Under charges: Discipline, consequences of being under: For districts

323

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

327

(1) Each district, if not under discipline, shall be entitled to send one ordained minister and one lay member as delegates to the General Conference and additional ministerial and lay delegates according to membership on a basis of representation to be fixed by the General Conference.

360:3

(e) It shall make no rule that will interfere with the supervision of established districts (in distinction from developing districts) over the ministers and churches within their bounds, unless said district (or districts) is under discipline.

5066. Status of the Accused during Appeal. While the appeal is pending, the discipline shall be deferred, though if under discipline prior to hearing such discipline shall remain. Whenever the accused is a church or a district, it may continue to function but shall have the status of being under discipline and shall not be entitled to any representatives in a conference body and, in the case of a district, shall not have authority to buy, sell or transfer any real property, except with the approval of the General Superintendent. 5365. When the above procedure does not bring about an amicable settlement in the opinion of the General Board, or should the cited officials fail or refuse to appear, an accusation and specifications for offenses as listed in 5010 shall be prepared and submitted in writing (5022) to the General Superintendent and must be sustained by at least three members of The Wesleyan Church. The General Board may appoint or authorize its Executive Board to appoint a general judicial committee, with the chair appointed by the General Superintendent. The findings of the general judicial committee shall be reported to the General Board. A two-thirds majority vote of all members of the general judicial committee shall be required for a verdict of guilty. If the accused district is found guilty of an offense(s), the General Board, by a two-thirds vote of all its members, may place a district found guilty under discipline and suspend all its rights and privileges as a district under the Constitution, or other provisions of The Discipline, and may thereupon appoint the General Superintendent or other person to have charge of the district (Disc. 360:3c, e; cf. 1655:42). If it is a local church which is found guilty, the General Board by a majority vote may place the church under suspension and appoint a designated authority to have charge. Such suspension shall continue until the unit under discipline shall, through its officials, offer a written apology acknowledging its guilt and giving assurance of its loyalty to the denomination and shall also give evidence that the offense has ceased, whereupon the General Board shall end the suspension and reinstate the unit (cf. Disc. 1655:44). A district under discipline shall also be suspended from all rights to acquire, purchase, mortgage, sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any real property, unless approved by the designated authority appointed to have charge of the district. 5375. Whenever a district under discipline refuses to offer a written apology and assurance of loyalty as set forth in 5365, or whenever the district officials refuse to answer a citation to appear (5360), the General Board or its Executive Board may authorize the General Superintendent to reorganize the district (Disc. 1655:44). The General Superintendent shall ask for an affirmation of loyalty. Those members and ministers of the district who affirm their loyalty to The Wesleyan Church shall be and constitute the district. Those covenant members and ministers of the district who refuse to affirm such loyalty to The Wesleyan Church shall be declared by the General Superintendent as having withdrawn from The Wesleyan Church, and all offices held by such persons shall thereupon be vacated. Those who are thus declared to be the covenant members and ministers of the district shall be entitled to hold and to use all the district property in the manner as set forth in The Discipline and shall be organized to carry on the work of the district. Should the number of loyal ministers and covenant members be fewer than that required for an established district, the district shall be reclassified by the General Board as a provisional district or developing district as the case may be (cf. Disc. 1034; 1042-1045).