Fresh Fire Christian Ministers' Association

MISSION STATEMENT

..”TO CREATE, SUSTAIN AND SERVICE A WELFARE PLATFORM FOR MEMBERS, NETWORKING TO BUILD SYNERGY FOR MAXIMAL MINISTRY IMPACT

WITH GLOBAL REACH …”.

FRESH FIRE CHRISTIAN MINISTERS ASSOCIATION, LAGOS

FRESH FIRE ANTHEM

I NEED A FIRE THAT’S FRESH…  2X

OLD FIRE CANNOT DO IT,

I NEED A FIRE THAT’S FRESH

O’ LORD….

NOTCH 1

PREAMBLE

This Blueprint or Operation Manual is an addendum to the Constitution of FRESH FIRE CHRISTIAN MINISTERS ASSOCIATION (FFCMA), LAGOS NIGERIA. It is a collection of rules and regulations governing the general administration of the association and the welfare of its members for the conduct of day to day affairs of the association. This blueprint shall complement and shall not supersede the constitution of the association.

NOTCH 2

RENEWAL

A committee set up by the EXECUTIVE Council shall review the manual every (5) five years, prior to which the executive board shall have met to put together suggestions concerning any amendments or inclusions that are to be effected.

NOTCH 3

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/COMMITTMENT/VALUE PROPOSITIONS

1. Like Moses prayed for the children of Israel when they had problem with God, but the people could not pray for him in his times of problem (Exod 31:1-4, Ps 106:23). Pastors are not entirely immunized from problems of life. They may have family crisis. Since it is not ethical for them to go to the flocks under their nurturing for counselling, FFCMA is designed to provide them with such covering.

1. A pastor may fall into a sin that shut him out of communion with God. The Holy Spirit may want him to open up to someone special for help. He may not know whom to turn to since he is bottled up in a world of his own. He may decide to be managing with that burden and our adversary can take advantage of his spiritual dry condition. FFCMA provides him a pool of choice of reliable vessels of God whom he can share his burden and hurts and get help without being ashamed.

1. Help may come from a local church to support the pastor in times of urgent financial crisis. Sometimes such help may not be sufficient to meet all the need. A helping hand from FFCMA can be a relief to augment the effort of his local church. In this instance, FFCMA partners with your local church to complement the social needs of the pastor.

1. A pastor may not be blessed with the five-fold ministry gift required to build up a local church. Yet he may need the operation of these grace gifts towards maturing the saints under his pastoral leadership. FFCMA comes handy as a pool of talents from which members could draw from to augment their local contents via exchange of pulpit.

1. Pastors do hold special services and conventions at intervals to inject fresh blood into the life of the church. Sometimes, they are unable to attract the right calibre of guest speakers to feature in such meetings for cost and socialization reasons. FFCMA is envisioned to serve as shop for local and international ministers to help the local church pastor deliver his dreams.

1. Young churches or ministries are usually fraught with lack of modern facilities like public address system, Sunday school manual, bible study packs, printing press, conference facilities, library, legal services, state of the arts musical equipment, overseas contact etc. FFCMA will deploy human and material resources at her pool to support members in provision of these services.

1. Who says crisis that can threaten life of a pastor and his ministry cannot arise. FFCMA pledges to stand with such a member and build spiritual and physical bridges for him to leap over such emerging threats without any hurt.

1. One of the problems facing present crop of church leaders is the dearth of manpower development. The church environment has become dynamic and worshippers attaining sophistication on daily basis because of technology. FFCMA have put in place a good training strategy to continuously update members to remain relevant in the face of ever-changing times in which we operate.

1. Who said pastors do not need social security. They are not entirely spirits. They wear human bodies and run families that are exposed to social security needs. It is our responsibility to venture into provision of social security system that will enable pastors become effective in their effort to deliver vision (Jn 15:19).

1. The association will create forum for personal revival of its members like fresh fire nights, sharpening the axe-head meeting, camps, retreat and recreational occasions to ease off pressure of members at intervals.

