CONSTITUTION, BY-LAWS AND RULES OF ORDER OF THE FEDERAL COUNCIL I. THE CONSTITUTION Plan of Federation Recommended by The Interchurch Conference of 1905, Adopted by the National Assemblies of Constituent Bodies, 1906-1908, Ratified by the Council at Philadelphia, December 2-8, 1908, and Amended at Chicago, December 4-9, PREAMBLE Whereas, In the providence of God, the time has come when it seems fitting more fully to manifest the essential oneness of the Christian Churches of America, in Jesus Christ as their Divine Lord and Saviour, and to promote the spirit of fellowship, service and cooperation among them, the delegates to the Interchurch Conference on Federation, assembled in New York City, do hereby recommend the following Plan of Federation to the Christian bodies represented in this Conference for their approval: PLAN OF FEDERATION 1. For the prosecution of work that can be better done in union than in separation a Council is hereby established whose name shall be the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America. 2. The following Christian bodies shall be entitled to representation in this Federal Council on their approval of the purpose and plan of the organization: The Baptist Churches of the United States *These bodies were received into the fellowship of the Council under provisions stated in section seven of the Constitution. The Congregational Churches The Congregational Methodist Churches* The Evangelical Association The Evangelical Synod of North America The Friends The Evangelical Lutheran Church, General Synod The Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church, South The Primitive Methodist Church The Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in America The Methodist Protestant Church The African Methodist Episcopal Church The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church The General Conference of the Mennonite Church of North America The Moravian Church The Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. The Presbyterian Church in the U. S.* The Welsh Calvinistic Methodist or Presbyterian Church The United Presbyterian Church The United Evangelical Church 3. The object of this Federal Council shall be I. To express the fellowship and catholic unity of the Christian Church. II. To bring the Christian bodies of America into united service for Christ and the world. III. To encourage devotional fellowship and mutual *These bodies were received into the fellowship of the Council under provisions stated in section seven of the Constitution. counsel concerning the spiritual life and religious activities of the churches. IV. To secure a larger combined influence for the churches of Christ in all matters affecting the moral and social condition of the people, so as to promote the application of the law of Christ in every relation of human life. V. To assist in the organization of local branches of the Federal Council to promote its aims in their communities. 4. This Federal Council shall have no authority over the constituent bodies adhering to it; but its province shall be limited to the expression of its counsel and the recommending of a course of action in matters of common interest to the churches, local councils and individual Christians. It has no authority to draw up a common creed or form of government or of worship, or in any way to limit the full autonomy of the Christian bodies adhering to it. 5. Members of this Federal Council shall be appointed as follows: Each of the Christian bodies adhering to this Federal Council shall be entitled to four members, and shall be further entitled to one member for every 50,000 of its communicants or major fraction thereof. 6. Any action to be taken by this Federal Council shall be by the general vote of its members. But in case one third of the members present and voting request it, the vote shall be by the bodies represented, the members of each body voting separately; and action shall require the vote, not only of a majority of the members voting, but also of the bodies represented. 7. Other Christian bodies may be admitted into membership of this Federal Council on their request if approved by a vote of two thirds of the members voting at a session of this council, and of two thirds of the bodies represented, the representatives of each body voting separately. 8. The Federal Council shall meet once in every four years and the term of service of the delegates or their alternates shall be four years or until their successors shall be appointed. Special meetings may be called by the Executive Committee. 9. (a) The officers of this Federal Council shall be a President, one Vice-President from each of its constituent bodies, a Recording Secretary, a Treasurer, and an Executive Committee, who shall perform the duties usually assigned to such officers. Vacancies among the Vice-Presidents or in the Executive Committee may be filled by the Executive Committee on nomination by the representatives on the Executive Committee of the constituent body in which the vacancy may occur. (b) The Secretary or Secretaries of the Council other than the Recording Secretary shall be chosen by the Executive Committee which shall have authority to fix their duties and their salaries, and they shall aid in organizing and assisting local Councils and shall represent the Federal Council in its work under the direction of the Executive Committee. (c) The Executive Committee shall consist of two representatives, one minister and one layman from each of the constituent bodies and one additional representative who may be either a minister or layman for every five hundred thousand of its communicants or major fraction thereof, together with the President, all ex-Presidents, the Recording Secretary and the Treasurer. The Executive Committee shall have authority to attend to all business of the Federal Council in the intervals of its meetings and to fill all vacancies. It shall meet for organization at the call of the President of the Council immediately upon the adjournment of the Federal Council, and shall have power to elect its own officers. (d) All officers shall be chosen at the quadrennial meetings of the Council and shall hold their offices until their successors take office. (e) The President, the Recording Secretary, and the Treasurer shall be elected by the Federal Council on nomination by the Executive Committee. (f) The Vice-Presidents and members of the Executive Committee and their alternates shall be elected by the Council upon nomination by the representatives in attendance of each of their respective constituent bodies. 10. This Plan of Federation may be altered or amended by a majority vote of the members, followed by a majority vote of the representatives of the several constituent bodies, each voting separately. II. The expenses of the Federal Council shall be provided for by the several constituent bodies. This Plan of Federation shall become operative when it shall have been approved by two thirds of the above bodies to which it shall be presented. It shall be the duty of each delegation to this Conference to present this Plan of Federation to its national body, and ask its consideration and proper action. In case this Plan of Federation is approved by two thirds of the proposed constituent bodies the Executive Committee of the National Federation of Churches and Christian Workers, which has called this Conference, is requested to call the Federal Council to meet at a fitting place in December, 1908. II. BY-LAWS OF THE COUNCIL Adopted December 8, 1908, and Amended December 4-9, 1912 I. The Council shall meet quadrennially on the first Wednesday of December at 8 o'clock in the evening, and at such place as the Executive Committee shall from time to time determine. The place and time of special meetings shall be determined by the Executive Committee. 2. The President of the Council, or in case of his absence, the last President present shall open the meetings with an address and devotional exercises, and preside until a new President is chosen. 3. The Recording Secretary and the Secretary, or Secretaries, to whom this duty may be assigned by the Executive Committee, shall make up the roll of the representatives in the Council from the certificates of the proper officers of the Constituent Bodies composing the Council, and no one not thus certified shall be enrolled. The Council shall determine any question arising as to the validity of certificates. 4. No President or Vice-President shall be eligible to immediate reelection. 5. A quorum of the Council shall consist of two or more representatives from a majority of the churches entitled to |