Let us unite! : the Church of Christ in China and church unity in China.

The Church of Christ in China

and

Church Unity

LET US UNITE!

The Church of Christ in China
and

Church Unity in China

Copies can be obtained from

The General Assembly
The Church of Christ in China
6 Rung Hsien Hutung
Peiping, China.

FOREWORD

The Church of Christ in China as an adventure
towards arriving at Church Unity, has aroused
much interest both in China and among the Older
Churches in the West. To the friends of Church
Unity and to those communions in China who are
genuinely exploring the possibilities and the
desirability of uniting with the Church of Christ
in Chiua, there naturally arise questions requiring
information on the salient facts and fundamental
principles of this united Church. This pamphlet
is an effort to provide such information, and for
the sake of brevity and clarity and ready refer-
ence, the Socratic method is .used. All of the
questions dealt with and many more have been ;
asked of us. This form of imparting information
makes occasional repetition unavoidable. How-
ever, since the repetition is generally in the idea i
and not in its expression, the effect may after all !
be helpful without being wearisome.

It is quite evident that the answers to these *
questions can not be taken as authoritative state-
ments delivered by the General Assembly. They |
are the answers that the Secretariat of the Gener-
al Assembly have given to inquiring groups with
the conviction that they are a true expression of
the mind of the General Assembly.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Why a united Church?

2. Is not the Church of Christ in China merely
the achievement of a group of missionaries
without whose zeal and assistance the united
Church would not have been realized?

3. How did the Church of Christ in China
originate?

4. What denominational groups are represent-
ed in this united Church?

5. What missionary societies are cooperating
with the united Church?

6. What are the principles that are guiding
this Younger Church in her relations and co-
operation with the missionary societies of the
cooperating Older Churches?

7. What is meant by the term “Church-
centric”?

8. What is the place of the missionary in the
life and work of this Church?

9. To what degree do the missionaries par-
ticipate in the administrative councils of the
Church?

10. What are the principles guiding the united
Church in seeking to achieve Church unity?

11. What is the Doctrinal Bond of Union?

12. Is not the Doctrinal Bond of Union a
creed?

13. Does the Church of Christ in China have
a creed?

14. Must communions who historically have
had creeds, give up such creeds to become a part
of the Church of Christ in China?

15. Must communions with whom, historically,
individual freedom of belief has been an article
of faith, require formal subscription to the
Doctrinal Bond of Union by office bearers in the
local churches?

3

1 6. Is it possible to include the varying types
of expressing Christian belief and practice such as
Quakers, Methodists, Anglicans, Presbyterians,
Baptists, etc., within one Church, without
weakening their power of witnessing?

17. How is it possible to conserve the com-
plete freedom and autonomy of the local church
(where churches with a Congregational back-
ground should so desire) and at the same time be
a constituent part of church councils which
provide for appeals to higher church courts and
exercise functions which are alien to the historic
principles of Congregationalism?

18. Is the Church of Christ in China another
denomination?

19. Is not the Church of Christ in China ac-
tually Presbyterian in polity?

20. Is the Church of Christ in China a federal
or an orga,nic union?

21. Can a Church be a constituent part of the
Church of Christ in China and at the same time
of the Mother Church of the West?

22. Is it possible, as a constituent part of the
Church of Christ in China, to retain fellowship
with the historic communions of the West?

23. What is the policy of the united Church
as to registration with the Government?

24. What is the attitude of the Church of
Christ in China with regard to Order and the
historic Episcopacy?

25. Why confine this effort to realize Church
Unity to Protestant denominations?

26. What is the system of organization of the
Church of Christ in China?

27. How are synods delimited?

28. Would the addition of several large, close-
ly organized Churches, like the Methodist or
Anglican, tend to encumber and make unwieldy
the Church of Christ in China?

4

2g. Have men and women the same status in
the united Church?

30. Who determines the medical, educational
and evangelistic policies and programs within a
given area?

31. What measure of growth in actual unity
has been realized beyond merely the adoption of
a common name?

32. What effect does the uniting of the Chi-
nese Churches have upon the interest and the
giving of their Mother Churches in the West?

33. How is the General Council budget pro-
vided?

34. What financial responsibilities are involv-
ed for any communion or its cooperating mission-
ary society in uniting with the Church of Christ
in China?

35. How are the combined Church and Mission
grants administered?

36. What are the accepted policies of the
Church of Christ in China with regard to subsidies
and the local church?

37. What are the principles that should
govern any committee in the administration of
grants from the Older Churches?

38. Is the fact that a Church becomes a con-
stituent part of the united Church supposed to
imply a diminution in the contribution of
grants and personnel from the Mother Church?

39. Does the Synod invite and locate Chinese
workers and determine their salaries?

40. What is the need of having both a Na-
tional Christian Council and a nation-wide
church like the Church of Christ in China?

41. Would it not be better to seek to achieve
unity by starting to bring about regional union,
rather than by beginning at the top or through
the national organizations?

42. What is the greatest difficulty experienced
by the united Churches in uniting locally?

5

43- Is there not a danger that a smaller
Church will be swallowed up by merging with
such a large Church ?

44. What adjustments and changes must a
Church make to become a constituent part of the
Church of Christ in China ?

45. What are the advantages of such a united
Church ?

46. What steps should be taken by a Church
which is considering union with the Church of
Christ in China ?

47. Does the Church of Christ in China con-
sider her present method of approach to the
realization of comprehensive Church unity, an
adequate and the ultimate scheme ?

48. With what communions is the Church of
Christ in China prepared to negotiate to effect
organic union ?

49. What are the prospects of consummating
such a comprehensive union of the Christian
Churches in China ?

A Prayer for Unity.

Appendix : Constitution and By laws.

6

i. Why a united Church ?

We believe that nothing short of one organical-
ly united Body was in the mind and purpose of
Jesus when He prayed, “That they may be one",

“Denominationalism is based on differences,
the historical significances of which, however
real and vital to the Church of the West, are not
shared by us Chinese."

“Denominationalism, instead of being a source
of inspiration, has been and is a source of con-
fusion, bewilderment and inefficiency,"

“We recognize most vividly the crying need of
the Christian salvation for China today and we
firmly believe that it is only a united Church that
can save China, for our task is great and enough
strength can be attained only through solid
unity."

“We believe that there is an essential unity
among all Chinese Christians and that we are
voicing the sentiment of the whole Chinese
Christian body in claiming that we have the
desire and the possibility to effect a speedy
realization of corporate unity, and in calling
upon missionaries and representatives of the
Churches in the West, through self-sacrificial
devotion to our Lord to remove all obstacles in
order that Christ's praj^er for unity may be ful-
filled in China."

The above statement, drafted wholly by the
Chinese Christian leadership and adopted by the
official representatives of all the Protestant
communions, was made on the only occasion in
more than a hundred years when the Chinese
Christians had an opportunity to express them-
selves as a body, through the National Christian
Conference that met in 1922.

The years that have intervened have given no
indication that the mind or desire of the Chinese
Christians has undergone a change. Political,

7

economic and cultural changes within China since
then would rather tend to intensify such convic-
tions and desires.

The Church of Christ in China is an effort to
realize the aspirations of the Chinese Christians
as above expressed.

2. Is not the Church of Christ in China merely the
achievement of a group of missionaries without
whose zeal and assistance the united Church
would not have been realized ?

It is true that many missionaries have con-
tributed much to the success of this adventure.
Furthermore, we can see no valid reason why
they should not cooperate to the limit of their
ability, to eliminate denominationalism from
Protestant Christianity in China, since they
were primarily responsible for the transmitting
and planting of denominationalism.

The declaration of the Chinese Christians as
stated above (Cf. Question i) should satisfy all
genuine questionings on this point.

3. How did the Church of Christ in China origi -
nate ?

In April, 1918, at Nanking, at the time of the
organization of the General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church in China, a conference com-
posed of representatives of the Presbyterian,
London Mission and Congregational Churches
agreed that union was desirable and appointed a
committee to draw up a scheme of union to be
submitted to the constituent communions. It
soon became evident that the scope of the union
should be enlarged so as to make it possible to
include all Protestant evangelical communions
who have a desire to have discontinued in China
the denominational divisions of the West and
who are ready to participate in consummating,
under the guidance of the Spirit of God, one
united Church of Christ for all China.

8

The Provisional General Assembly met in
Shanghai, April 27-29, 1922. The First General
Assembly of the united Church of Christ in China
met in Shanghai, at St. Mary’s Hall, Oct. 1-11,
1927, when 88 commissioners, of whom 66 were
Chinese and 22 were missionaries, officially rep-
resenting 11 Synods and 53 District Associa-
tions, were in attendance and effected the union.
The Second General Assembly met in Canton,
Oct. 26 to Nov. 8, 1930. The Third General
Assembly met at Kulangsu, Amoy, Oct. 20-30,
1933-

Five Synods and 34 District Associations have
been added to the Church since the union was
constituted in 1927, making altogether 16 Synods,
87 District Associations, more than 1,000 or-
ganized churches of whom over 300 are self-
supporting, 400 ordained ministers, and approxi-
mately 130,000 communicants.

The Fourth General Assembly is to meet in
Tsingtao in 1937.

4. What denominational groups are represented in
this united Chur chi

Baptists, Congregationalists, Methodists, Pres-
byterians, Reformed, United Brethren, United
Church of Canada, Independent Chinese Churches.

5. What missionary societies are cooperating with
the united Church ?

There are thirteen missionary societies, from
three continents, cooperating with the Church of
Christ in China.

(1) American Board of Commissioners for
Foreign Missions.

(2) Baptist Missionary Society (English).

(3) Church of Scotland.

(4) London Missionary Society.

(5) Presbyterian Church of England.

(6) Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

(7) Presbyterian Church of New Zealand.

9

(8) Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A.
(North).

(9) Presbyterian Church in the United States
(South).

(10) Reformed Church in America.

( 1 1 ) Reformed Church in the United States.

(12) United Brethren in Christ.

(13) United Church of Canada.

6. What are the principles that are guiding this
Younger Church in her relations and cooperation
with the missionary societies of the cooperating
Older Churches ?

The following principles on relationships and
cooperation were adopted by the Second General
Assembly. They are the Findings of a Joint Con-
ference specially called for this purpose, consist-
ing of the General Council of our Church and an
officially appointed representative of each of the
cooperating missionary societies:

The General Assembly recognizes with deep
thankfulness to God, the rich fruits of cooper-
ation in service between the Chinese Church and
the missionary body in days gone by.

We believe that the earlier period during which
the missionary bore the burden of leadership was
a necessary stage in a God-directed process of
development. It is now also clear both to our
Church and to the Older Churches of the West
that God has now laid on our Church the
responsibility of leadership. Yet at the same
time our Church deeply believes that missionaries
still have a large contribution to make within the
Church.

