CHURCHES AND PARSONAGES
I. CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS
Any church or churches in any Annual Conference of the Colored Methodist
Episcopal Church in America, shall have the right to establish an OLD
FOLKS' Home, ORPHAN ASYLUM, HOSPITAL, or other charitable institutions
in conformity to the laws of the State or Territory in which they are
located. The Trustees of all such institutions shall be members of the
Colored M. E. Church, and shall have authority to found, maintain and
operate such institutions in the name of the C. M. E. Church in America.
II. BUILDING CHURCHES
Ques. Is anything advisable in regard to building churches?
Ans. 1. Let all our churches be plain and decent, and with free seats,
as far as practicable; and they shall in no wise be used for political
purposes or assemblages.
2. In order more effectually to prevent our people from contracting
debts which they are not able to discharge, it shall be the duty of the
Quarterly Conference of every circuit and station where it is
contemplated to build a house of worship to secure the ground or lot on
which such house or houses are to be built, according to our deed of
settlement, which deed must be legally executed; and also said Quarterly
Conference shall appoint a judicious committee of at least three members
of our church, who shall form an estimate of the amount necessary to
build; and three-fourths of the money, according to such estimate, shall
be secured or subscribed before any such building shall be commenced.
3. In all cases where debts for building houses of worship have been or
may be incurred contrary to, or in disregard of, the above recommendation,
our members and friends are requested to discountenance by declining
pecuniary aid to all agents who shall travel abroad beyond their own
circuits or districts for the collection of funds for the discharge of
such debts, except in such peculiar cases as may be approved by an
Annual Conference.
4. In future, we will admit no charter, deed, or conveyance for any
house of worship to be used by us, unless it be provided in such
charter, deed, or conveyance, that the Trustees of said house shall at
all times permit such ministers and preachers, belonging to the Colored
Methodist Episcopal Church in America, as shall from time to time be
duly authorized by the General Conference of our Church, or by the
Annual Conferences, to preach and expound God's holy Word, and to
execute the Discipline of the Church, and to administer the sacraments
therein, according to the true meaning and purport of our deed of
settlement.
III. BUILDING PARSONAGES
Ques. What advice or direction is given concerning the building of
dwelling houses for the use of the married traveling preachers?
Ans. 1. It is recommended to our friends in general, to purchase a lot
of ground in each pastoral charge, and to build a preacher's house
thereon, and to furnish it with at least heavy furniture, and to settle
the same on trustees appointed by the Quarterly Conference, according to
our deed of settlement.
2. It shall be the duty of the Presiding Elders and preachers to use
their influence to carry the above rules respecting building houses, for
the accommodation of preachers and their families, into effect. In order
to do this, each Quarterly Conference shall appoint a committee, (unless
other measures have been adopted), who, with the advice and aid of the
preachers and Presiding Elder, shall devise such means as may seem fit
to raise money for that purpose. And it is recommended to the Annual
Conferences to make a special inquiry of their members respecting this
part of their duty.