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A new constitution for 2010 is currently being considered.
THE ILKLEY METHODIST CHURCH AND THE ILKLEY UNITED REFORMED CHURCH.
DECLARATION OF INTENT
The Ilkley Methodist Church and the Ilkley United Reformed Church believe in one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, and seeking the visible unity of the Church in worship and mission have covenanted to work, worship and witness as one congregation.
CONSTITUTION
1. Name
2. Location
3. Accountability
4. Baptism and Membership
5. Worship and Holy Communion
6. Ministry
7. Decision Making
8. Premises
9. Finances
10. Wider Participation
11. Review
12. Continuity
13. Amendment
CONSTITUTION
1. Name
The Local Ecumenical Partnership is known as Christchurch, Ilkley.
2. Location
The Ecumenical Partnership is a Methodist Church within the Ilkley Circuit and the West Yorkshire District, and a United Reformed Church within the Bradford District and the Yorkshire Synod.
3. Accountability
The Partnership looks to the West Yorkshire Ecumenical Council, as its sponsoring body for support and oversight, and is accountable to both denominations.
4. Baptism and Membership
Christchurch accepts the faith and practice of both the Methodist and United Reformed Churches regarding baptism and membership.
The Church Council shall have oversight of matters concerned with membership.
Baptism, in accordance with the practices of the Methodist and United Reformed Churches, shall be administered according to the rite and practice of either denomination, or another approved ecumenical rite, and shall be set within an act of congregational worship.
The legal requirement to keep a register of baptisms shall be met.
Confirmation and reception into Church membership, in accordance with the practices of the Methodist and United reformed Churches, shall be administered according to the rite and practice of either denomination or another approved ecumenical rite. Preparation shall include specific denominational teaching and instruction.
Those received into membership through an act of joint confirmation are thereby members of both denominations as well as members of the Partnership church.
There shall be a Common Roll, including those on denominational rolls and those who are members by virtue of joint confirmation being included on each list.
For the purposes of denominational financial assessment, the membership shall be divided into its constituent denominational parts. Those with joint membership shall be apportioned between the two denominations in the same way as the constituent denominational parts, or by such other formula as shall be agreed by the LEP and the denominations, through the Sponsoring Body.
Membership discipline shall continue to be a matter for each denomination following its own procedures; the Church Council shall decide which denominational procedure to follow in the case of joint members.
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5. Worship and Holy Communion
Worship shall safeguard and present the doctrines, traditions and developing traditions of each participating denomination and be conducted in accordance with denominational practices and/or using rites agreed by the Partnership.
A balanced and varied pattern of worship shall be aimed for in order to maximise the riches of each tradition and enable the congregation to explore and express its ecumenical life and aspiration while at the same time ensuring that worship is accessible and sustaining for all its members.
Ordained Ministers, or other duly authorised persons, shall preside at the Service of Holy Communion as permitted by denominational legislation or by dispensation therefrom.
In arranging services, encouragement shall be given to the participation of Lay/local preachers and others authorised as leaders of worship or preachers.
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6. Ministry
The minister of the Partnership shall be a United Reformed minister or a Methodist minister. The size and scope of the minister’s pastoral responsibility shall be as agreed by the Methodist Circuit and the United Reformed District Council.
When a new minister is to be sought, the Partnership shall inform the Sponsoring Body, which shall convene the Staffing Consultative Group.
The Staffing Consultative Group shall consist of:
URC: the Moderator; Bradford District Ecumenical Officer; Chair of the Bradford District Pastoral Committee; the Secretary of Bradford District Council.
Methodist: Chair of the District; District Ecumenical Officer; Circuit Superintendent Minister (or nominee, if serving Minister of the LEP); Circuit Steward.
WYEC: County Ecumenical Officer (who shall chair the group); a representative.
Local Partnership: Church Meeting Secretary; Church Council Secretary; Senior Steward; Church Treasurer. Plus others appointed by the Church Council to ensure denominational balance.
The Staffing Consultative Group shall advise as to the appropriate level of ministry and the denomination of the new minister and shall then advise the denominational authorities of the recommended way forward. Following agreement from the denominational authorities, the Staffing Consultative Group shall be responsible, in consultation with the Methodist Circuit and the United Reformed District, for producing a job description, which may be either an amended version of the existing job description or a new one. The appointment process shall then proceed according to the normal practice of the relevant denomination.
When the Partnership recommends that a minister be re-appointed for a further term, the Methodist Circuit and the United Reformed District Council shall be so notified and invited to comment. The proposal shall then be referred to the Sponsoring Body, which shall convene the Staffing Consultative Group to consider the matter, including whether any changes to the existing job description are required, and to advise the denominational authorities of the recommended way forward. Following agreement from the denominational authorities, the re-appointment shall be confirmed according to the practice of the relevant denomination.
In case of either denomination, a minister’s initial term shall be five years. The term can be extended up to five further years, and may be subject to further revue, but a total appointment shall not normally be longer than ten years.
Should it be necessary to consider termination of a minister’s appointment, the normal procedures of the relevant denomination shall be followed, except that the Sponsoring Body and the denominational authorities of the other denomination shall be informed and shall have the opportunity to comment prior to any decision being taken on the matter.
A minister serving Christchurch shall seek full membership of both denominational District bodies.
A United Reformed minister serving the Partnership shall be expected to seek Recognised and Regarded or Authorised status from the Methodist Conference.
A Methodist minister serving the Partnership shall agree to abide by United Reformed Church doctrine and practice.
