency and accountability. Therefore, in the interest of internal transparency and cohesion, these Operational Directives (ODs) shall serve as our common reference and guidance for behaviour, performance of services and accounting for our actions in the CFC (hereinafter referred to as the Congregation).   

OD2.    Tenets of the Congregation  

1. A strong Christian society which allows us to discuss deep issues concerning family cohesion and well-being.
2. A society that shares ideas on how to treat our wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and children justly and equitably.
3. A society that guides against lust and the snares of sexual waywardness.
4. A society that detests and does not accommodate homosexuality and bestiality in any form. We cannot compel anyone to abandon his or her sexual depravity or waywardness, but we must not admit him or her into our Congregation to socially and spiritually pollute us and lead us astray. We must not offend God; and we must not do a disservice to ourselves and our families and friends.
5. A society of people who will not go astray in the way they carry and portray themselves.
6. A society of people that honour God, and will not dress and behave to offend God.
7. A society that seeks knowledge for the betterment of humankind.
8. A society that shares knowledge and skills for social advancement.
9. A society that cultivates honesty in its members.
10. A society whose members help to pull one another out of poverty.
11. A society that eschews laziness.               
12. A society that advocates and lives sustainable prosperity.
13. A society that recognises that sustainable prosperity comes with diligent and honest work, and not through exploitation, blackmail, deceit, stealing, deprivation and corruption that make other people worse off.
14. A society that teaches its children to lead a Godly life and follow Jesus Christ.
15. A society that exercises faith with works.
16. A society that is bold to honestly judge itself and its members, and will not condone any of the unacceptable behaviours mentioned in these tenets no matter which member associates with these behaviours.
17. The operational language including prayer language shall be the national language of a member country. For example, in Ghana – the founding country – English shall be the operational language. Other languages may occasionally be used for interpretation, but in all cases the basic operational language shall be the national one. The CFC needs to have and maintain national and global image wherever it operates.  

OD3.     Internal Organisation and Leadership

3.1          CFC is a democratic Christian institution. Every member is equal to other members in the eyes of God and in the eyes of all members of the Congregation. But the CFC recognises that it is a human institution and so it requires leadership to harness its internal energies and resources and give it a progressive direction all the time. The Congregation recognises that leadership is diverse; it is cultivated, it blossoms, matures and expires in relevance with the very people that it is supposed to lead. Therefore, leadership must be humble enough to know that its focus and direction will not always be in tune with what the led aspires for, but it is the aggregate voluntary aspiration of all members of the Congregation that matters most and not what seems to leadership must be the aspiration. So leadership must never impose an aspiration. But leadership must oppose wayward aspirations that could destroy the Congregation.

3.2          Leadership can creatively initiate an aspiration; transparently and humbly lead the definition of the rationale in open and all inclusive discourse leading to objectives and action plan formulation. Leadership is encouraged to be visionary; and this is essential to spice the Congregation and energise it for growth and progress; but leadership must sell its vision. It must cultivate the vision with the Congregation so that members can cooperatively internalise and work to achieve it. Visions and policies thereof must never be imposed on the Congregation.

3.3          Opaqueness must be avoided by all. Members of the Congregation who may not be pleased with a leadership style, vision, policy and direction must never resort to gossiping, rumour mongering and undermining. In an open manner and with pleasant language, a grievance or query may be tabled before a Congregation meeting to be prayed over for God’s wisdom and blessing before the matter can be deliberated on.

3.4          Leadership is elective and has a definite term of office. Leadership aspirants can self-nominate or be nominated. Elected leaders must humbly see it as an honour that they have been accepted to lead their Congregation. The elected leadership shall constitute the administration. A secretariat is necessary, but only as a functional support structure for the administration. Both the administration and secretariat are responsible to the Congregation. But the Congregation must also be very humbly contemplative, knowing that even the majority can be occasionally wrong, or need to be assisted to visualise a vision and clearly comprehend a policy or strategy. The gem of reference, here, is mutual respect and cooperation.

