Congregant

There is a misconception concerning congregations and being a member of a congregation of record or COR.

A congregation is a free assembly.

There is no corporate nature to a COR.

Nor is it an unincorporated association.

Because of the free nature of a gathering called a congregation there are no real members in a legal sense.

So to describe someone gathered in such a free assembly one needs to seek out other terms.

Congregant is one term that has been used for obvious reasons.

The term communicant could also be applied because an Elder of a family who has chosen a minister has communicated his desire and intent to be a part of that free assembly bound by charity and the perfect law of liberty.

Supplicant could also apply in the sense that those who gather are now praying to the God of charity and love instead of the gods of force and violence as most people do.

Also, and because of the free nature of God's system in becoming a congregant there is no approval required by the other congregant.

It is the minister who recognizes the congregant as a matter of record.

No minister should accept a contribution on behalf His Church unless he is going to recognize that that individual is gathering in charity as a congregant of the COR.

They may express an opinion but it is the minister who accepts or rejects the offering.

If the congregation has the power of yeah or nay the enjoy a corporate right.

If there are question on this subject put them forth here or privately to me or your local minister.

How [does] COR differ from Orders - that in the case of the COR [and] an Order.

Your question is appropriate because I could see some confusion here in this matter amongst those in the network.

There are extremely complex spiritual and legal relationships at work in the system or body established by Christ.

It is a multidimensional puzzle that fits together on several different levels.

But like our own natural body they should be automatic and not require constant attention. They should be natural.

To illustrate part of this relationship:

• Think of a minister in part as a terminal in a network.

He has ten or more connection points where people can congregate around and seek Christ.

By interacting with each other and him, and he interacting with his own minister all interact with a larger body.

The world does the same but in the kingdom this is done by empowering the individual to make their own choices but not choices for others.

The minister in God's government was never meant in old or new testament to stand between man and God but to facilitate a network between men, hopefully men of God.

A man of God is one who eats of the tree of life as said in the old testament or receives the revelations or comfort of God in spirit and acts upon them in truth.

We know connection to God is by acceptance of God as our father and we draw near him by our sacrifices in love.

If the elders can tell the minister who can congregate or connect to him then the minister is directly their servant.

He is to serve them but as Christ's servant not theirs. many will want and do regulate their minister but they themselves want to be free.

They will seek to rule over their minister.

If they do it as a body then if any of them have another father as a matter of record that earthly father will have jurisdiction over the office of the minister in matters of judication. The muster role will bind the minister and the Church.

Even if they do not incorporate the fathers of the earth will claim jurisdiction by association.

This is why offerings are burnt up, entirely given. The power over [reigns of control/kidney] the distribution of offerings must be entirely given to the minister.

By the same measure there can be no power over the minister as to who he can accept or reject.

Yet the power of choice remains entirely in the hands of the congregant but only over himself.

To demonstrate: In a practical matter if the minister is accepting people that drive congregants away or practice regular activities that the biblical instructions tell us to avoid or stay away from such as we see in 1 Timothy 6:5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

or 2 Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Then we may depart from that minister and choose another. That process should include approaching the minister, approaching the overseer and other congregants but that is the choice of the congregant.

In an order the members have left behind all their worldly connections and laid their life down for Christ in word and deed. There is no other father. They are dependent on the God working in the hearts of the assembly and each other.

For that to be real they need to strive and persevere.

They will need the blessings of God through the hearts of the people.

The SPT is for the protection of the minister.

No one has any say so in what t he COR does because it is a free assembly. It also helps the Overseer if the need arises. It also protects the whole church by barring the world.

It is your letter of determination so we do not need the IRSs letter... with enough SPT we make our own determination.

Government of the people for the people and by the people and the SPT is the prima facia evidence that we are.

It is important.

So is charity and love.... all part of the complex puzzle on many dimensions.

Votaries and Congregants Votaries and Congregants 2012-1-28

How does God want you to govern yourself in this world?

How does the perfect law of liberty work?

Have you been seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness? http://hisholychurch.net/audio/2012-1-28VotariesandCongregants.mp3