The Manual

¶852 SPECIAL APPOINTMENTS In order to nourish a healthy connection with the denomination, all ordained ministers and commissioned ministers serving in special appointments are required to attend ministers’ conferences, general conferences and regional gatherings and to submit annual continuing education reports as a condition of retaining their ordination credentials. Attendance […]

¶851 MULTIPLE STAFF APPOINTMENTS When a local church determines that additional appointed pastoral staff is needed, the lead pastor shall consult the director of leadership development and church health before any local action is taken. The director of leadership development and church health shall represent the conference in the selection

¶850 APPOINTMENTS The MEGaP committee shall appoint ministers to their fields of service according to the policies and procedures outlined in the document: “Transitions Handbook.” (See ¶875) A minister may be appointed to a church without having charge of it; in such cases the administration of it shall rest upon

¶845 TERMINATION OF CONFERENCE MEMBERSHIP CREDENTIALS DEPOSITEDIn circumstances where it is not possible for ministers in good standing to be located, the MEGaP committee may allow them to deposit their credentials with the conference and withdraw from the conference with the understanding that they can be restored to an itinerating

¶840 TRANSFER OF MEMBERSHIP To transfer to another Free Methodist conference a minister must be ordained and have a certificate of standing from the regional MEGaP committee. Only a regional MEGaP committee may give a certificate of standing to a minister intending to join another denomination. Membership in the conference

¶835 RECEPTION FROM OTHER DENOMINATIONS AND FROM OTHER FREE METHODIST CONFERENCESMinisters ordained in the Wesleyan or Nazarene denominations, or in another Free Methodist conference may be received according to our procedures, provided that they: submit a resume (Candidates are encouraged to attach personality/ministry aptitude inventory results.) give evidence of appropriate

¶830 ORDINATION CREDENTIALS Every minister whose ordination is recognized by the conference shall be entitled to credentials from the president of the conference, certifying the fact of the ordination. The president shall remit a duplicate copy of the credentials to the credentialing coordinator. Ministers in good standing who unite with

¶825 ORDAINED MINISTERS Ordained ministers (formerly known as deacons and elders) are persons called by God to lead (typically as a lead pastor), to provide overall general pastoral leadership in the church and Kingdom. Ordination remains an option for those who feel called to broader ministry or leadership. It is

¶822 QUESTIONS FOR CONFERENCE MEMBERSHIP Ministerial candidates may be received as commissioned or ordained ministers after completing the required service and educational requirements. They shall submit the minister’s statement of affirmation. (See ¶872). (These statements shall become the property of the credentialing coordinator.) When candidates are presented to the board

¶821 COMMISSIONED MINISTERS BECOMING ORDAINED MINISTERS In order for commissioned ministers to become ordained ministers, they must: be a commissioned minister in good standing; have completed the following prescribed core courses within an accredited and approved (by MEGaP) seminary, college, or directed study program. These minimum credits shall include: –