711, 788, 809): provided, that such questions be presented in writing, and, with his decisions, be recorded on the journals of the Conference. When the Bishop shall have decided a question of law, the Conference shall have the right to determine how far the law thus decided or interpreted is applicable to the case then pending. An Annual or District Conference shall have the right to appeal from such decision to the College of Bishops, whose decision in the case shall be final. No Episcopal decision shall be authoritative, except in the case pending, until it shall have been passed upon by the College of Bishops. The College of Bishops shall hold semiannual meetings of not less than three days' time and as much longer as the work may require; to survey and consider all the work of the Church at large; to plan and suggest new and needed enterprises in any part of the field; to provide, as far as possible, a uniform policy of administration, so as to secure true Church leadership. At the close of each meeting they shall publish the results of their deliberations, as far as they deem necessary for the interests of the Church, in the official organ of the Church and in the various organs of the Annual Conferences. Each Bishop at these meetings shall report in writing all his decisions of law, with a syllabus of each case, made during the year. The College of Bishops shall review these decisions, record its

conclusions in a permanent form, and publish semiannually in the Christian Advocate, and in such other form as the College shall agree to adopt, its conclusions in each case, together with the syllabus; and these conclusions, when published, shall be authoritative constructions of law.

4123. Ans. 7. When presiding in Annual Conference, to hear and decide appeals (¶¶677, 709711, 788, 789) from the decision of the President of a Quarterly or District Conference on questions of law; and the questions contained in the appeal, together with the Bishop's decision, shall be recorded on the journal of the Conference.

124. Ans. 8. To see that the Districts be formed according to his judgment: provided, that no District shall contain more than forty appointments.

125. Ans. 9. When he judges it necessary, to divide a circuit, station, or mission into two or more, or unite two or more circuits or stations and appoint one pastor for the united congregation. (4713.)

¶126. Ans. 10. To travel during the year, as far as practicable, through the Presiding Elders' Districts which may be included in his Episcopal District, in order to preach and to oversee the spiritual and temporal affairs of the Church. Ques. 4. Shall a Bishop have power to employ as a supply a preacher who has been rejected,

discontinued, or located, at the previous session of any Annual Conference?

¶127. Ans. He shall not employ any preacher who has been rejected as an applicant, or who has been discontinued or located, except at his own request, unless the Conference, at the time of such rejection, discontinuance, or location, shall give such liberty; and he shall not employ as a supply any preacher who has previously been expelled from the ministry, or has surrendered his credentials to an Annual Conference, unless the Conference to which he surrendered his credentials, or from which he was expelled, restores his credentials or recommends him.

[For additional duties of a Bishop see ¶¶37, 41, 79, 85, 297, 298, 329, 481, 500, 620, 710, 824.]

SECTION III

OF PRESIDING ELDERS

Question 1. What are the duties of a Presiding Elder?

¶128. Ans. 1. To travel through his appointed District, in order to preach and to oversee the spiritual and temporal affairs of the Church.

¶129. Ans. 2. In the absence of the Bishop, to take charge of all the traveling and local preachers and exhorters in his District.

4130. Ans. 3. To change, receive, and suspend preachers during the intervals of the Conferences, and in the absence of the Bishop, as the Discipline directs. (9810.)

9131. Ans. 4. To be present, as far as practicable, at all the quarterly meetings, and call together the members of the Quarterly Conference, over which he shall also preside.

¶132. Ans. 5. To decide all questions of law which may come up in the regular business of the Quarterly or District Conference, when submitted to him in writing, subject to an appeal to the President of the next Annual Conference (¶¶677, 705, 706, 709, 711, 788); but in all cases the application of law shall be with the Quarterly or District Conference, which shall record in its journals all such questions and decisions.

$133. Ans. 6. To take care that every part of the Discipline is enforced in his District; to promote, by all proper means, the cause of Missions and Sunday schools, and the publication, at our own press, of tracts and Sunday school books; to inquire carefully, at each Quarterly Conference, whether the rules respecting the instruction of children and the supplying of our books and periodicals have been faithfully observed; whether the preacher in charge administers the sacraments, holds Church Conferences, enforces moral discipline, and attends to the collections assessed to his charge; and to report to the

Annual Conference the names of all the delinquent traveling preachers within his District. (¶¶762, 763.)

¶134. Ans. 7. To attend the Bishops when present in his District, and, when absent, to give them all necessary information, by letter, of the state of his District.

¶135. Ans. 8. In connection with the Examining Committees (¶¶679, 680), to direct the Conference undergraduates in those studies prescribed for them by the Bishops; and, in connection with the preacher in charge, to encourage local preachers (¶743) and candidates for the ministry in their studies, and to insist that, when practicable, literary and theological courses of study be pursued in preparation for the work of the ministry; and to report the names and addresses of all local preachers in his District to the Annual Conference, to be incorporated in its journal; and also to report the names and addresses of all who have been licensed to preach during the year, and of all candidates for the ministry, to the Department of Ministerial Supply and Training.

$136. Ans. 9. To procure full statistics from every charge (¶¶683, 684, 819), to be reported at the Annual Conference, should the preacher in charge fail to make his report, and to have the records of his District Conference at the Annual Conference for examination. He shall