Article September 1, 2013

Mrs. Eddy’s expressed intention: legal opinions

Clifford Smith, Walter A. Dane

Originally published in the 1954 pamphlet titled “Permanency of The Mother Church and Its Manual (Revised Edition)”

As distinguished from earlier forms of Christian Science organization, The Mother Church, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, was founded and organized by a Deed of Trust dated September 1, 1892, and a meeting of First Members held on September 23, 1892. (See pages 128-135 and 17-19of the Church Manual.) Previously, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, had adopted organic modes which she evidently regarded as impermanent and provisional. From the time when she founded The Mother Church all that she did and said evinced the intention that it should be permanent.

Nevertheless, since it is asserted by some that this Church should be abandoned or dissolved because Mrs. Eddy cannot be consulted in the course of its administration, all friends of Christian Science should be informed or reminded that there are at least six instances in which Mrs. Eddy deliberately expressed her intention that The Mother Church should continue to exist and function if and when she could not be consulted.

The ﬁrst of the instances just mentioned is the Deed of Trust dated September 1, 1892, by which Mrs. Eddy instituted The Mother Church and established The Christian Science Board of Directors. In that deed she spoke for herself and for "her heirs, executors, and administrators" (Manual, p. 134), she spoke of the original Directors and "their legitimate successors in ofﬁce forever" (Manual, pp. 128-129), and she spoke of the Board as to be "a perpetual body or corporation" (Manual, p. 130). Thus, she alluded to the possibility of her passing on and expressed the intention that the administrative body of The Mother Church should continue to function perpetually.