215. 1. All members are to be held accountable for their faithfulness to their covenant and vows with God and the other members of the Church. Should any member be accused of violating the covenant and failing to keep the vows which the member entered into with God and the other members of the local Church as stated in 211, then it shall be the responsibility of the local Church, working through its pastor and its agencies, to minister to that person in compliance with the provisions of 228, 229, and 230 in an effort to enable the member to faithfully perform the vows and covenant of membership.
2. In the event that those efforts fail, then the lay member and the local church may agree to voluntary mediation in which the parties are assisted in reaching a settlement or agreement satisfactory to all parties by a trained neutral third-party mediator or mediation team.
3. In the further event that those efforts fail to effect reconciliation and reaffirmation of the vows and covenant of 211 by the lay member, then the members of the Church may pursue the procedures set forth in 2623.3, 2624, and 2625.5.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 215
1996 United Methodist General Conference