NEW YORK CONFERENCE
- UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
With Amendments as of November 2000
I. NAME
The name of this Association
is the Suffolk Association of the New York Conference of
the United Church of Christ.
II. PURPOSES
AND POWERS
The purposes of this Association
are:
1. To
express the oneness in Christ of the churches composing
it and to make more
effective their Christian witness and service.
2. To
continue without break the ecclesiastical and legal identify
of the Suffolk Association
of Congregational Christian Churches and ministers and
to continue in fellowship with any Congregational Christian
local church within
its boundaries which is not part of the United Church of Christ.
(The name and statistics
of Congregational Christian churches which are members
of this Association but which are not a part of the United
Church of Christ shall be kept separately: their
members shall not be counted in determining the number
of delegates which the New York conference is entitled
to send to the General Synod, nor shall any member of
such a church be a delegate to the General Synod or hold
elective office in that body. No other limitation shall
be imposed or exist upon the full participation and rights
of such churches or members in this Association.)
3. To
determine, confer and certify to the standing of local
churches of the United Church of Christ within its boundaries.
4. To
determine, confer and certify to the standing of ministers
of the United Church of Christ.
5. To
continue to hold and to certify to the standing of all
Congregational
Christian churches and ministers
who are members of the Association but who have not become
parts of, or ministers of, the United Church of Christ.
6. To
exercise the powers and perform the functions of an Ecclesiastical Council
as described in the Manual on the Ministry in the United Church of Christ on request
of a church or other parties concerned.
7. To
cooperate with the New York Conference of the United Church of Christ
and with the United Church of Christ and its boards, agencies
and instrumentalities.
8. Any
adjustment of Association boundaries or transfer of membership
of churches between
Associations shall be done in consultation with the New York Conference.
9. As
the clergy, lay leaders and churches of this Association,
we seek to NURTURE,
MAINTAIN AND ENCOURAGE member churches and each
other. Likewise, we work with other constituent bodies
to INFLUENCE AND
EDUCATE as an advocate for the values of our Christian faith. This we do to the end that the
world will be transformed as Jesus envisioned.
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III. FAITH
This Association claims as
its own faith of the historic Church expressed in the ancient
creeds reclaimed in the basic insights of the Protestant
Reformers particularly as that faith is expressed in the
Preamble of the Constitution of the United Church of Christ
and in the Statement of Faith as expressed in its doxological
form.
IV. MEMBERSHIP
AND COMPOSITION
The membership of this Association
shall include the following:
1. Churches
a. any local
church whose articles or statement of faith are in essential
agreement with that of this Association, and which, having
covenanted with the Association to assume and fulfill faithfully
the obligations of a member church as hereinafter set
forth and has been recommended by the Committee of Church
and Ministry of the Association, is received into membership
by a two-thirds vote of those present and voting at a
duly called meeting of the Association.
b. each
member church is entitled to be represented at meetings of
the Association by four delegates, at least one of whom
shall be a youth delegate, and by its minister(s). Churches
with membership
of 400 or over shall be entitled to one additional delegate
for every 100 members or fraction thereof over 400.
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2. MINISTERS
a. any
person upon whom full ministerial standing is conferred through
ordination by this Association in cooperation with a local
church.
b. any
ordained minister who, having been examined by the Committee
on Church and Ministry and found to be qualified by
virtue of educational and theological attainments, knowledge of
the history, polity and practices of the United Church
of Christ and their
Christian faith and experience and having been recommended
by the Committee, is received into the Association by
a two-thirds vote of the Association.
e. any
ordained minister who presents a letter of transfer from
an Association of
the United Church of Christ or a Conference of that
church exercising the function of an Association.
3. Lay
officers of the Association who are not delegates are members
in good standing. Commissioned
workers, licentiates and lay preachers with
standing in the Association who are not delegates are members
in good standing.
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4. HONORARY
AND AFFILIATED MEMBERS
a. the
Conference Minister, other members of the Conference staff,
official representatives of the General Synod and of national
boards, agencies and instrumentalities of the United Church of Christ in attendance are Associate Delegates
with voice but without vote.
b. ministers
of other denominations who wish to retain their present denominational
standing and who have become pastors of a local church
of the United Church of Christ, or of yoked charges or federated
churches affiliated with the United Church of Christ shall
be enrolled as affiliate ministerial members of the Association
for the duration of these pastorates and during that period
may have the rights and privileges of such membership except
that they shall have no vote on matters affecting the standing of
ministers or local churches. They shall not be elected
as officer of the
Association or Conference or General Synod, nor be a delegate
to General Synod.
