HUNGARIAN REFORMED CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA (VICTORIAN DISTRICT) INCORPORATION ACT 1973 - FIRST SCHEDULE

HUNGARIAN REFORMED CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA (VICTORIAN DISTRICT) INCORPORATION ACT 1973 - FIRST SCHEDULE

FIRST SCHEDULE

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CONSTITUTION OF THE HUNGARIAN REFORMED CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA (VICTORIAN DISTRICT)

In this Constitution and in any by-laws made thereunder unless inconsistent with the context or subject-matter—

"Church" means the general Church body, named the "Hungarian Reformed Church of Australia";

"District" means the association of local churches or congregations which accept this Constitution and have been received into membership.

            Article 1—Name

The name of this Church body is the Hungarian Reformed Church of Australia (Victorian District).

            Article 2—Declaration of Faith and Doctrine

The District, humbly relying on the blessing of Almighty God, makes this declaration of faith and doctrine as binding heretofore and henceforth on the District:

    1.     The Scriptures —The District receives and acknowledges all the Canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as the divinely inspired and inerrant Word of God and as the sole source of doctrine and rule and guide of faith and life.

    2.     The Confessions —The District receives and acknowledges the Confessions of the Reformed Church in the Heidelberg Catechism and the Second Helvetian Confession.

    3.     Binding Nature of Declaration —Each congregation of District and each member thereof receives and acknowledges and regards as binding the Declaration of Faith and Doctrine contained in this Constitution.

            Article 3—Objects

The objects of the District are:

    1.     The conservation and promotion of the unity of the true faith, the use of the diversities of gifts for the common profit, the joint extension of the Kingdom of God, and the united defence against religious unionism, sectarianism, and schism.

    2.     The institution of fostering of Christian schools and Sunday-schools, the thorough instruction of those to be confirmed, and the care of the youth of the District.

    3.     The inauguration, promotion and control of home and foreign missions and of charitable undertakings.

    4.     The importation, publication, and sale, or free distribution of Bibles, books of instruction and devotion, tracts, religious periodicals and other approved books, literature, and visual aids.

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    5.     The attainment of uniformity in church-practice, church-customs, and, in general, in congregational affairs.

    6.     The brotherly supervision of the ministers, teachers, and lay-helpers of the District with regard to the performance of their official duties.

    7.     The protection of ministers, teachers, lay-helpers, and congregations in the performance of their duties and the maintenance of their rights.

            Article 4—Authority and Power

    1.     The District, in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution, has authority and power to make rules and regulations for the administration of its affairs.

    2.     The District delegates the exercise of its authority and power to the Church Council.

    3.     The District may make regulations for the administration, management, and disposal of all property, moneys, revenues, legacies, donations, and documents of every description under its control or that of any officer, board, committee, or tribunal elected or appointed under this Constitution, but always subject to the trusts, if any, affecting the same.

            Article 5—Membership

    1.     The unit of organization of the District is the congregation.

    2.     Membership in the District with the right to be represented at conventions of the District by delegates is acquired by congregations who accept the confessional basis of Article 2 of this Constitution.

    3.     Ministers of the Gospel, teachers of Christian schools, and missionaries who accept the confessional basis of Article 2 and are called by unit-congregations or congregations affiliated with the District or by boards of the District become advisory members by being received into the District.

    4.     All members of a non-synodical congregation or baptized members in a mission field who are under the spiritual care of a minister of the District shall be regarded as belonging to the District.

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    5.     A congregation shall be received into membership only after the District has approved its constitution.

    6.     Membership in the District may be conferred, in conformity with paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 5 of this Article, by any assembly of the District.

    7.     Member congregations only, and such congregations as are hereafter admitted into membership, shall be entitled to send delegates to assemblies of the District.

            Article 6—Relation of the District to Its Members

    1.     The District is and shall remain an advisory body with respect to the self-government of each member congregation, but it shall have power to secure the observance by its members, both congregations and persons, of Article 2 of this Constitution and to proceed against offenders.

    2.     The District shall have no authority or power over the property of a congregation. Each congregation remains the sole proprietor of its property, and the property of a congregation is not liable to seizure for any debts contracted by the District or by any other congregation.

    3.     If the District becomes liable as guarantor for any debts contracted by a congregation, the District shall have the power to seize the property of such congregation.

