2. AUTHORITY AND FUNCTIONS
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- 2.1 The board shall have general organizational, promotional and supervisory powers over all activities of the Free Methodist Church. The board members who are trustees of the Trust (by virtue of their offices) have supervisory powers over all property of the Trust (movable and immovable) and over its bank accounts. (See ¶518.)
- 2.2 It shall meet quarterly, the times and locations to be determined by the board. A majority of the members elected shall constitute a quorum.
- 2.3 The Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Bishop shall constitute the trustees of the Trust known as Free Methodist Church.
- 2.4 The board, in consultation with the presiding bishop, shall have the power to accept resignations, remove any of its members “for cause” and fill any vacancies however created in the interim between the Mission District meetings. If a board member is also a trustee of the Trust by virtue of his or his/her office and he/she is removed from the board, he/she is also automatically removed as a trustee of the Trust.Likewise, a board member automatically becomes a trustee of the Trust, if he/she is elected to one of the following positions on the board: Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer. The presiding bishop, by virtue of his/her office is automatically a trustee of the Trust.
- 2.5 If the office of superintendent becomes vacant for any reason, a new superintendent shall be elected at a special sitting of the mission district except for vacancies occurring in the last three months preceding a mission district meeting.
- 2.6 The board shall have the responsibility to determine the number of staff members to be employed by the mission district, to define the general duties and responsibilities of these positions, to hire such staff members and, if necessary, remove them for cause.
- 2.7 The board shall have general oversight of the financial resources of the Corporation of The Free Methodist Church in <<insert name of country>>, prepare annual budgets for approval by the mission district and act as administrators of the Ministers’ Pension Plan. It shall annually publish a financial statement outlining the assets, liabilities, and financial standing of the corporation of The Free Methodist Church in <<insert name of country>>. The financial statement, together with supporting documents, shall be subject to a financial review by an external reviewer who shall submit his/her report to the mission district and to the Free Methodist Church in Canada.
- 2.8 If a church does not have the personnel and financial resources needed to carry out an effective ministry plan, or is unable to elect an official board, the board will direct the zonal leader of that church to enter into discussions about taking steps to close the church.
- 2.9 The board shall also have the authority to declare the property of a closed church or any national church property as surplus property. It shall sell or otherwise dispose of such property in accordance with the laws of <<insert name of country>>. The proceeds of such sale shall be used as directed by the board (in consultation with the FMCIC), provided they are first applied to clearing any remaining debts related to the property.
- 2.10 The board shall be involved in the discipline of lay and ministerial members and congregations as provided for in chapter nine of this Manual. If a minister is suspended, he/she must return movable property to the Free Methodist Church and vacate immovable premises according to the conditions of the Property Waiver Agreement he/she signed.
