[Transcriber's note: English and Mota versions are on facing pages, English on even-numbered pages, Mota on odd-numbered pages.]

1. The name is to be THE CHURCH ASSOCIATION.

2. The Association has been formed after much prayer, and we believe it comes from the guiding of the Holy Spirit. It has only one aim--to help and strengthen the Church in Melanesia by getting the people to love and support the Church more than they have done before. So we begin this Association trusting in the help and guidance of Almighty God.

1. The Foundation.

The Foundation on which this Association is built is the Great Law of GOD--that we love GOD and our neighbour. We are members of one family and we must love and help one another.--S. Matthew 22. 35-40.

2. What the Association will do.

The Association will help the people, first by strengthening the life of the Church: then by helping the life of the people by schools, medical work, and by teaching good ways of gardening and farming.

We hope the Association will spread all through the diocese of Melanesia, and it will be the work of those islands where it is strong to help the other islands that are not yet strong.--Romans 15. 1.

3. The Mission and Government to help.

The Mission and Government will help as much as they can to support the Association, especially by providing what is wanted for the farms, schools and hospitals. At first help will be wanted with money, to get the work started.

[4] 4. How Christians helped the Church in the early days.

1. Our Lord and His Apostles had a bag of money with which they brought what they needed, and also used it to help the poor.--S. John, 6; 13. 29, 30.

2. Then in the early Church everyone helped by giving ALL THEY HAD.--Acts 2. 44-47; 4. 34-37.

3. There was a regular collection of money from the Christians.--1 Cor. 10. 1, 2.

4. This money was used to help those who were in need.--Acts 11. 29, 30; 2 Cor. 16. 3.

The Church can do its work well ONLY WHEN EVERYONE HELPS by giving.

THE RULES OF THE ASSOCIATION FOLLOW THE WAY OF THE CHURCH IN THE BIBLE.

5. The Collection.

1. There will be a collection every year from all members of the Church.

2. Every baptised person will give two shillings.

3. People in special positions will give more, like this:

Bishop--£3
Archdeacon--£2/10/-
Priests, Anyone in special position in Government or Trade or Mission--£2
Deacons--£1
Lay Workers in Missions, Dressers, Headmen, Storekeepers, Junior School Teachers--£1
District School Teachers--15/-
District Teachers, Village Chiefs, Village Teachers--5/-

4. Copra, porpoise teeth, shell, or anything that can be sold for money can be given for the Collection.

5. If a village has a Mission plantation and makes copra from it, half the money must be given to the Association and half to the village Church Fund.

[6] 6. Anyone going away to work will give 5/- for the Collection and 3/- for a Thankoffering, for each year they are working. If they go for less than a year they will give part of this money.

7. If they do not pay, the keeper of the Church money in their village must pay for them.

8. This Collection must not interfere with the ordinary Church collection at Christmas, Easter and other days; nor with the Government tax.

6. Other ways of helping.

1. Those who recover from sickness shall make a thank-offering of 1/-.

2. One tenth of the garden food each day shall be kept for sale. If it cannot be sold, the village leader will see that it is used to help the poor and sick, and others in need.

3. Villages shall plant coconuts tobacco and food, for helping the Church; also make mats, bowls, baskets and other things that can be sold.

4. Pigs, fowls, ducks can also be sold to help the Church.

7. A Team of "Consolation" (Acts 4. 32-37).

1. The Association shall choose a number of men who will help by going away to work with Government, Traders or Mission.

2. These men will give half their wages to the Association.

3. They shall solemnly make their promise to the Bishop or the Priest at the Altar.

4. Young men who have been to school could help very much in this way.

8. The Officers.

1. There shall be one Head of the Association in each Island where it is set up.

2. There shall be a leader of the Association in each village.

[8] 9. The Central Committee.

1. The head of the Association (President) and the head of each of the four Committees shall form a Central Committee to decide what shall be done and how the money shall be spent.

2. A report shall be sent to the Bishop each year of what the Committee wants to do, and nothing shall be done and no money shall be spent unless the Bishop agrees. Anything that must be done quickly may be reported to the Bishop at any time for his approval.

