About FEET

FEET Constitution adopted at a General Meeting of the Fellowship of European Evangelical Theologians held at Woltersdorf, Germany, on 27th August, 2012

1. NAME

The name of the organisation shall be called THE FELLOWSHIP OF EUROPEAN EVANGELICAL THEOLOGIANS (‘the Fellowship’).

2. OBJECT

The object of the Fellowship is the advancement of the Christian religion in the whole of Europe through the promotion and encouragement of the study of evangelical Christian theology in a spirit of loyalty to the Bible with a view to serving the renewal of theological thinking and fellowship, strengthening the work of the Churches, and promoting the task of theological research and education locally. The Fellowship shall undertake to carry out the stated object by all appropriate means including, but not limited to, study conferences, seminars and lectures, networking, creating partnerships with sister institutions, and the publication and use of all available media resources, the establishment and awarding of scholarships, and the development of relationships with comparable Fellowships in other parts of the World.

3. BASIS OF FAITH

The doctrinal basis of the Fellowship shall be the following doctrines of the Christian faith, based on the revelation of the triune God given in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments:

• The sovereignty and grace of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in creation, providence, revelation, redemption and final judgment.
• The divine inspiration of Holy Scripture and its consequent entire trustworthiness and supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
• The universal sinfulness and guilt of fallen human beings, making them subject to God’s wrath and condemnation.
• The substitutionary sacrifice of the incarnate Son of God as the sole and all-sufficient ground of redemption from the guilt and power of sin, and from its eternal consequences.
• The justification of the sinner solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ crucified and risen from the dead.
• The illuminating, regenerating, indwelling and sanctifying work of God the Holy Spirit.
• The priesthood of all believers, who form the universal church, the Body of which Christ is the head, and which is committed by his command to the proclamation of the gospel throughout the world.
• The expectation of the personal, visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ, in power and glory.

4. MEMBERSHIP

The Committee (see para. 6) shall have power to admit as members of the Fellowship:

• a. persons engaged in theological research or who are teaching at a university or college;
• b. pastors and laity who have given evidence of serious theological concerns by their literary production; or
• c. institutions and organisations which promote evangelical theology and aim to strengthen theological networks in Europe, or
• d. any person whom the Committee may judge to have a theological contribution to make towards the objects of the Fellowship, provided always that those who are admitted as Members are in full agreement with the doctrinal basis of the Fellowship and make such minimum annual donation as may be recommended by the Committee from time to time.

The Committee shall have power to exclude any persons, institution or organisation from continuing membership upon evidence to the Committee’s satisfaction that such person is no longer in agreement with the doctrinal basis of the Fellowship or that such person’s conduct is unbecoming a member of the Fellowship.

5. GENERAL MEETING

A general meeting of the members of the Fellowship shall be held at least once every two years at a location in Europe fixed by the Committee for the purposes of receiving reports from the Committee, receiving an audited financial statement, electing members of the Committee, and carrying out any other business brought to it by the Committee.

The general meeting can also be held online. A proposal to this effect will be drawn up by the Committee and has to be adopted at the beginning of the online meeting.

Members shall be entitled to 21 days notice of each general meeting.

6. COMMITTEE

6.1. The administration of the Fellowship shall be carried out by the Committee. Members of the Committee must be existing members of the Fellowship.

6.2. The Committee shall consist of at least three members who shall hold the positions of Chair, Secretary and Treasurer (the office bearers), and any number of additional members (other Committee members) up to a maximum of twelve in all. The editor of the European Journal of Theology is an ex officio member of the committee.

6.3. The Committee shall meet at least once a year, either in person or online.

6.4. Every two years one third of the Committee shall retire by rotation and be replaced by persons approved by a majority of the members present and voting at a General Meeting. Retiring members of the Committee shall be eligible for re-election twice. In making appointments the General Meeting shall endeavour to ensure a fair geographical representation of the countries in Europe.

6.5. The Committee shall have the authority to appoint from the membership of the Fellowship a sub-committee or sub-committees for the efficient running of any activity undertaken by the Fellowship or for any other purpose which shall be deemed appropriate by the Committee. Any such sub-committee shall have only the powers delegated to it by the Committee and recorded in writing.

6.6. Members of the Committee may be removed from office if at least two of the office bearers and a majority of the other Committee members decide that they no longer fulfil the requirements of office.

6.7. The Committee may, at any time, reach decisions by circulating a minute to be signed, if approved, by a quorum or by all of the Committee members if a unanimous decision is required.

7. TRUSTEES

The office bearers for the time being shall be ex officio Trustees, for the sole purpose of acquiring, holding, leasing, disposing of or otherwise dealing with property for the Fellowship. Title to real or heritable property shall be taken in the names of the Trustees and their successors in office.

In the exercise of their powers hereunder the Trustees shall have all the privileges and immunities conferred upon or to be conferred upon gratuitous trustees from time to time under the statute and common law of Scotland and in supplement thereof they shall incur no personal liability or responsibility for or on account of anything done or omitted to be done in the exercise of intended or assumed exercise of their powers or for any alleged or actual actings beyond their powers or in connection with their business activities or for any loss of realisation of any investment, whether authorised or not, or for any neglect in management or on any account whatever, wilful fraud only excepted.

The Trustees shall not be liable for the actions of each other or for any factor, professional adviser, agent, employee or other person appointed or permitted by them to act in any other way in connection with the Fellowship but each shall be liable only for his her own personal acts as above mentioned.

8. EMPLOYEES

The Committee may for the purpose of fulfilling the objects of the Fellowship employ, remunerate, discharge or dismiss and fix the remuneration and terms of employment of any employees of any kind whatsoever (whether so employed full time or part time or occasionally) in such manner as they may think fit from time to time.

9. FINANCE

The Fellowship shall be financed by voluntary donations. The Committee shall fix a minimum annual donation for members. The Treasurer shall maintain a bank account and all cheques issued shall require to be signed by the Treasurer. The whole funds of the Fellowship shall be used in pursuit of the objects. An audited financial statement shall be presented to the Committee annually by the Treasurer to comply with applicable law relating to charities in Scotland.

10. ALTERATIONS TO THIS CONSTITUTION

Any member may suggest an alteration to the constitution of the Fellowship. Those alterations which are agreed upon by 75% of those members present and voting at a General Meeting shall be adopted, provided that notice of the proposed alteration was given with notice of the meeting. No alteration(s) shall be made which would have the effect of causing the Fellowship to cease to be recognised by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator as a charity. To ensure that this is complied with, any proposed alteration(s) should be notified to the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator prior to the alteration(s) being adopted.

11. DISSOLUTION

In the event of it being determined by 75% of those members present and voting at a General Meeting and by the unanimous opinion of the members of the Committee that it shall no longer be appropriate to continue the work of the Fellowship within the terms of the objects in Section 2 above, the Fellowship shall be deemed to be dissolved. In this event the whole Funds of the Fellowship shall be given to one or more charitable Christian organisation(s), established for the advancement of religion, in Europe or elsewhere as determined by the Committee in their sole discretion.

12. GOVERNING LAW

This Constitution shall be governed by and construed according to the law of Scotland and the Fellowship’s administration and activities shall be subject to the law of Scotland applicable to charities. This provision shall not however require meetings to be held in Scotland or trustees to reside in Scotland or funds and property to be held in Scotland.

The above Constitution was adopted at a General Meeting of the Fellowship of European Evangelical Theologians held online on 28 August 2020.