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V: PRIVILEGES
AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEMBER CHURCHES
The autonomy of the local
church is inherent and modified only by its own action. Nothing
in the By Laws of this Association shall destroy or limit
the right of each local church to continue to operate in
the way customary to it; nor shall be construed as giving
to the Association now, or at any future time, the power
to abridge or impair the autonomy of any local church in
the management of its own affairs or to withdraw from this
Association at any time without forfeiture of ownership
or control of real or personal property or any rights therein
belonging to the church.
Actions by, or decisions
or advice emanating from the General Synod and the New
York Conference of the United Church of Christ and this
Association should be held in the highest regard by every
member church of the Association.
No church may be removed
from the roll of members except upon recommendation of
the Committee on Church and Ministry and by two-thirds
of the Association, due notice of the proposed action having
been given to the parties concerned.
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VI. PRIVILEGES
AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEMBER MINISTERS
Just as member churches and
the Association have, in fellowship, mutual responsibility
laid upon them by God for each other's well-being and aspirations,
so have member ministers and the Association. Member
ministers agree to be faithful in attendance at meetings
of the Association and in participation in its work.
The privilege and responsibility
of living out our covenant belongs to every member of each
local church. The Association diligently seeks, therefore,
in concert with the New York Conference and the United
Church of Christ, to provide opportunities for the members
of its churches to exercise such gifts of teaching, evangelizing,
healing, preaching, and administration as God has bestowed
upon them
The Association recognizes
that God calls certain persons to full time service for
various forms of ministry in the Church. This calling
is recognized by ordination, commissioning or other appropriate
services of dedication.
A minister under sixty-five
years of age who withdraws from active full time service
in the ministry applies to the Association through the
Committee on Church and Ministry for leave of absence. The
Association may grant said minister a leave of absence
for one year at a time. Except in special cases,
such leave is not granted for more than five successive
years. On recommendation of the Committee on Church
and Ministry, a minister on leave of absence more than
five years may be restored to membership and ministerial
standing by a two-thirds vote of the Association.
A minister retiring from
active ministry by reason of age or sickness shall not
forfeit ministerial standing in this Association.
Any ordained minister
who is in good and regular standing in this Association
may receive a transfer to another ecclesiastical body upon
written request to the Registrar.
No minister can be removed
from the Roll of Members except upon recommendation of
the Committee on Church and Ministry and by two-thirds
vote of the Association, due notice of the proposed action
having been given to the parties concerned.
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VII. MEETINGS
1, Regular
meetings of the Association shall be held in the spring
and fall at such
times and place as the Association may designate or, lacking such
designation, as may be determined by Association Council. Notice of
any meeting shall be given to each church and each ministerial
member prior to
the second Sunday preceding the date of the meeting.
2, Special
meetings may be called by the Registrar upon request of
the Association
Council or upon the written request of three churches.
3. Delegates
from not less than three of the member churches together with
not less than three of the ministers of the Association
shall constitute
a quorum.
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VIII. OFFICERS
The officers of this Association
elected annually shall be a Moderator, Vice-Moderator,
a Registrar, a Treasurer, and such other officers
as the Association may deem advisable. The Moderator
and Vice Moderator shall serve for a period not to exceed
two terms. The Moderator and Vice-Moderator shall
be alternately a lay person and a minister.
1. The
Moderator shall preside at all meetings of the Association
and at Association
Council. The Moderator shall serve ex-officio
on all committees.
2. The
Vice Moderator shall serve as Moderator in the absence
of the Moderator.
3. The
Registrar shall keep the roll of the churches and ministers
of the Association
and record Minutes of meetings and call meetings as provided in
this Constitution and By Laws. The Registrar shall
issue letters transferring
the standing of ministers, report annually to the Association
and the New York
Conference the list of churches and ministers and
suggest such revisions
as deemed appropriate for action by the Association.
The
Registrar shall be an EX OFFICIO member of the Church and
Ministry Committee
vote.
4. The
Treasurer will administer the budget at the direction of
the Association Council,
receiving and distributing all funds.
