2016 Wesleyan Discipline: Discontinue church:

1180

(24) To authorize the establishing of a mission (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:537), a developing church (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:510), a church (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:518), a circuit (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:525), the reclassification of a church as a developing church (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:518:7; cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1233:30), to declare a church as discontinued or abandoned (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4730), and to hear a report from the district superintendent of the organization of new churches (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:520:6; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1310:16). Any established church that is not under discipline may not be discontinued without a corroborating vote of the local church conference (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:655:14; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1233:30).

1233

(30) To authorize the establishment of a mission (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:537; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:655:15), a developing church (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:510), an urban missional church (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:523), and a church, (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:518) and to receive a report from the district superintendent on the effecting of such organizations (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:520:6); to reclassify an established church as a developing church when its number of members drops to 20 or fewer (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:518:5); and to declare a church as discontinued or abandoned (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1180:24; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4730). Any established church that is not under discipline may not be discontinued without a corroborating vote of the local church conference (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:655:14).

4730. When the property of a local church is no longer used, a local church may be declared by the district board of administration as discontinued or abandoned (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1233:30) and the title shall thereupon vest in the district corporation (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4100), or in the district board of trustees in the case of an unincorporated district (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4855). The district board of administration shall have the authority to order the sale of said property and to appropriate the proceeds for the purchase of property for a local church, for the construction of churches or parsonages within the bounds of the district, for district property, or for the purchase of property or construction of buildings involved in the planting of new churches. Such moneys may be used for other expense involved in the planting of new churches only with the approval of the General Superintendent. The actions of the district board of administration shall be reported to the next session of the district conference. Any bequests, devises, gift annuities or other benefits to a local church that accrue or become available after said church has been discontinued shall become the property of the district corporation (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4100), or, in the case of an unincorporated district, shall become the property of the district board of trustees (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:4855).