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Membership in Regional and National Bodies

For fellowship, worship, and outreach it is not inconsistent for Churches of our Way to be involved in regional and national bodies as long as we are clear about the nature of those bodies. The strength of Congregationalism rests in the autonomy and completeness of the local Church. Therefore, regional and national groups of Churches, meeting in fellowship, are not "the Church." Nor can such bodies presume to speak for any local congregation. Yet we are also convinced that we are called by Christ to be bound together in fellowship with other Churches. As historians point out, when representatives from Plymouth (MA) through a "letter missive" were summoned to be present at the ordination of the first Pastor and Teacher of the Salem (MA) Church, and William Bradford journeyed to extend the right hand of Christian fellowship to them, American Congregationalism was instituted.

But the initiative for such wider fellowship comes from our freedom and sacred duty, not from external authority.

Ordination to Ministry

Ordination is, of necessity, by the local Church. Whenever a man or woman is to be ordained to Christian ministry in the Congregational Way, the basic steps are clear: 1) The individual, in response to the call of God, seeks to be equipped for ministry (usually through the acquisition of a baccalaureate degree followed by a seminary degree); 2) The Church in which this person holds membership, after prayerful consideration, resolves to set this person apart for professional ministry; and 3) A letter missive is sent to neighboring Churches inviting them by Pastor and delegate to convene as a Vicinage Council to advise with respect to the proposed actions of this local Church. While the advice of such neighbors has no power to cause that local Church to change its actions, and while the local Church retains the freedom to ordain whomever it chooses, Churches are well advised to heed the counsel of the gathered ministers and delegates. If the Council does not proceed to the ordination, or in the absence of a Council of the Vicinage, the ordination is recognized as valid for the initiating Church only and has no standing in our wider fellowship, except as it relates to that local Church - so great is our commitment to the realness of autonomy.

National Association of Congregational Christian Churches
PO Box 288, Oak Creek, WI 53154
 

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