Ministers. When a licensed or an ordained minister has united with the church membership or ministry of a church other than the Church of the Nazarene, the pastor of the local church in which the minister is a member shall immediately notify the District Ministerial Credentials Board of the fact. The Ministerial Credentials Board shall investigate and confirm the status of the member of the clergy. If the District Ministerial Credentials Board determines that the member of the clergy will be removed from the roll of ministers, the pastor of the local church will also remove the person’s name from the membership roll of the church and shall write opposite the name, “Removed by uniting with another church, denomination, or ministry.” (530.9, 536.10–536.11)
Index: licensed minister
112.1
Laypersons. When a lay member of a local church has accepted membership, license to preach, or ordination from any other religious organizations, or is engaging in independent church or missionary work, his or her membership in the local church shall, because of that fact, immediately cease, except in case that person shall secure the annual written approval of the local church board of the church in which said membership is held, and the annual written approval of the District Advisory Board of the district in which that church is located.
201
Membership. The district assembly shall be composed of all assigned elders (532–532.3, 533–533.1, 536.9); all assigned deacons (531–531.4, 536.9); all assigned licensed ministers (530.8); all retired assigned ministers (534–534.1); the district secretary (216.2); the district treasurer (219.2); chairpersons of standing district committees reporting to the district assembly; any lay presidents of Nazarene institutions of higher education, whose local church membership is on the district; the District Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries International (SDMI) chairperson (239.2); the district age-group ministries international directors (children and adult); the District SDMI Board; the president of the District Nazarene Youth International (NYI) (240.4); the president of the District Nazarene Missions International (NMI) (241.2); the newly elected superintendent or vice superintendent of each local SDMI Board (146); the newly elected president or vice president of each local NYI (151); the newly elected president or vice president of each local NMI (153.2); or an appropriately elected alternate may represent the NMI, NYI, and SDMI organizations in the district assembly; those serving in assigned roles of ministry according to 503–526.1; the lay members of the District Advisory Board (221.4); lay career missionaries whose local church membership is on the district; all retired assigned lay career missionaries whose local church membership is on the district; and the lay delegates from each local church and church-type mission in the assembly district. (24, 113.14–113.15, 201.1–201.2)
203.3
To hear or receive reports from all ordained and licensed ministers serving as pastors or commissioned evangelists; and to consider the character of all elders, deacons, and deaconesses. By vote of the district assembly the record of written reports received by the secretary may be accepted in place of oral reports of all other elders, deacons, deaconesses, and licensed ministers not engaged in active service, and those ministers having district certificates for all roles of ministry in 503–526.1. (520, 530.8, 536.9)
203.8
To receive, by transfer from other districts, persons having ministerial credentials, members of the clergy, and those having commissions for continuing ministry roles, in harmony with 503, 507–510.1, including interim transfers approved by the District Advisory Board, who may be judged as desirable for membership in the district assembly upon favorable recommendation of the Ministerial Credentials Board. (228.9–228.10, 535–535.2)
203.9
To issue a transfer of members of the clergy, and those having commissions for continuing ministry roles according to 503, 507–510.1, including interim transfers approved by the District Advisory Board, who desire to transfer to another district upon favorable recommendation of the Ministerial Credentials Board. (228.9–228.10, 535-535.1)
223
The District Advisory Board may issue a transfer of membership to a member of the clergy, a minister of Christian education (510), or a deaconess (507), who desires to transfer to another district assembly, before the meeting of the district assembly in which such person’s membership is held. Such transfers may be accepted by the receiving District Advisory Board, granting to those transferred full rights and privileges of membership on the district on which it is received. The receiving district assembly shall have final approval of all such Advisory Board transfer receptions upon favorable recommendation by the Ministerial Credentials Board. (203.8–203.9, 228.9–228.10, 535–535.2)
225
In case a licensed or ordained minister presenting a credential from another denomination shall, during the interim of sessions of the district assembly, make application to unite with the Church of the Nazarene, his or her credential shall be examined by the District Advisory Board. Only with the favorable recommendation of the District Advisory Board shall such applicant be received into membership in the local church. (519, 530.2, 533)