Memorial from the General Assembly of N.C. to the Congress of the U»S. Jan, 25 , 1824 * • * Constitution of the Society of the United Brethren in N«C. for the Furtherance of the gospel DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Treasure ligom GIFT OF Benehan Cameron i OF THE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED ^RETHREN IN FOR THE FURTHERANCE OF THE GOSPEL AMONG THE HEATHEN. SALISBURY: PRINTED BY PHILO WHITE. &%&JM$ 1823. PREAMBLE. Whereas we, the subscribers, are fully convinced of the christian zeal and godly concern wherewith the Evangelical Church, known by the name of the Unitas Fratrum, or United Brethren, has at all times endeavored to spread the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and to carry the same even to the remotest Heathen nations ; for which purpose, also, in this part of the world, missions among sev- eral Indian tribes, and other Heathen, were begun by said Church, and with more or less success continued many years ; and as we are members of said Church, which has the salvation of man so near at heart, we cannot but most ardently wish to further this great work of God, the conversion of the Heathen, by all just and possi- ble means. Therefore we have resolved, in the name of God, to form our- selves into a Society, under the name of " A Society of the United \Brethren in North- Carolina, for the furtherance of the Gosfiel among \the Heathen;" and do herewith unanimously agree upon the fol- lowing articles, as stated rules of the Society : Ik**' * At CONSTITUTION. ARTICLE I. This Society, being formed of members of the Brethren** Church, shall have its fixed seat at Salem, in Stokes County, in the State of Nirth-Carolini, where the Board of Directors shall meet, and the general meetings shall be held. . ARTICLE II. All Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons of the Brethren's Church in North-Carolina, while in office ; and all Bishops, Presbyters, and D-acons of said Church in North-Carolina, reported by the Directors to be superanuated, or to be not in actual service by reason of their infirmity ; and all Brethren employed in offi e, or at missions, by the Directors of the Brethren's congregations in North- Carolina, are, as such, mem- bers of this Society. Others may, upon their desire, or on the recommendation of other members, be received as mem- bers, with the consent of the Society. ARTICLE m. Only such members of the Society who are members of the Brethren's Church, have sea: and vote in the Society, and are! considered as actual members. Besides such, the Society may receive, as honorary mem- bers, persons of other churches and denominations, who arel well-wishers to the furtherance of the Gospel among thej Heathen ; such are to be admitted to the meetings of the So- ciety, and may assist in the deliberations, but have no vote. ARTICLE IV, As the object of this Society is to assist, by contributions, such missions as are or shall be established by the Directors of the Brethren's Church, therefore at every yearly general meeting a collection towards the funds or disbursements of the Society shall be made, to which every member shall contribute a sum, agreeably to his ability or inclination. ARTICLE V. For constant Directors of this Society, we choose, constitute and appoint those Brethren who are appointed to be Directoni 5 of the Brethren's congregations in North-Carolina, and their missions in the adjacent parts, as well as their successors in office ; together with three assistants, to he chosen by the So- ciety yearly at their general meeting, by a majority of the votes of the members present, from the number of the actual members, which shall be called the Board of Directors, ARTICLE VI. At every annual general meeting, the Society shall make choice of a President, who is to be chosen from the constant Directors, by a majority of votes of the members present. In case of absence on the part of the President, or his inability to attend and preside, the Directors shall appoint a President pro tempore. ARTICLE VII. The constant and assistant Directors shall yearly select, nom- inate and appoint a Secretary of the Society, who, by virtue of his appointment, shall be a Director ; and it shall be the duty of the Directors to make the selection of a Secretary, not from their own body, but from the number of the other actual mem- bers. ARTICLE VIII. The Directors shall annually, from their body, appoint a suitable person to officiate as Treasurer and Book-keeper, who shall annually give to the Society a regular and correct account of all receipts and disbursements. ARTICLE IX. The Directors of the Society shall cause to be communica- ted yearly to the Society a general account of the progress of the Brethren's missions under the special superintendance of the Directors of the Brethren's missions in North-Carolina, and as much as possible of the missions of the Brethren gen- erally. ARTICLE X. The general meeting of the Society shall convene yearly on the first Thursday in October ; but the President, with the as - sent of a majority of the Directors, may, if the concerns of the Society shall require it, call an extra meeting of the So- ciety. 