2016 Wesleyan Discipline:General Conference Duties Regarding General Legislation

General Legislation

(4) To have full power in keeping with the Constitution (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:135; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:145) and by majority vote to enact statutory law (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:155) and to adopt ritual (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:175) for The Discipline and to adopt other rules and regulations for the Church, all of which shall be the chief authority for the North American General Conference of The Wesleyan Church and its subordinate units (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:2550); to ratify amendments to the Charter of The International Conference of The Wesleyan Church (see Appendix A) or to authorize the General Board to approve such amendments in the interim of General Conferences.

(5) To authorize a corporation to be formed and maintained for The Wesleyan Church to facilitate the management of its legal and corporate affairs (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4200); and to approve its articles of incorporation and bylaws and any or all amendments thereto, by a two-thirds vote (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4270).

(6) To authorize the incorporation of any agency, institution, board organization or other similar body, as a subsidiary corporation of The Wesleyan Church (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4300), and to approve the articles of incorporation and bylaws, and any amendments thereto, for such a subsidiary corporation (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4300-4320). In the interim of General Conferences, this authority shall be vested in the General Board (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1655:35; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4300; cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:2362).

(7) To receive reports of the spiritual, numerical, and financial condition of The Wesleyan Church, worldwide, including reports concerning their official duties from the general officials and others designated by the General Conference (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1800; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1840; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1935:17).

(8) To adopt plans for the advancement of the Church in all phases of its ministry, including the financial plans for the General Church (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1995-2050).

(9) To define in a general way the duties of the general officials, subject to the additional definition of their duties by the General Board in the interim of General Conference sessions (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1845).

(10) To organize the work in the United States and Canada into districts and to determine their boundaries, for which a recommendation shall be received from the General Board (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:317; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1036; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1655:34; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:2400-2403); to authorize the establishing of an established national conference as set forth in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:2610:10; and to authorize the establishing of a general conference as set forth in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:2620.

(11) To authorize the establishing of a developing district (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1006) or a provisional district (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1020); to reclassify a provisional district (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1034) or an established district (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1042-1045).

(12) To group the districts into representative areas (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:2430-2445) to serve for the election of area representatives to the General Board and as the area divisions of Wesleyan Youth, for which a recommendation shall be received from the General Board (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1655:14).

(13) To authorize the establishment, merger or dissolution of any educational or benevolent institution for the General Church or an area of the same; to define the purpose and adopt any regulations deemed necessary for the government of such institutions (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:2362).

(14) To determine the boundaries of the educational areas in such a way as to provide an equitable distribution of the membership and financial strength of the Church among the approved schools, for which a recommendation shall be received from the General Board (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:2365-2371; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:2450-2470; cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1655:14).

(15) To designate a criterion of parliamentary procedure for itself and other representative or official bodies of The Wesleyan Church as desired (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:360:1).