Chapter 9: Boundaries

A. District Boundaries

2400. The boundaries of an established district, provisional district or developing district shall be defined by the General Conference or, in the interim of its sessions, by the General Board as set forth in 317; 1006; 1020; 1034; 1036; 1042–1045; 1060–1065; 1590:10–11; 1655:34.

2403. The boundaries of the districts in the United States and Canada are:

(1) The Atlantic District shall include the Atlantic Provinces (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island) and the State of Maine.

(2) The Central Canada District shall include the provinces of Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Colombia, Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.

(3) The Central New York District shall include those portions of the states of New York and Pennsylvania in an area bounded as follows: beginning at the northernmost point of Jefferson County, New York, on the St. Lawrence River, and continuing southeastward along the northern boundaries of Jefferson, Lewis, and Herkimer Counties to the eastern boundary of Herkimer County, thence south along the eastern boundary of Herkimer County to the southwest corner of Hamilton County, thence southwest in a direct line to the easternmost point of Madison County, thence south along the western boundaries of Otsego and Delaware Counties to the Pennsylvania state line, thence including that part of Wayne County, Pennsylvania, which is north of Routes 106 and 6, thence west to include Susquehanna, Bradford, and Tioga Counties in Pennsylvania, thence west on the New York state line and north to include that part of the state of New York which is east of the Western New York District.

(4) The Chesapeake District shall include the District of Columbia; the states of Delaware and Maryland; and shall include the Accomack, Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Northampton, Prince William, and Stafford counties and the Winchester Wesleyan Church of Winchester in the state of Virginia, but with the exception of the New Hope Fellowship Wesleyan Church of Fairfax, Virginia.

(5) The Crossroads District shall include that part of the state of Indiana which is north of the northern boundaries of Vigo, Clay, Owen, Morgan, Johnson, Rush, Fayette, and Union Counties, and north of U.S. Highway 40 in Hancock County.

(6) The East Michigan District shall include that part of the state of Michigan which is east of the following boundary: beginning from the northwest corner of Tuscola County at Saginaw Bay, thence south along the western boundary of Tuscola County to Genesee County, thence west and south along the boundary of Genesee County to Livingston County, thence west and south along the boundary of Livingston County and continuing south along the western boundary of Washtenaw County to Lenawee County, thence west and south along the Lenawee County line to the Ohio state line, except the church in Hudson; and shall include the church in Lennon, Michigan and the Detroit Avenue church in Toledo, Ohio.

(7) The Eastern New York/New England District shall include that part of the state of New York which is north and east of the Central New York District, bounded on the south by a line beginning on the New York-New Jersey state line at the Hudson River and continuing eastward to the southwestern corner of Connecticut; and shall include the states of New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

(8) The Florida District shall include the state of Florida.

(9) The Greater Ohio District shall include the state of Ohio, and shall include churches in Parkersburg, South Parkersburg, and Weirton, West Virginia.

(10) The Illinois District shall include the state of Illinois.

(11) The Indiana South District shall include that part of the state of Indiana which is south of the northern boundaries of Vigo, Clay, Owen, Morgan, Johnson, Rush, Fayette, and Union Counties, and south of U.S. Highway 40 in Hancock County, and the church in Mecca, Indiana.

(12) The Iowa-Minnesota District shall include the states of Iowa and Minnesota.

(13) The Kansas District shall include the state of Kansas.

(14) The Kentucky-Tennessee District shall include the state of Kentucky, the state of Tennessee, and the churches in LaFayette and Rossville, Georgia.

(15) The Mountain Plains District shall include the states of Colorado, Louisiana, and Nebraska, New Mexico, and Texas.

(16) The North Carolina East District shall include that part of the state of North Carolina which is east of the following boundary: beginning at the Virginia- North Carolina state line, following State Road 87 south to Reidsville, thence south on U.S. 29 to Greensboro, thence southwest on Interstate 85 to Salisbury, thence south on U.S. 52 to Wadesboro, thence east on U.S. 74 to Laurinburg, thence south on U.S. 15 and U.S. 401 to the South Carolina state line, with the exception of the Midway church near Randleman and Peele’s Chapel near Hamlet, and shall include the church in Kernersville, North Carolina.

(17) The North Carolina West District shall include that part of the state of North Carolina which is west of the following boundary: beginning at the Virginia-North Carolina state line, follow State Road 87 south to Reidsville, thence south on U.S. 29 to Greensboro, thence southwest on Interstate 85 to Salisbury, thence south on U.S. 52 to Wadesboro, thence east on U.S. 74 to Laurinburg, thence south on U.S. 15 and U.S. 401 to the South Carolina state line, with the exception of the church in Kernersville, and with the further exception of Macon and Jackson Counties but including that portion of the Cherokee Indian Reservation in Jackson County beginning at a point one-quarter mile from Cherokee, North Carolina, on the Jackson and Swain County line on the Soco Gap Road and running directly southeast to Sheep Rock Mountain, and then following the southern watershed of Soco Creek to Water Rock Knob in Haywood County; and shall include the Midway church near Randleman, Peele’s Chapel near Hamlet; and shall include the following churches in South Carolina: Clover, York and Rock Hill (York County); Prevatt’s Chapel, Fletcher’s Chapel, and Bennettsville (Marlboro County).

(18) The North Michigan District shall include that part of the state of Michigan which is north and west of the following boundary: beginning at the northwest corner of Ottawa County at Lake Michigan, thence east in a straight line to the northwestern corner of Ionia County, thence east along the northern boundaries of Ionia, Clinton, and Shiawassee Counties to the western boundary of Genesee County, then north and east along the Genesee County line to the eastern boundary of Saginaw County, thence north along the eastern boundaries of Saginaw and Bay Counties to Saginaw Bay, except the Rockford church.

