Organized, JVIay, 1892
Inaorporated, Feb. 1894.
I
MANUAL
OF THE
A. M. E.
Church Extension
Department.
Discipline Law of 1900.
BY-LAWS AND POLICY OF THE BOARD.
RT. REV. ABRAHAM GRANT, D.D.
President,
Rev. Benjamin F. Watson, D.D.,
Sec. & Treas.
Church Extension Society.
PREAMBLE.
The need of some plan by which weak and struggling'
societies throughout our wide connection, and also our mis-
S'Oii work could be aided in securing and erecting suitable
houses of worship, has been long felt in the African Method¬
ist Episcopal Church.
Next after the cry of pe> ishing souls for the word of life
is that for a suitable place to feed the hungry souls. Wher¬
ever the messenger of God has been able to gather the out¬
cast into an organization (called a church) then comes next
the urgent demand for a Christian home or church building
where the Word of God may be regularly administered, and
those forming new organizations firmly settled through the
aid of the general Church, thus <-nablmg the missionaries to
hold the ground already taken without overburdening the
little band.
To this end the following constitution, for the working
and government of the Church Extension Society, of the
African Methodist Episcopal Church is adopted.
CONSTITUTION.
Article i.
There shall be a Board of Church Exten¬
sion consisting of one Bishop who shall be
President, a Corresponding Secretary and
Treasurer, and one member from each Epis¬
copal district. The Secretary to be elected by
the General Conference. The other members
4
CONSTITUTION.
of the Board shall be nominated by the Bish¬
ops and confirmed by the General Conference.
The Bishops shall be ex-officio members.
Article 2.
The Board shall present a statement of their
business annually to the several Annual Con¬
ferences, and a quadrennial report to the Gen¬
eral Conference. The Board shall fill all
vacancies that may occur during the interval
between General Conferences.
Article J.
The Board elected by this General Confer¬
ence si all at once procure, under the laws of
the State where this Board shall be located,
an act of incorporation, whereby they and
their successors in office in perpetual succes¬
sion shall be made a body corporate under
the name of "The Board of Church Exten¬
sion, '' with powers of contracting and being
contracted with, sueing and being sued, and
all other powers deemed necessary for the
successful prosecution of the work, not incon¬
sistent with these articles.
Article 4.
The Corresponding Secretary shall conduct
the correspondence of the Board under its
direction, and shall be subject to the author-
CONSTITUTION.
5
ity and control of the Board. He shall be a
member of the A. M. E. Church, and shall
reside where the Board is located. He shall
keep the Church constantly advised of the
work and wants of the Department of Church
Extension. He shall supervise and superin¬
tend the church extension work of the connec¬
tion, devising ways and means for collecting
funds, and labor to the extent of his power to
bring this department to the broadest field of
usefulness.
Article 5.
The Board shall be located at such place as
the General Conference may direct, and shall
meet annually at such time as it may deem
best for the interests of the department, and at
such other times as the President and Corres¬
ponding Secretary may appoint. Five mem¬
bers shall constitute a quorum.
Article 6.
The revenues of this department shall be:
(1) Ten per cent, of the Dollar Fund.
Said per centage to be forwarded directly to
the Corresponding Secretary of the Church
Extension Society, by the Chairman of the
Committee on Finance in each of our confer¬
ences, certified to by the Presiding Bishop,
with such other moneys as may be collected
6
CONSTITUTION.
at the Annual Conference for the cause of
Church Extension.
(2) Fifty (50) per cent, of all Children's
Day money shall be devoted to church exten¬
sion, and shall be forwarded immediately after
collecting, to the Corresponding Secretary.
(3) The admission fees and annual dues of
the Woman's Department of Church Extension.
(4) Special collections by the Correspond¬
ing Secretary, Bishops, Presiding Elders and
Pastors.
(5) Gifts, devises and bequests.
(6) Collections at Annual Conference
Church Extension Anniversaries, for a special
fund, to be designated, The African Church
Extension Fund, to be applied exclusively in
the erection of churches in the most promis¬
ing of our African missions.
Article 7.
