General Assembly Resolution: Discipline of a Member of the Clergy

In June of this year, the Church of the Nazarene will be conducting its General Assembly.  The General Assembly is the supreme doctrine-formulating, lawmaking, and elective authority of the Church of the Nazarene. During past quadrenniums, I have presented to my district delegation, and through them to the General Assembly, a number of resolutions.  Some of them have passed and impacted the Manual of the Church of the Nazarene.  Some were amended.  Others were rejected.  -  This year I have presented eight resolutions.  I, frankly, do not know which ones my district has sponsored.  However, for any who may be delegates to the assembly, or those who know delegates, I would draw your attention to these and hope that you might support them.

Note: Bracketed text [ ] are words to be deleted from the current Manual. Underlined text ___ are words to be added to the current Manual. 

606.1. If a member of the clergy is accused of conduct unbecoming a minister or of teaching doctrines out of harmony with the [doctrinal statement] Articles of Faith, the Agreed Statement of Belief, The Covenant of Christian Character, or The Covenant of Christian Conduct of the Church of the Nazarene . . .

 FOR THE FOLLOING REASONS:

1.  It is unclear as to what constitutes the “doctrinal statements” of the Church of the Nazarene.

2.  Different districts have identified the “doctrinal statement” of the Church of the Nazarene in different ways so that one district may uphold a charge as being out of harmony with the doctrinal statement, while another district may dismiss the same charge, denying that it is a matter of doctrine.

3.  This resolution helps to take away the subjectivity of identifying what is and what is not a part of the “doctrinal statements.”