o >. ^*^>^^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) WO / ^ 1.0 ■^HH 12.5 la i^ j||2.2 !^ lis lllio u III 1 U 11.6 I.I 1.25 6" '^ ^^/ Sciences Cbrpordtion ^v iv"'^ m \ n OitAtt ot a J«odel CoBstitntion «or New Churches. I. The property of the Church, and all real estate belonging to or that mi.y hereafter be acquired I; this congregation, shall be vested in live Trustees, to be held by them and their successors in office, in trust for the sole and proper use of the congregation of in connection with the Church of Scotland. II. The Trustees shall be persons in full communion with the rhurch, or who shall declare their intention of being so at the earliest opportunity. They shall be elected at a meeting of the congregation, called for the purpose by public intimation after divine service on the two Sabbaths immediately preceding the day of meeting. They shall be chosen by the majority of votes of the male persons present, of the full acre of twenty-one years, who shall hav. contributed to the erection ot the° church, or who are subscribers for the support of the minister, or who hold seats in the church. III. The Trustees shall hold office during life, or until disquaUfied by removal from the province, or by ceasing to be members of the <-hurch, or until they shall resign. Vacancies occurring in the number ot Trustees shall be supplied in the same manner as at the first election. IV. The persons who shall be eligible for the office of the ministry m this chuix^h shall be,-L Any regularly ordained Minister, or duly [.j licensed Probationer of the Church of Scotland, or of the Synod ot ,^ m m ""anada in connection with the Church of Scotland. 2. Any Minister Preacher of any Presbyterian body holding orthodox standards, who ahall be willing to take the usual ordination vows and obey the laws anci rules of this church; and who shall have been received as Preachers by the Presbytery of the bounds. V. The Minister of this church shall be a member of the Synod oi the Presbyterian Church of Canada, in connection whh the Church of Scotland, and shall acknowledge that Synod as his Supreme Ecclesi- astical Judicatory, so long as he shall continue to be Minister of this church. VI. The first Minister shall be elected by a majority of votes oi al! male persons above twenty-one years of age who shall be resident within the bounds of the congregation, and who profess their adherence to the Presbyterian form of worship and their willingness to join with and support this church. But in all future elections, the Minister shall be chosen by a majority of the votes of the male communicants above twenty-one years of age, of at least three months standing on the roli, and free of church censure. VII. All meetings for the election of a Minister shall be called by public intimation, after divine service, on two Sabbaths preceding the day of meeting ; and all the procedure shall be in accordance with the laws and usages of the Church of Scotland, and with such laws as the Synod may have or may hereafter enact, and such] regulations as the Presbyterv of the bounds may adopt, agreeably to the said laws and usages. VIII. The temporal affairs of the church shall be managed by a committee of seven fit and proper persons, who shall be members, or intending to become members of the church at the earliest opportunity. The manner of election shall be as in Article II. IX. At the annual meeting of the congregation, the two senio-- members of the committee, or the two whose names stand highest on the list, shall retire from office, and the meeting shall choose two iv their room, whose names shall be placed at the foot of the list. The retiring members may be re-elected. X. Any member of the committee who shall leave the bounds of the congregation, or cease to be a in^mber of the church, shall be disqua- lified for holding office. Casual vacancies occurring during the year, from these or any other causes, shall be temporarily supplied by the remaining members, until the annual meeting, when the nominatior. siiall be confirmed, or set aside, as it may seem proper to th^' I'ongregation. M 8 XI. The duties of the committee shall be :— To taktJ care oi the church, and all buildings belonging to the congregation :-To attend to thP repairs, insurance, cleaning, warming and lighting of the church ; ihe providmg of communion elements and furniture, and all thmgs necessary for the decent and orderly performance of divine worship :- To see to ihe due support of the Minister, to arrange with him in regard to the amount of stipend, and the times and mode of payment ; to sign encra-cments, if necessary, in name and on behalf of the congregation : _To°provide ways and means for raising the amount required for the Minister's support, and the other necessary expenses of the church. For which purpose they shall have power to let the seats in the church, to fix the rents, appoint the time and manner of letting, and the times and mode of payment. XII The proceedings of the committee during the year shall be subject to the inspection, and to the approbation or disapprobation of the annual meeting of the congregation. XIII. The annual meeting of the Congregation shall he held on Itlhall be notified by public intimation, after Divine Service on the nrecedin- Sabbath, and shall consist of all male persons above twenty- one vearl of age, who shall be contributors for the erection of the Chvrch, or subscribers for the support of the ordinances of religion tkevein, or holders of a seat or seats therein, and not m arrears of navment. The meeting shall appoint a Chairman and Secretary from among their own number, and the proceedings shall be recorded in the Miniue-book of the Committee. XIV. \t the annnal meeting, the proceedings of the Committee for •be past year shall be submitted for inspection, and approved of or li^allowed, as shall seem proper; the accounts of revenue and "xpenditure, whether by the Committee or Session, shall be laid before them : two new members of Committee shall be elected ; the Precentor and Church Officers for the ensuing year shall be chosen, and all l)nsiuess requisite for the welfare of the Congregation shall be transacted, providing that nothing be done repugnant to this consthution, or to the laws of the Church of Scotland. XV The Elders shall be elected for the first time, by the majorhy of voiesof the male communicants above twenty-one years of age; or it . roll of communicants has not been made up, then the Elders shall be ohosen bv the majority of votes of male persons above twenty-one years of a-e, residing within the bounds of the congregation, professing udhe'rence to the Presbyterian form of worship, and their desire to join with and support this Church. The meeting to be called by public U intimation after Divine Sfetvice, oh the two Sabbaths immediately preceding the day of meeting. The names of the persons chosen shall be laid before the Presbytery of the bownds at next ordinary meeting, and if no objections are bffered, measures shall be taken in tho usual form, for their admission to the office of the Eldership. XVI. If any addition to the nlimber of Elders shall be judged necessary, the existing inembers Of Sesfeioh shall pipopose fit and proper persona for the office, who, if not disapproved of by the Congregation, at a meeting called for the purpose, or by the Presbytery, shall be sei apart in the usual form. - XVII. A collection shall be made, at least once on every Sabbath and preaching day, which shall be applied to defraying the incidental expenses of the Church, according to the accounts allowed and ordered to be paid by the annual meeting ; and any surplus that may remain shall be at the disposal of the Session, to be applied to such pious or charitable uses as they may think lit. XVIII. In regard to all things hot specified herein, the laws, customs, and usages of the Church of Scotland shall be followed, except where these have been modified by enactments of Synod j — and if any difference of opinion arise, as to the meaning or interpretation of any part of this Constitution, it shall be referred to the Presbytery for advice and decision thereon, subject to appeal to the Syno