2016 Wesleyan Discipline:D. Church Discipline Offenses

D. Offenses

1. Individual or Corporate

5010. Any member, minister, local church, district, official body or other agency of The Wesleyan Church shall be liable to disciplinary proceedings for any of the following offenses:

(1) Holding, teaching, disseminating or tolerating the teaching of any doctrine contrary ^v

(2) Disobedience to the provisions of The Discipline or tolerating such disobedience.

(3) Willful refusal to recognize Church authority. ^vi

(4) Conduct unbecoming a member or minister of The Wesleyan Church.

(5) Sexual immorality.^vii

(6) Serious or persistent neglect of duty.

2. Accusation

5011. Accusations must be in writing, dated, signed by the accuser(s) and handed to the official having jurisdiction over the accused. The official having jurisdiction shall decide whether to handle the matter directly or refer to a higher Church authority. In either case, an investigation of the accusation shall be conducted. Whenever, in the opinion of the accuser(s), proper action has not been taken, appeal may be made to the next higher Church authority.

3. Investigation

5012. Investigation. At any point in these proceedings, the official having jurisdiction or the accused may ask the official body having jurisdiction to conduct an investigation. Such an investigation may include a committee of two or more covenant members or ministers of The Wesleyan Church who can be relied on for impartial judgment, who are not involved in the matter, and who are not closely related to any party involved. The investigation shall involve a careful and thorough inquiry into the matter, meeting with each appropriate person and meeting with any antagonists together if at all possible. One member of the committee shall serve as secretary and a written report shall be presented to the official having jurisdiction. If the committee finds no grounds for discipline, it shall so report and the official having jurisdiction shall relay this report to the official body having jurisdiction and the matter shall be dropped. If the committee does find grounds for discipline, it shall so report and the official and official body having jurisdiction shall decide on subsequent steps. Should a hearing be ordered, the investigative report shall be made available to the judicatory.