2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1. District Conference Plan of Representation

1. Plan of Representation

1080. The district conference, as required by the Constitution (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:317), shall be composed of an equal number of ministerial members and lay members as voting members, chosen in a way that maintains the principle of equal representation, and other non-voting members as listed herewith.

a. Voting Members

1083. Ministers. The ministerial voting members of the district conference are those who meet the following requirements:

(1) Ordained ministers under appointment (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1240:I:A:1-8), retired (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1240:I:B; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3370), on reserve (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1240:I:C; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3360) or on educational leave (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1240:I:D; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3350:1).

(2) Licensed ministers who are ordained ministers-elect (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:317)

(3) Commissioned or licensed ministers who are pastors, associate pastors or assistant pastors of churches in that district (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:317; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1240:II:A; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1240:III:A; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3059; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3030).

(4) Ministerial members of the district board of administration who are not voting members by some other right (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:317).

(5) Ordained ministers (including licensed ministers who are ordained ministers elect) who have applied for transfer to another district but whose processes of transfer out of the district are yet incomplete.

1086. Laity. The lay members of the district conference with voting rights are those elected as delegates by the churches or circuits of that district (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:315:7; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:317; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1100-1109) and the lay members of the district board of administration (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:317). The total number of lay members with voting rights shall be determined as set forth in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1100:1 while maintaining the principle of equal representation of the ministry and the laity. Each established church or circuit is entitled to a minimum of one lay delegate as its constitutional right (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:315:7; cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:503), and, according to its number of members, to additional lay delegates allotted by the district board of administration (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1100:1-5). A developing church which is judged to be qualified may be allotted one lay delegate (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:510:5; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1100:2; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1103).

b. Nonvoting Members

1090. The nonvoting members of the district conference, with a voice but without a vote, are (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:317):

(1) Ordained ministers without appointment (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1240:I:E; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3380).

(2) Ordained ministers in process of transfer from another denomination (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3104; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3390).

(3) Commissioned or licensed ministers who are not voting members of the district conference as listed in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1083:2-4, including those in process of transfer from another denomination (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3104).

(4) Ministerial students (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3015:3b; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3350:2).

(5) Commissioned and licensed special workers (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1240:V:A,B,C; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3460-3470).

(6) Commissioned lay missionaries (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1240:V:D).

(7) Supply pastors (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1240:V:E; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3260:4).

(8) Interim pastors, unless qualifying as a voting member by some other right (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1083; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3261).

(9) District directors of men’s ministry, Wesleyan Youth, women’s ministry, district coordinator of Wesleyan Kids for Missions, and district directors of children’s ministries and adult ministries.

(10) Ordained ministers, commissioned ministers, and licensed ministers whose process of transfer into the district from other districts are pending completion.