The National Council of the Congregational Churches of the United States adopted this constitution in 1871 (source).
The Congregational churches of the United States, by elders and messengers assembled, do now associate themselves in National Council:
To express and foster their substantial unity in doctrine, polity, and work; and
To consult upon the common interests of all the churches, their duties in the work of evangelization, the united development of their resources, and their relations to all parts of the kingdom of Christ.
They agree in belief that the Holy Scriptures are the sufficient and only infallible rule of religious faith and practice; their interpretation thereof being in substantial accordance with the great doctrines of the Christian faith, commonly called evangelical, held in our churches from the early times, and sufficiently set forth by former General Councils.
They agree in belief that the right of government resides in local churches, or congregations of believers, who are responsible directly to the Lord Jesus Christ, the One Head of the church universal and of all particular churches; but that all churches, being in communion one with another as parts of Christ's catholic church, have mutual duties subsisting in the obligations of fellowship.
The churches, therefore, while establishing this National Council for the furtherance of the common interests and work of all the churches, do maintain the Scriptural and inalienable right of each church to self-government and administration; and this National Council shall never exercise legislative or judicial authority, nor consent to act as a council of reference.
And for the convenience of orderly consultation, they establish the following Rules:
The churches will meet in National Council every third year. They shall also be convened in special session whenever any five of the general State organizations shall so request.
The churches shall be represented at each session, by delegates, either ministers or laymen, appointed in number and manner as follows:
The churches, assembled in their local organizations, appoint one delegate for every ten churches in their respective organizations, and one for a fraction of ten greater than one half, it being understood that wherever the churches of any State are directly united in a general organization, they may, at their option, appoint the delegates in such a body, instead of in local organizations, but in the above ratio of churches so united.
In addition to the above, the churches united in State organization appoint by such body one delegate, and one for each ten thousand communicants in their fellowship, and one for a major fraction thereof.
It being recommended that the number of delegates be, in all cases, divided between ministers and laymen, as nearly equally as is practicable.
Such Congregational (general) societies for Christian work, and the faculties of such theological seminaries, as may be recognized by this Council, may be represented by one delegate each, such representatives having the right of discussion only.
At the beginning of every stated or special session, there shall be chosen by ballot, from those present as members, a moderator, and one or more assistant moderators, to preside over its deliberations.
At each triennial session, there shall be chosen by ballot a secretary, a registrar and a treasurer, to serve from the close of such session to the close of the next triennial session.
The secretary shall receive communications for the Council, conduct correspondence, and collect such facts, and superintend such publications, as may from time to time be ordered.
The registrar shall make and preserve the records of the proceedings of the Council; and for his aid, one or more assistants shall be chosen at each session, to serve during such session.
The treasurer shall do the work ordinarily belonging to such office.
At each triennial session, there shall be chosen a provisional committee, who shall make needful arrangements for the next triennial session, and for any session called during the interval.
Committees shall be appointed, and in such manner, as may from time to time be ordered.
Any member of a church in fellowship may be chosen to the office of secretary, registrar, or treasurer; and such officers as are not delegates shall have the privileges of members, except that of voting.
The Council may make and alter By-laws at any triennial session.
This constitution shall not be altered or amended, except at a triennial session, and by a two-thirds vote, notice thereof having been given at a previous triennial session, or the proposed alteration having been requested by some general State organization of churches, and published with the notification of the session.
I. In all its official acts and records, this body shall be designated as THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES OF THE UNITED STATES.
II. It shall be understood that the term for which delegates to the Council are appointed expires with each session, triennial or special, to which they are chosen.
III. Persons selected as preachers, or to prepare papers, or to serve upon committees appointed by this body, shall be entitled to seats in the session in which they are to serve, without the privilege of voting.
IV. The term "Congregational," as applied to the general benevolent Societies, in connection with representation in this body, is understood in the broad sense of societies whose constituency and control are substantially Congregational.
V. The Provisional Committee shall consist of seven persons by appointment, with the addition of the Secretary, Registrar, and Treasurer, ex officiis. This committee shall specify the place, and the precise time, at which sessions shall commence; shall choose a preacher of the opening sermon; may select topics regarding the Christian work of the churches, and persons to propose and present papers thereon; shall do any work which shall have been referred to them by the Council; and shall make a full report of all their doings, the consideration of which shall be the first in order of business after organization.
VI. The sessions shall ordinarily be held in the latter part of October, or the early part of November.
VII. The call for any session shall be signed by the chairman of the Provisional Committee and the Secretary of the Council, and it shall contain a list of topics proposed by the committee; and the Secretary shall seasonably furnish blank credentials, and other needful papers, to the scribes of the several local organizations of churches.
VIII. Soon after the opening of a stated or special session, the following committees shall be appointed:
A committee on Credentials, who shall prepare a roll of members.
A committee of Nominations, to nominate all committees not otherwise provided for.
A Business Committee, to propose a docket for the use of the members. Except by special vote of the Council, no business shall be introduced which has not thus passed through the hands of this committee.
Committees shall be composed of three persons each, except otherwise ordered.
IX. In the sessions of the National Council, half an hour shall every morning be given to devotional services, and the daily sessions shall be opened with prayer, and closed with prayer or singing. One evening at least shall be entirely set apart for a meeting of prayer and conference; and every evening shall ordinarily be given to meetings of a specifically religious rather than business character. And the Council will join in the sacrament of the Lord's supper at some convenient season.
X. An Auditor of Accounts shall be appointed at every session.
XI. The Provisional Committee may fill any vacancies occurring in any committee or office in the intervals of sessions,-the person so appointed to serve until the next session.
XII. The Council approves of an annual compilation of the statistics of the churches, and of a list of such ministers as are reported by the several State organizations. And the Secretary is directed to present at each triennial session comprehensive and comparative summaries for the three years preceding.
XIII. The Council will welcome correspondence by interchange of delegates, with the general Congregational bodies of other lands, and with the general ecclesiastical organizations of other churches of evangelical faith in our land. Delegates will be appointed by the Council in the years of its session, and by the Provisional Committee in the intervening years.
The rules of order shall be those found in common parliamentary use, not modified by local legislative practice, with the following explicit modifications:
When a question is under debate, no motion shall be received except the following ; namely, to amend, to commit, to postpone to a time certain, to postpone indefinitely, to lay on the table, and to adjourn-which shall have precedence in the reverse order of this list-the motions to lay on the table and to adjourn alone being not debatable .
No member shall speak more than twice to the merits of any question in debate, except by special permission of the body; nor more than once until every member desiring to speak shall have spoken.