CHAPTER II

BOARD OF FOREIGN MISSIONS

I. Incorporation

370. There shall be a Board of Foreign Missions, duly incorporated according to law, and having its office in New York City, said Board of Foreign Missions being subject to such rules and regulations as the General Conference from time to time may prescribe.

NOTE.-For Charter, By-Laws, etc., see Annual Report of Board of Foreign Missions.

II. Constitution

371. ARTICLE I. Name and Object. The name of this organization shall be the Board of Foreign Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Its objects are religious and philanthropic, designed to diffuse more generally the blessings of Christianity, by the promotion and support of Christian Missions and educational institutions in foreign countries, and also in other places subject to the sovereignty of the United States which are not on the continent of North America or the islands adjacent 'thereto, as may be committed to the care of said organization by the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, under such rules and regulations as said General Conference may from time to time prescribe.

¶ 372. ARTICLE II. Life Members, Honorary Members, and Patrons. All members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, contributing to the funds of the Board of Foreign Missions, shall be nominally members of said Board. Any person contributing $20 at one time shall be a Life Member. Any person giving $200 at one time shall be an Honorary Life Member. Any person giving $500 at one time shall be an Honorary Manager for life, and any person giving $1,000 at one time shall be a Patron for life; and such Manager or Patron shall be entitled to a seat and the right of speaking, but not of voting, in the meetings of the Board of Managers.

ARTICLE III.

¶ 373, § 1. General Committee of Foreign Missions. There shall be a General Committee of Foreign Missions, composed of the General Superintendents, the Missionary Bishops, the Corresponding Secretary, the First Assistant Corresponding Secretary, the Recording Secretary, the Treasurer, the Assistant Treasurer, two representatives, one lay and one ministerial, from each General Conference District, and as many representatives from the Board of Managers as there are General Conference Districts.

§ 2. The representatives of the Board of Managers shall be elected by the Board from its own members, and shall include as nearly as may be an equal number of Ministers and Laymen.

§ 3. The representatives of the General Conference Districts shall be elected by the General Conference, on the nominations of the delegates within said Districts, respectively, for a term of four years.

§ 4. The Board of Bishops shall fill any vacancy that may occur among members appointed by the

General Conference, so that each General Conference District may be fully represented at each annual meeting.

¶ 374, § 1. The General Committee for Foreign Missions shall meet annually at such place in the United States as the General Committee, from year to year, may determine, and at such time in the month of November as shall be determined by the Corresponding Secretaries and Treasurers, of which due notice shall be given to each member; and the Bishops shall preside over the deliberations of the General Committee. But the annual meeting of the said Committee shall not be held in the same General Conference District more frequently than once in four years.

§ 2. Said General Committee of Foreign Missions shall determine what fields shall be occupied as Foreign Missions and the amount necessary for the support of each, and shall make appropriations for the same, including an Emergency Fund of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000); provided, the General Committee of Foreign Missions shall not appropriate for a given year, including the emergency appropriation of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), more than the total income for the year immediately preceding. In the intervals between the meetings of the General Committee of Foreign Missions, the Board of Managers may provide, from the Emergency Fund, for any unforeseen emergency that may arise in any of our Foreign Missions.

§ 3. The General Committee of Foreign Missions shall be amenable to the General Conference, to which it shall make a full report of its doings. Any expense incurred in the discharge of its duties shall be

paid from the treasury of the Board of Foreign Missions.

1375, § 1. ARTICLE IV. Board of Managers. The management and disposition of the affairs and property of the Board of Foreign Missions and the administration of the appropriations and all other funds shall be vested in a Board of Managers, consisting of the General Superintendents and the Missionary Bishops, who shall be ex officio members of said Board, thirty-two Laymen, and thirty-two Traveling Ministers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, elected by the General Conference, according to the requirements of the existing Charter of said Board of Foreign Missions. Vacancies in the Board shall be filled as the Charter provides; and the absence, without reasonable excuse, of any member from six consecutive meetings of the Board shall create a vacancy. The Board shall also have authority to make By-laws, not inconsistent with this Constitution or the Charter, to print books, periodicals, and tracts for Foreign Missions; to elect a President, Vice-Presidents, and a Recording Secretary, also such additional Assistant Secretaries as may be necessary; to fill vacancies that may occur among the officers elective of its own body; and shall present a statement of its transactions and funds to the Church in its annual report, and shall also lay before the General Conference a report of its transactions for the preceding four years, and the state of its funds.

§ 2. The Board of Foreign Missions shall have power to suspend a Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, or any elected member of the Board of Managers, for cause to them sufficient;

and a time and place shall be fixed by the Board of Managers, at as early a day as practicable, for the investigation of the official conduct of the person against whom complaint has been made. Due notice shall be given by the Board to the Bishops, who shall select one of their number to preside at the investigation, which shall be before a Committee of twelve persons, six Ministers and six Laymen, none of whom shall be members of the Board of Managers. Said Committee shall be appointed by the Bishop selected to preside at the investigation. Two thirds of said Committee shall have power of removal from office, in the interval of General Conference, of the official against whom complaint has been made.

§ 3. In case a vacancy shall occur in the ofice of Corresponding Secretary, First Assistant Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, or Assistant Treasurer, the Bishops shall have power to fill the vacancy; and, until they do so, the Board of Managers shall provide for the duties of the office.

§ 4. Thirteen members present at any meeting of the Board of Managers shall be a quorum.

§ 5. The Board shall have authority to solicit and receive funds for the publication and distribution of tracts.

¶ 376, § 1. ARTICLE V. Corresponding Secretaries. There shall be one Corresponding Secretary, who shall be the executive officer of the Board of Foreign Missions, and a First Assistant Corresponding Secretary, both of whom shall be elected by the General Conference quadrennially.

§ 2. They shall be subject to the direction of the Board of Managers and their salaries, which shall be fixed by the Board of Managers, shall be paid out