3. This Committee shall set apart a sum of money each year to be given to the Bishop either for the general work of the Church in Melanesia, or for some special work such as a school, or for some island that is need of help.

10. The Four Committees.

There shall be Four Committees to look after the work of the Association in each island.

1. A Committee for Farms.
2. A Committee for Church and Schools.
3. A Committee for Medical work.
4. A Committee to keep the money.

11. The Committee for Farms.

1. It will help the Association if some land is given for farming.--Acts 4. 36, 37.

2. These farms will be worked by teams of young men, and the food that is grown, and the pigs and fowls they have, will be sold.

3. It is hoped that the Mission and Government will help by finding ways of selling the produce.

4. The farm workers will help and teach any village that want to do good farming on their own land.

[10] 12. The Committee for Church and Schools.

1. This Committee will look after schools and see where they should be placed.

2. They will decide what salaries they think are right for the priests, deacons and teachers in schools and villages. They will also pay for such Church and school material as they can.

3. They will help as much as they can such works as the Colleges and other schools in the Mission; the Brotherhood, and any other thing that needs help.

13. The Committee for Medical work.

1. This Committee will look for suitable places where a hospital or dispensary can be set up.

2. They will find suitable persons to be dressers and nurses.

3. They will help these hospitals and dispensaries with money from the Association fund.

14. The Committee for the Money.

1. The Association on each island shall have its money in the Bank, and there shall be clerks who shall keep the books very carefully.

2. All things about the money shall be done by this Committee.

3. All money given to the Association shall be carefully written down, and kept in the Bank at Honiara.

4. All money belonging to Junior and District schools on its island shall be kept by the Association; also money belonging to Village churches and money given to the Brothers by the Companions.

5. The books kept by the clerks, and the Bank book, shall be checked each year by the Bishop, or someone appointed by him, to make sure they are correct.

[12] 6. All money for paying clergy and teachers shall be paid by the Association to the Bishop, so that the Bishop shall pay the salaries of clergy and teachers.

7. Any money given by the Government shall be received first by the Bishop who will pay it over to the Association.

15. Who shall agree to these Rules.

1. Nothing shall be done that the Bishop does not agree to, and these Rules must be agreed to by the priest of the island where the Association is set up.

2. When there is a Synod, the Rules shall be put before them, and anything that is done must be agreed to by Synod.

3. If it is wanted to change any rule, or to make new rules, this must be done with the agreement of the Bishop, and of the Synod if there is a Synod at that time.

THIS IS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE WE MUST KEEP THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH IN THE DIOCESE OF MELANESIA.

+GETHING MELANESIA.

June, 1953.

[3] O LEA NAN TAPE

"CHURCH ASSOCIATION."
______________

1. Te logia was o "CHURCH ASSOCIATION."

2. Iragai me nom vasarig ape we qeteg o Association me sike maul apena vag o tataro, wa nina we nomtup so o Vui we Rono we tursalemoa nina apena. O moe nonomia apena tuwale gese, wa si te pirin wa te varagai o Loglue ta Melanesia mun o vasosov o sul si neira te tapetape wa te pirin mantag o Loglue non God. Sowo, alo we qeteg o Association iloke, nina we sov avunan God sin te pirin wa te ave nina apena.

1. O sagerai tapena.

Me vatira o Association avune sagerai was o Lea we Liwoa non GOD--nina tape GOD tara tagvanuanina. Nina ra soesoe veve tuwale wa we tira munina si a vartapetape wa a varpirin.--S. Matthew 22. 35-40.

2. O gagapalag tapena.

O Association te pirin o sul raka sage vag o varagai o Loglue: paso nan vag o piriniva ape school nan, o gagapalag mun ra gopa, wa vag o vatvatogo o tur line tuqei, wa ape "farm."

Nina we maros si o Association te gao alo Diocese nol ta Melanesia, wa we tira mun o vanua nan ni gate maremare tiqa aia.--Rome 15. 1.

