2016 Wesleyan Discipline:Local Church: Judicial committee

970. The local board of administration shall elect, when it deems it necessary and in accord with the regulations of the General Board Policy on Church Discipline, a committee of investigation or a local judicial committee. Complete regulations concerning the qualifications, procedures, and duties of such committees are given in the General Board Policy on Church Discipline (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5012; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5110). 5105

(3) The district superintendent, when requested to do so by the local board of administration, shall have authority to provide for any unusual circumstances not provided for in The General Board Policy for Church Discipline and Ministerial Restoration, and to appoint, when necessary, any members from another Wesleyan church in the district or ministers from the district to a local judicial committee (GBP-2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5110:1–2; cf. Disc. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1310:18).

5110. Local Judicial Committee. Charges against a member shall ordinarily be heard and determined by a local judicial committee (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5125).

(1) A local judicial committee shall consist of not fewer than three covenant members (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5054), which shall be selected by the local board of administration (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5105:3), as the occasion may arise, from its own membership or the membership of the local church (Disc. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:782:12; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:970). The committee shall serve from the time of its appointment until it shall hear and determine the matter.

(2) The local board of administration shall designate the chair or may request the district superintendent to do so (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5105:3). The chair of the local judicial committee shall be the presiding officer and shall conduct the proceedings in accord with this General Board Policy for Church Discipline and Ministerial Restoration.

(3) It shall be the duty of the local judicial committee to hear and determine the charges, to render a verdict concerning the guilt or no guilt of the accused, and to recommend to the local board of administration the discipline, if any, to be imposed (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5115–5120). A two-thirds majority vote of all members of the committee shall be required to render a verdict. Discipline, if required, shall be administered by the local board of administration, and may take the form of admonition, rebuke, suspension, removal or dismissal, and said board may also require apology or restitution.

(4) An appeal may be taken concerning the verdict and/or discipline to the district board of review, within thirty days (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5221:1; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5062–5068).