AD-INTERIM COMMITTEE ON ORDINATION STANDARDS

SUMMARY OF WORK

1. We focused on evaluating and revising the current ordination process to provide a clearer path to a more effective bar for Teaching Elders in the EPC.

2. We met multiple times online and in person to develop a new framework for the ordination process with the goal of clarifying the roles, responsibilities, and relationships between the candidate and the ascending courts of the church.

Back to Top

RECOMMENDATIONS

45-10 Recommends that the 45th General Assembly approve revisions to G. 11-2.

45-12 Recommends that the 45th General Assembly add a new section titled G. 18- 3. E., defining Session’s authority in the Session Endorsement process and renumbering the current G. 18- 3. E to G. 18- 3. F.

45-14 Recommends that the 45th General Assembly approve revisions to G. 19-4 B.

45-16 Recommends that the 45th General Assembly approve revisions to G. 21-2 D.1

45-18 Recommends that the 45th General Assembly revise Rules for Assembly X.C.5 to eliminate “extraordinary” language and replace it with CEEP. Additionally, add X.C.7 to clarify MVC’s authority over all standardized forms in the ordination process.

45-19 Recommends that the 45th General Assembly revise Acts of Assembly 82-07. 1-2 to clarify all written exams are governed by the MVC and eliminate the language of “extraordinary circumstances”

45-20 Recommends that the 45th General Assembly create new Acts of Assembly 12-12 eliminating the requirement for a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university.

45-21 Recommends that the 45th General Assembly require a criminal background check with a three-year expiration date to be submitted by the Session prior to endorsing an individual for Candidacy.

45-22 Recommends that the 45th General Assembly require all candidates to undergo a standardized National Background Check conducted through the Office of the General Assembly and paid for by the Candidate’s Presbytery before being approved for ordination.

45-23 Recommends that the 45th General Assembly require individuals seeking to be taken under care as Candidates submit the forms “Application for Candidacy” and “Preliminary Questionnaire” available on the EPC website.

45-24 Recommends that the 45th General Assembly require all candidates under care to have a current physical exam, and a psychological exam (which includes the most current version of the MMPI), including a personal assessment with the psychologist administering the exam.

45-25 Recommends that the 45th General Assembly require all candidates, before final examination by the Presbytery, to submit a completed and current PIF.

45-26 Recommends that the 45th General Assembly approve a “third year” for this committee to review and recommend any changes to our ordination standards.

Back to Top

WORK OF THE COMMITTEE

The 43rd General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church voted to create an Ad-Interim, Moderator-appointed Committee on the Ordination Standards. The purpose of the committee was to review the current processes and standards related to the ordination of Teaching Elders in the EPC. In an era of growing skepticism and significant change in traditional theological education, the goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of the current model in preparing and equipping men and women from different backgrounds and life experiences to meet the demands of pastoral ministry in the 21st century, North American and Caribbean context and recommend any potential changes to a future General Assembly.

Our committee has met for two years. The first year was dedicated to listening and soliciting as much feedback as possible on our current ordination process and standards from all Teaching and Ruling Elders. We used tools like denomination-wide emails, surveys of current Teaching Elders, a General Assembly Networking lunch, and many informal conversations across the EPC to gather as much data as possible on the effectiveness of our current ordination process and standards. Our desire for this process was to be as open and transparent as possible and make sure every voice was heard and everyone felt valued.

Our second year has been dedicated to reviewing, evaluating, and revising our current ordination process. Our committee has met almost monthly since last year’s General Assembly with in-person meetings in September 2024 and March 2025 and we have prepared recommendations for changes to the Book of Government, Acts of Assembly, Rules of Assembly, and the Ministerial Committee Procedure Manual. As you review our proposals in preparation for General Assembly this summer, please keep in mind that our recommendations are focused on the “ordination process” at this point, and we will be asking the General Assembly for an additional year to review, evaluate, and recommend any potential changes to the current ordination standards. We also invite you to contact us with any questions about our recommendations as well as join us for our Networking Lunch at General Assembly this year to offer your feedback before bringing our recommendations to the floor.

