District Conference: Membership

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 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. 1080. The district conference, as required by the Constitution (317), shall be composed of an equal number of ministerial members and lay members as voting members, chosen in a way that maintains the principle of equal representation, and other non-voting members as listed herewith. 1083. Ministers. The ministerial voting members of the district conference are those who meet the following requirements:

(1) Ordained ministers under appointment (1240:1:A:1-8), retired (1240:1:B; 3370), on reserve (1240:1:C; 3360) or on educational leave (1240:1:D; 3350:1).

(2) Licensed ministers who are ordained ministers-elect (317)

(3) Commissioned or licensed ministers who are pastors, associate pastors or assistant pastors of churches in that district (317; 1240:2:A; 1240:3:A; 3059; 3030).

(4) Ministerial members of the district board of administration who are not voting members by some other right (317).

(5) Ordained ministers (including licensed ministers who are ordained ministers-elect) who have applied for transfer to another district but whose processes of transfer out of the district are yet incomplete.

1086. Laity. The lay members of the district conference with voting rights are those elected as delegates by the churches or circuits of that district (315:7; 317; 1100–1109) and the lay members of the district board of administration (317). The total number of lay members with voting rights shall be determined as set forth in 1100:1 while maintaining the principle of equal representation of the ministry and the laity. Each established church or circuit is entitled to a minimum of one lay delegate as its constitutional right (315:7; 503), and, according to its number of members, to additional lay delegates allotted by the district board of administration (1100:1-5). A developing church which is judged to be qualified may be allotted one lay delegate (510:5; 1100:2; 1103). 1090. The nonvoting members of the district conference, with a voice but without a vote, are (317):

(1) Ordained ministers without appointment (1240:1:E; 3380).

(2) Ordained ministers in process of transfer from another denomination (3104; 3390).

(3) Commissioned or licensed ministers who are not voting members of the district conference as listed in 1083:2-4, including those in process of transfer from another denomination (3104).

(4) Ministerial students (3015:3b; 3350:2).

(5) Commissioned and licensed special workers (1240:5:A, B, C; 3460-3470).

(6) Commissioned lay missionaries (1240:5:D).

(7) Supply pastors (1240:5:E; 3260:4).

(8) Interim pastors, unless qualifying as a voting member by some other right (1083; 3261).

(9) Ordained ministers, commissioned ministers, and licensed ministers whose process of transfer into the district from other districts are pending completion.