FINANCIAL PLAN
Article I. (1) The General Funds of the Colored M. E. Church in America
shall be one hundred thousand ($100,000) dollars per annum; =provided=,
the assessment in any Conference or charge shall not exceed 50c per
capita.
2. Said amount shall be divided as follows:
(a) Bishops' salary 25 per cent
(b) Education 22 per cent
(c) General Missions 22 per cent
(d) Publishing Int. 10 per cent
(e) Building Fund 5 per cent
(f) Conf. Claimants 10 per cent
(g) Contingent Fund 6 per cent
Article II. (1) There shall be a Board of Equalization consisting of one
Bishop, the Book Agent, and the Auditing Committee.
2. The Board of Equalization shall apportion to each Annual Conference
according to its numerical strength, its pro rata of the General
Assessment.
3. The Joint Board of Finance of each Annual Conference shall apportion,
and adjust the same in and to all the charges according to the number of
ministers and members reported in the first Annual Conference after the
General Conference. Such assessment must stand unchanged for four years.
Art. III. (1) The General Funds shall be collected quarterly by the
pastor in charge, and paid to the Presiding Elder each quarterly visit.
2. The Presiding Elder shall forward the amount collected from the
several charges in his district quarterly to the Agent, and take his
receipt for the same. The receipt for each quarterly remittance shall be
kept by the Presiding Elder and turned over to the Joint Board of
Finance at the Annual Conference.
3. The Joint Board of Finance shall forward the receipts with the
balance of the money, that may be reported in the Annual Conference to
the Book Agent and take his receipt for the whole amount of General
Funds paid by said Conference during the year.
Art. IV. (1) The salary and traveling expenses of the Bishops shall be
two thousand two hundred and fifty ($2250.00) dollars each per annum,
one fourth of which shall be paid quarterly.
2. The salary of retired Bishops shall be six hundred ($600) dollars
each per annum, one fourth of which shall be paid quarterly.
3. The allowance to widows of deceased Bishops shall be two hundred and
forty ($240.00) dollars each per annum.
Art. V. The Book Agent shall receive all the General Funds, and shall
keep an itemized account of the same. He shall report to the Publishing
Board annually, the amount received from each Annual Conference in the
connection; and to the General Conference, the whole amount received
during the quadrennium.
Art. VI. The eight-four (84) per cent. of the General Funds handled by
the Book Agent shall be apportioned by him according to the following
plan.
(a) The Bishops shall be paid quarterly, each $562.50
(b) The retired Bishops shall be paid quarterly, each 150.00
2. Should a sufficient amount not be realized from the 25 per cent.
collected quarterly to enable the active Bishops to travel through their
Episcopal Fields, the Agent shall draw on the whole amount of General
Funds, to make up the deficiency.
3. The twenty-two per cent. collected under the provision of Article I
for Missions shall be paid to the Book Agent who shall turn over 50 per
cent of the above amount to the Secretary of Missions to be used for
Missions and missionaries on the fields.
Art. VII. (1) All money raised for Education under the provision of
Article I shall be apportioned to the Institutions of learning,
recognized by the General Conference and Board of Education.
2. The Annual Conference, within whose bounds said money is raised,
shall have the right to designate the school to which its money shall be
paid.
3. Every Annual Conference shall have the right to direct that one half
of its money be held by the Secretary for Education of a minister, or
ministers on trial, and to designate the school to be attended by said
minister, or ministers; provided, however that the student be required
to return three-fourths at least of said money used for his expenses to
the school—one fourth each year until the full amount shall have been
paid.
4. No one shall be recommended to our schools to be supported by the
conference unless it be proven that he is unable to pay his own
expenses.
5. A student recommended for support to secure an education, shall give
his personal note to the conference covering the amount to be received
by him before he enters school.
6. The Joint Board of Finance shall send a statement to the Agent,
naming the school to which its money shall be paid.
7. Money for Education from the General Funds shall go to the Secretary
of Education. The Book Agent shall send 50 per cent. of this amount in
quarterly installments, and the remainder shall be turned over after the
annual meeting of the Publishing Board.
Art. VIII. (1) The ten per cent. collected under provision of Article II
for Publishing Fund shall be retained by the Agent, subject to the order
of the Publishing Board.
2. The Publishing Board, after paying the salaries of the Book Agent,
Editor of the Christian Index, Editor of the Eastern and Western Index,
shall use the balance of the money in purchasing ground, erecting
buildings, and, in any other way necessary for the advancement of
Publishing Interests.
3. The five per cent. raised for building fund shall be retained by the
Agent for said purposes.
Art. IX. Should there be a surplus accruing from the twenty-five per
cent., for Bishops' salary, it shall be kept as a contingent fund on
Bishops' salary.
Art. X. (1) The ten per cent. collected under Article I for Conference
Claimants shall be forwarded by the Joint Board of Finance to the
Secretary of the Department for Superannuated Preachers, widows and
orphans of preachers, to be applied according to the constitution of
said department.
2. The six per cent. for Annual Conference Contingent Fund shall be
retained by the Joint Board of Finance to be used as the Conference may
direct.
Art. XI. It is the duty of every pastor to raise the full assessment,
laid against his charge by the Joint Board of Finance. The Presiding
Elder shall use his influence to help raise the same.
Art. XII. All laws in conflict with the above plan are hereby repealed.