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New Millennium Ministries
ORDINATION
OF MINISTERS
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NMM shall ordain ministers for
accomplishing the work of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Ordination is
the public
acknowledgement by the NMM in recognizing God's call upon a
candidate for the sacred ministry of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The rights conferred by ordination include the authority to
perform baptisms, funerals, marriages, and to conduct other church
and para-church ministries and services.
I. ORDINATION STANDARDS FOR
CANDIDATES
1. Spiritual. An
experience of conversion, a divine call to the ministry, a
consistent Christian walk, spiritual maturity, a vital concern for
the salvation of people and upbuilding of the church at home and
abroad.
2. Doctrinal. All
prospective ministers should affirm their unequivocal adherence to
an evangelical doctrinal position based on the Scriptures as the
Word of God and subscribe to the NMM Statement of Creed and other
core principles.
3. Educational. In view
of the growing demands placed on pastors, ministers and missionaries
to function in a 21st century context, it is advisable
and recommended that graduation from a four-year college program or
equivalent training and experience is demonstrated. The ministerial
calling requires the best training, comparable in quality and
intensity to that of other professions. Candidates for ordination
must make a commitment to engage in continuous study as recommended
by the Ordination Committee.
4. Non-denominational.
NMM is a non-denominational ministry and will ordain ministers
without regard to denominational background, so long as candidates
meet the requirements for ordination and subscribe to the NMM
Statement of Creed and guidelines for ordination.
5. Practical
experience. It is advisable that apart from theological, Bible
school or other formal training, a candidate should demonstrate
practical experience that shows readiness for leadership and
ministry. In cases where candidates may complete Bible school
training but have no practical experience, a provisional license to
preach and serve as a pastor will permit him or her to fulfill
pastoral duties without restriction during the year or more before
full ordination. Exceptions to this rule will be made when the
candidate has had adequate pastoral experience before and during his
or her Bible college training, or when he or she must seek early
ordination to satisfy requirements for missionary or special
service.
II. ORDINATION PROCEDURE
1. Preliminary examination.
In a typical case, the person seeking ordination will complete a NMM
application form.
A criminal background and
security check will be made. The candidate will provide background
information on his or her involvement in Christian ministry and
work. When all information is assembled, the Ordination Committee
shall review the application, and subsequently interview the
candidate to verify that he or she is a worthy candidate. The
Ordination Committee shall make a recommendation to the Executive
Committee on ordination, with or without stipulations. In some
cases, a Provisional Ordination shall be made upon the
recommendation of the Ordination Committee if it is believed that
the Candidate demonstrates holy zeal for the work of the gospel but
needs to complete additional training, or needs to be assigned a
coach or mentor. Upon satisfactory completion of the set
requirements, the Provisional Ordination shall be upgraded to Full
Ordination.
2. The public declaration
of ordination. As far as is practical, there shall be a public
service of ordination.
3. Ordained ministers
authorized to ordain others. Ministers ordained by NMM may
recommend members of their church or para-church organizations for
ordination through NMM. In special cases, NMM may give specific
authorization to ministers ordained by NMM to ordain other
ministers, especially in the foreign mission field. In such cases,
the Ordained Minister shall arrange to submit applications and fees
to NMM for those candidates being recommended for ordination.
In specific cases, the ordination committee may waive the fees for
ordination.
4. Fees.
The application fee for ordination will be $50.00 (for two years)
plus the costs for a criminal background check. Ministers are
expected to support the work of NMM through a portion of their
tithes and offerings.
III. REVOCATION OF
ORDINATION
Should a minister be found
living a life unbecoming a servant of the Lord or proclaiming
teachings contrary to the Word of God and engage in practices
contrary to the traditional marriage, or commit offenses that bring
reproach to the gospel, the NMM shall express its concerns to the
ordained minister and invite him or her to a meeting to hear the
charges and the ministerís defense. The Ordination Committee or the
NMM Executive Committee may also act upon the written complaints
received such as complaints from the group or organization where the
minister is involved. Upon recommendation of the Ordination
Committee, if fault is found, the Executive Committee may then
revoke the ministerís ordination certificate and announce the
revocation in its communications, or it may choose to design a
Restoration Plan with benchmarks and timelines for behavioral
outcomes that demonstrate progress.
