Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-12
WORK OF COMMITTEE
New Constitution for Government of
M. E. Church.
GENERAL CONFERENCE MOST ADOPT
Provision Made for Clerical and
Lay Representation.
FEATURES OF THE DOCCMEN Z

| committee composed of some of the
| principal ministers Of the NJ. f. Church. in
| GLIDING three bishops and a number Of lay
| men. among whom was former Governor
r.. f. Pattison of Pennsylvania. has
| agreed upon new constitution for the
| government of that denomination. This
cannot be binding until after its adoption
| by the general conference, which meets in
Chicago in May. but it is expected tina, the
| report of the committee will be adopted
| without serious opposition.
| When the vast number of persons who
| are connected with the NJ. f. Church. here
| and elsewhere. is taken into consideration
| ii can be readily seen that knowledge OF
| the provisions Of the proposed new organic
! law is a matter of great interest.
In an advance copy of the report It is.
among other things. stated that members
of the church shall be divided into local
| societies, one or more of which shall con-
| stitute "A pastoral charge.
| "A quarterly conference shall be organ
| lied in each pastoral charge and be COM
| posed Of such persons and have such pow
| ers as the general conference may direct.
| THE travelling preachers shall be organ
| lied by the general conference into annual
| conferences. the sessions Of which they are
| required to attend
| THE general conference shall be com
posed of ministerial and lay delegates. and
| each annual conference shall be entitled To
| at least one ministerial delegate. The gem
| eral conference shall not allow more than
+, one ministerial delegate for every fourteen
| members of an annual conference, nor less
! than one for every forty-fve: bu; for a
| fraction of two-thirds or more of the num-
| Der fixed by the general conference as the
| ratio of representation. annual confer
ence shall be entitled 10 an additional dele
gate.
| Elections by Ballot.
The ministerial delegates shall be elected
by ballot by the members OF the annual
| conference at its session Immediately pre-
| ceding the general conference. Such dele
gates shall be elders. at least twenty-five
years of age, and shall have been connect
ed with an annual conference four success
| sive years, and at the time of the session
| of the general conference shall be members
of the annual conference which elected
them. An annual conference may elect
\ reserve delegates. not exceeding three in
number and not exceeding the number of
| its delegates.
"A lay electoral conference shall he con-
| stituted Fundamentally within the bounds If
| each annual conference for the purpose of
| electng lay delegates to the general con-
| ference. 1t shall be composed of laymen.
| one from each pastoral charge within its
| bounds, chosen by the lay members of the
| charge over twcnty-one years of age. in
| such manner the general conference may
determine. Each pastoral charge shall also
! elect in the same manner one reserve dele
gate. Laymen not less than twenty-one
| years of age and holding membership in the
pastoral charges electing them are eligible
to membership in the lay electoral confer
ence.
THE lay electoral conference shall organ
| ize by electing a president and secretary,
shall adopt its own rules of order and shall
| be the judge of its own election returns
and the qualifications of its own members.
Each lay electoral conference shall ne
| entitled to elect as many delegates to the
general conference there are ministerial
| delegates from the annual conference. A lay
electoral conference may elect reserve dele
gates not exceeding three in number and
not exceeding the number of its delegates.
| These elections shall be by ballot.
Eligible Laymen.
amy layman twenty-five years Of age
holding membership in a pastoral charge
within the bounds of the lay electoral con-
ference and having been lay member of
the church five years next preceding, shall
be eligible to election to the general con-
ference. Delegates-elect who cease to be
members of the church within the bounds
of the lay electoral conference by which
| they were elected shall not be entitled to
seats in The general conference
THE general conference shall meet at 10
o'clock in the morning of the first Wednes-
day in the month of May, In every fourth
year from the date of the first delegated
general conference. the year 1872 and at
such place in the United States of America
as shall have been determined by the pre-
ceding general conference. or by commits
sion, to be appointed QuaQrennlaIly Dy the
general conference and acting under its ap-
thority, which commission shall have power
also. in of emergency. to change the
place for the meeting of the general con.
ference. majority of the general superin.
tendents concurring in such change.
The general superintendent, or a ma,
jority of them. by and with the advice Of
two-thirdS of all the annual conferences
shall have the power to call an extra ses-
sion of the general conference at any time
constituted in the usual way, such session
to be held at such time and place a
jority of the general superintendent. and
also of the above commission shall des.g-
nate
I'm case OF great emergency, two-thirds
of the general superintendents may call
special sessions of the annual conferences.
at such time and place as they may think
wise. to determine the question of extra
session of the general conference, or TO
elect delegates thereto.
The general conference shall elect by
ballot from among the travelling elders as
deem necessary.
THE general superintendent shall pre-
side in the general conference in such order
as they may desire, but if no general super
intendent be present the general conference
shall elect one of its members to preside
pro tempore.
Number to Constitute Quorum
when the general conference is in ses-
sion it shall require the presence of two
thirds of the whole number of delegates to
constitute quorum Tor the transaction OF
business but a less number NAV take 4 re-
cess adjourn from day to day in order
to secure a quorum, and at the final ses-
sion may approve the journal order the
record of the roll call and adjourn sine
die.
THE ministerial and lay delegates shall
deliberate together as one body. They shall
also vote together body with the
following exceptions: On every question
which proposes a change in the book Of
discipline they shall vote separately; a
separate vote shall also be taken on any
other question when requested by one-third
of either order of delegates present and
voting, and in all cases of separate voting
il shall require the concurrence of the
two orders to adopt the proposed measure
except that for changes of the constitution,
a vote of two-thirds of the general con-
ference shall be sufficient.
THE general conference shall have full
power to make rules and regulations for
the church under the following limitations
and restrictions: 1t shall not revoke. alter
nor change our articles OF religion. nor es-
tablish any new standards rules of doc
trine: it shall not organic nor authorize
.t,a ai1afi inn of an NAL pnfa