LAWS AND REGULATIONS OF THE CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY FOR AFRICA AND THE EAST. 1. THIS Institution shall be designated "The Church Missionary Society for Africa and the East ;" and shall be conducted by Patrons, VicePatrons, a President, Vice-Presidents, a Committee, and such Officers as may be deemed necessary, all being Members of the Established Church. II. The office of PATRONS of the Society shall be reserved for such Members of the Royal Family as may honour it with their Protection, VICEPATRONS shall be appointed exclusively from among the Peers, Spiritual and Temporal. The PRESIDENT shall be such Peer or Commoner, and the VICE-PRESIDENTS such Cominoners, es may be appointed thereto. OF MEMBERS AND GOVERNORS. III. Annual Subscribers of One Guinea and upwards, and if Clergy men, Half-a-Guinea, with Collectors of Fifty-two Shillings and upwards per Annum, shall be Members of the Society during the continuance of such Subscriptions or Collections. Benefactors of Ten Guineas or upwards, Clergymen making Congregational Collections to the amount of Twenty Guineas, and Executors paying to the amount of Fifty Pounds, shall be Members for Life. IV. Annual Subscribers of Five Guineas shall be Governors during the continuance of such Subscription; and Benefactors of Fifty Pounds and upwards shall be Governors for Life. V. Members and Governors of Associations who contribute the above sums shall be considered as Members and Governors of the Parent Society, VI. The Committee shall have the power of appointing such persons as have rendered essential services to the Society, either Members for Life, or Governors for Life. OF GENERAL MEETINGS. VII. An Annual Meeting of the Members of the Society shall be held in London, on the First Tuesday in May; unless that day shall fall on the 7th of May, in which case the Annual Meeting shall be held, for that year, on Tuesday the 30th of April. To such Meeting, those Members of the Society shall be summoned by Letter who reside within ten miles of the Metropolis: when the Proceedings of the foregoing year shall be reported, the Accounts presented, and a Treasurer and Committee chosen. shall constitute a quorum, shall be called at any time, at the requisition of the General Committee; or by any Thirteen Members, on addressing aLetter to the Secretary, specifying the object of the Meeting. Ten days' notice shall be given in three public Newspapers, of any such intended Meeting, and of the purpose for which it is called; which shall be deemed sufficient publicity. IX. None of the Rules of the Institution shall be repealed or altered, nor any new ones established, but at the Annual Meeting, or at a Special Meeting called for that purpose. X. An Anniversary Sermon shall be preached at some Church in London by a Clergyman appointed by the General Committee. An Annual Report of the Society shall be printed for the use of its Members. ON THE COMMITTEE. XI. The Committee shall consist of Twentyfour Lay Members of the Established Church; and of all such Clergymen as are Members of the Society. Eighteen Members shall be annually appointed from the Old Committee, and Six from the General Body. XII. The COMMITTEE shall elect, at their First Meeting in every year, either from among themselves, or from the other Members of the Society (being Members of the Established Church) a Committee of F'atronage, a Committee of Funds, a Committee of Correspondence, and a Committee of Accounts. Each of the said Committees shall keep minutes of its Proceedings, and shall report the same to the General Committee. XIII. The Office of the Committee of Patronage is, to procure patronage and support to the Society; and to nominate, to the General Committee, proper persons, as Patrons, Vice-Patrons, and Vice-Presidents of the Society. XIV. The Office of the Committee of Funds, is to circulate information respecting the Institu. tion; to adopt proper means of augmenting the Subscriptions and Benefactions; to obtain Collections in Churches and Chapels; and to nominate, from time to time, to the General Committee, suitable persons to act as agents for the Society in the principal towns throughout the Empire. XV. The Office of the Committee of Correspondence, is, to seek for proper Missionaries, to suVIII. A Special General Meeting of the Memperintend their instruction, and to correspond bers of the Society, at which rot less than Thirty with them when sent out. XVI. The Office of the Committee of Accounts is, to see that the Subscriptions are duly received, regulate the accounts, and undertake the charge of fitting out and conveying the Missionaries to their places of destination. XVII. The General Committee shall receive the Reports of the other Committees, shall appoint the places where Missions shall be attempted, shall direct the scale upon which they shall be conducted, and shall superintend the affairs of the Society in general. XVIII. The General Committee shall meet on the Second Monday in every Month, and oftener if needful, the other Committees as often, and at such places, as shall be by them agreed on their Meetings to be always opened with reading a Form of Prayer composed for that purpose, or one or more suitable prayers selected from the Liturgy. Five Members shall be necessary to compose a General Committee, and Three each of the