1. Church ministry is all about CHARACTER than anything else. This is what many people lack in church ministry. FFCMA is crafted not only to inculcate this rare attribute into her members but for the church publics to see us as people with noble character required for long lasting ministry life.

1. These and many others shall remain our Value Propositions/Offerings.

NOTCH 4

OUR DISTINCTIVENESS

Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) are working for the overall protection of the faith in our nation. Fresh Fire Christian Ministers Association is concerned with creating empowerment for the “PERSON” of the pastor. Our trigger question is: why would the “Pastor” or “his family” die of hunger because his congregation lacks resources and unable to support his social needs…? (Job 3:25-27)

NOTCH 5

MEETINGS

NOTCH 6

MEMBERSHIP ADMISSION

• To qualify as a member, the prospect must comply with the following requirements

1. Must be a visioner or vision proponent and ordained clergy attached to a local church of repute. Freelance pastors are not qualified to seek membership.

1. A non-refundable registration fee of N2,000 is payable if prospect is successful in the screening exercise.

1. Payment of Annual Social Security Levy of N5,000. The amount is set aside to respond to voice of emergency involving member. It is payable on or before end of first half of the year i.e June.

1. Regular attendance to monthly meetings. Absence from meeting for 3 consecutive times without obtaining approval from the president or the General Secretary who is his next in command invalidates membership and re-admission attract a fine of N2,000 only.

500. Up-to-date in monthly dues payment of N500.00 only or as may be applicable from time to time. No outstanding due is allowed to enter into the New year or the outstanding balance will be paid double.

NOTCH 7

ISSUANCE OF MEMBERSHIP IDENTITY CARD

Membership and Fellowship Identity Cards are sacred documents of the association. It shall be issued to a new entrant after

1. A probationary period of one (1) year within which commitment of candidate is proved

1. He/she has returned his or her duly completed membership form with payment of non-refundable registration fee of N2,000 only.

1. Considered regular attendant of monthly meetings over a period of 12 calendar months.

1. Considered up-to-date in servicing his/her monthly dues, annual social security levy and any other social obligation as occasioned within the period under review.

1. He/she shall pay the sum of N2,000 to obtain both the Ceremonial and Regular Membership Identity Cards.

100. Membership/Fellowship Identity Card shall be renewed yearly with N100.00 only to keep membership status current. Membership shall be considered defective if it is not renewed on yearly basis; and rights and privileges forfeited.

1. If there is loss, it shall be re-issued at the same cost it was obtained.

NOTCH 8

CALENDAR OF OUR PROGRAMS

The annual and monthly calendar of the association, in the interim, is as follows;

• Annual church workers conference holds between the months of March and April each year, usually on a Sunday after church service by 3.00pm. It is designed to bring all church workers of members and none-member churches together in a conference to re-fresh and re-fire them to remain relevant, useful and usable to their local churches.

• One Day Annual Re-fresh and Re-fire Church Leadership Conference holds between the months of August and September each year, usually on a working day from 10.00am to 4.00pm. It is crafted for fivefold minister from all denominations to keep them continuously focused and relevant in managing church business in a dynamic environment.

• Annual End of Year Get-together (EOYGET) holds every first or second week of December, each year. We use the occasion to host our members and their spouses in a Family Discourse program.

• Fresh Fire monthly meetings hold every first Friday of the month from 10am – 1.00pm. It is usually a business meeting format and the major highlight includes, church industry review (2) church case-study brainstorming session (3) paper presentation on leadership issues (4) standing in gap prayer session for members, families and churches/ministries and others.

NOTCH 9

SOCIAL SECURITY COVERAGE

1. A member’s relations shall include: Father, Mother, Wife and Children. If a member in good standing loses father, mother, wife or child, he shall be entitled to N15,000 provided he/she is up to date in payment of dues and annual social security levy for not less than 2 years.

2. The right of a departed member in good standing shall be the sum of N50,000 and amount shall be paid to his/her next of kin as contained in his/her membership form availed to the association. See bye-law for details.

