The General Assembly shall organize the membership of the church into district assemblies, giving such lay and ministerial representation therein as the General Assembly may deem fair and just, and shall determine qualifications of such representatives, provided, however, that all assigned ordained ministers shall be members thereof. The General [Assembly] Boundaries Committee shall [also] fix the boundaries of assembly districts[, and]. The General Assembly shall also define the powers and duties of district assemblies. (200–205.6)
Index: membership
25.5
General Superintendents. The General Assembly shall elect by ballot from among the elders of the Church of the Nazarene as many general superintendents as it may deem necessary, who shall constitute the Board of General Superintendents. Any vacancy in the office of general superintendent in the interim of General Assemblies shall be filled by a two-thirds vote of the General Board of the Church of the Nazarene. (305.2, 316)
107.2
113.14
At the annual church meeting, there shall be an election, by ballot, of lay delegates to the district assembly, or, if approved by a majority vote of the church membership at the annual meeting, delegates may be recommended by the pastor and approved by the local church board on the basis of representation fixed by the General Assembly according to 201–201.2. All those elected as delegates shall be active members of that same local Church of the Nazarene. (107.3, 113.11)
113.15
District assembly delegates from a church-type mission (CTM) may be appointed by its pastor based on criteria outlined in paragraphs 34, 201.1, and 201.2. Delegates may also be named by the CTM pastor for district conventions, based on specific criteria according to the bylaws, charter, or constitution governing each ministry (Nazarene Missions International, Nazarene Youth International, Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries International). (100.1)
127
Membership. Every local church shall have a church board, composed of the pastor, the Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries International (SDMI) superintendent, the president of the Nazarene Youth International (NYI), the president of the Nazarene Missions International (NMI), the stewards, and the trustees of the church, and the members of the SDMI Board when elected as the Education Committee of the church board by the annual church meeting. If the NMI president is the pastor’s spouse, and chooses not to serve on the board, the vice president may serve; however, if the president is the pastor’s spouse and chooses to serve on the board, he or she shall not be a part of the review process of the pastor.
There shall be no more than 25 regular members of the church board. (113.11) Ordained and district licensed ministers unassigned by the district and paid employees of the local church are not eligible to serve on the local church board.
We direct our local churches to elect as church officers active members of the local church who profess the experience of entire sanctification and whose lives bear public witness to the grace of God that calls us to a holy life; who are in harmony with the doctrines, polity, and practices of the Church of the Nazarene; and who support the local church faithfully in attendance, active service, and with tithes and offerings. Church officers should be fully engaged in “making Christlike disciples in the nations.” (34, 113.11, 137, 141, 145–147, 151, 153.2, 160.4)
145
Each local church shall establish a Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries International (SDMI) Board, or an Education Committee as part of the church board, at the annual church meeting, to be responsible for the Christian education ministries of the church. In churches of 75 members or fewer, the responsibilities may be performed by the church board. Members are: ex-officio the SDMI superintendent (146); the pastor; the Nazarene Missions International (NMI) president; the Nazarene Youth International (NYI) president; Children’s Ministries (CM) director; Adult Ministries (AM) director; and three to nine persons elected from the church membership at the annual church meeting. The members may be elected for staggered terms of two years and until their successors are elected and qualified. When an elected member vacancy occurs, it may be filled at a duly called church meeting. If a church elects an education committee as part of the church board, it shall follow Manual requirements for minimum number of stewards and trustees (137, 141). Ex-officio personnel shall be members of the committee, though some may not be members of the church board.
We direct our local churches to elect as church officers active members of the local church who profess the experience of entire sanctification and whose lives bear public witness to the grace of God that calls us to a holy life; who are in harmony with the doctrines, polity, and practices of the Church of the Nazarene; and who support the local church faithfully in attendance, active service, and with tithes and offerings. Church officers should be fully engaged in “making Christlike disciples in the nations.” (34)
The duties and powers of the Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries International Board or Education Committee are:
146
The Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries International Superintendent. The annual church meeting shall elect by majority vote by ballot, of those present and voting, from among its full members, a Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries International (SDMI) superintendent to serve for one year (34), or until his or her successor is elected. The SDMI Board, with the pastor’s approval, may call for an incumbent SDMI superintendent to be elected by a “yes” or “no” vote. A vacancy shall be filled by the local church at a duly called church meeting (113.11, 145.5). The SDMI superintendent, newly elected, shall be a member ex-officio of the district assembly (201), the local church board (127), and the SDMI Board (145).
We direct our local churches to elect as church officers active members of the local church who profess the experience of entire sanctification and whose lives bear public witness to the grace of God that calls us to a holy life; who are in harmony with the doctrines, polity, and practices of the Church of the Nazarene; and who support the local church faithfully in attendance, active service, and with tithes and offerings. Church officers should be fully engaged in “making Christlike disciples in the nations.” (34)
The duties and powers of the Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries International superintendent are:
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)
201.1
Local churches and church-type missions in districts of fewer than 5,000 full church members shall be entitled to representation in the district assembly as follows: two lay delegates from each local church or church-type mission of 50 or fewer full church members, and one additional lay delegate for each successive 50 full church members and the final major part of 50 full church members. (24, 113.14–113.15, 201)