The guiding philosophy behind our recommendations has always been to “seek a clearer path to a more effective bar.” To that end, we have sought to bring clarity, consistency, and efficiency to our process while maintaining respect for the different courts of the church and the need for robust national standards. Key discussions were held along the way on the roles and responsibilities of the candidate, Session, Presbytery, and Office of the General Assembly. We acknowledged the real tensions we face as a denomination as we seek to call, equip, and retain effective Teaching Elders in the EPC. And we recognize the need to continue to improve communication between presbyteries, local churches, and candidates so the candidacy experience is a positive and life-giving one.

Perhaps the biggest change we are recommending this summer is the breaking down of the ordination process into three distinct phases. The “Applicant” phase will be governed by the Session and will include elements like membership in the local church, criminal background check, Session endorsement, and the assignment of a Session liaison who will assist the Applicant throughout the entire ordination process and focus on spiritual formation. This phase comes to a close with the standard interview with the Ministerial and/or Care of Candidates Committee and reception into the Presbytery as a Candidate. Phase two of the ordination process is the “Candidacy” phase, which is governed by the presbytery. It includes an Advisor who assists the Candidate with elements like filling out the PIF, continuing to explore their sense of call, and preparing for the written and oral ordination exams. Once the Candidate has passed their examinations and been received as a member of the Presbytery, they enter the third and final “Minister-Elect” phase of the ordination process. These changes will require some extensive revisions to our current Book of Government and Acts of Assembly which we will be presenting to you this summer.

Back to Top

RECOMMENDATIONS (DETAILED)

RECOMMENDATION 45-10 

Recommends that the 45th General Assembly approve revisions to G. 11-2.

Rationale:
• G.11-2.A
– Applicant refers to the one petitioning to become a Candidate.
– Since church members are subject to the jurisdiction of the Session, the process of seeking the Session’s endorsement is described prior to the Applicant submitting their name to the Presbytery.
• G.11-2.C – The Applicant becomes a Candidate under care upon declaration of the Moderator.
• G.11-2.D – Since Candidates remain members of the local church during their preparation for ordination, a Liaison between the Candidate and the Session provides fuller care for the Candidate.
• G.11-2.E – This provision would give the Presbytery freedom to assign a Candidate’s Pastor as the Advisor when deemed appropriate. It also clarifies that the spiritual nurture and oversight of a Candidate lies with the Session and not solely with the Pastor.
• G.11-2.F – The supervision of a Candidate may determine that the Candidate has ceased preparation for ordination or is in some other manner failing in the needed preparation for office. The details for this evaluation are included the Procedural Manual for Ministerial Committees (p. 43).
• G.11-2.G – This clarifies that there are two educational pathways toward ordination: a Master of Divinity degree, and education equivalent to a Master of Divinity degree. For a description of “equivalent” see: Acts of Assembly 82-07; 12-12; and 14-08.
• Deletion of present G.11-2.I – This would eliminate the ambiguous and often confusing third “extraordinary” pathway toward ordination.

RECOMMENDATION 45-12

Recommends that the 45th General Assembly add a new section titled G. 18- 3. E., defining Session’s authority in the Session Endorsement process and renumbering the current G. 18- 3. E to G. 18- 3. F.

Rationale: G. 18-3.E – The Session retains immediate jurisdiction over both the Applicant and the Candidate during the ordination process. These three responsibilities expand upon the Session’s role in the preparation of Applicant/Candidate for ordination.

RECOMMENDATION 45-14

Recommends that the 45th General Assembly approve revisions to G. 19-4 B.

Rationale: These proposed amendments, which emerge from previously proposed amendments to G.11-2 (See: Recommendation 45-10), are offered for the sake of clarity and consistency.

RECOMMENDATION 45-16

Recommends that the 45th General Assembly approve revisions to G. 21-2 D.1

Rationale: The Ministerial Committee or other designated Committee of the Presbytery has the responsibility for Applicants seeking to come under Care of the Presbytery. This proposed amendment, which emerges from previously proposed amendments to G.11-2 (See: Recommendation #45-10), is offered for the sake of clarity and consistency.

RECOMMENDATION 45-18

Recommends that the 45th General Assembly revise Rules for Assembly X.C.5 to eliminate “extraordinary” language and replace with CEEP. Additionally, add X.C.7 to clarify MVC’s authority over all standardized forms in the ordination process.

