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CONTENTS
Seven
Fundamental Qualifications for Ministry
(1)
A total commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ and a growing
experience of shared life in the Spirit so that the worship and service of
God becomes the minister's central and controlling passion. We need
radical dissenters from the false worship of our society, whose dissent
does not drive them (timidly or defiantly) into a ghetto, but out into the
world.
(2)
A growing familiarity with and understanding of the Bible and the
Christian tradition, especially - but exclusively - in its Reformed
development, constantly extended and enriched by wide reading and by a
study which neither evades the critical questions nor allows them to
silence the central message. We need men and women whose ears are
accustomed to listening to the word of God in scripture and who know how
to nourish others with that same word.
(3)
An informed and passionate involvement in the issues of the
contemporary world. Clearly this is not to ask for a pretended
omniscience. It is to ask for men and women aware of the world they live
in and committed to doing the will of God in its affairs.
(4)
Because we live in a society which is mobile and pluriform, the
Church must be as varied and as open as the human situations to which it
must minister. We need, therefore, not one style of ministry, but many,
exercised by women and men, white and black, conservative and radical,
working class and middle class, paid and unpaid. We need to look for and encourage very varied gifts,
temperaments and abilities.
(5)
It follows that one minister cannot fulfil all roles. Collaboration
and team-work will be the marks of a relevant ministry, not omnicompetence.
The gifts for animating and enabling groups and teams of colleagues and
for evoking the skills of others and the readiness to take a subordinate
place - these are the marks of a genuine leader and are more to be desired
than the gifts which attract attention to an outstanding individual.
(6)
The Church is a community of persons of very different ages and at
different stages in their discipleship, seeking to share good news with
others. The arts of interpersonal communication are fundamental to its
life. We need ministers skilled in these arts, aware of the many different
levels at which communication takes place, able to exercise and to help
others to exercise the arts of preaching, of teaching adults and children,
of listening and counselling, and having enough sensitivity to be able to
encourage the use of music, drama, dance and visual symbol in worship and
in the communication of the Gospel.
(7) We need ministers who know that they must be learners all through life, who recognise that their initial training can be only a small beginning, who remain to the end eager to reach out for fuller understanding, greater competence, deeper discipleship.
(General
Assembly 1982)
The
list of qualifications is descriptive of the Ministry of Word and
Sacraments and other ministries within the URC including Church Related
Community Workers and Lay Preachers. The assessment and accreditation
requirements for these roles are set out in this section.
The
Ministry of Word and Sacraments
Ministers
serve in a stipendiary or non-stipendiary capacity and may work as one
minister of word and sacraments alongside the Elders or in a team with
other stipendiary or non-stipendiary colleagues. A team may also involve
church related community workers. It may be ecumenical.
Local church ministry is exercised in single church, joint or group pastorates.
Ministers
may also serve in,
There
is a need for a number of specialised ministries, as part of the overall
strategy of the URC. These include chaplaincies in industry, hospitals,
universities and colleges of further education, ecumenical and other
special projects.
or
in,
The
work of the Church world-wide is one, and we share in it particularly
through the Council for World Mission, a partnership of 28 national
churches. Following specific training ministers serve abroad, generally on
limited term appointments in theological education or pastoral work in six
regions: Africa, Europe, Pacific, East Asia, S.E. Asia and the Caribbean.
Details
of ministry overseas are obtainable from the International Exchange
Sub-Committee of the United Reformed Church.
There
are three models of non-stipendiary ministry
Model
I - service in a congregation as part of a team. The pattern is taken from
the former eldership of the Churches of Christ and is limited in scope and
local in nature
Model
II - pastoral charge of a small congregation, or service as part of a team
of ministers caring for a group of churches.
Model
III- ministers in secular employment. Service set apart to be a focus for
mission in the place of work or leisure. It is related to a local church
or District Council.
(General Assembly 1995) Candidating
and Assessment
Entry
qualifications
Candidates
for Ministry of Word and Sacraments must be members of the URC of two
years standing and need to satisfy pre-assessment criteria approved by the
General Assembly.
(Criteria for Assessment General Assembly 1996)
The
following regulations apply to the age of entry to the Ministry of Word
and Sacraments;
1.
Training for the stipendiary Ministry of Word and Sacraments may
begin from the date of a candidates 18th birthday, recognising that
enquiries may be made several years earlier,
2.
The normal minimum age for the commencement of training for the
non-stipendiary Ministry of Word and Sacraments shall be 25.
3.
