2016 Wesleyan Discipline: 752:2

(2) Alternate Models. Alternate models of local church governance may be considered by the local church conference in consultation with the district superintendent and with the prior approval of the district board of administration. When evaluating proposed alternate models, the district board of administration shall give due consideration to safeguard the following constitutional and practical principles:

(a) All local church officers, local board of administration members, trustees, and district conference delegates must be members who meet the leadership qualifications (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:260-268; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:558), of the local church electing them (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:302:3-4, 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:552:2-3, 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:815).

(b) All officers, board members, trustees, and district conference delegates must be elected by the eligible voting members of the local church conference (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:315:5-7). No pastor or other official has any right to appoint an officer or declare an office vacant (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:315:5). Since the right to elect officers and trustees vests solely in each pastoral charge (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:315:5-6), no board has the right to become self-perpetuating by electing its own members, other than temporarily filling unexpired terms when vacancies occur in the interim of local church conferences (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:782:27).

(c) Due to obvious conflicts of interest, no compensated church staff member may vote on compensation issues on the governing board of the local church by which he or she is employed. The only exception is the pastor, who is the chair but not an employee of the local board of administration, rather being called by the local church conference and appointed by the district conference (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:323:1-2).

(d) No member may be excluded from local church leadership on the basis of ancestry, color or gender (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:360:3d).