PASTORAL MINISTRY HANDBOOK | CHAPTER 9

Provisional Ministers

¶111 Description

1. The provisional license is granted by the Pastoral Ministry Leadership Team to those persons called to serve in a congregation of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA, as a senior pastor, full-time staff pastor, or pastor in transition in these situations:

a. When holding credentials with another group.

b. When planting a church for the United Brethren in Christ, USA.

c. When not holding any credential.

2. This license is granted as the entry level for two distinct tracks of ministerial pursuit.

a. Ordination. For those seeking ordination, the provisional license is the first of three steps toward ordination.

b. Specialized Ministry. For those desiring to serve in a specialized ministry area for a local church, but not in an ordained capacity, the provisional license serves as the first of two steps in order to receive a specialized ministry license.

¶112 Qualifications

To become a candidate for a provisional license, persons must do the following:

1. Hold a high school diploma (or equivalent).

2. Demonstrate a level of faithfulness and competency which warrants consideration for this license.

3. Demonstrate the following:

a. Faithfulness to the membership, family, and social standards of the church (UB Discipline, chapters 4-6).

b. Conformity to the general expectations of ministers (UB Discipline, chapter 7).

¶113 Licensing of Provisional Ministers

The following procedure is established for the provisional license.

1. Consult with Senior Pastor

a. The senior pastor will facilitate a conversation to review the candidate’s testimony, call, and suitability for ministry. 

b. This consultation will include a review of the categories of ministry, credentialing pathways, courses of study, expectations of ministers, and assessment process with the candidate.

c. The senior pastor may utilize a variety of assessment tools during this consultation to explore the candidate’s suitability for ministry.

d. After consulting with the candidate to determine God’s call and the candidate’s suitability for ministry, the senior pastor shall refer the candidate to the Local Board for affirmation.

e. If the church does not have a credentialed pastor assigned by the Bishop, the Cluster Leader or other ordained elder may provide this consultation.

f. This element is waived if the person being licensed is becoming the senior pastor.

2. Affirmation from the Local Board

a. The Local Board will facilitate a meeting to affirm the candidate’s call and suitability for ministry.

b. This affirmation will include a review of the candidate’s testimony, call to ministry, assessment results, and anticipated ministry pathway.

c. The Local Board may utilize a variety of assessment tools during this affirmation process.

d. After receiving at least 75% affirmative vote from the Local Board, the Local Board chair shall refer the candidate for Examination.

3. Examination of the Candidate

a. The senior pastor shall arrange for an examining committee composed of the Local Board chair, the Personnel Team Chair, the senior pastor, the Cluster Leader (or designated appointee), and a member of the Pastoral Ministry Leadership Team (or designated appointee). If the Local Board Chair or pastor serve as Personnel Team Chair, another member of the Local Board will be selected. If the church does not have a credentialed pastor assigned by the Bishop, the Cluster Leader or PMLT representative will arrange for this committee. 

b. At least 1 week in advance of the examination, the candidate shall provide the examination team with the following documents:

i. References

ii. Written Responses

iii. Background Check prescribed by the PMLT

iv. Transcripts

v. Provisional Minister Bio Sheet

c. Based on the above documents and any others the committee may require, the candidate shall be examined to determine matters of personal integrity, commitment to the Christian faith, ministerial call, relationships with others, spiritual maturity, and understanding of the doctrinal distinctives, history, and polity of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA.

d. Should the examination reveal deficiencies in the candidate’s readiness for ministry, the examining committee shall refer the candidate back to the Local Board for encouragement and accountability in preparing further for responding to God’s call to pastoral ministry.

4. Recommendation to Pastoral Ministry Leadership Team

a. Following a favorable examination, the examining committee shall report it’s finding to both the Local Board and the Pastoral Ministries Leadership Team to make any recommendations it deems consistent with its findings.

b. Pending a favorable vote of the PMLT, the candidate will be granted a provisional license.

5. Next Steps

a. Once the minister has been granted the Provisional License, the lead responsibility for next steps (Specialized License or National Conference License/Ordination) becomes the responsibility of the Pastoral Ministry Leadership Team.

b. The role of the local church becomes encouraging the minister to continue moving forward, providing accountability about completing the course of study, and supplying input to the Pastoral Ministry Leadership Team about the minister’s life and practice of ministry.