6 ARTICLE XL IP ft All contributions for the benefit of the Society, and all do nations and bequests to the Society, shall at all times, and for- ever, be and remain appropriated, secured, made use of, and expended, for and to the support of the missions of the Breth- ren's Church among the Heathen, with the consent of this Society. And each and every member of this Society, for himself and his heirs, thereby expressly renounces all and every claim or claims to the property of the Society ; and promises, that if any donation or bequest to the Society, or any of the Society's property, possessions, or effects whatsoever, shall be intrusted to his hands, or if his name, separately, or jointly with others, shall be made use of in trust for the Society, he and thev will faithfully, and without reserve, perform and fulfil, at all times, such orders and directions respecting the property thus intrust ed to him or them aforesaid, as the Society by the Directory ] shall think proper to give. ARTICLE XII. As we have no other view or aim, than the furtherance and propagation of the knowledge of Jesus Christ among the poor benighted heathen, and esteem it a high privilege to support that praiseworthy work to the best of our abilities, being con- strained to it by the love of Christ, — the board of Directors and officers of the Society renounce forever all demands and claims for salaries or rewards for their services, and promise to do all, what they may do, for the benefit of the Society, for Christ's sake, gratis. Provided, nevertheless, that all and every such contingent expenses which shall be necessarily incurred by the board of Directors and officers aforesaid, or any of them, on the busi- ness of the Society, shall at all times be defrayed by the So- ciety. ARTICLE XIII. Application by or from any person or persons, to be admit- ted to this Sosiety, is to be made at least four weeks before a general meeting of the Society, to the board of Directors, who, or a majority of them, shall first consider whether the ob- ject of the Soci~*y will be promoted by such admission, and if in their opinion this is likely to be the result, the Directos shall, at the next general meeting, propose such person or per- sons for admittance, when and where a vote is to be taken sep- 7 arately, and if any person is approved of by two-thirds of the members present, he is admitted as a member of this Society. In case of a negative, the person objected to may be again proposed at a future general meeting, under the same rules as before 9tated, provided the cause of objection shall have been removed. ARTICLE XIV. As every member is at liberty to withdraw from the Society, the Society also is entitled to the right of excluding any mem- ber whenever it is found necessary ; provided, nevertheless, that no such exclusion shall take place but by a previous vote Df the Directors, and the consent of two-thirds of the voting members present at a general meeting. Persons who have been excluded in the manner aforesaid, jr who, by separation from the Brethren's Church, have ceas- id to be members of this Society, shall not be re-admitted as nembers of the same, unless it be by an election in the same aray as new members are admitted. ARTICLE XV. Every member who shall fail to contribute any thing to- wards the funds or disbursements of the Society, for the full pace of three years, shall, after having been duly notified by me of the officers, be deemed to have withdrawn from the Society. ARTICLE XVI. When new members are received, the Constitution or sta- ed rules of the Society are to be communicated to them, and ach actual and voting member is to subscribe his name there- 3, in testimony of his readiness to abide by and to observe hem. ARTICLE XVIL The Society may in future amend or alter these articles, and i d"pt new articles and regulations, if circumstances require it; rovided that such proposed amendments or alterations be not . ontrary to the spirit, meaning, and intent of this constitution, | ->mprehended in the before recited articles. But this Con- i itution, comprised in the recited articles hereby agreed upon id accepted, can be altered or amended only after the most iature deliberation, and by the approbation of two-thirds of ie members present at a general meeting : and when any amendment, alteration or addition is made, it shall be : n con- form ty to the constitution f the Brethren's church, and con- sistent with the design and intent of this Society. And thai the intended amendments, alterations or additions may b< maturely examined oy the D rectors, and every member of th< Society, the subj -ct shall bt first proposed in a general meet- ing, and communicated to *iuh members as may be absent and in the next succeeding general meeting it shall, be consid ered, and may be brought to a determination.