SECTION XII.

OF LOCAL PREACHERS.

Question 1. What directions are given concerning the licensing of persons to preach?

¶195. Ans. 1. The District Conference shall have authority to license proper persons to preach, and to renew their licenses annually, when, in its judgment, their gifts, grace, and usefulness warrant. (¶¶656, 657, 659-664, 681, 702-704.)

196. Ans. 2. No person shall be licensed to preach without the recommendation of the Quarterly Conference of the charge to which he belongs. (4662.) Nor shall any one be licensed to preach until he passes, before a committee of three (4656), to be appointed by the Presiding Elder, an approved examination on! doctrines and discipline, and gives satisfactory evidence of his knowledge of the ordinary branches of an English education; nor shall any license be valid unless signed by the President and the Secretary of the Conference.

The following form of license shall be used:

The bearer hereof, -, having been duly recommended by the Quarterly Conference of Charge,

and having been examined, as the Discipline directs, by a committee of the District Conference of District of the

Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, is hereby authorized

to preach the gospel, according to the rules and regulations of said Church.

Signed, in behalf of said District Conference,

Ques. 2. What shall be the time of probation of a local preacher for the office of deacon?

¶197. Ans. A local preacher shall be eligible to the office of a deacon after he has preached four years from the time he received a regular license, and has obtained a recommendation from the District Conference, after a proper examination on the Course of Study prescribed by the Bishops as a preparation for deacon's orders, signed by the President and the Secretary, and after the Annual Conference has examined and approved his character: provided, that if he have been a local preacher three years successively, 'and on trial in the traveling ministry for one year next following, he shall be eligible to the office of a deacon when the Annual Conference approves. (4706.)

Ques. 3. What shall be the time of probation of a local deacon for the office of elder?

¶198. Ans. A local deacon shall be eligible to the office of elder after he has preached four years from the time he was ordained deacon, and has obtained a recommendation from the District Conference, after a proper examination on the Course of Study prescribed by the Bish

ops as a preparation for elder's orders; and the fact of passing an approved examination on this course shall be stated in the recommendation, which shall be signed by the President and Secretary of the Conference. He shall present to the Annual Conference this recommendation, with a note certifying his belief in the doctrines and discipline of our Church, the whole being examined by the Annual Conference; and, if approved, he may be ordained: provided, that any time spent in the traveling ministry, whether on trial or in full connection, may be counted as part of the four years' probation for elder's orders, to which he may be elected when the Annual Conference approves. Ques. 4. What further directions are given concerning local preachers?

¶199. Ans. 1. It shall be the duty of local preachers to aid the preacher in charge of the circuit, station, or mission, to which they belong, in supplying the people with the ministry of the word. They shall accordingly be applied to by the preacher in charge, as soon as he enters on his work, to state what amount of service they are able and willing to perform; he may then draw up a plan by which their labors shall be regulated, and they shall be authorized to form new congregations, to take a list of the names of all candidates for Church membership, and, if expedient, receive them into the Church: pro

vided, that all such congregations, candidates, and members be reported, as soon as possible, to the preacher in charge, in order that they may be placed immediately under his pastoral care. Local preachers shall report annually in writing to the District Conference the extent and result of their labors. (¶¶664, 773.)

¶200. Ans. 2. Every local elder, deacon, and licentiate shall have his name recorded on the journal of the Quarterly Conference of which he is a member. (¶661.)

¶201. Ans. 3. When any traveling preacher is located, he shall be amenable to the District Conference of the District within the bounds of which he last traveled, until he presents his certificate of location to some Quarterly Conference. (¶703.)

¶202. Ans. 4. When a local elder, deacon, or licentiate removes from one charge to another, he shall procure from the Presiding Elder of the District, or from the preacher in charge, a certificate of his official standing, without which he shall not be received as a local preacher in other places. (¶703.) ¶203. Ans. 5. A preacher receiving a certificate of location or of official standing, and failing to present it to some Quarterly Conference within the period of six months from the date of the certificate, shall not be recognized as a local preacher in our Church, unless he satisfy the

Quarterly Conference to which he may apply that the failure to do so was unavoidable.

SECTION XIII.

OF RECEIVING MINISTERS FROM OTHER CHURCHES.

Question. How shall we receive ministers who offer to unite with us from other Christian Churches?

¶204. Ans. 1. Ministers of other Churches, who desire to unite with us as local preachers, may be received by a District Conference, upon giving satisfaction that they are suitable persons, provided they stand an approved examination on the Course of Study prescribed for local preachers; but they shall not exercise the peculiar functions of deacons or elders until their orders are recognized by the Annual Conference: provided, that the Bishop may allow ministers thus received to exercise their functions as deacons or elders until the session of the Annual Conference.

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¶205. Ans. 2. After such reception, and a recommendation by the District Conference, if satisfied that they are in orders and that they agree with us in doctrine and discipline, and also satisfied with their gifts, grace, and usefulness, the Annual Conference may recognize them without the reimposition of hands, on condition that they take upon them our ordination vows. If