Chapter Three of the Discipline of the Primitive Methodist Church in the U.S.A.

CHAPTER THREE OF THE DISCIPLINE
300 THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CONFERENCE 301 STATEMENT OF LIMITATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS A. The Conference shall make rules or regulations for the Primitive Methodist Church under the following limitations and restrictions: B. The Conference shall not revoke, or alter, the doctrines contrary to those presently existing, except by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of Conference. C. The Conference shall not alter any rule of government which would change either the law of equal Pastoral and lay representation, or the system of itinerancy. D. The Conference shall not have the power to deprive its Pastors or members of the right of trial, or the right of appeal as prescribed by the Discipline. E. Any change in the aforesaid restrictions must be made by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Conference. 302 COMPOSITION OF THE CONFERENCE The Conference shall be composed of the Pastors (Elders, Student Pastors and Conference Pastoral Supplies), and one lay delegate from each church. Every church is permitted to send a delegate to Conference, however, a circuit may elect one delegate to represent the circuit. No person shall be elected a delegate or alternate who has not been a member of that local Primitive Methodist church for at least two years, unless the church is less than two years old. All active Pastors shall be required to attend the Conference sessions unless excused by the President and any member of the Conference leaving without permission of the President shall forfeit his traveling expenses. Missionaries, retired Pastors, and those persons serving as special appointments of the Conference shall have all the rights of the Conference sessions. Only Pastors and delegates have a voice and a vote, but any member of the Primitive Methodist Church has a voice in Conference sessions. A church that has not met its Conference obligations must have Conference approval to be seated. The delegates elected for the Annual Conference sessions of the Primitive Methodist Church in the United States of America shall also be the delegates for the General Conference sessions of the Primitive Methodist Church in the United States of America. 303 OFFICERS OF THE CONFERENCE The executive officers of the Conference shall be: the President, the Vice-President, the General Secretary, the Recording Secretary and the Treasurer, all of whom shall be elected by ballot. In addition to executive officers, an assistant Recording Secretary shall be elected. No Student Pastor shall be eligible to hold any of the above offices. Tenure of Office: The terms of the Conference President and the Vice-President shall be four years with a two-term consecutive limit. The terms of the General Secretary, the Recording Secretaries and the Treasurer shall be four years with no limit. Executive Council: The Executive Officers shall compse the Executive Council of Conference. This Council shall carry out the directives and policies of Conference. They shall oversee and be responsible for the administration and well being of the Conference. Their relationship to Conference shall be as per the diagram. District Superintendents: The District Superintendents are Conference officers, and shall represent the conference within their respective district as per the diagram. Conference boards and committees shall be accountable to the Executive Council for the purpose of coordinating the total program of Conference. A. THE PRESIDENT Qualifications: The nominee must have a minimum of 15 years as an ordained Pastor in our Conference before being eligible. The nominees are to be considered on the basis of ability, not seniority. The nominee must receive the majority of all votes cast. Election: The President shall be elected by the Conference for a four-year term. The election shall be held at the Conference one year before the scheduled term of office shall begin. Vacancy in the office of President: In the event of the vacancy of the President, the Vice-President shall assume the duties and powers of the leadership of the denomination, but not assume the office of President. In such an event, the Vice-President shall become the Acting President until the next Conference sessions. All pastors and churches will be notified by the General Secretary through the District Superintendents. The Acting President may assume the office of President at the next Conference or call for the election of a new President if he chooses not to give up pastoring his church. If an election is held, the Vice-President (Acting President) shall continue as Acting President until the elected President assumes the office of President. Duties: The President shall preside over all sessions of the Conference and all meetings of the General Committee. He shall have charge of the ordination service and shall arrange a service of consecration for deaconesses. He shall be an ex officio member of all Conference boards and committees. The President shall have oversight of all denominational interests, with authority to visit the churches, and to call to the attention of proper Conference officials any violation of Discipline or Conference directives, and/or to give rulings or interpretations of the same. He shall have the privilege of visiting the Churches to promote the Conference programs and secure information from Churches and Pastors for promotional use. The President shall represent the Conference at meetings with other organizations and in other areas which may lead to the promotion of the Denomination. He shall represent us to other denominations and to the public in general. He shall publicize, promote and implement Conference and Board approved policies, decisions and programs. He shall explore and promote new endeavors in conjunction with all boards. Along with the General Secretary, he is authorized to sign all official documents, including the purchasing and selling of properties. The President shall