Consitution of the German Protestant Evangelical Church of Lawrence Township (Known as Ludwig Church) Membership Lists

translated from the old German script by

Barbara Gearahart Matt
(address deleted for confidentiality)

Lawrence township, Washington County, Ohio

The congregation members of the Protestant Church which is built by the cemetery near Jacob Ludwig, has adopted the following resolutions unanimously.

Article 1. Resolved that Jakob Becker, Abraham Fickeisen and Adam Buerdel can have no share in the church unless each of them pay $40.00. This article cannot be altered.

Article 2. Resolved that the children of Jakob Becker, Abraham Fickeisen and Adam Buerdel can have no rights in the church without paying $10.00 each.

Article 3. Resolved no member can underwrite less than $2.00 for the preacher for the year unless he is always preaching in the afternoon, then each is free what he writes. When once in the forenoon and the afternoon (ink blot) can write no less than $2.00 would not follow loss of his share (??). This article cannot be altered.

Article 4. Resolved that each member must help with all costs together bearing two thirds (?majority vote). Resolved this article cannot be changed.

Article 5. Resolved that a member from the cemetery association and not frm the church has no right to hold a burial preaching.

Article 6. Resolved that no member can sell or exchange his share.

Article 7. Resolved that new members can have a share for $2.00 without payment in the time of one year when they have underwritten.

Article 8. Resolved that the board has no right to request contributions greater than $2.00.

Article 9. Resolved that the congregation is to elect three trustees every year (Board members) on the second Sunday of Easter.

Article 10. Resolved that Jakob Becker, Abraham Fickeisen and Adam Buerdel may send no children to the school unless they take their part in the church.

Article 11. Resolved whoever is not a member of the cemetery must pay the sum of $1.50 for a large grave and $1.00 for a small grave.

Article 12. Resolved that every member of the cemetery and not of the church, has to bear all the costs together in the cemetery to help bear the burden in the cemetery and whoever then cannot keep up, looses his rights.

Article 13. Resolved that two-thirds of the congregation must resolve the above.

Constitution of the Protestant Evangelical St. Jacob Congregation in Lawrence Township and adjoining Washington County

Contents of Book

Page 1 Constitution

Page 8 Resigning Members

Page 6 Amending the Laws

Page 7 Amending of Articles 4, 5, 16, and 17

[page 1]

Constitution

Article 1. Members of the congregation are those who have undersigned the Constitution.

Article 2. The congregation members are obliged to finance the costs of the congregation.

Article 3. Members of another church congregation or persons who settle here, must pay an entrance fee of $5.00.

Article 4. Children of congregation members, sons as well as daughters, receive their rights as congregation members by marriage without paying, if they undersign this Constitution, before one year has gone by from the day of the marriage.

Article 5. If a member after the passing of one year whose contribution is owed to the church, has not been received, then they lose their church rights; however, if it be that this member through sickness or other misfortune is unable to pay, then they would be allowed to pay as approved. (Amended.)

Article 6. Each year a church council will be elected on the second Sunday of Easter; a tie will be decided by lot.

Article 7. All notices of an assembly must be advertized 14 days before on the church door.

Article 8. If the preacher would leave in his service, the proclamation can happen only a quarter of a year beforehand. If the congregation no longer will keep the preacher, they likewise must give three month's proclamation.

[page 2]

Article 9. Each functioning preacher, who during his years of service behaves immorally, so that he makes a blot on the congregation, he can be set out by the majority of the congregation immediately and sent away.

Article 10. Without permission of the church council, the church will not be opened and official duties carried out by an outside preacher.

Article 11. The preacher has to hold in his mind and soul the Evangelical Protestant Church and his preaching on the foundation of the Gospels.

Article 12. The functioning pastor is obligated for all official pastoral actions to the members of the congregation throughout; even so all religious official actions of the congregation will be achieved through the preacher of the congregation.

Article 13. Each member of the congregation is obligated to pay no less than $3.00 yearly to the preacher.

Article 14. All earlier laws concerning this congregation's church and cemetery are today null and void.

Article 15. When an outside person would be buried in the cemetery of the congregation, they must pay $5.00 for a grave; the church council can reduce this price to -$.50 according to its discretion.

Article 16. Jacob Clos, Peter Ringeisen or the daughter's husbands, Jacob Beiser, Abraham fickeisene, Johannes Mueller and Ludwig Becker can either refuse to participate in the necessity of the new building of the church and withdraw or begin by declaring their participation again; thus these named persons have lost their church rights unless each individual does not pay $20.00 into the congregation treasury. (Amended.)

[page 3]

Article 17. In Article 16 the named heads of the families lose the right to bury their dead in the congregation cemetery, or they can acquire for individual instance of death the burial rights, thus they can under no condition open the church for holding the funeral celebration in the church unless before then they earn the rights of congregation members. (pay their dues)

Lawrence, Washington County, Ohio, 1 Jan 1882