Chapter Two - The Congregation

A congregational organisation is any club, society or group recognised by the Session for the purpose of carrying out some specified activity within the life of the congregation.

A congregational organisation is formed only with the approval of the Session and may neither commence nor continue its activities without such approval. This approval may be withdrawn at any time.

Any proposed constitution of a congregational organisation is submitted to the Session and it becomes operative, and may be amended, only with the approval of the Session.

The office-bearers of every congregational organisation must be communicant members of the church, except where Session judges in particular cases that this would be unnecessarily restrictive for the stated purpose of an organisation.

The activities of every congregational organisation are under the direct supervision of the Session and no activity is permissible which, in the opinion of the Session, might hinder the effective Christian witness of the church, or is seen as inconsistent with Christian conduct, the law of the church or the civil law (see rules 3:47, 48).

Every congregational organisation submits to an annual meeting of its members a report on its activities and provides a copy for the Session.

All property (including finances) of every congregational organisation is part of the property of the congregation but is administered by the particular organisation in terms of its constitution and the law of the church.

In the event of the organisation being dissolved or becoming defunct, all its property comes under the care of the board of management of the congregation, which holds it in trust and administers it until the Session, after consultation with the congregation, gives such directions for the disposal of the property as it sees fit in the circumstances.

Every congregational organisation is required, if it holds money in its own name or raises money regularly:

1. to use a separate bank account in the name of the organisation, and to ensure that no money raised by or for the organisation is paid into a private bank account;
2. to keep regular accounts of income and expenditure;
3. to obtain the permission of the board of management before raising money by any special effort or appeal in the congregation;
4. to submit annually to the Session a financial statement of accounts for the annual reporting period of the congregation audited by some competent person who is not a member of the organisation.

Every congregational organisation keeps minutes of all business meetings. By virtue of his office the minister is president or senior president, as the case may be, of all congregational organisations and has the right to preside at any meeting of such organisations. The minister must be duly notified of all meetings. Should the minister not wish to exercise his right to preside, he may appoint a deputy, failing which either the senior officer of the organisation present presides or the meeting appoints its own chairman. The appointed chairman must be a communicant member of the congregation, except in the case where Session has decided otherwise under rule 2:38.