Decision Number 357

Decision

We advise that it is beyond the authority of the General Conference either to authorize or require Jurisdictional Conferences to merge Annual Conferences, this authority being vested in the Annual Conferences, subject only to the authority of the Jurisdictional Conferences to approve name, number and boundaries of the Annual Conferences.

The proposed amendment to Paragraph 390 (3), intended as an implementation to the proposed amendment of Paragraph 625, would be constitutional but inappropriate, in view of the unconstitutionality of the proposed amendment to Paragraph 625.

The proposed amendment to Paragraph 815 (4) would be unconstitutional as a structuring of Annual Conferences on bi-racial lines.