The closing of a church (church plant or society) requires that due process be followed. The following are steps to guide this process.
1. The initiative to begin the process may come from either the official board of the church or the conference. This shall come in the form of a formal, written recommendation to the congregation.
2. A letter is to be sent to the members and adherents of the congregation to inform them of the recommendation and to invite them to a duly called (See ¶315.3) special meeting of the church to discuss the recommendation to close.
3. If it is the will of the church to discontinue ministry and close, the following motions will need to be passed by majority vote of the members at the duly called meeting of the church:
- 3.1. It is recommended to the Board of Administration of The Free Methodist Church in Canada that ministry at ________________ Church cease and that it be closed effective ________________.
(Date)
- 3.2. It is recommended that the Trustees of the _______________ Church be empowered to distribute or dispose of any equipment or building contents under the direction of the Director of Administrative Services of The Free Methodist Church in Canada.
- 3.3. It is recommended that any real estate owned by the church be disposed of according to the provisions of ¶350.3 of The Manual of The Free Methodist Church in Canada.
4. The pastor is to provide letters of transfer to all members and is to ensure that the records of the church are sent to the ministry centre.