In all cases, the minister shall give an undertaking to seek to foster good relationships with both parent denominations.
The minister shall be subject to the normal discipline of the Church/denomination to which he/she belongs.
Newly-appointed ministers shall be inducted/welcomed at a service at which they, and the local Ecumenical Partnership congregation shall reaffirm the Declaration of Intent.
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7. Decision Making
A. The congregation shall assemble in a Church Meeting at least once a quarter under the Chairmanship of the minister or his/her designated substitute. During a ministerial vacancy, the Interim Moderator and the Methodist Superintendent (or their designated substitutes) shall each preside in turn or by mutual agreement.
All members on the Common Roll shall be eligible to attend and vote. Non-members may be invited to attend but shall not vote.
In Church Meetings, members have the opportunity, through discussion, for responsible decision-making and care for one another, to strengthen each other’s faith and to foster the life and work and mission of the Church.
Generally the function of the Church Meeting shall be:
I. to further the Church’s mission at home and abroad;
II. to develop local ecumenical relationships;
III. to consider matters of public concern in relation to Christian faith;
IV. to bring notice to the Church Council and to the wider Councils of the Churches any matter for their consideration;
V. to receive the report of the Church Council on all matters pertaining to membership;
VI. to make such appointments as may be deemed appropriate. This shall include the appointment of the Church Secretary, the Church Stewards, representatives to the Church Council and Elders, all of whom must be Members of the Common Roll;
VII. to work as a constituent part of the Ilkley Methodist Circuit and the Bradford United Reformed Church District Council.
B. The Partnership shall hold a Church Council meeting at least once a quarter under the Chairmanship of the minister or his/her designated substitute. The composition of the Church Council, and the number, composition, membership and function of the committees of the Church Council shall be agreed by the Church Meeting and the Church Council. Members elected to the Church Council shall be recognised as Elders, and may request ordination.
Generally the function of the Church Council shall be:
I. to see that arrangements are made so that public worship is regularly offered and the acraments duly administered;
II. to share with the minister in pastoral oversight of the Partnership;
III. to be responsible for day to day pastoral care, administration and outreach;
IV. to be responsible for the oversight of work among children and young people and of all other church organisations;
V. to foster in the congregation concern for witness and service at home and abroad;
VI. to recommend to the Church Meeting the number of representatives on the Church Council from the congregation and to recommend their length of service;
VII. to oversee all matters concerned with membership, except in prosecuting cases of discipline, which shall be dealt with in accordance with denominational practice;
VIII. to make proper arrangements for the maintenance of the buildings under the terms of the Sharing Agreement;
IX. to oversee all matters concerning finance, adopt the annual accounts and receive other financial reports and to make arrangements for the auditing/checking of all other accounts;
X. to appoint a Treasurer who shall be a member of the Church Council;
XI. to agree to any other matters as may be necessary in pursuance of its responsibility for the common life of the Church.
C. There shall be a Joint Council which shall meet at least annually, as required and specified by the Sharing of Buildings Act, 1969. If no relevant matters arise during the year, there shall be no necessity to hold a meeting, but the possibility must be raised at a Church Council meeting each year. Delegation of responsibility from the Joint Council shall be made by formal decision, not by default.
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8. Premises
The premises are subject to a Sharing Agreement (dated 16 June 1992) under the provision of the Sharing of Church Building Act, 1969. The property shall remain in the Trusteeship of the Yorkshire Congregational Union, but the maintenance of the buildings in good repair, together with the cost of heating, lighting and insurance, and the raising of money for these purposes, shall be the responsibility of Christchurch as determined by the Joint Council.
The premises shall be subject to inspection in accordance with the current regulations of the owning denomination.
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9. Finance
There shall be common purse. The Treasurer shall receive and account to the Church Council for all monies donated to the Partnership, through collections, gifts, etc. Copies of independently audited accounts shall be submitted by the Treasurer to the Church Council annually.
Out of the common income there shall be discharged:
I. the expenses of ministry and of administrative costs of the
Partnership, as agreed with the Methodist Circuit and District,
and the United Reformed Church District and Synod;
II. The financial obligations to the central and other funds of the
Participating Churches, as agreed with the respective Church
authorities;
III. Gifts to other Societies and Charities, as determined by the
Church Council.
Final financial responsibility rests with the Church Council.
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10. Wider participation
Other Churches may negotiate for participation in the Partnership at any time, subject to the agreement of the West Yorkshire Ecumenical Council, and of the denominational authorities.
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11. Review
The West Yorkshire Ecumenical Council shall ensure that at least every seven years, the Partnership shall be evaluated with reference to its objectives, set out in the Declaration of Intent and the Constitution.
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12. Continuity
The Partnership shall only be terminated with the approval of the West Yorkshire Ecumenical Council and the appropriate denominational bodies.
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13. Amendment
Any amendment to this constitution shall require three months notice to be given to the Church Council and Church Meeting at the instigation of either meeting. A like notice shall be given to the Superintendent Minister of the Ilkley Methodist Circuit; the Chairman of the West Yorkshire Methodist District; the Moderator of the Yorkshire Synod of the United Reformed Church and the secretary of the West Yorkshire Ecumenical Council. No such amendment shall be valid unless it is approved by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting at the Church Council and the Church Meeting, and has received the agreement of the above named individuals and the approval of the appropriate denominational bodies. The terms of the Sharing Agreement shall take precedence if any conflict is perceived with this Constitution.
May 2002.
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