Dear CMCs (along with their mentors):
In our continuing desire to make our ordination process clear and helpful, I’m writing in response to questions or complaints that we’ve heard.
In many denominations, a masters degree is a pre-requisite to being ordained (usually an MDiv, which can take 3 years full time, 24 classes). In some, an additional full-time internship is also required. In addition, some denominations will not ordain until a candidate has a full-time ministry appointment.
In our denomination, we recognize that the Lord does, indeed, call people who may not have the time, funds, or the educational background to get a masters. And we don’t want to just be about checking a list… we want to see you functionally prepared for ministry in your head (theology), heart (character), and hands (skills).
At the same time, ministry is not “a job.” It’s a sacred calling. Our elders need to be people who walk closely with the Lord, and know, deeply love, and correctly use Scripture. We need to be people who are emotionally, spiritually, and personally mature and maturing. We need to have theological depth, and we need to have practical skill. We need to see fruit in whatever ministry God leads us to. We need to know what we believe… and why we believe it.
This past year the FMC’s Center for Pastoral Formation came out with 15 required courses for ordinands. In Genesis, we have chosen to take 7 of these courses, and instead of classroom teaching we are choosing to cover the material through labs, application, CCGs and coaches. For example, the work you will do with your heart coach and your CCG will cover the requirement for a course on Spiritual Formation. We believe that this practical approach is easier to fit into lives that are filled with family, jobs, and ministry. We also believe it has the potential to more practically prepare you and be better remembered. The 8 remaining courses that we require are the more theological and academic ones.
While we continue to tweak and streamline our process, we are doing so in order to better prepare you for ministry (not give you more things to do). Should you ever have questions about what we are asking of you, feel free to reach out, particularly if you feel something has changed since you began the process. In addition, if you think what we are asking you to do in your annual letter is not helpful, feel free to reach out. We can adjust if our assignments are missing the mark in helping you grow.
When we switched from “Year 1, 2, 3” to “Block 1, 2, 3,” some people thought this meant that once classes were taken, a CMC could speed through the process. This was not the intent of the switch, but rather the opposite: “blocks” allow people to take longer than 3 years without feeling they were “falling behind.” The normal length of time for CMCs is 3 or 4 years (with a maximum of 10). If you feel too much is being asked of you, then feel free to slow down the process and take longer to complete each block. A few people have completed being a CMC in two years, but only when they are coming into our system already having their academic work done and with significant prior ministry experience.
For our records, under normal circumstances, “blocks” advance at annual conference. However, final decisions and notifications of which block you are in, is determined during our fall interviews. For example, if at Annual Conference you still have 3 remaining courses and other items to complete, you will most likely be in Block 3 for that conference year. People who enter as CMCs at Annual Conference are Block 2 for the conference year.
As of this winter, we will be holding classes so that if a LMC who has interviewed in January begins with Wesleyan Theology that spring, and takes one course each fall and spring, then academic coursework can be completed before your ordination interview in three years. If a candidate also keeps up with the practical experiences and training needed (CCGs, Rule of Life, evangelism, growing leadership, practical administration, etc), and is growing in appropriate ways in head, heart, and hands, it’s possible to complete it all in three years. But we’re not in a rush! Ordination interviews take place in block 4.
I have said this before, and will keep saying it: as you take your classes, what you learn about Scripture, God, and theological truths isn’t something you learn in order to “pass” the class. We want these truths to go deep into your soul. We want you to be able to discuss them, teach them, wrestle with them in your own life. We don’t want you to settle for “simple” answers. We don’t want you to be surprised by a question or conversation with people in your community, congregation, or other pastors. During your CMC and ordination interviews, we expect you to be able to discuss Scripture and theological principles appropriate for your block level. By the time you are ordained, we expect you to have the theological depth we would expect of an ordained elder. We expect you to go beyond learning “the minimum,” and develop a pattern of lifelong learning. Read books that expand your understanding of Scripture, God, people, and this world. Keep going deeper. Don’t settle.
We also recognize the need for you to grow personally. Conflict resolution, learning boundaries, developing an ability to not take things personally, becoming flexible, taking responsibility, and not being a people pleasers are just a few of the areas where we want to see growth and health. Growing in your character and your emotional, spiritual and mental health are crucial for healthy ministry.
As we continue to better our ordination process, this year we are trying something new. Sometime in the next couple of months, you will get a one page checklist of crucial items that need to be covered in your ordination journey. We will highlight those items that, according to our records, you still need to complete. We hope this new chart will help you give a quick “at a glance” summary of what you still have left.
A few more “clean up” items:
*In the past year we placed more training in the LMC block (block 1). I don’t want the switch to mean you miss some crucial training! We want you to be able to articulately share you faith. If you have not yet had evangelism training (or if you have not introduced anyone to Christ in this past year and followed up with them), then please make sure you get this training and take opportunities to share your faith with others. If your local church is not offering training, reach out to the conference. There is some brief training on the Genesis YouTube Channel, under “CMC resources” that can help you start. We do expect you to see fruit in this area before ordination.
*We also ask, during your LMC year, that you form a prayer team who will pray for you during this journey. We assume that continues and that this team of people will pray for you into the future. Make sure you keep them updated on your journey and needs.
*Before ordination, you are required to go through a psychological evaluation. We now have a counselor who is doing our evaluations for $400 (which is discounted). The conference will contact you with information in block 3 or 4. If the $400 is a financial hardship, please reach out to the conference office for help.
*The “ordination essays” that you will need to complete before your ordination interview are online. We encourage you to be filling them out throughout your journey, as you take classes that pertain to the essay questions. This is much easier than trying to get them done in the weeks prior to the deadline.
*Each year you are to do a ”Leadership Lab” (which means you are leading and learning as you go) and each year your leadership should be expanding. For example, while leading a small group may be a good start in block one, by block three or four your leadership needs to be greater than what we’d expect from any good lay leader in the church. On the Genesis website ordination page, in the bottom green box, you will see two “Leadership Lab” links: One that leads you to a video playlist, and the other to a worksheet that helps you think strategically about what you are leading. In Block 2, you should watch all of those videos (about 2 1/2 hours of content) and begin to put what you learn into practice. In all blocks / each year you should use the “Leadership Lab” worksheet to guide. Go through the sheet with your local mentor at the beginning, middle, and end of each church year. If you went to Elevate Leadership in 2019, then you do not need to watch the videos. If you did not attend Elevate, even if you are beyond block 2, then please take the time to watch the videos.
*There is a list of ministry experiences and competencies in the CMC Formation Process Document (on the Genesis website). This is the list you go through with your skills coach. We do expect growth in all of these areas. Review that list carefully on a regular basis. Is you need a place to learn or grow in one of these areas, reach out.
In all of this: Ask questions. We will have interviewed over 50 people this year, and our process is not perfect. If something doesn’t line up with your expectations, give us a call. We can’t help if we don’t know what you are experiencing.
Also know this: we are rooting for you. We want to do all we can so that you can be effective in life-long ministry. You are in our prayers and our hearts.
With Hope!
Pam Braman
Superintendent, Genesis Conference
No comments:
Post a Comment