Our Church wishes solemnly to proclaim that
in all efforts to promote Christian work, our
Church must steadfastly maintain the spirit and
method of cooperation with the missionary forces
of the West. Although this kind of cooperation
involves organization, personnel and funds, its
fundamental basis must ever be mutual friend-
liness and love and understanding.

10

In order to clarify the brief form into which the
resolutions on Church and Mission Relationships
were necessarily cast and thus help the mission -
aries and the Boards, for whom these English
minutes are prepared, to a more sympathetic
understanding of the desires of our Church, the
Secretariat is introducing annotations to these
resolutions. These annotations will appear in
italics.

For the purpose of meeting the needs of our
work, we draw up the following guiding
principles of cooperation between the Church of
Christ in China and the Older Churches of the
West. At the same time the General Assembly
recognizes that churches in different localities
have not yet reached the same stage of develop-
ment, so that these principles cannot all be
applied at once in every place. Moreover, we
are ever conscious of the tact that any kind of
Christian work must be based entirely upon a
•complete mutual love and understanding if it is
to be crowned with success.

It is quite necessary to keep in mind when
considering the application of these principles ,
that they are in the first place guiding principles,
and in the second place that the Chinese Church
realizes these principles cannot all be applied
fully at once in every Synod and District Associ-
ation. However, it is our conviction that every
Synod and District Association and the cooperat-
ing Older Churches should accept these guiding
principles and apply them to the extent that local
conditions will permit, ever keeping in mind the
goal of complete application of these principles.

(a) It is important that our Church and the
cooperating Missionary Societies should alike
recognize as basic the “church-centric'’ principle,
namely, the Church should be the organization to
bear such responsibilities as the administration of
work and the use of workers.

II

There are Chinese churches which believe that
the way to realize an indigenous Church in China
is for individual churches as soon as they become
self-supporting , also to become independent and
sever their affiliations with the missionary agencies
of the West. On the other hand, our Church
believes that the solution lies in complete fellowship
and cooperation between the Chinese Christian
workers and the missionaries from the Older
Churches of the West. We believe that this fellow-
ship and cooperation can find the fullest expres-
sion only within the Church herself, which shall
include within the one organization all the workers
and the functions which are now divided between
the Church and the several missions cooperating
with the Church. We do not believe that this
fullest fellowship between Chinese and missionary
workers is possible so long as we have the dual
organization of Mission and Church.

The Chinese Church is practically unanimous
in the conviction that irrespective of what type of
organization was most suitable in the past, at the
present and as we face the future, it is more than
desirable that the work, which the Church and the
Missionary Societies of the West are carrying on,
should not be a double headed enterprise, but that
the Church itself should bear the sole responsibility
of administrating the work and of using the
workers. But tt is most important that our
Western friends should realize that the Church
which is bearing this sole responsibility for the
work and workers is an organization in which the
missionary has full share on the basis of full
equality with his Chinese colleagues. It is not the
Church without the missionary in it.

(&) The responsibility for and the control of
the evangelistic, educational, medical and ben-
evolent work now in the hands of the missions
should be transferred to the Church. At the time
of such transfer there should be mutual agree-
ment between the Church and the Missionary
Society concerned.

12

The Chinese Church is very vividly visualizing
the time when Missions as administrative agencies
shall cease to exist; but the Chinese Church also
constantly visualizes the missionary as occupying
a very important position within the Chinese
Church, administering many of those functions
which he now administers as an agent of the
Mission, but which same functions he would then
administer as an agent of the Church.

The missionary within the Chinese Church and
on the basis of full equality with the Chinese co-
workers, undoubtedly would be appointed by the
Chinese Church to any task where his gifts and
training would make him the most suitable ap-
pointee. This fact must be borne in mind when
the question naturally arises as to whether the
Chinese Church would be capable of directing
and controlling many of the projects now con-
ducted by Missions. The missionaries who are
now conducting those projects would still most
likely continue to exercise those functions, not as
missionaries, but as members of the Chinese
Church .

The phrase “ now in the hands of the Mission ”
in this resolution is intended to exclude such
hospitals as some of our co-operating Missions
have built up in this country, which are not under
the control of the Missions but are administered
through a Board of Directors which represents
many other interests in the community beside the
Church. Most institutions of higher education in
China are also administered by agencies other than
the Mission. These too would b exempt from
the application of this principle.

Inasmuch as the missionaries of said cooperate
ing Missionary Societies would already have
participated in their respective Synods and in the
General Assembly in determining matters to be
submitted to the cooperating Older Churches, they
would therefore be supposed not to serve on another
council which would in behalf of the Older Church

13

review actions in the initiation of which they
already had a part. We believe this would create
a status at variance with the principle of complete
equalty of missionary and Chinese within our
Church.

(c) The General Assembly of the Church has
the right of direct relationship with the Mission
Boards and Church bodies in foreign countries
for negotiation of matters of mutual concern.

It is our conviction that it ought to be made
possible at once for the General Assembly and/or
the General Council of the Church to have direct
relationships with the respective Mission Boards
on matters of mutual concern without the necessity
of reference to an intermediary organization such as
a Mission Council or Mission. This principle for
the present would limit the direct dealings to such
matters as are wholly within the functions of the
General Assembly and/or the General Council.

It is very evident that, if the General Assembly
andtor the General Council, before approaching the
thirteen unassociated cooperating' Missionary
Societies on three continents with any request for
cooperation in a given project or for securing their
consent to any proposal, must first secure the re-
commendations of their twentyone unrelated Mis-
sions scattered all over China, it will be a very
difficult matter to achieve any satisfactory
results.

( d ) When missionaries first come to China
and upon return from furlough, their allocation
and work should be determined by the Synod
after consultation with the missionary concerned
and his Mission, so long as his Mission continues
to function in regard to such matters. If a
District Association wishes a particular mission-
ary to be allocated fcr work within its bounds, it
should make its request to the Synod.

It ivas felt that the interest of the missionary
would be better safeguarded if his allocation and
his work were determined by the Synod and not by

14

the District Association. If the smaller body were
to function in such matters, it is quite conceivable
that personal prejudices or animosities might work
injustices to the missionary, which would not be
probable if a widely representative agency like the
Synod were the agency to function in the allocation
and direction of his work.

It is taken for granted that Mission Boards
and the respective Synods will draw up seme foitn
of procedure for the loan of missionaries to the
Chinese Church, a ferm of agreement to be mutual -
ly agreed to by the Church (or Synod), the
missionary and his Mission Board.

(e) Western missionaries serving within the
Church all have the privilege of becoming regular
members of the Church. If any missionary finds
it impossible for any reason to transfer his
membership and become a regular member of
the Church, he may become a "cooperative
member” of the Church. In that case his status
is to be especially fixed by the synod concerned.

It is highly desirable that the place of the
missionary in our Church should be uniform*.
There is no uniform practice. Some missionaries
belong only to the Older Church and have not join-
ed the Church in China. Of these, some have never
participated in the Church councils, and others
have participated, though they were not members.
Some belong to the Church in China and have
withdrawn their membership from the Older
Church. Some have kept their membership in the
Older Church and at the same time hold member-
ship - in the Church in China Very many who
have engaged in educational or medical or women’s
work have never had a place in the Church councils
at all. This principle is intended to provide
. uniformity regarding the place of the Missionary
in our Church.

(/) In order that the “church-centric” prin-
ciple may become fully operative as soon as
possible, we solicit the most sympathetic co-

15

operation of Missionary Societies in order that
our Church may have personnel and funds suf-
ficient to carry on all of her work and secure ad-
ministrative efficiency.

7. What is meant by the term “ Church- centric ”?

“Church-centric”, when contrasted with “mis-
sion-centric”, connotes that in Church and Mission
cooperation, initiative and control should not be
divided between the Mission and the Church or
reside with the Mission, but should be centralized
in and eminate from- the Church.

“Church centric”, with reference to the varied
activities and agencies within the Christian
Movement, connotes that the Church should be
the heart of the Christian Movement and that all
the other agencies of the Christian Movement are
auxiliary agencies of the Church.

8. What is the ptace of the missionary in the life
ani work of this Church ?

The following is the official statement of the
Church as to the place of the missionary in the
life and work of our Church:

The relationship of the Church of Christ in
China with the Older Churches is based on fel-
lowship and love in the service of Christ and the
desire to make known the message of God’s love
to all the world. The Church of Christ in China,
having been recognized as an autonomous Church
body among her sister Churches in the world,
realizes her share and responsibility in the great
common task and, for the sake of self-expression
and self-development so essential to all life, she
must be in a position to carry on and control her
working forces.

We express our appreciation of the willingness
on the part of the Older Churches to send mis-
sionaries to cooperate and work with our Church
and to allow them fully to identify themselves
with us as a part of the working force.

16

The Church of Christ in China does not desire
in any way to interfere with the necessary and
proper jurisdiction of the sending Churches over
their missionaries in matters pertaining to their
responsibilities to that Church.

We believe that the recognition of the following
principles with regard to the relationship of mis-
sionaries to the Church of Christ in China, will
make their status clear, and work out for the best
interest of the work as a whole and enable the
missionary to exercise his or her best gifts, and
thus contribute in the fullest measure towards
the development of Christian work in China.

(a) Missionaries assigned for service to the
Church of Christ in China may retain their
membership in their sending Church, inasmuch
as their maintenance is being supplied by that
Church.

(b) When missionaries first come to China,
and upon return from furlough, their allocation
and work should be determined by the Synod
after consultation with the missionary concerned and
his Mission, so long as bis Mission continues to
function in regard to such matters. If a District
Association wishes a particular missionary to be
allocated for work within its bounds, it should
make its request to the Synod.

(c) Missionaries when assigned to the Church of
Christ in China shall, for all practical purposes,
become fully responsible, as to work and conduct,
to that Church.

(d) They may become officers and agents of
the Church of Christ in China as truly as their
Chinese brethren in like position.

(e) In cases of discipline as to conduct, or dis-
satisfaction on the part of the Church of Christ in
China with the performance of the work assigned
to the missionary, after thorough investigation
and efforts at adjustment by the Synod have

17

failed, the Church of Christ in China may dispense
with his services. In such event a statement of
the case shall be prepared by the Synod under
whose jurisdiction the missionary is working,
and/or by the General Assembly of the Church of
Christ in China, to be presented to the sending
Church or its agents.

9. To what degree do the missionaries participate
in the administrative councils of the Church ?

The proportion of representation in the Synods
and General Assembly varies. The missionaries
at the Third General Assembly were one- third of
the whole number. All were elected by their
respective Synods which are preponderatingly
Chinese. The General Council at present consists
of 22 members, of whom 18 are Chinese and 4
missionaries, all elected by the Church.

