In this blog post, I am continuing to present the contractual agreement that was drawn up and approved by Circle Church and Zion Evangelical Free Church, as the churches worked to cooperate in reviving Zion’s ministry to the community. The agreement contained only five essential points. Here are the last three, as follows:
3. PAYMENT FOR SERVICES. At this point a pay scale was determined covering salaries, travel and hospitality, medical insurance, housing costs, and office expenses. Circle agreed to keep separate books of all expenditures made from Zion funds and at the expiration of the agreement, or at any time requested, to furnish Zion a statement in writing summarizing all expenditures and to return unspent funds at the termination of the agreement.
4. NON-TERMINABLE AGREEMENT. We jointly bind ourselves to the agreement for the period of one year, with the only exception being “if Zion should determine it has irreconcilable disagreements with the consulting minister on spiritual matters or on the implementation of the ‘Circle Approach’ to Zion’s congregational and community ministry, the Zion shall notify Circle’s Board of Deacons in writing of such disagreements and request that a different consulting minister be assigned to Zion.” The contract stipulated that such action on Zion’s part should have prior approval of no less than a two-thirds majority of its then existing church membership.
5. AUTONOMY OF ZION AND CIRCLE. “It is acknowledged that both Zion and Circle are presently independent, autonomous church organizations and that it is not the intent of this agreement to alter or affect the complete autonomy of either organization. Each retains the right to govern itself completely independent of the other in any manner whatsoever as established by its respective congregational membership.”
With the signatures on the bottom of that contract, we bound ourselves to a one year experiment with Zion which began on September 1, 1968, with a young member of our congregation, Al Nestor, acting as consulting minister.
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Sunday’s coming. Do you have your sermon ready? Is it relevant? Will it effectively motivate your congregation to walk more in step with the Master? What about that Sermon Series you’ve been thinking about?
Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?
David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help. We offer a wide variety of Sermon Starters and Full Sermons that will give you Sermon Ideas to help you prepare for regular Saturday or Sunday sermons, Mid-week Bible Sermons, and Sermons for special occasions.
We also offer assistance as you create Topical Sermons, Sermons Series, and sermons for special times of the year. We have resources available to help you with Advent Celebrations, Advent Sermons, Christmas Sermons, Easter Sunday Sermons, Patriotic Sermons, and more.
For more information on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons, please click here to visit David Mains’ website.
You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.
