6516

6516. Criteria for Advancement to Established National/Regional Conference Status. In addition to the recommendation of the supervising General Conference to the International Board, the following is a checklist of documentation that must accompany any application for advancement of a mission unit or other body to Established National/Regional Conference status. It is to be understood that these criteria will be used for a comprehensive review and composite evaluation of each application. Therefore, it is the overall strength that is being assessed rather than a rigid focus on each criterion. An applicant may request an exception on a specific requirement for cause.

(1) Effective church organization on local, district, and/or national/regional levels demonstrated by:

(a) An organized district or national structure.

(b) A minimum of fifty fully organized or established local churches (not counting preaching points or missions).

(c) A minimum of two thousand full members.

(d) Sufficient number of ordained ministers to support district and/ or national/regional levels of administration.

(e) A process for collection of local church statistical data.

(2) Effective program of discipleship and membership training demonstrated by:

(a) Curricula for discipleship, lay leadership, and membership training systems that reflect commitment to Wesleyan-Arminian theology.

(b) Active delivery systems for discipleship, lay leadership, and membership training.

(3) Effective program of ministerial education demonstrated by:

(a) An approved curriculum or standards for ministerial education leading to ordination and reflecting commitment to Wesleyan-Arminian theology.

(b) A delivery system for ministerial education, such as a Bible school, theological institute, college, university, or seminary; a program of ministerial education conducted in cooperation with another denomination or consortium; a non-residential ministerial training program; a properly supervised correspondence or internet-based training program.

(4) Evidence of responsible stewardship demonstrated by:

(a) A self-supporting system for financing the district and/or national/regional administration.

(b) Properly approved annual budgets for district and/or national/regional administration.

(c) Annually audited financial reports for district and/or national/regional conferences.

(5) Defined and operational programs of evangelism, church planting, and mission outreach demonstrated by:

(a) Active missions engagement multiplying disciples across linguistic, cultural, national, and/or geographic boundaries.

(b) A process for annual reporting of conversions and baptisms.

(c) An ongoing strategy and track record of church planting.

(6) Functioning property-holding body (or bodies) per local laws

demonstrated by:

(a) Directory information providing the legal name(s) of each such body.

(b) A copy of bylaws or official registration(s) identifying each such body.

(7) Adherence to the Essentials of The Wesleyan Church, demonstrated by a covenant of adherence to the Essentials signed by all the members of the highest governing board of the national/regional entity.

(8) A Discipline approved by the supervising General Conference.