Steps to Ordination
From the Perspective of the Candidate and Church
- The candidate's church leadership informs the CRM Executive Minister of its desire to ordain a candidate.
- The Converge regional staff sends the handbook on ordination to the candidate and the ordaining church.
- The Candidate completes a 12-15 page paper outlining their call to ministry, philosophy of ministry and statement of beliefs and sends a copy to the CRM office.
- A pre-ordination team is selected to review the candidate's paper with them.
- After corrections and clarifications are made, an ordination council date is set by the host church. The church also distributes the candidate's paper to all CRM partner congregations.
- The Council meets and recommends that the church proceed or not proceed with ordination.
From the Perspective Converge Rocky Mountain
- A church requests help with ordination.
- The Converge region leadership responds with the attached handbook.
- The candidate reserves an interview time with pre-ordination team.
- The candidate prepares and sends doctrinal statement.
- The candidate meets with the pre-ordination team.
- Clarifications and corrections are made and redistributed to pre-ordination team.
- Ordination council date is set.
- Converge Rocky Mountain assists the church in distributing candidate's document to all partner churches.
- The Ordination Council is held and a recommendation made to the church's leadership board.
- The church acts to ordain proposed candidate.
For more information on ordination, please refer to the CRM Ordination Guide.
Licensing
Licensing is a function of the local church and is for a specific ministry setting and calling. The person desiring licensing should submit the following to their Church Board (or the congregation if the church so desires):
- 1 page statement highlighting their conversion and call to ministry
- 4-8 page self-written doctrinal statement of major doctrines (check with your Converge Region Ordination Handbook for key areas to cover).
The approval for licensing must be part of the Church Board’s official minutes. A copy of the minutes should be maintained by the Church and a copy retained by the person being licensed. There are two types of licensing:
- For the ministry while affiliated with the licensing church. The person’s license is no longer valid after leaving the licensing church.
- For the Gospel ministry from the date of licensing forward.
In the event “For the Gospel ministry from the date of licensing forward” is selected, the church would have the right to revoke the license in the event it should become necessary due to such issues as heretical teaching or moral failure. If that step is taken, a letter stating the license has been revoked must be sent to the licensee.
**Within two years of being licensed or ordained, the pastor may file for exemption from Social Security if his beliefs are consistent with the exemption statement. A tax advisor should be consulted and this should be entered into only with great seriousness.
