Caribbean Region Director John Smee, offered the International Church Committee (ICC) report to the General Assembly delegation on Monday. Smee noted that the committee followed the principles mandated by the 25th General Assembly. The committee focused on the development of a church structure that (1) provides a consistent form of government for the Church of the Nazarene world-wide, (2) refers all Manual issues pertaining to a specific nation, culture, or region to the respective national or regional board, and (3) maintains the essential tenor of the Manual constitution and general and special rules in order to preserve the essential values and mission of the Church of the Nazarene. Legislative resolutions formulated by the ICC have been assigned to various assembly committees and will be considered throughout the assembly.

Since the first commission on the international church was authorized by the 1976 General Assembly, the Church of the Nazarene has had a similar study commission or committee, except for the 1997-2001 quadrennium.

In other actions Monday, the General Assembly:
• Voted general superintendent emeritus status to retiring general superintendents Jim L. Bond and W. Talmadge Johnson.
• Amended Manual paragraph 509 so that the District Court of Appeals, previously composed of ordained elders, would be composed of two laypersons, the district superintendent, and two other ordained elders.
• Added laypersons to district investigating committees and boards of discipline
--Nazarene Archives/NCN News