MEMORIAL FROM "THE SEVEN " SOCIETIES. TO THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES, MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.1 Dear Brethren: At an informal conference of the officers and managers of the seven national societies, held at Cottage City, July 27, 28, 1892, the following question was introduced and discussed: "Is it desirable at any time to arrange for a joint missionary convention of the seven societies in which the entire missionary work of the Congregational Churches shall be presented at one view and the mutual relations of the societies be illustrated?" After a free exchange of opinion among those present, the undersigned committee were appointed with instructions to memorialize the National Council and to respectfully request of that Council to hold a National Missionary Convention during its session of 1895, in which all the churches shall be invited to co-operate by their delegates for the discussion of their missionary work at home and abroad. It was the earnest conviction of the conference above named that our churches need and would be greatly stimulated in their missionary zeal by the panoramic view of the work which such a convention would present. Next to our faith and polity the bond of American Congregationalism is its system of christian missions at home and abroad. That system has never been illustrated as a whole and in a single view at any one gathering of the churches. It would be possible for the societies in their own name to call such a convention but they are the agents of the churches of which the National Council is the representative body. It has appeared to us, therefore, most appropriate that the National Council should initiate this important movement and in this view and petition the managing boards of all the societies by their separate approval most heartily concur. JOS. B. CLARK, M. E. STRIEBY, SAMUEL H. VIRGIN, CONSTITUTION, BY-LAWS, AND RULES OF ORDER OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL. CONSTITUTION. [Adopted Nov. 17, 1871.] THE Congregational churches of the United States, by elders and messengers assembled, do now associate themselves in National Council: To express and foster their substantial unity in doctrine, polity, and work; and To consult upon the common interests of all the churches, their duties in the work of evangelization, the united development of their resources, and their relations to all parts of the kingdom of Christ. They agree in belief that the Holy Scriptures are the sufficient and only infallible rule of religious faith and practice, their interpretation thereof being in substantial accordance with the great doctrines of the Christian faith, commonly called evangelical, held in our churches from the early times, and sufficiently set forth by former General Councils. They agree in belief that the right of government resides in local churches, or congregations of believers who are responsible directly to the Lord Jesus Christ, the one head of the Church Universal and of all particular churches; but that all churches, being in communion one with another as parts of Christ's catholic church, have mutual duties subsisting in the obligations of fellowship. The churches, therefore, while establishing this National Council for the furtherance of the common interests and work of all the churches, do maintain the Scriptural and inalienable right of each church to self-government and administration; and this National Council shall never exercise legislative or judicial authority, nor consent to act as a council of reference. And, for the convenience of orderly consultation, they establish the following rules: I. Sessions. -The churches will meet in National Council every third year. They shall also be convened in special session whenever any five of the general State organizations shall so request. II. Representation. The churches shall be represented, at each session, by delegates, either ministers or laymen, appointed in number and manner as follows: 1. The churches, assembled in their local organizations, appoint one delegate for every ten churches in their respective organizations, and one for a fraction of ten greater than one half, it being understood that wherever the churches of any State are directly united in a general organization, they may, at their option, appoint the delegates in such body, instead of in local organizations, but in the above ratio of churches so united. 2. In addition to the above, the churches united in State organizations appoint by such body one delegate, and one for each ten thousand communicants in their fellowship, and one for a major fraction thereof : : 3. It being recommended that the number of delegates be, in all cases, divided between ministers and laymen, as nearly equally as is practicable. Each State or local organization may provide in its own way for filling vacancies in its delegation. 4. Such Congregational general societies for Christian work, and the faculties of such theological seminaries as may be recognized by this Council, may be represented by one delegate each, such representatives having the right of discussion only. III. Officers. 1. At the beginning of every stated or special session there shall be chosen by ballot, from those present as members, a moderator, and one or more assistant moderators, to preside over its deliberations. 2. At each triennial session there shall be chosen by a ballot a secretary, a registrar, and a treasurer, to serve from the close of such session to the close of the next triennial session. 3. The secretary shall receive communications for the Council, conduct correspondence, and collect such facts and superintend such publications as may from time to time be ordered. 4. The registrar shall make and preserve the records of the proceedings of the Council; and for his aid one or more assistants shall be chosen at each session, to serve during such session. 5. The treasurer shall do the work ordinarily belonging to such office. 6. At each triennial session there shall be chosen a provisional committee, who shall make needful arrangements for the next triennial session, and for any session called during the interval. 7. Committees shall be appointed, and in such manner as may from time to time be ordered. 8. Any member of a church in fellowship may be chosen to the office of secretary, registrar, or treasurer; and such officers as are not delegates shall have all the privileges of members except that of voting. IV. By-Laws. - The Council may make and alter By-Laws at any triennial session. V. Amendments. This Constitution shall not be altered or amended, except at a triennial session, and by a two thirds vote, notice thereof having been given at a previous triennial session, or the proposed alteration having been requested by some general State organization of churches, and published with the notification of the session. DECLARATION OF THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH. [Adopted in 1871.] THE members of the National Council, representing the Congregational churches of the United States, avail themselves of this opportunity to renew their previous declarations of faith in the unity of the church of God. While affirming the liberty of our churches, as taught in the New Testament, and inherited by us from our fathers, and from martyrs and confessors of foregoing ages, we adhere to this liberty all the more as affording the ground and hope of a more visible unity in time to come. We desire and propose to co-operate with all the churches of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the expression of the same catholic sentiments solemnly avowed by the Council of 1865 on the Burial Hill at Plymouth, we wish, at this new epoch of our history, to remove, so far as in us lies, all causes of suspicion and alienation, and to promote the groping unity of council and of the effort among the followers of Christ. To us, as to our brethren, "There is one body and one spirit, even as we are called in one hope of our calling." As little as did our fathers in their day, do we in ours, make a pretension to be the only churches of Christ. We find ourselves consulting and acting together under the distinctive name of Congregationalists; because, in the present condition of our common Christianity, we have felt ourselves called to ascertain and to do our own appropriate part of the work of Christ's church among men. We especially desire, in prosecuting the common work of evangelizing our own land and the world, to observe the common and sacred law, that, in the wide field of the world's evangelization, we do our work in friendly co-operation with all those who love and serve our common Lord. We believe in "the holy Catholic church." It is our prayer and endeavor that the unity of the church may be more and more apparent, and that the prayer of our Lord for His disciples may be speedily and completely answered, and all be one; that, by consequence of this Christian unity in love, the world may believe in Christ as sent of the Father to save the world. BY-LAWS. I. IN all its official acts and records, this body shall be designated as THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES OF THE UNITED STATES. II. It shall be understood that the term for which delegates to the Council are appointed expires with each session, triennial or special, to which they are chosen. III. Statistical secretaries of state and territorial bodies, ministers serving the churches entertaining the Council, the retiring moderator, and persons selected as preachers, or to prepare papers, or to serve upon committees chosen by this body, and missionaries in the service of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions present, shall be entitled to all the privileges of members in the session in which they are to serve, except that of voting. IV. The term "Congregational," as applied to the general benevolent societies, in connection with representation in this body, is understood in the broad sense of societies whose constituency and control are substantially Congregational. V. The provisional committee shall consist of eleven persons, the moderator, the secretary, the registrar, and the treasurer, ex officiis, and seven others chosen by the Council, including two members of the last previous committee; and four shall be a quorum. They shall specify the place and precise time at which each session shall begin; shall choose a preacher; may select topics |