Becoming a member of Trinity Moravian Church is a sign of commitment to the Christian life and to being an active part of this congregation.
Active Communicant Members:
Persons applying to become communicant members of this congregation by the rite of Confirmation or Adult Baptism, on profession of faith, or by re-affirmation of faith shall receive such instruction as their circumstances may require. When they have been prepared, their names should be submitted to the Board of Elders for approval.
Transfers: Persons who have been full members of another Moravian Congregation or of another Christian church, and who desire to unite with this congregation, shall present their letters of transfer or dismissal from their former church. In case such letters of transfer cannot be obtained, they shall submit the proper evidence of their previous membership. If their applications for membership are approved, they shall be received by the right hand of fellowship.
Non-Communicant Members:
All baptized children of communicant members of this congregation shall be called non-communicant members. They shall remain non-communicant members until they become communicant children or in later years become communicant members of this or some other Moravian congregation or some other denomination or forfeit this privilege by their misconduct in later years or failure to contribute to the financial support of the church. Non-communicant members and communing children shall be under the care of the church until their twenty-first birthday. At this time they will be dropped from church membership if at that time they have not made a decision to publicly confirmed their faith.
Children of the Church:
Unbaptized children of members and children under the care of the church until their sixteenth year shall be listed as children of the church.
Communicant Children: Baptized children may be admitted to Holy Communion after appropriate pastoral instruction and counseling with the children and their parent(s) and/or legal guardian concerning the meaning and observance of the Lord’s Supper.
Associate Membership
Those who have moved away but who wish to retain connections to Trinity and to retain the right to be buried in God’s Acre at Salem may be designated as Associate Members.
Any communicant members of this congregation in good standing may transfer their membership to another Moravian congregation or to the congregation of another Christian Church and retain an associate membership in this congregation provided the following conditions are fulfilled:
1. That along with the request for a letter of transfer permission to retain an associate membership be applied for in writing.
2. That the annual assessment for associate members as fixed by the Board of Trustees be paid in full.
Associate members may not hold office on the official board of the congregation, but shall exercise all other rights and privileges of communicant members as long as the above conditions are fulfilled. Associate members retain the right to be buried in God’s Acre in Salem.
Please note: Only Active and Associate Members in good standing may be buried in God’s Acre in Salem.
Students while attending school in this community, who are communicant members of another Moravian congregation or the congregation of another Christian Church, may become associate members of this congregation provided approval of such association is received in writing from the congregations of which they are communicant members in good standing.
