Application for Individual Membership

APPLICATION FOR INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP
Note the following information:

All ECA applicants must possess a written and spoken proficiency in the English language in order to interact with headquarters and the greater ECA membership. This would apply to handling items such as, but not limited to, the application for membership, e-mails, the ordination or licensure oral examination, phone calls, the annual ministerial reports (if membership is granted) and general correspondence among members.

All applicants must prove a valid need for ministerial credentials.

When applying with the ECA, understand that the application process does take approximately two months or more to complete after all required documents have been submitted. The ECA carefully processes applicants to determine their character, calling, qualifications and abilities to serve. When an applicant meets all the requirements with the ECA, a personal Oral Examination will be conducted, at one of our Gathering/Conferences held across the United States. Providing the examination is met with a positive approval, an ordination service will be scheduled the following day. In addition, understand that all applications are processed in the order in which we receive them.
READ BEFORE CONTINUING

In order to apply for membership in the ECA as an ordained or licensed minister, a candidate must
complete the following:

1. Application for Individual Membership accessible below: Along with a required signature acknowledging the applicant’s agreement with the ECA’s Tenets of Faith, Ministerial Ethics, and Disciplinary Procedure.

2. A non-refundable application fee of $100 (All fees must be paid in U.S. funds.)

3. *Testimony of Conversion*: An explanation of how you received Christ as your Lord and Savior.  The purpose of this document is to inform us of the moment when you realized that you were a sinner in need of a savior and responded by confessing your sins, accepting Jesus atonement and committing your life to Him, as Jesus indicated to Nicodemus (John 3). (SEPARATE PAGE, NO LESS THAN 250 WORDS AND NOT TO EXCEED ONE PAGE IN LENGTH)

4. *Details of your ministry calling*: An explanation of how you felt called to ministry. (SEPARATE PAGE, NO LESS THAN 250 WORDS AND NOT TO EXCEED ONE PAGE IN LENGTH)

5. *Statement of Doctrine*: In composing your Statement of Doctrine, we want you to know that the ECA is assessing your doctrinal understanding of the Trinity, salvation, baptism and the inspiration and inerrancy of the Word of God from a perspective of biblical, evangelical, and conservative belief. Therefore, you should know that referencing or quoting source material without citing the source amounts to plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious offense in academia, but even more so for a minister of the Gospel. To use someone’s material without crediting the source is tantamount to theft, which contradicts God’s command, “Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20:15 KJV). If using sources, do so very sparingly as the ECA wants to know in your words that which best represents what you believe.

a. The Trinity,(What are the distinct responsibilities of each member?)
b. Salvation, (How does salvation take place, and what must a person do to be saved?)
c. Baptism (What role does baptism play in our salvation, and what formula would you use in baptism?)
d. The Inspiration and Inerrancy of the Word of God, (Describe the verbal, plenary inspiration and why inerrancy is so important to the church.)
e. Please supply some of the important scripture references you hold to each point in your Statement of Doctrine. You only need to cite a reference and not necessarily quote it.

NOTE: (A warning regarding plagiarism and a link for a sample of a Statement of Doctrine is available here.)

6. *Resume* of your ministry career, training, activities, and biblical education. Per the ECA website. This document must include tenure, responsibilities, supervisors, and names of churches and organizations. We are looking to assess two years of cumulative ministry experience (4,160 hours) required for licensure, and four years of cumulative ministry experience (8,320 hours) required for ordination.  (A sample resume is available here.)

7. All Official Educational Transcripts: (These must be sent to us directly from the institution.) Sealed student transcripts will not be accepted.  Evangelical Church Alliance Revised 02/16/2016.  (If the school provides transcripts electronically, have them sent to connie@ecainternational.org.)

8. *Professional, Quality Photo - When an applicant’s file is being reviewed for consideration, the first thing that often catches the Review Board Committee's eye is the applicant’s photograph. We recommend you provide a professional, quality photo.*

9. Proof of Ordination for applicants who have been previously ministerially ordained from an EPA approved,
ecclesiastical body (The ECA will allow a member to hold dual credentials with other ECA-approved organizations.)

10. Reference Forms: Application for membership requires the submission of four references, two personal and two ministerial (currently ordained or licensed). To qualify, reference must have known the applicant for at least one year. Family members (and fiancés/fiancées) and subordinates (employee/volunteer) are not acceptable as references. Applicants: Send the links that are available on the ECA website to your references.  Note: Applicants are not to submit this form, all reference emails must match reference emails given on the application for membership.

