Article I. Congregations and Membership

Article I. Congregations And Membership

Sec. 1. Congregations:

a) Congregations normally shall be recognised on the basis of the residence of baptized and communicant membership and shall meet regularly tagether for worship. including the Lords Supper, witness, chtistian education and service. by Por administrative purposes. a congregation shall normally consit of at least 20 baptized members among whom there shall be at least 12 commun:cant membets meeting regularly in a place of worship.

c) Each congregation shall be eligible to elett or choose ifs own Fanchayant subject to the rules for membership.

Sec. 2. Baptized Members:

a) The baptized membership of a parish shall consist of all baptized persons within its geographical area whose names are on the roll of a congregation of that parish.

b) All members shall have their fames entered on a congregational roll in the place where they reside, except that a mémiber who lives in a place where thers is no congregation of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Chujch may retain his membership in his own congregation provided he annually makes a contributien-of recard to the support-af the parish of which that corigregation is a part,:

Sec. 3. Communlcant or confirmed members

a) Communicant or confirmed members shall be baptized persons who have been duly received into communicant memmibarghin

of the parish by conflrmation, certificate of transfer from apother Lutheran congregation er reaffirmation of faith. Confirmation shall be administered, after proper instruction In the Word of God and in the faith of the Lutheran Church.to young people of the parish, to members who have been received by adult baptism, and to baptized member of non-Lutheran Churches seeking membership in this parigh. Admission fo communicant membership' of a congregation shall be by action of the Panchayat or council of the parish.

b) I. Members it good standing are baptized members. who in each year receive Hoty Communion. are not under disciplingry action by any ecclesiastical body of the A. E. L. Church and make a contribution of record to the congregation. A contribution of record shall be defined as an offering (i. e., monthly offerings, thank offering, festival offering) of at least Rs. Bf-per year, which is entered in the accounts of the congregration in the name of the donor. Ths offerings may also be recorded in the name of the family head, provided a total amount of Rs 5/- for.each ©anfirmed membar of the family is recorded. in which case all confirmed members of © that family will be. considered to be In good standing: Provided other requirements are fulfilled.

2. The good standing, rights and privileges of any member who actively supports the work of another.organization or group whose work and teaching is againstthe interests of the A.E. L. Church may be removed by action of the parish council gftar counselling and warning.

c) Any confirmed member who, despite pastoral care and counselling, has failed for a period of one year to receive Holy Communion, to make any contribution of record to the congregation, or has been under disciplinary action by any ecclesiastical body-of the A. E. L. Church shall be classified by the church council as not in good standing. He shall be restored by the church council! to the roll of confirmed members in good standing when he again raceives the Lord's Supper and ful-fills the other obligations ofl @ member of Ris-cangregatiort

Sec. 4. Voting Members:

a) All confirmed members in good standing of a congregation who "have attained the age of 18 years and who contribute at least Rs. 6 offering of record per year shail be ths voting members of the congregation and parish as laid down in Sec. 3 b. 1. '

2, The parish church council shall annually prepare a voters' list for sach congregation on the bssis of Sec. 2, Sec. 3 and Sec. 4 a. above, at least two months before the date of election of congregational panchayat and parish church council elections. The voter's list for edch congregation shall be posted in that congegation, and any objection to the list shall be.made.to the parish church council. The parish church council shall then review its decision within one month of the time of receipt of the objection. Any appeals against this decision of the. parish church council concerning any member's right to vote shall be made through the: pastor to the executive committée of the synod within two weeks after the review of the case by the parish ©hurch council. The decision of / the synod executive in the matter shall be. final,

b) Eligibility to hold office/elective posts:

1. Confirmed members in good standing who show _their concern and sense of obligation to supportto the work of the

A. E, L. Church through the Suvartha'Dhdna Nidhi fund of the Church shall be eligible to hold otfice elective or appointed positions as follows: » - 8). Members-who have attended 21.yeats-of age andwho contribute at least Rs. 12. per year to the Suvartha Dhana Nidhi fund of the Church in addition. to 'an. offering of tecord of at least Rs, & per year te the parish shall be sligible to hold office of to be elagtedto administrative and decision making bodies- of the congregation; parlsh amd fteld (local panchayat, P. GC C.andF.C.Cy "

b) Menibers who have attained twenty-five years of age and who contribute Rs, 5 per month or Rs. 60 per year to the Suvartha Dhana Nidhi fund of the Church in addition to a minimum of Rs, 5 per offering of record to their parish shall be eligible to-secue as delegates to synod and A. E, 1. Church Conventions, and to serve on boards, commiittess and administrative bodies of the Church.

c) Any person already elected or appointed to any position or elective post or as a delegate shal; automatically lose his membership if his annual contribution is not given -regularly within the calendar year or such other tine as specified by the Executive Council.

2. Contingous residence in that cangregation for atleast one full year immediately before the Preparation of the electoral rof Is. required,

3. Those gccepting these responsibilities should abide by the rules, pdlicies, enactments and discipline of<the A. Ef. Churoh.and should not have been under discipline for atioust 6 years prior tothe election.

4. PerSons owing rent, offering dues, loan dues, or any other moneys to the tongregatioti, parish, synod, A. E. L. Church Or Any:.othar institution or organization of the A, E. L. Church are not éliglble for appointive or elective posts of the Church.

6: Any person who resorts to courts or appeals to external authorities ratherthanp aking use of the Provision for appeal in the A. E.L. Church and aay person who does not abide by the decisiohs of th§ synod executivy committee, the Execditiye Council of the A. E. Church or of thg Commision &f Adjudication s where thejr_declsions ate final, as the case may bg, ghalf ipso fasta. forthivith bg removed from any elective or appointive membreship in the A. E. L. Church, lose his eligibility, for any eélective or appointive membership in the A. E, L, Church ang be -debarréd "from: gli voling rights; * Such gq. Person may be restored to aij voling' rig ats and "oligidiliey' for holdihg elegtive'

or appointive position ar membership in the A. E. L. Church only after one year from the date of the final disposal of the matter by the courts or external authorities,

Sec. 5. Associate members:

Any member of any other Lutheran Church or any constituent Church of the N.C. C. whois temporarily resident within the area of any congregation of this Church may be admitted as an assqciate member on request and such assgciate membership shall not cary within it any rights of participation In the government of syrod and A. E. L. Church, and shall not interfere with the regular membership of the indjvidual in his own congregation.

Sec. 6. /nter-denominational Congregations:

Incase of community (inter-denominational) congregations designated by the Executive Council, Christian members from other than Lutheran congregations who reguferly attend the worship service and fulfil the conditions laid down for ¢drmmunicant and voting members under Sec. 3 and 4 shall have full tights of membership and holding office up to the parish level ony:

Sec. 7. Rights and privileges of members:

Each member of the congregation of a parish of this Church shall have the following rights unfess under discipline: a} To call upan the spiritual services of the pastor er gasps! worker and other members. of the cangregetion. \ b) to attend the services of worship and to partake of Holy Communion if confirmed. p

c) To participate in the government of the Church in ~accordance with the constitution, by-faws and enactments of the Church and its subsidiary bodies. ~

d) Ta be buried in the cenietery of the congregation « where he isresident as per rules of the parish.