¶114 References

The candidate shall provide five references giving evidence of the candidate’s faithfulness in Christian living and suitability of service using the Ministerial Reference for Ministerial Licensing form. References should be obtained from the following individuals:

a. A faculty member in the candidate’s major area of study, or a previous employment supervisor.

b. A leader from the candidate’s previous church or place of service.

c. The minister’s spouse (if married); friend or relative (if single).

d. A pastor who knows the candidate.

e. Another person of the candidate’s choosing.

¶115 Written Responses

The candidate shall provide written responses to the following, along with Scripture references and personal examples to support the answers:

a. Do you agree with the Confession of Faith set forth in the Discipline of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA?

b. Describe your conversion experience, your faith journey, and your call to ministry.

c. How do you support your belief that the Bible is the Word of God and that it reveals the only way of salvation? 

d. What is your motive for desiring this license with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA?

e. What is the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer? How is this demonstrated in your life?

f. What do you believe regarding the nature of humanity and the individual need for salvation?

g. Define the following terms: depravity, redemption, faith, repentance, justification, regeneration, and sanctification.

h. Demonstrate proficiency with a plan of salvation and identify individuals you have led to Christ.

i. Will you agree to abide by the official actions of the denomination in all matters related to ministry?

j. Will you faithfully pursue the course of study and/or additional requirements needed for ordination or a specialized ministry license?

k. What current debts do you have?

l. Have you ever pled guilty to or been convicted of a crime?

m. Have you ever been charged with child neglect or abuse?

n. Has your driver’s license ever been suspended or revoked?

o. Is your use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs consistent with the standards detailed in Discipline, Chapter 6, Paragraph 143? If not, please explain. 

p. To what extent do you agree with the Family Standards as defined in the Discipline? Are you living consistently with those standards? 

q. To what extent do you agree with the Membership and Social Standards as defined in the Discipline? Are you living consistently with those standards?

r. To what extent do you agree with the General Qualifications of Ministers as defined in the Discipline? Are you willing to abide by those statements?

¶116 Background Check

The candidate shall submit to a background check as determined by the Pastoral Ministry Leadership Team. This shall be at the candidate’s expense.

¶117 Other Documents

The candidate shall also provide:

a. A copy of his/her academic transcripts.

b. An updated Minister’s Bio Sheet.

¶118 Annual Renewal

This license must be renewed each year by the Pastoral Ministry Leadership Team. Renewal will be determined subject to the following conditions:

a. An annual report must be made to the bishop’s office for review by the PMLT.

b. Progress is being made in the required course of study (see below).

c. A course in United Brethren church history must be completed.

¶119 Advancing to National Conference License

1. Referral for National Conference License

a. Provisional ministers seeking ordination may be referred to the national conference when they meet the qualifications for national conference license.

b. Should a provisional minister be referred and not received as a national conference minister, the previous status as a provisional minister will be retained.

2. Requirements for National Conference License

Provisional ministers may hold a national conference license when the following conditions have been met:

a. The provisional license has been held for a minimum of 12 months.

b. They have completed the equivalent of two years of college.

c. They have completed the course in United Brethren church history.

d. They have met the requirements for national conference license (see handbook chapter “National Conference Ministers”).

¶120 Advancing to Specialized Minister License

1. Referral for Specialized Minister License

a. Provisional ministers not seeking ordination may be referred to the national conference when they meet the qualifications for specialized minister license.

b. Should a provisional minister be referred and not received as a specialized minister, the previous status as a provisional minister will be retained.

2. Requirements for Specialized Minister License

Provisional ministers may hold a specialized minister license when the following conditions have been met:

a. The provisional license has been held for a minimum of 12 months.

b. They have completed 30 semester hours of college level work in their field of specialization, including a minimum of 12 hours of Bible.

c. They have completed the course in United Brethren church history.

¶121 Ministers from Other Denominations

If a minister from another denomination with the equivalent of this provisional license seeks to be licensed by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA, a license will be granted providing that all other requirements for a provisional license have been met.

¶122 Expectations of Provisional Ministers

In addition to the general expectations of all ministers and members in the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA, provisional ministers are expected to faithfully fulfill the following requirements:

1. Annual Reporting

All provisional ministers are expected to file an annual report of their activities with the bishop.

2. Accountability

Since this license is granted by the national conference, provisional ministers are accountable to the national conference in addition to the normal accountability procedures in the local church where they serve.

3. Ministerial Service

a. Provisional ministers shall work under the direction of the bishop.

b. Provisional ministers may officiate at funerals and weddings and administer the ordinances of baptism and communion only under the supervision of a senior pastor.

4. Course of Study

All provisional ministers are expected to pursue the course of study outlined in the chapter “Educational Requirments.”