pelled or deposed, and shall have promised in writing to wholly desist from disseminating such doctrines privately or publicly. ¶ 238. Whenever specific complaints are made in writing and signed by five responsible persons, members or Ministers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, charging a Professor in one of our theological schools with violating his pledge to the Bishops of loyalty to our doctrine and polity, said charges shall be lodged with the District Superintendent of the Annual Conference to which the accused belongs, who shall carefully consider the same; and if in his opinion they are of sufficient gravity to require an investigation, he shall immediately proceed according to the provisions of the Discipline in ¶ 232. ¶ 239. When a Member of an Annual Conference, in the interval between the sessions of his Conference, declines or ceases to do the work to which he was duly appointed, except for the reasons indicated in 164, let the District Superintendent proceed as directed in ¶ 232, § 1. If the District Superintendent fail to do this, he shall account therefor to the next Annual Conference. ¶ 240. When it is alleged of a Member of an Annual Conference that he is so unacceptable or inefficient as to be no longer useful in his work, or that without reason of impaired health of himself or family disqualifying him for pastoral work, he goes into secular business, his case shall be referred to a Committee of five or more Members of his Conference for inquiry; and if said Committee shall find the allegation sustained, and shall so recommend, the Conference may request him to locate. If he shall refuse, and the conditions complained of shall continue, the Con ference may, at its next session, after formal trial and conviction, locate him without his consent. But he shall have the right of appeal to a Judicial Conference, which may restore him. III. Maladministration 241. In cases of alleged maladministration§ 1. A Minister shall be answerable to his Conference on the charge of corrupt, negligent, or partisan administration, but not for errors in judgment. § 2. Errors or defects in Judicial Proceedings shall be duly considered when presented on appeal. But Errors of Law or Administration connected with investigations under ¶ 232, and Errors of Law made by a District Superintendent in cases of appeal are to be corrected by the President of the next Annual Con ference on appeal in open session; and the Conference may also order just and suitable remedies for the injury resulting from such errors. § 3. Errors of Administration not connected with Judicial Proceedings may be presented in writing to the Annual Conference, for its judgment thereon; and the Conference may also order just and suitable remedies when the rights of Ministers or members of the Church have been injuriously affected by such errors. IV. Trial 242. The Annual Conference may, at its discretion, try an accused Member in either of the three following methods: § 1. The entire trial, including the examination of witnesses, may be by the Conference in full session. § 2. Or, the Bishop may appoint an Elder as a Commissioner to take the evidence in the case, in whole or in part; and said Commissioner shall cause a correct record of the proceedings before him, and of the evidence signed by the witnesses respectively, to be laid before the Conference; upon which evidence, and such other as may be admitted, the case shall be determined. § 3. Or, the Conference may appoint from its Members a Select Number of not less than nine nor more than fifteen, to try the accused, who shall have the right to challenge for cause; which Select Number, in the presence of a Bishop, or of a Chairman whom the President of the Conference shall have appointed, and one or more of the Secretaries of the Conference, shall have full power to consider and determine the case according to the rules which govern Annual Conferences in such proceedings; and they shall make a faithful report in writing of all their proceedings, duly subscribed by the President and Secretary of the Select Number, to the Secretary of the Conference, and deliver up to him therewith the bill of charges, the evidence taken, and the decision rendered, with all other documents brought into the trial. § 4. But the Annual Conference may, when a case cannot be tried during the session for want of testimony, refer it to one of the District Superintendents, who shall proceed as directed in ¶ 232, and the Conference shall determine whether the case seems to be of such gravity as to require that the Minister be left without appointment until the investigation shall be held. 243. When a Minister is tried on a charge of im morality, and the Conference or the Select Number shall find that this charge is not sustained by the evidence, but that the Minister has been proven guilty of "high imprudence and unministerial conduct," it may declare this fact, and subject the offender to reproof, suspension, or deprivation of Ministerial Office and Credentials. ¶ 244. In no case, either of an investigation or a trial of a Member of an Annual Conference, shall any person act as Counsel who is not a Member of an Annual Conference. 245. In case any Member of an Annual Conference be deposed from the Ministry without being expelled from the Church, he shall have his membership in the Church where he resided at the time of his deposition. ¶ 246. After a Minister shall have been regularly tried and expelled he shall have no Privileges of Society or Sacraments in our Church, without contrition, reformation, and confession, satisfactory to the Conference from which he was expelled. ¶ 247. When a Traveling Preacher is accused of immorality and desires to withdraw from the Church, the Annual Conference may permit him to withdraw; in which case the record shall be, "Withdrawn under Complaints." If formal charges of immorality have been presented, he may be permitted to withdraw; in which case the record shall be, "Withdrawn under Charges:" and if thus withdrawn under "Complaints," or under "Charges," the relation to the Church of the Preacher thus withdrawn shall be the same as if he had been expelled. CHAPTER IV TRIAL OF PREACHER ON TRIAL ¶ 248. A Preacher on Trial in an Annual Conference is, in reference to Amenability and Appeal, considered as a Local Preacher; but in his case the District Superintendent shall perform the duties which are prescribed to the Preacher in Charge in the case of an accused Local Preacher. CHAPTER V TRIAL OF LOCAL PREACHER ¶ 249. When a Local Preacher, ordained or unordained, is reported to be guilty of some crime expressly forbidden in the Word of God, sufficient to exclude a person from the kingdom of grace and glory, the Preacher in Charge shall call a Committee of Investigation, consisting of three or more Local Preachers, before which it shall be the duty of the accused to appear, and by which, if the charge is sustained, he shall be suspended from all Ministerial services and Church privileges until the next District or Quarterly Conference. If the accused refuse or neglect to appear before said Committee, the investigation may proceed in his absence. The Preacher in Charge shall cause exact minutes of the charges, testimony, and proceedings in the investigation, together with the decision of the Committee, to be laid |