American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-05-16

II is the judgment of the undersigned that
the meaning of the Home Mission Rule, page
IL Discipline, passed at the General Confer
ence Of 1884, and amended at the General
Conference Of 1888, is as follows, viz: A regu-
lation whereby an Annual Conference may raise
societies for the purpose of forming Circuits and
Stations in any unoccupied portions of its ter
ritory, whether city, town or country, which it
may designate as fields of labor, and for no 9TH
er purpose whatever.
We are also of the opinion that the Rule on
Home Missions is not defined with sufficient
clearness to harmonic the views of all persons
in its Interpretation, and therefore respectfully
recommend to the Conference to amend the
Rule so that it shall read as follows:
Home Missionaries. Each Annual Confer
ence shall have authority to appoint ministers
and preachers to serve as Home Missionaries
in such unoccuped portions of its territory,
whether city, town or country as it may desig-
nate as their fields of labor, and also to change
said ministers: 1t shall be the duty of each
Home Missionary to travel and preach the
gospel n such parts ofthe district as his Con-
ference; may direct, and raise societies-he shall
take co Elections for his own support in socie-
ties and neighborhoods where he may labor,
and shall be entitled to a proportionate part of
the funds fthe Annual Conferences raised for
missionary purposes to make up his deicien-
cies. 1t shall be the duty of each missionary
to appear at the Annual Conference of his
District, and may be accompanied by layman
appointed by the society or societies to make
such communication to the Conference as may
be deemed necessary and report the number
and condition of the societies he may have
raised.
Such missionary fields being fields of labor
where societies are not formed Insufficient num-
Der or strength 10 perform the functions ola Cir
cult or Station, are not to be considered under
the Restrictive Rule of VII. Sec. X. Art. of
Constitution: Provided, however, that when a
society or societies shall have been raised con-
tanning in the aggregate 80 members, the An
nual Conference shall form such society or So
cieties into Circuit or Station.
LEVI R. REESE,
WESLEY STARR,
GEO. Brown,
CHARLES CRAIG.
Minority REPORT. The Committee on mis-
sons beg leave respectfully to report in part
that, having had in consideration the first re-
quest in the resolution ofthe Maryland Annual
Conference, viz, "for this General Conference
to review the rules respecting' Home missions,
and "defne explicitly their meaning" and hav-
ing carefully examined said rules for this pur-
pose,
We are convinced that while the 7th section
of the eth article of the Constitution plainly
restricts the General Conference from the pas
sage of any rule "to abolish an efficient timer
ant ministry, or to authorize the Annual Con-
ferences to station their ministers and preach
ers any longer than three years successfully in
the same circuit, and two years successfully in
the same station" the General Conference is
nevertheless empowered by the LIST section of
the 9th article of the Constitution, to make
rules and regulations for the missionary depart
ment of the church, without regard to said res
friction, and that the provision made for
''Home Missions" by the General Conferences
of 1884 and 1888, as found on page II and 70
ofthe discipline, is to be understood as authorz-
ing the Annual Conferences to create "Home
Missions" and to appoint ministers or preach
ers without any other limitations than the Con-
ferences themselves may Judge expedient.
JOHN S. REESE, Chairman,
u. WARD,
THOMAS CAMPBELL.
The further consideration of the reports was
postponed to P. M. on Tuesday, for the pur-
pose of having the reports printed.