2016 Wesleyan Discipline: District Conference: Membership

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. 1080. The district conference, as required by the Constitution (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:317), shall be composed of an equal number of ministerial members and lay members as voting members, chosen in a way that maintains the principle of equal representation, and other non-voting members as listed herewith. 1083. Ministers. The ministerial voting members of the district conference are those who meet the following requirements:

(1) Ordained ministers under appointment (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1240:I:A:1-8), retired (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1240:I:B; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3370), on reserve (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1240:I:C; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3360) or on educational leave (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1240:I:D; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3350:1).

(2) Licensed ministers who are ordained ministers-elect (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:317)

(3) Commissioned or licensed ministers who are pastors, associate pastors or assistant pastors of churches in that district (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:317; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1240:II:A; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1240:III:A; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3059; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3030).

(4) Ministerial members of the district board of administration who are not voting members by some other right (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:317).

(5) Ordained ministers (including licensed ministers who are ordained ministers elect) who have applied for transfer to another district but whose processes of transfer out of the district are yet incomplete.

1086. Laity. The lay members of the district conference with voting rights are those elected as delegates by the churches or circuits of that district (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:315:7; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:317; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1100-1109) and the lay members of the district board of administration (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:317). The total number of lay members with voting rights shall be determined as set forth in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1100:1 while maintaining the principle of equal representation of the ministry and the laity. Each established church or circuit is entitled to a minimum of one lay delegate as its constitutional right (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:315:7; cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:503), and, according to its number of members, to additional lay delegates allotted by the district board of administration (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1100:1-5). A developing church which is judged to be qualified may be allotted one lay delegate (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:510:5; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1100:2; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1103). 1090. The nonvoting members of the district conference, with a voice but without a vote, are (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:317):

(1) Ordained ministers without appointment (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1240:I:E; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3380).

(2) Ordained ministers in process of transfer from another denomination (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3104; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3390).

(3) Commissioned or licensed ministers who are not voting members of the district conference as listed in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1083:2-4, including those in process of transfer from another denomination (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3104).

(4) Ministerial students (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3015:3b; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3350:2).

(5) Commissioned and licensed special workers (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1240:V:A,B,C; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3460-3470).

(6) Commissioned lay missionaries (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1240:V:D).

(7) Supply pastors (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1240:V:E; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3260:4).

(8) Interim pastors, unless qualifying as a voting member by some other right (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1083; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3261).

(9) District directors of men’s ministry, Wesleyan Youth, women’s ministry, district coordinator of Wesleyan Kids for Missions, and district directors of children’s ministries and adult ministries.

(10) Ordained ministers, commissioned ministers, and licensed ministers whose process of transfer into the district from other districts are pending completion.