3. Every member is entitled to inviting the association to his/her special event not more than once in two years. It shall be honoured with good presence of members and a cash gift of N20,000 (Twenty Thousand Naira only), provided his/her membership is up to one year and also up to date financial obligation .

4. The method of how to invite the house is as contained herein.

NOTCH 10

SEPARATION OF MEMBERSHIP

A member shall be deemed to have separated from the association on good ground if,

1. He writes to the association advising his intention to separate with at least 2 months notice.

1. Attend the exit interview meeting convened by the house or its executives

• The reason for separation is considered genuine by the house/executives and void of bitterness or offence

1. If it is on ground of offence, the executives are to take necessary actions to remedy the issue.

NOTCH 11

CODE OF ETHICS, BEHAVIOR MODERATION

AND SANCTIONS OF MEMBERS

1. Lateness: Any member who comes to meeting after 30mins grace is considered to be late and shall pay a fine of N100.00 only except proper and genuine excuse was obtained from the president or his designate.

2. Absenteeism: Any member who is absent from monthly meetings on two consecutive times without genuine excuse or permission from appropriate authority shall pay a fine of N500.00 only.

3. Indiscriminate movement: Uncontrolled movement when meeting is in session attracts a fine of N200.00 only. Any movement not authorized by the Provost shall be considered as uncontrolled.

4. Arbitrary use of cell phone: All phones shall be put on silence or meeting modes when meeting is in session. Otherwise will attract a fine of N200.00 only except that of the President or his designate.

5. Family Conflict: A member is free to report his/her spouse to the President or his designate and/or spouse is also free to reporting him/her to the President for intervention, if there is any protracted conflict in his/her family and capable of tarnishing family and ministry images of our member.

6. Ministry Mediation: Also, a member is free to report to the President of the association or his designate if there is any conflict between him/her and his or her pastor(s) for which amicable settlement could not be reached. Thus, the association stands as a bridge between Fresh Fire member pastors and their associate pastors/church, who may be aggrieved but have no window for conflict resolutions.

7. Practice of Spiritism: Any member of our association found entangling himself or herself with fetish practices, patronage of strange altars, false doctrines or engaged in performing spiritual works, shall be EXPELLED, should efforts to win him/her back to the fold of Christ fails (1 Sam 28:5-10).

8. Unscriptural Lifestyles: Any member found living contrary to ministerial ethics such as drinking alcohol, smoking, gambling, indecent dressing, wife/husband beating, fighting in the public, living above owns income, borrowing and refusing to repay etc, he/she shall be EXPELLED, if all efforts to win him/her back to the faith yield no positive result.

9. And any other unscriptural action(s)/offence(s) considered sanctionable by the Board of Trustees and approved by the President.

NOTCH 12

MEMBERS FINANCIAL STANDING

No one is allowed to take any leadership position in the organization which is not;

• Regular in attendance to monthly meetings

• Up-to-date in his/her financial obligations to the Association especially payment of monthly dues, annual social security levy and social matters.

• A carrier of membership and fellowship identity cards of the association.

NOTCH 13

FINANCE INCOME & ADMINISTRATION

1. The association sources of income shall come from registration fees, annual social security levies, monthly dues, donations, interest on loans, workshop/seminar fees and any other as the association may consider necessary.

1. Good financial books shall be maintained by the office of the National President and presented to members at end of year meetings.

1. Expenditure of all sorts shall be approved by the president or his designate.

1. Virtually all funds should be banked first before expenses are incurred except in rare cases where some routine expenses cannot wait as may be approved by the president

1. The office of the president or his designate in Chapters and States shall maintain monthly impress accounts for the day to day operation of the secretariat. The amount shall be as recommended by the Board of Trustees (BOT) and approved by the President from time to time.

1. The following officers as listed below are authorized signatories to the association bank account with Fidelity Bank or any other bank operated by the association. They are also mandated to sign all financial transactions of the association with our Banker(s).

