CHAPTER XXXV.

FINANCIAL PLAN

Article I. (1) The General Funds of the Colored M. E. Church in America shall be one hundred thousand ($100,000) dollars per annum; =provided=, the assessment in any Conference or charge shall not exceed 50c per capita.

2. Said amount shall be divided as follows:

(a) Bishops' salary 25 per cent (b) Education 22 per cent (c) General Missions 22 per cent (d) Publishing Int. 10 per cent (e) Building Fund 5 per cent (f) Conf. Claimants 10 per cent (g) Contingent Fund 6 per cent

Article II. (1) There shall be a Board of Equalization consisting of one Bishop, the Book Agent, and the Auditing Committee.

2. The Board of Equalization shall apportion to each Annual Conference according to its numerical strength, its pro rata of the General Assessment.

3. The Joint Board of Finance of each Annual Conference shall apportion, and adjust the same in and to all the charges according to the number of ministers and members reported in the first Annual Conference after the General Conference. Such assessment must stand unchanged for four years.

Art. III. (1) The General Funds shall be collected quarterly by the pastor in charge, and paid to the Presiding Elder each quarterly visit.

2. The Presiding Elder shall forward the amount collected from the several charges in his district quarterly to the Agent, and take his receipt for the same. The receipt for each quarterly remittance shall be kept by the Presiding Elder and turned over to the Joint Board of Finance at the Annual Conference.

3. The Joint Board of Finance shall forward the receipts with the balance of the money, that may be reported in the Annual Conference to the Book Agent and take his receipt for the whole amount of General Funds paid by said Conference during the year.

Art. IV. (1) The salary and traveling expenses of the Bishops shall be two thousand two hundred and fifty ($2250.00) dollars each per annum, one fourth of which shall be paid quarterly.

2. The salary of retired Bishops shall be six hundred ($600) dollars each per annum, one fourth of which shall be paid quarterly.

3. The allowance to widows of deceased Bishops shall be two hundred and forty ($240.00) dollars each per annum.

Art. V. The Book Agent shall receive all the General Funds, and shall keep an itemized account of the same. He shall report to the Publishing Board annually, the amount received from each Annual Conference in the connection; and to the General Conference, the whole amount received during the quadrennium.

Art. VI. The eight-four (84) per cent. of the General Funds handled by the Book Agent shall be apportioned by him according to the following plan.

(a) The Bishops shall be paid quarterly, each $562.50 (b) The retired Bishops shall be paid quarterly, each 150.00

2. Should a sufficient amount not be realized from the 25 per cent. collected quarterly to enable the active Bishops to travel through their Episcopal Fields, the Agent shall draw on the whole amount of General Funds, to make up the deficiency.

3. The twenty-two per cent. collected under the provision of Article I for Missions shall be paid to the Book Agent who shall turn over 50 per cent of the above amount to the Secretary of Missions to be used for Missions and missionaries on the fields.

Art. VII. (1) All money raised for Education under the provision of Article I shall be apportioned to the Institutions of learning, recognized by the General Conference and Board of Education.

2. The Annual Conference, within whose bounds said money is raised, shall have the right to designate the school to which its money shall be paid.

3. Every Annual Conference shall have the right to direct that one half of its money be held by the Secretary for Education of a minister, or ministers on trial, and to designate the school to be attended by said minister, or ministers; provided, however that the student be required to return three-fourths at least of said money used for his expenses to the school—one fourth each year until the full amount shall have been paid.

4. No one shall be recommended to our schools to be supported by the conference unless it be proven that he is unable to pay his own expenses.

5. A student recommended for support to secure an education, shall give his personal note to the conference covering the amount to be received by him before he enters school.

6. The Joint Board of Finance shall send a statement to the Agent, naming the school to which its money shall be paid.

7. Money for Education from the General Funds shall go to the Secretary of Education. The Book Agent shall send 50 per cent. of this amount in quarterly installments, and the remainder shall be turned over after the annual meeting of the Publishing Board.

Art. VIII. (1) The ten per cent. collected under provision of Article II for Publishing Fund shall be retained by the Agent, subject to the order of the Publishing Board.

2. The Publishing Board, after paying the salaries of the Book Agent, Editor of the Christian Index, Editor of the Eastern and Western Index, shall use the balance of the money in purchasing ground, erecting buildings, and, in any other way necessary for the advancement of Publishing Interests.

3. The five per cent. raised for building fund shall be retained by the Agent for said purposes.

Art. IX. Should there be a surplus accruing from the twenty-five per cent., for Bishops' salary, it shall be kept as a contingent fund on Bishops' salary.

Art. X. (1) The ten per cent. collected under Article I for Conference Claimants shall be forwarded by the Joint Board of Finance to the Secretary of the Department for Superannuated Preachers, widows and orphans of preachers, to be applied according to the constitution of said department.

2. The six per cent. for Annual Conference Contingent Fund shall be retained by the Joint Board of Finance to be used as the Conference may direct.

Art. XI. It is the duty of every pastor to raise the full assessment, laid against his charge by the Joint Board of Finance. The Presiding Elder shall use his influence to help raise the same.

Art. XII. All laws in conflict with the above plan are hereby repealed.