3.5          The Administration shall comprise a team of seven headed by a Team Leader. The composition shall be as follows:

1. Team Leader
2. Vice Team Leader
3. Secretary
4. Financial Secretary
5. Meetings Organiser
6. Event Organiser
7. Relations Manager

3.6          The Team Leader heads the Administration. In his/her absence the Vice Team Leader acts. The Secretary writes and keeps all non-financial records of the Congregation. In his absence the Relations Manager acts. The Financial Secretary writes and keeps all financial records and finances of the Congregation. In a situation of his/her long unexpected absence (more than a month) the Congregation shall appoint an acting or permanent replacement Financial Secretary as the case may warrant. In short term situations (less than a month) the Team Leader shall decide on a member of the Administration to act as Financial Secretary. The Meetings Organiser organises all Congregation meetings. The Event Organiser organises all special events of the Congregation and coordinates all external non-congregational events that the Congregation may choose to participate in. The Relations Manager handles all relations external to the Congregation to promote and safeguard its reputation. The Team Leader shall appoint one of the officers of the last three positions to act in any of the three, in the absence of the substantive officer.

3.7          Where the secretariat has the right complement of staff to function effectively, the Administration becomes the automatic management board of the Congregation – providing policy instructions for implementation by the secretariat, and with each member of the leadership overseeing his/her functional area in the secretariat.

3.8          Until his demise, the Founder shall be Patron Member of every Administration of the Congregation, and shall exercise a deciding vote in matters of policy and issues at the core of the existentiality of the Congregation.  

OD4.    Term of Office of Administrations

4.1          Each administration shall have a two-year term of office. Individual members of each administration shall be eligible for re-election in their current responsibilities, or for election in different responsibilities. Service in the administration is a privilege responsibility and a learning opportunity that must not be hijacked or appropriated by an individual or a group of persons. Therefore no member of the Congregation shall be eligible for re-election exceeding three consecutive terms or six continuous years.  

OD5.     Transparency and Accountability

5.1          Governance

5.1.1      It is duly acknowledged and respected that every idea, every creation and every new thing has an origin traceable to one person or a group of persons. Someone on his or her own will dream up an idea, or in a group brainstorming session the idea may pop up. But inasmuch as the idea, the creation, or the new thing is purposed to serve the interest of the Congregation, it is incumbent on its originator or originators to bring it into the open as soon as practicable so that other members of the Congregation will not only know of it but can contribute to its discussion and what to do with it. Opaqueness must be avoided. Transparency shall apply to the discharge of every responsibility in the Congregation.

5.1.2      No person or group of persons of the Congregation shall purport to represent the Congregation in any external relations without due notification to the Administration and corresponding permission from the Administration. The Administration itself is responsible to the Congregation and must be accountable to it at all times.

5.1.3      Any person or group of persons representing or doing anything for or on behalf of the Congregation must duly document or get documented such representation or activity for the purpose of reference.

5.1.4      The Administration shall cause proper records to be kept on all matters and activities of the Congregation. Proper financial and inventory records shall be kept all the time; and regular accounting rendered as the Congregation shall determine.

5.1.5      The Administration shall mandatorily present concise documented and auditable semi-annual and annual progress reports of three basic components: Congregational Matters; Social Development Report, and Financial Report. The Congregational Matters are both normal administrative and operational activities concerning the running of the Congregation. The Social Development Report shall cover all development and social activities directed at the well-being of members of the Congregation and, or members of the society outside the Congregation. The Financial Report shall account for sources and application of funds as well as justification of use of funds. The reports shall take the form of executive presentation and therefore shall pay attention to the need for brevity without sacrificing essential disclosure. The annual report, which should be comprehensive, shall be presented not later than the second week of February every year. The semi-annual report shall be presented in a summary format and at a convenient time in July. Both reports (i.e. semi-annual and annual progress reports) shall be made readily accessible to all members of the Congregation. Where financial limitations constrain mass availability to all members of the Congregation, reference copies shall be placed in the secretariat and announced at the report presentation so that members can access the document from the reference stock.

5.1.6      The Congregation shall appoint an internal audit committee on case by case basis to audit and report on every annual report before the second week of April every year. This case by case approach is intended to avoid the creation of a standing audit committee that may be susceptible to influence by the Administration. The semi-annual progress report may also be audited if the Congregation finds it imperative to do so. An extraordinary auditing of the Administration can be ordered by the Congregation at any time as may be found necessary

5.1.7      The Administration shall have no power to impose a levy on the Congregation. Where a need for levy is seen by the Administration as imperative, such need must be brought before the Congregation for open comments, deliberation and decision by voting on the matter by simple hand-count for a simple majority decision. The crucial role of the Administration in such decision making is purely a facilitation of the process. A similar process shall be followed in determining annual membership dues. Members of the Administration are eligible to vote individually and not as a unit.

