By-Laws

Preamble
We, being like-minded in our faith and sharing the conviction that the mission of our Lord Jesus Christ in the world today is intended to be carried out primarily by churches working together under the authority and direction of scripture and empowered by the Holy Spirit, do hereby bind ourselves into a covenant relationship to preserve and practice the fundamental principles of our faith in a manner that displays the glory of God to the local context in which God has placed us, in accordance with our shared Covenant of Understanding and in a manner aligned with these Bylaws.

Ratification
This document was first approved on 4 January 2023 by duly-appointed representatives from Athol-Orange Baptist Church (Athol, MA), Bethany Baptist Church (Gardner, MA), Bethany Bible Chapel (Winchendon, MA), and First Baptist Church of Westminster (MA).

Organization
1. The name of this organization shall be the North Central Collective (referred to as NCC). The North Central Collective shall be a cooperative partnership of churches who have entered into covenant fellowship with one another for the purpose of advancing the mission of Christ in a shared context.
  The North Central Collective operates within the geographic area of north central Massachusetts. This shall be a vaguely defined area that mostly exists west of Interstate 190, east of Interstate 91, north of Worcester, and south of the New Hampshire/Massachusetts state line.
Affiliations
1. The North Central Collective does not operate under the authority or supervision of any denomination or external entity. It shall remain accountable to the churches, the North Central Collective Covenant of Understanding, the North Central Collective Statement of Faith, and the mission of Christ. Any conflicts between these sources of accountability shall favor the teachings of the Bible as clarified in the NCC Statement of Faith. Affiliation with the NCC shall not prevent member churches from affiliation with like-minded denominations or associations.
  Ministry work beyond the area defined in Article 1 shall be operated through cooperation with similar networks and/or churches active in the geographic region of concern. This cooperation shall be carried out as a partnership between the North Central Collective and the other body or bodies.
Membership
1. Requirements of Membership
  Membership in the NCC is a church-level association; all memberships shall belong to churches, as approved by their leadership and local church membership through a process of their own choosing. Membership of the NCC shall be defined as those churches who have affirmed the NCC Statement of Faith and NCC Covenant of Understanding.
  1. Covenant Terms
    Membership in the NCC is a covenant relationship, and comes with terms of commitment that every member church must support, uphold, and enact. By entering into this covenant, each member church affirms its commitment to the work of the NCC, and shall put that commitment into practice by:
    1. Operating in community in accordance with this document;
    2. Understanding and teaching that churches are strengthened when we work in accord with one another, rather than in isolation;
    3. Encouraging one another to continue in the faith and endeavor to work in harmony with one another to advance the Gospel;
    4. Praying for one another as we seek to do Gospel-minded work in our region;
    5. Regularly attending and participating in NCC events and causes, understanding that our participation is integral to the expansion of the Gospel in north central Massachusetts and beyond;
    6. Engaging in a serious, ordered discipleship process in the context of our local church;
    7. Sharing our resources freely, including money, time, and people for the strengthening of the other churches and the multiplication of new churches; and
    8. Resolving to keep church members faithful in their commitment to their local church, which includes an appropriate restoration process as applicable for people seeking to leave their local NCC church.
2. Ending partnership
  1. Withdrawing Membership
    If a church desires to no longer participate in the NCC, it may withdraw its membership at any time. This may be accomplished through a written statement of intent to withdraw, signed by the leadership of the member church and delivered to the Board during a scheduled Board meeting by the representative or leadership of the member church. A withdrawal shall be considered effective immediately upon receipt of the letter of intent.
  2. Removing Member Churches
    Member churches who have failed to uphold their commitments as described in the NCC Covenant of Understanding, or have deviated significantly from the NCC Statement of Faith, shall be subject to disciplinary action.
    1. Any church found to be in violation of either the NCC Statement of Faith or NCC Covenant of Understanding shall first be invited into a meeting with the Executive Board, who will provide a description and evidence of the violation and offer a means of reconciliation. If this fails to produce a change in the relationship between the member church and the NCC, the Executive Board shall present the description and evidence of the violation, as well as the proposed solution, to the entire Board in a scheduled Board meeting. The Board shall then designate a time period of not less than one month and not more than six months, during which the other member churches shall be expected to aid the violating member in any process of reconciliation. If at the end of this designated period, the violating member has neither addressed the violation nor withdrawn membership, the Board shall hold a vote to strip the violating church of membership.
