WHEN an applicant for membership in The Mother Church sends his application to the Clerk for presentation to the Board of Directors, who, according to the Church Manual, elect eligible candidates to membership twice annually,—in May or June and in November (see Church Manual, Art. XIII, Sect. 2), —in some cases two and in other cases three people assume responsibility. The first responsibility rests with the applicant; the second with the approver; and the third with the countersigner, if a countersigner be needed. The applicant first determines for himself whether or not he can comply with the three major requirements of Article IV, Sections 1 and 2, of the Manual; namely, (1) that, in brief, he is "a believer in the doctrines of Christian Science" as taught by Mrs. Eddy; (2) that the Bible, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" and other works by Mrs. Eddy "shall be his only textbooks for self-instruction in Christian Science, and for teaching and practising metaphysical healing;" (3) that his membership in a different denomination is dissolved. The approver, who must be a member of The Mother Church, makes sure that the applicant is a Christian and a faithful, loyal student of the textbook. Science and Health, as provided in Article VI, Section 2, of the Manual. The countersigner, whose signature is required only when the approver is not a qualified student of Mrs. Eddy, a Director of The Mother Church, or a student of the Board of Education holding the designation "C.S.B." (see Art. VI, Sect. 2), testifies to the good standing and trustworthiness of the approver; but the countersigner need not necessarily be acquainted with the applicant.
Any member of The Mother Church in good standing, whether or not he has had class teaching, has the privilege of approving applications; but before affixing his signature to the application below the words, "I cordially approve this applicant," he should use discernment as to the fitness and readiness of the applicant and see that the application is correctly prepared (Manual, Art. V, Sect. 6). The countersigner, too, if he does not himself know of the applicant's fitness, should have reason for concluding that the approver has assured himself on these points before affixing his signature; and the countersigner also should see that the application is correctly prepared before it is mailed to the Clerk of The Mother Church. The last sentence of the By-Law, Article VI, Section 2, states who may act as countersigner.
Teachers and other students of Mrs. Eddy or of the Board of Education having the designations "C. S. B." or "C.S.D." have the privilege of approving applications without a countersignature; and teachers of course approve, not countersign, applications of their own pupils; but they do not, with the following exception, approve the applications of pupils of other teachers. If, in rare instances, an applicant's teacher will not approve his application, or if for other causes the applicant cannot procure his teacher's approval, he may apply on a special form provided under By Law, Article V, Section 4, of the Manual, upon which members who know him, including other teachers, may append their signatures of approval. Teachers may approve applicants who are not class-taught, and may countersign applications approved by members of The Mother Church other than their own pupils.
