2016 Wesleyan Discipline:Local Church: Jurisdiction

5105. Jurisdiction. Original jurisdiction over a member ordinarily belongs to the local church of which the person is a member. (For exceptions, see 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5020:2.)

(1) Accusations against a member shall be submitted to the pastor (Disc. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:725:15; GBP-2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5022). If there is no pastor, or if the pastor does not attend to the matter, the accusation shall be submitted to a member of the local board of administration. In either case, the accusation shall be presented to the local board of administration. Inquiry shall be made, and the local board of administration shall have charge of ordering an investigation (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5012; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5024) and hearing if necessary. Any charge against a member must be sustained by two or more members of The Wesleyan Church. Whenever a hearing is ordered, the district superintendent shall be notified. If the accused member is a person licensed, commissioned or ordained by a district, or holding a district office, or serving or being employed by the General Church, the appropriate official shall be notified of the accusation(s) and proceedings.

(2) The authority of a local board of administration for a developing church shall be exercised by the district superintendent (Disc. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1310:15).

(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).

(4) When a member, who resides away from the church in which membership is held and attends another Wesleyan church, is accused of improper or immoral conduct, the pastor and the local board of administration where the member attends shall have authority to make an official investigation of such accusation (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5012). If, pursuant to such investigation, an accusation is drawn up against such a member, it shall be presented to the pastor of the local church where the accused holds membership.