3. O Mission wa o Government te pirin.

O Mission wa o Government te pirin tama we lai muneira, raka sage mun o renren ape farm, wa ape school nan, wa ape hospital. Alo qetegiu te maros o piriniva mun o som ape te qeteg o mawmawui nia.

[5] 4. We tuai iragai talo Loglue me pirin tamaike.

1. O tana ape som amen i Lord tara Sala anana, wa neira me wol nia o sava neira me maros, we me alena mun ra masara.--S. John 12. 5; 13. 29, 30.

2. Alo Loglue we tuai valsei me la alena NAPULANA NOL.--Gag. 2. 44-47; 4. 34-37.

3. Me vile vagaegae o alena.--1 Cor. 16. 1, 2.

4. Me aseg o alena iloke munra masara.--Gag. 11. 29, 30; 1 Corinth 16. 3.

Tur ilo vaglala: o Loglue te gagapalag tamaike vires, si VALVALSEI te alena mun o maros we tinegaro.

O ASSOCIATION ILOKE WE TATAGA O LINE LOGLUE NINA WE VASOGO APENA ALO VATAVATA WE GARAQA.

5. O Vilevile Som (o "Collection").

1. Te vile o som val tau nan o sul talo Loglue.

2. Valsei me lav veta o Vasugrono te la 2/- val tau.

3. Ragai wa mawmawui alo tano liwoa te la sal tamaike wa:

I Bishop--£3
I Archdeacon--£2/10/-
Ira Priest, wa ragai alo tano liwoa talo Government, si Trade, si Mission--£2
Ira Deacon--£1
Ira tuara aqaga talo Mission, ira Dresser, ira Headman, ira Ilogoro Store, ira Vatogo talo Junior School--£1
Ira Vatogo talo District School--15/-
Ira Moe Vatogo, ira Maranaga, ira Vatogo--5/-

4. Te la lai ape Collection o tuara gene we wol reag lai ape som, tama o copra, liwo iga, lala.

5. Si o matig napulan Mission apena alo tuan vanua wa o sul we ge o copra nania, te la o taval som tapena mun o Association, we o tuara tavaliu te toga amensei we ilogoro o som tape Loglue aia.

[7] 6. Irasei we rowolue ape mawmawui aveavea te la 5/- ape Collection wa 3/- mun o alena varean ape val tau neira we mawmawui apena. Si neira we van ape takele tau gese, te la o takele som.

7. Si isei qe leasag apena, i ilogoro som tape Logue talo vanua te alena leasia nan o som ni we ilogoro.

8. O Collection iloke tete ge goro ilo o alena we vareg ape Christmas, Easter, wa ape tuara qon; wa mulan tete ge goro o Government tax.

6. O tuara gagapalag we pirin.

1. Irasei we esu kel nan o gopae te la alena 1/- ape varean.

2. Val qon te map reag o takelei o sanavuliu tape sinaga nan o tuqei si a wol. Si tete wol reag, i leader te asegia mun ra gopa tarasei we toga lopsag.

3. Te riv o matig, o tobacco wa o tuqei si a pirin o Loglue nia, wa mulan te vau o epa, o wumeto, o gete wa o tuara gene nan ape te wol reag.

4. Te pirin mulan o Loglue mun o wol reag o qoe, o toa wa o qage.

7. O Vavtigiu we "Ge Masur" (Gag. 4. 32-37).

1. Te ge o vavtigiu norasei we maros we pirin mun o rowolue ape mawmawui mun Government, si Trader, si Mission.

2. Ragai iloke te alena o taval rusarusai namora mun o Association.

3. Neira te vatavata apena mun i Bishiop si mun i Priest alo nago Altar.

4. Ira lumagav me school veta we pirin aneane lai tamaike.

8. Ira Liwoa tapena.

1. O Qat Association tuwale alo val vanua o Church Association apena aia. Te logia was i President.

2. Te vonog o leader ape val laqlaqevanua.

[9] 9. O Committee we Liwoa.

1. I President tara moai talo val Committee nivat te Committee we liwoa, wa o Committee iloke te nom vasarig o sava gagapalag te ge alo Associaiton wa ape te ge o sava mun o som.

