I am a deacon at a southern baptist church. We are heading toward a vote on whether to retain or fire the pastor. Our bylaws state it takes ...

Question

I am a deacon at a southern baptist church. We are heading toward a vote on whether to retain or fire the pastor. Our bylaws state it takes 75% consent from the membership present to call a pastor, but no mention is made about what percentage it takes to fire the pastor. Do we refer back to the 75% it takes to call him, use two-thirds as in Roberts Rules of Order - to remove someone from office, (assuming the pastors job is considered "in office"), or is a simple majority all that's required? Most votes are by simple majority, but this is a delicate subject and one we on the deacon board do not wish to be sued over. We are assuming we should refer back to the two-thirds, but wish to get it right. Thank you.

Answer

Take your articles of incorporation and bylaws to an attorney. You will only get uninformed guesswork here as we.cannot see your documents.