It shall be lawful for the Board to accept
contributions to its funds, subject to annuities
payable to the order of the person making
such contributions, but all money so received
by the Board shall be invested in adequate se¬
curities.
Article 8.
The Board shall have authority to remilate
CONSTITUTION.
7
pay incidental expenses, to determine what
amount may be donated or "oaned to each
applicant, and to do such business as may be
legitimate and proper for it to do; provided
that the Board shall not involve itself in debt
beyond the amount of its available assets.
Article g.
The Board shall have authority to raise and
administer a ''Loan Fund," which shall be
held separate from funds raised for general
distribution, which shall be used only in loans
on adequate security, said security to be deter¬
mined by a regular conveyancer, the Board to
receive and hold in trust for the African Meth¬
odist Episcopal Church, and convey the same
for the uses and objects herein declared.
Article 10.
All applications for aid shall set forth: i. A
description of the buildings for which aid is
asked. 2. The estimate and probable cost
when completed. 3. The amount of cash
and reliable subscriptions on hand. 4. The
nature of the title, its validity, whether held
in trust for the African Methodist Episcopal
■Church. 5. The names of the members of the
Board of Trustees. 6. Any additional facts
that may be deemed necessary or useful to the
board in making a decision. In no case shall a
loan be made except on fiist mortgage, and
8
CONSTITUTION.
that at not more than 50 per cent, of the actual
market value of the property; provided, how¬
ever, that a mortgage may be taken on good
property at 50 per cent, of its value above first
mortgage.
Article 11.
The Board of Church Extension shall—
through its Corresponding Secretary—give
reasonable noL„j to all debtor churches, of all
principal and accrued interest due the Boaid,
and in case of neglect or failure of said
churches to pay, after proper notice, the Board
shall proceed to- collect by due process of law.
Every loan of one hundred dollars ($100)
■or upwards, to church or school, shall be
secured to the Board of Church Extension by
a bond duly executed by the trustees and pas¬
tor, and a mortgage upon the property.
In all cases of donation, the proper officers
shall be required to sign a bond, providing
and agreeing, that in case of dissatisfaction
and withdrawal from the A. M. E. Church,
the said donation shall become a bona fide
claim against the church, and collectable by
law.
Article 12.
(1) Each Annual Conference shall organize
a Conference Board of Church Extension, com¬
posed of all its Presiding Elders and two lay-
'CONSTITUTION,
9
men to "be elected by the Annual Conference.
The Presiding Bishop shall be president ex-
-officio. The board shall elect a vice president,
a secretary and treasurer. These officers shall
constitute the executive Committee of the Con¬
ference Board of Church Extension.
The Conference Board shall be amenable
and auxiliary to the Board of Church Exten
■sion of the A. M. E. Church.
( 2) The Conference Board of Church Ex¬
tension shall pass upon all applications for aid,
made by churches within their conference, to
the Board of Church Extension of the A. M.
E. Church, when duly endorsed by the
Presiding Elders from within whose districts
they come.
(3) The Conference Board of Church Ex¬
tension shall receive quarterly reports endorsed
hy the Presiding Elders, from the churches
within their limits, that are in debt to the gen¬
eral Board of Church Extension of the A. M.
E. Church. Any pastor whose church is a
beneficiary of the Board of Church Extension
of the A. M. E. Church, failing to report
quarterly, shall be deemed guilty of neglect of
duty, and be dealt with as in other cases of
neglect or failure of duty.
(4) The Conference Board of Church Ex¬
tension shall, through its secretary, submit a
report to the Annual Conference and to the
■Corresponding Secretary of the general Board
lO
CONSTITUTION".
of Church Extension, as to the mortgaged
indebtedness of the churches within the An¬
nual Conference, and the general condition of
its work.
Article I J.
It shall be the duty of the Bishops, Presid¬
ing Elders and Pastors to bring the subject of
church extension before the Annual Confer¬
ences, District Conferences, Quarterly Con¬
ferences and churches, and see to it that the
most efficient plans are adopted for raising the
amounts apport'oned to the charges respec¬
tively.
Article 14.
