CHAPTER IV.

ANNUAL CONFERENCES.

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

Ans. 1. All the traveling preachers in full connection with it, and four lay representatives—one of whom may be a local preacher—from each Presiding Elder's District.

2. The lay members shall be chosen annually by the District Conferences; =provided= that no one shall be a representative who is not twenty-five years of age, and who has not been for six years, next preceding his election, a member of the Church.

3. The lay members shall participate in all the business of the Conference, except such as involves ministerial character.

4. It shall be the duty of all the members of the Conference to attend its sessions, unless providentially hindered. All the preachers on trial, and those to be admitted on trial, shall also attend the sessions, but they shall not vote on any question, nor speak unless by consent of the Conference.

Ques. 2. Who shall determine the number and boundaries of the Annual Conferences?

Ans. The General Conference.

=Provided=, however, that the Annual Conference or Conferences shall have the right to create other conferences in the interval of the General Conferences. The Conference or Conferences desiring to create a new Conference shall appoint a Commission for the purpose of arranging the boundary line of such Conference and giving it a suitable name. The Commission shall submit its report to the ensuing Conference or Conferences for ratification or rejection. In all cases the report of the Commission to become effective must be adopted by the Conference or Conferences which appointed the Commission.

Ques. 3. Who shall appoint the times of holding the Annual Conferences?

Ans. The Bishops; but they shall allow every Annual Conference to sit a week at least.

Ques. 4. Who shall appoint the places of holding the Annual Conferences?

Ans. Each Annual Conference shall appoint the place of its own sitting; but should it become necessary from any unforeseen cause to change the place after it has been fixed by the Conference, a majority of the Presiding Elders, with the consent of the Bishop who is to preside, shall have power to make such change.

Ques. 5. Who shall preside in the Annual Conferences?

Ans. The Bishops. In the absence of a Bishop, the Conference shall elect the president by ballot, without debate, from among the traveling elders. The president thus elected shall discharge all the duties of a Bishop except ordination.

Ques. 6. What is the method of proceeding in an Annual Conference?

Ans. The following questions shall be asked:

1. Are all the preachers blameless in their life and official administration?

2. Who are admitted on trial?

3. Who remain on trial?

4. Who are discontinued?

5. Who are admitted into full connection?

6. Who are re-admitted?

7. Who are received by transfer from other Conferences?

8. Who are the deacons of one year?

9. What traveling preachers are elected deacons?

10. What traveling preachers are ordained deacons?

11. What local preachers are elected deacons?

12. What local preachers are ordained deacons?

13. What traveling preachers are elected elders?

14. What traveling preachers are ordained elders?

15. What local preachers are elected elders?

16. What local preachers are ordained elders?

17. Who are located this year?

18. Who are supernumerary?

19. Who are superannuated this year?[2]

20. What preachers have died during the year?

21. What is the number of traveling preachers in this Conference?

22. What is the number of local preachers in this Conference?

23. What is the number of lay members in this Conference?

24. How many infants have been baptized during the year?

25. How many adults have been baptized during the year?

26. What is the number of Sunday-schools?

27. What is the number of Sunday-school teachers?

28. What is the number of Sunday-school scholars?

29. What is the number of Epworth League Chapters?

30. What is the number of Epworth League members?

31. What amount has been raised for superannuated preachers, widows, and orphans of preachers? (a) from General Funds? (b) from five cents assessment? (c) from per capita collection at the Annual Conference?

32. What amount has been received by claimants in this Conference?[3]

33. What was contributed for missions on General Missionary Day?

34. What amount was contributed for education on Children's Day?

35. What amount has been contributed for Church Extension?

36. What amount was apportioned in this Conference for General Funds?

37. What amount has been raised on General Funds this year?

38. What amount was apportioned in this Conference for Annual Conference Contingent Fund?

39. What has been raised on Annual Conference Contingent Fund?

40. Where shall the next session of the conference be held?

41. Where are the preachers stationed this year?

Ques. 7. What method is recommended in the examination of the life and official administration of the preachers?

