Part II: The Form of Government
Chapter 2—General Organization
Section 1—The Local
Meeting
E. Change in Local Meeting Status
1. Discontinuance of Meetings
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By Yearly Meeting
The Yearly Meeting Board of Spiritual Life Ministries
has authority, when cases of irregularity of procedure or deterioration of
status appear in the affairs of a local meeting, to make careful investigation
through its officers or an appointed committee. It advises in cases of
difficulty, endeavoring to help the meeting to maintain its active relationship
with the Yearly Meeting and with its community. When such a meeting is judged
by the Board to be no longer effective or to be so irregular in its cooperation
with Yearly Meeting programs and beliefs that continuance is unwarranted, this
Board has the authority to:
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Advise
the local meeting that its relationship with the Yearly Meeting is being
terminated;
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Dissolve
or discontinue the local meeting; or,
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Effect
its union with another meeting.
All these options constitute discontinuance.
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By Request of Local Meeting
When a local meeting wishes to withdraw from the Yearly
Meeting, or to discontinue operation, the following procedures shall be
followed:
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A letter
stating such intent shall be sent by the meeting to the Yearly Meeting Board of
Spiritual Life Ministries, stating the reasons for such action. A copy of such
letter shall be sent to the Yearly Meeting Presiding Clerk and the General Superintendent.
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The above request shall be considered by the Board of
Spiritual Life Ministries in consultation with the General Superintendent, with
special attention given to ministering to the meeting in love for the purpose of
the furtherance of the Kingdom of God.
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If the Yearly Meeting Board of Spiritual Life Ministries
concurs with the request, the local meeting will be dropped from the Yearly
Meeting.
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Property Disposition
If a meeting withdraws from the Yearly Meeting for any
reason, the Board of Spiritual Life Ministries is authorized to make
recommendation to the Yearly Meeting regarding the disposition of all property
and assets. Any time a meeting is discontinued or terminated by the Yearly
Meeting, all property and assets (mortgages, titles, deeds, accounts, etc.)
shall be transferred to the Yearly Meeting and placed under the care of the
Board of Stewardship Ministries.
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Membership Disposition
When a meeting is discontinued, the members of the
meeting may request their membership be held as non-resident members in another
local meeting. They may make application as individuals or as a group (see
Membership.) These members would be expected to meet membership guidelines
of said local meeting.
2. Return to Extension Church Status
Action may be initiated by either the Yearly
Meeting Board of Spiritual Life Ministries or the local meeting, to consider the
advisability of its return to the status of an extension meeting. In such a
case, the Board appoints a committee to assess, in cooperation with the local
meeting or a committee appointed by it, the total situation as it affects the
proposition under consideration. If, by common agreement and official action of
the local meeting, the change appears to be in order, the Board of Outreach
Ministries then assumes supervision of the meeting as outlined above (see
3. Extension
Meetings.) The new status continues until action to reverse the
status is again appropriate (see 4. New Local
Meetings.)