New members and the pastor's sermon

In the 1895-bylaws of The Unitarian Church of Brotherhood (established 1895 in Oslo) we read in article 8 that new members did not have to accept any Creeds but would have to learn about the history of the church and the meaning of the church's motto. Then all new members would have to promise to the pastor to live a honest life. It is interesting to note that all new members within one month also were invited to help the pastor to write his sermon.

Unitarian baptism 1895

When the Unitarian Church of Brotherhood was established in Oslo (then Kristiania) the congregation agreed on how to perform the ritual of baptism, and as the church records show baptism was regarded important prior to the Unitarian Confirmation ceremony. According to the 1895-baptism ritual the Unitarian pastor should ask the parents, 1) "Do you want this child to be part of a Christian congregation?" and 2) "Do you promise to bring this child up in the truth of God according to your best abilities?". If the parents answered "yes" to both these question the Unitarian pastor would baptist the child using the following formula, "In the religion of Jesus, Brotherhood, and Hope I dedicate you to God, your Father in Heaven."

To read the baptist formula in Norwegian, click on the photo.

Handwritings

Little is know about the handwriting of Unitarian pastor Hans Tambs Lyche (1859-1898) but his signature is available.To enlarge, click photos.

Here's Unitarian Pastor Kristofer Janson's (1841-1917)handwriting: