2061-2064
2061. Official Rulings. Official rulings are formal clarifications of Church law and authoritative interpretations of The Discipline of The Wesleyan Church that become the temporary law of the Church, subject to being overruled or sustained by the next session of the General Conference. The General Superintendent shall prepare or may instruct the Executive Director of Communication and Administration to research and write initial drafts of official rulings when such are properly requested or whenever the General Superintendent deems necessary for the proper administration of the Church:
- (1) A request for an official ruling shall be submitted to the General Superintendent, in writing, by the following: the General Board, the Executive Board (1785), a general official, the governing board of an institution or subsidiary corporation, a district conference (1180:35), or a district board of administration (1233:23).
- (2) The General Superintendent shall consult with the Executive Board of the General Board prior to giving final approval to and signing all official rulings or interpretations.
- (3) A ruling may be appealed to the Board of Review by the party submitting the original request or by the General Board (370; 375:2; 1180:37; 1233:23; Gen. Bd. Policy on Ch. Disc. 5445:2). All appeals must be filed with the Executive Director of Communication and Administration within sixty days after the date the official ruling is published by the General Superintendent. An official ruling that is not upheld by the Board of Review shall be null and void, unless the action of the Board of Review is overruled by the General Conference (375:2; 380).
2062. Reporting Official Rulings. The General Superintendent shall submit a report of all official rulings on points of law, interpretations of The Discipline, or other formal judicial acts, to the next session of the General Board or its Executive Board for their information, and to the next session of the General Conference for final review and approval (1590:22). Upon approval by the General Conference, such rulings become the law of the Church and shall be incorporated into the appropriate section(s) of The Discipline. A record of such rulings shall be inserted in a special appendix of the next issue of The Discipline as follows:
- The General Superintendent on (date) officially interpreted (identify item) and the General Conference on (date) sustained (GC- ), thereby authorizing this provision to mean: (insert the ruling).