Decision Number 710

Decision

The delegation of authority and responsibility by the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference to its Executive Committee to review, revise, and/or approve a Plan of Merger for the Annual Conference of the Boston Area was an unconstitutional delegation of authority.

The delegation of responsibility to the several Conference Councils on Ministries to elect a Commission to Initiate a United Conference and a Joint Distributing Committee was an unconstitutional delegation of authority and responsibility. "The Annual Conference is the basic unit in the church and as such shall have reserved to it ... rights as not have been delegated to the General Conference under the Constitution." (Par. 36)

The Decision of the bishop is not sustained. The action of the Uniting Conference is not effected until such time as each of the three conferences meeting in separate bodies votes to adopt the same plan of merger.