5.1.8      Unless for reasons seen by the Congregation as excusable, Congregation members defaulting in the payment of their membership dues for two continuous years shall be deemed uninterested to retain their membership and shall be deemed to have unsubscribed to the Congregation and therefore forfeited their membership.

5.2          Administrative & financial management

5.2.1      Accounts and audit

The Administration shall cause proper books of account to be kept, and an income and expenditure account and a simple balance sheet shall be prepared, internally audited and presented to the Congregation as stated in subsection 5.1.5.  

5.2.2      Signatories to Congregation correspondence and bank accounts

1. All ordinary correspondence on behalf of the Congregation shall be signed by the Team Leader or in his absence by the Vice Team Leader.
2. Letters introducing or announcing new signatories to Congregation bank accounts shall be signed by the Secretary only.
3. All correspondence for fund raising shall be signed by the Team Leader or in his absence the Vice Team Leader.
4. Cheques and other bank documents on Congregation bank accounts shall be signed by the Team Leader and the Financial Secretary, or by the Vice Team Leader and the Financial Secretary (where the Team Leader is absent); but in all cases a cheque or slip for cash withdrawal shall be invalid or unauthorised if it does not also bear the Financial Secretary’s signature. As the Congregation matures, a substantive Accounting Officer shall be appointed to take charge of the Congregation’s accounts and to be overseen by the Financial Secretary.  

5.2.3      Financial books and records to be kept

For the time being, simple Cash Receipt (Income) Book, Expenditure Book, Bank Statement and Correspondence File, Projects and Social Support files and Inventory Management Book shall be kept. Additional books and files shall be kept as and when necessary.

5.2.4      Application of Congregation administered assets

The Administration holds in trust to the Congregation all financial and physical assets it administers on behalf of the Congregation. These include donations and gifts secured on the initiative of the Administration. And for the avoidance of doubt, incomes and other properties administered by the Administration, wherever derived from, shall be applied solely towards the promotion of the objectives of the Congregation as embedded in OD1 and OD2 of these Operational Directives.

5.2.5      Policy on fraud

Fraud committed by any member (s) of the Congregation in relation to the Congregation shall be prosecuted according to the laws of the home country of the Congregation.  

OD6.    Grievance Resolution Mechanism

6.1          In the language of the Congregation, grievance must be congregation-centred and relevant to the Congregation. It must relate to how members behave or discharge their responsibilities within the Congregation. Private matters, even if between members of the Congregation may not be entertained by the Congregation as grievance it must look into. This is to avoid dragging the Congregation unduly into private matters, and stampeding it with issues that could threaten harmony in the Congregation and disorganise it.

6.2          All discontents and dissatisfactions in matters of policy, direction and general administration shall be reported or submitted at Congregational meetings to the general hearing of the Congregation so that members shall rightfully have the opportunity to suggest approaches for solution. This is in furtherance of the principle of transparency. All congregational meetings shall open with a peace call providing opportunity for tabling of grievances for praying over and examination for solution before the main plenary prayer session commences.

6.3          Where a grievance, though congregation-centred, is nonetheless directed at a single person, the complaint shall first be lodged with the Administration through the Relations Manager. The Administration may appoint a committee within two weeks to mediate and deliberate on the matter for resolution or bring it up for congregational intervention as the Administration may deem appropriate.  

OD7.     Social and Environmental Development

7.1          Social and environmental development shall be in the nature of any activity that seeks to protect, preserve and enhance the social and environmental well-being of Congregation members and, or other members of society. The path of social and environmental development spans mundane annual get-togethers of Congregation members with invited family members and friends. It includes high profile and high impact activities such as voluntary community services and development projects the Congregation may undertake for society.

7.2          The Congregation will ensure that it is relevant to society and its presence is not only seen but also felt by society in terms of impact on societal well-being. Some key development programmes may include advocacy activities on Christian-relationship mainstreaming, gender mainstreaming for social equity, child education, educational support and capacity building, and promotion of facility development in support of social and environmental development.

7.3          We are guided by the principle that our members have an enduring responsibility to contribute to making the world not worse off than we found it – if we cannot at least make it better – which is what we must strive to do.

