Our Post-office address is The number of male members is ; No. of female members is ; Total The average attendance on public worship is place is What is its location and prospect of growth? The population of the What other Church organizations and Church edifices, if any, within three miles? The size of the house to be built is It will accommodate What is the general style of the Edifice, and what material is to be used? The estimated cost of the House, when finished is The cost of the Lot was The amount of reliable subscription now raised is When is the House to be completed, and ready to be used for public worship? Can you support preaching regularly without aid from the A. H. M. S.? In addition to the foregoing, please state any other facts which will show the importance of obtaining the aid asked. APPLICATIONS FOR AID.* Congregational Church of WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, Officers of the County of and State of do hereby certify and state:1st. That the answers given to the questions on the preceding page and the statements made are, to the best of our knowledge, strictly correct. 2d. That we believe the LEAST amount that will suffice to complete and pay last bills on our house of worship, with our utmost exertions, is the sum of Dollars. 3d. We hereby agree to receive such sum as may be granted to us, under the conditions stated on the preceding page, pledging ourselves to a faithful compliance with the same. Respectfully, * The church applying for aid should not embarrass itself by assuming beforehand that the amount asked for will certainly be granted. Nothing is pledged from the Union until the actual vote of the Board of Trustees on a regular application. DIRECTIONS. -Fill the blanks on the preceding page, giving full information and definite answers as to each item. Then fill the "Application" on this page with the least sum that will suffice, and sign as indicated above. Secure the signatures to "Recommendation" as directed in specification No. III., on the preceding page; then forward this to the Rooms of the Congregational Union, Bible House, New York. RECOMMENDATION. THE UNDERSIGNED are well satisfied that the foregoing statements are reliable, and that the Church asking aid deserves sympathy and help. Our knowledge of the place, and of the members of the Church, warrants us in commending them heartily to the favorable consideration of the Trustees of the American Congregational Union. Agent A. H. M. S. Pastor or S. S. of Cong'l Church at PRESENT CONDITION OF THE CHURCH AND ITS CORPORATION, ITS HOUSE OF WORSHIP, AND FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS, ETC. THE following are correct statements of the present condition and financial affairs of the Congregational Church and its Corporation, at This Church was organized Its legal or corporate title is It was incorporated The present number of male members is The present number of female members is This Church voted to take up an ANNUAL COLLECTION for the Congregational Union at its meeting held 18 The size of the House of Worship is There has now been raised and paid on account of the House, and we hold receipts for, $ The entire cost of the House was The sums contributed by neighboring Churches or Congregational friends to aid us in building are as follows, viz.: The house has been ready to be used for holding public worship since The following is our Post-office address: Please make the draft for the appropriation payable to the order of 18 Minister, Deacons, and Trustees. N. B. The blanks on this paper must be filled out, and a satisfactory statement given as to each of the above items, before the Treasurer is authorized to pay the appropriation. This paper, when filled out and signed, should be sent to the Treasurer, at New York, with the Certificate and Agreement. worship built by this corporation is now completed and ready to be used for public worship, and that the ground upon which it stands is owned in fee simple by the said corporation, free and clear of incumbrance, and that the sum of dollars, appropriated by THE American CongreGATIONAL UNION, is sufficient to pay all debts now outstanding; that the aforesaid church edifice is now duly insured against loss by fire; and that the vote taken by this church in conformity with the IVth condition is recorded in the church records; also that all the conditions upon which this appropriation was made have been fully complied with on the part of this church and its corporation, strictly in accordance with the facts given in the accompanying statement of the "Present Condition of this Church Organization, and its Financial Obligations"; and on receipt of this ap-. propriation by us, we hereby agree to discharge without delay all debts that can be made a lien against the aforesaid house of worship, or the land upon which it stands, and also to keep the said house continuously insured against loss by fire. Furthermore, we hereby agree for ourselves and our successors in office, that, in the event the aforesaid Congregational Church shall, from any cause, become extinct, or cease to be