2016 Wesleyan Discipline: Ministry, The: Ordained minister

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. 3067. Identification. An ordained minister is a minister whose calling, gifts, and usefulness have been demonstrated and enhanced by proper training and experience, and who has been separated to the service of Christ by the vote of a district conference and by the solemn act of ordination (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5750–5792), and thus has been fully invested with all the functions of the Christian ministry. 3070. Qualifications for Ordination. A licensed minister of The Wesleyan Church who has an abiding conviction of God’s call to be a minister (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3000–3006) may be ordained by meeting the following requirements in order:

(1) Membership with the leadership qualifications (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:260–268; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:558) in a local Wesleyan church within the district granting ordination.

(2) Satisfactory service for two years subsequent to completion of the pre-ordination study course, except for those who have been under appointment and supervision during the years spent completing said course of study. This service must be full-time (as determined by the district board of ministerial development) in one of the categories of service listed in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3250-3335. At least one year must have been in The Wesleyan Church within the district in which ordination is to take place except as hereinafter provided. In case of a ministerial student graduating from a three-year divinity course at an approved seminary, the service requirement is for one year. If ordination is to be in a district other than the one in which the service requirement was met, the district board of ministerial development of the appointing district must recommend the student to the ordaining district.

(3) Certificate from the Ministerial Study Course Agency showing completion of the pre-ordination course of study or of its equivalent (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:6410; cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3170:4; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3210:1).

(4) Examination by the district board of ministerial development relative to qualifications for the ministry and for ordination (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3000–3006; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3070:1–3), including a personal religious experience, ministerial call, and evidence thereof, matters of education, doctrine, and practice, particularly a personal commitment without reservation to each of the Articles of Religion and the Membership Commitments and loyalty to The Wesleyan Church, and circumstances of personal, family, and business life which bear upon the ministry; and a subsequent report by the district board of ministerial development to the district conference (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1390:1, 5).

(5) Election by the district conference to ordained minister’s orders (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1180:28). In case of an emergency, a candidate who has been recommended by the district board of ministerial development may be elected to ordained minister’s orders by the district board of administration in the interim of the sessions of the district conference (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1233:38).

(6) Public service of ordination (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3091; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5750–5792), in which the minister shall witness to a Christian experience, affirm conviction of a divine call to the ministry, commitment to the doctrines and principles of The Wesleyan Church, and loyalty to The Wesleyan Church, after which the minister shall be separated to the Christian ministry by the Church through the laying on of hands in the person of the General Superintendent (if present, cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1935:34), or the representative appointed by the General Superintendent (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1935:34; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3091), the district superintendent (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1310:23), and a council of ordination (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1405).

(7) Issuance and signing of a certificate of ordination by the General Superintendent, district superintendent and district secretary (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:6300).

(8) The General Superintendent, after consultation with the district board of ministerial development of the involved district, may postpone the intended ordination of any candidate and/or refer the same to the district board of ministerial development for further consideration.

3075. Rights of an Ordained Minister. An ordained minister who maintains spiritual life, moral character, and faithful ministry, and is neither under discipline nor expelled from the ministry shall have the right (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:313):

(1) To preach the gospel and to administer baptism and the Lord’s Supper, to perform all parts of divine worship and to solemnize the rite of matrimony (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:313:1).

(2) To be eligible for election to any office in the Church for which ordained ministers are eligible (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:313:2).

(3) To contract the pastoral relationship with local Wesleyan churches subject to the other provisions of The Discipline (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:313:3).

(4) To enjoy, if appointed as a pastor, the use for religious meetings of the church building or buildings of the pastoral charge to which assigned by the district conference (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:313:4); and to serve the assigned pastoral charge without interference by unauthorized activities of another minister of The Wesleyan Church (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:313:5; cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3114–3117).

(5) To be a voting member of the district conference if under appointment, retired, on reserve, on educational leave or a member of the district board of administration (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:317; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1083:1; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1240:I:A-D) and a nonvoting member if without appointment or in the process of transfer (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1090:1–2); and to have these conference relations changed only after careful investigation by the district board of administration, and interview if possible (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1233:9c).

(6) To transfer in the manner prescribed by The Discipline from one district to another, subject to the concurrence of the district superintendent over the district into which transfer is sought (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:313:6; cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3100:1).

(7) To have recourse, even if under discipline, to a proper court of jurisdiction in any matters involving complaint against character or ministerial conduct and to appeal the decision of such court (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:313:7; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5200; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5206–5212).

3085. Duties of an Ordained Minister. An ordained minister shall be responsible:

(1) To be devoted without reservation to the Christian ministry, following the leadership of the Holy Spirit and the appointment of the district conference in determining and occupying a field of service.

(2) To report annually to the district conference on the appropriate service report form (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1402; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3089:3), and to the district superintendent as required (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:725:32).

(3) To attend and participate in the annual district conference, unless excused in writing by the district superintendent.

(4) To be faithful in attendance, in tithe, and in participation in the ministries of a local Wesleyan church, if one is within driving distance. Exceptions to this requirement may be granted only by the approval of the district board of administration.

(5) To voluntarily file all credentials with the district superintendent if service in one of the categories of ministry listed in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3250–3346 ceases for four or more consecutive years (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3124); this does not apply to those given other ministerial listings set forth in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3350:1; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3360; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3370.

(6) To voluntarily surrender credentials if guilty of an offense which would disqualify one for service as an ordained minister (cf. 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5212; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5230–5251).

3089. Regulations for an Ordained Minister.

(1) An ordained minister is amenable to the district where membership is held, and may be deposed from the ministry and ordered to surrender credentials by judicial process as set forth in 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5206–5212.

(2) An ordained minister’s credentials shall consist of the certificate of ordination (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3070:7; 2016 Wesleyan Discipline:6300), and an annual pocket certificate of standing, issued and signed by the district secretary (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:6430).

(3) An ordained minister who fails to file the annual service report (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:1402) for two successive years, shall be notified by the district board of ministerial development, and requested to report at the next session of the district conference. If no report is filed at that time the district shall declare the minister withdrawn and shall record the action upon the minutes of the district conference.

(4) When an ordained minister surrenders the certificate of ordination because guilty of an offense (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:3085:4), or is ordered to surrender it after due judicial process (2016 Wesleyan Discipline:5212:4), it shall be lawful to publish such fact in the columns of the official church publication.

3093. John Wesley’s “Rules of a Helper” have perhaps never been excelled as counsel to ministers, whether young or old. These “Rules” are, in part, as follows:

(1) Be diligent. Never be unemployed a moment, never be triflingly employed, never while away time; spend no more time at any place than is strictly necessary.

(2) Be serious. Let your motto be, “Holiness unto the Lord.” Avoid all lightness, jesting, and foolish talking.

(3) Believe evil of no one without good evidence; unless you see it done, take heed how you credit it. Put the best construction on everything. The judge is always supposed to be on the prisoner’s side.

(4) Speak evil of no one, else your word especially would eat as doth a canker. Keep your thoughts within your own breast till you come to the person concerned.

(5) Tell every one under your care what you think wrong in his conduct and temper, and that lovingly and plainly as soon as may be: else it will fester in your heart. Make all haste to cast the fire out of your bosom.

(6) Avoid all affectation. A preacher of the gospel is the servant of all.

(7) Be ashamed of nothing but sin. Let your industry, as well as your humility, commend itself to all.

(8) Be punctual: do everything exactly at the time.

(9) Do not mend the rules, but keep them; not for wrath but for conscience’ sake.

(10) You have nothing to do but to save souls; therefore spend and be spent in this work; and go always not only to those that desire you, but to those who need you most.