575–580

575. When any member shall request a letter of transfer to another Wesleyan church, the pastor and local church secretary shall grant it on the proper form as given in 6000–6020 providing the member is neither under discipline nor under charges. Both pastor and secretary shall sign the letter, and shall forward it to the pastor and local church secretary of the church to which the member is transferring. The letter shall be presented to the local board of administration of the receiving church at its next session, but not later than thirty days from the date of issuance, and acted upon in the manner indicated in 578. When the member has been duly received, the second part of the form shall be completed by the receiving church and forwarded to the church granting the transfer. The date the returned letter is received shall mark the expiration of membership in the church granting the letter, and in the official membership record the local church secretary shall enter opposite the member’s name: the date and "Withdrawn by letter of transfer." 578. The receiving church shall handle transfers as follows:

(1) Members shall be received subject to the approving vote of the local church conference, unless the local church conference shall have delegated this responsibility to the local board of administration. The transfer of membership may be questioned by the receiving church if it is evident that the person involved is not in a state of grace or is living in open violation of the Articles of Religion.

(2) The membership of a pastor, senior pastor, associate pastor, or assistant pastor and of such members of the pastor’s family as so desire and have the proper credentials, shall be automatically transferred to the church to which appointed, or if the pastoral charge consists of more than one church, to the church of choice. The secretary of the church from which the pastor is moving shall forward the proper forms for the pastor’s membership and that of family members who so desire to the secretary of the receiving church who shall record them without any further action by the local church conference or local board of administration.

580. A member of The Wesleyan Church transferring from one local church to another shall not be required to be involved in a public service of reception.