7.4          The CFC is a great platform for sharing experience and wisdom, and helping members be themselves positively. We are concerned that members who are in high profile employment with fairly good disposable income may succumb to wasteful social temptations capable of eroding a pleasant future in their way. The Congregation shall not interfere with the private lives of members, but we will be glad to offer advice for solution to problems that members may voluntarily share with us.

7.5          Home visits shall be undertaken by appointed teams of Congregation members to pray for convalescing members and to share in the grief of bereaved members. This shall be religiously observed without discrimination. It sows fellow-feeling and yields a strong and sustainable Congregation.  

OD8.    Volunteerism

8.1          Need for volunteerism

Faith without works is barren (James 2: 14-26). Our faith must bear fruit for society. Progress of society thrives on growth in economic and social development. But it is not everyone or every community that can meet every desirable development need entirely on its own. Some assistance needs to come from somewhere to help pull the needy along with the rest of society. Proactively recognising this need and doing something to help, is the essence of volunteerism; and it may take the form of offering free labour service to support a construction project, for a clean-up campaign or other environmental protection activities. Donation or unsolicited financial assistance is one form of volunteerism which can make possible the procurement of needed project needs including even labour.

8.2          Labour donation

The CFC will annually identify and target high impact projects and activities and organise members to provide expert and ordinary labour support voluntarily. Here, it is the CFC that is donating the labour.

8.3          Financial donation

We will make strenuous efforts to raise funds to initiate or support very high impact projects in our host and catchment communities. Congregation members, able on their own to substantially support or sponsor a project, can prompt the Congregation by indicating the projects they have in mind so that the Congregation can take up such projects in the name of the Congregation. It should be noted that it is the Congregation’s name that must be projected while the member-sponsor receives his/her blessings from the Congregation and God our Lord and rewarder.  

OD9.     Congregational Meetings

9.1          General principles

9.1.1      The basic purpose of the CFC is to provide a platform for members to regularly meet and renew our dedication to the precepts of the Lord Almighty God, learn the teachings of our Master Jesus Christ, pray for our enemies to live long to see us prosper, and ask for the intercession and blessings of Jesus for ourselves and loved ones so that our progress and prosperity will frustrate our enemies and let them realise that the God we serve is the only one they must also serve; so they would abandon their evil ways and join us to give honour and glory to the Lord Almighty God.

9.1.2      The CFC is not a pastor or priest-led institution. For that matter our prayer meetings which are held in the afternoons of Saturdays shall be led by teams of prayer leaders appointed monthly by the Administration. The objective is to give every member of the Congregation the opportunity to lead and be led in prayers. The prayer leaders perform just a functional responsibility assigned to them by the Congregation. They are neither exulted spiritually or physically above other members of the Congregation. And they are jointly and severally expected to eschew any tendencies that might erroneously portray them as self-serving as pastors or priests.

9.1.3      Prayer leaders are expected to be humble, true and intellectual in their leadership assignment. They must avoid making claims and assertions likely to generate unproductive controversies in the Congregation. Members are free to exhibit and practice their pastoral inclinations elsewhere, but ones in the Congregation it shall be an unacceptable behaviour to try to assume a role of pastoring other members of the Congregation. Pastors and priests who may be present in the Congregation not on solicited mission, but as members of the Congregation, shall be duly addressed with our appropriate designation: Brother or Sister. All members of the Congregation are brothers and sisters, no matter their ages or stations in society, or their responsibilities in the Congregation.

9.1.4      We know that there were no cameras in the time of our Master Jesus Christ, and there is no record of a drawing of him anywhere. Therefore, guided by Psalm 115: 1-8 and Isaiah 46: 3-9, we shall not deceive ourselves by representing the Master in any false picture or image that will only serve to lead members astray. So our Congregations, world over, shall not carry or contain any supposed images or crafts of Jesus Christ, misrepresentative of the truth. Only a representation of the Cross that he painfully carried and died on shall be contained in our Congregations. The Cross is an enduring reminder to us that each of us has his or her own cross to bear in our personal ways, and that we have someone like the Master Jesus Christ to share our pain with. Presentations in acquired films may be made in the Congregation with an image purported to be Jesus, but we will always unmistakeably see it as a piece of acting to illustrate a story, and that the image does not truly represent Jesus.

