Chapter 7. Termination of Ministerial Relationship

¶701. BY TRANSFER. When a minister in good standing desires to transfer to another denomination, his credentials must be surrendered to the conference for the following inscription to be plainly written across them.

_______________________________ has this day been honorably transferred by the _________________________ Conference from the ministry of the Evangelical Methodist Church after ______________________ years of service.

Dated ___________________________________________

___________________________________, Superintendent

________________________________________, Secretary

This may be done at any time, provided the minister's character is in the clear.

¶702. WITHDRAWAL. When a minister desires to withdraw his ministerial relation from a Conference he may do so upon request to the District Superintendent and the chairman of the Board of Ministerial Relations. The District Superintendent shall notify the District Secretary and the records (minutes and pastoral service record) shall so indicate his withdrawal. In the case of a local preacher, the district records shall so indicate.

Ministers leaving or absenting themselves from the sessions and seat of either a General or District Conference in protest or lack of sympathy and harmony with the policy and proceedings of such conference, when publicly stated, shall be judged, by vote of the conference, as having withdrawn, and the records of the District Conference of which he is a member corrected accordingly. Ministers uniting with, or receiving credentials from other denominations, except by transfer, shall be considered as having withdrawn and the records shall so indicate.

¶703. WITHDRAWAL UNDER COMPLAINTS. See ¶ 841.

¶704. WITHDRAWAL UNDER CHARGES. See ¶ 841.

¶705. VOLUNTARY LOCATION. When a minister in good standing desires to discontinue regular ministerial and evangelistic work he may do so, upon request, provided his credentials are surrendered to the conference for the following inscription to be plainly written across them:

__________________________________ has this day been honorably dismissed by the __________________________ Conference from the ministry of the Evangelical Methodist Church after ____________________ years of service, who avowedly intends to discontinue regular ministerial, evangelistic, or missionary work.

Dated ___________________________________________

____________________________, Superintendent

________________________________, Secretary

¶706. INVOLUNTARY LOCATION/LOCATED WITHOUT CONSENT. The District Conference may locate without consent a ministerial member for any cause listed in ¶435, 436, 437. The District Superintendent shall submit his reasons for considering a minister's involuntary location in writing to the Board of Ministerial Relations, and shall notify in writing the individual involved prior to the District Conference session at which the proposed action is to be considered. The Board of Ministerial Relations shall submit its recommendations to the District Conference which may locate without consent the ministerial member which deprives him of the right to exercise the ministerial office.

¶707. DISCONTINUANCE. See ¶ 673.

Chapter 8. Course of Study for Preachers

¶711. The General Conference Board of Ministerial Education and Advanced Studies shall be composed of one elder from each District Conference elected by the General Conference which shall also elect one of those members as chairman. The committee shall establish the curriculum and prepare all courses of study for elder's orders, admission on trial, deaconess's orders, and local preacher's license. Ministerial Education and Advanced Studies manuals shall be published separate from the Discipline. The General Council shall approve the course of study curriculum. The elected committee member from each district shall coordinate the work of the committee within his district.

¶712. The General Conference Board of Ministerial Education and Advanced Studies shall prepare standardized examinations in all areas of study. These shall be required of all candidates. The committee shall be responsible for recruiting, appointing, and maintaining an adequate number of examiners to efficiently administer and complete the examination procedures. Appointed examiners shall serve under the direction of and be amenable to the committee. However, elected committee members may serve as examiners.

¶713. The General Conference Board of Ministerial Education and Advanced Studies shall be charged with implementation of the courses of study, corresponding with candidates, administering examinations, and reporting the names of those who have successfully completed the course to the Boards of Ministerial Relations. The General Conference Board of Ministerial Education and Advanced Studies is authorized to accept, in its opinion, equivalent work or books covering identical subjects, with the exception of the Discipline. A seminary degree, or its equivalent, from an institution approved by the Board of Ministerial Education and Advanced Studies, may be accepted in lieu of the entire course of study, with the exception of the Discipline and the candidate's two written sermons. However, such a candidate for ordination as elder must serve the full two years in his probationary character of admission on trial before he can be ordained as an elder, irrespective of his course of study or its equivalent. The rule cannot be suspended nor altered to a shorter period of time.

¶714. COURSE OF STUDY TIME LIMIT. Any person who does not complete the course of study for local preacher, admission on trial, deaconess, or elder's orders within three years shall be discontinued, unless, because of circumstances clearly unusual, an extension of time may be recommended by the District Superintendent and authorized by a two-thirds vote of the District Conference.