Uniting Church in Australia, Presbytery/Synod of SA VITALITY OF CALL AND COVENANT CONSULTATIONS

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1 Uniting Church in Australia, Presbytery/Synod of SA VITALITY OF CALL AND COVENANT CONSULTATIONS The purpose of a Vitality of Call and Covenant Consultation is to help a Minister, Congregation/s and Presbytery discern together whether there is still a good match between the minister and the congregation at this particular point of time and into the future. This consultation is a disciplined reflection upon the vitality of a call. When should a Consultation be initiated and by whom? The consultation may take place at the initiative of the PRC in the ninth year of a placement. This consultation may be held in conjunction with a regular Consultation into the Life and Witness of a Congregation should the two fall due at about the same time. (Reg 3.1.4) A minister may seek a consultation at any time. Who should be involved in the Consultation? The consultation is a Presbytery initiative aimed at assisting the Minister, Congregation/s and the Presbytery in ascertaining the will of God for the continuing placement of the Minister. Therefore all three groups should be involved. The consultation considers the placement in the light of the current Congregational Profile and each participant contributes in an open and honest way. Some reference to the old profile may be helpful, particularly if the emphasis or direction of the Congregation/s has changed significantly in the intervening years. It will be essential that the Congregation/s and Minister have both recently revised their respective profiles as a resource to aiding the conversation. The Consultation team shall normally include: no more than two presbytery representatives the Minister three Church Councillors. Normally at least one of these would be an elder, and one a nominee of the Minister. (Where it is a non Congregation/s placement some other appropriate persons would be appointed.) Procedure Before the Consultation The Presbytery (PRC) writes to the Congregation/s Church Council and the Minister to inform them that a consultation is due, to advise them of preparations, and to set a date. 1. Before the Consultation the Minister and the Church Council update their profiles. Copies of the profiles are sent to the presbytery representatives a month before the consultation. The Page 1

2 Congregation/s Profile that was used at the time of the call should be compared with the new Congregation/s Profile by the Church Council and Minister so as to assess their journey together. This may be done both separately and together. Church Councillors are also encouraged to ascertain the views of Congregation/s members as part of the assessment process. The current Terms of Agreement document should be provided also. The Consultation There should be three steps in the consultation conversations. (i) (ii) (iii) a meeting between Minister and Presbytery representatives a meeting between nominated Church Councillors and Presbytery representatives a joint conversation between all parties. The setting for these meetings should be informal. Possible themes and questions for the first two meetings are set out in Appendix A. Each conversation need not last more than one hour. A meal or light refreshments might helpfully precede the joint conversation. The task of the presbytery representatives is, by a process of listening and encouraging the Congregation/s and Minister, to assess the contributions their respective ministries are making to the present placement and to the ongoing mission of the Congregation/s. The Presbytery representatives prepare a confidential report for the Executive of the Pastoral Relations Committee of the Presbytery. The particular focus of the report is on perceptions regarding the "vitality of the call and covenant" which exists between Minister and Congregation/s. The Minister indicates, and has recorded, his/her view on the ongoing vitality of the call. This may or may not agree with the Church Council. The minister may withdraw his/her request for an extension of the placement at any time during this process. If this is the case, the process is suspended, and the placement ceases at the completion of 10 years, unless the Minister accepts a call elsewhere in the interim. Church Council The Ministers and Church Councillors should ensure that sufficient time is set-aside at a Congregation/s Church Council meeting where they report on the results of the consultation. This may require an initial statement from the participants with all present, followed by a time of discussion by the Church Council without the Minister present. If serious negotiation is necessary, the wording of resolutions may need to be deferred so that further prayerful thought can take place before final decisions are made. When the Church Council is considering the outcome of the consultation it will bear in mind that its resolutions are designed to help the Minister and Presbytery in determining courses of future action. In seeking to discern the will of God, the Minister needs to consider carefully the wisdom of the councils of the Church. Page 2

3 Possible Outcomes Three options are available to the Church Council as it acts on behalf of the Congregation/s in this matter: (a) (b) A resolution which affirms the ongoing ministry of the Minister in that place and includes some reference to a length of time that such a ministry might continue. An expressed view that the Council has no clear leading from the Lord on this matter and encourages the Minister to continue to seek the will of God for her/his future ministry. Where the Church Council declines to express a view that the placement should continue, the Minister may be encouraged by Presbytery (PRC) to have his/her name communicated to ACOMP that they are actively seeking placement. (c) A recommendation to the Presbytery that the Placement not be extended. (Regulation 2.6.8) The Church Council Secretary notifies the Presbytery of the resolution passed at its meeting. The Congregation If the Church Council determines to request an extension of the placement, a meeting of the Congregation must be called, and the recommendation to extend shall be put to the Congregation. Due notice of this meeting shall be given at least one week prior to the date of the meeting. Reg (e). A request for an extension of the placements requires a two-thirds majority by secret ballot. It should be made clear to the Congregation that their decision is a recommendation to the Presbytery, not a binding decision. The resolution passed by the Congregation/s Church Council should be communicated to the Presbytery as soon as possible. The Presbytery's Pastoral Relations Committee would be responsible to determine what follow-up action was appropriate. Presbytery Pastoral Relations/ Placements Committee On receipt of the consultants report and the recommendations from the Church Council and the Congregation (reminder - the Congregation only meets if the Church Council recommendation is affirmative), the Pastoral Relations Committee makes a decision. A decision to extend a placement shall be require a two-thirds majority. Where it is clear that the Congregation/s, and perhaps other parties, are desirous of the placement coming to a close, the Presbytery has the responsibility to do all it can to assist the Minister to find a new placement and the Congregation/s to find a new minister. Page 3

