2016 Wesleyan Discipline:Local board of trustees

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(6) To elect trustees and through such trustees to supervise, control, and maintain its property for the use and benefit of the ministry and members of The Wesleyan Church and subject to its regulations and appointments as from time to time legislated and declared. This right vests severally in each local church.

2. Board of Trustees

850. Election. The local church conference, unless the duties and powers of the board of trustees have been delegated to the local board of administration, shall elect by ballot from among its members who meet the leadership qualifications (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:260–268; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:558) a board of trustees (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:315:6; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:820–823), three to seven in number, one or more being elected at a given annual session for a term of three years, so that the terms of all shall not expire at the same time, or they may be elected to serve until their successors are elected; provided that the manner and conditions of election may be altered to conform to the local laws. At least one of the trustees shall be designated annually by the local church conference as a member of the local board of administration (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:752). If the local church conference delegates the duties and powers of the trustees to the local board of administration, that board may from its membership elect from three to seven to serve as the board of trustees. General regulations covering this office are given in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:815.

853. Organization and Procedure. The board of trustees shall meet following the annual session of the local church conference to elect a chair, vice-chair, and secretary, and shall meet at such other times as ordered by the local board of administration or as made necessary by their duties.

856. Duties and Powers. The local board of trustees shall carry out their duties as required by The Discipline (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4500–4780) and shall be responsible:

(1) To carry out the instructions of the local church conference and the local board of administration in supervising, controlling, maintaining, and improving all church property (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:315:6; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:655:13; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:782:28).

(2) To supervise such expenditures as have been approved by the local church conference or the local board of administration for repairs, improvements, and alterations.

(3) To attend to all legal matters regarding the acquisition, purchase, sale, mortgage, transfer or other disposition of property as properly authorized (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4700–4720); to see that titles are correct, contain the proper trust clause (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4610), are approved by the district superintendent (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1310:13; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4700:5), and are recorded (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4540); and to see that property and legal records are properly stored (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4760).

(4) To attend to all other legal matters pertaining to the local church, as authorized and directed by the local church conference or the local board of administration, including renting property, borrowing money, and receiving and administering bequests and trusts.

(5) To nominate to the local board of administration all custodians.

(6) To serve, unless the local church conference shall order a larger or separate committee, as a building committee for the planning and erection of a new sanctuary, educational unit or parsonage or a major remodeling program, and to assist the pastor in preparing and submitting all building plans to the district building committee for their approval (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1345).

(7) To carry out the directions of the local church conference or local board of administration concerning the purchase, sale, mortgage, transfer or other disposition of property, provided that such transactions have been approved by the district building committee and district board of administration as set forth in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4700–4780.

(8) To make recommendations to the local board of administration concerning sufficient property and liability insurance on the property and for any vehicles owned and operated by the local church, and to carry out the instructions of the local board of administration in securing such insurance (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:782:29).

(9) To make such reports as are requested by the local church conference or the local board of administration.

859. Restrictions. The local board of trustees shall be subject to the following restrictions:

(1) The local board of trustees must carry out the instructions of the local board of administration, the local church conference, and the district board of administration. If a local trustee refuses to carry out such instructions when the instructions meet all the requirements of local laws and of The Discipline, the trustee may be removed from office as given in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:815:4 (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4530).

(2) The local board of trustees cannot mortgage or otherwise encumber local church property without the express authorization of the local church conference and the approval of the district board of administration as set forth in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4700–4720.

(3) The local board of trustees cannot deny the use of the parsonage, church building or other local church buildings, to the pastor who has been duly appointed by the district conference or district board of administration, nor the use of the church building to the membership of the local church and duly elected officials of The Wesleyan Church (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4770).

(4) The local board of trustees cannot divert church property from The Wesleyan Church (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4550; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4780).

(5) When a church is reclassified as a developing church (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:518:7; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1233:30), the office and power of the local board of trustees shall cease, and all property shall pass directly under the control of the district board of administration (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4670).