    2. Restoring Membership
      If a former member church that was removed for violation seeks to return to the NCC, they shall be treated as a new member for the purposes of evaluation and acceptance.
  3. Funds Donated by Former Members
    Any funds or other resources, except the participation of member church personnel, that have been delivered by a former member church to the NCC before the membership ends shall remain the property of the NCC. All standing commitments of future resources shall be considered void at the effective end of membership.
Statement of Faith
1. The member churches of the NCC affirm and teach specific doctrines that define our relationship as a body of like-minded churches.
  1. The Word of God
    We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts. The Bible flawlessly communicates God’s message to humanity and has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
  2. The Trinity
    We believe there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are equal in every divine perfection, and they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption.
  3. God the Father
    We believe that God the Father is the Creator and Ruler of the universe and all that is in it. He is perfect in holiness, wisdom, and love. He is all-knowing, all-present, and all powerful. He is the supreme judge over all, yet full of mercy and compassion.
  4. Jesus Christ
    We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. He was miraculous in birth to a virgin, sinless in life on earth, and made the perfect sacrifice for sin in His death. We believe in His bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal, visible return to earth.
  5. The Holy Spirit
    We believe the Holy Spirit is co-equal with the God the Father and Jesus Christ. He is present in the world to make people aware of sin and righteousness. He abides in each believer from the moment of salvation and gifts them for spiritual service. The Holy Spirit provides power to live a fruitful, victorious life. He gives understanding of spiritual truth and boldness to share the good news with others. We should seek to live under His control moment by moment.
  6. Salvation
    We believe that all people are sinners by nature and by choice and are therefore, under condemnation. We believe that salvation is God’s free gift that must be accepted by repentance and trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior.
  7. The Church
    We believe the church is the world-wide body of Christ. It is comprised of all those who have put their faith in Christ. God has also called believers to be a part of local church families who covenant together for the purposes of worship, learning from the Word of God, celebrating Christ’s work through the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and service. The primary task of the church is to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world. We believe that the elders/pastors of each local church have authority under the headship of Jesus Christ to provide spiritual oversight and teach/preach the Word of God for the building up of the body. The role and responsibility of elder/pastor, as ordained by God, is reserved to men.
  8. Marriage and Sexuality
    We believe that human sexuality is a gift from God meant to be enjoyed within the exclusive context of a legal marriage between one man and one woman and only between those partners. We believe marriage to be an important covenantal relationship, and as such, discourage divorce in any circumstance where no major breach of morality has occurred or when repentance and reconciliation are available. We reserve the right to examine the nature of a past divorce in considering an individual for leadership.
  9. Identity
    We believe that human identity is rooted in our creation as image-bearers of God, with considerations like sex and ethnicity to be fixed, immutable, but ultimately secondary characteristics. We do not affirm a distinction between sex and gender; rather, we believe that transition of gendered physical or social traits is a misguided and unsuccessful attempt at altering one’s identity before God.
  10. Sanctity of Life
    We believe that all human beings are made in the image of God, and as such, are due basic respect and the opportunity to live a life free of oppression and unjust termination. We oppose the practices of human abortion and euthanasia, as well as any attempts to assign greater or lesser standing to individuals in society on the grounds of race, sex, origin, mental or physical ability, or age.
  11. Eternity
    We believe people were created to exist forever. They will either exist eternally separated from God because of sin in Hell or eternally present with God through forgiveness and salvation in Jesus Christ in Heaven.
Offices
1. North Central Collective Board
  The authority to carry out the mission of the NCC shall be vested in the member churches and expressed through representatives from the member churches serving in the North Central Collective Board (hereafter referred to as ‘Board”).
  The Board shall be responsible for planning and/or approving all North Central Collective activities, setting the annual budget of the North Central Collective, admitting and dismissing member churches, electing Executive Board seats, appointing and commissioning Delegate Teams, and any other duty necessary for the mission of the North Central Collective not held by the member churches or granted to the Executive Board. Unless stated otherwise, these duties shall be confirmed by a simple majority vote.