(19) The Northwest District shall include the states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

(20) The Pacific Southwest District shall include the states of Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada, except for Spanish language churches (see 2403:25).

(21) The Penn-Jersey District shall include that part of the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York in an area bounded as follows: beginning on the Pennsylvania-Maryland state line at U.S. 15, thence northward on U.S. 15 to the southern boundary of Tioga County, thence east along the southern boundaries of Tioga, Bradford, and Susquehanna Counties to the western boundary of Wayne County at Forest City, thence eastward across Wayne County on Routes 106 and 6 to Narrowsburg, thence southeast along the New York State line to the Hudson River, thence east to the southwestern corner of Connecticut, thence eastward to include Long Island, thence southward to include all of New Jersey, thence westward along the Pennsylvania-Maryland state line to U.S. 15.

(22) The Shenandoah District shall include the states of Virginia and West Virginia, except the counties of Accomack, Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Northampton, Prince William, Stafford, the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church, and the Winchester Wesleyan Church in Winchester, Virginia, the South Parkersburg Wesleyan, Parkersburg Fourteenth Street Wesleyan, and Weirton Chapel Hill Wesleyan in West Virginia; and shall include the New Hope Fellowship Wesleyan Church in Fairfax, Virginia.

(23) The South Carolina District shall include the state of South Carolina except the Clover, Rock Hill, and York churches in York County and the Prevatt’s Chapel, Fletcher’s Chapel, and Bennettsville churches in Marlboro County; and shall include Jackson and Macon Counties in the state of North Carolina, except the part of the Cherokee Indian Reservation in Jackson County assigned to the North Carolina West District.

(24) The South Coastal District shall include the state of Alabama, the state of Georgia with the exception of the churches in LaFayette and Rossville, and the state of Mississippi.

(25) The Southwest Hispanic District (Distrito Hispano Suroeste de la Iglesia Wesleyana) shall include all Spanish language churches in Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada.

(26) The Tri-State District shall include the states of Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

(27) The West Michigan District shall include that part of the state of Michigan which is south and west of the following boundary line: beginning at the northwest corner of Ottawa County at Lake Michigan, thence east in a straight line to the northwestern corner of Ionia County, thence east along the northern boundaries of Ionia, Clinton, and Shiawassee Counties to the western boundary of Genesee County, thence south along the western boundaries of Genesee, Livingston, Washtenaw, and Lenawee Counties to the Ohio state line, except the church in Lennon, Michigan; and shall include the churches in Hudson and Rockford, Michigan.

(28) The Western New York District shall include that part of the states of New York and Pennsylvania in an area bounded as follows: beginning on Lake Ontario at the northwest corner of Monroe County, thence south and east along the western boundary of Monroe County to the Genesee River, thence southward following said river in the direction to include Mount Morris, thence southeast along the canal to the village of Dansville, thence along the boundary between Steuben and Allegany Counties to the Pennsylvania state line, thence west along the New York state line to the southwest corner of Chautauqua County, thence north along the western boundary of Chautauqua County to Lake Erie; thence following the New York state line along Lake Erie, Niagara River, and Lake Ontario to the point of beginning; and shall include Potter and McKean Counties in the state of Pennsylvania.

(29) The Western Pennsylvania District shall include that part of the state of Pennsylvania in an area bounded as follows: beginning at the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania, thence north to Lake Erie, thence east along Lake Erie to the New York state line, thence south and east along the New York state line to the western boundary of McKean County, thence south on the western boundary of McKean County, thence east along the southern boundaries of McKean, Potter, and Tioga Counties to U.S. 15, thence south on U.S. 15 to the Pennsylvania-Maryland state line, thence west on the Pennsylvania state line to the point of beginning.

(30) The Wisconsin District shall include the state of Wisconsin.

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B. Representative Area Boundaries

2430. The NORTH CENTRAL REPRESENTATIVE AREA shall include the Crossroads, East Michigan, Greater Ohio, Illinois, North Michigan, West Michigan, and Wisconsin Districts.

2435. The NORTHEASTERN REPRESENTATIVE AREA shall include the Atlantic, Central Canada, Central New York, Chesapeake, Eastern New York/New England, Penn-Jersey, Western New York, and Western Pennsylvania Districts.

2440. The SOUTHERN REPRESENTATIVE AREA shall include Florida, Indiana South, Kentucky-Tennessee, North Carolina East, North Carolina West, Shenandoah, South Carolina, and South Coastal Districts.

2445. The WESTERN REPRESENTATIVE AREA shall include the Iowa-Minnesota, Kansas, Mountain Plains, Northwest, Pacific Southwest, Southwest Hispanic, and Tri-State Districts.

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C. Educational Area Boundaries

2450. The merger of districts and of educational institutions between sessions of the General Conference may lead to changes in the educational area boundaries, which changes may be made by the General Board (cf. 1655:13).

2455. The NORTH CENTRAL EDUCATIONAL AREA shall be served by Indiana Wesleyan University and Kingswood University, and shall include the districts of the North Central Representative Area, and the Indiana South District (cf. 2430; 2440).

2460. The NORTHEASTERN EDUCATIONAL AREA shall be served by Houghton College and Kingswood University, and shall include the districts of the Northeastern Representative Area (cf. 2435).

2465. The SOUTHERN EDUCATIONAL AREA shall be served by Southern Wesleyan University and Kingswood University, and shall include the districts of the Southern Representative Area (cf. 2440) except for the Indiana South District which shall remain in the North Central Area.

2470. The WESTERN EDUCATIONAL AREA shall be served by Oklahoma Wesleyan University and Kingswood University, and shall include the districts of the Western Representative Area (cf. 2445).

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