CREDENTIALING
Your Calling Matters. And So Does the Community That Helps You Live It Out.
In the Missionary Church, credentialing is more than a process of meeting requirements. It’s an opportunity to affirm God’s calling, strengthen your preparation for ministry, and connect you with a community committed to making disciples and multiplying churches.
Your Calling.
Your Path to Credentialing.
Your Credentials Are Just the Beginning
We believe healthy leaders are essential to healthy churches. That’s why our commitment to you doesn’t end when you receive your credentials.
Through relationships with regional leaders, coaching, training, and shared ministry resources, we want to help you continue growing — personally, spiritually, and as a ministry leader.
Specialized
A specialized license may be the first step in formalized ministry. With this credential, ministers typically oversee a specific area of ministry within the local church. A specialized license is not transferable to another church or ministry and is under the supervision of a senior or lead pastor.
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Applicants must have completed a minimum course of study consisting of:
Pastoral Orientation course of the Missionary Church
and at least one course in each of the following:
Old Testament
New Testament
Biblical or Systematic Theology
Biblical Interpretation
Homiletics or communication
Leadership
In special circumstances, individuals with 2 or more years of experience and 12 semester hours of college-level work in their field of specialization may apply and, if approved by the regional board, be granted a specialized ministry license upon completion of the Pastor Orientation Course of the Missionary Church. Other required courses should be completed within 3 years.
LICENSED
Licensed ministers are those whose ministerial calling and gifts have been formally recognized by Missionary Church leadership, through the granting of a ministerial license, authorizing them for and appointing them to actual service in the ministry, subject to supervision and evaluation, as a step toward ordination.
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The applicant shall be reviewed and recommended by the regional, district or network leadership. Applicants must have completed a minimum course of study consisting of:
Pastoral Orientation course of the Missionary Church
and at least one course in each of the following:
Old Testament
New Testament
Biblical or Systematic Theology
Practical Ministry Theology
Biblical Interpretation
Homiletics
Communication
ORDAINED
Ordained ministers are those whose calling, gifts, and usefulness have been demonstrated and enhanced by proper training and experience, and who have been separated to the service of Christ by the regional leadership and by the solemn act of ordination and thus have been fully invested with all the functions of the Christian ministry.
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Candidates for ordination shall fulfill the educational requirements listed below:
Completion of any bachelor’s degree in professional Christian ministries, or
Completion of any master’s degree in professional Christian ministries, or
Completion of the Pastoral Leadership Institute course of studies, or
Completion of a supervised course of studies including 32 semester hours of general education courses and 21 semester hours of professional Christian ministries courses, in addition to the minimum courses prescribed in the requirements for obtaining a license (Old Testament, New Testament, biblical or systematic theology, practical ministry theology, biblical interpretation, homiletics or communication, leadership and Pastor Orientation Course of the Missionary Church), with a minimum of three hours in each of the following: Old Testament, New Testament, biblical or systematic theology, counseling, evangelism and discipleship, and one course related to the individual’s area of ministry (youth, missions, Christian education, church planting, church growth, etc.).
WHAT ARE THE QUALIFICATIONS?
Ministers are men and women called of God to serve the church in an official leadership capacity who normally have special education for such a ministry, whose leadership roles are certified through licensure or ordination, and who receive financial remuneration for their services.
This includes ministers such as pastors, evangelists, Christian education or youth ministers, chaplains, or persons directly involved in the theological training of people for ministry.
Ministers must meet the following qualifications:
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Spiritual Maturity and Christian character as evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit as given in Galatians 5:22-23 and by the qualities required for Christian leaders in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.
Gifts of Leadership confirmed by the church of which they are members (Ephesians 4:11-14).
A Servant Spirit that enables them to submit to the authority of God as they lovingly exercise that authority in ministering to the people of God (John 13:1-17; 1 Cor. 4:1-2; Phil. 2:1-11).
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A high school diploma or its equivalent.
Additional education as set forth in the description of licensed and ordained ministers.
Note: Special consideration may be given after consultation with the candidate; the regional, district, or network leadership; and the president or his representative.
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Participation in and completion of a Pastoral Orientation course of the Missionary Church.
A commitment to hold and to teach the denominational “Articles of Faith and Practice.”
A commitment to support the programs of the Missionary Church.
A commitment to communicate by word and example a Christian worldview and lifestyle as reflected in the Missionary Church Constitution and Pastor Orientation Manual.
Membership in a local Missionary Church unless otherwise approved by the regional, district or network leadership due to extenuating circumstances.
All credentialed ministers are required to attend their regional, district or network conference when they meet unless there are extenuating circumstances that are reported to and approved by the leadership of that entity prior to conference.
It is the policy of the Missionary Church not to license or ordain a person who has been divorced, divorced and remarried, or married to a person who has been divorced. In cases where there are extenuating circumstances, application may be made to the regional, district or network leadership, and upon a 75% vote of that body, a recommendation may be sent to the General Board, which shall appoint a special commission to thoroughly investigate the case and give approval or disapproval.
Missionary Church Credential process
1. CHURCH MEMBERSHIP
Establish membership in a local Missionary Church
*Applicants living in an area where there is no Missionary Church must comply with steps 2 &3 in this list.
2. CONTACT LEADERSHIP
Counsel with your pastor and regional, district or network leadership as to the nature and condition of your call from God to the ministry.
3. RECOMMENDATION
Receive an official recommendation from the board of your local church.
4. SUBMIT APPLICATION PART 1
Submit a completed Application Part 1 for consideration by your regional, district or network leadership.
If married, your spouse will need to submit a completed Spouse Application.
Here’s a copy of the Minister Application to review and prepare:
Ministerial App: English PDF, Spanish PDF, Portuguese PDF
Spouse App: English PDF, Spanish PDF, Portuguese PDF
5. Interview with your regional leaders and credential committee
Discuss your call to ministry in an interview with the regional director and credentialing leaders, who will then encourage you to complete Step 6 in conjunction with their final recommendation regarding credentials.
6. Submit Application part 2
Submit a completed Application Part 2 for final consideration by regional leadership.
(Here’s a copy to review and prepare: English PDF, Spanish PDF, Portuguese PDF.)
7. Complete background checks and pastoral orientation Course
Complete the Pastoral Orientation Course and background checks. Once the region has received both parts of your application, you’ll receive links to complete the background checks and pastoral orientation course.
Begin the process — the one-time fee for administering the credentialing process through the national office is $199. This covers administrative costs including the background check process.
This fee covers your entire Credentialing process. Including background checks and the Pastoral Orientation exam.
After all steps are complete and submitted to the Missionary Church national office, you’ll receive credential documents in the mail.