others. In case of equality of votes, the Chairman shall be entitled to a second or casting vote. XIX. The Patrons, Vice-Patrons, and President, Vice-Presidents, Treasurer, Secretaries, and Assistant Secretary shall be considered ex-officio Members of all Committees. XX. Governors, being Members of the Established Church, shall be entitled to attend and vote at all Meetings of the Gencral Committee. XXI. All Payments on account of the Society shall be signed by Three of the General Committee, in Committee, and the Secretary or Assistant Secretary. XXII. The Committee shall have power to ap. point such Officers and Assistants as they shall deem necessary for the well-conducting of the affairs of the Society, subject to the approbation of the next Annual Meeting. XXIII. Five Auditors shall be appointed by the Committee annually, for the purpose of auditing the Accounts of the Society, of whom Three shal; be chosen from the General Body. Three shall be a Quorum, XXIV. The Life Subscriptions, or a sufficient part thereof, to be equal to the Subscriptions of the existing Members for Life, shall be placed in the Public Funds, in the names of Four of the General Committee; who, on their acceptance of the trust, shall sign a declaration of the nature of it, and that they will relinquish the same whenever called upon for that purpose by the General Committee. OF MISSIONARIES. XXV. In the appointment of Candidates for the Missionary Office, the following course shall be pursed.The Committee of Correspondence having found a person supposed to be suitable, shall determine by ballot to nominate him to the General Committee. Previous to the day of nomination, each Member of the General Committee shall receive notice of such nomination. On the day of nomination, a report shall be made by some Member of the Committee of Correspondence of his qualifications, and the General Committee shall then proceed to ballot for him, unless any Member shall declare that he wishes for further informa In tion; in which case the ballot shall be deferred till XXVI. A Candidate thus chosen shall receive instruction in such parts of knowledge, and be prepared in such a manner for his fature employ- XXVII. If, during such preparation, any Two Members of the General Committee should see cause to disapprove of his principles or conduct, they may submit the subject to a special meeting of the Committee; and, if deemed proper, the Committee may appoint another ballot to determine whether he shall be continued as a Candjdate; of which special notice shall be given to each Member. XXVIII. Each Candidate shall consider himself as engaged to go to any part of the world, and at any time, which the Committee shall choose; respect however being had to his personal circumstances, or to any previous stipulation made by him with the Society. As soon as he quits England, he shall keep a regular Journal of his studies and proceedings; a copy of which he shall send, as often as opportunity shall serve, to the Secretaries. XXIX. Each Candidate, after due preparation, shall, if not admitted to Holy Orders, be apIf admitted to Holy Orders, he shall be appointed pointed by the Committee to act as a Catechist. a Missionary. XXX. The Missionaries who go out under the direction of this Society shall be allowed to visit home, permission having been previously obtained from the General Committee and after having laboured in the cause of the Society to the satisfaction of the Committee, at the Stations committed to their care, until age or infirmity prevent further exertion, suitable provision shall be made to render their remaining days comfortable. The General Committee shall have the power to assist also, in particular cases, the dependent relatives of those Missionaries, who, by devoting themselves to the service of the Society, are prevented from contributing to their support. XXXI. A friendly intercourse shall be maintained with other Protestant Societies engaged in the same benevolent design of propagating the Gospel of Jesus Christ. XXXII. It is recommended to every Member of the Society to pray to Almighty God for a blessing upon his designs, under the full conviction, that, unless he "prevent us in all our doings with his most gracious favour, and further us with his continual help," we cannot reasonably hope to meet with persons of a proper spirit and qualifications to be Missionaries, or expect their endeavours to be crowned with success. The Returns of the Schools and Scholars are in several cases deficient; and, in a few stasices, have been supplied from the Table of last year. In Sierra Leone, each District is is reckoned as a Station, instead of each Parish as heretofore; and all the Village Schools are now under the charge of the Government. TOTAL STATIONS AND NAMES OF MISSIONARIES AND OTHER LABOURERS. In the following List, the Wives of the Missionaries are included, though their specific employment is not stated: as it is always expected by the Society, that they should lay themselves out to do good, in every practicable way, among the Native Females; not only by cultivating familiar intercourse with them, but by Education of the Children and Instruction of the Adults. By the designation "Missionary" is meant one who is in Holy Orders: the other terms used will, it is presumed, sufficiently explain themselves. |