10. What are the principles guiding the united
Church in seeking to achieve Church Unity ?

The road which we have mapped out for us to
travel toward the achievement of Church Unity
has these characteristics: t

Unity is to be achieved not on minimums, but
on maxi mums. Denominational groups are to
become constituent parts of the Church of Christ
in China, not by being obliged to discard those
distinctive teachings and practices which have
been their treasured heritage in the past and
which God through his Spirit has blessed. But,
on the other hand, we are to seek to have each
enter into this united Church, bringing her
distinctive contribution for the enrichment of all,
each being enriched by the distinctive contribu-
tion which all the others make.

To make this first principle effective, there is
a second principle which has contributed to the
measure of Church Unity already attained, — the
recognition of each other’s faith and order and
ordinances as being mutually Christian and
bearing the sea± of God’s approval and powder.

18

The third principle which we have employed to
guide us on this untrodden way toward Church
Unity is the principle of unity without uniform-
ity, demanding only such uniformity as is
necessary for orderly administration, providing
such elasticity in administration and organization
as to permit experimentation and spontaneity on
the part of our Chinese Church, thereby to dis-
cover ultimately a form of church organization
which will at the same time embody those
features which have been the esse of the Church
throughout these 1900 years, combined with such
bene esse as will make it truly indigenous and ex-
pressive of Chinese lile and culture. By follow-
ing this principle, the Church of Christ in China
will, we believe, ultimately achieve a uniformity,
but it will be a spontaneous, living uniformity of
belief and organization and worship, instead of
being mechanical, lifeless and superimposed.

11. What is the Doctrinal Bond of Union ?

The Doctrinal Bond of Union is brief, but
comprehensive:

“Based on the principle of the freedom of
formulating her own faith, the bond of union
shall consist:

“In our faith in Jesus Christ as our Redeemer
and Lord on whom the Christian Church is
founded; and in an earnest desire for the
establishment of His Kingdom throughout the
whole earth.

“In our acceptance of the Holy Scriptures of
the Old and New Testaments as the divinely
inspired word of God, and the supreme authority
in matters of faith and duty.

“In our acknowledgment of the Apostles’ Creed
as expressing the fundamental doctrines of our
common evangelical faith.”

12. Is not the Doctrinal Bond of Union a Creed ?

No. In the organization of the Church, it was

essential that there be an expression to indicate
that the Church is unique from other organiza-
tions, guilds and associations, and is historically

19

identified with the Church of Christ the world
over and in all ages.

The Doctrinal Bond of Union does not contain
all that every Christian body of believers should
believe. It seeks to express only that modicum
of doctrine which all must hold in common if
historic Christianity is to be conserved. The
doctrinal basis of union, therefore, is an effort to
enable those churches whose historic policies
have emphasized a written creed, and those
churches who have gloried in their freedom from
creedal restraints, to unite on the same basis
which bound together the Christians of the Early
Church.

Nevertheless, with a full knowledge of the
several constituents of our united Church of both
those who have a creedal heritage and those who
have been averse to expressing their faith in any
formula apart from the New Testament itself, we
have no hesitancy in stating that the Church of
Christ in China stands for the great convictions
of evangelical Christianity, “for God who in our
salvation, has revealed Himself as Father, Son
and Holy Spirit; for the Bible as the authorita-
tive standard of faith and life; for the Lord Jesus
as God manifest in the tlesh, fully human and
fully divine; for His offering of Himself on the
cross, the Just lor the unjust, to reconcile us to
God; for His triumph over death and His Abiding
presence with God and with His Church on earth;
for the Holy Spirit who calls, renews, Christian-
izes believers of Christ and binds us together into
one fellowship in the Church which is the body of
Christ, and works in and through us for the trans-
formation of the world into the Kingdom of God.’*

13. Does the Church of Christ in China have a
Creed ?

The Church of Christ in China has not yet
formulated a creed. It is the conviction of the
Church that in case a creed is adopted, it should
be the product of the Chinese Church, expressive
of her doctrinal convictions. A creed prepared at

20

the present time would bear unduly the stamp of
the Churches of the West.

The General Council has adopted the following,
subject to confirmation by the General Assembly:

Inasmuch as the Church of Christ in China has
not as yet formulated a creedal statement, and
inasmuch as the Message of the Jerusalem Meet-
ing is the expression of the religious convictions
of ecumenical evangelical Christianity, the Gen-
eral Assembly adopts the following portion of
that Message to indicate our essential unity with
the Christian Church all over the world in the
acceptance of those fundamentals of Christian
faith most surely believed by us, to serve as a
standard in the training and commissioning of
the ministers and evangelists of our Church and
to be a guide to all of our communicants as they
bear testimony among their non-Christian breth-
ren to the power and reality of the Gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ:

• "Our message is Jesus Christ. He is the
revelation of what God is and of what man
through Him may become. In Him we come face
to face with the Ultimate Reality of the universe;
He makes known to us God as our Father, perfect
and infinite in love and in righteousness; for in
Him we find God incarnate, the final yet ever-
unfolding revelation of the God in whom we live
and move and have our being.

"We hold that through all that happens, in
light and in darkness, God is working, ruling and
over-ruling. Jesus Christ, in His life and through
His death and resurrection, has disclosed to us
the Father, the Supreme Reality, as almighty
Love, reconciling the world to Himself by the
Cross, suffering with men in their struggle
against sin and evil, bearing with them and for
them the burden of sin, forgiving them as they,
with forgiveness in their own hearts, turn to Him
in repentance and faith, and creating humanity
anew for an ever-growing, ever-enlarging, ever-
lasting life.

21

“The vision of God in Christ brings and
deepens the sense of sin and guilt. We are not
worthy of His love; we have by our own fault
opposed His holy will. Yet that same vision
which brings the sense of guilt brings also the
assurance of pardon, if only we yield ourselves in
faith to the spirit of Christ so that His redeeming
love may avail to reconcile us to God.

“We re-affirm that God, as Jesus Christ has
revealed Him, requires all His children, in all
circumstances, at all times, and in all human
relationships, to live in love and righteousness
for His glory. By the resurrection of Christ and
the gilt of the Holy Spirit, God offers His own
power to men that they may be fellow workers
with Him, and urges them on to a life of adven-
ture and self-sacrifice in preparation for the
coming of His Kingdom in its fulness.

“We will not ourselves offer any further for-
mulation of the Christian message, for we remem-
ber that as lately as in August, 1927, the World
Conference on Faith and Order met at Lausanne,
and that a statement on this subject was issued
from that Conference after it had been received
with full acceptance. We are glad to make this
our own:

•The message of the Church to the world is,
and must always remain, the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.

•The Gospel is the joyful message of redemp-
tion. both here and hereafter, the gift of God to
sinful man in Jesus Christ.

•The world was prepared for the coming of
Christ through the activities of God’s Holy Spirit
in all humanity, but especially in His revelation
as given in the Old Testament; and in the fulness
of time the eternal Word of God became incar.
nate and was made man, Jesus Christ, the Son of
God and the Son of Man, lull of grace and truth.

22

‘Through His life and teaching. His call to re-
pentance, His proclamation ot the coming of the
Kingdom of God and of judgment. His suffering
and death. His resurrection and exaltation to the
right hand of the Father, and by the mission of
the Holy Spirit, He has brought to us forgive-
ness of sins, and has revealed the fulness ot the
living God and His boundless love toward us.
By the appeal of that love, shown in its com-
pleteness on the Cross, He summons us to the
new life of faith, self-sacrifice, and devotion to
His service and the service of men.

‘Jesus Christ, as the crucified and the living
One, as Saviour and Lord, is also the center of
the world-wide Gospel of the Apostles and the
Church. Because He Himself is the Gospel, the
Gospel is the message of the Church to the world.
It is more than a philosophical theory; more
than a theological system; more than a program
for material betterment. The Gospel is rather
the gift of a new world from God to this old
world of sin and death; still more, it is the
victory over sin and death, the revelation of
eternal life in Him who has knit together the
whole family in heaven and on earth in the com-
munion of saints, united in the fellowship of
service, of prayer, and of praise.

'The Gospel is the prophetic call to sinful
man to turn to God, the joyful tidings of justifi-
cation and of sanctification to those who believe
in Christ. It is the comfort of those who suffer;
to those who are bound it is the assurance of the
glorious liberty of the sons of God. The Gospel
brings peace and joy to the heart, and produces
in men self-denial, readiness for brotherly
service, and compassionate love. It offers the
supreme goal for the aspirations of youth,
strength to the toiler, rest to the weary, and the
crown of life to the martyr.

‘The Gospel is the sure source of power for
social regeneration. It proclaims the only way
by which humanity can escape from those class-

23

and race-hatreds which devastate society at
present, into the enjoyment of national well-be-
ing and internal friendship and peace. It is also
a gracious invitation to the non-Christian world.
East and West, to enter into the joy of the living
Lord.

‘Sympathizing with the anguish of our genera-
tion, with its longing for intellectual sincerity,
social justice, and spiritual inspiration, the
Church in the eternal Gospel meets the needs and
fulfils the God-given aspirations of the modern
world. Consequently, as in the past so also in the
present, the Gospel is the only way of salvation.
Thus, through His Church, the living Christ still

says to men: “Come unto me He that fol-

loweth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall
have the light of life." ’ ’’

14. Must communions who historically have had
creeds, give up such creeds to become a part of
the Church of Christ in China ?

No. The Constitution provides that any con-
stituent Church on entering the united Church
may retain its original standards of faith until
such time as the united Church shall formulate a
creed of her own. There is no constitutional
obstacle to any synods who so desire, formulat-
ing a doctrinal statement supplementing the
Bond of Union, to serve as a standard in the
training of their evangelists and as a guide to the
Christians as they bear testimony among their
non-Christian brethren to the power and reality
of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15. Must communions with whom, historically, in-
dividual freedom of belief has been an article of
faith, require formal subscription to the Doc-
trinal Bond af Union by office bearers iu the
local churches ?

The Constitution in Article III specifically
states that churches may retain their original
creeds in addition to accepting the Bond of Union
in Article II.

24

The First and Second General Assemblies
adopted the following statement with regard to
Church Union:

“Although the Church of Christ in China has
a commonly accepted Bond of Union, never-
theless she has the sincerest respect for the free-
dom of the local church in matters of belief."
Article 2 of the By-Laws, requiring subscrip-
tion of local church office bearers to the Doctrin-
al Bond of Union, should be interpreted in the
light of the above statement. As a matter of
fact, there is no case on record of individuals
being asked to subscribe to the Doctrinal Bond
of Union when the churches of which they are
members have united with the Church of Christ
in China. The churches as organizations are ask-
ed to accept the Bond of Union and faithfully
observe it.

