2016 Wesleyan Discipline: 2. Regulations for All Pastoral Voting

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, fringe benefits, moving expenses, and related matters which the church proposes to maintain must be provided 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 (2016 Wesleyan Discipline: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 (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:695).

(4) A favorable vote by a majority of members voting shall be required (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:705; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:718; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:720; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:722).

(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, whether for an initial call or a renewal of call, 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 which are continuing before making its report to the district conference (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1180:26; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline: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.