CHAPTER V THE SUPPORT OF THE MINISTRY SECTION I OF THE SUPPORT OF PREACHERS IN CHARGE ¶245. Every minister who by the rules and usages of the Church is a claimant on its funds shall have his claim estimated, as far as practicable, by those who are to pay it, or by an agent authorized to act for them. ¶246. The salary and traveling expenses of the preacher in charge shall be estimated by the Board of Stewards, after consultation with him. ¶247. The stewards shall report to each Church the whole amount to be raised, and that part of it which each congregation is expected to pay. The Church Conference may adopt its own method of raising the money. Unless otherwise ordered by the Church Conference, the stewards shall adopt the plan of assessment with consent, as provided in the following paragraph: provided, nevertheless, that no Board of Stewards or pastor shall incur any indebtedness for the payment of the preacher's salary or the benevolences, which indebtedness shall be left upon the charge for his successor to raise. (¶750.) ¶248. Each member of the Church is expected to pay according to his ability for the support of the ministry, and the stewards of each charge shall determine whether payments are to be made weekly, monthly, or quarterly, during the year. They shall then ascertain how much each member is able and willing to pay in the installments fixed by the stewards; and whatever amount each member agrees to pay, he shall be under solemn obligation to pay, and can be released from this obligation only by order of the stewards, or by vote of the Church Conference for good cause shown. SECTION II OF THE SUPPORT OF PRESIDING ELDERS 4249. The salary and traveling expenses of the Presiding Elders shall be estimated by the District Stewards. (¶¶747, 752.) SECTION III OF THE SUPPORT OF BISHOPS The Bishops shall be supported according to the following plan: ¶250. The allowance of the Bishops for salary and traveling expenses, and of the widows and orphan children of Bishops, shall be estimated by the Committee on Episcopacy at the General Conference; and the amount so estimated shall be reported to the Commission on Budget, which shall fix for the Bishops' Fund such a percentage of the total apportionment to be asked of the Church for all general interests as may be necessary to secure the amount needed. Each Conference Treasurer shall send monthly to the Publishing Agents, who shall be Treasurers of the Bishops' Fund, the amount that is prorated to that fund; and the Treasurers of the Bishops' Fund shall pay in monthly installments to the Bishops and to the widows and orphan children of Bishops the amount collected, in proportion to the amount estimated for their support; and they shall take receipts for the same. ¶251. At the annual meeting of the Bishops the Publishing Agents shall report in writing the amount paid to them on the Bishops' Fund by the several Annual Conferences and also their disbursements. 118 CHAPTER VI ADMINISTRATION OF DISCIPLINE SECTION I OF THE TRIAL OF A BISHOP Question 1. To whom is a Bishop amenable for his conduct? ¶252. Ans. To the General Conference, which has power to try him for improper conduct, and to acquit, to suspend, or to expel him. Ques. 2. What provision is made for the trial of a Bishop, if he should be accused of immorality in the interval of General Conferences? ¶253. Ans. When a Bishop shall be under report, or be accused, of immorality (¶765), three traveling elders, after notice to him, shall carefully inquire into the case; and if they believe an investigation necessary, they shall report the matter to another Bishop (¶¶764, 766), whose duty it shall be to call together at some convenient place not less than twelve traveling elders, and also the witnesses by whom the accusation is expected to be established. These elders shall be a committee for the investigation of the charge against the Bishop (¶¶769–771); and if two-thirds of them believe a trial necessary, they shall suspend him till the next session of the General Conference. (¶780.) The presiding Bishop shall cause an exact record of the investigation, signed by the president and secretary, to be transmitted to the General Conference. (¶¶773-776.) By this record, and such other testimony as may be obtained, the case shall be considered and determined by the General Conference without the intervention of another committee. (¶¶782–788, 791, 794, 800, 802.) Ques. 3. What provision is made for the trial of a Bishop if he should be accused during the session of the General Conference? ¶254. Ans. 1. An accusation preferred during the session of a General Conference shall be made directly to the Committee on Episcopacy (¶¶761, 775, 776, 782-788, 791, 792), which shall investigate the charges, and, if it consider a trial necessary, report to the General Conference. If the Committee on Episcopacy should decide a trial necessary, it shall formulate charges and specifications, conforming them to the grade of offense involved in the accusation, and it shall appoint one or more of its members to prosecute the case. The bill of charges and specifications shall be a part of the report of the committee to the General Conference. Every case to be tried under this process, upon the finding of a bill of charges, shall be referred to a com |