¶ 2625. Charges--Charges
against bishops, clergy members, clergy on honorable or administrative
location, local pastors, diaconal ministers, and lay members shall be subject
to the following guidelines:
1. A charge shall not allege more than one of the offenses set
forth in ¶ 2624. Each charge must be written, with specifications containing
facts such as date, place, and specific events alleged to have occurred. More
than one charge against the same person may be presented and tried at the same
time. A vote on each charge and each specification shall be taken separately.
2. Amendments may be made to a bill of
charges at the discretion of the presiding officer; provided that they
do not change the nature of the charges and specifications and do not introduce
new matter of which the respondent has not had due notice. When an amendment or
amendments to a bill of charges is or are denied by the presiding officer, it
or they shall not be introduced in the form of testimony in the trial court.
Charges or specifications previously considered and dropped by the committee on
investigations shall not be introduced in the trial court in the form of
evidence or otherwise.