The Council serves as a body through which the churches can consult together for the purpose of initiating common action in matters of social and moral importance. The Council is composed of three representatives from each of the member churches, and its officers consist of a chairman, vice-chairman, and secretary-treasurer, to be elected annually, though it is now the custom to allow each chairman two years of office and for the vice-chairman to succeed the chairman. The expenses of the Council are borne by contributions of the constituent churches. The officers themselves constitute a committee to decide when meetings shall be held, and public action is taken only when there is unanimity on the part of the constituent churches. To date there have been remarkably few matters brought forward for consideration on which the Council was precluded from action.