  1. Board Officers
    The Board shall consist of three types of officers. These are Representatives, Church Planter Residents, and At-Large.
    1. Representatives
      Each member church shall have one seat on the Board available to them, hereafter referred to as the Representative. It is the responsibility of the church to nominate their Representative as described in §5.2.1. Representatives must be members in good standing of the church they are nominated to represent. A Representative seat is considered ‘active’ if it has an individual who has been nominated and affirmed to fill it, and ‘inactive’ at any time when it does not.
    2. Church Planter Residents
      Anyone actively enrolled in the Church Planter Residency Program shall have a seat on the Board available to them, and the Church Planter Resident shall be the nominated and affirmed holder of that seat. These seats begin to exist when a Church Planter Resident is enrolled and cease to exist at any time when they would become vacant. The Church Planter Resident shall in all other manners be treated as a Delegate in accordance with §4.3.
    3. At-Large
      The Board may, at their discretion, establish At-Large seats through a majority vote. These are seats designated for a specific person or purpose, to allow additional members onto the Board who have not been formally selected as Representatives. At-Large seats may only be filled by an individual who is a member in good standing of a North Central Collective member church. At-Large seats cease to exist, unless renewed by a vote of the Board, when they become vacant or one year after creation or last renewal, whichever comes first. The total number of At-Large seats on the Board at one time may not exceed 75% of the number of active Representative seats.
  2. Board Meetings
    The Board shall have regularly scheduled meetings, not less than once a month, to carry out its responsibilities. The Board or Executive Board may also schedule additional meetings to handle specific events, topics, or needs with a notice of at least two weeks provided to all members by the Secretary. Any meeting of the Board outside of those regularly scheduled or announced as above shall be considered unscheduled meetings. Votes may only be carried out at scheduled meetings with a quorum of 60% or greater.
    Board meetings shall be open to attendance from the bodies of member churches and guests invited by the Board. Minutes from these meetings shall be available to the member churches upon request.
2. Executive Board
  The North Central Collective Board shall maintain a North Central Collective Executive Board (hereafter referred to as “Executive Board”) composed of Board officers who have been tasked with additional authority and responsibility concerning the smooth and effective operation of North Central Collective affairs. The Executive Board shall consist of four or more officers. These shall be the Chair, Co-Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, and Agent.
  The Executive Board shall be responsible for the duties of individual offices, any responsibility outlined for them in other sections of these Bylaws, and proposing direction and specific annual objectives to the Board.
  1. Chair
    The Chair of the North Central Collective shall hold responsibility over scheduling meetings of the Board and Executive Board, setting agendas for scheduled meetings, leading scheduled meetings, and delegating tasks for Board officers or commissioned bodies to carry out in accordance with decisions reached by the Board and/or Executive Board. The Chair shall be the primary point of contact for outside bodies wishing to work with the North Central Collective unless and until that specific work area has been delegated.
  2. Co-chair
    The Co-Chair of the North Central Collective shall hold the responsibility to step into the role of Chair when the Chair is not available. They shall also be responsible for ensuring that work delegated by the Chair is being carried out by regularly checking in with delegated bodies and verifying the needs of delegated bodies are being met by the Board, Executive Board, and/or member churches. The Co-Chair shall be the primary point of contact for member churches over internal North Central Collective matters unless that matter directly involves or poses a direct conflict of interest for the Co-Chair.
  3. Treasurer
    The Treasurer of the North Central Collective shall hold responsibility over the recording and receipt of North Central Collective funds and other material resources. They shall provide a quarterly financial report to the Board, deliver all financial records for annual audit, pay out any approved costs incurred by the North Central Collective or its delegated bodies, and track non-monetary material resources. The Treasurer shall be the primary point of contact for financial matters not covered by another Executive Board officer’s responsibilities.
  4. Secretary
    The Secretary of the North Central Collective shall hold responsibility over communications within and from the Board and Executive Board not covered by another Executive Board officer’s responsibilities. They shall take minutes at meetings of the Board and Executive Board, maintain records of the North Central Collective, issue statements from the Board and Executive Board, and provide documentation as needed for legal reasons or responsibilities detailed in these Bylaws. The Secretary shall be the primary point of contact for the press or any other outside bodies seeking records or statements from or related to the North Central Collective.