9.2          Prayer meetings

9.2.1      Our weekly prayer meetings are the most important activities of the Congregation. And these prayer meetings are the basis for the congregational meetings, and so in language, the term prayer meetings can be employed interchangeably with congregational meetings. The prayer meetings shall be held in the afternoon on Saturdays. The time of the meeting shall be location specific, taking cognizance of socio-cultural and socio-economic environment of the catchment area of the Congregation. But where convenient, the recommended time is 2.30-5.30pm local time. Unless a special event is combined with a prayer meeting, no prayer meeting shall go beyond three hours.

9.3          Prayer

9.3.1      Prayers shall commence with meditation – silent individual personal engagement with God as members file in for a prayer meeting. This is to provide a solemn atmosphere for personal engagement, and to minimise noise and distractions until the plenary prayers begin with the Peace Call.

9.3.2      Once the appointed time for commencement of plenary prayers is up, the prayer leaders shall ring the alert bell enjoining the Congregation to commence the plenary session with the Peace Call.

9.3.3      The following procedure is, accordingly, recommended for a normal prayer meeting:

1. Meditation
2. Peace Call
3. Forgiveness prayer
4. Salutations (Handshakes and warm words)
5. Gospel music and dancing to the Glory of God
6. Dedication
7. The Lord’s Prayer
8. Reading of selected Psalms
9. A teaching sermon
10. Congregational reflections (comments and suggestion) on the sermon
11. Offering
12. Announcements
13. Declaration of Offering
14. Dedication with Gospel Music and dancing
15. The Lord’s Prayer
16. Closing prayer/song

9.3.4      As mentioned in Section 6.2, the Peace Call provides a moral and spiritual opportunity for members not to brood over ill-feelings and discontent while pretending all is well with them in the Congregation. In keeping with the directive given by Our Master Jesus Christ (Mark 11:25) we discharge forgiveness and ask God to strengthen our spirit of forgiveness with the following prayer:

Forgiveness prayer:

Oh God my heavenly father!

I sincerely wish to forgive all trespasses against me

And I pray that you help me keep this as a vow to you

I pray that you forgive me my own sins against my neighbours

In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, Amen!  

9.3.5      The Dedication:

I Bless the Lord who gives me counsel

I Keep the Lord always before me

Because I have no good apart from the Lord my God

Because there is no unrighteousness in  

9.3.6      Selected Psalms (free to be added to): The Psalms in the bible are important songs, poems and prayers authored for reflection, acknowledgement, praise, devotion and dedication to God. While the Congregation encourages members to explore and apply the Psalms extensively to their lives, they are not in any way suggested as better than or replacing personal words communicated directly with God. One may genuinely disagree with the import of some of the Psalms, but the following annotated selections are recommended for our prayer meetings, and they are to be employed by prayer leaders as they may judge suitable for an occasion or a season.

1. Acknowledgement, praises and thankfulness to God: 8, 14, 24, 34, 67, 92, 115, 118, 146
2. Healing: 6, 16, 30
3. General guidance: 141, 142
4. Confession of sins for forgiveness: 32,51
5. Protection against mischief and oppression : 52, 109, 120
6. Self-control: 4, 37
7. Being at peace: 23, 37, 39, 56, 59, 139
8. Good luck: 3, 4
9. Personal progress: 34, 92
10. Business progress: 65, 92, 127
11. General protection: 5, 16, 23, 27, 42, 59, 69, 82, 91

9.3.7      The Teaching Sermon must be a lesson-laden practical discourse that speaks to social realities that members of the Congregation can identify with and benefit from. But it must be Christian in objective and consistent with the tenets of the Congregation.

9.4          Offering

9.4.1      God’s judgements are unsearchable, and his ways inscrutable. He does not need our money or other gifts because he has them, and gives them to us by grace. He only wants us to apply a little bit of what we receive to social development for our Congregation and for improvement of society. Since the Congregation has no pastors or priests, its offerings during prayer meetings shall comprise cash only, except where a special in-kind-offering is asked for a special purpose including gift items for a convalescing or bereaved member, or for charity. It is an offence to divert or misapply any offering including special purpose offering, and it may attract a congregational sanction. Where special cash offering is asked for, such collection must be duly separated from the normal congregational account and the whole sum donated as projectised. All offerings shall be declared to the Congregation on the day of the offering as part of the scheduled announcements before the closing prayer or song is sung. Since donors make their offerings in the open before the Congregation, the counting or assessment of offerings shall also be done in the open before the Congregation; and the assessment immediately declared to the Congregation. It is incumbent on the Administration to take full inventory of special offerings and report diligently and honestly on their disposal.

