CHAPTER V.

CENTRAL MISSION CONFERENCES.

¶ 87. When in any of our foreign Mission fields there is more than one Annual Conference or Mission, it shall be lawful, by order of the General Conference, to organize a Central Conference, to be composed either of all the Members of those Annual Conferences or Missions, or of Delegates from the same, elected according to such ratio as may be agreed upon between the constituent parties, who may also provide for the admission of Laymen to such Conference, the number of Lay Delegates not to exceed that of the Clerical Delegates.

§ 1. The first meeting of the Central Conference shall be called by the Bishop in charge, at such time and place as he may select, to which all the Members of the Conferences and Missions concerned shall be invited, and at which a ratio of representation shall be fixed by the Conference. The time and place of future meetings shall be determined by the Conference; provided, that it shall meet at least once in four years.

§ 2. A Bishop, if present, shall preside over the Conference; but in his absence the Conference shall elect a President from among its own members.

§ 3. This Conference may take under its supervision the educational, publishing, and such other connectional interests and work as may be committed to it by the Annual Conferences and Missions; but

never in contravention of the Book of Discipline, or the orders of the General Conference; and it shall have no authority to involve the Missionary Society in any financial responsibility, nor to hold or control the property of the Society without the official permission of said Society.

§ 4. In the Central Conference the right shall be reserved to vote by Conferences or Missions whenever the Delegations from one third of the several Conferences or Missions represented shall so demand. In such cases the concurrent vote of the Delegations from two thirds of all the Conferences and Missions present and voting shall be necessary to complete an action.

§ 5. A Central Conference may fix the boundaries of the Annual Conferences within its bounds, proposals for changes being first submitted to the Annual Conferences concerned as prescribed in ¶¶ 435437; provided, however, that the number of Annual Conferences which may be organized within the bounds of a Central Conference shall first have been determined by the General Conference; and provided, further, that no Conference shall be organized with less than twenty-five members.

§ 6. When a Central Conference has been duly organized the organization shall not be discontinued except by order or consent of the General Conference.

§ 7. The Journal of the proceedings of this Central Conference, duly signed by the President and Secretary, shall be sent to the General Conference for its consideration.

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CHAPTER VI.

DISTRICT CONFERENCES.

88. The District Conference shall be composed of the Traveling Ministers, the Local Preachers, the Exhorters, and the District Stewards within the District, together with one Sunday School Superintendent, one President of an Epworth League Chapter, one President of a Ladies' Aid Society, and one Class Leader from each Pastoral Charge in the District. But if there shall be more than one Sunday School Superintendent or League President or President of a Ladies' Aid Society in any Charge, then the Quarterly Conference shall designate one of each for this service, and it shall also select the Class Leader.

¶ 89. The District Conference shall meet once or twice each year as it may determine. The Presiding Elder shall designate the time and place for the first meeting after the adoption of this plan by the District; but the District Conference shall at each meeting determine the place for its next meeting, the time to be fixed by the Presiding Elder.

¶ 90. If a Bishop be present at the District Conference, he shall preside. In the absence of a Bishop the Presiding Elder shall preside. If neither be present, the District Conference shall choose its own President by ballot from among the Traveling Elders.

¶ 91. A record of the proceedings of each District Conference shall be kept by a Secretary chosen for the purpose, and a copy of said record shall be sent to the ensuing Annual Conference.

¶ 92. The regular business of the District Conference shall be:

§ 1. To take the general oversight of all the temporal and spiritual affairs of the District, subject to the provisions of the Discipline.

§ 2. To take cognizance of all the Local Preachers and Exhorters in the District, as provided in ¶¶ 196204, and to arrange a Plan of Appointments for each until the next District Conference.

§ 3. To inquire whether all the collections for the benevolent institutions of the Church, as recognized by the Discipline, are properly attended to in all the Pastoral Charges, and to adopt suitable measures for promoting their success.

§ 4. To inquire into the condition of the Sunday Schools in the District, and to adopt suitable measures for insuring their success.

§ 5. To inquire into the condition of the Epworth League Chapters in the District, and to adopt suitable measures for insuring their success.

§ 6. To inquire into the condition of the Ladies' Aid Societies in the District, and to adopt suitable measures for insuring their success.

§ 7. To inquire respecting opportunities for Missionary and Church Extension enterprises within the District, and to take measures for the occupation of any neglected portion of its territory by Mission Sunday Schools, and by appointments for Public Worship.

§ 8. To provide for appropriate religious and literary exercises during the session, for the mutual benefit of those in attendance.

193. The order of business for the District Conference shall be:

1. To inquire what members of the District Conference are present.

2. To appoint Committees on the

1. Examination of candidates for License to

Preach.

2. Examination of Local Preachers in each of

the four years of the Course of Study.

3. Examination of candidates for Reception on Trial in the Annual Conference.

4. Examination of candidates for Orders.

5. Home Mission work.

6. Appointments of Local Preachers and Ex

horters.

7. Apportionment to each

Charge of the

amounts to be raised for benevolent causes.

8. Program of religious and literary exercises for the next meeting.

9. Miscellaneous matters.

3. To receive Reports:

1. From the Presiding Elder, as to the condition of the work under his charge, and his own work as Presiding Elder.

2. From each Pastor, as to the religious condition of his Charge, his pastoral labors, the benevolent collections, and the circulation of our Church periodicals and books.

3. From each Local Preacher, according to the form prescribed in ¶ 200.

4. From each Exhorter, including a statement of the Prayer Meetings he has held, and other work done, especially in destitute places and among the sick and the poor. ¶ 204.