1. The Governing Body of the Methodist Church in Ireland is the Conference, constituted in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the Conference from time to time.
2. The Conference consists of two Sessions, a Ministerial Session and a Representative Session.
(a) The Conference in its Ministerial Session consists of the President of the Conference of the Methodist Church in Great Britain (hereinafter referred to as the British Conference) and the Ministers appointed by that Conference to accompany him; all the Ministers who are members of the Representative Session, together with such other Ministers as may be permitted to attend under the Rules and Regulations of the Conference.
(b) The Conference in its Representative Session consists of the President of the British Conference and the Representatives appointed by that Conference, together with not less than 100 nor more than 150 Ministers and an equal number of Lay Members elected or appointed in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the Conference.
3. In those matters which are specifically appointed for the consideration of each session the decisions of that session are taken and had to be the decisions of the Conference.
4. The business of the Conference in its Ministerial Sessions, and as to which the decision of that Session is final, consists of—
(i) All and every matter relating to the Admission, Probation, Discipline, Appointment, Expulsion, and Retirement of Ministers, save and except that the final vote on the reception into Full Connexion with the Conference and ordination of candidates for the ministry shall be taken in the Representative Session, on the recommendation of the Ministerial Session.
(ii) All appeals on matters of discipline relating to members of the Church.
(iii) All Ministerial and Pastoral subjects of like nature with any of those specified in this section, or affecting the Ministerial or Pastoral work of the Church. In all cases wherein there may be doubt as to the Session of Conference to which a matter belongs, the President decides.
(iv) The making of Rules and Regulations and the appointment of Committees (including the appointment of lay persons to the membership of such committees as the Conference may decide) in relation to any of the matters appointed for the Ministerial Session.
5. The business of the Conference in its Representative Session consists of all matters pertaining to the government and management of the Church, except such as are reserved for the decision of the Ministerial Session.
6. The stated meeting of the Conference shall be held annually in the month of June upon such date and at such place as shall be determined by the preceding annual Conference. Any necessary change in the time or place of meeting of the Annual Conference may be made by the Vice-President and Secretary, with the approval of the General Committee of Management or its Sub-Committee. In cases of emergency an extraordinary meeting of the Conference may be convened by the same authority, the membership of which shall be that of the last preceding Annual Conference.
7.
(i) The Officers of the Conference are a President, who is the President or Acting President of the British Conference, a Vice-President, a Secretary and a Lay Leader. The Vice-President is elected by the Conference in accordance with its Rules and Regulations. The term of office of the Vice-President commences upon his induction and terminates upon the induction of his successor.
(ii) The minister elected to be Vice-President of the Conference thereby becomes The President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, and in the absence of the President or Acting President of the British Conference, he presides over the Conference and signs the records thereof. He is empowered to make appointments from the Reserve of accepted candidates for the ministry to Circuits in cases where vacancies may occur therein in the interval between one Conference and another.
(iii) The Secretary of the Conference is the Secretary of the Methodist Church in Ireland, and is elected by the Conference in accordance with its Rules and Regulations. He is responsible for arranging and introducing the business of the Conference; for having a correct record made of its proceedings; for the accuracy of the printed Minutes as a record of its decisions and the subjects to which they relate, and for such other duties as the Conference may from time to time prescribe, or as are usually performed by the Secretary thereof. He continues in office until his re-election, or the election of his successor at the ensuing Conference.
(iv) The Lay Leader of the Conference is elected by the Conference in accordance with its rules and regulations. The term of office of the Lay Leader commences upon her/his induction and terminates upon the induction of her/his successor.
(v) The Conference may also elect or appoint such Assistant Secretaries, Letter Writers, or other officers as it may consider necessary.
(vi) The Conference may from time to time make such regulations as it may consider expedient for the discharge of the duties of any officer in case of the illness, absence or death of such officer.
(vii) Forty members of the Conference, twenty of them being ministers, present at the time and place of meeting, constitute a quorum and are competent to transact business.
8. The Journal of the Conference, after confirmation by the Conference, is signed by the President or Acting President or Vice-President, and by the Secretary or Acting Secretary. A separate journal is kept of the proceedings of the Ministerial Session, and is similarly signed, after confirmation, in that Session. The said Journals shall be deemed to be authoritative records of all acts of the Conference, and such journals so subscribed shall be taken and received for all purposes whatsoever as conclusive evidence of the acts and proceedings of the Conference. But no admissions, expulsions or appointments shall be enforceable until the Journal shall have been signed.
9. The Conference has power from time to time, and subject to such regulations as it shall prescribe, to make, revoke and vary Rules and Regulations, not conflicting or inconsistent with this Constitution, for its own procedure, for appointments to departmental or other offices, for the raising, management and distribution of the funds under its control, and for the management of its Institutions or Departments, and for, or relating to, the membership, discipline and general organisation of the Methodist Church in Ireland, and the last published edition of the Manual of the Laws and Discipline of the Methodist Church in Ireland (or as regards any Rules or Regulations made, altered or amended since the last publication of such Manual, the printed Minutes of Conference containing same) shall be conclusive evidence for all purposes whatsoever of such Rules and Regulations having been made by the Conference
10. As provided for in Par. 4 (iv) and 5 the Conference has also the power in both the Ministerial and Representative Sessions to appoint such and so many Committees from time to time as may be considered necessary for the despatch of business, and to define the powers and duties which each such Committee shall possess and discharge, also the number of members to serve on each Committee, the number of members whose attendance shall be necessary to make a quorum of the said Committees, the mode of giving or sending notices for, and the times, places and manner of their meetings and respecting the general conduct and management or control of business affairs, and to delegate to any such Committee all or any of the powers of the Conference.
11. The Conference may alter or amend its Constitution from time to time as it may consider necessary. But no proposal for such alteration or amendment may be considered unless notice thereof shall have been given in writing to the Secretary at the preceding Conference.