11. Provide additional information as determined by the ECA staff (For example, ECA staff may request information on a prior divorce.) An application for membership will not be considered for approval until all of the above support documents have been received and approved. Once approved, the candidate will submit to an oral
examination conducted by an ECA Examination Committee. Prior to the examination, the candidate must pay the first year’s annual membership dues, which will be refunded if the candidate does not pass (the oral examination). If the Examination Committee approves the applicant for membership, it will make arrangements for an ordination service. No ceremony is required for licensure.  The Examination Committee Chairperson will submit to the ECA office a completed Examination Form signed by each member of the committee and (for those being ordained) a completed Ordination Report Form signed by those appointed by the ECA to participate in the laying on of hands during the prayer of ordination.  Upon receipt and approval of the Examination Form and the Ordination Report Form (for those being ordained), the candidate will be accepted into ECA Membership, granting all rights and privileges according to the ECA Constitution and By-laws.

*All Support documents must be attached to the application. Documents can be attached at the end of the application unless otherwise noted.
YesNo
What is the name of the organization?*
(NOTE: ECA has a policy that its members cannot belong to a Secret Society.)

Ministerial Information
How did you learn about the Evangelical Church Alliance (and if referred, by whom).*
Why do you wish to become a member of the ECA?*
State your ministerial title*
Organization's Name*
Phone Number*
(123) 456-7890
Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
Does this organization have a United States tax exempt status?*
If you pastor a church, state the denomination (or indicate if non-denominational).*
Describe your ministry activities*
How long have you served in ministry? (A resume must be included with your application.)*

On the average, how many hours per week do you spend in Christian ministry?*
Elaborate:*
Does your ministry financially support you?*
If you have an occupation in addition to the ministry, state what it is and how many hours a week it consumes.*
YesNo
Name of the organization*
Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip CodeCountry
Website of the Organization (If Exists)
Of what church and denomination (if applicable) are you a member?*
Do you attend church regularly?*
What other churches have you been a member?*

What classification of credentials have you held previously?*
By what organization?*
YesNo
Explain*
YesNo
Explain*
YesNo
Explain*
Under which designation do you wish to be certified?*

List the extent of your education
To verify you meet the Educational Requirements for ECA Credentials, review the Qualifications for ECA Membership page on the ECA website. If you do not have any education beyond High School, place 'N/A' in the boxes below.

(NOTE: Any Education, (with the exception of High School), College, University, Bible College and/or Seminary you attended, please write to the institution and have the official transcript(s) sent directly to the ECA.)
High School Name*
Location*
Did you graduate?*
College or University Name*
Location*
Year Attended*
Major*
Major/Degree*
Date of Graduation

MonthDayYear
Seminary/Bible College Name*
Location*
Year Attended*
Major*
Major/Degree*
Date of Graduation

MonthDayYear
Other Schooling
Location
Year Attended
Major
Major/Degree
Date of Graduation

MonthDayYear
Comments:

References
Reference forms are located on our website on the Apply Today Page. You may have four ministerial references but no more than two personal ones. Please note, applicants are not to submit these forms. They must be sent directly from the reference’s email address.
Ministerial Reference Name*
Phone Number*
(123) 456-7890
Email*

Confirmation Emailexample@example.com
Mailing Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip CodeCountry
Ministerial Reference Name*
Phone Number*
(123) 456-7890
Email*

Confirmation Emailexample@example.com
Mailing Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip CodeCountry
Personal Reference Name*
Phone Number*
(123) 456-7890
Email*

Confirmation Emailexample@example.com
Mailing Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip CodeCountry
Personal Reference Name*
Phone Number*
(123) 456-7890
Email*

Confirmation Emailexample@example.com
Mailing Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip CodeCountry
Has anyone, such as a translator, assisted you in completing this application?*
YesNo
Provide that individual’s name*
Phone Number*
(123) 456-7890
Email*

Confirmation Emailexample@example.com
Mailing Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip CodeCountry

"I desire to become a member of the Evangelical Church Alliance, and if received into the ECA, I will remember it in prayer and interest myself in its financial support and effectiveness. I hereby accept the Tenets of Faith and Ministerial Ethics. I understand the disciplinary procedure and certify, on my honor, to the truth of statements made in answer to the application questions. If accepted into the ECA, to remain in good standing and maintain the validity of my credentials, I will meet my obligations to pay the annual membership dues and submit the annual ministerial report by the specified due date."
Testimony of Conversion*

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Details of your ministry calling*

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Resume of Ministry*

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Statement of Doctrine*

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Attach a current photo of yourself here. (Max. File Size 2MB)*

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Signature (Full Name)*
Date*

MonthDayYear
Click the “Submit” button below to submit this form. If there were no problems, the message, "Thank you for submitting your Application For Individual Membership!" will appear on your screen, and you will also receive an e-mail copy of your application.

You may also print a copy of the application by clicking on the "Print Form" button below. Clicking the "Print Form" button DOES NOT SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION.
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