Chapter Two - The Congregation

Congregational meetings are convened only on the authority of the Session or a higher court. Public announcement, stating the nature and purpose of the meeting, is made at the time of ordinary public worship at least seven days before the date of the meeting, unless some other period of notice is elsewhere specifically provided.

This means that the earliest a meeting may be held is on the Sunday following that on which the announcement was made.

The minister normally presides at congregational meetings, unless for adequate reason he appoints a deputy, or unless the Presbytery or a higher court appoints one of its own members for that purpose.

If there is more than one minister of a parish, the senior shall preside or they may decide to preside alternately or by some other arrangement.

The congregation of every parish or home mission station holds an annual meeting convened on the authority of the Session, not later than four (4) months after the end of its chosen annual reporting period. This meeting is for:

1. consideration of the annual report of the board of management, which is received and then adopted;
   
   
2. i) consideration of the audited financial statement of accounts for the congregation's financial year submitted by the Board of Management, which is received and then adopted;
   ii) consideration of the Annual Parish Report by resolving that it
   
   
   1. correlates with the audited financial accounts
      
   2. has an acceptable budget and
      
   3. approves the terms of settlement (Ministers, Assistants, Second workers) contained therein for the current year.
      
      
   The congregation may empower the Board to approve subsequent Annual Parish Reports.
   

3. the appointment of auditors for the coming year;
   
4. consideration as to whether there needs to be a change in the number of managers on the board;
   
5. consideration as to whether the congregation wishes to give the board authority to vary the terms of settlement.

A written review by the Session of the life and work of the congregation (see rule 3:49) may be presented to this meeting for the information of the congregation. Reports of congregational organisations, together with their relevant financial statements, may also be presented in whole or in part as the Session sees fit (see rule 3:49). Neither these congregational reports nor the Session's own review are received or adopted by this meeting, nor are they otherwise formally dealt with, unless the Session has resolved to seek the mind of the congregation in any of these matters. Any complaints or recommendations concerning the report or financial statement of a congregational organisation are referred to the Session for consideration.

Where there are two or more local congregations in a parish or mission field having separate boards of management, each of these also holds an annual meeting to deal with matters outlined in (a) to (d) in the preceding rule, and to hear and discuss such other of the matters referred to in that rule as the Session may authorise.

The congregation of every parish or mission field, and every local congregation, appoints annually (ordinarily at the annual meeting) two people to audit the accounts prepared by the board of management. Only one auditor needs to be appointed if that person is a qualified accountant. Elders or managers may not serve as auditors of the accounts of the board of management of which they are members, but members of a federal board of management may serve as auditors of the accounts of the board of management of a local congregation other than their own.

Minutes of congregational meetings are recorded by the Session clerk or by someone acting on his behalf with the authority of the Session. A separate congregational minute book is kept for each local congregation as well as for the congregation of the whole parish or mission field. Such minutes remain in the custody of the Session clerk but are available for reference to the secretary and the treasurer of the board of management concerned for the purposes of their office. Extracts concerning matters which are the responsibility of the board are supplied to it by the Session clerk if the Session so decides.

Any communicant member or adherent of a congregation who is dissatisfied with a decision or resolution of a congregational meeting may petition the Presbytery to review the matter, provided that person voted against the resolution or decision and entered dissent at that time.

The secretary of the meeting shall provide that person with relevant extract minutes upon request. At least ten days before the meeting of the Presbytery to which the petition is to be presented, one copy of the petition must be sent by personal delivery or by registered mail to the minister or Session clerk and a second copy to the clerk of the Presbytery.

No congregational meeting may be held during a sitting of the Presbytery of the bounds or of a higher court, unless that court has given permission.