Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1906 edition. Excerpt: ...the Conference that Chapel Trusts might be suitably settled," and then, also, the Conference was divided into districts. The Conference is "the organ of government," and its members, with certain exceptions, are elected by the District Meetings. Every fifth year, the District Meetings must send an equal number of laymen and ministers "in order to prevent priestly domination from obtaining in the Connexion." In other years the number of lay members is limited by the Poll Deed to one from each district, but since 1877 the districts have been empowered to appoint "permissive" lay representatives equal in number to the ministers, on condition that the business transacted by the Conference thus constituted shall be confirmed by a vote of the "legal" members. The practical result is that not only in the fifth years, but year by year the Conference consists of an equal number of ministers and laymen. As in all other liberal Methodist bodies, the Circuit Quarterly Meeting has an ex-officio and an elective element. Within the limits of the Church all power and authority reside ultimately in the Church Meeting. It receives or excludes members, elects Church officers, appoints representatives to the Elders' Meeting, which is equivalent to the Leaders' Meeting in other Methodist bodies, and where no Elders' Meeting is held, it appoints Class Leaders. The Elders' Meeting transacts the general business of the Church. In this brief sketch it has not been possible for me to portray the many remarkable personalities who stand out in Bible Christian history--men like William Reed, four times President, son of the Reeds of Holwell, an apostolic preacher who spent many a night in prayer and who was as prudent in...
