Section: Credentials and Ministerial Regulations

536.1

Retirement shall not compel cessation from ministerial labors or in itself deprive of membership in the district assembly. A minister who was serving in an “assigned” role at the time of requesting retired relation or at the age for normal retirement may be placed in a “retired assigned” relation. A “retired assigned” minister is a member of the district assembly. However, a minister in an “unassigned” status in either of the above situations will be placed in a “retired unassigned” relation. A “retired unassigned” minister is not a member of the district assembly. (201, 538.9)

537

When a member of the clergy desires to transfer to another district, transfer of ministerial membership may be issued by vote of the district assembly, or by the District Advisory Board in the interim of assemblies, in which his or her ministerial membership is held. Such transfer may be received by the District Advisory Board in the interim before the district assembly meets, granting to said minister full rights and privileges of membership on the district on which it is received, subject to final approval of the Ministerial Credentials Board and the district assembly. (205.8–205.9, 226, 231.9–231.10)

537.1

The transfer of a licensed minister shall be valid only when a detailed record of the licensee’s grades in a validated course of study for licensed ministers, properly certified by the secretary of the District Ministerial Studies Board of the issuing district assembly, has been sent to the secretary of the District Ministerial Studies Board of the receiving district. The secretary of the District Ministerial Studies Board of the receiving district shall notify his or her district secretary that the licensee’s record of grades has been received. The minister being transferred shall actively pursue the matter of the reporting of his or her grades in a validated course of study to the receiving district. (233.1–233.2)

537.2

The district assembly receiving a transfer shall notify the district assembly issuing said transfer of the reception of the transferred person’s membership. Until the transfer is received by vote of the district assembly to which addressed, the person thus transferred shall be a member of the issuing district assembly. Such transfer is valid only until the close of the next session following the date of issue of the district assembly to which addressed. (205.8, 226, 231.10)

538

The following definitions are of terms relating to general regulations for ministers of the Church of the Nazarene:

Members of the Clergy—Elders, deacons and licensed ministers. (530, 531, 532)

Laity—Members of the Church of the Nazarene who are not members of the clergy.

Active—A member of the clergy fulfilling an assigned role.

Assigned—The status of a member of the clergy who is active in one of the roles listed in paragraphs 505–528.

Unassigned—The status of a member of the clergy who is in good standing but not presently active in one of the roles listed in paragraphs 505–528.

Retired Assigned—The status of a retired member of the clergy who was assigned at the time retirement was requested.

Retired Unassigned—The status of a retired member of the clergy who was not assigned at the time retirement was requested.

Roster of Ministers—A district’s roll of ministers, licensed and ordained, who are in good standing as members of the clergy and who have not filed their credential.

Good Standing—The status of a member of the clergy who has no unresolved accusations pending and who is not currently under discipline.

Removed—The action taken by a district assembly to exclude from the Roster of Ministers the names of those members of the clergy who have filed, resigned, or surrendered their credential or have had their credential suspended or revoked.

Disciplined—The status of a member of the clergy who has been relieved, in whole or in part, of the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of being a member of the clergy by disciplinary action.

Suspension—A range of disciplinary actions, excluding surrender of credential, by which a minister is temporarily relieved of the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of being a member of the clergy until the conditions for reinstatement are met.

Expelled—The status of a member of the clergy whose credential has been revoked and who has been removed from membership in the Church of the Nazarene.

Filed Credential—The status of the credential of a member of the clergy in good standing who, because of inactivity in the ministry, has given up the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of being a member of the clergy by filing his or her credential with the general secretary. A person who has filed his or her credential remains a member of the clergy and may have the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of being a member of the clergy reinstated in accordance with paragraph 539.10. (539, 539.1)

Surrendered Credential—The status of the credential of a member of the clergy who, because of misconduct, accusations, confessions, result of action by a board of discipline, or voluntary action for any reason other than inactivity in the ministry has been relieved of the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of being a member of the clergy. The person whose credential is surrendered is a member of the clergy under discipline. The rights, privileges, and responsibilities of being a member of the clergy may be reinstated to this individual upon restoration to good standing and return of credential.

Resigned Credential—The status of the credential of a member of the clergy who gives up the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of being a member of the clergy to become a lay member of the church. A member of the clergy who is not in good standing may resign his or her credential only upon approval of the District Advisory Board. (539.1, 539.5)

Revoked Credential—The status of the credential of a member of the clergy who has been expelled from the ministry and membership of the Church of the Nazarene. The name of the minister whose credential has been revoked shall be removed from the Roster of Ministers.

Return of Credential—The action accompanying the reinstatement of the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of being a member of the clergy to a minister whose credential has been filed, suspended, surrendered, resigned, or revoked.

Recovery—The process of assisting a minister relieved, voluntarily or otherwise, of the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of being a member of the clergy, and his or her spouse and family in the recovery of health and wholeness. Efforts toward recovery are to be undertaken independently of the process to determine whether a return of credential to the minister is appropriate and advisable.

Reinstatement—The granting of the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of being a member of the clergy to a minister whose credential was filed, suspended, surrendered, resigned, or revoked, on condition of restoration to good standing and all required approvals.

Accusation—A written document signed by at least two members of the Church of the Nazarene accusing a member of the Church of the Nazarene of conduct which if proven would cause the member to be subject to discipline under the terms of the Manual.

Knowledge—The awareness of facts learned by the exercise of one’s own senses.

Information—Facts learned from others.

Belief—A conclusion reached in good faith based upon knowledge and information.

Investigating Committee—A committee appointed in accordance with the Manual to gather information with regard to alleged or suspected misconduct.

Charges—A written document describing specifically the conduct of a member of the Church of the Nazarene which if proven would be the basis of discipline under the terms of the Manual.

538.3

Any claim to participation by a member of the clergy, and/or his or her dependents in any plan or fund that the church may have now or hereafter for the assistance or support of its disabled or aged ministers shall be based only upon regular, active service rendered by the minister as an assigned pastor or evangelist or other recognized role, under the sanction of the district assembly. This rule shall exclude from such participation all those in part-time and occasional service.