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left upon the charge for his successor to raise. (9714.)

¶254. Each member of the Church is expected to pay according to his ability for the support of the ministry, and the stewards of each charge shall determine whether payments are to be made weekly, monthly, or quarterly, during the year. They shall then ascertain how much each member is able and willing to pay in the installments fixed by the stewards; and whatever amount each member agrees to pay, he shall be under solemn obligation to pay, and can be released from this obligation only by order of the stewards, or by vote of the Church Conference for good cause shown.

SECTION II.

OF THE SUPPORT OF PRESIDING ELDERS.

¶255. The salary and traveling expenses of the Presiding Elders shall be estimated by the District Stewards. (¶¶711, 716.)

SECTION III.

OF THE SUPPORT OF BISHOPS.

The Bishops shall be supported according to the following plan:

¶256. The allowance of the Bishops for salary and traveling expenses, and of the widows and orphan children of Bishops, shall be estimated

by the Committee on Episcopacy at the General Conference; and the amount so estimated shall be reported to the Commission on Budget, which shall fix for the Bishops' Fund such a percentage of the total apportionment to be asked of the Church for all general interests as may be necessary to secure the amount needed. Each Conference Treasurer shall send monthly to the Publishing Agents, who shall be Treasurers of the Bishops' Fund, the amount that is prorated to that fund; and the Treasurers of the Bishops' Fund shall pay in monthly installments to the Bishops and to the widows and orphan children of Bishops the amount collected, in proportion to the amount estimated for their support; and they shall take receipts for the same.

¶257. At the annual meeting of the Bishops the Publishing Agents shall report in writing the amount paid to them on the Bishops' Fund by the several Annual Conferences and also their disbursements.

CHAPTER VI.

ADMINISTRATION OF DISCIPLINE.

SECTION I.

OF THE TRIAL OF A BISHOP.

Question 1. To whom is a Bishop amenable for his conduct?

¶258. Ans. To the General Conference, which has power to try him for improper conduct, and to acquit, to suspend, or to expel him.

Ques. 2. What provision is made for the trial of a Bishop, if he should be accused of immorality in the interval of General Conferences?

¶259. Ans. When a Bishop shall be under report, or be accused, of immorality (¶729), three traveling elders, after notice to him, shall carefully inquire into the case; and if they believe an investigation necessary, they shall report the matter to another Bishop (¶¶728, 730), whose duty it shall be to call together at some convenient place not less than twelve traveling elders, and also the witnesses by whom the accusation is expected to be established. These elders shall be a committee for the investigation of the charge against the Bishop (¶¶733–735); and

if two-thirds of them believe a trial necessary, they shall suspend him till the next session of the General Conference. (¶744.) The presiding Bishop shall cause an exact record of the investigation, signed by the president and secretary, to be transmitted to the General Conference. (¶¶737-740.) By this record, and such other testimony as may be obtained, the case shall be considered and determined by the General Conference without the intervention of another committee. (¶¶746–752, 755, 758, 764, 766.)

Ques. 3. What provision is made for the trial of a Bishop if he should be accused during the session of the General Conference?

1260. Ans. 1. An accusation preferred during the session of a General Conference shall be made directly to the Committee on Episcopacy (¶¶725, 739, 740, 746-752, 755, 756), which shall investigate the charges and, if it consider a trial. necessary, report to the General Conference. If the Committee on Episcopacy should decide a trial necessary, it shall formulate charges and specifications, conforming them to the grade of offense involved in the accusation, and it shall appoint one or more of its members to prosecute the case. The bill of charges and specifications shall be a part of the report of the committee to the General Conference. Every case to be tried under this process, upon the finding of a bill of charges, shall be referred to a com

mittee of twenty-five elders, who shall be appointed by the president in the chair, or in such manner as the Conference may determine. This committee shall have full power to try the case and its decision shall be final, save as to the right of appeal to the General Conference. (9766.) The accused shall have the right of peremptory challenge of nine, besides the right of unlimited challenge for cause, the validity of which shall be determined by the Bishop presiding at the time the challenge is made. The trial committee shall make a written report to the General Conference and deliver to the Secretary the whole record of the case, with the decision rendered.

¶261. Ans. 2. A Bishop who shall be found guilty by the Committee on Episcopacy shall have the right to appeal to the General Conference then in session, which shall finally determine the case.

¶262. Ans. 3. No charge against a Bishop shall be tried unless it be made in writing with specifications signed by the accusers; and a copy of the charge, with the specifications, shall be delivered to the accused a sufficient length of time before the trial to enable him to make all necessary preparation for his defense.

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