2016 Wesleyan Discipline: 3033–3040

3033. Granting a District Ministerial License. A member who meets the leadership qualifications (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:260–268; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:558) of The Wesleyan Church who confesses a call of God to be a minister (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3000–3006), may be granted a district ministerial license by meeting the following requirements in order:

(1) Membership in a local Wesleyan church within the district granting the license.

(2) Satisfactory service as a ministerial student in The Wesleyan Church for at least one year.

(3) Certificate from the Ministerial Study Course Agency showing completion of the courses adopted as being prerequisites for licensing (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:6410; cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3170:1–4; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3210).

(4) Recommendation from the local church conference to the district conference for a district ministerial license (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:655:8).

(5) Readiness to accept the district conference’s appointment to active service in one of the categories listed in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3250–3335; to pursue the studies with all diligence until completed; to prepare for ordination; and to give oneself wholly to the ministry.

(6) Examination by the district board of ministerial development (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1390:1) relative to the qualifications for the ministry and for a district ministerial license (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3000–3006; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline: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 (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1390:5).

(7) Recommendation by the district board of administration for immediate appointment to one of the categories of service listed in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3250–3335.

(8) Adoption by the district conference of the separate recommendations of the district board of ministerial development (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3033:6) and of the district board of administration (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3033:7).

(9) Issuance and signing of the license by the district superintendent and the district secretary (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:6260; cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1310:26; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1332:4).

3040. Renewing a District Ministerial License. A district ministerial license is effective for one year only, and authority to carry on the office and work of a minister under such a license shall cease unless it is renewed annually by the district conference until such time as the holder of the license is commissioned or ordained to the ministry. A minister may be granted renewal of the ministerial license by meeting the following requirements:

(1) Satisfactory service under a previous appointment, including loyalty to and compliance with the rules of The Wesleyan Church and of the district, and including the proper filing of reports. If a licensed minister fails to file the annual service report (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1402), unless such failure is due to illness, injury or a similar emergency, the license shall not be renewed (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1390:8).

(2) Confirmation through the annual report of the Ministerial Study Course Agency that the minister has completed at least two courses in the pre-ordination study course (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3210:1). The pre-ordination study course must be completed within seven years of service under a ministerial license. The ministerial license shall not be renewed beyond the seventh year unless an extension of time is granted by the district board of ministerial development (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3059).

(3) Agreement to continue under district appointment to one of the categories of service listed in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3250–3335 or for one having completed the course of study for ordination, to take an appointment, within the coming conference year.