A Short History Of The Methodists... - Media Sabda Org

almost two-thirds of the preachers which composed that conference; while the other five annual
conferences furnished but little more than one third of the members, being only 41 in the whole. We
saw the necessity of making an alteration in that point; but after all, we let it remain as it was. All
the preachers that attended this general conference, had been regularly traveling for four years. We
had not as many members present as we had at the two general conferences preceding it, but we
considered it of greater weight than the former ones, because of their age in the ministry. In the
former general conferences we allowed all the preachers who had been traveling two years, to be
members; but in this the youngest members had been traveling four years.
We had no minutes of our general conference published in a pamphlet this year, (although it had
been done at the preceding general conferences) but the alterations and additions which were made
to our rules, were put into the chapters, sections, and paragraphs, where they belonged in the Form
of Discipline.
We had several new regulations made at this general conference; one was as follows: "The
bishops shall allow the annual conferences to sit a week at least." Before this rule was established,
the bishop could conclude the business as soon as he thought proper.
The following rule was also formed: "The bishop shall not allow any preacher to remain in the
same station or circuit more than two years successively." In some cases, prior to that rule, the bishop
had appointed a preacher or preachers to the same place for three years together. We now determined
on a better plan, and formed this rule, to prevent any preacher from wishing or expecting such an
appointment in future.
The following rule was formed respecting the president of the annual conference, in case the
bishops should be absent. "In case there are two or more presiding elders belonging to one
conference, the bishop, or bishops may by letter or otherwise appoint the president; but if no
appointment be made, the conference shall elect the president from among the presiding elders, by
ballot, without debate."
It was for the first time determined, that the assembly of the official members at
quarterly-meeting, should be called "The quarterly-meeting conference." The rule reads thus: "The
quarterly-meeting conference shall appoint a secretary to take down the proceedings of the
quarterly-meeting conference, in a book kept by one of the stewards of the circuit for that purpose."
The following new regulation was also formed: "The presiding elder shall not employ a preacher
who has been rejected at the preceding annual conference, unless the conference should give him
liberty under certain conditions,"
There was an alteration made, also, concerning our members marrying out of society. The rule
until this time was, that if any of our members married with unawakened persons, they should be
expelled from the society; but it was now so modified that they should not be expelled, but "be put
back on trial for six months."