By-laws of Third Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston
351 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, USA
Adopted October 2, 2019
Mission Statement
Third Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston (Jamaica Plain) supports spiritual discovery and healing for our members, friends, and community through the study of the Bible and Jesus’ teachings and the writings of Mary Baker Eddy.
In our church services and meetings, Sunday School, Reading Room, community work, and public talks, we commit ourselves to maintaining an environment of inclusiveness, joy, and unconditional love.
Our mission is to bring our love for God, for each other and our neighbors, for church, and for Christian Science as taught by Mary Baker Eddy to our community in bold, fresh, dynamic ways that:
Support healing both inside and outside of our church walls
Support the active, vibrant practice of Christian Science
Enable each individual to grow in his or her ability to follow Christ Jesus
Help our neighbors learn more about Christian Science and its relevance to their lives
Express the completeness of church based on the Manual of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts (The Manual) including services and testimony meetings, lectures, Sunday School and Reading Room activity.
Relationship to The Mother Church
This is a branch of The Mother Church, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. This branch will adhere to all requirements of branch churches as stipulated in the Manual
Readers
Readers must be members of The Mother Church (see Manual). They are not required to be members of Third Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston.
Reading Room
The Reading Room Librarian implements the church’s vision for ensuring the Reading Room is relevant, accessible and inviting to our immediate neighbors and the broader community.
The Reading Room is a vital connection with the community. The Reading Room Librarian:
Provides leadership in church participation in community activities and interacts with other neighborhood businesses in addressing community issues
Oversees the design of the Reading Room, the window display, the staffing, activities, and provisioning of the Reading Room
Provides Reading Room information to the church social media sites
Committees/Teams
The church members will maintain committees/teams to serve the functions of the church as needed. Proposals to create or disband a committee/team should be sent to the Co-op, a group of three people whose roles and terms are more fully defined below.
Voting
The church strives to make decisions by consensus. When that is not possible, church decisions require the approval of a simple majority of the members. Voting to disband or to change the by-laws requires the approval of three-quarters of the membership.
The Co-op may present voting items at a member meeting, unless a voting item is time sensitive, in which case the item will be distributed for vote via email. Votes will usually be collected via online form but exceptions may occur. Each member is entitled to one vote. Votes may take place at a meeting rather than online if notice of the vote in question is provided to members at least a week in advance, and at least 51% of the membership is in attendance at the meeting to vote.
Business Meetings
Business meetings will occur at least three times per year. Additional meetings may be scheduled as needed. Meetings will be held on the second Sunday in January, May, and September, unless an alternate date is agreed to by the membership. The Co-op will set the agenda for business meetings. Members can send items to the Co-op and request that they be included in the agenda.
Non-members who are actively involved in our church community may attend the meetings and share ideas, but cannot vote.
The Co-op
The Co-op ensures the management of all day-to-day business and property pertaining to the church in between regular business meetings. The Co-op supports the progress of projects deemed important by the membership. Individual expenditures by the Co-op involving a sum of more than one thousand dollars ($1000.00) require approval of the church membership.
The Co-op is made up of three people: the Clerk, the Shepherd and an additional Co-op Member. The Clerk is elected for one year. The Co-op Member and the Shepherd have two-year terms but are elected in alternating years. Elections will typically be held in June.
If the Co-op would like input on new issues from the membership between meetings, it can email its proposal to the membership, and allow for a discussion period via email. If the Co-op feels it is necessary to have the membership vote promptly on an issue, an online vote can be used so the Co-op can move forward without waiting until the next business meeting.
Elections
There are four elected positions: Shepherd, Clerk, Co-op member, and Treasurer.
When election time comes, every member is added to the list of potential candidates for the positions. The Clerk sends out the list and members have one week to remove their names from the list before the vote. Any names left on the candidate lists are eligible for election. Candidates will be elected by a simple majority vote with at least 50% of the membership casting a vote. Those in the elected positions can be re-elected for up to six years.
The Shepherd
The Shepherd facilitates the business meetings.
The Clerk
The Clerk is the custodian of all records of church business. The Clerk receives all official communications to the church. The Clerk with the aid of the other members of the Co-op sends all communications to the membership (notices of meetings, online votes, communications from The Mother Church, and other church business). The Clerk facilitates member applications and withdrawals and keeps our listing with the Massachusetts Secretary of State up to date.
The Treasurer
The Treasurer maintains the financial records of the church. The Treasurer receives and records all contributions and expenses for all funds. The Treasurer and at least one member of the Co-op will be signatories to the bank account and will review the online banking account. The Treasurer will provide financial reports at each regular business meeting, and prepare an annual report to be presented at the January meeting. The Treasurer will arrange for an audit or review of church finances by a competent third party on a yearly basis, or as determined by the membership.
Membership
Joining this church signifies a love for Christian Science and a commitment to the tenets of Christian Science (See page 497 of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures). It also represents a dedication to being an active member. Members of this branch church cannot belong to any other church (except The Mother Church) or to any other religion.
Membership Process
A person who would like to join the church fills out the application and gives it to the Clerk.
The Clerk sends the application to the membership and recruits two volunteers from the membership to interview the applicant.
The interviewers send a summary of the interview to the current members.
The Clerk gives the membership a one-week window in which they can share their thoughts about the applicant via email.
At the close of the one-week window, a vote is sent out to the membership as to whether or not to accept the applicant into membership. A person is voted into membership if they receive approval from at least three-quarters of the entire membership within a week.
The membership will openly welcome new members on a Sunday closely following their admission with a gesture appropriate for the occasion.
Withdrawal of membership
Should an individual decide to withdraw membership, s/he can request a letter of withdrawal from the Clerk, which will be sent upon request.
Conflict Resolution
We commit to solving difficulties with healing as the goal (see Matthew 7:12 and Matthew 18:14-17).
Removal from membership
A member can be removed from membership via a vote of at least three-quarters of the membership in favor of the removal.
Disbanding
At least a three-quarters approval (by vote) of the membership is needed to dissolve the church. The church will automatically disband and dissolve its assets if membership falls below 4 members.
Distribution of Assets
If the church disbands, the remaining assets of the church will be distributed to Christian Science churches and societies in good standing in the area if at all possible and/or The Mother Church—The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston, MA.