Pastoral vote, voting: Manner of

B. Manner of Pastoral Voting

1. Jurisdiction in Pastoral Voting

690. All matters related to voting on securing or retaining a pastor are the concern of a pastoral charge (503).

2. Regulations for All Pastoral Voting

691. Procedures of Candidating. In all matters related to pastoral candidating, the following regulations shall be observed:

(1) Only one pastoral candidate at a time shall be presented to the congregation for a message. A decision by the local board of administration to recommend a pastor for a congregational vote, and the vote, if recommended, must take place before another candidate is considered.

(2) The support including salary, expense allowances, housing, benefits, moving expenses, and related matters which the church proposes to maintain must be provided in writing for the candidate prior to a pastoral vote.

(3) A minister who has agreed to give a candidating message and to submit to a pastoral vote at one church cannot do the same with another church until the first candidating situation is resolved. If the local board of administration does not recommend the candidating pastor for a congregational vote within seven days, the waiting restriction no longer applies.

692. Procedure of Pastoral Voting. In all matters related to voting on securing or retaining a pastor, the following regulations shall be observed:

(1) All pastoral votes shall be taken at a duly announced session of the local church conference (630-633).

(2) The district superintendent, or a representative appointed by the district superintendent, shall preside over the local church conference for the taking of the pastoral vote. If neither can be present, the vice-chair of the local board of administration shall preside.

(3) All pastoral votes shall be taken by secret ballot by members with special provision for absentee ballots (695).

(4) A favorable vote by a majority of members voting shall be required (705; 708; 720; 722). A favorable vote of less than two-thirds majority requires district approval.

(5) The minister shall be notified by the local board of administration of the results of the vote.

(6) If the vote is favorable, the minister shall notify the local board of administration and the district superintendent by phone and in writing of a decision within seven days following the official notification of such call by the local church.

695. Absentee Ballots. A member who cannot attend a pastoral vote session of the local church conference because of confining illness, required employment, or necessary out-of-town travel or seasonal residency may cast an absentee ballot subject to the following conditions:

(1) The member shall secure a standard ballot from the local church secretary, identical to the ballots to be used at the session, and submit the marked ballot prior to the session in a sealed envelope identified with the name of the absent member.

(2) The local church secretary must certify the envelope as being submitted by a member to whom the secretary has supplied a ballot, and who is eligible to cast an absentee ballot. In the event that the local church secretary is unable to certify the eligibility of the person casting an absentee ballot, the secretary may consult the vice-chair of the local board of administration to determine eligibility.

(3) Envelopes containing such absentee ballots shall be opened at the session in which the vote is taken, by the secretary in the presence of the chair, prior to the tallying of the vote, and these ballots placed without inspection with the others for counting by the tellers.

697. District Approval of Pastoral Agreement. A pastoral agreement must be reviewed and recommended by the district board of administration, and becomes final upon the approval of the district conference. Each year the district board of administration shall review those pastoral agreements before making its report to the district conference (1180:24; 1233:10).

700. Time of Pastoral Changes. Except for such emergencies as resignations, removals or deaths, pastoral changes shall take place on the Monday following the second Sunday of July.

3. Regulations for Initial Call of Pastor

705. Procedure for Initial Call of Pastor. Whenever it is necessary for a pastoral charge to secure a new pastor, the following regulations shall be observed:

(1) The vote shall be for an extended call, subject to such adjustment as the district superintendent shall approve.

(2) The local board of administration, under the leadership of its vice-chair, shall counsel with the district superintendent concerning possible candidates. If the church desires to call a minister from another district or from outside the denomination, the local board of administration shall first secure from its own district superintendent assurance that the transfer of the minister would be approved (313:6).

(3) When a candidate has been approved by a majority vote of the local board of administration (782:12), the candidate’s name shall be presented as a nomination to the local church conference, and the vote shall be taken in keeping with the regulations governing all pastoral voting (692).

708. Waiver of Local Church Rights. If a pastoral charge has been unable to secure a pastor prior to thirty days before the annual session of the district conference, the local church conference may, at any time thereafter, by majority vote delegate full authority for the employment of a pastor to the local board of administration, or it may waive its rights and leave the selection of a pastor to the nomination of the district board of administration and appointment by the district conference. If a pastoral charge waives its rights, or if neither local church conference nor local board of administration shall have secured a pastor by the time the annual session of the district conference convenes, the district board of administration shall nominate a pastor for appointment by the district conference. A pastor so appointed shall be received and supported by the pastoral charge the same as if the pastor had been employed in the usual manner.

