2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1563–1585

4. Committees

1563. The General Conference shall have such committees as it may deem necessary. The committees shall be nominated by the General Board, unless ordered otherwise in The Discipline or by the General Conference, and elected by the General Conference.

a. Committee on Memorials

1565. The General Board shall serve as the Committee on Memorials. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Memorials to receive all memorials for the General Conference, classify them, pass on each of them, and submit such memorials to the General Conference, together with the committee’s recommendation, and in such order as the committee shall determine (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1655:7). All memorials received no later than November 1 of the year prior to the General Conference shall be classified and printed for distribution to the General Conference delegates no later than sixty days before the opening date of the General Conference. Any memorial received by the Committee on Memorials after November 1 shall only be presented to the General Conference if it is recommended for adoption by the Committee on Memorials and if the General Conference votes to hear it.

b. General Conference Planning Committee

1570. The Executive Cabinet, with such other additional persons as it shall appoint, at least one year before the convening of a regular session of the General Conference, shall constitute a General Conference Planning Committee. The General Superintendent, or a person designated by the General Superintendent, shall serve as chair.

1573. The General Conference Planning Committee shall be responsible to arrange all necessary matters for the General Conference such as the lodging, meals, exhibits, space allotments, and whatever else may be necessary for the convenience and efficiency of the General Conference. They shall have the authority to carry out this responsibility and to enter into any necessary contracts, subject to the approval of the General Board or, in the interim of its sessions, the Executive Board.

1576. The Executive Cabinet shall formulate a program for the General Conference, including any worship services, and other special features, all of which shall be subject to the approval of the General Board or, in the interim of its sessions, the Executive Board.

c. Committee on Special Nominations

1580. The General Board shall serve as the Committee on Special Nominations (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1655:7). The duties of this committee shall be:

(1) To receive from the General Superintendent recommendations from which to present to the General Conference one or more nominations for each of the general officials elected by the General Conference. In the event an incumbent is not nominated, the committee shall normally present two or more nominations for that office. The general officials involved are: the Executive Director of Education and Clergy Development, the Executive Director of Church Multiplication and Discipleship, the Executive Director of Global Partners, and the Executive Director of Communication and Administration.

(2) To present nominations for the members of the Board of Review (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1590:19; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5400:3; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5405).

(3) To present such other nominations or fulfill such duties as may be assigned to them by the General Conference.

d. General Conference Editing Committee

1585. The General Conference Editing Committee shall be elected by the General Board and shall be responsible for editing The Discipline, the General Conference Journal, and any other item assigned by the General Conference or the General Board. All recommendations concerning the dedication of the General Conference Journal shall be referred to the General Board which shall determine the matter and instruct the committee accordingly. The committee is authorized, in consultation with the General Superintendent, to make any and all changes and additions to The Discipline (except changes to the Constitution, unless otherwise ordered by the General Conference) that it deems essential for implementing the intent of the General Conference in adopting specific legislation, subject to final review and approval of such changes by the General Board or its Executive Board.

e. Duties and Powers

1590. The duties, powers, and restrictions of the General Conference are set forth in the Constitution (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:325-360), and as hereinafter provided:

The Essentials and the Constitution

(1) To vote on an amendment to the Essentials (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:125).

(2) To propose an amendment to the Constitution (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:200-385) by a two-thirds vote, subject to ratification by two-thirds of all the members of the several district conferences, present and voting (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:385; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1180:1; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1560); to ratify, by a two-thirds vote, an amendment to the Constitution, which has originated in a district conference and has been approved by a two-thirds vote of all the members of the several district conferences, present and voting (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:385; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1180:2; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1560; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1935:47). When the voting is completed, the General Superintendent shall canvass the vote; and when the amendment has received the required majority, it shall be declared effective as constitutional law (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:385; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1935:47).

(3) To request, by a vote of one-fifth of its members, present and voting, a judgment from the Board of Review as to the constitutionality of an action of the General Conference (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:375:1); and to overrule such a judgment by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:380).

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).

Elections

(16) To elect by ballot and by majority vote, from among the ordained ministers of The Wesleyan Church, one General Superintendent. The General Board shall determine a process for the collection of names of eligible candidates for the office of General Superintendent. The General Board shall screen the list of candidates and interview those believed to be the best candidates in order to determine their appropriateness and availability for election. The General Board shall provide one or more nominations to the General Conference for election by ballot, allowing for nominations from the floor.

(17) To elect the following general officials by ballot and by majority vote, from one or more nominees for each office presented by the Committee on Special Nominations (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1580:1) and any additional nominations from the floor of the General Conference: the Executive Director of Church Multiplication and Discipleship, the Executive Director of Communication and Administration, the Executive Director of Education and Clergy Development, and Executive Director of Global Partners.

(18) To elect by majority vote three ordained ministers and three lay members from each of the representative areas (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:2430-2445) as members of the General Board (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1605:2), who shall be nominated by an area caucus. Area caucuses shall be held simultaneously at a time decided upon by the General Conference, for each of which a chair shall be appointed by the presiding officer. In an area caucus, the delegates of each district and provisional district which comprise the representative area shall nominate three ordained ministers and three lay members of that area, by ballot and by majority vote, as their area representatives on the General Board.

(19) To elect by majority vote, from nominees submitted by the Committee on Special Nominations or made from the floor, five ordained ministers and four lay members as members of the Board of Review, and four ordained ministers and three lay members as alternate members (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1580:2; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5400:3; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5405).

(20) To confer the title General Superintendent Emeritus upon a former General Superintendent when recommended by the General Board (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1945).

Judiciary

(21) Space reserved.

(22) To hear and determine appeals from decisions of the Board of Review, and to overrule such decisions by a two-thirds majority vote (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:380; see also General Board Policy on Church Discipline 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5450).

(23) To receive a report from the General Superintendent of official rulings on points of church law, interpretations of The Discipline and rulings on the legality of district actions; to sustain, modify or annul such rulings, in whole or in part (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:2061-2064).