16. Is it possible to include the varying types of ex*
pressing our Christian belief and practice such
as Quakers, Methodists, Anglicans, Presbyter -
tans. Baptists, etc., within one Church, without
weakening their power of witnessing ?

There is great diversity within the Roman
Church. It finds its unity in the primacy of the
Pope and the authority of the tradition of the
Church and of the Church Councils. Granted
loyalty to these central principles, there is the
widest scope to give expression to the individ-
ual’s faith and Christian life. This is provided
in the variety of Brotherhoods and Sisterhoods
of the Roman Church.

We do not believe that denominationalism is
an essential, normal or wholesome expression of
the Church of Christ. We dare not believe it is
according to the will of God, or the purpose of
Christ. We do not believe that as soon as some
fresh truth or some new emphasis on old truth is
revealed to a group, be it small or large, it must
separate itself from the rest to form a sect or
denomination of its own. We believe that this
fissiparous tendency should be eradicated at
all cost.

25

The Church of Christ in China builds its unity-
on the Person of Christ, our divine Lord and
Saviour, on the acceptance of the Word of God as
contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New
Testaments, on the acceptance of the Apostles’
Creed as adequately testifying to those essential
beliefs and experiences held in common by us
with the Church Ecumenical. Unity built on
such a foundation, affords adequate freedom to
express in various ways our Christian faith and
life on those matters where it is not only permis-
sible to differ, but concerning which our very
diversity serves to enrich the life and experience
of the whole body.

17. How is it possible to conserve the complete
freedom and autonomy of the local church
( where churches with a Congregational back-
ground should so desire) and at the same time be
a constituent part of church councils which
provide for appeals to higher church courts and
exercise functions which are alien to the historic
principles of Congregationalism ?

In the first place, there is a very emphatic
trend among Congregational Churches in the
West to depart in practice from the historic prin-
ciples of the complete freedom and autonomy of
the local church and to approximate the system
of church organization and administration of the
so-called connectional churches such as the
Methodist and the Presbyterian. This trend is
still more prevalent among the missions and
Younger Churches in China of those communions
which were founded on the principle of the inde-
pendence and autonomy of the local church. It
has been discovered that decentralized inde-
pendence of the local congregation has not proved
highly efficient in China.

It should always be remembered that ecclesi-
astical administration and control differs from
political administration and control in that its
authority must necessarily be persuasive. It
cannot be coercive. Therefore many of the fears

26

entertained by those who have been nurtured in
“Congregational" communions, as to undue in-
terference of the higher councils in the life and
organization of the individual church will hardly
be realized.

Furthermore, the power of appeal to higher
councils is generally in the interests of the in-
dividual and by the individual, thus safeguarding
rather than infringing upon the rights of the in-
dividual believer.

iS. Is the Church of Christ in China another
denomination ?

The Church of Christ in China is not another
denomination, but is a sincere effort to obviate
denominationalism. She recognizes all the ex-
isting Protestant evangelical communions as
possessing essential Christianity. She attempts to
create a Church whose essential faith is in thor-
ough accord with the faith held in common by His
Church during these 1900 years. In this respect
she is inclusive in her outreach. Her organiza-
tion is fluid and elastic to such a degree as to
make it possible to have each of the evangelical
communions who seek unity with our Church,
bring its distinctive heritage that has abiding

! value and have it woven inio the fabric of our
common faith and fellowship.

19. Is not the Church of Christ in China actually
Presbyterian in polity ?

There are of course Presbyterian elements in
her form of organization. According to Presby-
terian polity, each parish is governed by a session
. composed of the pastor who is ex officio
n Moderator, and a group of “elders" elected by
the congregation from its own number and
ordained by the pastor with the laying on of
hands. In the higher councils, there is always a
50-50 representation of “elders" and ministers.

In the Church of Christ in China many parishes
or local churches still continue to be organized
along Presbyterian lines. This is their privilege
on the basis of Congregational freedom of or-
ganization. But the higher councils of the
Church have so enlarged the basis of represen-
tation as to include others besides elders and
ministers among those qualified for membership.
Women as well as men, deacons, doctors and
educators as well as elders and ministers, may
represent the Church in District Association,
Synod or General Assembly.

20. Is the Church of Christ in China a federal or an
organic union ?

When the Committee was appointed to prepare
a scheme for church unity, it was definitely in-
structed to draft a scheme for federal union.
However, when the Committee met, it was at
once discovered that the Chinese of the Committee
had no desire for a federal union. They keenly
felt that, in spite of instructions to the contrary,
they should be courageous and submit a plan for
organic union. This was done. Their faith was
justified, and the Church of Christ in China, as
constituted, is explicitly and in reality an organi-
cally united Church.

21. Can a Church he a constituent part of the Church
of Christ in China and at the same time of tho
Mother Church of the West ?

Such a relationship could hardly be effected
without doing violence to the fundamental
principles of our organic unity. On the other
hand, we realize that there may be a period of
transition while effecting the integration, when a
dual organic relationship can hardly be avoided.
It should in such an event be explicitly for a
limited period that such a relationship might be
sustained; as, for example, for the period of eight
years where the general council of the Mother
Church is a quadrennial gathering, and for five
years where such a general council meets annually.

2 8

We very much hope that the Mother Church
will sustain and maintain a special, intimate
relationship with those of our Church who are
spiritually so deeply indebted to her.

22. Is it possible, as a constituent part of the Church
of Christ in China, to retain fellowship with the
historic communions of the West?

The General Presbyterian Alliance and The
International Congregational Council have both
accorded full membership to the Church of Christ
in China. Negotiations are in progress with the
Baptist World Alliance and the Ecumenical
Methodist Conference for similar recognition.

This relationship has these values:

(a) It maintains a channel for fellowship with
the respective Mother Communions in the West.

(b) It provides an international world-wide
relationship and fellowship tor our Church. This
serves as a safeguard against the natural tendency
as a nation-wide Church to become too nationalis-
tic in our life and thought and attitude.

(c) It makes a point of contact with the Older
Churches to influence them however feebly, to
direct their thinking and efforts more resolutely
to appropriate the same benefits and joys of
Christian unity that are ours in an increasing
measure.

23. What is the policy of the united Church as to
registration with the Government?

It is the purpose of the Church of Christ in
China to register with the Government just as
soon as the Legislative Yuan has codified laws
providing for such registration.

. 24. What is the attitude of the Church of Christ in
China with regard to Order and the historic
Episcopacy?

Thus far the Church of Christ in China has
made no declaration on these questions. This is
not through lack of appreciation of their funda-

29

mental importance, but, inasmuch as the con-
stituent parts of the Church of Christ have always
recognized the validity of each other’s ministry,
there has been no immediate need for arriving at
a common mind regarding either Order or the
Episcopacy.

We believe that the Church of Christ in China
would give acceptance to the following statements
adopted by the uniting communions of the pro-
posed “Church of South India'*, inasmuch as they
are in accord with the principles that have been
guiding us in our great adventure:

"Comprehension and not limitation is our
aitn.” Just as in the present fluid form in which
our organization is cast, the fundamental princi-
ples of both Congregational and Presbyterian
polity are conserved, so any larger union with
episcopally- governed communions would require
the Church of Christ to make it possible for “all
that has been found helpful in each of the uniting
churches to be included, and for each church to
find its special contribution enriched by what the
Others contribute.”

" Jesus Christ is the Person in Whom the Churches
unite. His life and death and ever-living pre-
sence must be central in the thought, life and
devotion of each member of the Church, as in that
of the Church as a whole. His cross is the place of
meeting. The united Church will therefore desire
to bring together all the different types of
spiritual experience represented in the uniting
Churches, and to keep together in the one
Brotherhood those who emphasize the individual
experience of the Christian heart, those who
place the cross in the centre of their worship,
investing with every solemnity of ritual the
sacramental presentation of the great act of man s
redemption, and those who bid the Church take
full account of all new knowledge of the world
which God’s Spirit imparts to the human mind
by channels other than those of organized re-
ligion.”

30

"The uniting Churches gratefully acknowledge
the grace of God abundantly manifested in each
other’s ministries and the spiritual efficacy of
these ministries in the work of the Kingdom of
God, and they thank God for the blessings He has
given to the world through them. They confident-
ly expect that He will bestow even greater bless-
ings when these ministries, hitherto separate, are
working together in one fellowship. For the united
Church will be formed by a combination of dif-
ferent elements, each bringing its contribution to
the whole, and not by the absorption of any one
by any other. It will, therefore, also be a com-
prehensive Church; and its members, firmly hold-
ing the fundamentals of the faith and order of
the Church Universal, will be allowed wide
freedom of opinion in all other matters, and wide
freedom of action in such differences of prac-
tice as are consistent with the general framework
of the Church as one organized body.’’

"The uniting Churches believe that the Min-1-
istry is a gilt of God through Christ to His
Church: that God Himseli calls men into the
Ministry through His Holy Spirit, and that their
vocation is to bring sinners to repentance, and to
lead God’s people in worship, prayer, and praise,
and through pastoral ministrations, the preach-
ing of the Gospel and the administration of the
Sacraments (all these being made effective
through faith), to assist men to receive the saving
and sanctifying benefits of Christ and to lit them
for service; and they believe that, in ordination,
God, in answer to the prayers of His Church,
bestows on and assures to those whom He has
called and His Church has accepted for any
particular form of the Ministry, a commission for
it and the grace appropriate to it."

25. Why confine this effort to realize Church Unity
to Protestant denominations!

Our ultimate goal should be and is a union of
Roman, Greek, Protestant and other Christian

31

Communions. Only then will Christ’s prayer,
"That they may be one”, be fully answered.

This ultimate goal, we believe, can be ap-
proached best by concentrating our immediate
mind and will and prayers to securing the organic
unity of all Protestant evangelical churches.

26. What is the system of organization of the Church
of Christ in China ?

There are four grades of church councils, viz.,
the Local Church or Parish, the District Associa-
tion, the Synod, and the General Assembly.

The form of government is an adventure in
freedom for diversity of expression within the
unity, recognizing that variety in the operations
of the Spirit is as essential to the true welfare of
the Church as oneness of Spirit.

The principles underlying the organization are
democratic and not hierarchical. Power and
authority are not imposed from above downward
or from without inward. It is the hope rather,
that power and authority within the Church shall
be a normal growth, outward and upward. The
authority of Jesus was a persuasive authority
rather than coercive. The authority of His
Church must be likewise.

