850–859

2. Board of Trustees

850. Election. The local board of administration, shall serve as the board of trustees. If the local board of administration so chooses, it may from its membership elect from three to seven to serve as the board of trustees.

853. Organization and Procedure. If the local board of administration chooses to elect the board of trustees from its members, the board of trustees shall meet following the annual session of the local church conference to elect a chair, vice-chair, and secretary, and shall meet at such other times as ordered by the local board of administration or as made necessary by their duties.

856. Duties and Powers. The local board of trustees shall carry out their duties as required by The Discipline (4500–4780) and shall be responsible to:

(1) Carry out the instructions of the local church conference and the local board of administration in supervising, controlling, maintaining, and improving all church property (315:6; 655:13; 782:25).

(2) Supervise such expenditures as have been approved by the local church conference or the local board of administration for repairs, improvements, and alterations.

(3) Attend to all legal matters regarding the acquisition, purchase, sale, mortgage, transfer, or other disposition of property as properly authorized (4700–4728); to see that titles are correct, contain the proper trust clause (4610), are approved by the district superintendent (1310:11; 4700:5), and are recorded (4540); and to see that property and legal records are properly stored (4760).

(4) Attend to all other legal matters pertaining to the local church, as authorized and directed by the local church conference or the local board of administration, including renting property, borrowing money, and receiving and administering bequests and trusts.

(5) Carry out the directions of the local church conference or local board of administration concerning the purchase, sale, mortgage, transfer, or other disposition of property, provided that such transactions have been approved by the district board of administration as set forth in 4700–4790.

(6) Make recommendations to the local board of administration concerning sufficient property and liability insurance on the property and for any vehicles owned and operated by the local church, and to carry out the instructions of the local board of administration in securing such insurance (782:26).

(7) Make such reports as are requested by the local church conference or the local board of administration.

(8) To make recommendations to the local board of administration concerning sufficient property and liability insurance on the property and for any vehicles owned and operated by the local church, and to carry out the instructions of the local board of administration in securing such insurance (782:29).

(9) To make such reports as are requested by the local church conference or the local board of administration.

859. Restrictions. The local board of trustees shall be subject to the following restrictions:

(1) The local board of trustees must carry out the instructions of the local board of administration, the local church conference, and the district board of administration. If a local trustee refuses to carry out such instructions when the instructions meet all the requirements of local laws and of The Discipline, the trustee may be removed from office as given in 815:4 (4530).

(2) The local board of trustees cannot mortgage or otherwise encumber local church property without the express authorization of the local church conference and the approval of the district board of administration as set forth in 4700–4720.

(3) The local board of trustees cannot deny the use of the parsonage, church building or other local church buildings, to the pastor who has been duly appointed by the district conference or district board of administration, nor the use of the church building to the membership of the local church and duly elected officials of The Wesleyan Church (cf. 4770).

(4) The local board of trustees cannot divert church property from The Wesleyan Church (4550; 4780).

(5) When a church is reclassified as a developing church (cf. 518:7; 1233:30), the office and power of the local board of trustees shall cease, and all property shall pass directly under the control of the district board of administration (4670).