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The following objectives
are as set out in our Memorandum of Association as agreed in June 1950 and
last amended in July 1966.
a) To
maintain the doctrine and worship of the
Church of England as set forth in
the 39 Articles of Religion, and the Book of Common Prayer, as reviewed and
adopted in 1662, and to uphold the supreme and exclusive sufficiency and authority
of Holy Scripture as containing all things necessary for salvation.
b) To maintain the character of the Church of England as the National
Church and also as one of the Reformed Churches of Christendom and in the case of
the disestablishment of the Church of England to take such action as may
be deemed by the Society to be best fitted to promote the objects of the
foregoing sub-clause in such disestablished church or any branch thereof.
c) To unite all members of the Church of England of a Church within the Anglican
Communion who desire to maintain the doctrine and worship of the Church of
England on the basis of the foregoing sub-clauses.
d) To resist all efforts to reinstate in the Church of England the sacrifice
of the Mass, adoration of the Presence of Christ in or under the form of
the consecrated elements, reservation of the Sacrament, cultus of the Virgin
Mother of our Lord, Image worship, and all like usages renounced by the
Church of England at the time of the Reformation.
e) To promote or oppose or join in promoting
or opposing legislative or other measures affecting or likely to affect any of the objects of the Society,
and to contribute to or bear the expenses of any action or proceeding in
any Court or in Parliament affecting any such objects.
f) To promote friendly relations with other Protestant Churches, and to
strive for reunion of Christendom on the basis of the supreme authority
of Holy Scripture as God’s Revelation of His will for man.
g) To found, manage, control and maintain, promote and assists schools
and colleges, communities or other institutions. Provided that all such schools,
colleges, communities or other institutions religious instruction is given
in the doctrines of the Church of England, and the duties devolving therefrom
in conformity with the principles of the Church of England as above indicated,
and generally to uphold and advance scriptural religious study and education
according to the said principles of the Church of England, and to promote
in all ways education where such scriptural religious instruction is given.
h) To organise meetings, and courses of lectures, arrange for sermons train preachers and lecturers and teachers to give instruction and spread
information regarding the doctrine, practice, teaching and history of the Church of England,
and to give them assistance, pecuniary or otherwise, in their training and
preparation and to use other means as may promote such instruction and information.
i) To print, publish, sell or cause to be printed, published, sold and, if
thought fit, to distribute gratuitously, books, booklets, leaflets, daily,
weekly, monthly, quarterly, or newspapers, magazines, or other periodicals,
calculated to advance the objects set forth above or to prevent the introduction
into the services of doctrines, teachings and practices, subversive of or
contrary to the principle of the Church of England as above indicated.
j) To extend assistance in their parochial
or other work to Clergy who are
in sympathy with the principles of the Church of England as above indicated;
to make provision for necessitous clergy, their widows, children, or other
dependents; to found and maintain Convalescent Homes and Hostels; and in
other ways to set forward, aid, or maintain in whole or in part, works
of piety and charity in connection with the Church of England and the members
thereof.
k) To take over and carry on in continuity the work now being done by an
unicorporated society known as the “National Church League”, and the other unicorporated
Societies of which it is composd, viz., the Protestant Association, the Protestant
Educational Institute, the Protestant Churchmen’s Alliance, the Ladies’ League,
the Church of England League, the National Protestant Church Union, the Union
of Clerical and Lay Associations, and the Church of England Clerical and Lay
Association (Midland District), and to take over the work of other Societies
now or hereafter existing, having the same objects as the Society or similar
objects, and to represent the said societies and each of them for all purposes.
l) To take over such of the assets and
liabilities of such Societies as may
lawfully be taken over by the Society and rights of patronage associated
with them or any of them and for that purpose to take such steps, execute
such orders for that purpose to take such steps, execute such documents
and obtain such orders from any competent authority as will best enable
such assets to become vested in the Society or in trustees for the Society.
m) To acquire, whether by gift or otherwise, and to hold and administer the
Patronage of livings in the Church of England.
