9. A passion for justice.

"Happier they who give than they who receive!

For their Father in Heaven shall recom

pense them."

IV

THE CONDITION OF MEMBERSHIP

"I do solemnly affirm that it is my purpose to exercise the courage necessary to help put into effective operation the Kingdom of God, and that to the best of my ability I will strive to understand. and practice, to teach and defend the Constitution of this church."

III. THE BY-LAWS.

ARTICLE I.

MEMBERS

SECTION 1. Members become such by signing the constitution at a public meeting of the church. SECTION 2. The membership of the church shall be limited to in number, in order to preserve its homelike character, its democratic spirit, and its working efficiency.

ARTICLE II. MEETINGS

SECTION 1. The annual meeting shall be held on the to elect officers, hear reports from all committees and departments of work, and transact such other business as may be necessary.

SECTION 2. In all elections the Preferential Ballot shall be used, and with reference both to officers and policies the Initiative, Referendum, and Recall shall be employed in such manner as the church itself may determine.

ARTICLE III. OFFICERS

SECTION 1. The church is incorporated as a church, not as a society, and all its business shall be conducted by a single Board of Managers, who shall also be the Trustees of its property.

SECTION 2. The members of the Board of Managers may be women as well as men, and shall be not less than five nor more than fifteen in number. The minister and heads of departments shall, by virtue of their position, be members of the Board.

SECTION 3. The managers shall hold office for three years except that the original officers shall be divided numerically, as nearly as may be, into three classes; the first class to hold office for one year, the second class for two years, and the third class for three years. In every case they shall hold office until their successors shall be chosen.

SECTION 4. As soon after the annual meeting as may be convenient the managers shall meet to organize and shall elect from their own number a President, Vice-President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer, who shall perform the duties usually performed by such officers.

ARTICLE IV. FINANCES

SECTION 1. This church volunteers to pay taxes like any other private institution, in order to do no injustice to the majority of citizens who are not connected with any church.

SECTION 2. It is the policy of this church that no yearly contribution exceeding three hundred dollars shall be accepted from any one member, in order that a member's standing may be determined not by money, but by his character and intelligence.

SECTION 3. It is the policy of the church that the salary it offers its minister shall not be a definitely stated amount, but that a minimum and maximum wage be stipulated, so that the salary the minister receives shall be proportionate to the people's ability and the worth of his own services, and in order that there may be no annual deficit to compromise his own or the church's freedom.

ARTICLE V. TENURE OF OFFICE

SECTION 1. It is the policy of this church that the minister's tenure of office shall rest on a dependable foundation rather than on the personal wishes of a few persons, and to this end it adopts the principle embodied in the civil service laws of the Federal Government, and it agrees that the minister shall not be dismissed unless the complaints against him are put into writing and that he be given the opportunity to answer them before an open meeting of the church, if he so desires.

SECTION 2. This church grants to its minister complete freedom to teach the principles and ideals of the Kingdom of God as he is given the light to interpret them, in order that the church may enjoy with him the new discoveries into which Jesus said the Spirit of Truth would guide his friends, and because it believes that teachers of a free people must themselves be free.

SECTION 1. Members of the church belonging to various sects may, if they so desire, retain their sectarian formation and be regarded as departments of the church, without any suggestion of inferiority

or superiority among them, and may make separate contributions to their own missionary enterprises.

SECTION 2. The relation of this church to the public school community center is in no sense official, but it is vital. It shall be the policy of the church to undertake no activity which can be conducted more efficiently by the community center. In order to prevent waste through duplication and to serve a larger number of people, the church will turn over to the school any activity it may have inaugurated as soon as the community association of citizens is ready to assume responsibility for it.

This Constitution and these By-laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at any meeting called for the purpose.

AFTERWORD

A COMMITTEE is now at work on the formation of a National Association for the Promotion of Community Churches. Other members of the committee also have in preparation books on the subject. They are John Haynes Holmes, New York; Joseph Ernest McAfee, New York; and Harold Marshall, Boston.

Until the proposed Association is formed and prepared to render service to those desiring it, the author of this book will be glad to receive letters from any who are interested, and to refer such communications to the Association as soon as it is organized.