¶3.1 Offenses for which a local church may be tried:

1. Willful disobedience to the Discipline of the Bethel Methodist Church.

2. Disseminating doctrine contrary to the Bible.

¶3.2 Investigation and Trial of a Local Church. If a local church is accused of any of the offenses enumerated in ¶3.1 to the Director of Administration and the Interchurch Council, the Interchurch Council shall act as a Conference Investigation Committee to inquire into the same. See Chapter 4.

¶3.3 If, in the judgment of the majority of the Interchurch Council there is reasonable ground for said accusation, it shall proceed according to ¶1.3.

¶3.4 At the formal inquiry, the accused local church shall have the right to make a statement in its own behalf, and to interrogate witnesses, but shall not itself present any witnesses. If a majority of the Interchurch Council determines that a trial is justified, it shall order one. A trial may be conducted at either a General Conference or a Special Called General Conference.

¶3.5 Should a trial be ordered, the Interchurch Council shall, within fourteen (14) days, set a time and place for said trial and notify the accused by certified mail. If the General Conference is scheduled within ninety (90) days after the trial was ordered, the trial shall be conducted as the first item of major business at said General Conference. If the General Conference is not scheduled within the aforementioned ninety (90) days, then a Special Called General Conference shall be announced, its only item of business being said trial.

¶3.6 The trial court shall be constituted of all conference delegates, excluding the accused church. The trial court as thus constituted shall have full power to try the accused local church, and by a two-thirds (2/3) vote to suspend or remove it from the Bethel Methodist Church, or, in case of minor offenses, to affix a lesser penalty. Its finding shall be reported in the minutes of the General Conference. The records of the trial, including the testimony, shall be signed by the presiding officer and secretary of the trial court, and shall be placed in the custody of the secretary of the General Conference, together with all the documents in the case, for preservation with the papers of the General Conference, and shall be the basis of any appeal which may be taken to the General Conference Court of Appeals. See Chapter 6.

¶3.7 Those that remain members of a local church that has been removed, shall not participate in any functions of the Bethel Methodist Church, such as, the General Conference, Interchurch Council, Youth Activities, lay activities, etc. Furthermore, said local church shall remove all logos and/or signs affiliating them with the Bethel Methodist Church Denomination.