Chapter 3. Rules and Powers

¶541. The General Conference shall have power to make rules and regulations for the Evangelical Methodist Church under the following limitations and restrictions:

(1) It shall not revoke or change the Articles of Religion, or establish any new standards of rules of doctrine contrary to the present and established standards and doctrines, either by legislation or practice.

(2) It shall not revoke or change the General Rules of the Evangelical Methodist Church.

(3) It shall not do away with the privilege of ministers of trial by committee, or of appeal. Neither shall it do away with the privilege of members in the local church of trial before the local church trial court.

¶542. The General Conference shall have the power to locate the International Headquarters, and to relocate them when expedient to do so. All purchases of real property for the General Conference must be approved by the General Conference by a two-thirds majority vote.

¶543. The church shall be incorporated under the title, The General Conference of the Evangelical Methodist Church.

¶544. The General Conference shall make provision for the salaries and expenses of the general officers of the church and the operating expenses of the general church. All General Conference personnel, except headquarters office employees, must be elected by the General Conference and their duties and salaries fixed by the same.

¶545. The General Conference shall determine the number and boundaries of the District Conferences. It shall have power to change the boundaries at any regular session of the General Conference.

¶546. The General Conference, acting through the Cabinet, shall prepare all report blanks and credential certificates for use throughout the entire church.

¶547. The General Conference (as well as any other conference) may be memorialized through its boards, committees, etc. Memorials may originate with any conference, board, department, committee, or lay organization, etc., on the District or General Conference levels. The local church may memorialize the District Conference. Memorials are to be sent directly to the appropriate board, department, committee, etc. More than one board, department, committee, etc., may be memorialized on the same matter where there is an overlapping of interests. Boards, departments, committees, etc., receiving memorials may accept them in whole or in part or reject them completely as deemed necessary.

¶548. No persons, no paper, no organization has the authority to speak officially for the Evangelical Methodist Church except as authorized by the General Conference under the Discipline.

¶549. No change shall be made in the Discipline unless the proposed change has been duly presented to the Board of Discipline Revision for consideration. Although proposed changes may originate at any level of the church, a proposed change must receive a favorable vote by a District Conference or by the General Council before being presented to the Board of Discipline Revision. Proposed changes approved by a District Conference or by the General Council must be submitted to the Board of Discipline Revision by January 1 of the year of the General Conference. Proposed changes approved by the Board of Discipline Revision must be submitted in writing to each local church at least thirty days prior to the General Conference. To otherwise bring it directly to the floor of the General Conference is possible only by a two-thirds majority vote of the conference. If thus brought directly to the floor, it must be postponed overnight before final action. A two-thirds favorable vote of the conference shall be required to effect all changes.

¶550. The General Conference shall provide adequate surety bonds for all officers handling funds of the conference. The books shall be audited annually by a qualified public accountant and the auditor's report shall accompany the treasurer's report. All books and records kept by General Conference officers are the property of the Evangelical Methodist Church and shall be surrendered at the end of one's tenure in office. Implementation shall be the responsibility of the General Superintendent.

¶551. Robert's Rules of Order shall be the authoritative basis for the parliamentary procedure of the General Conference and shall be followed in all business sessions of the conference as well as in committee, board, or other group meetings of bodies of the General Conference. The presiding officer shall appoint a parliamentarian at each business session of the conference when the elected parliamentarian is absent.

¶552. Final approval of the Constitution and By-laws of the Evangelical Methodist Men, Evangelical Methodist Women, and Evangelical Methodist Youth must be given by the General Conference before these can become effective. The General Conference may make any change deemed necessary for the good of the coordinated work of the general church.