What, one might ask, is the purpose in having an "executive" body which can do nothing--they are not even allowed to be present at the business meetings of the church--elected by a Board of Directors who have to elect "unanimously" whomsoever Mrs. Eddy names? Why go through the form of "electing" them, when they are simply appointed? Why, indeed, elect the church officers, since, behind this brave showing of boards and bodies, Mrs. Eddy, in reality, simply appoints? One reason is that Mrs. Eddy likes the play of making boards and committees; she loves titles and loves to distribute them. Another reason is that her followers are proud to be placed upon these boards, however limited their sphere of action may be. _How Mrs. Eddy Controls the Branch Churches_ With the branch churches the case is much the same. Mrs. Eddy starts out bravely by saying that they are to have "local self-government." But on reading the Manual we find that they are pretty well provided for. A branch church can be organized only by a member of the Mother Church.[16] The services of the branch churches are definitely prescribed; they are to consist of music, Mrs. Eddy's prayer, and oral readings from "Science and Health" and the Bible. Mrs. Eddy may appoint or remove--without explanation--the Readers of the branch churches at any time.[17] The branch churches may never have comments or remarks made by their Readers, either upon passages from "Science and Health" or from the Bible.[18] The branch churches may have lectures only by lecturers whom Mrs. Eddy has appointed in the usual way--through the "vote" of her Board of Directors.[19] And the lecture must have passed censorship.[20] After listening to such a lecture, the members of the branch churches are not permitted to give a reception or to meet for social intercourse. Mrs. Eddy tells them that it will be much better for them to "depart in quiet thought."[21] (It seems more than probable that this by-law was devised for the spiritual good of the lecturer. Mrs. Eddy had no idea that these gentlemen should be feted or made much of after their discourse and thus become puffed up with pride of place.) Since the branch churches, then, have nothing to say about their services, Readers, or lecturers, there seems to be very little left for them to do with their powers of local self-government. Services in the branch churches, as in the Mother Church, are limited to the Sunday morning and evening readings from the Bible and "Science and Health," the Wednesday evening experience meetings, and to the communion service. (In the Mother Church this occurs but once a year, in the branch churches twice.) There is no baptismal service, no marriage or burial service, and weddings and funerals are never conducted in any of the Christian Science churches. _The Publication Committee_