Frequently Asked Questions

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FAQs - Pastoral Relations
An occasional newsletter of *Frequently Asked Questions* in the area of Pastoral Relations … ASSORTED QUESTIONS FOR CONGREGATIONS AND JNAC/JSC COMMITTEE MEMBERS When our minister retired last year we called a new minister. We all like him very much. The former minister lives in the community and now and then families want to have the former, retired minister take part in special family services like weddings, funerals and baptisms. Does the United Church have any policy about this? Yes there is a policy. In *The Manual 2004* Section 365 refers to function of Ministry and says any retired minister can only continue to exercise their ministry under the oversight and discipline of the Presbytery “and this is done through a formal association with a Pastoral Charge. If they wish to exercise any of the functions of ministry, they shall do so on behalf of a Pastoral Charge and with the approval of the Session or Church Board or Church Council of that Pastoral Charge.” The Manual 2004 Section 365 (b) Section 365 (d) states that, “if (retired ministry) wish to preside at the Sacraments of Baptism or Holy Communion or at a wedding or a funeral, this may be done only with the permission of that Session or Church Board or Council and after consultation with a member of the Order of Ministry who has been settled in or appointed to that Pastoral Charge.” So your former minister, if asked by someone to participate in a special service must discuss it with the current minister. If your minister is in agreement with the retired minister participating then the Session must also give their permission. I am on the Search committee and we are filling out the appointment from for our new minister. In the section on Police Records Check it asks for a date. Is that the date we see the Police records Check? No, the date we want noted is the date of the actual police records check not the date you saw it. This is an important detail. *The Manual 2004* specifies that a “Current police records check” must be viewed. In order to insure that the Police Records Check is current we ask that the date on the form be specific to the date on the Police Records Check. To be considered current the *Guidelines For Committees Requiring Police Record Checks* sates, “Current Police Records Check must be dated no earlier than six months prior to the date of presentation to the committee”. Our new minister arrived a month ago but we haven’t been able to have the Covenanting Service yet because there is some hold-up in the paper work. Why can’t we just go ahead with this very special service? Yes, the paper trail in the United Church of Canada does take time – it is the beauty and the curse of a councilor church. You cannot covenant with your new minister until you have in hand the “Warrant to Covenant” this piece of paper will come from your Presbytery secretary to say that all is in order. But before it comes to you a lot has happened. Once the call to your new minister was extended forms started to flow from your pastoral charge to your Presbytery then to the Conference office. If your minister was called from a Presbytery in another Conference a transfer was initiated and paper work had to be completed in the sending Presbytery and Conference. At each stage there can be delays in the paper work and so it does seem to take a long time. This process is in place so that the change in the pastoral relationship is considered to be in order by the various governing bodies that are concerned about you and your new ministry personnel. Occasionally there is reason to be cautious and so we urge you to be prudent and to wait until all is in order and the Warrant to Covenant is in your hands. I have heard that The United Church is producing a new resource for those involved in Joint Needs Assessment Committee and Joint Search Committees? When will it be available? Yes, a committee of the Ministry Employment Policy Services Permanent Committee has a sub-committee that has worked to develop a resource that could be used as a replacement to the Pastoral Relations Handbook. There are actually two Handbooks, one to describe the Joint Needs process and one to describe the Search process. These two new handbooks will be released in the next month or so and will be available on the United Church web site. These handbooks do not change the process for Joint Needs Assessments or the Joint Search process but are a resource that should be easier for the committees to work with and will bring clarity to the work of the committee.

FAQs - Pastoral Relations

An occasional newsletter of Frequently Asked Questions in the area of Pastoral Relations …

ASSORTED QUESTIONS FOR CONGREGATIONS AND JNAC/JSC COMMITTEE MEMBERS

When our minister retired last year we called a new minister. We all like him very much. The former minister lives in the community and now and then families want to have the former, retired minister take part in special family services like weddings, funerals and baptisms. Does the United Church have any policy about this?

Yes there is a policy. In The Manual 2004 Section 365 refers to function of Ministry and says any retired minister can only continue to exercise their ministry under the oversight and discipline of the Presbytery “and this is done through a formal association with a Pastoral Charge. If they wish to exercise any of the functions of ministry, they shall do so on behalf of a Pastoral Charge and with the approval of the Session or Church Board or Church Council of that Pastoral Charge.” The Manual 2004 Section 365 (b)

Section 365 (d) states that, “if (retired ministry) wish to preside at the Sacraments of Baptism or Holy Communion or at a wedding or a funeral, this may be done only with the permission of that Session or Church Board or Council and after consultation with a member of the Order of Ministry who has been settled in or appointed to that Pastoral Charge.”

So your former minister, if asked by someone to participate in a special service must discuss it with the current minister. If your minister is in agreement with the retired minister participating then the Session must also give their permission.

I am on the Search committee and we are filling out the appointment from for our new minister. In the section on Police Records Check it asks for a date. Is that the date we see the Police records Check?

No, the date we want noted is the date of the actual police records check not the date you saw it. This is an important detail. The Manual 2004 specifies that a “Current police records check” must be viewed. In order to insure that the Police Records Check is current we ask that the date on the form be specific to the date on the Police Records Check. To be considered current the Guidelines For Committees Requiring Police Record Checks sates, “Current Police Records Check must be dated no earlier than six months prior to the date of presentation to the committee”.

Our new minister arrived a month ago but we haven’t been able to have the Covenanting Service yet because there is some hold-up in the paper work. Why can’t we just go ahead with this very special service?

Yes, the paper trail in the United Church of Canada does take time – it is the beauty and the curse of a councilor church. You cannot covenant with your new minister until you have in hand the “Warrant to Covenant” this piece of paper will come from your Presbytery secretary to say that all is in order. But before it comes to you a lot has happened. Once the call to your new minister was extended forms started to flow from your pastoral charge to your Presbytery then to the Conference office. If your minister was called from a Presbytery in another Conference a transfer was initiated and paper work had to be completed in the sending Presbytery and Conference. At each stage there can be delays in the paper work and so it does seem to take a long time. This process is in place so that the change in the pastoral relationship is considered to be in order by the various governing bodies that are concerned about you and your new ministry personnel. Occasionally there is reason to be cautious and so we urge you to be prudent and to wait until all is in order and the Warrant to Covenant is in your hands.

I have heard that The United Church is producing a new resource for those involved in Joint Needs Assessment Committee and Joint Search Committees? When will it be available?

Yes, a committee of the Ministry Employment Policy Services Permanent Committee has a sub-committee that has worked to develop a resource that could be used as a replacement to the Pastoral Relations Handbook. There are actually two Handbooks, one to describe the Joint Needs process and one to describe the Search process. These two new handbooks will be released in the next month or so and will be available on the United Church web site. These handbooks do not change the process for Joint Needs Assessments or the Joint Search process but are a resource that should be easier for the committees to work with and will bring clarity to the work of the committee.