2016 Wesleyan Discipline:Calling a pastor

1. Jurisdiction in Pastoral Voting

690. All matters related to voting on securing or retaining a pastor are the concern of a pastoral charge (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:503), whether it consists of a single church or a circuit. In most instances, a pastoral charge will consist of one local church, and the following paragraphs are so written. If a circuit is involved, the vice-chair of the circuit advisory council (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:530) assumes leadership in all negotiations, the circuit advisory council fills the role of the local board of administration, and the circuit conference rather than the local church conference is the voting body.

2. Regulations for All Pastoral Voting

691. Procedures of Candidating. In all matters related to pastoral candidating the following regulations shall be observed:

(1) Only one pastoral candidate at a time shall be presented to the congregation for a message. A decision by the local board of administration to recommend a pastor for a congregational vote, and the vote, if recommended, must take place before another candidate is considered.

(2) The support including salary, expense allowances, housing, fringe benefits, moving expenses, and related matters which the church proposes to maintain must be provided for the candidate prior to a pastoral vote.

(3) A minister who has agreed to give a candidating message and to submit to a pastoral vote at one church, cannot do the same with another church until the first candidating situation is resolved. If the local board of administration does not recommend the candidating pastor for a congregational vote within seven days, the waiting restriction no longer applies.

692. Procedure of Pastoral Voting. In all matters related to voting on securing or retaining a pastor, the following regulations shall be observed:

(1) All pastoral votes shall be taken at a duly announced session of the local church conference (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:630-633).

(2) The district superintendent, or a representative appointed by the district superintendent, shall preside over the local church conference for the taking of the pastoral vote. If neither can be present, the vice-chair of the local board of administration shall preside.

(3) All pastoral votes shall be taken by secret ballot by members with special provision for absentee ballots (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:695).

(4) A favorable vote by a majority of members voting shall be required (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:705; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:718; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:720; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:722).

(5) The minister shall be notified by the local board of administration of the results of the vote,

(6) If the vote is favorable, the minister shall notify the local board of administration and the district superintendent by phone and in writing of a decision within seven days following the official notification of such call by the local church.

695. Absentee Ballots. A member who cannot attend a pastoral vote session of the local church conference because of confining illness, required employment or necessary out-of-town travel or seasonal residency, may cast an absentee ballot subject to the following conditions:

(1) The member shall secure a standard ballot from the local church secretary, identical to the ballots to be used at the session, and submit the marked ballot prior to the session in a sealed envelope identified with the name of the absent member.

(2) The local church secretary must certify the envelope as being submitted by a member to whom the secretary has supplied a ballot, and who is eligible to cast an absentee ballot. In the event that the local church secretary is unable to certify the eligibility of the person casting an absentee ballot, the secretary may consult the vice-chair of the local board of administration to determine eligibility.

(3) Envelopes containing such absentee ballots shall be opened at the session in which the vote is taken, by the secretary in the presence of the chair, prior to the tallying of the vote, and these ballots placed without inspection with the others for counting by the tellers.

697. District Approval of Pastoral Agreement. A pastoral agreement, whether for an initial call or a renewal of call, must be reviewed and recommended by the district board of administration, and becomes final upon the approval of the district conference. Each year the district board of administration shall review those pastoral agreements which are continuing before making its report to the district conference (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1180:26; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1233:10).

700. Time of Pastoral Changes. Except for such emergencies as resignations, removals or deaths, pastoral changes shall take place on the Monday following the second Sunday of July.

3. Regulations for Initial Call of Pastor

705. Procedure of Initial Call of Pastor. Whenever it is necessary for a pastoral charge to secure a new pastor, the following regulations shall be observed:

(1) The vote shall be for a two-year call, subject to such adjustment as the district superintendent shall approve, so that the term shall expire at the uniform time set by the General Conference (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:700).

(2) The initial call may be for four years or an extended call if such is recommended by the local board of administration and approved by the district superintendent. In case of an extended call the rules governing an extended call shall apply (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:720).

(3) The local board of administration, under the leadership of its vice- chair, shall counsel with the district superintendent concerning possible candidates. If the church desires to call a minister from another district or from outside the denomination, the local board of administration shall first secure from its own district superintendent assurance that the transfer of the minister would be approved (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:313:6).

(4) When a candidate has been approved by a majority vote of the local board of administration (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:782:14), the candidate’s name shall be presented as a nomination to the local church conference, and the vote shall be taken in keeping with the regulations governing all pastoral voting (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:692).

708. Waiver of Local Church Rights. If a pastoral charge has been unable to secure a pastor prior to thirty days before the annual session of the district conference, the local church conference may, at any time thereafter, by majority vote delegate full authority for the employment of a pastor to the local board of administration, or it may waive its rights and leave the selection of a pastor to the nomination of the district board of administration and appointment by the district conference. If a pastoral charge waives its rights, or if neither local church conference nor local board of administration shall have secured a pastor by the time the annual session of the district conference convenes, the district board of administration shall nominate a pastor for appointment by the district conference. A pastor so appointed shall be received and supported by the pastoral charge the same as if the pastor had been employed in the usual manner.

710. Initial Call Resignation. If a pastor resigns during the initial call term of service to a church, the pastor must notify the local board of administration and the district superintendent sixty days in advance. If the district superintendent and the local board of administration deem it wise, the pastor may be released sooner.

712. Initial Call Removal. During the initial call term of a pastor’s service, the district board of administration may remove the pastor by a two-thirds majority vote of all members, provided such has been requested by the local board of administration by a two-thirds majority vote in a meeting presided over by the district superintendent, or such has been recommended by the district superintendent (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1233:39).

715. Ad Interim Procedures. If a pastoral charge is left without a pastor between sessions of the district conference due to death, resignation or removal, the local board of administration and the local church conference shall follow the regular procedures for securing a new pastor with all arrangements subject to the approval of the district board of administration (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1233:39). 718. Procedure for Renewal of Call. Whenever a pastor’s term of service is expiring, unless the pastor shall give notice otherwise to the vice-chair of the local board of administration (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:773) and the district superintendent, in writing and at least sixty days prior to the convening of the district conference, the pastor shall be considered as available, and a vote on the renewal of the pastoral call shall be taken in keeping with the regulations governing all pastoral voting (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:692).

(1) One of the following alternative procedures shall be followed:

(a) A vote for a four-year renewal of the call shall be taken. If the vote on a four-year renewal of the call is favorable, the local board of administration, after consulting with the pastor, may then recommend that a ballot vote be taken to renew the call for an extended period (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:720).

(b) Or, prior to the vote on renewing the call, the local board of administration, after consultation with the pastor, shall recommend to the local church conference a specific call for four years, or an extended call.

(2) A vote for a one or two-year renewal of the call may be authorized by the district superintendent upon the joint request of the pastor and the local board of administration when such is due to extenuating circumstances.