¶ 2628. Miscellaneous Provisions--1. Any clergy members residing beyond the bounds of the conference in which membership is held shall be subject to the procedures of 2622-2627 exercised by the appropriate officers of the conference in which he/she is a member, unless the presiding bishops of the two annual conferences and the clergy member subject to the procedures agree that fairness will be better served by having the procedures carried out by the appropriate officers of the annual conference in which he or she is serving under appointment.
2. When a bishop, clergy member, local pastor, or diaconal minister is charged with an offense under 2623 and desires to withdraw from the Church, the jurisdictional or central conference in the case of a bishop, the annual conference in the case of a clergy member, or the district conference (where there is no district conference, the charge conference) in the case of a local pastor or diaconal minister, may permit withdrawal, in which case the record shall be "Withdrawn under charges," and that person's status shall be the same as if expelled.
3. When a member of the Church is charged with an offense and desires to withdraw from the Church, the charge conference may permit such member to withdraw, in which case the record shall be "Withdrawn under complaints." If formal charges have been presented, such member may be permitted to withdraw, in which case the record shall be "Withdrawn under charges." In either case the status shall be the same as if the member had been expelled.
4. In all matters of judicial administration the rights, duties, and responsibilities of clergy members local pastors, clergy on honorable or administrative location, and diaconal ministers of missions, missionary conferences, and provisional annual conferences are the same as those in annual conferences, and the procedure is the same.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 2628
1996 United Methodist General Conference