  5. Agent
    The Agent of the North Central Collective shall be responsible for legal representation of the North Central Collective before local, state, and federal governments and agencies. This office may be held by an individual who is also serving as the Chair, Co-Chair, Treasurer, or Secretary as determined by a vote of the Board.
  6. Additional Offices
    If found to be necessary, the Board may establish additional offices to sit on the Executive Board. These offices must be approved by a ⅔ majority vote of the Board and may last no more than one year without a ratified change to these Bylaws to include the office. Similarly, any Executive Board office except the Chair, Co-Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, and Agent may be removed in the same manner.
  7. Executive Session
    Meetings that only concern the Executive Board, such as initial review of violations or planning meetings in preparation for an upcoming Board meeting, may be conducted in private. Minutes from private Executive Sessions shall be available to the Board upon request.
3. Apostolic Team
  The North Central Collective Board may commission individuals (hereafter referred to as ‘Delegates’) to carry out specific tasks related to the mission of the North Central Collective. These Delegates shall be key leaders tasked by the Board primarily with the authority and responsibility to serve the churches in the North Central Collective in matters of pressing issues or developmental needs. This work shall be carried out in a manner and with authority similar to the apostolic delegates in Paul’s epistles and the book of Acts.
  1. Relationship to the Board
    Members of the Board may be selected as Delegates, but appointment as a Delegate does not itself grant a seat on the Board except in the case of the Church Planter Residency Program. The Board may choose to assign an At-Large seat to a specific Delegate at their discretion.
    As a commissioned body, Delegates directly interact with the Chair and Co-Chair in the process of receiving and carrying out specific duties within the scope of their commission. Delegates shall be expected to provide quarterly updates on their commissioned work to the Board.
  2. Appointment
    When a need for a Delegate is identified, the Board shall issue a request to the member churches for a member in good standing with appropriate gifts and competency. Similarly, if the leadership of a member church identifies an individual in their local membership with gifts and competency that may serve the mission of the North Central Collective, that member church may submit the individual to the Board for consideration as a Delegate.
    In either case, a member church shall nominate an individual for consideration as a Delegate through their own process. The Representative of the member church shall then present the individual to the Board, who will examine the individual and their gifts to determine if the gifts they have are needed by the North Central Collective and if the individual is suited for the task. Once the Board is satisfied it has the information it needs, it shall hold a simple majority vote on whether or not to commission the individual as a Delegate or as a member of a Delegate Team.
  3. Commission
    Each Delegate shall be responsible first to the churches of the North Central Collective and may, at their discretion, offer similar services to churches in good relationship with the North Central Collective when doing so will not hinder their work within the North Central Collective. The Delegates work within a church by invitation from that church and may move freely between churches as needed within the scope of their invitations and duties. When operating by invitation within a member church of the North Central Collective, the Delegate shall be considered authoritative in the task for which they have been commissioned. This authority shall include tasks related to assessment of the church, as well as planning and implementation of any work carried out therein, that impacts the ministry of the Delegate.
    The Delegates shall seek opportunities to assist churches to enhance their gospel presence within their community by equipping them through a richer understanding and application of the fundamental biblical principles necessary for bringing a church toward maturity as envisioned by Paul in Ephesians 4:11-16 and throughout the scriptures. Each Delegate shall be commissioned with a specific area of responsibility determined by the Board at the time of their commission and will not be treated by the North Central Collective as holding authority on matters beyond the scope of their commission.
  4. Standing Commissions
    Any commissions included in this subsection shall be treated as a Standing Commission. A Standing Commission is one that the Board has identified as central to the mission of the North Central Collective and therefore commits to maintaining these commissions. Standing Commissions may remain vacant as long as there is no candidate suitable to fill it, but the Board and member churches shall be actively seeking candidates for the duration of the vacancy.
    1. Discipleship Ministries
      The North Central Collective shall maintain Delegate positions commissioned with helping churches establish and operate systems of ordered intentional intergenerational discipleship. This process shall operate in accordance with systems identified in BILD International’s First Principles program as drawn from scripture. These Delegates shall be responsible for providing assistance, education, and resources concerning fruitful active discipleship under the authority of the Board.
