Theological Premise
Ordination to ministry is an act of the Church to sustain the witness of the faith community by persons “set apart” for this purpose. By faith we affirm that God is the one who validates every ordination. Therefore, it is not our task to question the ordination of ministers in other denominational traditions. We affirm that the Commission on the Order of Ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Mid-America has been appointed to determine the level of fitness of individuals who apply for standing in the ministry of our particular faith community known as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
In this instance, the issue being considered is STANDING, not ORDINATION. A decision to affirm or deny STANDING will come only after careful and prayerful consideration of the qualifications and motivation of the person to minister as defined by our tradition. It is not a judgment of the capacity for ministry as validated by other traditions. By the nature of this process, each individual will be considered on a “case by case” basis. Quotas and arbitrary limits will be avoided. Standards reflecting the theology and ecclesiology of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) will be considered the essential elements and will require factual evidence to create a favorable decision.
Ecclesiastical Premise
For a clergy person to seek to move from one faith community to another is a major decision with life changing implications. It is more than a “career move,” or a matter of personal convenience. To hold standing as an ordained minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is to incur mutual obligations on the part of the individual minister and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Standing is an ecclesiastical function to affirm and support the clergy in the ministry to which she/he is called, as well as the faith community, which calls the individual to ministry. Maintaining a balanced support for both the clergy and the church is the task that the General manifestation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has entrusted to the Regional manifestation of that body. The Commission on the Order of Ministry (hereafter, RCOM) has accepted the responsibility to act on behalf of the Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
This Commission (RCOM) shall act within the structures and procedures of our Region as well as the “Theological Foundations and Policies and Criteria for the Ordering of Ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), amended 5/08/2014" as set forth through the General Assembly. Within these limits, the Commission seeks to be both pastoral to the individual seeking standing and responsible to our faith community in which standing is being sought. Standards followed are developed in response to the Gospel and to the needs of the people and congregations we represent.
Individual Premise
Ordination and standing involve more than an individual perception of “call.” H. Richard Niebuhr writes:
A call to the ministry includes at least these four elements:
1. The call to be a Christian....
2. The secret call...whereby a person feels directly summoned by God to take up the work of the ministry.
3. The providential call, which...comes through the equipment of a person with
the talents necessary for the exercise of the office.
4. The ecclesiastical call...extended to a (person) by some community or institution of the Church to engage in the work of the ministry.
When an individual chooses to alter any one of these elements of being called to ministry, such as the ecclesiastical call, it is incumbent on that person to examine all the elements of a call to ministry. Therefore, seeking standing in a denomination other than where the individual received and expressed [that] calling should call for rigorous self-examination. The evaluation instituted by RCOM is intended to produce a responsible process to facilitate further growth in ministry, for both the individual and the Church.
Such a process requires time. It is neither wise nor appropriate for any person who is a minister in another denomination to expect full standing in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) immediately. Even if the qualifications and circumstances are such that the granting of standing is a “mere courtesy,” both the person and the profession benefit when the qualifications and circumstances are examined with care. To affirm a minimum period of one year is a measure of the seriousness with which the Commission takes its responsibility. Ministry requires skill, preparation, fitness, multiple gifts, and an evident commitment to the Christ and to the faith community that bears his name.
1. Niebuhr, H. Richard, The Purpose of the Church and Its Ministry, Harper & Brothers: New York, 1967, pp. 64-65
Procedure and Requirements for Partner Standing
The Theological Foundations and Policies and Criteria for the Ordering of Ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), (TFPCOM document), indicates that while all ordained United Church of Christ Ministers are Ordained Ministerial Partners with the Disciples of Christ and vice versa, Standing with a Region as an Ordained Ministerial Partner with standing requires that a minister:
a. Have a position with a Disciples of Christ congregation or Disciples of Christ related ministry.
b. Complete an approved course on Disciples History and Polity.
c. Agree to adhere to the authority of both the UCC Conference in which the minister has standing and to the authority of the DOC Region in which the minister is seeking standing.
To be considered for Standing, clergy must complete the following required steps:
1. Ordained UCC clergy seeking Standing must complete an approved Disciples History and Polity course. The Mid-American Commission on Ministry (RCOM) recommends the History/Polity course offered by the faculty of Phillips Theological Seminary through the Ministry Training Program. Any other history & polity course will need the approval of the RCOM Coordinator and RCOM’s Education Consultant. Course final exam and final grade are to be submitted to RCOM.
2. Ordained UCC clergy seeking Standing must read and agree to follow the guidance and stipulations of the TFPCOM, the Region’s Ministerial Code of Ethics.
3. Ordained UCC clergy seeking Standing will submit:
a. documentation of an already completed Healthy Boundaries Training or equivalent training in the United Church of Christ.
b. documentation of current AR/PR training or UCC equivalent.
If clergy are not current with either training, they will agree to complete necessary trainings before the deadline for submission of Annual Standing Renewal forms.
4. Ordained UCC clergy seeking Standing will:
a. complete the Disciples of Christ Ministerial Profile including references and criminal background check.
b. submit documentation of seminary degree, ordination date and certificate.
c. submit documentation from the ordained minister’s UCC Conference indicating the ordained minister is in good standing with the conference.
5. Ordained UCC clergy seeking Standing will submit a written application to RCOM, (Appendix 1) along with all required documentation as listed above.
Please note: Submissions for all required documentation are either mailed or emailed to the CCMA Ministry Associate in the Springfield Regional Office.
a. Emailed to sgf@ccmadisciples.org.
b. Mailed to CCMA Springfield Regional Office, Attn: Ministry Associate, at 500 South Avenue, Springfield MO, 65806.