sentatives of the Annual Conference from whose decision the Appeal is made shall be permitted to respond in presence of the Appellant, who shall have the privilege of replying to such Representatives, which reply shall close the pleadings on both sides. This done, the parties shall withdraw, and the Judicial Conference shall decide the case. It may reverse, in whole or in part, the findings of the Annual Conference, or it may remand the case for a new trial. It may determine what penalty, not higher than that affixed by the Annual Conference, shall be imposed. If it neither reverse, in whole or in part, the judgment of the Annual Conference, nor remand the case for a new trial, the judgment of the Annual Conference shall stand. But it shall not reverse the judgment, nor remand the case for a new trial on account of errors plainly not affecting the result. Counsel on both sides shall be Members of an Annual Conference. ¶ 269. Appeals from an Annual Conference in the United States not easily accessible may, at the discretion of the President thereof, be heard by a Judicial Conference selected from among the more accessible Conferences. Appeals from an Annual or Mission Conference not in the United States may be heard at the discretion of the Bishop in permanent charge thereof (due reference being had to the rights and interests of all concerned), either by a Judicial Conference called by said Bishop from neighboring foreign Conferences, or by a Judicial Conference called by him to meet at or near New York, or by the General Conference through a special Judicial Committee appointed for the purpose. ¶ 270. When the case of any Minister who has been suspended or expelled is remanded for a new trial, he shall be suspended from all Ministerial service until the next ensuing session of the Annual Conference. ¶ 271. The General Conference shall carefully review the decisions of Questions of Law contained in the records and documents transmitted to it from the Judicial Conferences, and in case of serious error therein shall take such action as justice may require. CHAPTER VIII. APPEALS OF LOCAL PREACHERS. T 272. In case of condemnation, a Local Preacher shall be allowed to appeal to the next Annual Conference, provided that he signify to the District or Quarterly Conference his determination to appeal; in which case the President of the District or Quarterly Conference shall lay the minutes of the trial before the said Annual Conference, at which the Local Preacher, so appealing, may appear; and the said Annual Conference, by a Select Number, as in the case of accused Members thereof, or in full session, shall judge, and finally determine the case from the minutes of the said trial so laid before it. NOTE.-For Appeals of Local Preachers from judgments of the Annual Meeting of a Foreign Mission, see ¶ 357. CHAPTER IX. APPEALS OF MEMBERS. ¶ 273. If there is a murmur or complaint from any excluded person in any of the above-mentioned in stances (¶¶ 244-256) that justice has not been done, he, not having absented himself from trial after duo notice was given him, shall be allowed an Appeal to the next Quarterly Conference which shall hear and determine the case; and no member thereof who was a member of the Committee for the trial of such person shall be permitted to vote on the case; and the Preacher in Charge shall present exact minutes of the evidence and proceedings of the trial to the Quarterly Conference, from which minutes the case shall be finally determined. And if, in the judgment of the Presiding Elder, an impartial trial cannot be had in the Quarterly Conference of the Charge where the Appellant resides, he shall, on the demand of either party, cause the Appeal to be tried by any other Quarterly Conference within his District, after due notice to the Complainant and Appellant. CHAPTER X. RESTORATION OF CREDENTIALS. ¶ 274. When any Member of an Annual Conference is deprived of his Credentials, by expulsion or otherwise, they shall be filed with the papers of his Conference; and should he, at any future time, give satisfactory evidence to the said Conference of his. amendment, and procure a certificate of the Quarterly Conference of the Charge where he resides, or of an Annual Conference which may have received him on Trial, recommending to the Annual Conference of which he was formerly a Member the restoration of his Credentials, the said Conference may restore them. ¶ 275. When a Local Elder or Deacon shall be expelled, the Presiding Elder shall require of him the Credentials of his ordination, to be filed with the papers of the Annual Conferences within the limits of which the expulsion has taken place. And should he, at any future time, produce to the Annual Conference a certificate of his restoration, signed by the President and countersigned by the Secretary of the Quarterly Conference, his Credentials may be restored to him. 154 |