2. Val tau o Committee iloke te gaganag mun i Bishop o gagapalag neira we maros te ge, wa tete ge o sava gagapalag wa tete savrag o som, asau nan i Bishop te mawui apena. Si o Committee we maros we ge gaplot o tuan gagapalag, we gaganag lai mun i Bishop ape ni te mawui apena.

3. Val tau o Committee iloke te la o tuan som ape te pirin o Loglue ta Melanesia, si ape te pirin o tuan gagapalag neira we maros, tama o school si o gagapalag alo tuan vanua we masara si we mageregere.

10. O Committee Nivat.

Te vonog o Committee nivat ape ilogoro o gagapalag alo val vanua.

1. O Committee ape Farm nan.
2. O committee ape Loglue wa o School nan.
3. O Committee ape Medicine wa Hospital.
4. O committee ape Ilogoro Som.

11. O Committee ape Farm nan.

1. Te pirin aneane si o sul te ukeg o tano ape farm.--Gag. 4. 36, 37.

2. O vavtig lumagav te mawmawui ape farm nan wa te wol reag o sinaga wa o qoe wa o toa nan tapena.

3. We maros nerei si o Government wa o Mission te pirin ape matesale wolwol iloke.

4. Ira mawmawuitag alo fgarm te pirin wa te vatanau o sul ape line farm si neira we maros we ge tataga alo vanuara.

[11] 12. O Committee ape Loglue wa o School nan.

1. O Committee iloke te ilogoro o school nan wa te iloraka o tanoi apena si te vatira o school we garaqa.

2. Neira te nom mot was o sava rusai we taniniga munra priest tara deacon tara vatogo nan talo school nan wa talo vanua nan. Tama we lai muneira neira te wol o renren wa o gene nan ape Ima we Rono nan wa ape school nan.

3. Alo we lai, neira te pirin o tuara gagapalag tama o College wa o tuara school nan talo Mission; o Retatasiu wa o sava gagapalag we nonom si te tira ape neira te pirinia.

13. O Committee ape Medicine wa Hospital.

1. O Committee iloke te sike o tanoi nan te vatira o hospital si o ima medicine aia.

2. Neira te iloraka irasei te sasarita ape dresser si nurse.

3. Neira te pirin o gagapalag iloke vag o som napulan o Associaiton.

14. O Committee ape Ilogoro Som.

1. O Association te map o som tepena alo Bank, wa ira clerk te ilogoro matanur nor o book tapena.

2. O Committee iloke te ilogoro val gene ape som.

3. Te rave nurnur alo book o som nan o sul we la mun o Association, we te map o som alo Bank a Honiara.

4. O Association te ilogoro mulan o som ape Junior wa District school nan, wa mulan o som tape Ima we Rono nan, wa o som ira Companion we alena mun o Retatasiu.

5. Val tau i Bishop, si isei ni we vonog apena, te iloilo o Bank book wa o book ira clerk we rave, si ni gilala was we rave mantagira.

[13] 6. O Association te la mun i Bishop o som ape we rusagira priest tara deacon tara vatogo, si i Bishop a rusagira nia, o manigiu we tira mun i Bishop tamaike.

7. Si o Government te pirin vag o som, i Bishop te lav nan o Government anoa, te qara la mun o Association.

15. Ape we manas goro o Lea nan iloke.

1. Tete ge o sava i Bishop gate mawui apena, wa alo we nonom ape te vatira o Association avea, ira priest talo vanua ilone te mawui amoa nan we vatira.

2. Si o Synod apena, tete ge o sava o Synod we gatogoro apena.

3. Si we maros we tuan o lea nan iloke, si te leas, we tira si i Bishop te mawui apena, wa o Synod mulan, si o Synod apena.

O LEA NITOL ILOKE WE MAVA, O MANIGIU NAMONINA RAN SI NINA TOGA NETENETE ALO PULUTUWALE NON O LOGLUE TA MELANESIA.

+GETHING MELANESIA.

June, 1953.

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M.M. Press, B.S.I. 250. 7-'53

Project Canterbury