3. Discipline Involving a Hearing of Ministers, Officers, and Special Cases Subject to Districts

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3. Discipline Involving a Hearing

5206. Jurisdiction. Original jurisdiction over the persons listed in 5200 ordinarily belongs to the district in which their ministerial membership, or for laypersons, their membership, is held. The exceptions are for those who serve as general officers or members of the General Board or who are otherwise employed by the General Board, and district superintendents. These are subject to the jurisdiction of the General Church (Disc. 323:1; 1180:12; GBP-5270).

(1) Jurisdiction shall be exercised on behalf of the district by the district board of administration for any and all charges brought against such persons.
(2) Accusations alleging an offense (5010) against one of the persons in 5200 shall be submitted to the district superintendent (Disc. 1310:31; GBP-5022). The accusation shall then be presented to the district board of administration. The district board of administration shall have authority to order the investigation (5012; 5024) and hearing if necessary. Any charge must be sustained by two or more members or ministers of The Wesleyan Church.
(3) If an accusation alleges an offense committed by a person under the jurisdiction of the district in a district other than that in which the accused holds membership, the district superintendent and the district board of administration of the district in which the offense was allegedly committed shall have jurisdiction over the official investigation (5012). If an accusation is to be drawn up, it shall be submitted through the General Superintendent to the district in which the accused holds membership.

5209. District Judicial Committee. Charges against a person under district jurisdiction shall be heard and determined by a district judicial committee, appointed by the district board of administration for that particular matter. District judicial committees also are appointed for matters involving a local church or other unit (see 5310).

(1) A district judicial committee shall consist of four ordained ministers and three lay covenant members, appointed by the district board of administration (Disc. 1233:40), as the occasion may arise, from among its own members or the members of the district, and the district board of administration may request the General Superintendent to appoint a general official as one member. In any case, the General Superintendent shall be notified of the hearing. Members of the district board of review may not serve as members of the district judicial committee. The committee shall serve from the time of its appointment until it shall hear and resolve the accusation.
(2) The district board of administration shall appoint the chair or may request the General Superintendent to do so. The chair of the district judicial committee shall preside over the hearing and shall conduct it according to this General Board Policy for Church Discipline and Ministerial Restoration (5020–5068) and The Discipline.
(3) It shall be the duty of the district judicial committee to hear and determine the charges, to render a verdict declaring the accused, either guilty or not guilty and to recommend the discipline (cf. 5023; 5212; 5215), if any, to be imposed by the district board of administration. A two-thirds majority vote of all members of the district judicial committee shall be required for a verdict of guilty. The discipline may take the form of admonition, rebuke, suspension, removal or dismissal, and said board may also require apology or restitution.
(4) The accused may appeal the verdict and/or discipline to the district board of review within thirty days (5062–5068; 5221).
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