9.5          Annual get-together

We dedicate December 26 every year to our founding anniversary on which we loudly praise God and thank Him for the Congregation. And on this day our meeting takes the form of a get-together with our spouses, children, committed fiancés, relatives and friends to entertain them, and expose them to the Congregation. All females attending are our illustrious guests, and so unless contracted out, the male members shall serve the meals and drinks, and do all the clean-up. Our guests shall not help us in the clean-up.  

OD10.  Sustainability of the Congregation

10.1        All members of the Congregation must at any time see themselves as privileged to be in the Congregation. No member or members shall appropriate, or even do anything of the semblance of intent to appropriate the Congregation to themselves, friends, associates or members of their families. Individually and collectively, all shall strive to ensure that if they cannot make it better, at least, they will never leave the Congregation worse off than it was at the time they joined it. Accordingly, all members are expected to study, commit to and internalise these operational directives, and also importantly, to participate effectively in generating ideas for a progressive future of the Congregation. Each member is a monitoring and evaluation officer of the Congregation.

10.2        The CFC appreciates that partisan politics is important for national multiparty democracy. But the Congregation is not unaware of the danger partisan politics could pose to its sustainability. The CFC is not na?ve as to think none of its members would belong to, or associate with party political organisations. But the Congregation will not associate with any political party, or allow itself to be dragged into any political association no matter the shade. No political organisation shall have and use any platform of the CFC anywhere to promote or even explain itself. And no member of the CFC can purport to speak from the Congregation in favour of a political party. Indeed, it shall be an expulsive offence for a member to directly or indirectly soil the reputation of the Congregation with partisan politics.

10.3        A member is free to end his membership of the Congregation if he/she feels he/she can no longer remain committed to these ODs of the Congregation. Failure to withdraw on one’s own, and indulgence in behaviour inconsistent with, or likely to frustrate or damage the reputation of the Congregation shall attract sanctions, not excluding expulsion from the Congregation. Matters of expulsion shall be decided only by the Congregation by a simple majority at a congregational meeting in open vote of show of hands or by closed balloting as the Congregation may deem appropriate.  

OD11.    Admissions and Exclusions

11.1        Once the administration has reviewed an applicant’s background in terms of these ODs, especially OD2, the applicant is allowed to profess directly to the Congregation his commitment to the Congregation via the ODs as follows:

I, ………, solemnly and sincerely declare to the Christian Family Congregation, that I have read and do clearly understand the Operational Directives in their entirety, and hereby on this day, ………..accept and commit to observe them unfailingly. So help me God.

11.2        In a similar fashion, a congregation member leaving on his or her own, or being expelled, shall be notified to the Congregation by the Administration as follows:

Brother/Sister ………, having declared his/her decision to leave the Christian Family Congregation/having been found unfaithful to the Congregation, is hereby declared to the Congregation as excluded from the Congregation on this day, ………. Accordingly, Brother/Sister ………. ceases to be a member of the Congregation and shall from now on be duly referred to as Mr/Ms/Miss/Mrs……….by the Congregation.

11.3        It should be noted that a transfer by a member to another branch of the Congregation for locational convenience, for example, does not amount to, and shall not be deemed to be a resignation or expulsion from the Congregation.

11.4        Only persons of age 18 years and above are admissible as Members of the Congregation. Children below 18 years are invited to congregational meetings with their parents or guardians as Learners until they are 18 years when they are admitted to Membership. Learners shall not vote at decision making, and may be excluded from certain levels of congregational engagement.  

OD.12    Amendment to the Operational Directives

No part of these Operational Directives shall be amended except at a central Congregation meeting conducted with sixty-seven per cent (67%) of the Congregation membership present. Amendment decision shall however be made with a simple majority once the 67% attendance is satisfied. In future as the Congregation grows, such representation for amendment purposes shall be drawn nationally from reps of branch Congregations. Later as the CFC becomes international, the reps shall be drawn from national Congregations to an international gathering.  

OD.13    Effective date of the Operational Directives

These Operational Directives are deemed to have come into effect on December 26, 2012 and accordingly witnessed by the founder as below:  

Signed: Brother Ketiboa K. Blay, Founder of the CFC