“Golden Rule” Comity Agreement
NAPARC “GOLDEN RULE” COMITY AGREEMENT
(Extract from the Minutes of the 10th [1984] Meeting of the Council)
[Article] 15. COMITY MATTERS
It was moved that the Council send a copy of the following “golden rule comity agreement” from the NAPARC Mission Consultation to each of the interchurch committees of the member churches, and ask them to seek the approval of it by their denomination, and that if approved, they communicate it to the consistories/sessions, classes/presbyteries and the mission agencies of their respective Churches. Adopted.
“Golden Rule” Comity Agreement
Comity has-meant different things to different people. We representatives of the home missions agencies and committees or boards of our denominations resist territorial statements on comity in light of the social and cultural complexity of North American society and the great spiritual need of our many countrymen who are apart from Jesus Christ. Out of a concern to build the Church of Jesus Christ rather than our own denominations and to avoid the appearance of competition, we affirm the following courteous code of behavior to guide our church planting ministries in North America:
1. We will be sensitive to the presence of existing churches and missions ministries of other NAPARC churches and will refrain from enlisting members of these existing ministries.
2. We will communicate with the equivalent or appropriate agency (denominational missions committee or board, presbytery missions or church extension committee, or session) before initiating church planting activities in a community where NAPARC churches or missions ministries exist.
3. We will provide information on at least an annual basis describing progress in our ministries and future plans.
4. We will encourage our regional home missions leadership to develop good working relationships.