Ordination to the stipendiary Ministry of Word and Sacraments
should take place by the age of 55, and to this end, given the present
Assessment and Training processes, resolves that formal application for
training for the stipendiary Ministry of Word and Sacraments must be
received by the Province by the date of the applicant's 50th birthday.
4.
Formal application for training for the non-stipendiary Ministry of
Word and Sacraments must be received by the Province by the date of the
applicant's 55th birthday
5.
Assembly resolves that applications to transfer from
non-stipendiary to stipendiary ministry must be received by the province
before the date of the applicant's 53rd birthday
(General
Assembly 1997)
Testing
a call to the Ministry of Word and Sacraments
The
candidating process requires:
The
commendation of the local Church Meeting and District Council before he or
she may attend a National Assessment Conference.
From
the Conference a recommendation is sent to the candidate's synod where a
final decision is taken as to whether to accept the candidate for
training.
If
accepted the candidate then proceeds as an ordinand to an approved college
or course.
For
further reading and information:
These
documents are available from Synod offices and from the Ministries office,
Ordinands
preparing for ministry in the United Reformed Church undergo training on
courses prescribed by the General Assembly which determines the 'standards
and scope of an adequate ministerial training and education' (Basis of
Union 9 (5) (v)). Throughout the training process, colleges in the case of
stipendiary candidates, and the Board of Studies in the case of
non-stipendiary candidates, keep closely in touch with the sending Synods
who are also responsible for local support, and if necessary for the
discontinuance of a particular candidacy.
On
completion of the agreed course of study and bearing in mind the need to
exercise a judgement on the overall fitness of the ordinand to exercise
ministry in the URC, the colleges grant to stipendiary candidates a
Leaving Certificate, or the Board of Studies to non-stipendiary candidates
a Certificate of Completed Study. It is then the responsibility of the
Synod, through whatever procedure it decides (e.g. the power could be
delegated to an officer or committee of the Synod) to declare that a
candidate is eligible for ordination (Basis of Union 9 (4) (vi)). The
leaving certificate/certificate of completed study remains valid for three
years
No
ordination or appointment can take place until the appropriate Certificate
has been issued by the recognised training authority and the Synod has
declared that eligibility has been established. It is unwise for any local
pastorate or District Council to enter unconditional commitments with a
student until that stage has been reached properly: this does not preclude
the issue of a call to a student in the final year of a course or its
being sustained by a District Council provided that these actions are
clearly indicated as being conditional upon the issue of the certificate
and the Synod's declaration of eligibility. Such conditional actions are
indeed pastorally necessary for those students who are under financial
pressure to begin their work and ensure the receipt of a stipend in late
June or early July. The appropriate Certificate must have been produced by
the time of ordination.
(General
Assembly 1990)
Further
information on this procedure can be obtained from the Ministries office,
After a call has been issued, in the case of stipendiary ministry, or an appointment has been made, in the case of non-stipendiary ministry, and District Council concurrence has been granted, ordination to the ministry of Word and Sacraments within the United Reformed Church and induction to the particular pastorate or post follows and the Minister's name is added to the list of Ministers of the United Reformed Church.
The
acceptance/transfer of Ordinands from
An
application to transfer to the URC and continue training for Ministry may
be approved by the Ministries Committee, provided that:-
1. the applicant is a ministerial student of good standing in their own denomination
2. the applicant's own denomination is a member of Council of Churches for Britain and Ireland, Council for World Mission or World Alliance of Reformed Churches;
3. the applicant's country of origin / present nationality does not preclude training in this country leading to work.
The
procedure for transfer can be obtained from the Ministries office,
Transfer
between stipendiary and
The General Assembly in 1990 recognised that there will be some movement either way between stipendiary and non-stipendiary service, and agreed procedures accordingly. It should be noted that in 1990 Assembly agreed that it is 'advisable for ministry according to the initial training to be exercised for a reasonable period first'.
The final decision about a transfer shall be
taken by the Synod.
Any changes to the training recommended by the National Assessment
Board shall be a matter or negotiation between the Synod and the Training
Committee.
It is the responsibility of the District
Council to watch out for transfer situations and not to concur in any call
until it has been established that the minister has completed
satisfactorily the recommended training.
Further information on the procedure for transfer between stipendiary and non-stipendiary forms of service can be obtained from Synod offices or the Ministries office, 86 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RT
Ministerial Accompanied Self-Appraisal
In 1997 the Assembly approved a scheme of ministerial accompanied self -appraisal.
