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page 14 of 33
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From Call to Settlement |
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by Lloyd M. Hall, Jr.
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The Moderator will call on the Clerk of the Church to present the
Church's records that are pertinent to the matter at hand. These
records should consist of: |
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Records of the Church
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| ITEM |
ORDAIN |
INSTALL |
Record of the Church's action in voting to
ordain, ordain and install, or install
Whether presented as full minutes or an extract
of minutes, this record must be signed by the
Church Clerk and must (a) demonstrate that the
meeting was regularly called and held; (b) must
include the full text of the motion as passed;
and (c) include a record of the vote
(unanimous, yeas and nays, etc.) |
YES |
YES |
Record of the Church's action in voting to
call an Ecclesiastical Council of the Vicinage
Whether presented as full minutes or an extract
of minutes, this record must be signed by the
Church Clerk and must (a) demonstrate that the
meeting was regularly called and held; (b) must
include the full text of the motion as passed;
and (c) include a record of the vote
(unanimous, yeas and nays, etc.)
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YES |
YES |
Record of the Church's vote to call the
candidate to office
This may be presented in the minutes form as
indicated above OR may be a copy of the letter
of call sent to the candidate by the appropriate
Church officer
NOTE: If a "home" Church rather than the
Church to which she is called is ordaining the
candidate, this record and the letter of response
(next) will be part of the candidate's records.
If the candidate is serving as an Assistant or
Associate Minister and was not called by a
Church, 29 the record should be the appropriate
minutes (or extract) and a copy of the
document that grants to a subsidiary board,
committee, or person the power to engage a
minister for the Church on the Church's behalf.
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YES |
YES |
Record of the candidate's letter of response
to the Call
This should be a copy of the letter sent to the
calling Church in response to the letter of call
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YES |
YES |
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The members of the Council may ask for clarification of some
points before voting to find the presentation sufficient: This vote is
not approbation of the records but merely acknowledgment that the
Council has enough information to make a judgment when it is by
itself.
The Moderator will then ask for the presentation of the records of
the candidate. This step is to provide a certifiable paper trail that
testifies to the candidate's personal, academic, and ecclesiastical
preparation. The Council will take into consideration the sources
of the documents as they evaluate them. Records from disparate
sources of recognized competence will establish a base line of
adequate preparation. When accredited colleges and seminaries,
the Church by vote of the membership, and the association through
its machinery have independently testified through certification of
accomplishment and/or status, the Council will feel comfortable in
proceeding.
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29
This practice is not recommended since a minister's standing rests in the call
to office by a Church, which, in Congregational ecclesiology, can only be done
by the Church in meeting. The practice of allowing Church Councils, Cabinets,
or other bodies to call ministers is, in the words of R. W. Dale, "intraCongregational Presbyterianism."
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National Association of Congregational Christian
Churches
PO Box 288, Oak Creek, WI 53154
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Pages: Cover,
Content,
1, 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
10,
11,
12,
13,
14,
15,
16,
17,
18,
19,
20,
21,
22,
23,
24,
25,
26,
27,
28, 29,
30,
31,
32
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| Page 14 of 33 |
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