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B Y L A W S
I. Association
Mission - Maintenance and Nurturance
There
shall be an Association Council consisting of the of the
officers of the Association, the Chair of each standing
committee, an appointed delegate from the Woman's Fellowship,
one appointed youth delegate and one delegate from each
member church. Persons with in the bounds
of the Association who are mean appointed delegate from
the Woman's Fellowship, one appointed youth delegate and
one delegate from each member church. Persons
with in the bounds of the Association who are members of
the Conference Committees or the Executive Council are
members EX_OFFICIO, without vote.
a) Each
church will be responsible for advising the chair of the
Nominating Committee
of the names of their delegate and one alternate delegate.
b) The
church's minister may serve as the delegate of a church. Likewise,
a member of
the church who is also the chair or a member of an Association Committee
may serve as the delegate of a church. However, one
vote per person
is permitted.
c) Public
Relations Liaison will attend Association Council meetings
with vote. This Council
shall be the coordinating body of the Association. It
shall insure that the
programs established by the Association are implemented
by the committees. It shall compile the annual budget
for presentation to the Association Annual Meeting in the
Spring. It shall direct the Registrar to prepare
an annual report for presentation to the Association Annual
Spring Meeting. It shall act for the Association
on minor matters when the Association cannot meet.
The Council shall have
the power to appoint such commissions or task forces and
their chairpersons as it deems necessary to carry out said
mission and program. Commissions or task forces so
constituted shall be of limited duration, not to exceed
three years, unless so voted by the Council.
The Council shall have regular
meetings at least four times per year including the Spring
and Fall meetings. Special meetings of the Council
may be called by the Moderator. A quorum shall be
ten. (Amendment 3-22-93) The moderator
shall preside at all meetings and the Registrar shall serve
as scribe.
The Association Council shall
act for the Suffolk Association (including elections to
fill vacancies) between meetings thereof, always assuming
that unless such action is taken with unanimity, it must
have the confirmation of the Suffolk Association. Such
actions shall be reported to the Suffolk Association.
There shall be an Executive
Committee of the Association Council consisting of the
Moderator, Vice-Moderator, Registrar, Treasurer, and Chairperson
of the Church & Ministry Committee, and staffed by
the Metro Suffolk Association Conference Minister of the
NY Conference, UCC. This Executive Committee shall
act for the Association Council between meeting thereof,
always assuming that unless such action is taken with unanimity,
it must have the confirmation of the Suffolk Association. Such
actions shall be reported to the Suffolk Association.
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II. COMMITTEE
ON CHURCH AND MINISTRY
1. There
shall be a Committee on Church and Ministry consisting
of six persons, at least two of who shall be lay persons
and at least two of who shall be ministers, for a term
of three years? No member shall serve more
than two consecutive terms. No member shall serve more
than two consecutive
terms.
2. The
Registrar shall be an EX OFFICIO member of this committee
with vote.
3. The
Committee on Church and Ministry shall pass upon the credentials of
local churches applying for membership in the Association,
using criteria consistent
with the descriptions set forth in Article IV of the Constitution of
the United Church of Christ and shall recommend to the
Association those which
it deems to be qualified.
4. a) It
shall pass upon the credentials of ministers applying for
membership in the
Association, using criteria consistent with the appropriate
description, set forth in Article V of the Constitution,
Article I of the By Laws of the United Church of Christ
adopted by the General Synod of the United Church of Christ
on July 4, 1961, and shall recommend to the Association
those whom it deems to be qualified.
b) It
shall receive requests from churches on behalf of persons
who desire status
as "student 'in care' of the Association", "licentiate", "commissioned worker" or "lay
minister" and present the same to the Association with recommendations.
c) The
Committee shall consider the application of a local church
for the ordination
of a member to the ministry. It shall examine the
fitness of the candidate
and, if found qualified, certify the candidate to the Association for
ordination.
d) When
requested, the Committee shall provide for the installation
of a duly minister
as pastor and teacher of a church or parish, the relationship continuing
until mutually terminated.
e) Matters
involving the need for counseling churches or ministers,
including questions
of discipline or withdrawal of fellowship, shall be referred
to the chairpersons
of the Association's Committee on Church and Ministry or
a member of the
Association whom they designate. If deemed advisable after
consultation, the Committee may recommend appropriate action
to the Association.
f) The
Committee shall be responsible for implementing and interpreting
the By Laws of the
United Church of Christ as adopted on July 4, 1961 relating
to the Ministry. (Article I, 101 through 143 inclusive.)