The aims of the scheme are;
i)
to affirm ministers in their work and encourage them to follow
God's calling with a renewed sense of vision.
ii)
to aid the continuing personal and professional development of
ministers in ways which are of benefit to them and to the church they
serve as they take stock of their ministry thus far and identify areas on
which to build and areas of need which should be addressed, become
realistic about strengths and weaknesses, set goals for work and personal
development, identify training and personal development needs and ways of
addressing them and become aware of sources of support.
The style of appraisal.
i)
each individual will be asked to embark on the exercise of
accompanied self - appraisal in the light of the promises made upon
ordination (Schedule C)
ii)
The exercise should be seen as supportive and non-threatening, but
for it to be effective it is important that it is objective and
acknowledges both strengths and weaknesses.
iii)
For this reason the task of appraisal will be shared with a person,
an appraisal companion, who has received appropriate training in attentive
listening and questioning.
iv)
This scheme is not about checking one person's performance against
some measurement of ministerial tasks. This would need such a standard to
exist and in any case responsibility for carrying out the total ministry
in any one situation does not lie with the minister alone but also with
the Elders and other members in a local church or colleagues in a team or
chaplaincy. We encourage such appraisal but believe it lies within the
context of a District Visit.
(General Assembly 1997)
The scheme of ministerial accompanied
self-appraisal will be monitored and reviewed under the auspices of the
Ministries Committee together with administrators from each Synod.
REGULATIONS
REGARDING THE ELIGIBILITY OF MINISTERS FROM
1.
Before a local church issues a call, the District Council, in
consultation with the Synod Moderator, must satisfy itself that for one of
the following reasons the minister concerned is eligible, that:
a)
the minister is a minister in good standing of the URC,
or
c)
the minister holds a current certificate of eligibility issued by
the Ministries Committee of the URC.
2.
The Ministries Committee is empowered to issue a certificate of
eligibility for a call, on behalf of the Assembly, in the case of
ministers from member churches of the Council of Churches in Britain and
Ireland, or churches overseas which are member churches of the Council for
World Mission or the World Alliance of Reformed Churches provided that:
a)
they will subscribe to the Basis of Union of the United Reformed
Church;
3.
The Ministries Committee shall have the right to require further
training for our ministry before issuing a certificate of eligibility.
Where such training is required there may be a charge on the Ministerial
Training Fund.
4. In the cases of ministers from churches other than those covered in paragraph 2, the Ministries Committee will present any proposal to issue a certificate of eligibility to the General Assembly for approval.
A
certificate of eligibility shall remain valid for three years.
(General
Assembly 1991)
The
procedure for granting a certificate of eligibility can be obtained from
the Ministries office, 86 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RT.
TRANSFER
OF MINISTERS APPLYING FOR A CERTIFICATE OF
Some
ministers of other denominations have been permitted to transfer on to the
Roll of Ministers of the United Reformed Church without the intention of
seeking a pastorate. These
have been ministers of other Churches, usually from overseas or from other
nationalities within the British Isles (e.g. a minister from the Church of
Scotland working and living in England), who have been appointed to
secular work or church "related" spheres of service but for
which the denominations have no direct responsibility e.g. teaching posts
in universities (sometimes theological), or Christian work e.g. Mission to
Seamen. In these cases
ministers have sought permission to be included on the Roll sometimes
because their own denomination has no facility to retain them once they
have moved to an area where their own Church has no jurisdiction,
sometimes because it seems more appropriate to relate formally to a
'sister' denomination where their own is not present.
Such stipendiary ministers, once their names are included on the
Roll, are entitled to seek a pastorate and, if called and inducted, to be
paid by the Maintenance of the Ministry Fund.
Up
to now there has been no agreed procedure for the Accreditation
Sub-Committee to deal with such requests from ministers of other Churches
seeking to be included on the Roll of Ministers though not seeking a call
to a pastorate. The
Sub-Committee has prepared a procedure which has been approved by the
Ministries Committee.
(General
Assembly 1997)
Further
information and the procedure for granting a Certificate of Eligibility
without seeking a pastorate can be obtained from the Ministries Office, 86
Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RT.