an Evangelical Congregational Church, or abandon public worship and sell its house, or neglect to keep its house of worship insured, or to comply with the other conditions upon which said appropriation was granted, that the above sum of dollars shall revert to THE AMERICAN CONGREGATIONAL UNION; and we hereby promise and agree to well and truly pay, or cause the same to be paid to the Treasurer of said CONGREGATIONAL UNION within six months after such a change of the Church, or sale of the house, or neglect of the conditions of said grant. The amount of the appropriation by the Union is The amount raised and now paid on account of the house and land is WE hereby certify that the statements contained in the above Certificate and Agreement are correct. Minister. N. B. This "Certificate and Agreement" should not be sent to the TREASURER of the CONGREGATIONAL UNION until all the conditions upon which the aid was granted, have been carefully complied with. Then it must be accompanied with a certificate from either a judge of a court, a justice of the peace, a lawyer, or a notary public, that the Society, or other corporation, is duly incorporated in accordance with the laws of the State in which it is located, with the date of such incorporation; also, that the officers thereof were legally chosen; and a full and definite statement of the "Present Condition of the Church Organization, its House of Worship, and Financial Obligations," must also be sent with this Certificate and Agreement. TREASURER'S RECEIPT. 187 RECEIVED FROM THE AMERICAN CONGREGATIONAL UNION, by its TreasDollars, being the amount appropriated by said urer, the sum of State of Society to the Corporation of the of Congregational Church of County to complete the payment for the house of worship of said church and society, subject to all the provisions and conditions mentioned in the Certificate and Agreement signed by the officers of said church and corporation, in accordance with which said appropriation was made. N. B. This. Receipt must be signed by the officers of the society, or the church corporation, and also by the deacons, and then returned to Treasurer, New York. SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS. ANY church which contributes money to aid another church in the erection of its house of worship can do so through the Union, by sending its money to the Union with the direction that it is for a "special appropriation," or by requiring the church which receives it to acknowledge its receipt to the Union. Thus important advantages are gained which cannot be well secured without the intervention of the Union. When a church applies to the Union for help, and receives aid from neighboring churches or Congregational friends, in addition to the regular appropriation of the Union, it is required to account for the same to the Union, that the donors may have due credit, that what is done by the denomination in the work of church erection may be permanently recorded, and that all the money thus given may be secured for all time to the object for which it is bestowed, the recipients being held legally to pay that money into the treasury of the Union should their church prove a failure. In such cases use is made of the following: TREASURER'S RECEIPT FOR A SPECIAL APPROPRIATION. 187 $ RECEIVED FROM THE AMERICAN CONGREGATIONAL UNION, by contributions of making in all the sum of Dollars, which sum, in accordance with instructions of the contributors, is made a special appropriation by the Board of Trustees of THE AMERICAN CONGREGATIONAL UNION to the corporation of the Congregational Church of to aid in payment for the house of wor 2 Cent Revenue Stamp. County of State of ship of said church and its society or corporation. And we hereby agree for ourselves, and our successors in office, that, in case the aforesaid Congregational Church shall, from any cause, become extinct, or cease to be an Evangelical Congregational Church, or shall abandon public worship, and sell its house, that the above sum of Dollars shall revert to THE AMERICAN Congregational UNION, in addition to any other sum which this church, its society, or corporation may receive from the said CONGREGATIONAL UNION; and we hereby promise and agree to well and truly pay the said sum of money, or cause it to be paid, to the Treasurer of said CONGREGATIONAL UNION within six months after such a change of the church or sale of the house. ト N. B. The names of the churches (or individuals) which contribute the money, and the several amounts given, should be inserted in this receipt, and it should be signed by the officers of the society or the church corporation which receives the special appropriation and then sent to Treasurer, New York. FORM OF DEED. WHEN the laws of a State do not recognize a church as a legal corporate body, or when in a Territory there are no statutes respecting church property, a form of Deed may be used by means of which a church may hold the property on principles of common law. Such a blank form of Deed will be furnished gratuitously by the Union to any officer of a church who may apply. |