Neb. Prepared by United Methodist News Service. A trial is considered the last resort in the settlement of disputes between an individual clergyperson and the church.
Trials are uncommon in the church.
No statistics are kept on the number of church trials in the denomination, but they are rare. Most cases are settled before the scheduled trial. The format of a church trial is much like that in the public courts with certain significant differences. In the case of the Rev. Jimmy Creech, it was the Nebraska Annual Conference. The jury consists of 13 people, all clergy members from the conference where the defendant has membership.