The Constitution demands no stereotyped, rigid
form of local church government. But it permits
that elasticity of expression in organization which
will permit "daring experimentation” in seeking
to discover that form of church government
which will most adequately lend itself to Chinese i
customs, life and thought.

The form that the organization of the local
church takes may vary because of historic,
economic or geographic reasons. Some local
churches may have deacons or elders only, others I
may have both deacons and elders. City parishes
usually consist of only one congregation or group 1
of Christians, while in the rural areas a group of •!
congregations, each with a paid or volunteer lay 1
leadership, may unite in forming one parish with i

32

one “session” and an ordained pastor minister-
ing to their spiritual needs.

Some churches may be governed through a
“session” along Presbyterian lines. Others may
have their life and work directed by the local
church council or by a board of deacons, as the
local church or parish may desire.

Each District Association determines the form
of organization of the local church within the
district. There may be some district associations
in which local churches will be organized with a
polity along Congregational lines. Other district
associations may have their local churches or-
ganized according to Presbyterian polity. Some
district associations may have several types of
local church organization within their respective
areas.

There is nothing in the Constitution which
would prevent any group of district associations
forming a Synod, from having their churches
organized under an Episcopal system in so far as
such a system would not contravene the funda-
mental principles of the validity of each other's
ordination.

The Synod, within very broadly defined limits,
determines the type of organization of its con-
stituent district associations. Its powers and
functions are defined in more detail in the
Constitution. The synod is the equivalent of an
Anglican diocese or a Methodist conference.

The unity of the church is found (in organiza-
tion) within the General Assembly, and (in spirit)
in its loyalty and devotion to our overliving and
blessed Lord, Christ Jesus.

The General Assembly constitutes a “bond of
union”. Its relation to the synods is respective-
ly the same as the relation of the synods to the
district associations. If questions arise concern-
ing church government or doctrine, the General
Assembly is authorized to deal with them. The

33

General Assembly organizes and administers the
work of the Church as a whole and seeks to give
guidance and help to the synods and their
churches in the performance of our common
task.

The General Council is the ad interim adminis-
trative agency of the General Assembly, function-
ing for the General Assembly between the
quadrennial meetings of the same.

The General Council consists of one member
elected by each synod, and a counciLpr-at-large
for every four synods, elected by the General
Assembly. The Moderator and the Honorary
Treasurer are full ex-officio members. The
General and Executive Secretaries are also ex-
officio members but without vote.

The General Council directs the work and
policies of the Secretariat. All the functions of
the General Assembly necessary between its
quadrennial meetings, are exercised by the
General Council. It also serves as the Nomina-
ting and Business Committee for the General
Assembly Meeting.

27. How are synods delimited ?

The principle by which synods are delimited
varies. Dialect plays a great part in defining
the area of synods in South China. Kwangtung
and Fukien each have three synods. In North
and Central China, synods and provinces are as a
rule coextensive. There are some synods which
are spread over two and even three provinces.
Where synods are too large, the expense of
travel for synodical and committee meetings
militates against effective administration.

There are places where synods temporarily
overlap for the reason that there has not yet
been sufficient time to effect integration. This
need cause no concern, as churches uniting in the
West have had the same experience.

34

j8. Would the addition of several large, closely or-
ganized Churches, like the Methodist or Angli-
can, tend to encumber and make unwieldy the
Church of Christ in China ?

The General Assembly of the Church of Christ
in China will become more and more the central
unifying administrative council responsible for
initiation and administration of all intra-and
extra-synodical activities and responsibilities,
defining the policies and programs and standards
for the whole Church and serving as the highest
council of the Church, to which the synods may
refer matters for counsel or action.

The trend in the organization and building up
Df the Church of Christ in China is toward the
creation of strong, vigorous synods. The major
activities of the Church will be administered
through the synods. There is no fixed rule
governing the size of synods. Their size can
therefore from time to time be re- delimited so as
to function with the greatest measure of ef-
ficiency.

29. Have men and women the same status in the
united Churchl

The Constitution makes no distinction between
men and women. Women at present are actually
serving as deacons, as elders, and as members of
iistrict associations, synods. General Assembly,
and their standing committees, and as evangel-
ists. No Chinese women have as yet presented
themselves as candidates for ordination to the
ministry. Whether ordination would be extend-
ed or withheld by any synod in case of applica-
tion by a woman candidate with proper training
and other qualifications, would depend largely
Dn circumstances and on the attitude of the
particular synod.

jo. Who determines the medical, educational and
evangelistic policies and programs within a
given areal

35

The guiding principle of the General Assembly
is to permit a variety of experimentation along
these lines and, through the sharing of our
common experiences, ultimately to adopt a uni-
form policy. Some synods have not included
hospitals or higher educational institutions with-
in the scope ol their organization. Some co-
operating missionary societies have it as their
definite policy to create community boards of
directors who will eventually assume full respon-
sibility for the maintenance of the hospital, rather
than a board of directors appointed exclusively
by the Church.

The increasingly accepted policy is to include
the medical and educational work within the
scope of the synod. Such work would have its
policies and programs projected and directed by a
Medical and an Educational Committee, respec-
tively. Such committees would be composed of
those who by training and experience would be
best qualified for the task.

31. What measure of growth in actual unity has
been realized beyond merely the adoption of a
common name ?

A Church is a living organism. And since it is
not a mechanical product, a united Church cannot
be created by mechanical processes. It has to
be a growth. It takes time and prayer and
patience and good-will and the will to unity.
The easiest accomplishment is to change the old
historic name to that of “The Church of Christ in
China”. However, there are some local churches
who for sentimental reasons still retain their old
denominational name. We exercise no coercion
to effect a change, confident that time will work
that good work and bring with it a loyalty which
would not have been possible had coercion been
applied.

Unity, beyond unity in name, is first and most
readily realized in the General Assembly and the

36

General Council. In fact, there are no longer
any evidences of our denominational origins in
the meetings of the General Assembly or of the
General Council. This has been remarked by
many who have attended the meetings of these
two bodies.

The synod and the district association are the
councils in which our old divisions will be
apparent the longest. This need not discourage
us, as the same experience holds true in the
recent church unions in Canada, England and
Scotland.

32. What effect does the uniting of the Chinese
Churches have upon the interest and the giving
of their Mother Churches in the West?

Union by the Younger Church has invariably
strengthened the interest of the Older Churches in
their missionary enterprise in China. lSTor has
such union created a barrier to their continued
financial support. As a matter of fact, the
attitude of the Western Churches toward denomi-
nationalism is becoming increasingly indifferent.
There is a growing movement toward Church
Unity in both Great Britain and America. Our
own adventure in Church Unity is frequently re-
ferred to with deep satisfaction, — "the Younger
Church pioneering the way for the Mother Church
in the eifort to attain Church Unity.” Such an
attitude toward our united Church by the Mother
Churches would tend to increase their giving
both in grants and in personnel.

33. How is the General Council budget provided ?

The budget of the General Council is for the
present provided from the following sources:

(a) Endowment.

(b) Remittances from synods, district associa-
tions and local churches.

(c) Contributions from missionaries and Chi-
nese employed workers and individual laymen.

37

(d) Grants from cooperating Missionary Socie-
ties. .

It is recognized that this method of financing
the budget is based on temporary expediency and
is to apply only until such time as a more simple,
satisfactory and permanent method can be
employed.

The development and growth of the Younger
Church is creating needs and opportunities for
certain General- A ssembly-wide projects, such as
Summer Conferences for Leadership Training, a
Christian Family Weekly, an Evangelistic Band,
etc., which call for cooperation of all the societies
cooperating with the Church of Christ in China.
Such financial cooperation is not to be looked
upon as a subsidy (which it is not) but only as
larger and more inclusive forms of evangelism
and training which have characterized the
missionary work since its beginning.

34. What financial responsibilities are involved for
any communion or its cooperating Missionary
Society in uniting with the Church of Christ in
China ?

Apart from the grants indicated in the answer
to the previous question, there are no financial
responsibilities beyond those which would exist
even if such a communion did not enter the
union. We refer to the administrative expenses
of Diocesan, Conference, synodical or district
meetings, which consist mainly of travel and
entertainment for the delegates to such meetings.
The contributions to the General Assembly and
to the synodical and district association budgets
are all on the voluntary basis. The grants from
the Missionary Societies vary. One society con-
tributes nothing. The Churches contribute ac-
cording to their economic ability and to the
degree that they have become General- Assembly-
minded. This last is largely a question of
education and multiplied contacts.

38

35* How are the combined Church and Mission
grants administered ?

Where the Synod or the District Association
has a common, current work fund to which all
the missions cooperating in that area contribute,
the distribution of the funds and the requests for
further grants would be administered by a
Finance and Personnel Committee consisting of
nationals and representatives of the cooperating
missionary societies. The principle upon which
the requested grant should be distributed among
the cooperating bodies would have to be de-
termined by local circumstances; each project
would have to be considered separately.

The General Council has proposed the follow-
ing plan for the administration of cooperative
projects, to the Synods and the cooperating
Missionary Societies:

The Church of Christ finds itself today in
a new situation which demands that renewed
attention be given to this vital matter of Church
and Mission Cooperation. The principles laid
down more than five years ago take on new
urgency in the light of new needs and opportuni-
ties. It is most important to discover ways to.
implement them and to make them more effec-
tive throughout the Church.

The new situation is in part the result of
changes in the national life of China and the
rapid growth of the Church herself. During
these five years, China has suffered unparalleled
disasters and difficulties and made unprecedented,
progress in the fundamentals of reconstruction
and national unity. The Church has grown in
numbers, in understanding of her message, and in
her desire for unity and independence.

A radical change has come about in the actual
contribution of missionaries and funds from,
abroad, which have decreased throughout th©
Church. This decrease has fallen much mor©

39

heavily upon some synods than upon others, but
there has been no machinery even for consulta-
tion with a view to relieving such burdens. The
diminished resources demand the most intimate
cooperation so as to avoid overlapping and
multiplication of overhead, and to assure the
wisest and most effective use of the resources
available. The cooperating agencies should be so
channeled as to promote the unification of the
Younger Church which is very far flung and
whose constituent parts have such diversified
historic back-grounds.

The Church will find it exceedingly difficult to
remain united even in name and spirit, if it must
maintain divided channels for securing grants
and personnel from the cooperating Older
Churches.

Plan for Closer Cooperation:

In order to secure closer cooperation in the
important tasic of building a completely integrat-
ed and autonomous Church, and in order to
provide facilities for working out together the
best procedure in meeting new needs as they
become apparent, we submit the following
memorandum on the meaning of the “Church-
centric" policy as it appears to the General
Council of the Church, together with concrete
plans for closer cooperation both at home and
abroad.

