2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5026

5026. One member of the judicatory shall be designated as the chair, either by the official body having jurisdiction, or as otherwise provided in The General Board Policy for Church Discipline and Ministerial Restoration. The chair is a voting member of the judicatory. The duties and responsibilities of the chair shall include:

(1) To preside over all phases of the hearing, making certain that all provisions of this General Board Policy for Church Discipline and Ministerial Restoration are observed.

(2) To appoint a secretary (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5056).

(3) To exercise, if such is deemed wise, the option of appointing counsel when the accused has not exercised the right to do so (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5040:1). The counsel shall be a member or minister of The Wesleyan Church.

(4) To give direction to preparation of notices and citations to appear, and to sign the same (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5042).

(5) To notify the accused of their rights (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5040).

(6) To instruct the judicatory concerning its duties as assigned in this General Board Policy for Church Discipline and Ministerial Restoration, both before the hearing begins and again before the judicatory deliberates on the verdict (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5058:14).

(7) To decide on the validity of any challenge for cause of the qualifications of a member of the judicatory (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5040:3; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5054).

(8) To grant, if such is deemed wise, a postponement of the hearing (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5044).

(9) To schedule the hearing date providing time for the members of the judicatory to arrange their schedules so that they can be available to complete the hearing in a timely manner.

(10) When possible to schedule the hearing to be conducted on consecutive days.

(11) To receive the list of witnesses that will be called by the hearing manager and the accused, and to inform both parties at the same time of said witnesses.

(12) To state, at the beginning of the hearing, the purpose of the hearing, to read the official action ordering the hearing, and to announce the members of the judicatory (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5058:2).

(13) To decide on the admissibility of evidence (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5027).

(14) To announce the verdict only as “guilty” or “not guilty.”

(15) To communicate the verdict and any recommendations being made to the official body having jurisdiction (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5058:17).

(16) To inform the accused in writing of the verdict.

(17) To attest the records of the hearing (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5056).

(18) To have custody of the records throughout the hearing until the matter is finished, and then to deliver such records to the official having jurisdiction (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5056).The records of a hearing will be retained in a confidential file either at the district or the General Church level for a minimum of ten years.