PART II.
THE CONFERENCES
CHAPTER III.
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Ques. 1. Who shall compose the General Conference, and what are the regulations and powers belonging to it?
Ans. 1. The General Conference shall be composed of one clerical member for every twenty-eight members of each Annual Conference, and one lay member (who may be a local preacher) for each Annual Conference, to be appointed as follows:
The clerical representatives shall be elected by the clerical members of the Annual Conference: provided that such representatives shall have traveled at least four calendar years from the time they were received on trial, and are in full connection at the time of holding the Conference. The lay representatives shall be elected by the lay members of the Annual Conference: provided that such representatives be twenty-five years of age, and shall have been members of the Church for at least six years at the time of holding the Conference.
2. An Annual Conference, entitled under the second Restrictive Rule to two ministerial delegates, shall not be denied the privilege of two lay delegates also.
3. The ministers and laymen shall deliberate in one body; but upon a call of one-fifth of the members of the Conference, the lay and clerical members shall vote separately, and no measure shall be passed without the concurrence of a majority of both classes of representatives.
4. The General Conference shall meet in the month of May, once in four years perpetually, in such place or places as shall be fixed on by the General Conference from time to time.
5. The Bishops, or a majority of all the Annual Conferences shall have authority to call a General Conference, if they judge it necessary, at any time.
6. When a General Conference is called, it shall be constituted of the delegates elected to the preceding General Conference, except when an Annual Conference shall prefer to have a new election. The place of holding a called session of the General Conference shall be that fixed by the preceding General Conference.