I. Memorandum on the "Church- centric*' Principle

We recognize the following five stages in the
growth of the Church, and recognize that each
step is one stage nearer to the Church-centric
principle than the one before it. This does not
mean that all churches must pass through all
these stages, but merely provides a standard of
reference by which missions and synods can
estimate their present position with regard to the
“Church-centric" principle, with a view to future
advance.

40

(1) The Mission control stage. This is natural^
ly the situation at the beginning of Christian
work in a non-Christian country. At this stage
all such work is first done by missionaries, and
later controlled by missionaries assisted by
nationals. Properly speaking, there is no church
at this stage. We believe the Church of Christ in
China is everywhere beyond this stage.

(2) The Church and Mission work along
parallel lines, each independent of the other, the
church controlling Chinese funds and personnel
supported wholly by Chinese gifts, the mission
controlling the missionaries and funds from for-
eign sources. In some parts of the Church of
Christ in China this is the present situation;
others have passed through this stage; others
have omitted it and gone directly from the first
to the third stage.

(3) The Church and Mission work through an
intermediate cooperative organization on which
both agencies appoint representatives. This stage
represents the understanding not only that the
Church has its place as an independent organiza-
tion, but further that the Christian task in any
given place needs to be approached as a whole
with a unified front, and should not be divided
up between two separate and independent bodies.
We know of no instance where this stage has
actuall)' been reached where the Church has been
willing to go back to stage two.

(4) The Mission and missionaries work in and
through the Church organization, in which the
missionaries have a place on an equality with
Chinese Christians. Foreign missionaries and
foreign funds are placed at the disposal of the
Church which is held responsible for their use in
general, but not in such ways as would mean
dictation of policies by the Mission Board. At
this stage the Church has direct relationships,
with the Mission Board or its responsible rep-
resentatives. Some synods have already reached
this stage and others are ready for it.

41

(5) The stage of independent, self-supporting,
self-propagating churches. This does not mean
that at this stage missionaries and foreign finan-
cial help will be undesired/ but merely that
they will no longer be indispensable. Every
synod which has reached the fourth stage should
work as rapidly as possible to attain this status,
not only lor local churches, but for district
associations and synods and for the entire Church
of Christ in China.

II. Plan for Closer Cooperation in Europe
and America

(1) We believe that it is in the best interests
of the Church of Christ in China that cooperative
councils or committees be organized in London
and New York respectively, through which the
Mission Boards cooperating with our Church can
face together the needs of the Church as a whole.
Direct relationships of the same scope would be
established between the General Council and the
cooperating Older Church in New Zealand.

(2) The details of the organization of these
councils would be for the constituent cooperating
Societies to define. Their functions would be
such as these Societies are willing to delegate
and as the council is willing to assume.

(3) We believe that such councils can serve
the interests of the Church of Christ in China in
at least two respects: (a) They will enable the
different cooperating Western Churches to visu-
alize our Church as a whole, and thus enable them
to give such aid in personnel and funds as they
make to any particular synod with the back-
ground of the total needs of the Church rather
than limiting their vision to one or more clearly
delimited spheres of influence, to which their in-
terest is narrowly confined, (b) The development
of the life and work of the Church has created
demands for projects which are national in scope

42

and yet which are essential to the best develop-
ment of the regional and parochial projects in
which the various western Churches are cooperat-
ing. Such councils are indispensable if the As-
sembly is to meet successfully these challenging
tasks.

(4) We fully recognize that the different
western Churches have special interests and re-
sponsibilities with regard to the Chinese Churches
which have grown up as a result of their
missionary work. We visualize the work of the
Cooperative Councils to he set up as supplementary
to such relationships , rather than as attempting to
take their place.

36. What are the accepted policies of the Church of
Christ in China with regard to subsidies and the
local church ?

It is now generally recognized that the policy
of providing subsidies by the missionary societies
for the budget of the local church has not proved
the wisest policy.

The China Delegation to the Jerusalem Meeting,
in their report recorded as their conviction that
all new churches in the future should be organized
on a self-supporting basis from the very start;
that churches now receiving subsidies from
abroad should receive a diminishing subsidy with
a view of becoming self-supporting at the earliest
possible time.

The General Council at its Annual Meeting,
1929, adopted the following resolutions which
were confirmed by the Second General Assembly:

“A joint committee representing mission and
synod, or district association, should make a
survey of all churches receiving subsidies from
the Older Churches of the West, with the purpose
of having the respective churches attain self-
support as soon as possible.

“(1) That hereafter in organizing new church-
es, emphasis should be placed on the necessity
of self-support.

43

“(2) That a§ to churches already organized,
funds released through a diminishing subsidy to
such churches, may in the future be applied to:
“(a) Mobile evangelism;

“(b) The production of literature;

“(c) The expenses of church administrative
councils, such as the General Assembly, synods,
and district associations.’*

37. What are the principles that should govern any
Committee in the administration of grants from
the Older Churches ?

The Second General Assembly adopted the
following resolution on the administration of
grants from the Older Churches:

We assure the missionary societies that, where
grants from the Older Churches have been given
to our Church, we consider the following as
fundamental principles: (1) that the greatest
prudence should be exercised in the control and
expenditure of the same; (2) that prompt and
accurate and audited reports shall be submitted
to the cooperating missionary societies; and (3)
that the allocation of the grant shall be by those
who are not personally recipients of any portion
of such funds.

38. Is the fact that a Church becomes a constituent
part of the united Church supposed to imply a
diminution in the contribution of grants and
personnel from the Mother Church ?

The fact that a Church has become a con-
stituent part of the united Church in no wise
should affect the continued cooperation of the
Mother Church as to either grants-in-aid or
missionary personnel. The only difference would
be that such cooperation would thereafter be
channelled through the General Assembly or
synodical or district organization, instead of
through the Conference Finance Committee or
whatever the agency was through which these
grants were transmitted and administered prior
to the union.

48

39* Does the synod invite and locate Chinese work •
ers and determine their salaries ?

This is one of the details which must be left to
the constituents of each synod to decide, taking
into consideration the local conditions.

Pastors of churches are invariably, though not
necessarily, invited by the local self-supporting
church, and the amount of the salary is also
determined by the congregation and pastor con-
cerned. Workers whose salary is provided in
whole or in part by the synod, would have their
work and location determined by the synod to
the degree in which such worker's salary is pro-
vided lrom the general fund administered by the
synod.

There are areas where district associations are
large and provided with adequate leadership.
Under such circumstances the district association
may exercise the above functions instead of the
synod. The accepted policy of the Church is in
favor of administrative control centered in the
synod.

40. What is the need of having both a National
Christian Council and a nation-wide Church
like the Church of Christ in China ?

Their functions are very different. The Church
of Christ in China is fundamentally a Church.
The .National Christian Council is an auxiliary of
the Churches.

The Church of Christ in China, as a Church,
ordains ministers, administers through its clergy
the Sacraments, organizes churches, administers
discipline, is the fellowship of believers for
worship, exhortation, Christian nurture and
service. The Church is mystically speaking, yet
really, the Body of Christ.

The National Christian Council has none of
these functions. It is a federation of several
communions “to work together for such things as
they may think can be done together better than
by acting separately”. It renders very valuable

49

services to the Church in lines of research, in
serving as a clearing house of experiences in
the work of the Christian Movement, in explor-
ing new and possibly more fruitful ways of
winning men and women for Christ, and creat-
ing a Christian social and economic order. But
in the final analysis, the work of the National
Christian Council can be conserved and imple-
mented among the churches only as each com-
munion employs certain individuals for this very
purpose. It is right here that there appears to be
duplication. However, it is only seemingly so.
As long as there are even two communions in
China which are unable to unite organically , but
can cooperate in some forms of Christian work, so
long is there a place and a need for an agency
like the National Christian Council.

In becoming a constituent part of the Church
of Christ in China, churches who have hitherto
cooperated with the National Christian Council
will still continue to do so through the Church of
Christ in China which is the largest cooperating
member of the National Christian Council.

4 1 . Would it not be better to seek to achieve unity by
starting to bring about regional union, rather
than by beginning at the top or through the
national organizations ?

The Church of Christ in China does not consider
these two methods mutually exclusive. We
believe in employing both approaches. For con-
nectional Churches, such as Presbyterian, Method-
ist, and Anglican, the only possible method is to
initiate and consummate the movement through
the national council since historically such com-
munions move as one body. The intermediate
stages should be both regionally and nationally
directed. The best preparation for the union of
the national bodies is for the several churches
locally or regionally to cooperate in such projects
as evangelistic campaigns, revival meetings,
training institutes, etc.

50

42. What is the greatest difficulty experienced by the
united Churches, in uniting locally ?

It is not a doctrinal difficulty. It is almost
wholly administrative. Each Younger Church
bears distinctive and clearly defined relationships
to the Mother Church. The Mother Church has
employed her own distinctive methods in the
administration of her grants and in the organiza-
tion of the cooperative work. Standards of salary,
emphases in cooperative principles, are varied.
And men are creatures of habit. Were we not,
we could do only a tenth of what habit enables us
to accomplish. Habit becomes an impediment
when a union of churches requires certain changes
and departures from the old ways to which we
have become accustomed.

Consequently we have discovered that ad-
ministrative integration in the restricted area of
district associations and in some synods, must be
a gradual process. Especially is this so where in
one group the mission may have transferred
control to the Church, while in another group
the control of funds and activities is still largely
mission-centric. Similar difficulties may exist
where the churches of one part have been found-
ed and nurtured on the self-supporting basis,
while other churches have been founded and are
still maintained on the subsidized basis.

Such situations do not create insuperable ob-
stacles. They simply call for patience, mucual
sympathy and a resolute will for unity.

Where complete integration is not at once
possible, the communions should unite in or-
ganization and work as they find it possible at
the time of union; with that as the basis of
departure they might continue the process of
integration along such lines as these:

(i) The respective councils agree to hold their
annual meetings at the same time and place,
arranging for ioint sessions of devotional and in-
spirational nature.

51

(2) Arrangements might be made for each to
have one or two representatives without vote, on
the other’s respective executive or administrative
committee.

(3) A coordinating council might be organiz-
ed, to which, gradually, more and more of the
activities of the two separate councils could be
referred until circumstances would make possible
the realization of complete administrative unity.

43. Is there not a danger that a smaller Church will
he swallowed up by merging with such a large
Chur chi

The freedom given to the local congregation in
matters of organization and worship, largely
obviates such a danger. It is far more likely
that, by uniting with the larger communion, the
best leadership of the smaller Church thereby
may exert an influence much greater and more
widely extended than would have been possible,
had such a church refrained from union.