    2. Church Planter Residency Program
      The North Central Collective shall maintain a program by which identified leaders receive training by the North Central Collective and its member churches to plant or replant a church. The details of this program shall be tailored to the needs, education, and gifts of the Church Planter Resident in question, in accordance with a system approved by the Board.
      Those seeking to enter the Church Planter Residency may come from outside the member churches, and if they do so, they may contact the Board directly or a member church to seek enrollment. In either case, in order to be enrolled in the Church Planter Residency Program, they must receive a commitment from one member church to sponsor them. The sponsor church will then carry out the appointment process detailed in §4.3.2 and the Church Planter Resident shall seek membership in good standing within their sponsor church.
    3. Leadership Development
      The North Central Collective shall maintain a system designed to train individuals from within NCC churches for the work of church leadership positions. This process shall operate in accordance with systems identified in BILD International’s First Principles program and Antioch School as drawn from scripture. This Delegate shall be responsible for providing assistance, education, and resources concerning fruitful leadership development under the authority of the Board.
4. Removal
  Any sitting Board representative or Executive Board officer shall be removed from their position if they are found by the Board to be in violation of the North Central Collective Covenant of Understanding or North Central Collective Statement of Faith, no longer hold membership in good standing in the church which they represent, or fail to appear to a significant number of scheduled meetings.
  1. Standard Process of Removal
    If a Board officer is found to be in violation of the North Central Collective Covenant of Understanding or the North Central Collective Statement of Faith, or has been absent from an excessive number of scheduled meetings, they shall be called to a scheduled meeting of the Executive Board where the violation will be explained and a possible resolution, with a reasonable time limit, proposed. If the Board officer refuses to appear, refuses a reasonable plan of resolution, or fails to meet the terms of the resolution in the stated time limit, the Executive Board shall present the violation to the Board who shall then vote on the removal of the Board officer. If the violating officer is found to have met the terms of the resolution, they shall be cleared by the Executive Board.
    The Board officer shall not have the power to vote until they have been cleared of the violation by either the Board or the Executive Board. An Executive Board member in violation shall have the authority and responsibilities of their Executive Board office given to a temporary officer selected by the Executive Board from the Board until the violating officer is restored to their position or removed from the Board. Removal of an Executive Board officer from the Board shall trigger a vote for a permanent replacement at the next scheduled Board meeting.
  2. Membership in Good Standing
    If a Board officer loses their membership in good standing in the church they represent, the member church shall inform the Executive Board of the change as soon as possible and the Secretary shall inform the Board that the seat the Board officer held has become inactive (in the case of a Representative seat) or vacant (in the case of an At-Large seat) within 24 hours of receiving notice. A Representative seat thus vacated shall remain inactive until a new Representative is seated. An At-Large seat thus vacated shall remain vacant until the next scheduled meeting of the Board, at which point a vote shall be held to fill the seat or remove it from the Board. The Board may elect a member to fill the vacated office of the Executive Board at their next scheduled meeting.
  3. Member Church Removal
    Representatives and At-Large officers may be removed from the Board by their member church at any time. This procedure shall be identical to that described in §3.2.1.
  4. Church Planter Resident
    A Church Planter Resident shall lose their seat immediately, and the seat shall cease to exist, if they are removed from the Church Planter Residency Program at any point before completion for any reason. Upon completion of the Church Planter Residency Program, the Church Planter Resident seat shall immediately become a Representative seat for the church the Church Planter Resident is planting or replanting, provided this church is within the geographic North Central Collective region.
  5. Voluntary Withdrawal
    A sitting Board officer may step down from the Board voluntarily by informing their member church of the decision. The member church shall then initiate the process described in §3.2.1, with the change that they shall also provide an effective date of withdrawal to the Executive Board in their initial communication.
  6. Apostolic Teams
    The Board may withdraw their commission of an individual Delegate or of an Apostolic Team through a majority vote. If a Delegate falls out of membership in good standing with their church, they shall immediately lose their commission. If either occurs, the Secretary shall inform the Delegates and member churches as soon as possible of the change and the Delegates shall cease all activities that rely on their commission by the Board. If the Delegate thus removed held a Permanent Commission, the Board shall immediately begin seeking a replacement.