• The National President
• The National Secretary
• The National Treasurer

1. All banking instruments bearing the signatories of at least two (2) of the National Officers shall be honoured by our bankers.

1. The president is authorised to singly sign bank instruments when the need arises provided such amount does not exceed N100,000 only.

NOTCH 14

BEREAVMENT OF RELATIONS OF MEMBERS

1. A member’s relations shall include: Father, Mother, Husband, Wife and Children.

2. If a member in good standing loses father, mother, husband, wife or child, he shall be entitled to N15,000 provided he/she is up to date in payment of dues and annual social security levy for not less than 2 years.

3. Bereavement right shall be funded from the annual social security levy account

4. Any member who is not up to date in payment of dues, annual social security levy and socials as at the time of incidence shall not be entitled to benefit from this arrangement.

5. However, a member in good standing but has not completed the mandatory 2 years period before the incident shall be entitled to a condolence visit by selected members of the Board of Trustees. The president shall use his discretion to approve a token for the condolence visit.

NOTCH 15

HONORING OFFICIAL INVITATION OF MEMBERS

1. On the part of Inviting Member

To invite the association for special events such as wedding, birthday above 50 years, marriage anniversary from 25 years, house or child dedication, book launch of not less than 3-5 years apart, opening of new ministry or any other landmark event as may be considered appropriate by the BOT, the invitation should come with the following courtesies:

1. One carton of malt drink
2. One packet of cabin biscuit
3. One bottle of good wine for the president
4. Invitation card or letter
5. At least one month notice shall be given to FFCMA
6. At the occasion, a special table shall be reserved for us and presence of the association officially announced.

2. On the part of the Association

1. Association shall honour invitation of members whose membership is up to one year and who is up to date in his financial obligations to the association as follows;

1. To go en-mass or nominate a delegate to represent the house depending on logistics

1. To go with a cash of N20,000 (Twenty Thousand Naira only) until reviewed otherwise

1. The gift is to the person of our member, not to his church

.

1. Special invitation levy of at least N1,000 shall be paid by each member on or before the occasion

1. Should in case any member was unable to pay on or before the occasion, funds shall be called out from association purse to pay on his/her behalf. However, such monies or loans shall be refunded on or before the next monthly meeting of the association.

1. If there is shortfall, it shall be augmented from the purse

1. If excess it shall be paid to the association account

1. Aside group invitation levy of N1,000, every member is encouraged to personally bless the celebrant with cash gift according to his/her individual capacity in the spirit of love.

1. Arrival of members to the venue. All members are to arrive the venue of the occasion on or before the occasion takes off. Anyone who arrives 30 minutes after the occasion started shall pay a fine of N500 only to the purse of the association. A member of the association shall be mandated to take record of the late comers and it is aimed at checking indiscipline.

3. In case of wedding of a member’s children, it is not compulsory for members to go to the reception; neither would they be entertained at the reception. Rather any entertainment due to us shall be served after church service. They are clergies.

4. Every member shall be entitled to invite the association to his/her special event not more than once in two years. Such occasions shall include (1) wedding (2) 25 years and above marriage anniversary (3) birthdays of 50 years and above (4) book launch of 3-5 years apart (5) dedication of own house (6) relocation to villa or city send-forth and any other considered and approved by the BOT.

NOTCH 16

HOME-CALL OF A MEMBER

1. If a member passes to glory, the family of the deceased member/church should inform the FFCMA leadership immediately.

2. The association executive shall immediately visit the home of the member for situation report and emergency meeting convened for members.

3. The Social Security Committee (SSC) shall work in cooperative spirit with the family and local church of the deceased to facilitate the burial arrangement.

4. The right of the member shall be the sum of N50,000. If he/she is participating in any form of in-house empowerment program (ie. monthly contribution etc), he/she shall be entitled to his contribution when it is his/her turn.

5. The amount shall be paid to his/her next of kin (wife/husband/son/daughter) as contained in the registration form completed by member. The benefit is to facilitate the burial arrangement.

