Page 5 - Set Apart Ministry 2017

PREPARING FOR THE SET-APART MINISTRY
DISCERNMENT, LICENSURE, COMMISSIONING,

AND ORDINATION

Preparing for service in the set-apart ministry should be a precious time in your life.
Just as your salvation was and continues to be a life-transforming event, so preparing to
answer God’s calling on your life to serve as a set-apart minister will be a life-
transforming event.

There are several options for formal ministry training available within the Church of the
Brethren. These include Training in Ministry (TRIM), Education for Shared Ministry
(EFSM), Academy Certified Training Systems (ACTS or SeBAH-CoB for Spanish
language students) or a Master of Divinity degree (MDiv.). These training options are
available through either the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center or Bethany Seminary.
Specific information on which tract might be most appropriate for you is available in a
separate pamphlet.

The training programs mentioned above do not automatically confer ministerial
credentials upon completion. At some point, either during or after formal training, it will
be necessary to be credentialed by the District Ministry Commission. That credentialing
process is outlined below.

Answering God’s call to leadership in ministry is serious business. Ministerial
leadership may be desired by many. While it is important to have such a desire, desire
alone is not sufficient. God has specific expectations and requirements for those who
would serve as set-apart ministers in the local church. (1 Timothy 3:1-15, Titus 1:5-9;
James 3:1, 1 Peter 5:1-4) The Apostle Paul cautions Timothy, “Do not lay hands on
anyone hastily, nor share in other people's sins…” (1 Timothy 5:22). The purposes of
the Discernment, Licensure, and Commissioning / Ordination processes are to assist
you in clarifying your call to ministry and to assist you in preparing to fulfill this very
responsible calling.

CATEGORIES FOR THE SET-APART MINISTRY
Discerner
Discerners enter into a period of time, typically one year, of concentrated and guided
study in God’s Word, of personal reflection and evaluation, and of multiple
discussions with a mentor and a calling cohort on various topics of personal and
family life, calling, and ministry. Discerners are involved in supervised ministry in
their local congregations but have no ministerial credentials and are not permitted to
officiate weddings.

This year of study, reflection, and discussion affords discerners many opportunities
to consider their own fitness and preparedness for ministry. Discerners will receive
honest, constructive input from others. It is very important, especially during this
discernment period, to clearly recognize the reality of a call and the nature or

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