Ques. 2. What are the regulations concerning stewards?

$212. Ans. 1. Let the stewards be persons of solid piety, who both know and love the Methodist doctrine and discipline, and of good natural and acquired abilities to transact the temporal business of the Church.

¶213. Ans. 2. The stewards shall organize by electing a chairman, secretary, and treasurer; make estimates of expenses and provision for the support of the gospel (4747); take an exact account of all the money, or other provision, collected for the support of the ministry; make an accurate return of every expenditure of money, whether for the support of the ministry or the relief of the sick or the poor; seek the needy and distressed in order to relieve and comfort them; inform the preachers of any sick or disorderly persons; tell the preachers what they think wrong in them; attend the official meetings and the quarterly meetings; give advice, if asked, in planning the circuit; give counsel in matters of arbitration; provide elements for the Lord's Supper; appoint some one, whenever necessary, to receive contributions for the support of the ministry and other purposes, and to obtain from each collector the money he receives, that it may be reported to the Quarterly Conference; take up collections quarterly in

every congregation, if it be necessary; if need be, write circular letters to the societies urging them to be more liberal, and let them know, when occasion requires, the financial state of the Church, as reported to the Quarterly Conference. (¶750.)

¶214. Ans. 3. The stewards of each charge shall be a standing committee (where there is no parsonage) to provide houses for the families of the preachers, or to assist the preachers to obtain houses when appointed to labor among them. (¶¶718, 719, 757.)

Ques. 3. To whom are the stewards accountable for the faithful performance of their duties?

¶215. Ans. To the Quarterly Conference, which shall have the power to remove them from office.

Ques. 4. What shall be the number of stewards in each charge?

9216. Ans. 1. Every pastoral charge shall be entitled to one steward for every thirty members, to be elected annually; provided, nevertheless, that each society in a circuit may have one steward and each charge may have at least seven; and provided, further, that a Junior Board of Stewards for each charge may be elected, which Board shall be composed of members of the Church between the ages of 12 and 21, and shall meet with the Senior Board and partici

pate in its deliberations, but shall not be entitled to vote.

¶217. Ans. 2. When two or more charges are united, the stewards shall hold office till the first Quarterly Conference elects a new Board. Ques. 5. What are the duties of a Recording Steward?

4218. Ans. To preserve the records of the Quarterly Conference, to report to the Annual Conference Commission on Finance a full account of the acts of his Board of Stewards the preceding year, and to have his records at the Quarterly and District Conferences for examination.

SECTION XVII

OF THE DISTRICT STEWARDS' MEETING

$219. There shall be held annually, in every District, a meeting composed of one steward from each charge, to be elected by the Quarterly Conference, on the nomination of the Presiding Elder (4751), at the annual election of stewards. After consultation with the Presiding Elder, who shall preside in the meeting, they shall estimate and apportion among the several charges of the District, according to their ability, the salary and traveling expenses of the Presiding Elder, together with the collections ordered by the Annual Conference and

assessed to the District by the Conference Commission on Finance. The amount apportioned for the Presiding Elder shall be added by the stewards of each charge to the allowance for their own preachers, and its collection provided for in the same way, and distribution pro rata of the amount collected shall be made at the Quarterly Conference. (¶¶747, 749, 752.) The Presiding Elder shall fix the time and place of meeting.

¶220. The minutes of the meeting shall be kept, by a secretary elected for that purpose, in a book of which the Presiding Elder shall be the custodian. The secretary shall inform the stewards of each charge in the District of the sums apportioned to the charge.

SECTION XVIII

OF TRUSTEES

Question 1. How are trustees appointed? 4221. Ans. 1. Except where the laws of the State or Territory provide differently, the preacher in charge, or, in his absence, the Presiding Elder, shall have the right to nominate, subject to the confirmation or rejection of the Quarterly Conference.

¶222. Ans. 2. Trustees of District property may be appointed by the District Conference of

the District to which the property belongs. The Presiding Elder shall have the power of nominating these trustees, subject to the confirmation or rejection of the District Conference.

Ques. 2. What are the regulations concerning trustees?

¶223. Ans. 1. Trustees of our parsonages and churches must be at least twenty-one years of age, and must all be members of our Church when proper persons can be had; otherwise, onethird of each Board may be elected from .without.

¶224. Ans. 2. Trustees of our schools, colleges, universities, and hospitals must be at least twenty-one years of age. Three-fourths of them must at all times be members of our Church, and all must be nominated, confirmed, or elected by some governing body of our Church, or by some Board or officers of the Church to which this power has been delegated by the governing body of the Church. (¶¶815, 816.)

¶225. Ans. 3. All vacancies in a Board of Trustees, occasioned by death, resignation, or otherwise, shall be filled without delay. (¶755.)

¶226. Ans. 4. Let nine trustees be appointed for holding Church property (¶716), when proper persons can be procured; otherwise, seven, five, or three, who shall elect their own chairman, secretary, and treasurer. (¶753.)