Ministry Resources

Policies and Criteria for the Order of Ministry
Winter 2003

Section I: Ministry in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Section II: Candidacy for the Order of Ministry
Section III: The Office of Ordained Minister
Section IV: The Office of Licensed Minister
Section V: Ministerial Standing
Section VI: Ministerial Search and Call
Section VII: Sexual Misconduct
Section VIII: Amendment Process

I. Ministry in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

A. The Ministry of Jesus Christ. Within the church the fundamental ministry is that of Jesus Christ whose servanthood, offered to God in behalf of humanity, defines and gives character to all ministry exercised in His name.

B. The Corporate Ministry. As head of His body, the church, Christ calls upon His people to participate in His ministry and thus to make known in the life of the world the reality of God as Creator, Lord of History, Judge, Savior, Father. By baptism all Christians are inducted into the corporate ministry of God's people and by sharing in it fulfill their own callings as servants of Christ. This corporate ministry of all Christians is marked by these elements:

1. The praise of God in the church's public worship and by acts of faithful service;
   
2. Care for the common life of the whole body within which all members come to know themselves as children of God and find confirmed their gifts and callings for special service;
   
3. Mediation of the divine love to the life of all persons, including the society as a whole, through loving service particularly at the points of greatest human need and primarily through the daily work of God's people.

C. The Order of Ministry. Within the ministry of the whole people of God there is and has been from the beginning a representative ministry called of God and authorized by the church. While all Christians share in the corporate ministry, the term minister particularly describes a person to whom the church entrusts representative responsibility. Through the centuries this Order of Ministry, in various offices, has been responsible to lead in transmitting the Christian tradition from one generation to another, translating and interpreting the Scriptures, proclaiming the gospel of Christ, administering the sacraments, serving to maintain a company of Christians in continuity with the life and faith of the Apostles, and acting as pioneers and leaders in the church's reconciling mission in the world.

1. Personal Qualifications for Admission to the Order. In all of its procedures concerning the Order of Ministry the church seeks these qualities in the men and women whom it inducts into office:
   
   a. Faith in Christ Jesus and commitment to a life of Christian discipleship
   b. Definite and informed decision, in response to God, to serve in the Order of Ministry
   c. Personal fitness sufficient to the demands of the office, including mental and physical capacities, emotional stability and maturity, and standards of morality
   
   
2. Preparation for Service in the Order of Ministry. Persons to be inducted into the Order of Ministry are to prepare themselves for their work. That preparation shall include:
   
   a. Participation in the life and work of a congregation of Christians
   b. Breadth of theological study so that the candidate shows an understanding of the Christian faith, the Bible, the church, the history and polity of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the world in theological perspective, and the Christian mission
   c. Professional study and supervised experience in the work of the ministry, with emphasis upon that form of ministry in which the candidate hopes to serve
   d. Formation of responsible relations with and concern for the church, both as community of faith and institution
   e. Growth in personal character, Christian insight, spiritual formation, and disciplined commitment to ministry
   f. Formation of ethical principles to guide professional relationships and personal conduct

D. Offices within the Order of Ministry. The Order of Ministry in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) includes two offices: the office of ordained minister and the office of licensed minister. Each office is authorized to carry out representative ministry according to provisions established by the General Assembly.

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