Aberystwyth University Christian Union Constitution

Voted in at the CU AGM Wednesday 17th February 2010

1. Name The name of the society shall be the Aberystwyth University Christian Union, henceforth referred to as the AUCU.

2. Purpose
2.1 The object of the AUCU shall be to unite Christian students regardless of denomination or church affiliation in their common profession of faith and witness to other students of Aberystwyth University.

2.2 To deepen the spiritual life of all members of the AUCU by means of prayer, Bible study and weekly ministry meetings, in order to apply Biblical truth to every area of their lives.

2.3 To encourage the members of the AUCU to obey God’s commission to go into all the world with the Gospel, doing so by giving, prayer and serving in whatever area of their life He calls them to.

2.4 To encourage all members of the AUCU to share in the life of a local church in agreement with the Doctrinal Basis (clause 2.6) for their own pastoral care, to maintain fellowship with local Christians and to prepare them for such fellowship after leaving university.

2.5 To bring others to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2.6 The common faith of the AUCU is defined by the following Doctrinal Basis of Christianity, as revealed in the Holy Scripture:

a. There is one God in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

b. God is sovereign in creation, revelation, redemption and final judgement.

c. The Bible, as originally given, is the inspired and infallible Word of God. It is the supreme authority in all matters of belief and behaviour.

d. Since the fall, the whole of humankind is sinful and guilty, so that everyone is subject to God's wrath and condemnation.

e. The Lord Jesus Christ, God's incarnate Son, is fully God; he was born of a virgin; his humanity is real and sinless; he died on the cross, was raised bodily from death and is now reigning over heaven and earth.

f. Sinful human beings are redeemed from the guilt, penalty and power of sin only through the sacrificial death once and for all time of their representative and substitute, Jesus Christ, the only mediator between them and God.

g. Those who believe in Christ are pardoned all their sins and accepted in God's sight only because of the righteousness of Christ credited to them; this justification is God's act of undeserved mercy, received solely by trust in him and not by their own efforts.

h. The Holy Spirit alone makes the work of Christ effective to individual sinners, enabling them to turn to God from their sin and to trust in Jesus Christ.

i. The Holy Spirit lives in all those he has regenerated. He makes them increasingly Christlike in character and behaviour and gives them power for their witness in the world.

j. The one holy universal church is the Body of Christ, to which all true believers belong.

k. The Lord Jesus Christ will return in person, to judge everyone, to execute God's just condemnation on those who have not repented and to receive the redeemed to eternal glory.

3. Membership
3.1 All activities of the AUCU shall be open to non-member students to attend.

3.2 Membership of the AUCU shall be open to all students of Aberystwyth University who in good conscience are willing to be united in the common profession of faith and witness of the AUCU as contained in the Doctrinal Basis.

3.3 Membership shall be confirmed in writing by signing a form which shall state the purpose of the AUCU as set out in clause 2.6 of this constitution.

3.4 Membership carries with it the right to vote at General Meetings (Clause 5.5), the right to propose motions for debate (Clause 5.6), the right to stand for positions of leadership on the Executive Committee (subject to section 4), and the right to nominate others for those positions.

3.5 A student may join or leave the AUCU at any time.

4. Executive Committee
4.1 There shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Prayer Secretary, Halls Group Coordinator, Evangelism Secretary x2, and International and Mission Secretary x2, and such other offices as the General Meeting shall from time to time resolve. No person shall hold more than one of the offices named above at any one time.

4.2 The Executive Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting.

4.3 At least 50% of members need to be in attendance for motions to be ratified at the AGM.

4.4 Candidates for Executive Committee positions shall be nominated by at least one member of the AUCU. A member may be nominated for more than one office. Each candidate must declare in writing their assent to the Doctrinal Basis of the AUCU, as defined in clause 2.6 as well as their willingness to serve as an office-holder. The Executive Committee as a whole may nominate candidates at any time.

4.5 The sitting Executive Committee will propose a nominee for each role of the Executive Committee as outlined in clause 4.1. The members will then vote and each nominee must receive a 75% majority to be elected (abstentions thus counting as a negative vote). The number of votes for each candidate shall not be disclosed; each candidate shall be declared ‘elected’ or ‘not elected’.

4.6 The voting for election to the Executive Committee shall be by secret ballot.

4.7 If any one nominee does not receive a 75% majority, the current Executive Committee reserves the right to propose a new list of provisional nominees.

4.8 In the case of an Executive Committee member abdicating their position, the nomination process shall be re-opened for that role. An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be held to vote on the proposed nominee. Clause 4.4, 4.5, 4.6 and 4.7 will be upheld for this position.

4.9 Members of the Executive Committee shall normally hold office for one year and for no longer than 15 months. They may be re-elected.

5. General Meetings
5. 1 An Annual General Meeting shall be called by the President during the spring term and no more than 15 months after the previous AGM.

5.2 The AGM shall receive a report on the year’s activities from the President or Vice-President of the outgoing Executive Committee, a financial report from the Treasurer, and such other reports as the Executive Committee consider appropriate.

5.3 A new Executive Committee shall be elected at the AGM

5.4 An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be called by the President at the request of the Executive Committee, or of 15% of the members of the AUCU. All requests must first be passed through the Secretary.

5.5 Two weeks’ notice shall be given of all General Meetings. All members are entitled to attend and vote, and non-members may attend as non-voting observers.

5.6 Any member may present a motion for debate at an AGM as long as the issue is presented to the Secretary 24 hours before the start of the AGM and is deemed relevant by the Executive Committee to the running of the AUCU.

5.7 A General Meeting is in motion with at least 50% of members present. The General Meeting shall act by simple majority of those members present and voting.

6. Activities
6.1 All activities formally presented as the AUCU events, or associated with the AUCU as a society, shall have the approval of the Executive Committee.

6.2 The AUCU may join with other student societies to engage in common activities as the Executive Committee see fit.

6.3 The Executive Committee may invite such external speakers as it sees fit. External speakers who have been invited on the understanding that they will expound the common faith of the AUCU should be required to sign their assent to that faith as defined in clause 2.6.

7. Finances
7.1 The Treasurer shall be responsible for the finances of the AUCU. They shall keep accurate accounts of all income and expenditure on behalf of the AUCU.

7.2 All bank accounts held in the name of the AUCU shall require at least two signatories, of whom one shall be the Treasurer.

7.3 The Treasurer shall present details of the AUCU accounts at the Annual General Meeting.

8. Affiliation to the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship 8.1 The AUCU shall be affiliated to the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship.

8.2 Affiliation may be withdrawn by process of constitutional amendment in accordance with paragraph 9.

8.3 Changes to clause 2.6 of the Constitution will cause withdrawal of affiliation.

9. Alterations to the Constitution
9.1 Alterations to the Constitution shall be made at a General Meeting.

9.2 At least 50% of members need to be in attendance for motions to be ratified.

9.3 Amendments to the Constitution shall be made if 75% of members present vote in favour of the motion (abstentions thus counting as a negative vote.)