CMC Authorization for Ordination or License
Policy Section 1070
Ordinations and licensures shall be preceded by CMC authorization by the following plan:- Responsibility for authorization of ministerial license or ordination is lodged with the Ministerial Committee and the Executive Board with action on each case either in separate or in joint meeting.
- The Ministerial Committee meets four times per year in conjunction with the Executive Board meetings, including the occasion and setting of the annual conference and Ministers' Fellowship.
- Candidates for ordination and their wives are requested, as regular procedure, to meet in person with the Ministerial Committee before authorization for ordination is granted, with the possibility of exception being granted by the Ministerial Committee.
- Candidates for licensure and their wives may be required to meet in person with the Ministerial Committee at the discretion of the Ministerial Committee.
- Travel for interview with the Ministerial Committee is the expense of the congregation or agency requesting authorization or the candidate.
- Information is sent to CMC ministers, by way of a quarterly mailing, giving the names of candidates for whom authorization is being processed.
When the candidate for licensure or ordination is chosen by either method (congregational nomination or leadership nomination), ordination or license is postponed until completion of the above procedures and issuance of authorization.
Candidates are requested to complete the CMC Questionnaire and to submit the Questionnaire to the officiating minister, who then submits the Questionnaire to the CMC office for distribution to the Ministerial Committee and the Executive Board. Questionnaires of candidates are due in the CMC office one month in advance of the scheduled meetings of the Executive Board in order to allow time for processing the Questionnaire and to interact, as needed, with the candidate.
When a request for authorization is by or in behalf of a congregation, the request shall include the signature of the congregation's overseer or bishop and the senior pastor and the officiating minister. Other signatures may be included also, but are not necessarily required. If a congregation does not have an overseer, bishop, or senior pastor, the Executive Board may accept other signatures. The request for authorization may be submitted either with or subject to congregational approval. Section1070, page 2
When a request for authorization is by or in behalf of an agency or institution, the request shall represent the organization and the congregation which provides the setting of the ordination or licensure. The organization is represented by the signature of an appropriate official with reference to or a copy of the recorded action of the board of control or the signatures of at least three officers, such as the organization's CEO, the executive secretary, and the chairman of the board.
Requests for authorization should include these elements:- Name of individual
- Name of congregation or agency of anticipated ministry
- Office of ordination or license: Minister, bishop, or deacon
- Name(s) of minister or ministers submitting the request
- Purpose of the ordination or licensure, e.g. to serve as pastor, associate pastor, church planter, prison worker, missionary
- Statement of status of ordination or license as having been approved by the congregation or being subject to approval by the congregation or, in the case of an agency, approved by the official board
- Name of minister designated to officiate
- Method of selection
The above elements are included in a form which is available upon request from the CMC office. The form included in this manual may be photocopied for use in submitting a request for authorization of license or ordination.
An authorization for ordination or license is valid for one year. Authorization for ordination may be extended one year by the Executive Board, after which further extension is subject to the CMC business meeting. Extension of authorization of license may be granted by the Executive Board at its discretion.
When an ordained candidate with credentials with another denomination or conference is considered for pastoral ministry in a CMC congregation, the examination of qualifications shall be the same as for ordination. The examination shall be effected before the candidate begins official duty and before the candidate is presented for ministerial membership and credentials in CMC. Procedure for approving a candidate from another denomination or conference is outlined further in 1160 of this document.