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Transfer of Ordination
Transfer of Ordination
Description of Transfer of
Ordination
In the Evangelical Covenant Church, transfer of ordination
is a three-year process, with a beginning, middle, and end. The transfer process
begins—and ends—by votes of the Covenant Annual Meetings. The first vote of the
Annual Meeting will confer provisional ordination standing. Provisional
ordination standing is the Evangelical Covenant Church’s formal recognition of
the pastor’s previous ordination. The Rules for the Ordered Ministry require a
transfer candidate to serve with provisional standing for three years before the
ordination transfer is finalized. Provisional standing is like an engagement
period before marriage; it signifies the mutual commitment between the pastor
and the Covenant Church that will be consummated at the finalization of the
transfer of ordination.
Who is
eligible to transfer ordination? What are the requirements?
Only
pastors who are ordained in another denomination and who currently serve a
Covenant church or institution are eligible for transfer of ordination to the
Evangelical Covenant Church. It is possible to transfer an ordination into
either category of ordination: ordained to word and sacrament or ordained to
specialized ministry. The decision to which ordination standing one can transfer
will be made after examining a) the nature of the pastor’s current ordination,
b) how that pastor understands his/her calling and c) the pastor’s educational
preparation for ordination. The following guidelines are to assist one in
discerning which category of ordination to pursue. Prior to completing the
procedure for transfer, the pastor may apply for an interim License for Pastoral
Office to enable him/her to hold a Covenant credential immediately. This is
renewed until the pastor gains provisional standing by following the procedure
outlined below.
A pastor may be eligible to transfer to Ordained
to Word and Sacrament if:
- The pastor is currently ordained in a recognized denomination. (The Board
of the Ordered Ministry determines whether to recognize an ordaining body.)
- The pastor understands his/her calling as functioning as the theologian in
residence and missional leader, overseeing, empowering, and enabling all forms
of the church’s ministry.
- The pastor has completed a Master of Divinity Degree or equivalent as
determined by the Board of the Ordered Ministry
A pastor may be eligible to transfer to Ordained to Specialized Ministry
if:
- The pastor is currently ordained in a recognized denomination. (The Board
of the Ordered Ministry determines whether to recognize an ordaining body.)
- The pastor understands his/her calling as one to staff ministry in a
specific area of specialization.
- The pastor has completed a 60-hour theological master’s degree including 13
semester hours in an area of specialization or equivalent as determined by the
Board of the Ordered Ministry.
Detailed Procedure for gaining
Provisional Standing
- The candidate shall submit the following paperwork to his/her conference office:
- Transfer of Ordination Application (includes local church and conference
endorsements)
- Statement of Faith Paper
- Baptism Statement, Background Check and Release Form, Criminal Record
Screening, and Minister’s Profile Form
- Educational transcripts
- Photocopy of ordination certificate
- Character recommendation from ordaining denomination
- The candidate must also:
- Be a member of an Evangelical Covenant church
- Have received a call to a Covenant church or other approved ministry
- Enroll in the Covenant
Orientation
- Enroll in the Covenant Pension
Plan
- The conference committee on ministerial
standing will interview the candidate to begin the process of transfer
of ordination. This may be scheduled in the fall or spring, and is based
on the statement of faith paper.
- Once the
candidate has received a favorable interview, the conference office will then send all paperwork to the Department of the Ordered Ministry.
- Based on the
conference interview report, the Board
of the Ordered Ministry will recommend that the candidate be granted provisional
ordination standing.
- The Annual
Meeting of the Covenant Ministerium will vote to approve the recommendation of the Board of the
Ordered Ministry to grant provisional standing.
- With the
approval of the Annual Meeting of the Covenant Ministerium, the Board of
the Ordered Ministry will bring a motion to the Covenant Annual Meeting,
which will vote to confer provisional ordination standing. Once approved, the License for Pastoral
Office need no longer be issued.
Detailed Procedure for Finalizing
Transfer of Ordination
- In the June prior
to the end of the three-year provisional period, The Department of the
Ordered Ministry will invite the candidate to finalize his/her
ordination at the following annual meeting. (If the candidate is unable to finalize,
he/she must write a letter to the Board requesting an extension.)
- The candidate responds to the letter by
July 15.
- The candidate must complete the Covenant
External Orientation Program at or before the Midwinter of the year he/she
plans to finalize transfer of ordination.
- The candidate sends the completed final
paper to the conference office by September 1.
- The Conference committee on ministerial
standing interviews the candidate based on the final paper. The committee makes its recommendation
and may require the candidate to rewrite sections of the paper.
- The Conference committee on ministerial
standing sends its written report on the interviews to the Department of
the Ordered Ministry.
- The Board of the Ordered Ministry
interviews the candidate at its Midwinter meeting and makes a
recommendation.
- The candidate must receive a favorable
recommendation from the Board of the Ordered Ministry, a favorable
recommendation from the regional conference ministerial association at its
annual meeting, approval of the Covenant Ministerium, and approval of the
Covenant Annual Meeting.
- The candidate must participate in the
ordination/commissioning service at the Covenant Annual Meeting.
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