5270-5288

B. Those Subject to the General Church

1. Identification

5270. Those subject to General Church jurisdiction include the following persons:

(1) A general official (Disc. 1800; cf. 360:2; 1655:37).

(2) An area representative of the General Board (cf. Disc. 1655:37).

(3) A district superintendent (cf. Disc. 323:1; 360:2; 1655:37).

(4) A member or minister of The Wesleyan Church who is serving under the jurisdiction of the General Board, including any who are elected or employed by the General Board for full-time service for the General Church (cf. Disc. 323:1; 1655:27), missionaries or workers under the Global Partners Division or the Church Multiplication and Discipleship Division (cf. Disc. 323:1; 1655:27), members of boards elected by the General Board (cf. Disc. 1655:19), and any others amenable to the General Board.

(5) A district officer or a minister or other credentialed person, the assumption of whose matter by the General Board has been authorized by the Executive Board (5020:2).

2. Discipline Without a Hearing

5273. General officials and official bodies dealing with one of the above persons accused of an offense are to follow the provisions of 5004–5018 before taking the matter to a hearing.

3. Discipline Involving a Hearing

5276. Jurisdiction over the persons listed in 5270 belongs to the General Board and its Executive Board. Ordinarily members of boards elected by the General Board would first be subject to the jurisdiction of the board to which they are elected. But if such matters are not dealt with appropriately, the General Superintendent may recommend and the Executive Board by a two-thirds vote may authorize assumption of immediate jurisdiction in the matter by the General Board. 5279. If the accused is a general official, an area representative of the General Board, or a district superintendent, any accusation alleging an offense set forth in 5010 shall be submitted in writing (5022) to the General Superintendent and must be sustained by at least three lay covenant members or ministers of The Wesleyan Church. The General Superintendent shall make inquiry as required in 5012. If a hearing is necessary, the General Board may appoint or authorize its Executive Board to appoint a general judicial committee, with the chair appointed by the General Superintendent. A two-thirds majority vote of all members of the general judicial committee shall be required for a verdict of guilty. The General Board shall determine the discipline (5023; 5212), which may take the form of admonition, rebuke, suspension, removal or dismissal, and said board may also require apology or restitution. Whenever it is deemed necessary, the General Board may remove a general official elected by the General Conference, an area representative of the General Board or a district superintendent from office by a two-thirds majority vote of all its members (Disc. 1655:40a), and by a similar two-thirds majority vote of all its members may remove such a person from the ministry and/or dismiss such a person from covenant membership. In the matter of a general official elected by the General Board, a majority of all the members of the General Board is required to remove such a person from office (Disc. 1830), but a two-thirds majority vote of all members of the General Board would be required to remove such a person from the ministry and/or dismiss such a person from covenant membership. An appeal on the removal from the ministry or dismissal from covenant membership can be taken to the General Board of Review (5445:5). 5282. If the accused is a member or minister under the jurisdiction of the General Board (5270:4), an accusation or complaint shall be submitted to the general official to which the accused is amenable or to the General Superintendent. The General Board or its Executive Board shall decide on the disposition of such accusations or charges (5004) in a manner parallel to that of 5279. If it is deemed necessary, the General Board may remove such a person from office by a majority of all members of the General Board (1655:40b), and by a two-thirds majority vote of those present and voting may remove such a person from the ministry and/or dismiss such a person from covenant membership. An appeal (5062–5068) on the removal from the ministry and/or dismissal from covenant membership can be taken to the General Board of Review (5445:5). 5285. If the accused is one described in 5270:5, removal from office would be by majority vote of General Board members, present and voting, removal from the ministry or dismissal from covenant membership would require a two-thirds majority vote of those present and voting. An appeal (5062–5068) on the removal from the ministry and/or dismissal from covenant membership would be taken to the General Board of Review (5445:5).

4. Power of Removal

5288. The General Board, the Board of Pensions, the Board of Directors of the Wesleyan Investment Foundation, the board of trustees of an educational or benevolent institution, and other such governing boards shall have full power and authority to discharge at their discretion any officer or employee thereof (with the exception of those in 5270:1–4 which shall be limited to the General Board) who shall be guilty of any immoral conduct or breach of trust, or who for any reason is unable, or who fails to perform the duties of their office, or for other misconduct which any of said boards may deem sufficient to warrant discharge. The action of such board in removing such officer or employee in the circumstances above set forth shall be final. Any governing board of a subsidiary corporation, or of any educational or benevolent institution, shall have the right to recommend the removal of any of its members to the General Board, which shall have power to sustain or reject such a recommendation (cf. Disc. 1655:18, 40b). There is no appeal for removal from office.