Chapter 2. The Congregation

Children of communicant members of the Church, in consequence of their covenant relationship, shall receive baptism, pastoral care and instruction, and are baptized members of the Church, but are not to be admitted to the Lord’s Supper until they have reached years of understanding and have voluntarily professed their faith in Christ and assumed for themselves the vows and obligations of the Covenant of Church Membership. Baptized members have no vote in the congregational meetings.

Persons, not members of the congregation, who regularly attend the services, participate in the worship, and contribute to the support are known as adherents. They have no vote in the congregational meetings.

In many states or provinces, congregations are required to have a Board of Trustees in whom the title of the church property is vested and who represent the congregation in all legal matters. The Board shall be elected from the membership of the congregation and shall have no duties beyond those necessary to fulfill the legal requirements. For efficiency in handling its affairs, the membership and officers of the Board of Trustees may be identical with or chosen from the Board of Deacons.

The session shall have general oversight and review of all organizations within the congregation. These may include a Sabbath school for study based on the Scriptures; a mid-week meeting; missionary and young people’s societies, and other fellowship groups. There may be other organizations, as desired, provided they promote the principles, practices and ministries of the Church.

Every congregation is under special obligation to give religious instruction to the youth, to seek the salvation of the lost, and to declare the whole Gospel to all within its reach. A congregation has certain other responsibilities among which are: To elect its own elders and deacons; to transact its business; to require reports from its organizations, officers and committees; to petition the courts of the church for any action it may desire; to appeal from decisions of the lower courts to the higher; to maintain the ordinances of public worship; to provide a suitable place of worship and equipment to carry on its activities; to be obedient in the Lord to the law and order of the Church, with care to maintain a godly fellowship in love and loyalty and support to all its members and to the denomination.

An annual meeting of the congregation shall be held to hear reports and transact business. Special meetings may be called by the session either on its own volition, or at the written request of the board of deacons, or by petition of the congregation, if the purpose(s) be of sufficient importance and in accordance with the law and order of the Church. The purpose(s) of such meeting shall be stated in the notice, and no other business shall be transacted. Notice of all congregational meetings shall be given at the public services on two preceding Lord’s Days. If the congregation has no public meeting, ten days’ notice by mail or other suitable means of communication shall be sufficient.

All congregational meetings shall be under the supervision of the session, either directly leading the meeting or overseeing the election of congregational officers to lead the meeting. The Session shall issue an edict setting the date, time, and place for an election. (Suggested Form 6) The congregational meetings shall be governed according to the common rules as applied in ecclesiastical assemblies. The clerk of session or a congregational secretary shall record all proceedings in the minutes. Unless otherwise specified in the charter, one-fourth of the active resident communicant membership shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of ordinary business, but no business vitally affecting the welfare of the congregation should be transacted without the presence of at least one-half the active resident communicant membership. Meetings for the election of a teaching elder, ruling elders or deacons shall be under the supervision of the session in constituted court and presided over by its moderator.

A congregation becomes disorganized when the session is reduced to less than two resident elders. Two elders will suffice to hold the organization. The presbytery may enable the congregation to continue its existence by appointing an elder(s) from a neighboring congregation to act with the remaining resident elder as a provisional session until such time as a new elder(s) may be elected. An alternative procedure is to reduce the congregation to a preaching station under the immediate supervision of presbytery.

Two congregations may agree to unite by a two-thirds majority vote in each congregation and with the sanction of presbytery. The plan of union shall provide for adjustment of the pastorates, of the sessions and boards of deacons, and of other congregational organizations. This plan shall be adopted by each congregation before being made effective by presbytery.

The congregation, or its boards, holds the property of the congregation in trust for the Synod and cannot divert it from the use to which it was originally intended. The property is in law a trust which the civil courts will protect. If a congregation wishes to change the location of its place of worship, it shall first secure the approval of presbytery both as to removal and as to the new location. A particular congregation shall not sell or mortgage property without the written permission of the presbytery transmitted through the session of the congregation. When a presbytery determines that a congregation is disorganized, title to all properties held by or for the congregation shall immediately be transferred to Synod’s Board of Trustees who shall determine with the counsel of the appropriate presbytery the disposition of such properties and/or proceeds of the same. Distribution of assets or expenditures beyond the normal course of operation may not be made in anticipation of disorganization without prior approval of the presbytery and the Trustees of Synod. (For policies and procedures, see 1972 Minutes of Synod, pages 13, 150-152.)