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PLAN OF FEDERATION TO BE RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL BY THE CONSTITUENT CHRISTIAN BODIES

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jan 10, 1906

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 32, No. 2.

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PLAN OF FEDERATION TO BE RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL BY THE CONSTITUENT CHRISTIAN BODIES.

As Amended and Adopted.

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 co-operation among them, the delegates to the Inter-Church 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.
II. 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.
  • The Free Baptist General Conference.
  • The Christians (The Christian Connection).
  • The Congregational Churches.
  • The Disciples of Christ.
  • 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 Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
  • The Welsh Calvinistic Methodist or Presbyterian Church.
  • The Reformed Presbyterian Church.
  • The United Presbyterian Church.
  • The Protestant Episcopal Church.
  • The Reformed Church in America.
  • The Reformed Church in the U. S. A.
  • The Reformed Episcopal Church.
  • The Seventh-day Baptist Churches.
  • The United Brethren in Christ.
  • The United Evangelical Church.
III. The object of this Federal Council shall be—
  1. To express the fellowship and catholic unity of the Christian church.
  2. To bring the Christian bodies of America into united service for Christ and the world.
  3. To encourage devotional fellowship and mutual counsel concerning the spiritual life and religious activities of the churches.
  4. 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.
  5. To assist in the organization of local branches of the Federal Council to promote its aims in their communities.
IV. 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.
V. 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. The question of representation of local councils shall be referred to the several constituent bodies, and to the first meeting of the Federal Council.
VI. 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.
VII. 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.
VIII. The Federal Council shall meet in December, 1908, and thereafter once in every four years.
IX. The officers of this Federal Council shall be a President, one Vice-President from each of its constituent bodies, a Corresponding Secretary, a Recording Secretary, a Treasurer, and an Executive Committee, who shall perform the duties usually assigned to such officers.
The Corresponding Secretary shall aid in organizing and assisting local councils, and shall represent the Federal Council in its work, under the direction of the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee shall consist of seven ministers and seven laymen, together with the President, all ex-Presidents, the Corresponding Secretary, 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 any vacancies.
All officers shall be chosen at the quadrennial meetings of the Council, and shall hold their office until their successors take office.
The President, Vice-Presidents, the Corresponding Secretary, the Recording Secretary, and the Treasurer, shall be elected by the Federal Council on nomination by the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee shall be elected by ballot after nomination by a Nominating Committee.
X. 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 body voting separately.
XI. 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.