of residence for the use and occupancy of the Preachers of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States of America who may, from time to time, be stationed in said place; subject to the usage and Discipline of said Church, as from time to time authorized and declared by the General Conference of said Church, and by the Annual Conference within whose bounds said premises are situate."

T 380. In all other parts of such conveyances, as well as in their attestation, acknowledgment, and placing them upon the record, let a careful conformity be had to the laws, usages, and forms of the several States and Territories in which the property may be situated, so as to secure the ownership of the premises in fee simple; and in no case shall the Trustees mortgage or encumber the real estate for the current expenses of the Church.

¶ 381. Whenever it shall become necessary for the payment of debts, or with a view to reinvestment, to make a sale of Church property that may have been conveyed to Trustees for either of the foregoing purposes, said Trustees or their successors may, upon application to the Quarterly Conference, obtain an order—

a majority of all the members of such Quarterly Conference concurring, and the Preacher in Charge and the Presiding Elder of the District consenting — for the sale, with such limitations and restrictions as said Quarterly Conference may judge necessary; and said Trustees, so authorized, may proceed to sell and convey said property: provided, that in all cases the proceeds of the sale, after the payment of debts, if any, if not applied to the purchase or improvement of other property for the same uses, and deeded to the Corporation in the same manner, shall be held by such Corporation subject to the order of the Annual Conference within whose bounds such property is located, or to the Trustees of the Conference fund; and in all cases where Church property is abandoned, or no longer used for the purpose originally designed, it shall be the duty of the Trustees, if any remain, to sell such property and pay over the proceeds to the Annual Conference within whose bounds it is located; and where no such lawful Trustees remain, it shall be the duty of said Annual Conference to secure the custody of such Church property by such

means as the laws of the State may afford, subject to be returned in the same manner and upon the same contingencies as named in T 374.

T 382. Houses of worship and dwell ings for the use of preachers may be removed from one place to another on the same conditions on w nich the same may be sold.

Trusteeship.

T 383. There shall be located at Cincinnati an incorporated Board of Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church, composed of twelve members, six ministers and six laymen, appointed by the General Conference, of whom three of each class shall hold office four years, and three of each class eight years; all vacancies to be filled quadrennially by the General Conference. The duty of this Board shall be to hold in trust, for the benefit of the Methodist Episcopal Church, any and all donations, bequests, grants, and funds in trust, etc., that may be given or conveyed to said Board, or to the Methodist Episcopal Church, as such, for any benevolent object, and to administer the

said funds, and the proceeds of the same, in accordance with the directions of the donors, and of the interests of the Church contemplated by said donors, under the direction of the General Conference · provided, That any sums thus donated or bequeathed, but not especially designated for any benevolent object, shall be appropriated to the "Permanent Fund."

¶ 384. When any such donation, bequest, grant, or trust, etc., is made to this Board, or to the Church, it shall be the duty of the Preacher in the bounds of whose charge it occurs, to give an early notice thereof to the Board, which shall proceed without delay to take possession of the same, according to the provisions of its Charter.

T385. The Board shall make a faithful report of its doings, and of the funds and property on hand, at each quadrennial session of the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

PART V.-CHAPTER IV.

BOUNDARIES OF CONFERENCES

Mode of Determining Boundaries.

¶ 386. No petition, resolution, or memorial, asking for or involving the division of Conferences, or the organization of new Conferences out of territory already occupied by organized Conferences, or the absorption of Conferences already existing, shall be entertained by the General Conference until it has first been submitted to the Annual Conferences to be directly affected by such proposed action.

¶ 387. No proposition for any change in Conference boundaries shall be entertained by the General Conference until due notice shall have been given by the Annual Conference desiring such change, or by a majority of the Presiding Elders thereof, to the Conference or Conferences which are to be affected by such proposed action.