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ist Church, or from any Church agreeing with us in doctrine, they may be received either as Local or Itinerant Ministers, according to such credentials, by giving satisfaction to an Annual or Quai terly Conference of their literary qualifications, and of their willingness to conform to our Church government and usages.

§ 2. Those ministers of other evangelical Churches who may desire to unite with our Church may be received accord ing to our usages as Deacons or Elders, on condition of their taking upon them our ordination vows, without re-imposition of hands, if they shall give satisfaction to an Annual Conference of their being in orders, and of their agreement with us in doctrines, in discipline, and usages; provided, the Conference is also satisfied with their literary qualifications, gifts, grace, and usefulness.

¶ 153. Whenever a minister is received according to either of the foregoing sections, he shall be furnished with a certificate, signed by a Bishop or a Presiding Elder, in the following words, namely: "This is to certify that has been admitted into

Conference as a

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Traveling Preacher, [or has been admitted as a Local Preacher oncuit,] he having been ordained to the of fice of a Deacon, [or an Elder, as the case may be,] according to the usages of the Church, of which he has been a

member and minister; and he is hereby authorized to exercise the functions pertaining to his office in the Methodist Episcopal Church so long as his life and conversation are such as become the Gos pel of Christ.

"Given under my hand and seal, at

this

year of our Lord

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T 154. Preachers of other denominations who are not in orders may be received as Licentiates, provided they give satisfaction to a Quarterly or an Annual Conference that they are suitable persons to exercise the office, and of their agreement with the doctrines, discipline, gov. ernment, and usages of our Church.

The Election of Bishops, and their Duty.

¶ 155. A Bishop is to be constituted by the election of the General Conference, and the laying on of the hands of three Bishops, or at least of one Bishop and two Elders. But the General Conference may authorize the election of a Missionary Bishop in the interim of the General Conference.

¶ 156. If by death, or otherwise, there be no Bishop remaining in our Church, the General Conference shall elect a Bishop, and the Elders, or any three of them, who shall be appointed by the General Conference for that purpose, shall consecrate him according to the Ritual.

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¶ 157. The duties of a Bishop are,§ 1. To preside in our Conferences. § 2. To form the Districts according to his judgment.

§ 3. To fix the appointments of the Preachers; provided he shall not allow any Preacher to remain in the same Station more than three years successively; except the Presiding Elders; the Corresponding Secretaries of the Missionary Society; the Corresponding Secretary and Assistant Corresponding Secretaries of the

Board of Church Extension; the Corresponding Secretary of the Freedmen's Aid Society; the Editors, Assistant Editors, and Agents at New York and Cincinnati; the Editors and Assistant Editors at Syra cuse, Pittsburgh, Chicago, St. Louis, Portland, San Francisco, Atlanta, and New Orleans; the Editor of the Zion's Herald; missionaries among the Indians, Welsh, Swedes, Norwegians, and other missionaries among foreigners, (not including the Germans,) where supplies are difficult to be obtained; missionaries to neglected portions of our cities, and to our people of color and on foreign stations; chaplains to reformatory, sanitary, and charitable institutions, to prisons, and in the army and navy; those Preachers who may be appointed to labor for the special benefit of seamen, and for the American Bible Society, or for any State Bible Society auxiliary thereto; the presidents, princi pals, or teachers of Seminaries of learning, which are or may be under our superintendence; or the Preacher stationed at Five Points Mission in New York, or at the American Chapel in Paris; and also when requested by an Annual Conference, to appoint a Preacher for a longer

time than three years to any seminary of learning not under our care: provided, also, that, with the exceptions above named, he shall not continue a Preacher in the same appointment more than three years in six. He shall have authority. when requested by an Annual Conference, to appoint an agent, whose duty it shall be to travel throughout the bounds of such Conference, for the purpose of distributing tracts; an agent to promote the cause of temperance; and also to appoint an agent or agents for the benefit of our literary institutions; an agent for the German publishing fund; and for other benevolent institutions,

§4. In the intervals of the Conferences, to change, receive, and suspend Preachers as necessity may require, and as the Discipline directs.

$5. To travel through the Connection at large.

§ 6. To oversee the spiritual and temporal business of our Church,

§ 7. To consecrate Bishops, and ordain Elders and Deacons.

§ 8. To decide all questions of law involved in proceedings pending in an Annual Conference, subject to an appeal to

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