The pastor and the secretary of the church board shall be the president and secretary of the church, incorporated or not incorporated, and shall execute and sign all conveyances of real estate, mortgages, releases of mortgages, contracts, and other legal documents of the church not otherwise provided for in the Manual and subject to the restrictions set forth in 104–104.3.
Index: president
113.5
Presiding Officer. The pastor, who shall be ex-officio president of the local church, or the district superintendent, or the general superintendent having jurisdiction, or someone appointed by the district superintendent or the general superintendent, shall preside at annual or special church meetings. (210.1, 307.10, 515.15)
113.9
Reports. Reports shall be given at the annual church meeting by the pastor (515.7), the Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries International (SDMI) superintendent (146.6), the president of the Nazarene Youth International (151.4), the president of the Nazarene Missions International (153.2), the deaconesses (507), the local ministers (529.1), the secretary (135.2), and the treasurer (136.5) of the church board.
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)
151
NYI President. The president of the local Nazarene Youth International (NYI) group shall be elected according to the NYI Local Ministry Plan, at the annual NYI meeting by the NYI members present who are also members of the Church of the Nazarene. Nominees shall be approved by the local pastor and church board. The NYI president shall be a member ex-officio of the church board (127), the Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries International (SDMI) Board (145), and the district assembly (201). Should the term “president” not effectively communicate in a particular culture, a more appropriate title may be used by vote of the local NYI Council.
The duties of the NYI president are:
151.1
To chair the Nazarene Youth International (NYI) Council in facilitating the development of youth ministry in the local church.
151.2
To work with the Nazarene Missions International (NMI) president in the development of a missions emphasis for youth.
151.3
To perform those duties for youth Sunday School/ Bible studies/small groups as assigned to all age-group directors in 147.1–147.9.
151.4
151.5
When a youth pastor is employed in a church, the pastor, in consultation with the church board and Nazarene Youth International (NYI) Council, assigns the responsibility for NYI to the youth pastor. In that case, the youth pastor carries out some of the duties otherwise designated to the local NYI president. However, the importance of the NYI president remains in providing lay leadership, support, and representation for local youth ministry. The pastor, youth pastor, and NYI Council work together to define the roles and responsibilities of the two positions and how they work together for the benefit of the church’s youth ministry. A youth pastor may not serve as the NYI president. (160.4)