Chapter 1: Church Letters

A. Letter of Membership Transfer

6000. Letter Sent by Church Granting Transfer to Another Wesleyan Church (575–580).

To the pastor and secretary of the _____________ Wesleyan Church.

This certifies that ______________ is a member in good standing in the _____________ Wesleyan Church, and being desirous of transferring membership to your church, is hereby transferred and commended to your care and fellowship.

By authority and in behalf of the ______________ Wesleyan Church, this ______ day of ________, AD ________.

________________________ Pastor ________________________ Local Church Secretary

_______________________
^{(The member’s relationship at the church granting the letter continues until the member is duly received by the church to which the member is being transferred.)}

6010. Acknowledgment Sent by Receiving Church (575).

To the pastor and secretary of the _____________ Wesleyan Church.

This certifies that _______________, for whom you issued a letter of transfer dated the ______ day of __________, AD ________, has been duly received by the _________________ Wesleyan Church on the ______ day of _________, AD ________, and we send you this acknowledgment in order that you may complete your record of this transfer.

________________________ Pastor ________________________ Local Church Secretary

6020. Notice Sent to Member Being Transferred.

We have on this date, the ______ day of __________, AD ________, issued a letter of transfer of your membership to the ___________________ Wesleyan Church, commending you to its care and fellowship. May the Lord bless you in your new relationship.

________________________ Pastor ________________________ Local Church Secretary

B. Letter of Recommendation for a Member

6030. Letter Given to Person Desiring to Transfer to Another Denomination (590).

This certifies that ____________, the bearer, has been up to this date an acceptable member of the _______________ Wesleyan Church, and being desirous of removing from said Church, is hereby released and cordially recommended to the Christian confidence of those to whom this certificate may be presented. By authority and in behalf of the ______________ Wesleyan Church, this ______ day of __________, AD ________.

________________________ Pastor ________________________ Local Church Secretary

_______________________
^{(It is understood that this letter of recommendation terminates the bearer’s membership in The Wesleyan Church immediately.)}

C. Letter of Membership Withdrawal

6040. Letter Given to Person Desiring to Withdraw from the Church (592; Gen. Bd. Policy on Ch. Disc. 5048).

This certifies that ____________, the bearer, has been up to this date a member of the ______________ Wesleyan Church, and being desirous of withdrawing from said Church, is hereby declared to be withdrawn.

By authority and in behalf of the ______________ Wesleyan Church, this ______ day of __________, AD ________.

________________________ Pastor ________________________ Local Church Secretary

_______________________
^{(It is understood that this letter of withdrawal terminates the bearer’s membership in The Wesleyan Church immediately.)}

D. Member Certificates

6050. Membership Covenant (553)

In becoming a member of The Wesleyan Church, I affirm the following:

• That I have been born again, having repented of my sins and found personal assurance of salvation through trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior.
• That I have received the sacrament of baptism since becoming a Christian or have personally affirmed the act of others on my behalf when I was baptized as an infant.
• That I will commit to pursue holiness in all things.
• That I accept and agree to abide by the Articles of Religion and the Elementary Principles as my standards of biblical doctrine and personal conduct, and I accept the authority of The Wesleyan Church in matters of Church government.
• That I commit to live out the mission and vision of The Wesleyan Church through a discipling relationship within the local church.
• That I commit myself to support the Church, to live in fellowship with its members, and to seek God’s glory in all things.

________________________ Signature ________________________ Date ________________________ Local Church Name

6052. Certificate of Membership (553:4)

This is to certify that ____________________________has publicly confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and has been received as a member of The Wesleyan Church and locally of the ______________ in ________________ on this _______________ day of _______________ in the year of our Lord _______________.

________________________ Pastor ________________________ Local Church Secretary

E. Certificate of Student Membership

6070. Certificate of Student Membership (564–565)

This is to certify that ______________________has publicly confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and has been received as a student member of The Wesleyan Church and locally of the _____________________ in __________________ on this ___________ day of ______________, AD_________.

________________________ Pastor ________________________ Local Church Secretary