2016 Wesleyan Discipline:Ministry, The: Licensed minister

317. The General Conference shall organize the work at large into districts, which shall operate under its jurisdiction and promote the interests of the denomination, and whose voting membership shall include the following: All ordained ministers on the appointed, retired, reserve, and educational leave lists; licensed ministers elected to ordained minister’s status; all commissioned and licensed ministers serving as pastors of Wesleyan churches; all commissioned and licensed ministers serving as associate or assistant pastors of Wesleyan churches; members of the district board of administration who are not members by some other right; and lay delegates elected as provided in The Discipline. In addition the district conference shall include such nonvoting members as The Discipline shall provide. The principle of equal representation of the ministry and the laity in the district conference shall be maintained.

D. Licensed Minister

3030. Identification. A licensed minister is one whose ministerial calling and gifts have been formally recognized by a district conference, through the granting of a ministerial license which serves as authorization for and appointment to actual service in the ministry, subject to supervision and evaluation, as a step toward ordination. A licensed minister may be a former ministerial student who has qualified for and been appointed to regular service in one of the categories listed in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3250–3345.

3033. Granting a District Ministerial License. A member who meets the leadership qualifications (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:260–268; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:558) of The Wesleyan Church who confesses a call of God to be a minister (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3000–3006), may be granted a district ministerial license by meeting the following requirements in order:

(1) Membership in a local Wesleyan church within the district granting the license.

(2) Satisfactory service as a ministerial student in The Wesleyan Church for at least one year.

(3) Certificate from the Ministerial Study Course Agency showing completion of the courses adopted as being prerequisites for licensing (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:6410; cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3170:1–4; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3210).

(4) Recommendation from the local church conference to the district conference for a district ministerial license (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:655:8).

(5) Readiness to accept the district conference’s appointment to active service in one of the categories listed in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3250–3335; to pursue the studies with all diligence until completed; to prepare for ordination; and to give oneself wholly to the ministry.

(6) Examination by the district board of ministerial development (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1390:1) relative to the qualifications for the ministry and for a district ministerial license (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3000–3006; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3033:1–5), including a personal religious experience, ministerial call, and evidence thereof, matters of education, doctrine, and practice, and circumstances of personal, family, and business life which bear upon the ministry; and subsequent recommendation by the district board of ministerial development to the district conference for the granting of a district ministerial license (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1390:5).

(7) Recommendation by the district board of administration for immediate appointment to one of the categories of service listed in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3250–3335.

(8) Adoption by the district conference of the separate recommendations of the district board of ministerial development (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3033:6) and of the district board of administration (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3033:7).

(9) Issuance and signing of the license by the district superintendent and the district secretary (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:6260; cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1310:26; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1332:4).

3040. Renewing a District Ministerial License. A district ministerial license is effective for one year only, and authority to carry on the office and work of a minister under such a license shall cease unless it is renewed annually by the district conference until such time as the holder of the license is commissioned or ordained to the ministry. A minister may be granted renewal of the ministerial license by meeting the following requirements:

(1) Satisfactory service under a previous appointment, including loyalty to and compliance with the rules of The Wesleyan Church and of the district, and including the proper filing of reports. If a licensed minister fails to file the annual service report (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1402), unless such failure is due to illness, injury or a similar emergency, the license shall not be renewed (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1390:8).

(2) Confirmation through the annual report of the Ministerial Study Course Agency that the minister has completed at least two courses in the pre-ordination study course (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3210:1). The pre-ordination study course must be completed within seven years of service under a ministerial license. The ministerial license shall not be renewed beyond the seventh year unless an extension of time is granted by the district board of ministerial development (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3059).

(3) Agreement to continue under district appointment to one of the categories of service listed in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3250–3335 or for one having completed the course of study for ordination, to take an appointment, within the coming conference year.

3044. Rights of Licensed Minister. As long as a minister qualifies for and receives a district ministerial license, the minister shall have the right (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:313):

(1) To preach the gospel (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:313:1), and, when appointed as a pastor or full-time associate or assistant pastor of a Wesleyan church, to administer baptism and the Lord’s Supper, to perform all parts of divine worship, and to solemnize the rite of matrimony wherever local laws will permit.

(2) To contract the pastoral relationship with local Wesleyan churches subject to the approval of the district conference and other regulations of The Discipline (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:313:3; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:323:1–2).