Ans. 1. Let none be present except members of the Conference, and others who may be in attendance on Conference business, unless the Conference by vote shall order otherwise.

2. Let the name of every preacher be called, and let his Presiding Elder, or some other member of the Conference, state whether or not there be any complaint against him. If there be none, he may retire, and the Conference may make further inquiry concerning him, and pass his character without vote.

3. If there be a complaint, and the preacher has been advised of it, let it be stated to the Conference, and let the accused have the privilege of replying. He shall then retire, and the Conference shall determine by vote whether or not his character shall pass.

4. If a trial be necessary, it shall be conducted according to the provisions of Chapter XXIV.

5. The names of any who may be expelled or suspended, or who may have withdrawn from the Church, shall be stated in the minutes.

Ques. 8. What other business shall be done in the Annual Conference?

Ans. 1. Let every Annual Conference inquire into the state and character of all the institutions of learning that may be under its care, and the best means of promoting their interests, and, if necessary, of increasing their number. =Provided=, no member of the C. M. E. Church, bishop, presiding elder, or preacher shall establish a school in the name of the C. M. E. Church without first getting the consent of the Quarterly or Annual Conference within whose bounds said school may be located.

2. Let every Annual Conference take account of all the church buildings, parsonages, and other church property within its bounds, and see that same be legally secured to the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church, according to the provisions of the Discipline.

3. In each Annual Conference, the bishop presiding shall appoint a committee of examination on the course of study provided for candidates for the ministry. The committee of examination shall consist of not less than three (3) nor more than eleven (11) of the most competent members of the conference. The committee shall serve four years, provided they are appointed at the first session of the conference following the General Conference. The Bishop may appoint one or more of the committee as often as he thinks the interests of the work require it.

4. The committee of examination shall assemble one day in advance of the Conference, and at the same place, to hold examination for all candidates. As far as practicable, all examinations shall be conducted in writing and at least ten (10) questions shall be proposed in each branch of study.

5. All applicants for admission on trial, into full connection and for ordination, and all local preachers seeking ordination as deacons or elders, must be examined in the course of study provided by the bishops and approved by the General Conference. All applicants must meet the committee one day before the opening of the Annual Conference.

6. The standard of examination shall be one hundred (100), but in no case shall an applicant be promoted or ordained who falls below seventy (70) in examination, provided, nevertheless the provisions for ordaining Missionaries be not changed.

7. Let every Annual Conference have a record of its proceedings, kept by a secretary chosen for that purpose; said record shall be signed by the President and the Secretary, and a copy of the same be sent to the General Conference at its next ensuing session.

8. The Secretary of each Annual Conference shall forward to the Editor of the =Christian Index= or Book Agent full and correct answers to the foregoing forty-one questions, for insertion into the General Minutes, according to the form therein adopted.

9. The Joint Board of Finance shall fix the salary and traveling expenses of the Presiding Elders, and apportion the same in and to the several charges within the District.

10. SECRETARY OF STATISTICS

(a) The Secretary of Statistics shall keep a record of the number of itinerant ministers and lay members, the number of churches and parsonages, the value of the same by Annual Conferences; all moneys raised for general and local purposes shall be tabulated by Annual Conferences, and published in pamphlet form annually. The pamphlet containing such information shall be known as "The Year Book of the C. M. E. Church," and shall be printed by the Book Agent.

(b) The Secretary of each Annual Conference shall, as soon as the conference closes, send to the Secretary of Statistics an accurate return from the Statistical Secretary and Joint Board of Finance, all figures necessary to be used in making up said "Year Book."

[Footnote 2: NOTE: Let the answer to this question embrace the names of all superannuated with the date of their superannuation.]

[Footnote 3: Let answer embrace amount paid to each claimant in the conference.]