assist the District Superintendents and all Conference officers in Church, District and Conference affairs. The President shall be amenable to the Conference and its laws in relation to the character and conduct of this office. The President of the Conference may suspend from office, after due consultation with duly authorized officials of the Conference, any individual against whom serious charges are made, following the guidelines of Chapter 9. Administration: The expenses of his office shall be paid by the Conference. B. THE VICE-PRESIDENT The qualifications for office are the same as those of the Presidency. Duties: The Vice-President shall render any service to, and carry out any duties assigned by the President. In the event of the vacancy of the President, the Vice-President shall assume the duties and responsibilities of that office. In such an event, the Vice-President shall become the Acting President until the next Conference sessions. C. THE GENERAL SECRETARY The General Secretary must be (1) a Pastor ordained as a Primitive Methodist Pastor at least 5 years, or (2) a layperson who has been an active adult Member of the Primitive Methodist Church for at least 10 years. Duties: The General Secretary shall keep a record of the Pastors and churches, and all Conference proceedings. He shall sign, with the President, all authorized letters and documents. He shall conduct the correspondence of the Conference except as otherwise provided (e.g., the corresponding secretary). Prior to each Confernce he shall prepare an agenda for the Conference sessions, a copy of which shall be given to each of the executive officers. He shall call the roll at the beginning of the Conference sessions. He shall serve as the chairman of the Stationing Committee, and shall present to the Committee a list of stations open and Pastors seeking appointments. In the event of an emergency due to the vacancy of the offices of the President and the Vice-President of the Conference, the Secretary shall call a session of the General Committee to fill the vacancy. D. THE TREASURER The Conference Treasurer shall be a current, active member of a Primitive Methodist Church for at least 10 years and possess accounting skills. Duties: The Conference Treasurer shall be responsible for the receiving and recording of all designated funds, and shall disburse them upon receipt of proper notification. He shall be required to make an annual report to the Conference, and shall prepare his books for an annual audit. E. THE RECORDING SECRETARY The Recording Secretary must be (1) a Pastor ordained as a Primitive Methodist Pastor at least 5 years, or (2) a layperson who has been an active adult Member of the Primitive Methodist Church for at least 10 years. Duties: The Recording Secretary shall record all the proceedings of Conference. Conference shall elect an Assistant Recording Secretary who will be amenable to the Recording Secretary and shall have computer/typing skills. F. DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS See Chapter 5, item 501. 304 ORDER OF BUSINESS: CONFERENCE SESSIONS A. Election of Officers B. Appointment of a Stationing Committee, General Committee, and all other appointments. C. Adoption of the Conference program. D. Receive and act upon all District, board and committee reports. E. Grant permission to local churches to mortgage or sell church property. F. Set a time for the Executive Session. G. Set a time for the Preachers' Pension Fund meeting. H. Arrange an ordination service. I. Elect or appoint treasurers to receive moneys for all Conference designated funds. J. Arrange for a memorial service one every four years for deceased Pastors and wives. K. All other business. L. Set the dates of the Conference Year, the fiscal year, and set the time and place for the next Conference sessions. 305 DEFINITIONS A. Stationing Committee The Stationing Committee shall be composed of the General Secretary (chairman), the District Superintendents, one layperson from each District and one layperson-at-large. The Secretary-Treasurer of the Board of National Missions and the President of the School of Theology shall be advisory members. No Pastor seeking a charge, and no lay delegate whose church is seeking a Pastor shall be eligible for membership on this committee. The purpose of the Stationing Committee is to appoint ordained Elders, Student Pastors and Conference Pastoral Supplies. The Committee shall submit its report, which on being read, shall be referred back to the Committee without comment. If any objections exist they may be made to the Committee, and not to the Conference. When each appointment has been made, the report shall be presented to the Conference. The final reading of the report shall be incontestable and binding. When deemed necessary, the Committee may recommend to the Conference the uniting of two or more churches to form a circuit. B. The General Committee The General Committee shall be considered the Board of Directors of both the Pennsylvania and Rhode Island corporations. The Committee shall be authorized to transact the business of the Conference between its annual sessions. The membership shall be as follows: President, Vice-President, General Secretary, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, the District Superintendents, and an equal number of laypersons and /or Pastors. The Committee may, by a two-thirds vote, grant permission to local Trustee Boards, in conjunction with the Conference Trustee Board when necessary, to buy, sell or mortgage property. Any church doing substantial structural change to any property must notify the District Superintendent and the Conference Trustee Board. C. Sale or mortgage of church property Permission shall be granted by the Conference of General Committee for the sale or mortgage of church property. Then the President and General Secretary will be authorized to sign the final papers and the Conference seal shall be affixed. D. The Executive Session All Pastors are to be present at this session unless officially excused by the President. (Pastoral candidates are not