n) If thought fit to conform, fulfil and carry out any regulations, conditions,
or provisions whatsoever, which will or may enable the Society to receive
any contributions, grants or benefits of any description, whether from
the Exchequer, the Board of Education, any local or other authority, or
from any person or persons, body, association, or corporation in respect
of the work of the Society.
o) To accept any such grants or payments as aforesaid and generally to raise,
expend, invest and accumulate funds and income for the objects of the Society,
and in particular to obtain and accept
money and property including land for the objects of the Society from the public at large whether by means
of public meetings, entertainments, sales of work, or otherwise, and by
way of subscriptions, donations, bequests, devises or otherwise, with power
to spend money in advertisements and appeals, and generally for the above
purposes. Provided that the Society shall not engage in any commercial
activity other than of a transitory nature, and in particular not in any
form of illegal gambling or lottery.
p) To purchase, take or lease, hire or otherwise acquire any real or personal
property and any rights or privileges necessary or convenient for the purposes
of the Society or its work, subject as to land to the provisions of the above-mentioned
Section.
q) To build, or assist in building, churches, chapels, mission rooms, houses,
schools, colleges, homes, or other buildings, and to maintain, alter and
improve the same, including existing buildings and to furnish and equip
the same.
r) To sell, improve, manage, develop, lease, accept surrender of leases,
exchange, dispose of, turn to account or otherwise deal with all or any
part of the property for the time being of the Society with a view to the
furtherance of its objects, and to borrow or raise money at interest on
the issue of or upon bonds, debentures, debenture stock or other obligations
or securities of the Society or upon mortgage or charge of the property
of the Society or otherwise in such manner as may seem expedient, and to
act as guarantors in the raising of money for the advancement of any of
the objects of the Society.
s) To invest the moneys of the Society not immediately required for its purposes
in or upon such investments, securities or property as may be thought fit,
subject nevertheless to such conditions (if any) and such consents (if any)
as may for the time being be imposed or required by law and subject also
as hereinafter provided.
t) To pay officers, clerks, and servants of the Society, and to make payments
for their insurance, and to establish, continue, and maintain a Pension fund
or funds, or assist in establishing, continuing and maintaining a Pension
fund or funds from which Grants may be made for the support and maintenance
of employees of the Society who are incapacitated by age or otherwise from
work, or for the support of their widows and children, of for providing
annuities or yearly payments to such employees, provided that the Society
shall not carry on any insurance or reinsurance business within the Assurance
Companies Act, 1909, or the Industrial Assurance Act, 1923, or any Act
extending or re-enacting the same.
u) To take over any existing trusts relating to any of the objects of the
Society and also to act as custodian
trustee and to undertake and execute
any trust or agency business which is directly or indirectly conducive
to the objects of the Society.
v) To amalgamate with or enter into partnership or any arrangement for union
or interests, joint adventure, reciprocal concessions or co-operation whether
financial or otherwise with any person, body or persons, Society or Company
carrying on or engaged in or about to carry on or engage in any business
or transaction calculated directly or indirectly to benefit the Society,
and which by its constitution prohibits the distribution of its income
and property amongst its members to an extent at least as great as is imposed
on the Society by Clause 5 hereof. Or (notwithstanding anything herein-before
contained) to take or otherwise acquire and hold shares, stocks or securities
of, and to subsidise or otherwise assist any such Company an to sell, hold,
re-issue with or without guarantee, or otherwise deal with such shares,
stocks or securities, also to appoint persons to serve on any Committee
or managing body of any such body of persons, society or company, and to
appoint managers, inspectors, and other officials of schools, colleges
or other institutions, whether held or managed by the Society or not. Provided
that no action taken in accordance with this or any other sub-clause shall
detract from the charitable nature of the Society or permit the support
by any means of any purpose which is not charitable.
w) To provide and maintain an organization or organizations with branches
and local committees, and whether at home or abroad for all or any of the
foregoing objects.
x) Generally to do all such other lawful things as are necessary to the attainment
of any of the above objects.
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