CHAPTER XXXIII.

CHURCHES AND PARSONAGES

I. CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS

Any church or churches in any Annual Conference of the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in America, shall have the right to establish an OLD FOLKS' Home, ORPHAN ASYLUM, HOSPITAL, or other charitable institutions in conformity to the laws of the State or Territory in which they are located. The Trustees of all such institutions shall be members of the Colored M. E. Church, and shall have authority to found, maintain and operate such institutions in the name of the C. M. E. Church in America.

II. BUILDING CHURCHES

Ques. Is anything advisable in regard to building churches?

Ans. 1. Let all our churches be plain and decent, and with free seats, as far as practicable; and they shall in no wise be used for political purposes or assemblages.

2. In order more effectually to prevent our people from contracting debts which they are not able to discharge, it shall be the duty of the Quarterly Conference of every circuit and station where it is contemplated to build a house of worship to secure the ground or lot on which such house or houses are to be built, according to our deed of settlement, which deed must be legally executed; and also said Quarterly Conference shall appoint a judicious committee of at least three members of our church, who shall form an estimate of the amount necessary to build; and three-fourths of the money, according to such estimate, shall be secured or subscribed before any such building shall be commenced.

3. In all cases where debts for building houses of worship have been or may be incurred contrary to, or in disregard of, the above recommendation, our members and friends are requested to discountenance by declining pecuniary aid to all agents who shall travel abroad beyond their own circuits or districts for the collection of funds for the discharge of such debts, except in such peculiar cases as may be approved by an Annual Conference.

4. In future, we will admit no charter, deed, or conveyance for any house of worship to be used by us, unless it be provided in such charter, deed, or conveyance, that the Trustees of said house shall at all times permit such ministers and preachers, belonging to the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in America, as shall from time to time be duly authorized by the General Conference of our Church, or by the Annual Conferences, to preach and expound God's holy Word, and to execute the Discipline of the Church, and to administer the sacraments therein, according to the true meaning and purport of our deed of settlement.

III. BUILDING PARSONAGES

Ques. What advice or direction is given concerning the building of dwelling houses for the use of the married traveling preachers?

Ans. 1. It is recommended to our friends in general, to purchase a lot of ground in each pastoral charge, and to build a preacher's house thereon, and to furnish it with at least heavy furniture, and to settle the same on trustees appointed by the Quarterly Conference, according to our deed of settlement.

2. It shall be the duty of the Presiding Elders and preachers to use their influence to carry the above rules respecting building houses, for the accommodation of preachers and their families, into effect. In order to do this, each Quarterly Conference shall appoint a committee, (unless other measures have been adopted), who, with the advice and aid of the preachers and Presiding Elder, shall devise such means as may seem fit to raise money for that purpose. And it is recommended to the Annual Conferences to make a special inquiry of their members respecting this part of their duty.