4 Where a Minister has been seeking a placement for some time due to this process, no new placement is effected and Presbytery considers that continuance of the placement is deleterious to the mission of the Congregation/s, it may terminate the placement according to Regulations. (Reg ) The Presbytery/Synod of SA also offers a Discernment Panel process to Ministers whereby they can access the support and advice of a spiritual director, another experienced minister, and a registered psychologist as they discern God s call on their life and the way forward for their ministry. IN SUMMARY: 10 steps to a Vitality of Call and Covenant Consultation 1. The Presbytery alerts the Minister and the Church Council or governing body. 2. Existing Profile and Terms of Agreement documents are sourced. 3. Congregation Profile and Minister s Profile (or Position description) are updated. 4. Consultation Meeting of Pres reps with Minister Meeting of Pres reps with Church Councillors Meeting all together 5. A draft report is written for the Presbytery and the Minister is informed of the recommendation. 6. The recommendation is put to the Church Council (by secret ballot with 2/3 majority) for ratification. 7. If the Church Council recommends an extension of the placement, the recommendation is put to the Congregation (by secret ballot with 2/3 majority). It should be made clear to the Congregation that this remains a recommendation to the Presbytery/Synod only. 8. If the Church Council does not recommend an extension of the placement, this information is communicated to the Pastoral Relations/Placements Committee of the Presbytery/Synod. 9. The Presbytery is informed of any changes to recommendations as a result of Congregation decisions. 10. The Recommendation(s) must be agreed to by PRC/Placements by a secret ballot with 2/3 majority. 1 The Presbytery communicates the outcomes to the Minister and the Church Council / Congregation. 1 In essence, Regulation (a) (ii) means that each of the meetings (Church Council, Congregation and Presbytery) must agree to the extension. If the recommendation to extend fails at ANY one of those three, then the extension is not made. Page 4

5 VITALITY OF CALL AND COVENANT CONSULTATIONS PLANNER Minister s Name: Spouse s Name: Children s Name/s and ages: Date of commencement of placement: Congregation/s (or other ministry context) served: Consultation initiated at the request of: Reason for consultation: Steps: (dates and arrangements) Date congregation and minister informed of consultation: / / Profiles and Terms of Placement documents: Congregational (time of placement): Congregational (current): Minister s Profile (time of placement): Terms of Agreement document (time of placement) Minister s (current profile): Received: Received: Received: Received: Received: Presbytery Representatives appointed: Church Council Representatives: Meetings for consultation planned: Page 5

6 Report to Presbytery: Date received: Church Council decision: Date: Congregation decision: Date: Presbytery Outcome: Date: Presbytery decision conveyed to Minister: Date: Presbytery decision conveyed to Church Council: Date: Page 6

7 APPENDIX A Questions/Issues for the Minister (It is suggested that the Minister discuss these issues with their professional supervisor) What were your expectations when commencing this placement? In what ways have your gifts grown and ministry developed during your time here? In what ways are you finding satisfaction in this place: professionally from a family perspective in terms of your growth and development, etc? In what areas do you experience frustration in this placement? Has the ministry and mission of the Congregation/s changed since you've been here? How have you experienced that? Where do you see the Congregation/s going in the next three years? Page 7

8 Have you a place in that movement? If so, in what way? How would you describe the vitality of your call to this placement right now? Do you think it is appropriate for your mission and ministry to continue in this placement? What would be helpful for the 'energizing' of your future ministry here? In what forms of professional supervision are you currently engaged? Page 8

9 Questions/Issues for the Congregation/s How would you describe the match between the needs of the Congregation/s and gifts the of your present Minister? In what ways have the gifts of the people developed over the term of this placement? In what ways has the Congregation/s encouraged the development of the Minister's gifts, and supported her/his ministry? In what ways has the Minister contributed to the Congregation s movement towards its goals? What have been some of the most satisfying aspects of the present placement? Have there been any unsatisfactory aspects to the present placement? Where do you see the Congregation/s going in the next three years? What place does the present Minister have in this future movement? How would you describe the vitality of the call which brought you and the Minister together?? Page 9

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11 Do you think it is good for ministry and mission of the Congregation/s for the placement to continue? How can the Congregation/s support and encourage your minister in the future? Does the Congregation have a mission plan? Do you have a plan for leadership development in your congregation? In what form/s of supervision are you currently engaged? Page 11