Examination of candidates for license, commission, or ordination

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1390

(1) Examine carefully each candidate for election by the district conference to ordination or election to a commissioned minister’s status, the granting of a district ministerial license, a license as a ministerial student, a commission or license as a special worker, a commission as a lay missionary, and any other commission or license as may be authorized by The Discipline. The examination shall include an interview with each candidate, making such investigation as is deemed necessary to affirm the individual’s:
(a) Personal experience of salvation and entire sanctification;
(b) Full commitment to the Articles of Religion, Guides and Helps to Holy Living, Elementary Principles, and polity of The Wesleyan Church and acceptance of its authority;
(c) Evidence of having the qualifications for the ministry to which the candidate feels called as set forth in The Discipline.

The examination shall result in recommendations to the district conference for those whom the district board of ministerial development judges to be qualified for said ministry (1381; 1390:5).

(3) Consider and examine any person who desires to be received into the district from another denomination, and to be recognized as an ordained, commissioned or licensed minister, or commissioned special worker, and to recommend to the district conference for reception as in process of transfer, and subsequently for recognition as in full standing, only such a person as it deems properly qualified according to The Discipline (3104; 3470); and, in the interim of district conference sessions, to make such recommendation to the district board of administration (1233:33).
(4) Consider and examine any person applying for reinstatement or restoration of ordination, commission, or license and to recommend to the district conference only such a person as it deems properly qualified according to The Discipline (3120-3124; Gen. Bd. Policy on Ch. Disc. 5230-5248).

3033

(6) Examination by the district board of ministerial development (1390:1) relative to the qualifications for the ministry and for a district ministerial license (3000-3006; 3033:1-5), including a personal religious experience, ministerial call, and evidence thereof, matters of education, doctrine, and practice, and circumstances of personal, family, and business life which bear upon the ministry; and subsequent recommendation by the district board of ministerial development to the district conference for the granting of a district ministerial license (1390:5).

3070

(4) Examination by the district board of ministerial development relative to qualifications for the ministry and for ordination (3000-3006; 3070:1-3), including a personal religious experience, ministerial call and evidence thereof; matters of education, doctrine, and practice, particularly a personal commitment without reservation to each of the Articles of Religion and the Guides and Helps to Holy Living; loyalty to The Wesleyan Church; and circumstances of personal, family, and business life which bear upon the ministry; and a subsequent report by the district board of ministerial development to the district conference (1390:1, 5).

3104

(3) If approval is granted by the General Superintendent, the applicant shall be examined by the district board of ministerial development relative to Christian experience, call, and qualifications for the ministry as given in 3000-3006 (3059:1; 3070:4), and to the nature of ordination, commission, or license.

3460. Licensed Special Worker. A Wesleyan Church member who meets the leadership qualifications (260–268; 558) may be granted a special worker’s license by the district conference (1180:27e) provided that the candidate has been recommended for such license by the local church conference, or by the local board of administration if so delegated (655:7; 782:19); that the candidate promises to pursue the course of study for the particular field of service (3210:5); and that the candidate has been recommended for such license by the district board of ministerial development after careful examination concerning Christian experience, gifts, calling, and experience in the particular field of service (1390:5). The license shall be issued and signed by the district superintendent and district secretary (6360; 1310:23; 1332:4). The license may be renewed annually by continued qualification as above, if the candidate completes two courses in the course of study as attested by the Ministerial Study Course Agency, and if service is satisfactory, including the proper filing of reports. If a licensed special worker fails to file the annual service report (1402), unless such failure is due to illness, injury, or a similar emergency, the license shall not be renewed (1390:8). The licensed special worker shall be amenable to the district (1233:37) and the license may be revoked between sessions of the district conference by judicial process (Gen. Bd. Policy on Ch. Disc. 5200:3; 5206). A person from another denomination holding a district license as a special worker or its equivalent may be received into The Wesleyan Church subject to the regulations which govern the reception of a minister (3104). 3470. Commissioned Special Worker. A licensed special worker may be commissioned by the district conference provided that the worker has completed the course of study (3210:5) or its equivalent (3170:3) as certified by the Ministerial Study Course Agency (6410); has served satisfactorily under a district special worker’s license for at least two years; and has been recommended for commissioning by the district board of ministerial development after careful examination concerning Christian experience, gifts, calling, and experience in the particular field of service (1390:5). The commissioning shall include the affirmative vote of the district conference (1180:27e), a solemn act of consecration as set forth in 5855 (1405; 3091), and the issuance of a commission signed by the General Superintendent, the district superintendent, and the district secretary (6380; 1310:23; 1332:4; 1935). The commission shall be continuous until such time as the worker ceases to be active in the particular field of service and files the commission with the district superintendent, or unless deprived of the commission by judicial process (Gen. Bd. Policy on Ch. Disc. 5200:3; 5206). A commissioned special worker who fails to file the annual service report (1402) for two successive years, shall be notified by the district board of ministerial development and requested to report at the next session of the district conference. A commissioned special worker who then fails to report, shall be declared withdrawn from the district, and the special worker’s name shall be so entered upon the minutes of the district conference (1390:9). A person from another denomination holding a commission as a special worker or its equivalent may be received into The Wesleyan Church subject to the regulations which govern the reception of an ordained minister (1233:34; 1390:3; 3104).