Delegates to General Conference: Function and general regulations

(9) Be represented in the lay and ministerial voting membership of the General Conference, if not under discipline.

1500. The General Conference is the supreme governing body of The Wesleyan Church. The basic provisions, powers, and restrictions of this body are set forth in the Constitution (325-360). 1503. The General Conference shall be composed of voting and nonvoting members as follows:

Voting Members

(1) The voting members shall consist of an equal number of ordained ministers and lay members of The Wesleyan Church (325):

(a) The district superintendent of each district and developing district and a lay delegate elected at the same time and in the same manner as the other delegates (1512-1526).

(b) One ministerial and one lay delegate elected by an established district for every seven hundred fifty members and major fraction thereof. The district superintendent and the lay delegate elected (1503:1a) shall be the representatives for the first seven hundred fifty members.

(c) The general officials of the Church as defined in 1800, the General Superintendents Emeriti, members of the General Board who are not voting members by some other right, the presidents of the educational institutions and Wesley Seminary (2365 and 2366), the general directors of Hephzibah Ministries, Wesleyan Investment Foundation, Wesleyan Pension Fund Inc, the Wesleyan Bible Conference Association, and the Immigrant Connection, and such delegates-at-large as shall be necessary to maintain parity between ordained ministers and lay members (1508-1510).

Nonvoting Members

(2) The following, when they are not voting members by some other right, shall be seated as nonvoting members when present at the General Conference session: former General Superintendents and superintendents of developing districts (1015).

(3) The General Board shall designate the number of nonvoting members from mission units under the Global Partners Division, upon recommendation of the Executive Director of Global Partners.

1506. A district or developing district which has been placed under discipline as provided for in the General Board Policy on Church Discipline (5365-5370) shall forfeit all rights to any representation in the General Conference (323:9). The delegates, including the district superintendent and any delegate-at-large from that district, shall not be recognized or seated until the district or developing district they represent is officially reinstated (Gen. Bd. Policy on Ch. Disc. 5365).