3255-3261
3255. Regular Pastoral Service. The pastoral office is defined in 675. In The Wesleyan Church, pastoral service includes the pastor of a church or churches (735), and an assistant pastor (741). An ordained minister appointed by a district conference to any of these levels of pastoral service in connection with a Wesleyan church, developing church, or mission shall be placed on the appointed list (1240:1:A:2); a commissioned or licensed minister appointed as pastor or assistant pastor of a Wesleyan church shall be a voting member of the district conference (317; 1083:3; 1240:2:A; 1240:3:A; 3044:4; 3059:2e).
3260. Supply Pastors. A district conference (503; 1180:24b; 1240:5:E), or, in the interim of its sessions, the district superintendent and the district board of administration (1233:29, 36; 1310:20-21) shall have the power to appoint a supply pastor, who shall serve subject to the following regulations:
- (1) A supply pastor may be a Wesleyan ordained minister or commissioned or licensed minister serving under some other appointment or an ordained minister on loan from one district to another (503; 1240:1:A:2b; 3100:2); a licensed special or commissioned worker (3460–3470); a minister in process of transfer from another denomination (3104); a minister who belongs to another denomination, a ministerial student, a lay minister, or a lay member.
- (2) A supply pastor shall be appointed temporarily to fill the pulpit and to provide a spiritual ministry, but shall not have authority to administer the sacraments or to perform marriages unless that authority adheres on some other basis, and shall not perform the administrative function of the pastor except in filing of reports unless authorized to do so by the district superintendent (1310:8, 25). If a supply pastor is serving a congregation isolated from Wesleyan ministers, making it difficult to provide for administration of the sacraments (725:6), the district superintendent may grant the supply pastor special authorization to administer them.
- (3) A supply pastor’s church membership shall not be automatically transferred to the church of service.
- (4) A supply pastor shall be granted a certificate of authorization to supply on the form provided in 6240, and shall be a nonvoting member of the district conference unless qualifying as a voting member by some other right (1090:7).
- (5) A supply pastor may be removed or replaced at any time by the district board of administration (1233:36; 1310:20-21; Gen. Bd. Policy on Ch. Disc. 5200:4; 5215:1).
3261. Interim Pastors. A district conference (503; 1180:24b), or, in the interim of its sessions, the district superintendent and the district board of administration (1233:29, 36; 1310:20-21) shall have the power to appoint an interim pastor, who shall serve subject to the following regulations:
- (1) A pastoral charge receiving an interim pastor must participate in an assessment process led by the district superintendent or a representative designated by the district superintendent to evaluate local church health and pastoral leadership needs.
- (2) An interim pastor shall be appointed for a specific period mutually agreed upon by the pastor, the local board of administration, and the district superintendent (usually not more than 24 months). This period may be modified based upon the recommendation of the district superintendent and the approval of the district board of administration. An interim pastor may be removed or replaced at any time by a majority vote of the district board of administration (1233:36; 1310:20-21; Gen. Bd. Policy on Ch. Disc. 5200:5; 5215:1).
- (3) An interim pastor may be fully empowered to exercise administrative authority in the local church, if a Wesleyan ordained, commissioned, or licensed minister, and shall fulfill all the functions of the pastor or senior pastor of a pastoral charge or circuit (725), which may include presiding as chair of the local church conference and the local board of administration (except as provided in 635 and 770-773).
- (4) An interim pastor’s local church membership and district ministerial membership shall not be automatically transferred to the church of service, given the temporary nature of the appointment. However, an interim pastor may personally request transfer of local church membership and district ministerial membership if desired.