Chapter 3: General Officials of the Church

1800. Identification. The general officials of the Church are those general officers which are designated as follows:

(1) Elected by the General Conference:

(a) The General Superintendent.

(b) The Executive Director of the Communication and

Administration Division, the Executive Director of the Education and Clergy Development Division, the Executive Director of the Church Multiplication and Discipleship Division, and the Executive Director of the Global Partners Division.

(2) Elected by the General Board—the General Treasurer/Chief Financial Officer.

1810. Qualifications. A general official must be a member with leadership qualifications (260-268; 558) of The Wesleyan Church at the time of election; and if at any time a general official ceases to be a member with leadership qualifications, the office shall be declared vacant as provided for in 1850.

1820. Term of Office. The General Superintendent and other general officials elected by the General Conference (1580:1; 1590:16-17; 1800:1a, b) shall be elected for a term of four years, beginning thirty (30) days after the General Conference adjourns and continuing until thirty (30) days after the adjournment of the next regular session of the General Conference or until their successors are elected and qualified. When mutually agreed upon or deemed in the best interests of the Church, the General Board may approve an earlier date for the transition between a newly elected official and an incumbent leaving office. A special session of the General Conference may declare that the term of any official is ended and order a new election. The General Treasurer/Chief Financial Officer shall be elected by the General Board for a term determined by the General Board. The salary of a retiring general official shall continue one month beyond the date of termination of service.

1830. Amenability. The general officials are amenable to the General Board for their official conduct and their moral character (323:1; 360:2). They are subject to direction from the General Conference, the General Board, and its Executive Board. They may be removed from office for cause or when the best interests of the Church or the disabling physical or mental health of the official so requires. The removal from office of those general officials elected by the General Conference (1800:1a, b) shall require a two-thirds majority vote of all members of the General Board (1655:40a; Gen. Bd. Policy on Ch. Disc. 5279). The removal from office of those general officials that are elected by the General Board (1800:2) shall require a majority vote of all members of the General Board (1655:40b; Gen. Bd. Policy on Ch. Disc. 5279).

1840. Reports. The general officials shall report to each session of the General Conference concerning their official duties, annually to the General Board concerning their official duties and personal ministry, and at other times as required by the General Conference, the General Board, or the Executive Board.

1845. World Headquarters Structure. The number and nature of general offices and divisions and the assignments of the general officials of The Wesleyan Church may be adjusted in times of exigency by a two-thirds majority vote of the members of the General Board present and voting, or a majority of all members of the General Board, whichever is greater.

1850. Vacancies. The office of a general official may become vacant by death, by cessation of membership in The Wesleyan Church, by resignation from office, or by removal (1830). When a vacancy occurs, the General Superintendent shall provide recommendation(s) to the General Board for filling the office. Vacancies in the office of those general officials elected by the General Conference, except as provided for in paragraph 1845, shall be filled by a two-thirds vote of the members of the General Board (1655:11). Vacancies occurring in the office of those general officials elected by the General Board (1800:2) shall be filled by a majority vote of the General Board (1655:11).

1860. Church and District Membership. An ordained minister who serves as a general official may hold ministerial membership in any district, and church membership in any local church. The responsibilities to the General Church shall take precedence over responsibilities to the district and local church (323:1; 360:2).

1870. Official Listing. The official listing of the offices, divisions, agencies, auxiliaries, subsidiary corporations, benevolent, and educational institutions of the General Church is:

Offices
Office of the General Superintendent
Office of the General Treasurer/Chief Financial Officer

Divisions
Church Multiplication and Discipleship Division
Communication and Administration Division
Education and Clergy Development Division
Global Partners Division

Agency
Wesleyan Publishing House, Fishers, Indiana

Subsidiary Corporations (Financial Institutions)
Wesleyan Pension Fund Inc, Fishers, Indiana
Wesleyan Financial Holdings, Fishers, Indiana
Wesleyan Investment Foundation, Inc., Fishers, Indiana

Subsidiary Corporations (Benevolent Institutions)
Hephzibah Ministries, Inc., Macon, Georgia
Immigrant Connection, Inc., Fishers, Indiana
Wesleyan Bible Conference Association, Brooksville, Florida

Subsidiary Corporations (Educational Institutions)
Houghton College, Houghton, New York
Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion, Indiana
Kingswood University, Sussex, New Brunswick
Oklahoma Wesleyan University, Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Southern Wesleyan University, Central, South Carolina
Wesley Seminary, Marion, Indiana