710. Call Resignation. If a pastor resigns during the call term of service to a church, the pastor must notify the local board of administration and the district superintendent sixty days in advance. If the district superintendent and the local board of administration deem it wise, the pastor may be released sooner.

712. Call Removal. The district board of administration may remove the pastor by a two-thirds majority vote of all members, provided such has been requested by the local board of administration by a two-thirds majority vote in a meeting presided over by the district superintendent, or such has been recommended by the district superintendent (1233:36).

715. Ad Interim Procedures. If a pastoral charge is left without a pastor between sessions of the district conference due to death, resignation, or removal, the local board of administration and the local church conference shall follow the regular procedures for securing a new pastor with all arrangements subject to the approval of the district board of administration (1233:36).

4. Regulations for Renewal of Call

718. Procedure for Renewal of Call. Whenever a pastor’s term of service is expiring, unless the pastor shall give notice otherwise to the vice-chair of the local board of administration (773) and the district superintendent, in writing and at least sixty days prior to the convening of the district conference, the pastor shall be considered as available, and a vote on the renewal of the pastoral call shall be taken in keeping with the regulations governing all pastoral voting (692).

(1) One of the following alternative procedures shall be followed:

(a) A vote for a four-year renewal of the call shall be taken. If the vote on a four-year renewal of the call is favorable, the local board of administration, after consulting with the pastor, may then recommend that a ballot vote be taken to renew the call for an extended period (720).

(b) Or, prior to the vote on renewing the call, the local board of administration, after consultation with the pastor, shall recommend to the local church conference a specific call for four years, or an extended call.

(2) A vote for a one or two-year renewal of the call may be authorized by the district superintendent upon the joint request of the pastor and the local board of administration when such is due to extenuating circumstances.

720. Regulations for Extended Call.

(1) The pastor may, when deemed advisable and when approval has been granted by the district superintendent, ask the local board of administration to conduct a vote by the local church conference on renewing the extended call. Such a vote shall be conducted in keeping with 692.

(2) The district superintendent or an ordained representative appointed by the district board of administration shall review the pastoral agreement with the local board of administration at least quadrennially. The local board of administration by a majority vote shall either reaffirm the call or ask the local church conference to vote on renewing the call. Such a vote shall be conducted in keeping with 692.

722. Termination of Call. The service of a pastor may be terminated in one of three ways:

(1) The pastor may resign, provided that the termination of service is first approved by the district superintendent. Except as otherwise mutually agreed upon by the local board of administration and the district board of administration, notification of the pastor’s resignation shall be given at least sixty days in advance and the resignation shall become effective in sixty days or at the time set by the district for pastoral changes (700).

(2) If one-third of the members of the local board of administration so request the district superintendent in writing, the district superintendent or a representative appointed by the district superintendent shall call and preside over a special session of the local board of administration for the purpose of deciding on whether to call for a pastoral vote by the local church conference. If the local board of administration by majority vote calls for the taking of such a vote, and the district superintendent approves the taking of the same, it shall be taken in keeping with 692. If there is a majority vote of the local church conference in favor of retaining the pastor, and the pastor agrees to remain, the pastor shall be free to continue as if the vote had not been taken. A favorable vote less than two thirds majority requires district approval. If less than a majority are favorable to retaining the pastor, pastoral service shall terminate at the time set by the district for pastoral changes (700), or at a time mutually agreed upon by the pastor, the local board of administration, and the district superintendent.

(3) The district board of administration may, by a majority vote, order the district superintendent to conduct a pastoral vote in keeping with 692. Or the district board of administration, upon the recommendation of the district superintendent (1310:20), and for the sake of the pastoral charge involved, may remove the pastor by a two-thirds majority vote of all members (1233:36), with the services of the pastor terminating in sixty days unless ordered otherwise by the district board of administration. If at any time the district board of administration shall deem it in the interests of the district as a whole that the pastor be free to serve elsewhere, it may by majority vote request the pastor to resign.