A
Definition
Assembly
1987 gave first approval to constitutional amendments which would replace
the current minister emeritus with retired minister, and asked for a
definition of the latter phrase. The Executive, on the advice of the
Thames North Synod which initiated the proposal, offers the following
definition:-
For
the purposes of associate membership in District Councils, retired
ministers are those who:
(a)
at the date of retirement are in stipendiary ministerial service in
the URC or are in ministerial service recognised as Category C in the Year
Book.
or
(b)
At the date of retirement are in the service of the URC as
non-stipendiary ministers and have been appointed by Synod to membership
of a District Council
(General Assembly 1988) Age
of Retirement
The
General Assembly meeting 1997 resolved that:-
a)
Ministers should normally retire from full time stipendiary service
not later than six calendar months from the date on which they attain the
age of 65
b)
In exceptional circumstances a minister may remain in full time
service for a maximum of three years beyond the age of 65. The application
shall be supported
by the pastorate, and receive concurrence of District Council
before the agreement of the Accreditation Sub-Committee is sought.
Ministers should make application for such an extension by the date of
their 64th birthday .........(Resolution 33)
Paragraph
3.7. (Reports to Assembly 1997) which describes exceptional circumstances,
states as follows:
'As we bring this resolution however we are aware that there are
sometimes circumstances in which it may be desirable for a minister to
continue, albeit for a limited period.
Further
information and the procedure for granting an extension of service can
Pre-Retirement
Courses for Ministers and spouses
The
Ministries Committee in collaboration with the Windermere Centre invites
ministers and their spouses to attend a Pre-Retirement Course normally two
years before the year in which the minister is due to retire.
At
the 1979 General Assembly the United Reformed Church accepted a moral
obligation to provide housing for retired ministers and ministers' widows
who could not otherwise be adequately housed.
The relevant clauses of the resolution read as follows:-
'The
United Reformed Church delegates to its Finance and Administration
Department the responsibility for providing housing for retired ministers
and ministers' widows and this it exercises through the United Reformed
Church Retired Ministers Housing Society Limited, an independent Company
operating within the Finance Department.
The
Church regards it as a matter of integrity that retired ministers and
ministers' widows should be adequately housed and supports the Housing
Society in its appeal for funds and its objects.
The
Assembly approves the appointment of a 'Retired Ministers Housing
Committee' within the Finance and Administration Department to have
oversight of matters concerned with the provision of retirement housing
for ministers and ministers' widows and to manage the properties held on
behalf of the United Reformed Church.'
By
this action Assembly did not institute an entitlement to retirement
housing as of right. A
minister who has the finance necessary to provide for retirement housing
may reasonably be expected to do so.
The provision of housing by the Housing Society is for those who
would not otherwise be adequately housed.
It is provided nevertheless, not as an act of charity but, as the
Assembly resolution suggests, in recognition of the Church's obligation to
those who have spent many years in its service.
Further
information and copies of the guidelines on retired ministers housing may
Definition
of a Church-Related Community Worker
A
Church-Related Community Worker, in the broadest sense, is a community
worker who enables the church to work with its local community, rather
than someone employed by the church to act on its behalf. In the narrower
URC sense, it is also a church member who has gone through the assessment
procedure and been accepted as a candidate, satisfactorily completed the
prescribed training, and appointed to a post approved by the URC. Churches
have sought the help of a CRCW when they are set in urban priority areas,
or where their neighbourhood has within it ethnic minorities, or groups
with special needs, for example the elderly, single parent families, the
unemployed.
A
Community Worker acquires and develops skills which enable people to grow.
These skills include the capacity to listen, often to conflicting voices;
to allow groups to run effectively; to enthuse; to stand back and enable
people to reflect on what is happening to them; to understand the
processes of change and interpret them for those involved; and to be an
efficient manager. These skills are learnt through life experience,
through involvement in community activity, and through Christian
spirituality. They are greatly enhanced by training which broadens the
capacity of the worker to understand the working of society, and to apply
an understanding of the processes of change in a variety of situations.
For this reason, the URC is concerned that accredited CRCWs have a sound
understanding of community work practice through a relevant qualification.
The
contribution which community work skills can make are along 4 lines:-
(i)
developing self help and mutual aid, mobilising a group's own
resources and brining in new financial and human resources, often under
the group's control;
(ii)
developing community organisation which can press for changes or
developments in the policies of statutory bodies or other agencies active
in an area;
(iii)
having a concern to start with peoples' experience as they express
it rather than with the concepts of other professional groups. From
involvement with people in their hopes and fears, aspirations and
struggles and in dialogue with them, alternative views of the effects of
social and economic policy on community life can be articulated and
presented;
(iv)
having a focus on learning, so that people develop skills to
initiate and manage community and co-operative enterprises (for example,
housing co-operatives, community centres or community businesses). This
educational thrust also provides an opportunity for dialogue between the
group and the worker about motivation, aims and values.