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III. NOMINATING COMMITTEE
There shall be a Nominating
Committee Consisting of five persons elected for a term
of one year. Members shall serve from the conclusion
of the meeting at which they were elected. No member shall
serve more than two consecutive terms. . No member shall
serve more than two consecutive terms
This Committee shall present
to the Annual Meeting nominations for all offices in the
Association, committee chairpersons, members and for all
officers in the Conference for which the Association has
responsibility and persons to fill any other office as
the Association may direct. The terms of all officers
to begin at the close of the meeting at which they are
elected.
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IV. STEWARDSHIP
AND MISSION COMMITTEE
There shall be a Stewardship
and Mission Committee consisting of six persons elected
for a term of two years on a staggered basis with
no more than half of the members elected in any one year. No
member shall serve more than two consecutive terms.
The Stewardship and Mission
Committee is responsible for recommending mission and stewardship
priorities and implementing the programs. They will
recommend funding to be voted on at the Spring meeting
of the Association.
The committee shall advocate
on behalf of the Association on social justice issues.
They will serve as liaison
between the Conference and the local churches and also
between the churches.
One of the members
shall be designated as a Stewardship Resource person whose
primary responsibility it will be to serve as a liaison
between the Conference and Area with the churches in matters
pertaining to Our Christian World Mission, to promote the
same, and also the assist the local church in Stewardship
and Mission programs to help them raise their local budgets
and participate in Mission activities, to learn of strategies
for financial enlistment and development.
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VI - SPIRITUAL LIFE AND EDUCATION COMMITTEE
There shall be a Spiritual
Life and Education Committee consisting of six people. Each
member will serve a two year term on a staggered basis
with not more than one half of the members to be elected
in any one year. No member shall serve more than
two consecutive terms.
This Committee shall investigate,
propose, implement, and evaluate programs designed to educate
persons in faithful living. As such, the Committee
is charged with the spiritual development and education
of clergy and laity, men and women, young and old, and
individuals with a variety of special needs and concerns. Programs
may consist of retreats, workshops, educational events,
special guest speakers, study groups, etc.
The Spiritual Life and Education
Committee will work with the Church and Ministry in supporting
seminarians, clergy, and their families in their daily
lives. Typical programs have traditionally included: clergy & partner
retreats, clergy&partner day aways, and special interest
program. The Committees will also work to maintain
the Suffolk Association Directory and the Pulpit Supply
Directory.
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VII. PERSONNEL
COMMITTEE
There shall be a Personnel
Committee consisting of three people, each with a term
of office of three years in such manner that one term shall
expire annually. Members are not to serve more
than two (2) consecutive terms. They shall be responsible
for evaluating the work of area staff. A member of
this Committee shall represent the Association on the State
Personnel Committee.
VIII. PUBLIC RELATIONS COORDINATOR
One individual shall be elected
annually to edit Suffolk Association publications, to foster
inter-church communication within the Association and to
publicize events of common interest such as Association
events and local church activities.
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IX. BUDGET
The Association Council shall
annually compile the budget for the Association which shall
be voted on at the Fall meeting. The fiscal year
of the Association shall run from May to May.
The Association Council shall
assess per capita dues annually to be voted on at the Fall
meeting.
The Treasurer and Registrar
shall receive an annual stipend to be determined by the
Association.
The Stewardship and Mission
Committee shall be responsible for recommending the benevolence
of the Association.
Scholarship funds and continuing
education funds shall be recommended to the Association
by the Church and Ministry Committee.
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X. AMENDMENTS
The Constitution and By Laws
may be amended by a two-thirds vote at any regular meeting
of the Association, or at a special meeting called for
that purpose, provided that an announcement of the proposed
Amends(s) is made in writing to the current delegates of
member churches and ministers at least thirty days before
the proposed Amendment(s) is acted upon.
XI. RULES OF ORDER
Business shall be transacted
by a majority of those present and voting at any duly called
meeting, a quorum being present, except as otherwise provided
in the By Laws. The order of business shall be in
accordance with Robert's Rules of Order unless otherwise
provided in the By Laws.
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