Minutes of Discipline/Pastoral Committees

Minutes of the Committee of Discipline and then the Pastoral Committee.


Date(s) of creation: 1865-1950
Level: Sub-series
Format: Archive           

collection SOAS Archive
id MMS.01.01.14
recordtype archive
scb_item_location Archive & Special Collections
item_location Archive & Special Collections
scb_loan_type Reference only
callnumber MMS/01/01/14
callnumber_txt MMS/01/01/14
callnumber-sort MMS/01/01/14
prefix_number 14
title Minutes of Discipline/Pastoral Committees
scb_date_creation 1865-1950
scb_level Sub-series
level_sort 7/Collection/Sub-Collection/Sub-Sub-Collection/Sub-Sub-Sub-Collection/Series/Sub-Series/Sub-Sub-Series/File
scb_extent 2 volumes
format Archive
scb_admin_history At the foundation of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society in 1818 it was established that discipline and pastoral matters would remain ultimately the responsibility of the Wesleyan Methodist Conference. However, the society was permitted in urgent cases to recall a missionary for their behaviour to be reviewed by the Committee of Discipline and, if found wanting, the individual could be suspended. Only Conference could dismiss an ordained minister. In practice misconduct in the mission field was a matter for the district synod under the supervision of the Superintendent (later Chairman) who had the power to impose sanctions, in an emergency even suspension, until a hearing could be arranged. In most instances, all disciplinary matters would have to be referred to the Committee of Discipline in London (which answered to Conference) for confirmation or revision. The committee was originally composed of preachers from the London Districts (the same group of individuals who sat on the Candidates Committee). However, by 1885 this had become unwieldy and the composition of the committee was reformed to comprise ministerial officers and members of the 'Missionary Committee' [General Committee of WMMS] with the addition of three ministers from each of the London Districts (who were to be appointed annually by Wesleyan Methodist Conference). At the Conference of 1918 the committee was renamed the Pastoral Committee, to reflect that its remit did not just include matters of discipline but also broader issues of welfare.
description Minutes of the Committee of Discipline and then the Pastoral Committee.
scb_access_status Closed
scb_conditions_gov_access These minutes are closed under the Data Protection legislation
scb_copyright Copyright held by Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes
scb_use_restrictions For permission to publish, please contact Archives & Special Collections, SOAS Library in the first instance
language English
language_search English
scb_related_material Minutes of the Committee of Discipline from 11 July 1843 until 4 August 1864, as well as some disciplinary cases amongst the minutes 'of the Preachers of the London Districts for the Examination of Missionary Candidates', are available (MMS/Special Series/Candidates Papers/FBN 43).
hierarchy_top_id_raw MMS
hierarchy_sequence MMS.0001.0001.0014