Name
The name of the organisation will be Churches Together in Bath referred to in this constitution as CTB.

Basis
The Basis will be that of Churches Together in England, namely:
Churches Together in England unites in pilgrimage those churches which

1. acknowledge God's revelation in Christ;

2. confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the scriptures;

3. commit themselves in obedience to God's will and in the power of the Holy Spirit,

1. to seek a deepening of their communion with Christ and with one another in the Church which is His body, and

2. to fulfil their mission to proclaim the Gospel by common witness and service in the world, to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Association
CTB will be associated with Churches Together in England.

Membership

1. Membership of CTB will be open to any Christian congregation in Bath and the surrounding district which affirms the basis of CTB and desires to promote the objects of CTB and to share in its work.

2. Congregations with shared ministry arrangements, whether within or across denominations, may determine themselves whether to join CTB separately or together.

Zones

1. CTB member congregations shall be grouped into Zones, which shall be the primary units of co-operation and working together.

2. The Executive shall determine which Zones are to be recognised.

3. CTB member congregations shall themselves determine which Zone or Zones to join, subject to arbitration by the Executive.

4. Each Zone shall establish a Zone Committee, consisting of two representatives of each member of CTB within the Zone. One of these representatives may be clerical- CTB member congregations shall appoint representatives annually and notify the Zone Secretary of their names. Representatives may serve for any number of consecutive terms, but CTB member congregations are encouraged to change their representatives periodically.

5. Each Zone Committee shall appoint one or more members of the Committee to act as Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Executive Representative(s). Normally no individual shall hold a single post for more than a three year term.

6. Zone Committees may levy an annual subscription to cover expenses.

7. Each Zone Secretary shall provide an up-to-date list of officers and representatives to the Executive Secretary, including one no less than a month before the Annual General Meeting.

General Meetings

1. CTB will hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) in the Spring of each year.

2. Other General Meetings (GMs) may be held on a motion from the AGM or the Executive, or on a written request signed by representatives of 25% of CTB member congregations.

3. Members of zone committees shall have speaking and voting rights at any GM, subject to a maximum of two votes per CTB member congregation. CTB member congregations in more than one zone shall determine-~ which representatives are to exercise their votes.

4. Any CTB member congregation not in a zone at the time of a GM may appoint two representatives with speaking and voting rights by notifying the Executive Secretary of CTB.

5. Members of the Executive shall have speaking rights at any GM.

6. The Ecumenical Officer of Somerset Churches Together shall have speaking rights at any GM.

7. Individual members of CTB member- congregations;-may-attend any GM, and speak with the permission of the
   meeting.

8. Any GM - may discuss and decide upon any matter related to the basis of CTB, and may establish standing committees.

Chairman and Vice-Chairmen

1. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall each serve a two year term. The Vice-Chairman shall be appointed by the AGM, and shall succeed the Chairman at the beginning of the next but one AGM.

2. Nominations for the post of Vice-Chairman shall be sought from the Bath Church of England Deanery the Bath Roman Catholic Deanery, and the Bath Free Churches, beginning with the body or bodies not having a nominee currently serving as either Chairman or Vice-Chairman. A nomination from the Bath Free Churches shall be obtained from a meeting of Free Church Ministers in Bath, convened for this purpose.

3. The Chairman or Vice-Chairman shall normally chair all GMs and Executive meetings.

Officers

1. An Executive Secretary, Minutes Secretary and Treasurer shall be appointed by the AGM to serve in an honorary capacity.

2. Each shall serve a continuous three year term, except that in a year in which the chairmanship changes the Executive Secretary's term may be extended by the AGM for up to one year. Officers may be eligible for re-election after a three year term.

3. The Officers must themselves be members of CTB member congregations

Executive

1. The Executive shall consist of the following, with speaking and voting rights:

   1. The Chairman, Vice-Chairman and immediate past Chairman.

   2. The Officers.

   3. One Executive Representative from each zone, and a second Executive Representative from the Central Zone.

   4. One representative from each of the Bath Church of England Deanery, the and the Roman Catholic Pastoral Council.

   5. A representative of any standing committee of CTB.

2. The Executive may co-opt any other person it deems desirable, and may invite organisations which share some or all of the aims of CTB to send representatives to be members of the Executive. Any person appointed to the Executive under this rule must be a member of a CTB member congregation, and will have speaking rights only.

3. The Executive shall manage and co-ordinate the work of CTB and to that end may appoint any working groups or sub-committees necessary

4. Decisions of the Executive will be taken by simple majority voting. If 50% or more of the Executive members present and voting so require, any matter shall be referred for decision by a GM.

Finance

1. Each CTB member congregation shall be asked to contribute an annual subscription.

2. The level of the subscription shall be determined by the AGMs

3. The Executive may sanction expenditure out of the funds of CTB.

4. The Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Officers shall be entitled to legitimate expenses out of the funds of CTB.

5. The Treasurer shall present annual audited accounts to the AGM for the preceding calendar year.

6. An Honorary Auditor shall be appointed annually by the AGM.

Amendment of the Constitution

1. This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting at a GM.

2. Notice of the proposed changes shall be sent to representatives no less than one month before the meeting at which the changes are to be considered