2016 Wesleyan Discipline: Delegates to district conference: Election

317. The General Conference shall organize the work at large into districts, which shall operate under its jurisdiction and promote the interests of the denomination, and whose voting membership shall include the following: All ordained ministers on the appointed, retired, reserve, and educational leave lists; licensed ministers elected to ordained minister’s status; all commissioned and licensed ministers serving as pastors of Wesleyan churches; all commissioned and licensed ministers serving as associate or assistant pastors of Wesleyan churches; members of the district board of administration who are not members by some other right; and lay delegates elected as provided in The Discipline. In addition the district conference shall include such nonvoting members as The Discipline shall provide. The principle of equal representation of the ministry and the laity in the district conference shall be maintained. 528

(3) To elect lay delegates to the district conference (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:315:7; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1100–1109).

965. The local church conference, at one of its officially announced sessions, shall elect by ballot (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:820–823), from among its members who meet the leadership qualifications (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:260-268; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:558), the number of lay delegates to the district conference assigned by the district board of administration and a sufficient number of alternate delegates who shall serve for the regular annual session and for any reconvened session. General regulations covering this office are given in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:815 and in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1100–1109. 1103. Election. The lay delegates to the district conference shall be elected at any duly called session of the local church conference or circuit conference, by ballot, and by a majority vote of those members present and voting (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:823; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:965). In the case of a developing church, election shall be by the local advisory council, subject to approval by the district superintendent (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:510:3,5). A person accepting election as a delegate has an obligation to attend faithfully the entire district conference session, unless hindered by unforeseen and justifiable circumstances. The local church secretary shall promptly forward a certified list of the elected lay delegates to the district secretary.