The In- Care Process

A Partnership Between the Local Church

And the Church and Ministry Committee

Persons seeking to answer a call from God to ordained ministry in the Essex Association of the MACUCC are required to complete two years "In Care" of the Association. During this they receive counsel and nurture from the Church and Ministry Committee as they discern their call.   Their local church is a key partner with the committee throughout this process.

The decision to accept a person "In- Care" is a crucially important one.   It is important for the Church, for on this decision rests the quality of the future ordained leadership of the United Church of Christ. It is important for students who will be committing approximately $50,000 to obtain   a Master of Divinity degree, and dedicating themselves    to one of the most stressful careers in our modern society.   For these reasons it is important that candidates apply for in- care status as early as possible - certainly within six months of starting seminary studies.

The first step in the process is that the local church makes a recommendation to the Church & Ministry Committee to accept one of its members "In-Care."   The local church, as the primary place where persons hear the call of God to ministry, faces a heavy responsibility in formulating this recommendation. The questions that need to be asked are difficult and searching.   Is the call to ministry clearly apparent?   Is the candidate truly suitable and gifted for the demands of ministry?   It is   temptingly easy to say "Yes" to these questions in the face of friendship and enthusiasm, but the high level of "fall-out" in the first eighteen months of ministry is   evidence that sometimes "Not yet or No" would be the wiser and kinder response.

Upon receipt of the local church's recommendation the in-care sub committee of the Church and Ministry Committee will ask for verification of church membership, the story of the candidate's faith journey and a description of the process used by the local church to interview and recommend the candidate. The candidate will be asked to provide three references -from a pastor, from a college or seminary professor, and from a lay person familiar with the candidate's vocational aspirations - academic transcripts and educational plans, employment history and a completed background disclosure form.

The sub-committee will then interview the candidate and make recommendations to the main committee. These may be:

• "Yes" Acceptance in- care of the candidate after an interview with the main committee to which members of the local church are invited.
• "Yes-but." The sub-committee feels that the candidate may have the potential for ordained ministry but identifies certain reservations and conditions that must be addressed.   A decision to accept the candidate is postponed until these conditions have been met.
• "No-but." The sub-committee feels it cannot at this stage make a positive decision on the candidate.   It identifies certain deficiencies that have prompted this decision and indicates its willingness to reconsider the application after these have been addressed.
• "No." The sub-committee after careful consideration feels that the candidate does not have the potential for ordained ministry.

Decisions other than "Yes," are made following endorsement by the main committee and in full communication with the local church.

Two advisors, one clergy, one lay are appointed to an accepted candidate to provide counsel, guidance and nurture throughout the process to the successful completion of an ecclesiastical council.   These advisors will report regularly to the church & ministry committee and these reports will be shared with the local church. The student's in-care status will be renewed annually, after an interview by the committee; to which, again members of the local church are invited.

This whole process is dedicated to the careful selection and nurturing of candidates called by God to the ordained ministry. It is a process in which church &ministry committee members dedicate themselves to their responsibilities to the United Church of Christ, the local church and the candidate.   It is indeed a process of loving covenantal partnership in which we all strive to serve only God and God's purpose, as best we can.  

This is the first of a series of articles written by members of the Essex Association

Church & Ministry Committee describing the committee's responsibilities and functions.

In-Care Process Part 2