the free methodist church in canada
Continuing Education Units (CEU’s)
The Free Methodist Church in Canada is creating a learning environment to equip leaders for ministering in a fast-changing world. There is no greater mission than to tell the story of Jesus Christ and we need leaders who can make that message clear and comprehensible. There is no tougher challenge than to call people to walk in an alternative reality from the dominant culture around us, and still show how His call is reaching out to that culture, personally in each life. We need leaders who are prepared to tackle the task with courage.
One of the 8 Core Values of The Free Methodist Church in Canada is learning. One attribute of a good pastoral leader is a commitment to being a life-long learner. Growing and learning is at the heart of Christian discipleship. The kind of leadership that we must have for our future is men and women who have a distinctive focus on improving the way they serve and walk with Jesus Christ.
Healthy pastoral leaders must grow in order for congregations to be healthier. Personal health precedes corporate health. Since we want our congregations to follow leaders who are growing we propose that each member of the Free Methodist Church in Canada (FMCIC) enter a life-long commitment to learning (LLL) through the Continuing Education Unit (CEU) Program. It will provide MEGAP and our leaders a system for keeping accountable for exposure to new learning, which will help us keep the love of Christ fresh.
The Continuing Education Unit Program provides a systematic way to account for professional development that helps to ensure quality continuing education.
This system,
- guides the minister in planning a CEU program.
- documents LLL to assist MEGAP in working with ministers’ learning needs.
- establishes criteria for continued certification in the FMCIC (ordination or commissioning.)
This initiative has been mandated by General Conference 2002. It suggests a minimum requirement for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) per year. Those who are already committed to LLL will find it less challenging. The intent is to encourage growth in all ministers and raise the awareness of biblical call to excellence. John Wesley himself required all his ministers to be constantly growing and the same is true today. The National Ministerial Education, Guidance and Placement team encourages you to take seriously your need to grow.
Contents
- CEUs are required for members of conference to maintain their ordination or commissioning (optional for retirees and located ministers.)
- One CEU per year is the minimum. Life-long learners will do much more.
- Five CEUs must be accumulated in every five year block for certification in the FMCIC.
CEUs cannot accrue for more than the current 5-year block.
- Ordained Ministers
- Deacons (“grandfathered”)
- Commissioned Ministers
- Located Ministers (optional)
- Retired Ministers (optional)
- Leadership
- Bible
- Doctrine
- Spiritual Growth
- Emotional Growth
- Church Planting or Consulting
- Church Revitalization
- Conflict Resolution
- Preaching
- Job Description/Performance Appraisal System (JDPAS) facilitating
- Counseling, marriage and family
- Leading sessions at SPN, PCN, Network Leader training
- Teaching a course (a foundational course, Toronto School of Church Planting course, etc., which would include developing it, teaching it the first time)
- Leading retreats for the local church (youth group, Board, Ministry team, etc.)
- Cross Cultural experience
Each individual should develop a sequence of courses/ seminars for a most effective CEU program, based on his/her annual performance appraisal conducted at the local church.
One Continuing Education Unit (CEU) is twenty-four (24) contact hours of participation in an organized continuing education experience under qualified supervision that meets: a. the professional development needs identified in a performance appraisal and b. health/growth needs identified by the minister in consultation with the Network Leader. CEUs are documented events that are reported to the Credentialing Coordinator for tracking.
CEU report forms:
Calculation of contact hours may include the following elements:
- In-class time with direct participation between the learner and instructor.
- Activities in which there is no onsite instructor present, such as, supervised independent study, computer-assisted instruction, or project-based assignments may be counted if they meet the criteria.
- Field experience, laboratory assignments, and projects, if they are sufficiently structured to meet the criteria.
- Here are several examples for hours that can be recorded for CEUs:
- a one day conference, i.e. Regional Gathering (9 am-4 pm) = 6 hours (excludes breaks, meals)
- a 3-day conference = 18 hours (6 hours each day)
Ministers’ Conference = 6 hours of learning/teaching/training - Missions Trip (7-10 days with pre-trip orientation, guided discussion throughout the trip and post-trip debriefing) = 24 hours
- General Conference Sunday workshops = 1 hour each (the
- General Conference itself is considered a ‘business meeting’ and not training)
- Network Leader annual training = number of hours of learning/teaching/training
- National MEGaP training = number of hours where learning/teaching/training takes place (excludes policy discussions, The Manual edits, breaks, meal times, etc.)
- Network meeting = number of hours where learning/teaching/training takes place (excludes check-ins, meal times, etc.)
- Sabbatical = number of hours where learning/teaching/training takes place in a directed study/reading format guided by someone working with you
- A course at a college, university or seminary = 24 hours for auditing; 72 hours for completing a three-credit hour course
- FMCIC Foundational courses = 24 hours for auditing; 72 hours for completing assignments
- Teaching a course = number of hours for preparation plus hours of actual teaching
- Leading a Network training session = number of hours for preparation plus hours of actual leading the training session(s)
CEUs and academic credit are separate and distinct units of measure. The CEUs of The FMCIC are defined above. Degree or academic courses can count as CEUs once the minister has reached certification as ordained minister or commissioned minister. One academic course (3 semester credit hours) = 3 CEUs. You may accumulate CEUs only for each five-year block. For example, if you received 10 CEUs in the current block (from 2019-2024), you still must start at 0 for 2025.
PLEASE NOTE
We recognize that one academic credit course in an accredited school would require far more than 72 contact hours (the equivalent of 3 CEUs). We encourage academic courses and yet want to demonstrate that our CEU requirements are a reachable goal for every minister. CEU requirements start once the minister has reached certification: Ordained Minister or Commissioned Minister.
- The local church is strongly encouraged to help with continuing education for ministers.
- You are encouraged to inquire about a subsidy from the organizers of the CEU event.
- Request CEU financial assistance from the FMCiC through the Personnel office or Lorne Park Foundation. Please note that we have very limited funds available. We will strive to be equitable in extending financial assistance.
- Invest in your own growth by investing in your own CEU.
Got Questions?
For more information, contact the Ministerial Formation Office by email, or call: 905-848-2600 ext 405
