fellowship of the Congregational ministers and churches. Wishing you grace, mercy, and peace, Committee of the Church. (Date and place.) The churches (and persons) invited are as follows: This Church, having devoutly sought the promised guidance of the Holy Spirit, has united in the choice of Rev. A. B. for its pastor and teacher, and he has responded favorably to its call. We therefore affectionately request you to be present by pastor and delegate in an ecclesiastical council, to be constituted as stated below, hereby called to meet in our place of worship on day of o'clock .M., which shall review our proceedings, and make the necessary examinations, and if the result be favorable, proceed with us to his installation as pastor of this Church, and extead to him the fellowship of the ministers and churches. Wishing you grace, mercy, and peace, Committee of the Church. (Date and place.) The churches (and persons) invited are as follows: (Names.) In accordance with the vote of the Church. -- Church Clerk. The Rev. A. B., pastor of this Church, having tendered his resignation of the pastoral office, and the Church, after prayerful deliberation, having voted to accept this resignation, subject to the advice of an ecclesiastical council, we therefore affectionately request you to be present by pastor and delegate in an ecclesiastical council, to be constituted as stated below, hereby called to meet in our place of worship on. the.... "" day of 19. at o'clock .M., which shall review the action thus far taken, and in view of existing conditions, give such advice as it shall deem wise.1 Wishing you grace, mercy, and peace, Committee of the Church. (Date and place.) The churches (and persons) invited are as follows: (Names.) In accordance with the vote of the Church. The in To the in Church Clerk. FOR ADVICE IN SPECIAL CASES. Congregational Church Congregational Church GREETING: Whereas this Church is in circumstances which make it needful that it should obtain wise and godly advice 1 In case the parties desire to empower the council to declare the pastoral relation terminated, instead of the last clause, "give such advice as it shall deem wise," the following words should be substituted: "if it shall seem wise, declare the pastoral relation terminated." 2 See note to Form C. from neighboring churches whose judgment, it may be hoped, will be guided by the Holy Spirit, we therefore affectionately request you to be present by pastor and delegate in an ecclesiastical council, to be constituted as stated below, hereby called to meet in our place of worship on the day of 19.... at o'clock .M., which shall consider the facts and questions then to be laid before it, and which shall give to us such fraternal advice as it may deem important with reference to the work committed to our hands. Wishing you grace, mercy, and peace, Committee of the Church. (Date and place.) The churches (and persons) invited are as follows: Whereas, the peace of this Church is disturbed by internal differences between brethren, which are injurious to its prosperity and the cause of Christ; and whereas, in such cases it is the privilege of any church to ask for wise and godly counsel from neighboring churches with the hope of thereby removing the causes of disturbance and securing harmony; and whereas, brethren who differ in their present judgment agree to this reference, we therefore affectionately request you to be present by pastor and delegate, in an ecclesiastical council to be con stituted as stated below, hereby called to meet in our place of worship on 19. ..., at the o'clock day of .M., to give to which these difficulties within the Church will be made known, and which, after due deliberation, shall us the counsel to which it shall be divinely led. Wishing you grace, mercy, and peace. Committee of the Church. (Date and place.) The churches (and persons) invited are as follows: Whereas, Brother A. B., who has been deprived of good and regular standing in this Church by act of the Church, alleges that this action is unjust and improper, and desires that the Church will join with him in calling a mutual council to consider his alleged grievance and advise in reference thereto; and whereas the Church, desiring only that which is according to the rules of the Gospel of Christ, accedes to his request, we therefore affectionately request you to be present by pastor and delegate in an ecclesiastical council, to be constituted (by mutual agreement) as stated below, hereby called to meet in our place of worship on the..... day of 19. ... at o'clock ...M., which shall review all the proceedings in this case, make the necessary examinations, and give such ad vice as it shall find required by Congregational principles in the spirit of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wishing you grace, mercy, and peace. (Date and place.) Committee of the Church. Complainant. The churches (and persons) invited are as follows: (Names.) In accordance with the vote of the Church. Church Clerk. FOR AN EX-PARTE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER in To the Congregational Church GREETING: Whereas the undersigned has been by the act of the Congregational Church in deprived of his good and regular standing in that church, and thereby of his communion with neighboring churches, which action he holds to have been erroneous both in method and substance, and an injury to him as a Christian brother; and whereas, he has requested the Church to join him in calling a mutual council to ask the advice of neighboring churches in the case, which request the Church has refused to grant, as he thinks, unreasonably; in accordance with the method of relief knowledged among our churches, the undersigned affectionately requests you to be present by pastor and delegate in an ex-parte ecclesiastical council, to be constituted as stated below, hereby called to meet in 'on 19. .... at the day of ac o'clock ..M., to which shall be communicated all the facts in the case, and which will be respectfully asked to give such advice as shall be warranted, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. |