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Ministerial Call Process

Any credentialed* Covenant pastor may express a willingness to have his/her name be open to a new call.

These are the steps we ask the pastor to follow:

• Inform the Conference Superintendent and/or the Department of the Ordered Ministry of his/her interest in being open.
• An Open to Call statement will be emailed to the pastor, and he/she will be asked to fill it out and email it to the Department of the Ordered Ministry.
• The pastor must also update his/her Covenant Minister’s Profile Form on Covlink which may then be viewed by the Department staff and all Superintendents.  (Access to Covlink is password-protected.  If you do not have your user name and password, contact the Department of the Ordered Ministry at ministry@covchurch.org.)
• As of January 1, 2006, all pastors who wish to be placed on the Open to Call list must complete a criminal record screening through the Department of the Ordered Ministry. A completed criminal record screening will be considered "current" for three years.

The Pastoral Relations Commission reviews all names on the “Open to Call” list and considers potential churches to which that pastor’s profile may be sent.  Names are forwarded to the Superintendent of the conference of the “open” church.  A pastor may also submit his/her name directly to a church, informing the superintendent in that area that he/she has done so.

During the period in which a pastor is “open to call,” the pastor is encouraged to be his/her own advocate, contacting the Superintendent or the Department of the Ordered Ministry for updates and information on the process.  The Evangelical Covenant Church does not function as a placement agency and can only recommend names to the local church.  Each church is autonomous and makes its own decisions regarding the call of pastors and staff.

* non-credentialed graduates of North Park Theological Seminary and Covenant Orientation enrollees may also be placed on the Open to Call list.

CHURCH SEARCH COMMITTEES

If you are serving on a search committee or your church is in the process of seeking a pastor or staff member, contact your conference office for specific resources to assist you. 

The following resources may also be of help to you:

Search Committee Sample Packet

Letter of Call - Senior Pastor

Letter of Call - Staff Minister

For current salary guidelines, click here. 

Visit The Alban Institute. They publish a book that may provide additional information for you in the search.  The Alban Guide to Managing the Pastoral Search Process may be ordered by contacting the Alban Institute directly.