Mennonite Handbook of Information/Chapter 3
CHAPTER III
MENNONITE GENERAL CONFERENCE AND DISTRICT CONFERENCES
The Mennonite General Conference is presumed to be the supreme governing body in the Church and, besides the Mennonite bishops in attendance, is made up of a certain number of delegates according to the number of congregations and membership in each of the district conferences giving it support.[1] Though it is the highest court of appeal in the Church, yet it is not within its province to exercise any attitude of direct authority over any district conference, except by the consent of said conference.
Its authority is vested chiefly in the direction and over-sight of all boards and committees represented in the publication, educational, charitable, missionary, and every other spiritual activity of the Church at large; also to serve in an advisory capacity with reference to district conferences. The General Conference has functioned in these various capacities in bienninal sessions since the year 1898.
The district conferences adopt rules and regulations for governing the Christian life of individual members as they are affected by local conditions in their various states and districts. Some of these district conferences were founded and sessions have been held regularly for more than a hundred years.[2] This statement holds good particularly with reference to the Franconia, Lancaster, and Ontario conferences, while a number of other of later organization have been in regular session for the past fifty to seventy-five years.
The rulings of the district conferences are "the decrees for to keep," especially in every case where they are based on the great fundamental doctrines of the Bible. Some of these measures are taken to meet certain critical issues in the Church and apply only to the particular time for which they are provided.
The conference rulings appearing at stated times within a generation represent the history-making periods in the Church, while the wording is so framed that through successive generations one is not supposed to conflict with or contradict the other. All have been formulated and delivered from time to time as the needs arose for their adoption.
The following table indicates by conferences all Mennonites who are known to adhere to the old parent body of the Church as it was originally established in America. This includes such congregations and local conferences of the Amish Mennonites as have merged with local conferences, the General Conferences (or both) in maintaining a common faith and doctrine, and the support of missionary effort, publication and educational interests, and general relief work in the whole body of the Church.
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Name of Conference Franconia Lancaster Maryland Virginia Ontario Southwest. Pa. Eastern A. M. Ontario A. M. Ohio Indiana-Michigan Missouri-Kansas Iowa-Nebraska Dakota-Montana Alberta-Sask. Illinois Pacific Coast India South America Totals . Places of V-NXNN Worship Number of Bishops 4 13 2 thamt 4 7 9 3 4 13 8 42 11 8 1 3 72 Number of WUNAN WE Ministers 6 9 20 9 Number of Deacons 6 29 22 3751 17231 55 19 17 22 Number of Members 9 7 1947 1627 13 1619 13 4660 9 1454 12 1926 25 3703 10 2106 25 2292 13 1 4 When Founded 9647 1775 B. F. Zimmeman 1750 1790 Geo. S. Keener 1835|J. S. Martin 1820 M. H. Shantz 1876 Isaac Metzler 1868|S. E. Allgyer 1924 Daniel Jutzi 1840|A. J. Steiner 1843|D. A. Yoder 1872 Samuel Gerber 1920|I. G. Hartzler 2942 [1920 D. G. Lapp 242 1920 382 1902 N. E. Roth 993 1920 J. P. Bontrager 1293 [1900|J. N. Kaufman 156 1922 6 1 405 | 106 | 464 | 266 |42790 | Present Moderator Present Secretary J. C. Clemens N. H. Mack J. E. Lehman H. D. Weaver G. Bergey C. A. Graybill C. Z. Yoder Chris Brunk J. Y. King I. S. Johns A. L. Buzzard J. R. Shank W. R. Eicher J. L. Lehman M. D. Stutzman O. G. Miller Mukut 'W. G. Lauver 22 MENNONITE HANDBOOK