CHAPTER III.

GENERAL CONFERENCE

Ques. 1. Who shall compose the General Conference, and what are the regulations and powers belonging to it?

Ans. 1. The General Conference shall be composed of one clerical member for every twenty-eight members of each Annual Conference, and one lay member (who may be a local preacher) for each Annual Conference, to be appointed as follows:

The clerical representatives shall be elected by the clerical members of the Annual Conference: =provided= that such representatives shall have traveled at least four calendar years from the time they were received on trial, and are in full connection at the time of holding the Conference. The lay representatives shall be elected by the lay members of the Annual Conference: =provided= that such representatives be twenty-five years of age, and shall have been members of the Church for at least six years at the time of holding the Conference.

2. An Annual Conference, entitled under the second Restrictive Rule to two ministerial delegates, shall not be denied the privilege of two lay delegates also.

3. The ministers and laymen shall deliberate in one body; but upon a call of one-fifth of the members of the Conference, the lay and clerical members shall vote separately, and no measure shall be passed without the concurrence of a majority of both classes of representatives.

4. The General Conference shall meet in the month of May, once in four years perpetually, in such place or places as shall be fixed on by the General Conference from time to time.

5. The Bishops, or a majority of all the Annual Conferences shall have authority to call a General Conference, if they judge it necessary, at any time.

6. When a General Conference is called, it shall be constituted of the delegates elected to the preceding General Conference, except when an Annual Conference shall prefer to have a new election. The place of holding a called session of the General Conference shall be that fixed by the preceding General Conference.

7. The Bishops shall have authority, when they judge it necessary, to change the place appointed for the meeting of the General Conference.

8. At all times when the General Conference is met, it shall take a majority of the representatives of all the Annual Conferences to make a quorum for transacting business.

9. One of the general superintendents shall preside in the General Conference; but in case no general superintendent be present, the General Conference shall choose a president =pro tem=.

10. The General Conference shall have full powers to make rules and regulations for our Church under the following limitations and restrictions, viz:

(1) The General Conference shall not revoke, alter, or change our Articles of Religion, or establish any new standards or rule of doctrine contrary to our present existing and established standards of doctrine.

(2) They shall not allow of more than one representative for every fourteen members of the Annual Conference, nor allow of a less number than one for every thirty; =provided=, nevertheless, that when there shall be in any Annual Conference a fraction of two-thirds the number which shall be fixed for the ratio of representation, such Annual Conference shall be entitled to an additional delegate for such fraction; and =provided=, also, that no Conference shall be denied the privilege of two delegates.

(3) They shall not change or alter any part or rule of our government, so as to do away with episcopacy, or destroy the plan of our itinerant general superintendency.

(4) They shall not revoke or change the General Rules of the United Societies.

(5) They shall not do away with the privilege of our ministers or preachers of trial by a committee and of an appeal; neither shall they do away with the privileges of our members of trial before the Church or by a committee, and of an appeal.

=Provided=, nevertheless, that upon the concurrent recommendation of three-fourths of all the members of the several Annual Conferences, who shall be present and vote on such recommendation, then a majority of two-thirds of the General Conference succeeding shall suffice to alter any of the above restrictions, excepting the first article; and also, whenever such alterations shall have been first recommended by two-thirds of the General Conference, so soon as three-fourths of the members of all the Annual Conferences shall have concurred as aforesaid, such alteration or alterations shall take effect.

=Provided=, that when any rule or regulation is adopted by the General Conference, which, in the opinion of the Bishops, is unconstitutional, the Bishops may present to the Conference which passed said rule or regulation, their objections thereto, with their reasons, in writing; and if then the General Conference shall, by a two-thirds vote, adhere to its action on said rule or regulation, it shall then take the course prescribed for altering a restrictive rule, and thus passed upon affirmatively, the Bishops shall announce that such rule or regulation takes effect from that time.