WHEREAS, One of the objectives of the Global Wesleyan Alliance (GWA) is to assist its Covenant Partners in amplifying their missional fruitfulness for Christ through cooperation that may include mutual recognition of ministerial credentials (when approved by their respective appropriate governing bodies):
RESOLVED, That the following standards be established as the basis for the mutual recognition of ministerial credentials by Covenant Partners of the Global Wesleyan Alliance whose governing bodies desire to provide for such; and
RESOLVED, That these standards be incorporated into the governing documents of ministerial credentialing regulations of the General Board of Ministerial Relations.
(1) We affirm that ordination is a service to and sign of the unity of the Church of Jesus Christ. The ordained minister is a symbol of Christ in the work of making God’s living voice heard through the proclamation of the Word and the demonstration of its transforming, sustaining power through the administration of the sacraments as visible means of grace. Ordination is an invocation of the Holy Spirit, a consecration of those set apart by the Church for spiritual leadership and service, a certification of spiritual gifts and graces that qualify one for such leadership and service, and an authorization and empowerment for one to preach and serve as a leader in the community of faith.
(2) The mutual recognition of ordained ministers’ credentials by sister Christian bodies is not based upon organizational unification, but upon communion in our one, holy faith. It is a sign of the unity of the Church universal; a symbol of mutual trust and visible unity as a testimony to the world; a demonstration of our shared commitment to fulfilling the Great Commission in the spirit of the Great Commandment as the primary mission of the Church; a recognition of one another’s apostolicity authority; and a celebration of our unity in diversity, growing out of confidence that we enrich one another and that the Holy Spirit can speak to us through one another.
(3) Mutual recognition of ministerial credentials by Covenant Partners of the Global Wesleyan Alliance (GWA) is established by agreement and adherence to a standardized list of minimum educational training requirements for ordination, so that ministers transferring from one body to another while in the process of or after having completed their ministerial training will each have been required to meet the same basic educational qualifications. While each Covenant Partner my exceed these minimum training requirements by the addition of other courses, internships, periods of supervised ministry, mentoring, etc. based on their own organizational leadership objective and criteria, Covenant Partners assure one another that the credentials of all ministerial personnel are issued based only after compliance with agreed minimum training standards.
(4) Any background screening (including but not limited to criminal or sexual offender records checks, personal credit history reports, driver’s records, etc.) for ministers “temporarily on loan” to another GWA Covenant Partner shall be the sole responsibility of the receiving body. Each body is responsible for completing its own due diligence in matters of ministerial hiring and supervision.
(5) Ministers “temporarily on loan” between GWA Covenant Partners may be restricted from voting membership on any official judicatory or denominational board, commission, task force or conference by the receiving body. The right to determine who is or is not entitled to voting privileges vests solely with each Covenant Partner.
(6) A credentialed minister wishing to serve in a capacity under the supervision of another GWA Covenant Partner shall request a duly-signed “letter of good standing” from his or her jurisdictional supervisor in the originating body to present to the proper official of the receiving body. GWA Covenant Partners agree not to transfer or receive any credentialed minister whose good standing has not thus been established.
(7) Mutual recognition of credentials means the action of one body in approving ministerial qualifications and authority involves a reciprocal element of respect for one another’s disciplinary procedures and decisions. GWA Covenant Partners agree that ministers placed under the discipline in one body shall not be allowed to avoid biblical submission to authority or escape such accountability by transferring to another body unless and until the disciplinary issue is resolved satisfactorily by officials of the originating body.
(8) All GWA Covenant Partners participating in the mutual recognition of ministerial credentials shall insure equal treatment and placement opportunity for all credentialed persons, regardless of gender, ethnicity, race or age.
(9) Recognition of ministerial status is not automatic simply because GWA Covenant Partners have agreed to the mutual recognition of ministerial credentials. Ministerial status is subject to a receiving body’s case-by-case review of a minister’s good standing and qualifications for the particular placement being considered. It is also the right of each originating body to refuse to issue a “letter of good standing” to a minister for cause (as determined by the disciplinary standards of the originating body).
(10) Persons seeking recognition of their ministerial credentials by another GWA Covenant Partner shall be required to sign a legal waiver allowing for release to the appropriate official(s) of the receiving body of confidential personnel files, including applications and questionnaires related to ministerial credentialing, resumes, academic transcripts, performance evaluations, disciplinary records, documentation regarding previous background checks, reference interview notes and other information gathered by the originating body.
(11) A receiving body shall be allowed to require a transferring minister or one “temporarily on loan” to complete a study course within a reasonable period of time as it shall determine related to its own history and polity as a condition for initial or continued appointment.
(12) A receiving body may require ministerial personnel from a GWA Covenant Partner desiring to transfer from another country of origin to provide proof of legal immigration status and educational equivalency, or to complete remedial or contextual training requirements.
(13) GWA Covenant Partners whose governing bodies have approved mutual recognition of credentials agree to include a statement in their respective ordination rituals proclaiming that ministers are set apart for ministry in their particular denomination, as well as for service in the Church universal.
(The 31st General Conference of the Evangelical Methodist Church meeting in Indianapolis, IN, in March 2014 passed the above resolution.)