Constitution and Bylaws
(as amended 28th April 2007 c.e.)
1. NAME
The name of our society is Congregationalist Wiccan Association of British Columbia (hereinafter referred to as the “Society”).
2. PURPOSES OF OUR SOCIETY
2.1 This Society is established to provide Wiccan religious services to the general public of this province - to be a Temple association.
2.2 The specific purposes of our Society are:
a/ to form a church, including provision of legitimate credentials for ministers, legal assistance in discrimination cases, chaplaincy in jails and hospitals, recognition of our rites of passage and public rituals,
b/ to provide religious education for the general public and for our members,
c/ to produce religious retreats and provide meeting halls for worship,
d/ to provide spiritual support around raising our children, pastoral counselling, bereavement, alcohol and drug dependencies, overcoming sexism and other forms of oppression,
e/ to build Temples and to worship the Goddesses and Gods with joy and enthusiasm,
f/ to assist new congregations to form and to form links with others in their area.
2.3 The general purposes of our Society are:
a/ to facilitate depth of communion between humanity and the Goddesses and Gods through nurturance of Temples,
b/ to counter public misconceptions about Witches and Nature religions,
c/ to unite those who agree with our Statement of Beliefs and Ethics for service of the Goddesses and Gods of our religion.
3. BASIC STRUCTURE
3.1 The Society is a religious association composed of individual Witches, Witches’ covens and Temples that have come together to accomplish tasks beyond the resources of individuals, single groups or a smaller organization.
3.2 Those Witches and groups that are not members of our Society are nonetheless Witches and members of our common religion.
3.3 The Society is the provincial wing of the national Congregationalist Witchcraft Association Corporation.
3.4 This provision is alterable.
4. STATEMENT OF SHARED BELIEFS
4.1 The members of this Society believe:
a/ that the divine is multi-faceted and that it is appropriate to Name and worship a variety of Goddesses and Gods in a variety of different ways,
b/ that the divine is primarily immanent,
c/ that there are a variety of guardian spirits and levels of divinity,
d/ that we generally shape our liturgy and theology around the worship of the Goddess or the Goddess and the Old Gods,
e/ that the divine is ever-present and ever-active in the world,
f/ that we can through petition, action, and ritual, cause change in the world in accord with our Wills.
4.2 Every woman and every man is an embodiment of divinity.
4.3 All acts of love and pleasure are acts of praise of the Goddess. This specifically includes all non-coercive sexual orientations.
4.4 An ye harm none, do what ye will.
4.5 This provision is alterable.
5. ETHICS
5.1 All members of this Society must bind themselves by agreement with the
following:
Although there are many Goddesses and Gods and many Paths to their worship, our path does not involve;
a/ animal sacrifice,
b/ any coercive activities,
c/ charging fees for teaching the Craft beyond the recovery of costs, or Initiation. (Members of groups may reasonably be expected to share in the expenses of events sponsored by the group, or agreed to as part of its obligations as members of this Society, and voluntary donations will be accepted).
d/ malfeasance,
e/ breaking Priestly confidentiality, subject to the law,
f/ oath-breaking.
5.2 This provision is alterable
6. NON-PROFIT
The Society shall be carried out without purpose of gain for its members, and any profits or other accretions to the organization shall be used solely to promote its objectives. This provision is unalterable.
7. DISSOLUTION
Upon winding up or dissolution of the Society any assets which remain after the payment of all costs, charges and expenses which are properly incurred in the winding up shall be distributed to a registered charity or registered charities in British Columbia as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada), as may be determined by the members of the society at the time of winding up or dissolution. This provision is unalterable.