continued, or located, at the previous session of any Annual Conference?

¶145. Ans. He shall not employ any preacher who has been rejected as an applicant, or who has been discontinued or located, except at his own request, unless the Conference at the time of such rejection, discontinuance, or location, shall give such liberty.

SECTION IV.

OF PREACHERS IN CHARGE.

Question. What are the duties of a preacher who has charge of a circuit, station, or mission?

¶146. Ans. 1. To preach the gospel (¶¶677, 680, 681); to celebrate the rite of matrimony, provided it does not conflict with civil laws; in the absence of an elder or Bishop, to administer baptism with the understanding that no permanent powers of ordination are conferred until granted by the laying on of hands after he shall have met the disciplinary requirements; and in the absence of the Presiding Elder or Bishop, to control the appointment of all services to be held in the churches in his charge. (4718.) Unordained preachers in charge shall have authority to celebrate the rite of matrimony only within their own pastoral charges.

¶147. Ans. 2. To receive, try, and expel mem

bers, according to the provisions of the Discipline.

¶148. Ans. 3. To appoint all the leaders annually, and to change them when necessary.

¶149. Ans. 4. On a day appointed the preacher in charge may publicly install all elective officers of the Church. The officers to be installed (Sunday School Superintendents, Stewards, Lay Leader, etc.) may be brought before the chancel, briefly addressed by the preacher in charge or by some one appointed by him for that purpose, touching the dignity and usefulness of an officer in the Church of God, and commended to the Church for sympathy and cooperation. In token of such willingness to help, the Church members present may engage in covenant prayer to this end, the preacher leading.

$150. Ans. 5. To see that in every congregation all the ordinances and regulations of the Church are duly observed, and that the General Rules are read at least once a year.

¶151. Ans. 6. To see that a fast is held in every congregation within his charge on the Friday preceding every quarterly meeting, and that, wherever practicable, suitable service is held on the occasion.

¶152. Ans. 7. To hold Quarterly Conferences in the absence of the Presiding Elder or an elder appointed by him. (See ¶102.)

¶153. Ans. 8. To hold a meeting of the leaders and stewards of his charge once a week, if practicable, to receive their reports.

¶154. Ans. 9. To report to each Quarterly Conference the names of all who have been received into the Church, and of all who have died, removed (4678), withdrawn, or been excluded from it during the preceding quarter, and to give a statement of the general condition of his station, circuit, or mission.

155. Ans. 10. To give an account of his charge every quarter to his Presiding Elder. ¶156. Ans. 11. To see that all the people within the bounds of his charge are duly supplied with our books and periodicals.

¶157. Ans. 12. To keep a directory, in which the residences of all the members shall be noted, whenever it may be necessary to facilitate pastoral visitation.

¶158. Ans. 13. To leave his successor a particular account of his charge, including an account of the subscribers for our periodicals.

¶159. Ans. 14. To see that a permanent record of all the baptisms and marriages within the bounds of his charge is kept.

¶160. Ans. 15. To keep a register for his charge, in which shall be noted the name, with the time and manner of the reception and disposal, of every person belonging to the Church in his station, circuit, or mission, distinguishing

between local elders, deacons, and preachers, white persons, colored persons, and Indians; and to report to the Annual Conference the number of each that may be under his charge at the time of its session. (¶¶647-649.) In charges containing more than one organized congregation, the names of the members shall be arranged under the name of the Church or appointment to which they belong.

¶161. Ans. 16. To promote all the interests of the Mission Boards of our Church, as the Discipline or the Annual Conference may designate; and to report to the Conference the amount raised within the bounds of his charge for those interests during the year (4647); also to preach to each congregation once a year on the subject of the Bible and its circulation and to call attention to the work of the American Bible Society.

¶162. Ans. 17. To report at each session of the Quarterly Conference the number and state of Epworth Leagues, and the number and state of the Sunday schools; and annually to the Quarterly and Annual Conferences, for insertion in their respective journals, the number and membership of Epworth Leagues, and the number of Sunday schools, scholars (including the enrollment of the Home Department and Cradle Roll), teachers, superintendents, and Sunday

school library books, in his circuit, station, or mission. (¶¶647, 648.)

9163. Ans. 18. To preach upon the subject of Christian education, and to urge upon parents the importance of educating their children, advising them to patronize, as far as practicable, those institutions of learning under the care of our Church. (¶¶779, 780.)

¶164. Ans. 19. To preach upon the claims of the ministry; to seek out young men who feel called to the ministry, and assign them such work as will develop their ability and test their fitness for this service; and to report the names and addresses of all such candidates for the ministry to the Quarterly Conference, and to the Annual Conference Board of Education.

¶165. Ans. 20. To make a written report at each Annual Conference of the condition of all the claimants on the Conference collection within his pastoral charge, to be submitted to the Conference Board of Finance. (¶701.)

¶166. Ans. 21. To furnish every one removing from his charge with a certificate in the following form (¶¶678, 722):

The bearer hereof, has been an acceptable member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, C. Station (Circuit or Mission),

in

ence.

Confer

(When this certificate is presented to another Church and accepted, notice, according to the attached form, shall be sent to the undersigned. The person to whom