Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-14
NEW CHURCH CONSTITUTION
SUBJECT FOR CONFEDERATION BY
METHODIST EPISCOPAL BODIES.
Full Text of the Document Adopted
by the Recent General
Conference.

Various other matters of great importance
to the membership of the Methodist Epls-
copal churches throughout the Uhteo
States having been disposed Of as mas al
ready been referred to in The Star, the
different fall conferences will soon nave
before them for action the proposed new
constitution for the church. The subject
will also come before the Baltimore confer
ence at its next meeting. and Is thougnt
likely to cause considerable discussion be-
fore the question is finally disposed or ny
any of the bodies interested.
The following is the new constitution
which was adopted by the recent general
conference in Chicago and ordered sent
around to the annual conferences for their
approval or rejection.
The preamble to the document states that
in order to preserve our historic heritage
and the more effectually to cooperate with
other branches of the one church or Jesus
Christ in advancing the kingdom of Goa
among men, we, the ministers and laymen
of the Methodist Episcopal Church, In &C
cordance with the methods of constitutional
legislation in force among us. hereby or
dain. establish and set forth as the funda-
mental law of the Methodist Episcopal
Church the Articles of Religion Gen
eral Rules" and Articles of Organization
and Government here following, to wit:
Article I. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Of
cieties, one more of which shall consti-
tute pastoral charge.
Article II. Quarterly conferences-A
quarterly conference shall be organized in
each pastoral charge and be composed Of
such persons and have such powers as the
general conference may direct.
Article III. Annual conference.-the
travelling preachers shall be organized by
the general conference into annual confer
ences, the sessions of which they are re-
Quired TO attend
Part 1.-The General Conference.
Article I. How composed-The general
Conference shall be composed Of minis
terial and lay delegates, to be chosen as
hereinafter provided
Article III. Ministerial delegates
Section 1. Each annual conference shall
be entitled to at least one ministerial dele
gate. The general conference shall not al
low more than one ministerial delegate for
every fourteen members of annual con-
ference. nor less than one for every forty
five, but for fraction Of two-thirds or
more of the number fixed by the general
conference as the ratio Of representation
an annual conference shall be entitled to
an additional delegate.
Section 2. The ministerial delegates shall
be elected by ballot by the members of
the annual conference at its session i'm
mediately preceding the general confer
ence. Such delegates shall be elders. at
least twenty-five years of age, and shall
have been members of an annual confer
ence four successive years. and at the time
of their election 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.
Section 3 No minister shall be counted
twice in the same year in the basis for the
election of delegates to the general con-
Terence. nor vote In two conferences in
the same year an constitutional question.
Article III. Lay delegates
Section l. A lay electoral conference
shall be constituted quadrennially or
whenever duly called by the general con-
ference. within the bounds Of each annual
conference for the purpose of electng lay
delegates to the general conference and
for the purpose of voting constitutional
changes 1t shall be composed Of lay men,
bers. one from each pastoral charge with
In its bounds, chosen by the lay members
CT the charge over twenty-one years Of
age. in such manner as the general con-
ference may determine Each pastoral
charge shall also elect in the same manner
one reserve delegate Members not less than
twenty-one years of age and holding mem
bership in the pastoral charges electing
them are eligible to membership In the
lay electoral conference.
Sec. , The lay conference shall assemble
at the seat OF the annual conference on the
first Friday of the session, Immediately pre-
ceding the general conference, unless the
Sec. Z. The lay electoral conference shall
organize by electing a president and secre-
tary. shall adopt its own rules of order
and shall be the judge of the election re-
turns and qualifications of It's own MEM
berS.
Sec. 4. Each lay electoral conference
shall be entitled to elect as many dele
gatrS tn the general conference az there
are ministerial delegates from the annual
con .erence. lay electoral conference NAV
elect reserve delegates not exceeding three
in number ard not exceeding the number OF
its delegates. These elections shall be by
ballot
Sec. D. Lay members twenty-five wears
o: age or over, holding membership in pas
toral charges within the bounds of the Law
electoral conference, and having been Law
members of the church five years next pre-
ceding. shall be eligible to election TO the
general conference. Delegates who cease
TO be members of the church within the
bounds of the lay conference by which they
were elected shall not be entitled To seats
In the general conference
Credentials and Sessions.
Article " Crcdentials-The secretaries
OF the several annual and Icy electoral con-
trcnces shall furnish certificates of cleo
ton To the delegates severally, and send q
certificate of such election to the secre-
tary or the preceding general conferences,
Immediately after the adjournment of said
annual or electoral conference
Article V. SeS9ionS-Section l. The pom
eral conference shall meet at 10 o'clock on
the morning of the first Wednesday in the
month of May. in every fourth year from
the date Of the first delegated general con-
ference, namely the year Of our Lord. 1917
and at such place in the United States of
America as shall have been determined by
the preceding general conference or nv
"a commission to be appointed uuadren-
n:ally by the general conference and act
ing under its authority: which commission
shall have power also in case of emergency
IL change the place for the meeting of the
general conference. a majority of the gem
eral superintendent concurring in such
change.
Sec. . The general superintendent or a
majority 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 as a ma
jority of the general superintendent and
also Of the above commission shall desp-
nate.
Sec. 3. In case of great emergency two
thirds of the general superintendent NAV
call special sessions of the annual confer
ences at such time and place as they NAV
think wise to determine the question of an
extra session Of the general conference. or
to elect delegates thereto. They may also