Decision Number 55

Constitutionality of Report No. 6 of the Committee on Conferences, Calendar No. 115, General Conference 1948, As to Change of Jurisdictional Boundaries

Digest

When the procedure provided by the Constitution for making changes in Jurisdictional Conference boundaries has been complied with, the enactment of legislation by the General Conference making such boundary changes is Constitutional.

Statement of Facts

Report No. 6 of the Committee on Conferences (Calendar No. 115) was adopted by the General Conference this afternoon, May 6, 1948, and was immediately referred by the proper vote of the General Conference to the Judicial Council for determination of its constitutionality.

The memorial adopted by the General Conference reads as follows:

"We hereby memorialize the General Conference of The Methodist Church to be held in 1948 to change the boundaries of the Central Jurisdictional Conference and the boundaries of the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference so that the New York and New York East Annual Conferences shall have the authority to organize and promote new Negro work, which work, when organized, shall be within the geographical boundaries of the Conference in which it is organized, and shall be constituent churches thereof, said boundary change to be effected without infringement of the rights or opportunity of the Delaware Conference to organize and promote Negro work anywhere within its boundaries."

Decision

Changes in the boundaries of Jurisdictional Conferences, under the Constitution, can be made by the General Conference only upon the consent of a majority of the Annual Conferences of each of the Jurisdictional Conferences involved. (Paragraph 28, Article III, the Discipline.)

The Secretary of the General Conference has furnished to the Judicial Council Certificates from a majority of the Annual Conferences of these two Jurisdictions showing that this proposed change in boundaries has received the approval of these Annual Conferences in both the Central Jurisdiction and the Northeastern Jurisdiction.

Since the procedure provided in the Constitution for the making of changes in the boundaries of Jurisdictional Conferences has been fully complied with, it is the of the Judicial Council that the above quoted action of the General Conference changing the boundaries of the Central Jurisdictional Conference of The Methodist Church is constitutional.