(More
About Church Related Community Ministry Ministries 1990)
Further
information on Church
-Related Community Work can be
obtained from the CRCW office, 86 Tavistock Place London WC1H
9RT
Assessment
and accreditation for Church-related
Criteria
for Assessment
Candidates
for Church Related Community
Work must be members of the URC of two years standing and need to satisfy
pre-assessment criteria approved by the General Assembly.
(Criteria for Assessment General Assembly 1996)
It
is not essential that they are already professionally trained community
workers but it certainly is important that they have some significant
insights into community needs and service.
Testing
a call to the Ministry of Church Related Community Work
The
candidating process requires:
The
commendation of the local Church Meeting and District Council before he or
she may attend a National Assessment Conference.
From
the Conference a recommendation is sent to the candidate's synod where a
final decision is taken as to whether to accept the candidate for
training.
If
accepted the candidate then proceeds to an approved course of training.
After
training the candidate will be commissioned as a Church Related Community
Worker when called to a post called to a post.
Accreditation
The
roll of United Reformed Church Accredited Church Related Community Workers
shall contain the names of Church Related Community Workers who:-
1.
have gone through the assessment procedure and been accepted as a
candidate;
and
2. have satisfactorily completed the prescribed training; and
3.
have been appointed to a project approved by the URC.
The
Accreditation Sub-Committee will keep the Roll under review removing the
names of those who have not served in post for more than 5 years, after
due consultation with the CRCW Central Management Committee and the
individual concerned. A note to this effect will be placed in the Year
Book. Names will be restored to the Roll at the commencement of fresh
employment in a URC approved post.
We
shall also keep a list of those who have been on our accredited Roll, or
who are eligible for accreditation, and are still available for a post in
the future.
(General
Assembly 1990)
REGULATIONS
REGARDING THE ELIGIBILITY OF COMMUNITY WORKERS FROM OTHER CHURCHES TO
ENTER THE URC LIST OF ACCREDITED CHURCH RELATED COMMUNITY WORKERS
1.
Before a Church Related Community Worker is appointed to a project
by the United Reformed Church, the District Council must satisfy itself
that for one of the following reasons the CRCW concerned is eligible:
a)
The CRCW is on the accredited list of the URC.
b)
The CRCW has gone through the assessment process and been accepted
as a candidate; and has satisfactorily completed the prescribed training.
or
d)
the Community Worker has a Certificate of Eligibility issued by the
Ministries Committee of the URC
2.
The Ministries Committee is empowered to issue a Certificate of
Eligibility, on behalf of the Assembly, in the case of Community Workers
from member churches of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland or
churches overseas which are members of the Council of World Mission or the
World Alliance of Reformed Churches provided that:
a)
they will subscribe to the Basis of Union of the United Reformed
Church;
b)
they are in good standing with their own denomination;
c)
their course of training was at least equivalent to that for Church
Related Community Workers of the URC and or they have special gifts or
qualifications which would be of service in the URC;
d)
they have understood the terms of remuneration for URC CRCWs.
3.
The Ministries Committee shall have the right to require further
training for work with the URC before issuing a Certificate of
Eligibility. Where such training is required there may be a charge on the
training fund.
4.
In the case of Community Workers from churches other than those
covered by paragraph 2, the Ministries Committee will present any proposal
to issue a Certificate of Eligibility to the Assembly or Mission Council
for approval.
Further
information can be obtained from the Ministries office, 86 Tavistock
Place, London WC1H 9RT
Our church needs and values the work of its lay preachers. There are many more churches than ministers. Lay preachers are needed to lead about one third of the services held each Sunday. The minister and the lay preacher bring experience in different fields to their conduct of worship.
Lay preaching is a way of demonstrating that ministry is the work of the whole People of God.
National
Accreditation, introduced in the URC by Assembly Resolution in 1979,
amended 1984, provides national recognition of an individual lay
preacher's calling and work. A list of nationally accredited preachers is
kept by the Lay Preaching Sub-Committee. A lay preacher seeking National
Accreditation should:
(a)
be a member of a United Reformed Church.
(b)
have been commended as a lay preacher to District Council by his or
her Church Meeting.
(c)
have been accredited as a lay preacher by his or her District
Council
(d)
have completed the course of studies leading to the award of the
Lay Preacher's Certificate of the United Reformed Church to the
satisfaction of the Tutors/ Assessors appointed, or possess other
equivalent qualifications. (General Assembly 1984)
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