IV. RECOGNITION OF PREVIOUS
ORDINATION
When ministers ordained in
other fellowships that have become defunct or the ministers may no
longer subscribe to the practices of their previous organizations,
and they desire to be ordained through the NMM, the NMM may take the
following steps:
a.
Ask the Candidate to complete an application form.
b.
Application is reviewed, background checks are done, the
candidate is interviewed and a recommendation is made to the
Executive Committee.
c.
Proceed with a public recognition service, if nomination is
recommended.
AFFIRMATION OF MINISTERIAL
ETHICS IN THE NMM NETWORK *
The following standards are
set forth in an effort to create professional understanding and to
preserve the dignity, maintain the discipline and promote the
integrity of our chosen ministry of Jesus Christ.
My Person
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I will endeavor to pray daily, to read, study and
meditate upon Godís Word, and to maintain extended times
of contemplation.
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I will plan times to be with my family, realizing my
special relationship to them, and their position as
important members of my congregation.
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I will seek to keep my body physically fit through
proper eating habits and planned exercise, renewing
myself through weekly time off and through vacations.
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I will try to keep myself emotionally fit, keeping in
touch with my feelings and growing in healthy control of
them.
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I will strive to grow through comprehensive reading and
through participation in professional educational
opportunities.
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I will be a servant of God seeking to maintain a life of
purity, integrity and truthfulness.
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I will avoid lust, pornography and sexual sin.
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I will not abuse my own body and will avoid addictions
of all kinds.
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I will not emotionally, verbally, physically or sexually
abuse my spouse, my children or any other person.
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I will seek professional help promptly when I need
personal support or intervention.
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I will seek to develop accountable relationships with
one or more of my peers of the same gender.
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My Calling
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I will seek to conduct myself consistently with my
calling and commitment as a servant of God.
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I will give priority to my congregation and will accept
added responsibilities only if they do not interfere
with the overall effectiveness of my ministry in the
congregation.
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I will consider a confidential statement made to me as a
sacred trust.
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I will responsibly exercise the freedom of the pulpit,
speaking the truth of Godís Word with conviction in
love; and will acknowledge any extensive use of material
prepared by someone else.
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I will advocate adequate compensation for my profession
and will assist the congregation in understanding that a
minister should not expect or require fees for pastoral
services to them.
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I will be honest in my stewardship of money, paying
bills promptly; I will not abuse my position for
personal gain.
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I will financially support the work of God as a good
steward.
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My Congregation
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I will seek to regard all persons in the congregation
with equal love and concern, and undertake to minister
impartially to their needs and refrain from behavior
that will be divisive.
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I will treat all those in the church with dignity and
respect, while retaining the right to establish close
friendships within the congregation.
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I will exercise confidence in the lay leadership,
assisting in their training and mobilizing their
creativity.
I will embrace the ways
of beatific leadership and congregational empowerment.
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I will seek to lead the church in a positive direction.
I will remain open to constructive criticism and to
suggestions intended to strengthen our common ministry.
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I shall seek to deal fairly with the church or ministry
I am presently serving. I will cooperate with the
personnel of the ministry in which I serve, and offer
responsible criticism in order that our common service
in the kingdom of God might be more effective. In the
event that I seriously violate the vows I have made to
God and my organization, I will submit to the
restoration/reconciliation process established by my
organization.
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My Colleagues
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I will seek to maintain supportive, fraternal, caring
and accountable relationships with my colleagues in the
ministry. I will seek and honor all commitments made
with other pastors, and I will respect the pastoral
relationships that my neighboring pastors have with
their parishioners.
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*Sources
include the Baptist General Conference
Download Ordination Application
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Download Reference Form >>
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