to attend the Executive Sessions). Purpose: The Executive Sessions is to handle matters of Pastoral character and conduct. It is to be the "Church" according to, and only after the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ has been followed to the letter, Matthew 18:15-17. Unresolved issues shall be presented to the President in writing prior to the Executive Session. Matters of deep conviction about doctrine, policy, trends, attitudes, etc., will be referred to the Executive Session for consideration. The Executive Session is to address any matters of Pastoral misconduct directed to it from the Conference that Conference might deem appropriate for consideration. Policy: The decisions of the Executive Session are the final word and are binding upon all members. Whenever the Executive Session seeks the endorsement of the Conference, such matters or issues will be voted upon without debate by the Conference. E. The Ordination Service The President of the Conference and the faculty of the School of Theology shall arrange this service. The ordinand(s) shall be furnished with a properly signed and sealed certificate of ordination. The ordinand(s) shall have the privilege of selecting the Primitive Methodist Pastor who shall deliver the ordination sermon. 306 THE FINANCING OF THE CONFERENCE All moneys necessary for the conduct of the Conference shall be apportioned to the churches. Such apportionments shall be obligatory. The amount of the assessments and its division to the various funds shall be determined by the Conference. 307 LEGISLATION Legislation sanctioned by the Quarterly Conference or the Board of Elders of the local church shall be presented to the District Conference, which in turn shall pass it on, with or without approval, to the Conference. Legislation may also originate from the floor of either the District Conference of the Conference. All legislation, in reference to chapter 1 (General Principles and Doctrines) and Chapter 2 (Means of Grace) must be presented to the Conference one year prior to voting and referred to the Legislation Committee for study, recommendation and presentation following Conference (See 301B) All legislation, in reference to chapters three through nine, including appendix, must be presented to Conference and referred to the Legislation Committee for study, recommendation and presentation to the current Conference. All items of legislation once passed, are not to be altered nor rescinded for a period of two years. The committee of five shall be elected to serve continually with the incumbent President. The Committee shall receive items of legislation from the Conference, and shall meet at the current Conference Session and/or at a designated time during the year to review items and prepare recommendations. Duties: To determine if the item of legislation is in conflict with established policy and practice. To edit legislation presented to the committee, making it suitable for final presentation. The committee may not alter the content or intent of the legislation presented to it. 308 CONFERENCE BOARDS, STANDING COMMITTEES, AND APPOINTMENTS If at all feasible, all boards shall have equal representation of lay and clergy members. The following qualifications shall be considered for members of boards: spirituality, availability, desirability, and suitability. All Conference Boards shall be elected on a bi-annual basis with one-third of boards retiring every two years; a single term to run for six years and a limit of two consecutive terms. (Exceptions will be noted.) Officers of recognized funds and committees shall be elected for six-year terms with a limit of two consecutive terms. (Exceptions will be noted.) No person shall serve on more than two boards at the same time, or hold more than one executive office at the same time. (Exceptions: ex-officio positions and where noted otherwise.) When a vacancy exists on any Board, that Board may fill the vacancy on a temporary basis until the next Conference. A. Nominating Committee for Boards and Standing Committees A Nominating Committee of five members shall be elected from the floor of Conference. They shall be elected for a four-year term. The President of Conference shall appoint the chairperson of this committee from among the members elected. The Nominating Committee shall acquaint itself with the structure and requirements of the boards and committees. All boards and committees shall have the right to present names of nominees for membership to the Nominating Committee for consideration. These names must be presented to the Nominating Committee by December 31^st. The Nominating Committee shall present one slate of nominations for all boards and committees to the General Secretary prior to the Conference sessions. B. School of Theology and Examining Board: (See Appendix 18) The Board shall consist of no less than five (5) and no more than seven (7) members. The officers shall be: President, Vice-President, Secretary/Registrar, and Treasurer of the Student Loan Fund and Summer School of Theology. The purpose of the Board is to examine all candidates for our Pastoral ministry, and to guide them in their pursuit of Elders orders. The Board examines for the purpose of making recommendations to Conference and to aid the candidates. The Board shall manage the Conference level educational institutions. The faculty of the School of Theology shall be the Conference Examining Committee. The Examining Committee shall meet with all candidates for the Pastoral miistry, the mission field and the office of Deaconess. The Committee shall confer annually with Student Pastors, Conference Pastoral Supplies, and those seeking ordination as Elders. The Committee shall examine the above in relation to doctrine, the general progress of his ministry, general health, and any other areas deemed necessary. C.Board of Christian Ministries (See Appendix 1) The Board shall consist of at least eight (8) members (minimum of four (4) clergy). The purpose of the Board is to create and develop a church-wide interest in denominational publications and make available