44. What adjustments and changes must a Church
make to become a constituent part of the Church
of Christ in China 1

A communion whose churches are in areas
where there is no existing synod or district as-
sociation of the Church of Christ in China needs
make a minimum of adjustments; such as, the
change of name to the Church of Christ in China,
the adoption of the Constitution, and the relating
of herself to the higher councils of the Church as
prescribed in the Constitution and By- Laws.
That is, if the new constituency is only a district
association, her relationship to synod and General
Assembly should conform to the Constitutional
requirements for all constituent councils of the
same grade.

If the churches of such a communion are in
areas where there is an overlapping with exist-
ing district associations and synods, then it is
desirable that a Cooperative Council be appoint-
ed by the two bodies to bring about such mutual

52

adjustments as to bring about the largest
possible degree of immediate cooperation and
unity, with the explicit purpose of achieving
complete integration as speedily as possible.

45. What are the advantages of such a united
Church ?

It will assist the Church in discovering a church
organization indigenous in character, suited to
Chinese culture, customs and practice.

It will enable the Chinese Christians the more
resolutely to formulate Christian truth in ways
expressive of Chinese thought and life, and to
create opportunity to discover new truth to a
greater degree than would be possible if the
churches continued separately, perpetuating
western organization and western modes of thought
and ways of expression.

Such an organization as the Church of Christ in
China enables the constituent groups to pool their
spiritual and administrative experiences. Only
an organically united Church is adequate for the
task and for the unparalleled opportunities before
the Christian Movement in China.

The leadership of the Christian Church must be
pooled if the Church is to take over the functions
hitherto exercised by missions. No single de-
nominational group has adequate manpower and
financial resources. It will multiply the use-
fulness of the available leadership of the united
bodies.

To achieve unity among Christians, by forming
one Christian Church for China, would be
a great aid in the realization of national
unity.

Such an organization as the Church of Christ in
China is a distinct help in conserving and
strengthening certain types of unity already
attained, such as union colleges, middle schools
and theological schools now conducted under
cooperative control.

53

Such a larger church union lifts workers out of
a relatively narrow, sectional and denominational
setting, and enables them to enjoy the benefits of
a nation-wide affiliation.

It is of great value to the smaller missions and
the smaller churches. The entrance into the
nation-wide Church helps them to become a more
efficient, forward looking Church. It has helped
isolated churches to get the larger, wider na-
tional view.

It should help to reduce the number of admin-
istrative units in the Christian Movement in
China, and thus greatly facilitate united planning
and action, both within the Church of Christ in
China and in cooperation with the Older Church-
es of the West.

Such a united Church meets the aspiration of
the Chinese. She realizes in a corporate way a
union which the Chinese Christians have always
felt, but which the importation of western de-
nominational ism has prevented them hitherto
from expressing in an organized way.

Its voice to the churches (local) on certain
matters would come with greatly added weight.

The united Church does not emphasize con-
formity, but allows for a wide, diversified expres-
sion within the unity, thus contributing to the
enrichment of the whole Church in a way which
would not be otherwise possible where tradition
is so potent.

The Church of Christ in China is seeking to
achieve church unity through the confidence that
each one of our Protestant evangelical com-
munions has discovered a pathway to God. Each
has become enriched through some particular
Christian experiences which could not have been
discovered otherwise. In coming into the Church
of Christ in China, the united Church will be
enriched, as would not be possible otherwise, by
those spiritual experiences which the individual
constituent communions have discovered and
appropriated in the years gone by.

54

46. What steps should he taken by a church which is.
considering union with the Church of Christ in
China ?

As a preliminary step, it might be desirable to
engage in informal correspondence or conference,
when the representatives ot the Church of Christ
in China will be prepared to provide full inform-
ation as to the united Church, her origin, the
principles underlying her polity, her relationship
with other communions, etc.

The next step might well be the formal
appointment of a Committee to confer with the
General Council of the Church of Christ in China,
which is the Standing Committee on Church Union.
After mutual conference and agreements as to
the basis on which the union is to be effected,
the joint report would be submitted to the
church councils of the two communions for final
action according to the usual procedure followed
by the respective communions. The procedure
with the Church of Christ in China would be the
approval of the union by the General Council, and
ratification by the General Assembly.

After both communions have ratified the basis
of union, arrangements are then made by mutual
conference as to time, place and manner for
formal consummation of the union.

47. Does the Church of Christ in China consider her
present method of approach to the realization of
comprehensive Church Unity as an adequate ,
and as the ultimate, scheme ?

Our experience up to the present causes us to
believe more than ever that the trail that we are
blazing is the most hopeful pathway in the
adventure toward Church Unity. We who have
trodden this pathway thus far, would be the last
to claim that it is the final pathway. We can
hope for nothing better than that it will before
long emerge into a still wider avenue which will
continue to broaden as it approaches the ultimate
objective which is nothing less than the union of

55

all the communions within the Christian Move-
ment in China. The final form which the united
Church will take, her ideals as to Faith and
Order, cannot be realized until each one of the
existing denominations has come with her dis-
tinctive contribution.

The Church of Christ in China has a rich
heritage brought to her by the Older Churches
(who are only passing on the rich fruits received
from still Older Churches), out of which will grow
a Church that in government and form of worship
will harmonize with and satisfy the spirit and
aspirations of the Chinese people, through the
guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit and
of Him who is the Great Head of the Church
Universal.

48. With what communions is the Church of Christ
in China prepared to negotiate to effect organic
union ?

To all evangelical churches in China, whether
the Younger Churches of old historic communions;
or the smaller, less known groups of Churches; or
the widely scattered, though virile, independent
Churches; to each and all, the Church of Christ in
China extends an earnest invitation to negotiate,
individually or unitedly, with a view of effecting
mutual organic union.

This standing invitation was officially extended
by the First General Assembly, which met at St.
Mary's Hall, Shanghai, in 1927. It has been
renewed at each succeeding meeting of the
General Assembly,

The Second General Assembly, which met in
Canton in 1930, expressed the invitation in this
wise:

We believe that nothing short of the complete
organic unity of the disciples of Christ will satisfy
the desire of our Lord who prayed that we might
all be one, that the world might believe. We
believe that the challenge of the present situation

56

in China calls for a united facing of the great task
of winning China for Christ. Nevertheless con-
fronting such overwhelming responsibility and a
task of such magnitude, we find ourselves not yet
fully united. Therefore it is resolved: (i) that this
General Assembly send greetings to such churches
as have expressed a desire for unity, and also to
such as have sent greetings and fraternal delegates
to this General Assembly; (2) that we reaffirm the
action of the First General Assembly as follows:

(a) The Church of Christ in China unequivo-
cally conserves the fundamental doctrines of
Evangelical Christianity.

(b) Although the Church of Christ in China has
1 commonly accepted Bond of Union, nevertheless
she has the sincerest respect for the freedom of
the local church in matters of belief.

(c) The Church of Christ in China solemnly
iccepts Christ’s holy teachings concerning the:
mity of His disciples, and, in order also to fulfil
:he aspirations of the Chinese Church, we are
■eady and willing to enter into negotiations ta
ichieve organic union with all other evangelical
churches who are of a like mind concerning unity.
We extend a heartfelt invitation to all who share
;his desire with us.

\g. What are the prospects oj consummating such a
comprehensive union of the Christian Churches
tn China ?

A wise Christian leader of the West has remark-
id that Christian unity will not come by the way
>f balanced reasonings, a claim here and a con-
cession there. But it will take place in obedience
to some mighty and unanimous impulse in the
hearts of those who find God. This unity perhaps
will be achieved in consequence of some threaten-
ing from the side of the world which can be
escaped only by some affirmation of faith and
hope and love such as makes us one. Perhaps the
Church is destined some day to find herself one*
but it may be in the depth of a dark night that
the Church will make that blessed discovery.

57

Some of us wonder if in China that dark night,
the black darkness just before the dawning of
Christ’s hoped for, prayed for day, is not now.

“Neither for these only do I pray, but for
them also that believe on me through their word;
that they may all be one; even as thou, Father,
art in me and I in thee, that they also may be in
us: that the world may believe that thou didst
Bend me. And the glory which thou hast given
me I have given unto them; that they may be
one, even as we are one; I in them, and thou in
toe, that they may be perfected into one; that
the world may know that thou didst send me,
and lovedst them, even as thou lovedst me.”
(John 17: 20-23)

A Prayer for Unity:

O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
our only Saviour, the Prince of Peace; Give us
grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers
we are in by our unhappy divisions. Take away
all ^hatred and prejudice, and whatsoever else
may hinder us from godly Union and Concord:
that, as there is but one Body, and one Spirit,
and one Hope of our Calling, one Lord, one
Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us
all, so we may henceforth be all of one heart,
and of one soul, united in one holy bond of
Truth and Peace, of Faith and Charity, and may
with one mind and one mouth glorify Thee
through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. (From
The Book of Common Prayer.)

58

CONSTITUTION OF THE CHURCH OF
CHRIST IN CHINA

Approved by the District Associations, adopted by the-
General Assembly.

The Chinese version only is authoritative.

Part I. Name, Purpose, Bond of Union.

Article i: This Church shall be called “The^
Church of Christ in China.”

Article 2: The Church shall have as its object
to unite Christian believers in China, to plan
and promote with united strength the spirit of
self-support, self-governance and self-propaga-
tion, in order to extend Christ’s Gospel, prac-
tise His Way of Life and spread His King-,
dom throughout the world.

Article 3: Based on the principle of the free-
dom of formulating her own faith, the bond of
union shall consist:—

(1) In our faith in Jesus Christ as our Redeem-
er and Lord on whom the Christian Church is
founded; and in an earnest desire for the estab-
lishment of His Kingdom throughout the whole
earth.

(2) In our acceptance of the Holy Scriptures
of the Old and New Testaments as the divinely
inspired word of God, and the supreme authority
in matters of faith and duty.

(3) In our acknowledgment of the Apostles’
Creed as expressing the fundamental doctrines of
our common evangelical faith.

Article 4: All Churches who accept this Con-
stitution are qualified to become a constituent
part of this united body.

Any Constituent Church in addition to the
acceptance of the bond of union, may retain its.
original standards of faith.

59

Part II. Grades of Church Councils.

Article 5: The Church shall administer its af-
fairs through the following councils:

(a) Local Church:— A local church is a company
of believers regularly organized and assembling
statedly for public worship in one or more places,
and recognized by the district association in
whose bounds it is located. The metbed of its
organization shall be decided by such district
association.

( b ) District Association : — A district association
is a body composed of the lay-representatives of
the churches within a defined district and their
ministers and their evangelists or licentiates who
are recognized by such district association.

