Virginia Mennonite Conference 
Faith and Life Commission

Policy on Special Ministries

This policy was developed to clarify the special ministries for which ministerial credentials are granted by the Faith & Life Commission of Virginia Mennonite Conference.  It also outlines the processes for obtaining such credentials and the accountability and support systems the Conference maintains to enhance and enrich the ministry of those credentialed for Special Ministries in Virginia Mennonite Conference.

I.	Policy
A.	Special Ministries for which Virginia Mennonite Conference grants credentials:
1.	Chaplaincy as requested by an appointing congregation, district, or agency and approved by the Faith and Life Commission.
2.	Designated pastoral ministries within church agencies (e. g., pastor of students) as requested by the agency and approved by the Faith & Life Commission.
3.	Evangelistic, prophetic, teaching, and leadership ministries that would be significantly enhanced by ministerial credentials, when requested by a congregation, district, or agency and approved by the Faith & Life Commission.  (See Addendum A, “Reasons for Giving Credentials to Persons Serving in Educational Institutions”.)
 
B.	Support for Persons in Special Ministries
"Since the offices of ministerial leadership belong to the church, not the individual, it is the church's responsibility to discern and identify members' gifts and character and to help them understand how they can best contribute to the ministry of God's people.  This includes helping persons to learn how to live and minister in community, to ascertain the most appropriate way and place in which their gifts should be deployed, and to decide whether to enter or to continue in ministerial office." (Mennonite Polity, page 19)
		Virginia Mennonite Conference provides support for persons in special ministries in the following ways:
1.	Authentication of call and credibility through the credentialing processes of the Faith and Life Commission.
2.	Visibility and affirmation for ongoing ministry through the maintenance of an annually published roster of ministry persons in the Conference report book and through the Mennonite Directory.
3.	Support, encouragement and nurture through a relationship with a bishop/overseer.
4.	Collaboration in establishing a support/accountability plan.
5.	Provision for collegial relationships with others in similar ministries.

C.	Accountability of persons in Special Ministries
“Accountability is the dynamic whereby a minister submits and subjects his/her ministry, faith, and life to the church. The offices of ministry are great treasures of the church, each person placed in a ministerial office is a steward of this treasure, humbly and openly providing an account of the ways he/she manages this trust.”  (Mennonite Polity, page 82)

While accountability for ministry involves submission of the ministering person to the church, with our understanding of the church and its ministry we recognize that accountability is mutual.  The church must respect the challenge and admonition of those who minister to it.  Likewise, the ministering person must respect the judgment and counsel of the church.  However, ultimate responsibility for ministerial credentials resides with the church and its designated representatives.  

Virginia Mennonite Conference expects each person credentialed for a special ministry:
1.	To be an active member of a Virginia Mennonite Conference congregation.
2.	To have the affirmation of the leadership of the congregation of which he/she is a member.
3.	To have the support of the sponsoring congregation, district or agency for the credentialing.  
4.	To arrange for the payment of any dues established for the credentialing and supervisory services of the Conference. 

II.	Implementation
A.	Responsibility for the Policy
The Faith & Life Commission will be responsible for:
1.	designating bishops/overseers for credentialed persons.
2.	establishing and collecting the dues for the credentialing & supervisory services provided.
3.	interpreting the policy in exceptional cases.

B.	Application Process
The person applying for special ministries credentialing shall submit the following to the Faith and Life Commission:
1.	A completed application form. (Addendum B, “Special Ministry Application”)
2.	A letter of affirmation and support from the leadership of his/her congregation.
3.	A letter of request from the congregation, district or agency by whom the individual is sponsored or employed.
4.	A written support/accountability plan that includes:
a.	A statement of vision and goals for ministry.  This statement should articulate the vision for the particular ministry and describe that vision's connection to the purposes of Virginia Mennonite Conference and/or the Mennonite Church USA.
b.	Expectations and commitments in relationship with the congregation where the credentialed person is a member.
c.	Consultation with a designated bishop/overseer of VMC.  There should be contact at least four times per year with additional contacts in times of transition.
d.	Participation in a mutual support or ministry accountability group.  The group could be peers in ministry, persons selected from the congregation, or persons from the place of employment as deemed appropriate to provide care and support.
5.	Suggested contribution.  (See G. “Contribution” below.)

C.	Biennial Review
1.	A review of the ministry of persons credentialed for special ministries shall occur every two years.  By June 15 of the year in which the review occurs, a report shall be submitted to the designated bishop/overseer.  This report shall speak to ministry activity and to the implementation of the support/accountability plan.  An official form is provided for this report (Special Ministries Biennial Review Form).
2.	Licenses for special ministry will be renewed annually (similar to licenses for pastoral ministry).  The biennial review with recommendations for extension of the ministry term will be reported to the July meeting of the Faith & Life Commission.
3.	Recommendations of ordained persons for continuation of special ministry status will be processed for affirmation by the Faith & Life Commission in its July meeting.
4.	Reviews will be alternated so that half will be done each year.

D.	Delegate Status
1.	Persons licensed or ordained by Conference and active in special ministries who are not members                   of a special ministries cluster may be delegates to VMC assembly if so designated by their respective district councils.
2.	Special ministries clusters may name one delegate to VMC assembly for every ten members or fraction thereof.

E.	Transfer of Credentials
1.	Transfer of credentials from other conferences will be accommodated upon the request of a congregation or agency and the establishment of the support/ accountability plan.

F.	Termination of Credentials
1.	Ordained persons credentialed for special ministries who do not have a continuing assignment or choose not to renew the special ministry status will be placed in the  “inactive” category, and persons that are licensed will have their licenses terminated.
2.	Persons ordained in VMC prior to January 1993 and those transferred into special ministries from another Conference prior to January 1993 will be placed in “active without charge” or “retired” (if age 55 or older).

G.	Contribution
Congregational contributions provide for bishop/overseer remuneration in the districts.  A contribution from persons in special ministries or their employing agencies will provide for some remuneration for overseers for special ministries.  
1.	The suggested contribution of $100 may be made upon application and/or renewal, and will cover the two-year period ($50 per year). 
2.	The contribution is voluntary on the part of those who were part of the special ministries program at the time of the adoption of this policy (July 19, 2000).  It is required of those who have become part of the special ministries program since then.

III.	Resources
A.	A Mennonite Polity for Ministerial Leadership, A Statement by the Joint Committee on Ministerial Leadership, Faith & Life Press, Newton, Kansas, 1996
B.	Virginia Mennonite Conference Leadership Handbook, (January 2000).

Adopted by the Faith and Life Commission July 19, 2000.  Revised May, 2003.
Adopted by Conference Council June 12, 2003

06/12/03