At the Annual Conference the Bishop shall
call for the report of the conference board, in
the regular order of conference proceedings,
and devote one evening to a Church Exten¬
sion Anniversary, when addresses shall be
delivered on the work and service of the
Church Extension Society, and a collection
lifted for the African Church Extension Fund.
Article 15.
There shall be a Woman's Auxiliary Church
Extension Society organized in all our churches
and Sunday Schools, which shall be auxiliary
and amenable to the Conference Board of
Church Extension.
CONSTITUTION.
II
Article 16.
The Corresponding Secretary of the Church
Extension Society shall give bonds and secur¬
ity in a sum not less than two thousand
dollars, ($2,000). His salary shall be thir¬
teen hundred and fifty dollars ($1,350) per
year.
12
by-laws.
BY-UWS
A rticle i. —Meeting.
Sec. i. The meetings of this Board shall
be held on the last Wednesday in April (ex¬
cept the last year of the Quadrennium; on
which year the last Saturday preceding the
General Conference at the seat of the Gener¬
al Conference) at such place as may be desig¬
nated by the Executive Board of Church
Extension.
Article 2.— Officers.
Sec. 1. The officers of the General Board
shall be a President, Vice President, Corres¬
ponding Secretary, Treasurer, and a Recording
Secretary of the Board. The three first shall
be the Executive Board; the time of each
officer shall be four years.
The President and Corresponding Secretary
shall be named by the General Conference,
but the Vice President and Recording Secre¬
tary shall be elected by the General Board at
their first meeting.
by-laws.
13
Article J.—Proceedings of the Board.
Sec. 1. The President shall call the Board
to order and open the meeting with devotional
services.
Sec. 2. Roll call of members.
Sec. 3. Election of Vice President and
Recording Secretary.
Sec. 4. The appointment of the following
committees:
(a) To audit Secretary's report.—3.
(b) On applications—3.
( c) Appropriations. —3.
(d) On ways and means to secure funds
due the Department.—3.
Sec. 5. Corresponding Secretary and
Treasurer's report.
Sec. 6. Special communications, applica¬
tions, resolutions, etc.
Sec. 7. Reports of committees.
Adjournment.
Article 4.—Policy.
Sec. 1. Whereas, the General Law on
Church Extension provides that it shall be the
duty of the General Board to establish its poli¬
cy for the furtherance of the object for which
this Department was organized. Therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the first object of the
J4
BY-LAWS.
Department shall be to aid new work by dona¬
tions to the amount of not more than $50.00.
That in all cases where donations are given
that it be stipulated in an agreement with the
trustees of the church—that in consideration
of said donation should said church at any
time withdraw from the A. M. E. Connection,
said donation shall become a claim against the
property bearing interest from date of dona¬
tion.
Resolved, second. Needy churches may
secure loans from the Department on applica¬
tion to the Board properly endorsed by the
Local Board of Church Extension—which
endorsement approved by the Bishop shall be
taken as security for the payment of both inter¬
est and principal, provided that
All loans endorsed by Conference Boards
since May, 1900, and from this on, are con¬
sidered secured by the Annual Conference in
whose territory the loan is placed. Therefore,
any failure on the part of the local church to
< ollect and forward the interest to the Secre¬
tary of the Board of Church Extension, the
Secretary is hereby directed to report the fail¬
ure to the next ensuing Annual Conference,
demanding payment of the same, out of any
conference funds at their disposal.
Resolved, third. Should the Conference fail
or refuse to pay such claim then the secretary
by-laws.
15
is hereby required to withhold the payment of
appropriation to said Conference until the de¬
ficiencies shall have been amicably settled.
Where churches have secured loans and
have failed to meet their obligation as prom¬
ised, the Secretary is prohibited from granting
additional loans to said churches.
Whereas, great amounts of the funds of
this Department are in notes past due, there¬
fore be it
Resolved, That the Secretary is hereby
instructed to notify alt churches thus delinquent,
to pay their loan ayid interest now due, or at
once make a neiv note including the due inter¬
est, and return the same to the Secretary.
That special inducements be made by the
Secretary to the Local Conference Board to
secure their cooperation in the collection of old
loans and interests due July, ipoo.
J. I. Lowe,
I). P. Roberts,
T. C. Denham.