Constitution Change

LifeGate Church has grown significantly over the past 15 years. Our current Constitution was written when the church was much smaller and less complex. These updates align our structure with our current size, diversity, and ministry needs, and position us well for the next 15 years of growth.

No. These amendments do not alter our Statement of Faith, mission, or values. They are about how we operate and make decisions, not what we believe. These proposed changes further support our charter — ensuring that our organisational structure continues to uphold our mission and beliefs faithfully.

Your rights and responsibilities as a member remain, but the way we describe membership is now broader. The new Constitution recognises diverse ways members can engage and contribute to the life and mission of the church — not just through meetings, but through serving, giving, and living out discipleship.

As membership has grown, achieving 50% attendance at business meetings has become impractical. The proposed 25% (or 100 members) still ensures strong representation and is consistent with best practice in larger churches.

Reappointment will now be managed as an employment matter by the Board, rather than through a congregational vote. The appointment of any new Senior Pastor will continue to rest with the congregation, as has always been the case.

This change only applies to the reappointment of the same individual — allowing the Board to manage this process more efficiently, based on prayerful evaluation, ministry outcomes, and alignment with the church’s direction.

The Board is entrusted with this responsibility because of its ongoing relationship with the Senior Pastor and its role in overseeing the overall health, direction, and effectiveness of the church. The intent is not to remove accountability, but to ensure that reappointment decisions are made prayerfully, objectively, and with continuity of ministry in mind.

This approach is consistent with how many other churches of similar size and structure operate. It also reflects good practice in leadership development, employment stewardship, and ministry accountability — always underpinned by prayer and discernment.

In the event that a new Senior Pastor needs to be appointed — whether due to transition, resignation, or other circumstances — this will continue to require a congregational vote. The Board will lead a prayerful, transparent, and consultative process, including appropriate assessment and discernment, to ensure the right candidate is identified.   

While the reappointment of the same Senior Pastor is managed by the Board, any appointment of a new Senior Pastor — whether due to transition, resignation, or other circumstances — will continue to rest with the congregation through a member vote.  

There are clear processes in place to ensure such transitions are handled with discernment, transparency, and accountability. If at any point it becomes necessary to appoint a new Senior Pastor (for example, due to ministry direction, personal circumstances, or performance-related reasons), the Board will undertake prayerful consultation, independent evaluation, and due diligence. This process safeguards against any form of nepotism, favouritism, or cronyism over time.

It is also worth noting that the Senior Pastor’s term is three years, so the role is not open-ended, and each term provides a structured point of review, feedback, and discernment. Ultimately, the appointment of a new Senior Pastor remains a decision made by the members, while the reappointment of the same individual after a completed term continues to be managed by the Board within its delegated authority.

With our continued growth, the demands on leadership and representation have increased. The larger Board size and longer terms provide continuity, broader skills, and better representation. Given the current trajectory of growth, diversity within the congregation will also continue to increase. This change not only addresses the needs of the church today but also future-proofs the Board for the years ahead.

The Constitution now explicitly includes authority for borrowing, mortgaging, and managing large projects. This ensures the church can steward major facility or development initiatives responsibly as we expand ministry and space capacity.

Members will receive a full summary and can submit questions online (link to be provided) or speak directly with any Board member. The Board encourages members to clarify any questions they may have, and Board members are happy to meet, discuss, and also take on feedback from members as part of this process of improvement and working effectively for His Kingdom.

The proposed Constitution will be presented formally at the March 2026 Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) and Town Hall, where members will have an opportunity to discuss and vote.

A 70% majority of voting members is required for adoption, consistent with other key voting thresholds in the Constitution.

The Constitution forms a structural and systemic foundation that governs how the church functions. It sets the framework within which leadership, structure, and ministry decisions are made. Currently, LifeGate faces space and capacity constraints — limited on-site parking, insufficient rooms for ministries and activities, the Chinese congregation nearing capacity at the Life Centre, and Sunday English services also close to full. 

Structuring the Board to focus on longer-term strategic initiatives and medium-term projects addressing these capacity needs will directly impact the momentum of growth the church is experiencing. Conversely, if these issues are not addressed in a timely manner, they could impede future growth. The church’s numerical growth has also resulted in more complex member and ministry needs, and empowering the Senior Pastor in staffing and operational matters will help ensure greater leadership effectiveness and ministry responsiveness as the church continues to grow.

These proposed changes are the result of the Board and church leadership reflecting on various challenges encountered in recent years — many of them operational in nature. In several cases, the root causes of those challenges were linked to restrictions or limitations within the existing Constitution. Drawing from those experiences, the Board identified a set of key amendments designed to streamline church operations while maintaining a high standard of Board oversight and accountability. Over the past six months, these proposed changes have gone through multiple rounds of review, deliberation, and refinement at the Board level. After much prayer, discussion, and consensus, these proposed amendments are now being shared with members for feedback and formal consideration.

No. The official and legally binding Constitution will be in English, for the avoidance of doubt. The Chinese version will be a translation provided solely for communication and understanding purposes, to assist our brothers and sisters in the Chinese Service in reading and understanding the document more easily.