Elections
1. Terms
  1. All officers on the Board, including Executive Board officers, shall be subject to an annual affirmation by both their member church and the Board.
  2. Officers, including Executive Board officers, shall not be subject to term limits imposed by the NCC.
2. Process
  1. Board Officers
    Member churches shall either affirm or replace their Representative and any At-Large seats at the first business meeting of their fiscal year. The Board shall then either affirm or deny that officer at the next scheduled meeting of the Board through a simple majority vote. If an officer is denied by the Board, a written statement on the reason for denial shall be delivered to the church. In the case of a Representative, the seat shall be considered inactive as though it had been vacated.
  2. Executive Board Officers
    Executive Board officers shall be affirmed or replaced by the Board at the first scheduled Board meeting of the calendar year through a simple majority vote.
3. Unplanned Vacancies
  If a Representative seat becomes inactive for any reason, the member church shall be asked to provide a new Representative at their earliest convenience. This shall begin the process as detailed in §7.2.1. If an Executive Board office is vacated for any reason, the Board shall select a replacement by majority vote at its next scheduled meeting.
Finances
1. Source of Funds
  The primary source of financial support for the North Central Collective shall be funds given by the member churches in accordance with commitments and goals stated within the North Central Collective Covenant of Understanding.
  1. Giving in accordance with the North Central Collective Covenant of Understanding shall be defined as a commitment to aid in effectively funding any approved work of the NCC through as-needed support including, but not limited to, not less than 2% of the annual budget of the member church being designated for the North Central Collective.
2. Annual Budget Process
  At the last scheduled Board meeting of the fiscal year, the Treasurer shall present a proposed budget for the following year to be reviewed, edited as needed, and voted upon by the Board. A simple majority vote shall be sufficient to approve the budget, which will go into effect at the beginning of the new fiscal year. If the proposed budget requires further debate or review, a vote may be delayed until the first scheduled meeting of the new fiscal year; during the time between the end of the fiscal year and a vote approving a new budget, all spending must come from remaining undesignated funds from the most recently approved budget.
3. Unplanned expenses
  In the event of an unplanned expense necessary to the objectives and mission of the North Central Collective, the Executive Board may approve an emergency spending of no more than $500 or 2% of the North Central Collective approved annual budget, whichever is higher. This expenditure must be presented to the Board at the next scheduled meeting. Any unplanned spending above this amount shall require the approval of the Board.
4. Annual Audit
  The records of income and spending for the North Central Collective shall be subject to an annual audit. This audit shall be conducted by a qualified agent or agency that does not sit on the Executive Board. All records for this audit shall be prepared by the North Central Collective Treasurer and then reviewed and delivered by the Agent no later than the first quarter of the following fiscal year. If the Treasurer holds the office of Agent at the end of the fiscal year, the review and delivery must be carried out by the Secretary.
5. Fiscal Year
  The fiscal year of the North Central Collective shall be defined as January 1 to December 31.
Disposition of Resources
1. Should conditions arise where, for any reason, the North Central Collective shall cease to function, all property of the North Central Collective shall be distributed evenly among those churches that hold membership at the time of dissolution. Any real estate owned by the North Central Collective shall be offered to the member churches as whole parcels, with preference in each parcel going to the church with the greatest geographic proximity to the parcel. Any real estate not accepted by a member church shall be sold and the proceeds distributed evenly among those churches that hold membership at the time of dissolution.
Rules of Order
1. The NCC shall operate according to the Douglas Rules of Order, in which the NCC Chair shall serve the role of Chairperson. If the NCC Chair cannot serve the role, it shall be filled by the NCC Co-Chair.
Amendments
1. Amendments to these Bylaws, the North Central Collective Covenant of Understanding, or the North Central Collective Statement of Faith shall require a ⅔ majority vote of the Board in two consecutive scheduled meetings within one calendar year, with at least one of those meetings having an agenda designated entirely to discussion and vote on the amendment. Proposed amendments must be provided in writing to all officers of the Board and the leadership of all member churches two months before the first such vote. Any changes to the wording of the amendment shall begin this process anew.
  Ratified amendments are to be documented, along with the date of ratification and any dissenting votes, in Article 10.
History of Accepted Amendments