Manual of the Mother Church Part 1

Manual of the Mother Church.

by Mary Baker Eddy.

TENETS

_of The Mother Church_

_The First Church of Christ, Scientist_

_To be signed by those uniting with The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Ma.s.s._

1. As adherents of Truth, we take the inspired Word of the Bible as our sufficient guide to eternal Life.

2. We acknowledge and adore one supreme and infinite G.o.d. We acknowledge His Son, one Christ; the Holy Ghost or divine Comforter; and man in G.o.d's image and likeness.

3. We acknowledge G.o.d's forgiveness of sin in the destruction of sin and the spiritual understanding that casts out evil as unreal. But the belief in sin is punished so long as the belief lasts.

4. We acknowledge Jesus' atonement as the evidence of divine, efficacious Love, unfolding man's unity with G.o.d through Christ Jesus the Way-shower; and we acknowledge that man is saved through Christ, through Truth, Life, and Love as demonstrated by the Galilean Prophet in healing the sick and overcoming sin and death.

5. We acknowledge that the crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection served to uplift faith to understand eternal Life, even the allness of Soul, Spirit, and the nothingness of matter.

6. And we solemnly promise to watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus; to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; and to be merciful, just, and pure.

MARY BAKER EDDY

HISTORICAL SKETCH

In the spring of 1879, a little band of earnest seekers after Truth went into deliberations over forming a church without creeds, to be called the "CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST." They were members of evangelical churches, and students of Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy in Christian Science, and were known as "Christian Scientists."

At a meeting of the Christian Scientist a.s.sociation, April 12, 1879, on motion of Mrs. Eddy, it was voted,--To organize a church designed to commemorate the word and works of our Master, which should reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing.

Mrs. Eddy was appointed on the committee to draft the Tenets of the Mother Church--the chief corner stone whereof is, that Christian Science, as taught and demonstrated by our Master, casts out error, heals the sick, and restores the lost Israel: for "the stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner."

The charter for the Church was obtained June, 1879,[1] and the same month the members, twenty-six in number, extended a call to Mary Baker Eddy to become their pastor. She accepted the call, and was ordained A. D. 1881. Although walking through deep waters, the little Church went steadily on, increasing in numbers, and at every epoch saying,

"Hitherto hath the Lord helped us."

On the twenty-third day of September, 1892, at the request of Rev.

Mary Baker Eddy, twelve of her students and Church members met and reorganized, under her jurisdiction, the Christian Science Church and named it, THE FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST.

At this meeting twenty others of Mrs. Eddy's students and members of her former Church were elected members of this Church,--those with others that have since been elected were known as "First Members."

The Church Tenets, Rules, and By-Laws, as prepared by Mrs. Eddy, were adopted. A By-Law adopted March 17, 1903, changed the t.i.tle of "First Members" to "Executive Members." (On July 8, 1908, the By-Laws pertaining to "Executive Members" were repealed.)

THE FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST, IN BOSTON, Ma.s.s., is designed to be built on the Rock, Christ; even the understanding and demonstration of divine Truth, Life, and Love, healing and saving the world from sin and death; thus to reflect in some degree the Church Universal and Triumphant.

[1] Steps were taken to promote the Church of Christ, Scientist, in April, May and June; formal organization was accomplished and the charter obtained in August, 1879.

CHURCH OFFICERS

Rev. MARY BAKER EDDY Pastor Emeritus

GEORGE WENDELL ADAMS Christian Science Board of Directors CHARLES E. HEITMAN Mrs. NELVIA E. RITCHIE FRANCIS LYSTER JANDRON ALFRED PITTMAN

Mrs. HELEN CHAFFEE ELWELL President

THOMAS E. HURLEY First Reader Conducts services and reads from the Christian Science textbook, "SCIENCE AND HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES" by Mary Baker Eddy

Mrs. GEORGINA TENNANT Second Reader Reads from the SCRIPTURES

GORDON V. COMER Clerk, 107 Falmouth Street, Boston, Ma.s.s.

ROY GARRETT WATSON Treasurer, 107 Falmouth Street, Boston, Ma.s.s.

1947-1948

CHURCH BY-LAWS

CHURCH OFFICERS

Article I--NAMES, ELECTION, AND DUTIES

Names. SECTION 1. The Church officers shall consist of the Pastor Emeritus, a Board of Directors, a President, a Clerk, a Treasurer, and two Readers.

President. SECTION 2. The President shall be elected, subject to the approval of the Pastor Emeritus, by the Board of Directors[2] on Monday preceding the annual meeting of the Church. The President shall hold office for one year, and the same person is eligible for election but once in three years.

[2] See under "Deed of Trust" for incorporation of the "Christian Science Board of Directors."

Clerk and Treasurer. SECTION 3. The term of office for the Clerk and the Treasurer of this Church (also for the editors and the manager of The Christian Science Publis.h.i.+ng Society, and the manager of the general Committee on Publication in Boston) is one year each, dating from the time of election to office. Inc.u.mbents who have served one year or more, may be re-elected, or new officers elected, at the annual meeting held for this purpose, by a unanimous vote of the Christian Science Board of Directors and the consent of the Pastor Emeritus given in her own handwriting.

Readers. SECTION 4. Every third year Readers shall be elected in The Mother Church by the Board of Directors, which shall inform the Pastor Emeritus of the names of its candidates before they are elected; and if she objects, said candidates shall not be chosen.

The Directors shall fix the salaries of the Readers.

Directors. SECTION 5. The Christian Science Board of Directors shall consist of five members. They shall fill a vacancy occurring on that Board after the candidate is approved by the Pastor Emeritus. A majority vote or the request of Mrs. Eddy shall dismiss a member.

Members shall neither report the discussions of this Board, nor those with Mrs. Eddy.