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.
Index: meetings
113.10
Nominating Committee. A nominating committee shall be used to nominate officers, boards, and district assembly delegates, whose nominations are not provided for elsewhere.
The Nominating Committee shall consist of not fewer than three nor more than seven members of the church, including the pastor. The nominating committee is to be appointed by the pastor, and approved by the church board annually. The pastor shall be chairperson of the committee. All persons nominated by this committee shall affirm that they fulfill the qualifications required of church officers in paragraph 34.
113.11
Elections. At the annual church meeting there shall be an election, by ballot, of the stewards (137), the trustees (141, 142.1), the Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries International superintendent (SDMI) (146), and the members of the SDMI Board (145), to serve for the next church year and until their successors are elected and qualified. Where laws permit and when it is approved by a majority vote of the church members present, all those elected may serve a two-year term. All those elected shall be active members of that same local Church of the Nazarene.
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, 127, 145–147)
113.12
Where laws permit, and in churches where such procedure and the number to be elected are approved by a majority vote of the church members present, the church board may be elected, and then appropriate proportions designated as stewards and trustees, in harmony with 137 and 141. When a church board is elected in this manner, the board shall organize itself into committees to carry out assigned responsibilities. If a church has elected an education committee as part of its board in harmony with 145, that committee will constitute the Education Committee of the church board. (145–145.10) Alternative board and committee structure may be used by a local church in organizing itself for ministry and missional action, provided such alternatives are approved in writing by the district superintendent and the District Advisory Board, and such structure complies with civil requirements.
113.13
Where laws permit, and in churches where such procedure is approved by a majority vote of the church members present at a duly called annual meeting, after receiving the written approval of the district superintendent, a church may elect one-half its church board members for two-year terms, or one-third of its church board members for threeyear terms, in either case designating an equal number to be elected annually. When the church board is elected in this manner, the number of stewards and trustees chosen must comply with 137 and 141.
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)
115
An ordained elder or licensed minister (elder track) may be called to pastor a church by two-thirds favorable vote by ballot of the church members of voting age present and voting at a duly called annual or special meeting of the church, provided that:
- Such ordained elder or licensed minister (elder track) shall have been nominated to the church by the church board, which, after having consulted with the district superintendent, made such nomination by two-thirds vote by ballot of all its members; and
- The nomination shall have been approved by the district superintendent.
Any ordained elder or licensed minister (elder track) with membership in a local church may not be considered for pastor of that church without the approval of the district superintendent and the District Advisory Board. This call shall be subject to review and continuance as hereinafter provided. (119, 122–124, 129.2, 160.8, 208.10, 222.14, 513, 530, 531.4, 532.3)
123
The Regular Church/Pastoral Review. The church/pastoral relationship shall be reviewed by the church board, meeting with the district superintendent, or an ordained minister or layperson appointed by the district superintendent, within 60 days of the second anniversary of pastoral service and every four years thereafter. At this review meeting, the question of continuing the church/pastoral relationship shall be discussed. The objective is to discover consensus without the need of a formal church board vote.
The district superintendent, or an ordained minister or layperson appointed by the district superintendent, shall be responsible for scheduling and conducting the review meeting(s) with the church board. The review meeting(s) shall be scheduled in consultation with the pastor. The review meeting(s) shall be conducted in executive session (church board, including pastor). At the discretion of the district superintendent, a portion of the review may be conducted in the absence of the pastor. In case the pastor’s spouse is an elected member of the board, he or she shall not participate in the review. In addition, other immediate relatives of the pastor may be recused from the review, per the request of the district superintendent or appointed representative.
A public and/or printed announcement explaining the purpose of this church board meeting shall be conveyed to the congregation the Sunday before the church board and district superintendent meet for the regular church/pastoral review.
If the church board does not vote to present the question of continuing the church/pastoral relationship to the church membership, the church/pastoral relationship will continue.
The church board may vote to present to the church membership the question of continuing the pastoral call. The vote by the board will be by ballot and require a majority of all church board members present to carry.
If the church board votes to present the question of continuing the church/pastoral relationship to the church membership, the matter shall be presented at a church meeting duly called for this purpose and held within 30 days following such action. The question shall be presented, “Shall the present church/pastoral relationship continue?” The vote shall be by ballot and require a majority to carry, except where civil law of a given country requires otherwise.
If the church membership votes to continue the church/pastoral relationship, the church/pastoral relationship shall continue as though such a vote had not been taken; otherwise, the church/pastoral relationship shall end on a date set by the district superintendent not less than 30 nor more than 180 days following the vote. If the pastor chooses not to proceed with the vote of the congregation or chooses not to accept the vote, he or she shall submit a resignation. In such case, the church/pastoral relationship shall end on a date set by the district superintendent not less than 30 nor more than 180 days following the pastor’s decision not to proceed with or accept the congregational vote. (120)
As a part of the regular review, a report will be made to the district superintendent by the pastor and church board regarding progress toward fulfilling the mission, vision and core values of the church.
123.1
The chairperson of the Board of Tellers shall personally inform the pastor of the results of a pastoral vote before any public announcement is made.
124
Special Church/Pastoral Review. In the interim of regular reviews, a local church board meeting shall become officially a special review only by a majority vote of the entire elected church board with the district superintendent or an elder appointed by the district superintendent present and serving as chairperson.
This special church/pastoral review meeting shall be conducted in executive session (church board, including pastor). At the discretion of the district superintendent, a portion of the review may be conducted in the absence of the pastor. In case the pastor’s spouse is an elected member of the board, he or she shall not participate in the review. (113.8)
If the district superintendent and the local church board shall be of the opinion that the question of the continuance of the church/pastoral relationship should be submitted to the church, the district superintendent and the local church board by a majority vote by ballot of all its members present, except where civil law of a given country requires otherwise, may order the question submitted for vote at a special church meeting. The question shall be submitted in the following form: “Shall the present church/pastoral relationship be continued?”
If by a majority vote by ballot of the church members of voting age present and voting, except where civil law of a given country requires otherwise, the church decides to continue its present church/pastoral relationship, the term of office of the pastor shall continue as though such vote had not been taken.
If, however, the church fails to decide by such vote to continue the present church/pastoral relationship, the term of office of the pastor shall terminate on a date, set by the district superintendent, not more than 180 days following the vote.
If the pastor chooses not to proceed with the vote of the congregation or chooses not to accept the vote, he or she shall submit a resignation. In such case, the church/pastoral relationship shall end on a date set by the district superintendent, not less than 30 nor more than 180 days following the pastor’s decision not to proceed with or accept the congregational vote. (123–123.1)