Ministerial approves Misconduct Policy and Ethics Commitment
During the June 2, 2023, Ministerial meeting, Cameron McKenzie, Board of Leadership and Outreach (BLO) chair reviewed several documents that have been in process for a few years. The Ministerial Misconduct Policy and the Ministerial Ethics Commitment were both approved by the ministerial and are offered as resources to churches and pastors. Members of the ministerial were grateful for the two documents and expressed a desire that both be required of pastors in the EMC. However, the BLO will not require them without the agreement of all churches. These will be future conversations for the BLO and Ministerial.
Concerns have been expressed to the BLO that the proposed change to the constitution under Commissioning, Credentialing, and Ordination would diminish ordination. McKenzie explained the BLO does not believe this to be the case and said the three terms identify different functions; the BLO considers ordination to be intensely important. They want the ministerial, he said, to include everyone the churches identify as their leadership, but for theological or ethical decisions, credentialing provides the training and gives assurance of appropriate theological understanding. In ordination the church discerns in someone a lifetime calling and together with the EMC sets them apart for a life of pastoral ministry.
Discussion followed with several ministerial members expressing concern about potential division. One concern was that spiritual authority was given to people who were not called to a lifetime of ministry. McKenzie replied that there is no one who is credentialed who isn’t also either commissioned or ordained and the spiritual requirements are the same though tasks are different. The second concern was whether credentialing being open to women was based on scriptural exhortation. McKenzie responded “Yes.” In Scripture, he added, there are critical times when it is women who speak to the deep theological understanding of God’s people. He went on to say that we have gifted, godly women and that those who go through the credentialing process need to be heard when we make doctrinal and ethical statements. Ordination continues to be open only to men.
There was some additional discussion about what lifetime meant, what happened to deacons who were credentialed under our former system, and a caution that things change. Moderator Abe Bergen noted that a motion will be made at Conference Council to include the term “set apart” in the opening paragraph. The document was approved for presentation to Conference Council.
Conference Pastor Andy Woodworth outlined the process to update the EMC office list of current active credentialed ministers. Going forward there is a training, mentoring and examination process that clarifies who will be considered credentialed. This year five people were credentialed.