6. A burial levy of N3,000 is fixed to be paid by all members within the stipulated time by the Board of Trustees and approved by the President. It shall be used to replenish the association’s purse.

7. At least two members of the association will be sponsored to attend the funeral service at the hometown of the member while the wake-keep will be compulsorily attended by all members except an express waiver is granted to any member by the President or his designate.

8. In the event a member in good standing did not enjoy any of the above benefits before he retires to his village, transfer or relocate by reason of ministry/marriage or any other, he shall be entitled to a send-forth service from the union and a sum of N50,000 paid to him/her, provided he/she has been part of the organisation for not less than 5 years. If he/she is participating in any form of in-house empowerment program (i.e monthly contribution etc), he/she shall be entitled to his contribution when it is his/her turn.

9. If the event in (8) above involves a founding father, he shall be entitled to a send-forth service from the association, appreciation offering from the sendforth shall be his/hers, a gift in kind and a sum of N50,000. If he/she is participating in any form of in-house empowerment program (i.e monthly contribution etc), he/she shall be entitled to his contribution when it is his/her turn.

NOTCH 17

INCENTIVES FOR THE NATIONAL OFFICERS/EXECUTIVES

1. FFCMA holds annual Church Workers Conference, Church Leadership Conference and any other special fee based outreach.

2. Funds generated from any of these fee based outreaches should be tithed to the National President of our Association to encourage him/her in the business of providing good leadership.

3. The balance of what remains shall be banked accordingly.

4. At our annual End of Year Get-together, the national president, national secretary, national treasurer and its executive members (BOT) shall be appreciated with an honorarium as an ex-gratia.

5. The welfare committee of the association shall work out the modalities of the honorarium and secure approval from the national president before administering same during the occasion.

NOTCH 18

ELECTION/SUCCESSION ARRANAGEMENT INTO OFFICE OF

THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF FRESH FIRE CHRISTIAN MINISTERS ASSOCIATION

1. There shall be Board of Trustees of Fresh Fire Christian Ministers Association which shall be vested with executive powers to keep the association afloat.

1. The following pioneer fathers shall serve in the board until further notice;

1. Rev (Dr) Uche Dike –           National President/Board Chairman
2. Bishop Kevin Obiwumma –           National Vice President
3. Apostle Olughu Elisha             –           National Secretary
4. Bishop Chukwudi Enoch –           National Treasurer

1. They shall function as the highest organ of the association, policy makers and make day to day decisions on behalf of the organisation.

1. The offices of the national secretary, national treasurer and any other office created by the board shall be vied for in election in the organization.

1. Except the office of the first president, the offices of national secretary and national treasurer and others shall be tenured for 4 years and the incumbents are eligible to stand for re-election but not exceeding two (2) consecutive terms of eight (8) years in all.

1. The office of the pioneer president of Fresh Fire Christian Ministers Association will become an elective office when and only if:

1. The first president of the association resigns, sick and cannot function in office or when fully step aside or dead.

1. He commits a sin of sexual immorality, fraud, preaches heresy, apostasy after proper investigation and found guilty, he should be sanctioned as considered appropriate by the Board of Trustees (BOT).

1. Only the first president of FFCMA shall have the privilege of recommending his own successor for the approval of BOT. In the event that BOT declines approval, the first president has the right to recommend another candidate for approval of the Board of Trustees.

1. The successive presidents shall not be entitled to recommend their own successors.

1. The third president of the association shall assume office via electoral process to be put in place and midwifed by the Board of Trustees.

1. The BOT shall be vested with the power to perform the functions of internal auditors and to demand clarification from the executives on any financial matter.

1. Any member of the BOT shall be sanctioned, if he or she is found to have committed sin of sexual immorality, fraud, preaches heresies, working against the overall interest of our association etc. Such sanction shall be as recommended by the disciplinary committee to the president via the BOT.

SIGNED:

REV (DR) UCHE OKOGBUA DIKE                          APOSTLE OLUGHU ELISHA

NATIONAL PRESIDENT                                           NATIONAL SECRETARY