Rationale: We eliminated the “extraordinary” language and replaced it with “educational equivalency” or the CEEP process. We also clarified the Ministerial Vocation Committee’s authority over all the national standardized forms for the ordination process. 

RECOMMENDATION 45-19

Recommends that the 45th General Assembly revise Acts of Assembly 82-07. 1-2 to clarify all written exams are governed by the MVC and eliminate language of “extraordinary circumstances”

Rationale: We revised Acts of Assembly 82-07 in order to clarify the authority of the Ministerial Vocation Committee over all national written exams in the ordination process, as well as eliminated the language of “extraordinary circumstances.” 

RECOMMENDATION 45-20

Recommends that the 45th General Assembly create a new Acts of Assembly that supersedes Act of Assembly 12-12 eliminating the requirement for a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university.

Rationale: While some seminaries require a bachelor’s degree, other educational institutions and the CEEP process do not. We believe making this change creates greater access and opportunity for those who may be able to fulfill our educational requirements without a bachelor’s degree. 

RECOMMENDATION 45-21

Recommends that the 45th General Assembly require a criminal background check with a three year expiration date to be submitted by the Session prior to endorsing and individual for Candidacy.

Rationale: We believe this is a best practice for the church and it is best done at the beginning of the process to identity any potential issues before the ordination process begins. We believe this is best overseen by the local church Session and should be updated every three years.

RECOMMENDATION 45-22

Recommends that the 45th General Assembly require all candidates to undergo a standardized National Background Check conducted through the Office of the General Assembly and paid for by the Candidate’s Presbytery prior to being approved for ordination.

Rationale: We believe the Candidate should also undergo a National Background Check administered through the Office of General Assembly in order to demonstrate due diligence and provide a standard for the background check process. This national standard provides a uniform process that all Candidates for ordination in the EPC undergo in order to reduce potential liability and, more importantly, give local churches confidence in the character quality of the people they may be calling to serve as Teaching Elders. 

RECOMMENDATION 45-23

Recommends that the 45th General Assembly require individuals seeking to be taken under care as Candidates submit the forms “Application for Candidacy” and “Preliminary Questionnaire” available on the EPC website.

Rationale: While in wide use, the “Application for Candidacy” form and “Preliminary Questionnaire” are not currently required. We believe all national standardized forms in the ordination process should be constitutionally required. 

RECOMMENDATION 45-24

Recommends that the 45th General Assembly require all candidates under care to have a current physical exam, and a psychological exam (which includes the most current version of the MMPI), including a personal assessment with the psychologist administering the exam.

Rationale: We believe all Candidates should undergo a thorough physical and psychological exam to make sure they are prepared to handle the rigors of ordained ministry. Current data suggests that pastors across the United States are suffering from significant mental and physical distress that is directly impacting their ability to minister effectively. We believe that by requiring physical and psychological exams, we can better equip our Candidates to serve in the ordained ministry.

RECOMMENDATION 45-25

Recommends that the 45th General Assembly require all candidates, prior to final examination by the Presbytery, to submit a completed and current PIF.  

Rationale: As stated above, we believe all national standardized forms in the ordination process should be constitutionally required and this includes the Personal Information Form (PIF).

RECOMMENDATION 45-26

Recommends that the 45th General Assembly approve a “third year” for this committee to review and recommend any changes to our ordination standards.

Rationale:
The committee is requesting a third year in order to review the ordination standards themselves and present any recommendations to next year’s General Assembly. This is necessary to complete the final part of the charge we were given when we were initially established.

Back to Top

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Julie Hawkins (Co-Chairman)
TE, Presbytery of the Pacific Northwest

Annie Rose
TE, Presbytery of the Rivers and Lakes

Matt Koehn
TE, Presbytery of the Southeast

Meagan Kroeker
TE, Presbytery of the Pacific Southwest

Fred Lian
TE, Presbytery of the West

Back to Top

MEETING DATES

August 21, 2024: Video Conference
September 12-13, 2024: Office of the General Assembly (Orlando, FL)
October 9, 2024: Video Conference
November 20, 2024: Video Conference
January 22, 2025: Video Conference
February 19, 2025: Video Conference 
March 17-18, 2025: Office of the General Assembly (Orlando, FL)
May 21, 2025: Video Conference 

Julie Hawkins, Co-Chairman
June 2025

Back to Top