ARTICLE II
REGIONAL PRESIDING OFFICER
Section 1. Appointment.
1. A Regional Presiding Officer shall be appointed from each region by the
General Board of the UPCI for a term of two (2) years.
2. In the event he or she should resign, become disabled, or move from the region,
the Executive Board shall declare the office vacant and appoint a successor to
fill the unexpired term.
Section 2. Qualifications.
1. Shall be a resident of the region for which he or she is appointed.
2. Shall meet the same qualifications as those established for general officers in
Article IV, Section 4, Paragraph 1 of the General Constitution of the UPCI.
3. Shall be of wise judgment, capable of engaging in the process for which he or
she is needed, knowledgeable in the JP of the UPCI, and capable of discreetly
and honorably presiding over a trial or a MAC.
Section 3. Duties.
The duties of the Regional Presiding Officer shall be as follows:
1. To preside over the MAC.
2. To preside over trials in his or her region and in other regions when designated
by the Executive Board. In the event a trial involves the district in which he
or she resides, the General Superintendent shall select another of the current Regional Presiding Officers to preside over the trial.
3. To set the place, date, and time of a trial or MAC under his or her jurisdiction.
He or she is to notify in writing (digitally is acceptable) all persons involved in
the trial of the place, date, and time of the trial or MAC. He or she shall further
confirm this information with minister and with the district superintendent. In
case of a trial or MAC postponement or other changes, he or she is to reset the
place, date, and time and to notify in writing all persons involved of the changes
in the same manner.
4. To follow the procedure in Article V or Article VI, as appropriate, in selecting
a regional investigation committee, selecting a regional hearing committee,
selecting a jury, notifying veniremen of their selection, and securing their commitment
to serve.
5. To appoint an ordained minister from the region to serve as recording secretary
for a trial. For an appeal, to appoint one of the members of the MAC to serve as
recording secretary. The recording secretary cannot be a member of the District
Board that referred the case to trial.
6. To conduct a fair and impartial trial or MAC, and to conduct himself or herself
in a manner that will not prejudice the jury or members of the MAC.
7. To instruct the jury or MAC on their responsibility as jurors or members of the
MAC and on the proper procedure in reaching a verdict or decision.
8. To announce the verdict of the jury or MAC and take appropriate post-trial
actions according to the applicable section(s) of the JP.
9. Neither the Regional Presiding Officer nor any member of a jury or of the MAC
shall allow any official of the UPCI outside the jury or the MAC to influence
his or her decisions.
10. Once a verdict is announced after a trial or a decision is announced by the
MAC, under no circumstances shall the Regional Presiding Officer contact any
member of the jury or any member of the MAC and seek to change the decision
before the official notice is sent.
The above is part of the judicial procedure of the United Pentecostal Church International and is provided for informational purposes.
Page Added February 10, 2007 & Updated March 3, 2024