thorough as possible, and that to this end the churches of the Georgia
Association should be enrolled as members of the District Conferences,
in fellowship with the United Conference within whose respective
boundaries the Association churches may be located. And the foregoing
propositions are made with the understanding that a vote shall be passed
by the United Conference recommending the District Conferences to
receive the Association churches as hereby suggested.

Of these three proposed methods of union, our own preference is for the
first. As the Georgia Congregational Association is the older body and
represents the historic Congregationalism of the State, going back not
only to the early years succeeding the Civil War, but even, in the
record of one of its churches, to the colonial period preceding the
Revolution, we feel that a respect for the traditional usages of our
polity would suggest the absorption of the newer churches by the
Association as being the older State organization. But as in our opinion
the result to be achieved is of more importance than the method by which
it shall be achieved, we would not insist upon the method of our choice.
If more acceptable to you, we should gladly form a union on the basis of
either the second or the third proposition already stated. Our chief
desire is for a complete and hearty union, in which, acknowledging the
fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man, we may live and work
together in the love of Christ, the Elder Brother of us all. That our
Heavenly Father may graciously help us all in perfecting and maintaining
such a union, is our earnest prayer.

Your brethren in Christ,

GEO. V. CLARK, HORACE BUMSTEAD, GEO. C. ROWE, L.B. MAXWELL, EVARTS KENT,
FLOYD SNELSON, C.F. SARGENT.