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Constitutional Review

Constitutional Updates

Woodside’s constitution is a document that expresses our theology around how our church is governed. Our elders conducted an in-depth review of our constitution this year, which resulted in important updates. Keep scrolling to learn more about why our constitution was reviewed, what revisions were proposed, and how these updates will impact our church family. All constitutional updates will be put up for vote at this year’s Annual Celebration on Sunday, May 18. 

Proposed Revisions Constitution

Baptism

Water baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is an act commanded in Scripture that pictures the experience of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ and publicly declares commitment to Him and union with Him. The practice of believer’s baptism means a person has made a willful decision to trust Christ for salvation and has expressed genuine belief in the Gospel.  

As a believer is immersed under the water, death to the old self and sin is depicted, and as the believer comes out of the water, rising to new life is portrayed. In taking this biblically commanded step of obedience, the baptized believer proclaims their allegiance to Jesus Christ as Lord. 

Salvation

Salvation is a work of God’s grace that involves the redemption of the whole person, and is offered freely to all who place their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior — who, by His own blood, obtained eternal redemption for the believer and saves us from eternal judgement. 

In its broadest sense, salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. 

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all by dying on the cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory, where He sits at the right hand of the Father and makes intercessions on behalf of those who trust in Him.  

Jesus will return visibly and bodily for His Church. He will reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords in the new heavens and the new earth. 

The Believer

Every believer has direct access to God through prayer and Bible reading. The Bible teaches that every Christian is called to Christian service, regardless of his or her vocation. We practice the truth that every believer is a minister by encouraging every member to find a place of service and ministry.  

The Holy Spirit endows each believer with spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts are to be used with decency and order, governed by love for the edification of the Church and in service to the world. 

FAQ

Why was Woodside’s constitution put under review?

Our constitution is a vital and legally binding document that reflects the church’s theology regarding operations and governance. Changes to the constitution should be rare and made only with the consensus of the elders and congregation. Woodside’s elders are proposing constitutional updates in 2025 because: 

  • Our constitution was last reviewed 20 years ago (in 2005). 
  • Woodside Bible Church has added 13 additional campuses in that timeframe, resulting in some of our operational policies becoming outdated and obsolete.  
  • Updates to the constitution are needed to reflect changes in state and federal laws and Woodside’s governance structure. 

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Which areas of the constitution were affected?

Revisions have been proposed regarding four sections of our statement of faith, specifically baptism (section 10), salvation (section 6), Jesus Christ (section 3), and the believer (section 8). Additional minor edits have been made to provide better alignment with Woodside’s current operational policies and procedures. 

These revisions have been proposed based on: 

  • Woodside’s doctrinal beliefs 
  • State and federal laws 
  • Recommended best practices from legal and accounting firm consultants 

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Has Woodside’s theology changed?

No — the core beliefs and essential doctrines of our church have not changed.  

Woodside’s elders have proposed the above language adjustments for the purpose of aligning our church family in doctrine and avoiding unnecessary observation to secondary issues that are not critical to the Gospel. 

Secondary (second-tier) issues are matters of personal conviction that don’t affect the Gospel or how a person experiences salvation. While nonessential, secondary issues are important to how we practice our faith and express our worship. Therefore, Woodside’s staff and clergy are encouraged and expected to be unified in these areas in order to maintain spiritual harmony and voluntary cooperation in Woodside’s common mission.  

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Have Woodside’s pastors and elders agreed to these updates?

Yes. Woodside’s constitutional revision process calls for reviews from our pastors (regarding our statement of faith) and a special subcommittee of our lay elders (regarding operational and governance rules). Once these initial evaluations were complete, feedback was provided by Woodside’s accounting firm, appropriate legal counsel, and Woodside’s theologian in residence. 

This feedback was incorporated into the proposed revisions and presented to Woodside’s pastors and elders together. After another extensive examination, the elders made final proposals and voted on presenting an updated constitution to Woodside’s congregation. 

Will other changes be made in the future?

Woodside’s best practices recommend that leadership perform a constitutional review every five years. We live in a dynamic world with a growing list of challenges and opportunities that must be responded to if we are to continue spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As good stewards of the grace that God has given us, Woodside leadership will periodically conduct wise reviews of our constitution and occasionally recommend updates that better help us express our theological convictions.  

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