(3) To enjoy, if appointed as a pastor, the use for religious meetings of the church building or buildings of the pastoral charge to which assigned by the district conference (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:313:4); and to serve the assigned pastoral charge without interference by unauthorized activities of another minister of The Wesleyan Church (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:313:5; cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3114–3117).

(4) To be a voting member of the district conference if an ordained minister-elect or if the pastor, an associate pastor or assistant pastor of a Wesleyan church in that district (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:317; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1083:2–4). To be a nonvoting member if otherwise classified or appointed (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1090:3). To be eligible for election to any office not restricted to ordained ministers or lay persons.

(5) To transfer in the manner prescribed by The Discipline from one district to another, subject to the concurrence of the district superintendent and the General Superintendent (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:313:6; cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3055:3; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3097; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3100:1).

(6) To have recourse, even if under discipline, to a proper court of jurisdiction in any matters involving complaint against character or ministerial conduct and to appeal the decision of such court (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:313:7; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5200; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5206–5212).

3051. Duties of a Licensed Minister. A person holding a district ministerial license shall be responsible:

(1) To enroll in the pre-ordination study course (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3210:1) under the Ministerial Study Course Agency and the district board of ministerial development, and to pursue the study course with all diligence until completed, either through a program of ministerial training at one of the Wesleyan educational institutions, or through correspondence courses from the Ministerial Study Course Agency (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3200).

(2) To serve the district faithfully under whatever appointment is received, seeking to complete the service requirements for ordination as quickly as possible.

(3) To report annually to the district conference on the appropriate service report form (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1402; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3040:1), and to the district superintendent and the board of ministerial development as required (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:725:32).

3055. Regulations for a Licensed Minister.

(1) A licensed minister is amenable to the district which grants the license, and the license may be revoked between sessions of the district conference by judicial process as set forth in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5206–5212.

(2) A licensed minister’s credentials shall consist of the license, signed annually by the district superintendent and the district secretary (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3033:9; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:6260), and an annual pocket certificate of standing, issued and signed by the district secretary (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:6430).

(3) A licensed minister, when transferring district membership (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3100:1), in addition to a letter of transfer, shall be supplied by the district superintendent and the district board of ministerial development with a properly attested statement of standing in the pre-ordination study course and a record of service under the appointment of the district conference.

3093. John Wesley’s “Rules of a Helper” have perhaps never been excelled as counsel to ministers, whether young or old. These “Rules” are, in part, as follows:

(1) Be diligent. Never be unemployed a moment, never be triflingly employed, never while away time; spend no more time at any place than is strictly necessary.

(2) Be serious. Let your motto be, “Holiness unto the Lord.” Avoid all lightness, jesting, and foolish talking.

(3) Believe evil of no one without good evidence; unless you see it done, take heed how you credit it. Put the best construction on everything. The judge is always supposed to be on the prisoner’s side.

(4) Speak evil of no one, else your word especially would eat as doth a canker. Keep your thoughts within your own breast till you come to the person concerned.

(5) Tell every one under your care what you think wrong in his conduct and temper, and that lovingly and plainly as soon as may be: else it will fester in your heart. Make all haste to cast the fire out of your bosom.

(6) Avoid all affectation. A preacher of the gospel is the servant of all.

(7) Be ashamed of nothing but sin. Let your industry, as well as your humility, commend itself to all.

(8) Be punctual: do everything exactly at the time.

(9) Do not mend the rules, but keep them; not for wrath but for conscience’ sake.

(10) You have nothing to do but to save souls; therefore spend and be spent in this work; and go always not only to those that desire you, but to those who need you most.

6260. District License (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3015:1, 5b; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3033:9).

This certifies that ___________________, having been duly examined concerning _____________ gifts, graces, and usefulness, and being deemed qualified for such service, is hereby made a _____________* according to the usages of The Wesleyan Church, for one year, provided that ____________ spirit, practice, and ministry are in keeping with the Scriptures and The Discipline of The Wesleyan Church.

By order and on behalf of the district conference of the _____________ District of The Wesleyan Church, this ______ day of __________, A.D. ________.

________________________ District Superintendent ________________________ District Secretary

(*Insert the proper term, namely licensed minister or ministerial student. This license may be renewed annually; and when so renewed notation shall be made on the reverse side of this form on which such renewal was ordered, and the same shall be attested by the signature of the district superintendent and the district secretary.)