(c) Synod: — A synod is a body composed of
delegates appointed by two or more district as-
sociations within a given area.

(d) The General Assembly The General As-
sembly, the highest council of the Church, is a
body composed of commissioners elected by all
the respective synods.

Part III. Duties and Powers of Respective
Church Councils.

Article 6: The local church is the basic or-
ganization of the Church. Its duties and pow-
ers shall be determined by its district as-
sociation.

Article 7: The duties and powers of the district
association shall be as follows:

(а) To organize, supervise, assist, or disband
churches within its bounds.

(б) By consent of the synod, to train, examine,
ordain, install, or discipline all church officers
within its bounds.

(c) To promote evangelistic, medical and social
Work within its bounds.

60

(d) To decide references and appeals regularly
presented by the churches within its bounds.

(e) To review the minutes of the churches
within its bounds.

(/) To appoint representatives to the synod
within whose bounds it is located.

Article 8: The duties and powers of synods

shall be as follows:

(a) To organize and to determine the bounda-
ries of the district associations within its bounds.

(b) To decide all appeals and other matters re-
ferred to it by the district associations within its
bounds.

(c) To decide all questions respecting doctrine
and church government which may arise in the
district associations within its bounds.

(d) To train, examine, ordain, install or dis-
cipline officers of the district associations or
local churches within its bounds.

(e) To inaugurate, promote and supervise evan-
gelistic, theological, educational, medical and
social work within its bounds.

(/) To review minutes of the district associa--
tions within its bounds.

( g ) To appoint representatives to serve as com-
missioners of the General Assembly.

Article 9: The duties and powers of the General

Assembly shall be as follows:

(a) To be the representative of the whole
Church and to constitute a bond of union among
all grades of church councils.

( b ) To consider and settle questions that may
arise concerning church government or doctrine
among the synods.

(c) To determine the standards for the ministry
and regulate the reception of ministers from other
denominations.

(d) To plan and administer all matters in con--
nection with the interest of the whole Church.

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Part IV. Amendments.

Article io: This Constitution shall not be
altered, increased or diminished, unless there
are two-thirds of the votes from all district
associations of the Church affirming such
alteration, increase or diminution. District
associations in voting on any amendment to
this Constitution shall have their number of
votes determined by the number of communi-
cants, namely, one vote for every five hundred
(500) communicants or fraction thereof.

Article 11: Votes by district associations on
proposed amendments shall be categorically
“yes” or “no.” The district associations may
in separate overtures propose amendments or
change, but such must in no wise limit or
affect that “yes” or “no” vote on the
proposed amendments transmitted to them for
approval.

BY-LAWS OF THE
CHURCH OF CHRIST IN CHINA

Part I. Doctrinal Basis of Union.

Article i : The Church of Christ in China has
the prerogative of formulating her own
doctrinal statement.

Article 2: Every office bearer in the local
churches and district associations of the Church
shall declare his acceptance and observance
of the bond of union as stated in the Con-
stitution.

Part II. Missionaries .

Article 3: Each synod shall have liberty to
define for itself the place of the missionary in
its organization.

Part III. Local Churches.

Article 4: Each local church shall appoint
delegates to the district association within
whose bounds it is located.

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Article 5: Each local church may adopt its
own by-laws which must be in harmony with
the Constitution of the Church.

Part IV. District Associations.

Article 6: The representatives appointed by the
local church to its district association shall be
chosen from among the church officers and in
proportion to the number of communicants.
Churches with two hundred (200) or more com-
municant members shall appoint two (2) repre-
sentatives; churches with five hundred (500) or
more shall appoint three representatives. But
each local church shall appoint at least one (1)
representative.

Article 7: A district association may permit
the local churches within its bounds to increase
their number of representatives to attend the
district association meeting.

Article 8: A district association may, whenever
necessary, appoint special committees for all
branches of work within its bounds and give
them instructions and suitable authority and
receive their reports.

Article 9: Each district association may adopt
its own by-laws which must be in harmony
with the Constitution of the Church.

Part V. Synod.

Article 10: Each district association shall
appoint representatives to the synod according
to the number of communicant members in the
district association. For each five hundred
(500) in active membership, it shall appoint two
(2) representatives, one of whom shall be a
layman. With the permission of the synod, the
representation of the district associations may
be increased.

Article ii: A synod may, whenever necessary,
appoint special committees for all branches of

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work under its jurisdiction and give them
instructions and suitable authority and receive
their reports.

Article 12: Each synod may adopt its own
by-laws and rules of order, which should be in
harmony with the Constitution of the Church.

Part VI. The General Assembly.

Article 13: The number of commissioners from
each synod to the General Assembly shal 1 be
according to its communicant membership.

For the first three thousand (3,000) com-
municants or fraction thereof, there shall be
two (2) commissioners. For more than three
thousand (3,000) up to six thousand (6,000)
communicants, there shall be four (4) com-
missioners. For more than six thousand (6,000)
up to ten thousand (10,000) communicants,
there shall be six (6) commissioners. For more
than ten thousand (10,000) up to fifteen thousand
(15,000) communicants, there shall be eight (8)
commissioners. For more than fifteen thousand
(15,000) communicants, there shall be ten (10)
commissioners.

In each case one half of the commissioners
shall be ministers and one half laymen.

(Note: This reads as revised by the Third
General Assembly and is now being voted upon by
the individual district associations as prescribed
by the article governing amendments )

Article 14: Alternates shall be elected for each
one of the commissioners appointed.

Article 15: In the election of commissioners to
the General Assembly, care should be taken
that there is a proper proportion of men and
women, Chinese and missionaries, laymen and
ordained pastors.

Article 16: The officers of thex General As-
sembly shall be:

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(a) A Moderator:— The Moderator shall be cho-
sen from among the commissioners present and
shall be elected at the close of the General As-
sembly preceding the one of which he is to be the
Moderator.

(b) Two Vice-Moderators: The two Vice-Moder-
ators shall be elected at the first session of the
General Assembly and shall be chosen from
among the commissioners present. They shall
serve only during the meeting of the General
Assembly.

(c) Two Temporary Clerks: — The two Tempo-
rary Clerks shall be elected at the first session of
the General Assembly and shall be chosen from
among the commissioners present. They shall
serve only during the meeting of the General
Assembly.

( d ) A Stated Clerk: — The office of the Stated
Clerk shall be held concurrently by the General
Secretary of the General Council.

( e ) An Honorary Treasurer: — The Honorary
Treasurer shall be elected for a term of four years
at the close of each Assembly.

Article 17: The General Assembly shall meet
once every four years. The time and place for
such a meeting shall be determined by the
General Council of the General Assembly one
year previous to the meeting.

Article 18: Twenty commissioners assembled at
the time and place appointed, shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business. But
these twenty delegates must represent at least
two-thirds of the synods and at least one-half
of them must be ministers.

Article 19: Except in special circumstances,
the General Assembly should not receive ap-
peals directly from local churches, or district
associations.

Article 20: The General Assembly may, when-
ever necessary, appoint special committees,
commissioners or boards to conduct or to study
the affairs of the Church.

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Article 21: The General Assembly may, subject

to the approval of district associations, prepare,
revise, or amend the Directory of Worship)
Form of Government, Book of Discipline.

Article 22: The General Assembly may appoint
the Church’s representatives on all interdenom-
inational or union agencies which deal with
"extra" or "inter" synodical matters.

Article 23: The functions of the General As-
sembly, necessary between assemblies, shall be
exercised by its General Council.

Article 24: The General Assembly may adopt
its own by-laws which should be in harmony
with the Constitution of the Church.

Part VII. The General Council.

Article 25: The General Council shall consist of
the following members:

(а) The Moderator of the General Assembly.

(б) A representative from each synod who is
elected to this office by the respective synods at
the time they elect the commissioners to the
General Assembly and from among the commis-
sioners, and the election confirmed by the General
Assembly. Each synod shall also at the same
time elect an alternate, the election to be
confirmed by the General Assembly.

(e) Members-at-large.

(1 d ) The Honorary Treasurer.

Article 26: The General Assembly shall elect
from the Church-at-large as member of the
General Council, one (1) for each four (4) synods
or fraction thereof.

Article 27: The officers of the General Council
shall be a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, a Re-
cording Secretary, a General Secretary, and
two Executive Secretaries. The Moderator of
the General Assembly shall serve as the Chair-
man of the General Council.

66

Article 28: The General Secretary and the
Executive Secretaries shall be nominated by
the General Council and elected by the General
Assembly for a term of years covered by two
General Assembly meetings, subject to re-elec-
tion at the pleasure of the General Assembly.

Article 29: The General Council shall meet at
least once every two years. The time and place
shall be determined by its Executive Com-
mittee.

Article '30: Actions of the General Council at
its Biennial Meeting shall be operative where
power has been conferred, but the same may be
reviewed or reversed by the General Assembly
or by a vote of a majority of the synods.

Article 31: The actions of the General Council
shall be transmitted to the synods immediately
after each meeting. If a synod takes no action
on the minutes of the General Council within
one year, such synod shall be considered as
having approved the said minutes.

Article 32: The General Council shall pass on
the budget of the General Council Office and
all boards and commissions authorized by the
General Assembly.

Article 33: The General Council shall prepare
a digest of its actions to be submitted to the
subsequent meeting of the General Assembly.

Article 34: The General Council shall serve as
the Nominating and Business Committee of the
General Assembly and shall be ex-officio mem-
bers of said General Assembly.

Article 35: The term of a General Council shall
begin on the adjournment of the General
Assembly and continue until the adjournment
of the succeeding General Assembly. Any
vacancies within the General Council among the
members-at- large shall be filled by appoint-
ment by the Council. Vacancies from among
the synod representatives shall be temporarily
filled by the General Council until a successor
is elected by the synod concerned.

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Article 36: The General Council may adopt its
own by-laws which should be in harmony with
the Constitution of the Church.

Article 37: The functions of the General Coun-
cil, necessary between regular meetings, shall
be exercised by its Executive Committee. The
method of organization of such Executive
Committee shall be decided by the General
Council.

Part VIII. Amendments.

Article 38: These By-Laws shall not be altered,
increased or diminished, unless there are two-
thirds of the votes from all district associations
of the Church affirming such alteration, in-
crease or diminution. District associations in
voting on any amendment to these By-Laws
shall have their number of votes determined by
the number of communicants, namely, one (1)
vote for every five hundred (500) communi-
cants or fraction thereof.

Article 39: Votes by district associations on
proposed amendments shall be categorically |
“yes” or “no.” The district associations may ,:
in separate overtures propose amendments or
changes, but such must in no wise limit or
affect that “yes” or “no” vote on the proposed
amendments transmitted to them for approval.

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