the best literature for the spreading of Christian truth and thought. The Board is to publish and distribute Conference publications. The Board is to encourage a unified program of education within the denomination and its organizations. D. Preachers' Pension Fund and Health Insurance Fund Board (See Appendix 2) The Board shall consit of nine (9) members. Officers shall be elected by the Board. The purpose of the Board is to act as the Board of Trustees of the Preachers' Pension Fund that provides pensions and insurance for its members. E. Primitive Methodist Investment Foundation (See Appendix 3) The Foundation shall consist of at least seven (7) members elected to serve three (3) years. The purpose of the Foundation is to promote and support the religious, missionary and charitable activities of the Primitive Methodist Church in the USA by establishing an investment fund to make moneys available for such religious, missionary and charitable purposes, to furnish aid and assistance by gift, donation, loan or otherwise, as the directors may deem advisable. Because of the unique functions of the Investment Foundation, and since the responsibility of handling the investments of many people requires the members of this Board to have special knowledge in the fields of finance and banking, the members of this Board will be considered as exceptions to article 308, paragraph 2, and not be limited in the numbers of terms to which they may serve on this Board. F. Conference Trustee Board (See Appendix 4) The Board shall consist of at least seven (7) members elected by Conference for six (6) years. The purpose of the Board is to administer and manage the business, property and affairs of Conference entrusted to it. G. Wy-Val Religious Supply The Board shall consist of no more than nine (9) members [four (4) clergy and five (5) laity] elected by Conference. Officers shall be elected by the Board. The purpose of the Board is to maintain, operate, and manage a religious supply center for Conference and its churches. It shall be the Conference's sole retail outlet. H. Pocono Mountain Bible Conference (See Appendix 6) The Board shall consist of no less then five (5) and no more than nine (9) members elected by Conference. The purpose of the Board is to administer a program of camping, retreats and other programs, and to be a resource of activities and facilities for the Conference and its churches within the framework of a Christian environment. I. International Mission Board (See Appendix 7) The Board shall consist of no less then twelve (12) members elected by Conference; one (1) lay person and one (1) Pastor for each District if possible. The Board shall elect its own officers. The purpose of the Board is to aid in the implementation of the Great Commission in whatever ways possible; to oversee the deputation and sending of missionaries under various agencies (including our own); to provide mission goals and vision for our conference; to encourage our missionaries in their calling. J. National Mission Board (See Appendix 8 and 8A) The Board shall consist of at least ten (10) and no more than fifteen (15) members elected by Conference. Conference shall elect a Director and a Treasurer. Board shall elect all other officers. The purpose of the Board is to produce a missionary outreach within the USA including the establishment of new congregations, appointment of personnel, surveying new areas, and other ministries among our churches. K. Commission of Archives (See Appendix 9) The Commission shall consist of at least five(5) members, one(1) from each District, elected for a four(4) year term. A chairman and secretary-treasurer shall be elected from within the members. The purpose of the Commission is to gather and preserve the historic records and archives of the Primitive Methodist Church. L. The Christian Life in Action Department The Department shall consist of a director appointed by the President of Conference, for a four-year term to run concurrent with the President's term. The purpose of the Department is to promote discipleship, citizenship, family values and take the lead in informing the Conference about social issues that are contrary to spiritual and moral principles of God's Holy Word such as: gambling, drug abuse or any form of immorality. M. Women's Missionary Ministries The Ministry shall consist of a Superintendent and one(1) coordinator for each district. The Superintendent shall be elected by Conference for a six(6) year term with a two(2) term limit. The Superintendent shall be a member of the International Mission Board. The Superintendent shall appoint the district coordinators. The purpose of the Ministry is to promote missions in the local churches. N. Budget Committee A committee of three, including the Conference Treasurer, shall be appointed annually by the Conference President. The committee shall prepare a budget for approval by the Annual Conference. O. Complaints and Appeals A committee of three shall be elected to receive and act upon all complaints and appeals. P. Corresponding Secretary A corresponding secretary shall be elected to write correspondence as directed by the Conference. Q. Legislation Committee A committee of five shall be elected to serve concurrently with the incumbent President. The Committee shall receive items of legislation from the Conference, and shall meet at a designated time during the year to review items and prepare recommendations. Duties: To determine if the item of legislation is in conflict with established policy and practice. To edit legislation presented to the committee, making it suitable for final presentation. The committee may not alter the content or intent of the legislation presented to it. R. Timekeeper A timekeeper shall be appointed to call for prayer as deemed necessary. S. Tellers Shall be appointed to distribute, collect and count ballots, to distribute materials as needed and to collect Conference offerings. T. Special Appointments Representatives may be made to any organization Conference deems necessary.
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