            Article 7—Assemblies

    1.     Subject to this Constitution there shall be an assembly of the District in every year. The time and place of the assemblies shall be determined by a resolution of the District or, in default of such a resolution, by appointment of the President.

    2.     A special assembly may be called by the President after having obtained the consent of a majority of the congregations of the District and after having informed the President of the Church of the purpose of the intended special assembly.

    3.     The ministers of congregations entitled to be represented at assemblies and the delegates elected by these congregations shall have the right to vote at assemblies of the District. Other voting members of congregations present at assemblies shall be advisory members only.

    4.     All matters not being matters of doctrine shall be decided by resolutions carried by a majority of the delegates present and voting on such resolutions, but Article 11(3) shall apply to proposed changes and amendments to this Constitution.

    5.     Between assemblies business matters may be submitted to a vote of the congregations, if the President deems it necessary.

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            Article 8—Officers

    1.     The officers of the District shall be elected at the regular assemblies of the District.

    2.     The officers of the District are: A President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, an Accountant, a Church Council, and such other officers, boards, committees, and tribunals as the District from time to time determines.

    3.     The President and the Vice-President shall be ministers of the District, and all other officers and members of boards, committees, and tribunals shall be members of a congregation of the District.

    4.     Each officer of the District shall hold office, subject to this Constitution, until his successor is elected or appointed.

    5.     Any officer and any member of any board, committee, or tribunal vacates his office as soon as he ceases to be a member of a congregation of the District.

    6.     The District in assembly may make rules for the conduct of elections and for the nomination of candidates to any office.

    7.     The District shall not have power to appoint officers for any parish or congregation of the District.

            Article 9—Rights and Duties of Officers

    1.     The officers of the District shall have such rights only as have been expressly conferred on them by the District, and in everything pertaining to their rights and the performance of their duties they are responsible to the District in assembly and, between assemblies, to the President.

    2.     The District in assembly has the right to call any officer to account and remove him from office, and to abolish any office it has established.

            Article 10—Discipline

    1.     Member congregations shall expel persons from their membership who act contrary to the Confessional basis of Article 2 of this Constitution when admonition has proved futile, but such persons shall have the right to appeal to the President.

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    2.     The President has power to require any congregation to inquire into the conduct of its minister, teacher, lay-helper, or of any one of its members, when such conduct is contrary to Article 2 of this Constitution.

The President has power to admonish and also to suspend any minister, teacher, lay-helper, or any congregation, or any member of any congregation from membership in the District until the next assembly of the District, and to publish such suspension, and the congregation to which such pastor, or teacher, or member belongs shall take immediate disciplinary action against the person suspended notwithstanding an appeal to the District or a committee of the District, or subsequently to the Church or a committee of the Church.

    3.     The District shall deal with any congregation of the District under suspension, or which acts contrary to Article 2 of this Constitution, or which refuses to take disciplinary action against a minister or teacher who has been suspended from membership in the District or any member who acts contrary to Article 2 of this Constitution, and if all negotiations and admonitions fail in their purpose, such congregation shall be deprived of its membership in the District.

    4.     A congregation which has been deprived of its membership in the District, or has severed its connexion with the District, shall lose all share in, or claim on, the property of the District, as also shall any person expelled by any congregation, or who has severed his connexion with the District.

            Article 11—Changes and Amendments

    1.     Articles 2 and 5 and 11 of this Constitution shall be unalterable and irrepealable.

    2.     Changes in this Constitution and amendments thereto may be made if they conform to the provisions laid down in Articles 2, 5 and 11.

    3.     Only written motions referring to changes and amendments shall be accepted by the chairman of the convention and be received for discussion by the District, and a separate vote shall be taken on each motion. When the vote is taken, two-thirds of the voting representatives present and voting in favour of the motion shall cause the proposed change or amendment to become effective.

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    4.     The District has power to put any proposed change to the vote of the congregations. When any such direction is given, the President and the Secretary of the District shall within three months after the close of the assembly publish the proposed change or amendment in three successive issues of the official organ of the Church allowing congregations four weeks from the date of the last publication of the notice to return their votes in writing to the Secretary.

    5.     After the congregations have registered their votes in writing with the Secretary, the result of the vote shall be announced by the Secretary through the official organ of the Church. In case of acceptance the change or amendment thereby becomes effective.

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