Ministry Personnel and Education
(Conference Division)

MANDATE

 GENERAL PURPOSE

The Division of Ministry Personnel and Education shall coordinate and oversee the development and implementation of all policies, programmes and activities related to the following responsibilities of Toronto Conference:

1. to deal with all matters submitted by a Presbytery which affect the status, faith, character or professional conduct of members of the order of ministry or persons serving as ministry personnel [s. 427(a)*];
   
   
2. to satisfy itself as to the personal character, education, doctrinal beliefs, practical training, health and general fitness for ministry of each candidate for ordination or commissioning [s. 424(b)];
   
   
3. to admit to the order of ministry of The United Church of Canada a diaconal minister or the equivalent, or an ordained minister from another denomination, subject to the regulations of the General Council [s. 424(d)];
   
   
4. to deal with the resignation of a member of the order of ministry received from a Presbytery [s. 427(d)];
   
   
5. to see that, as far as possible, every pastoral charge within the bounds of the Conference shall have a pastorate without interruption and that every effective member of the order of ministry shall have a pastoral charge, and to effect this through the settlement committee [s. 425]; and,
   
   
6. to perform such other duties as the Conference or its Executive may assign to it from time to time; including those actions which are judged to be necessary by the Conference.
   
   
   * all references are to The Manual (2001)
   
   
   SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

The Conference Division of Ministry Personnel and Education shall coordinate and oversee the work of the following committees and boards whose members are appointed by Conference.

1. Settlement and Pastoral Relations Committee
   
   The responsibilities of the settlement and pastoral relations committee are specified in The Manual, ss. 440-454. The membership of the committee is defined in The Manual, s. 441.
   
   
2. Education and Students Committee
   
   The responsibilities of the education and students committee are specified in The Manual, s. 462. The membership of the committee is determined, at present, by each annual meeting of Conference.
   
   
3. Internship Committee
   
   The responsibilities of the internship committee are specified in The Manual, s. 466(b). The membership of the committee is determined, at present, by each annual meeting of Conference.
   
   
4. Interview Board
   
   The responsibilities of the interview board are specified in The Manual, ss. 457 & 458. The membership of this board is determined, at present, by each annual meeting of Conference, in accordance with the guidelines in The Manual, s. 456.
   
   
5. Pensions & Group Insurance
   
   The responsibilities of this committee are specified in The Manual, s. 468(b). The membership of the committee is determined, at present, by each annual meeting of Conference, in accordance with the guidelines in The Manual, s. 468(a).
   
   
6. The Chaplaincy Committee
   
   a. The responsibilities of this committee shall be:
   1. to recommend policies to the Conference Division of Ministry Personnel and Education related to chaplaincies, and to project future needs and issues affecting the ministry of chaplains within the Conference;
      
      
   2. to advocate for the ministry of chaplains both within the various courts of the church and within the institutions where chaplains are or have been ministering;
      
      
   3. to build awareness of the ministry of chaplains among United Church congregations and members in the Conference;
      
      
   4. to provide opportunities for mutual support of chaplains;
      
      
   5. to make recommendations to the mission support committee regarding allocations for individual chaplaincies from the proportion of funds from the annual Conference mission support grant;
      
      
   6. to provide pastoral oversight to chaplaincies, developing criteria for evaluation (similar to pastoral oversight provided by presbyteries to pastoral charges); and
      
      
   7. to recommend to the appropriate Presbytery the covenant related to each United Church chaplain.
      
      Membership: chair or co-chairs
      8 members
      a representative of the chaplains
      
      
7. The Coordinating Committee on Sexual Abuse (Sexual Harassment, Sexual Exploitation, Pastoral Sexual Misconduct, and Sexual Assault)
   
   a. The responsibilities of this committee shall be:
1. to raise awareness of people within the Conference on issues related to sexual abuse;
   
   
2. to make their existence and consultants’ existence well-known in Conference;
   
   
3. to familiarize themselves with resources (e.g. secular consultants, educational materials, distress centres, women’s centres, legal and medical advisors) within the Conference and share this information with the team of consultants and others;
   
   
4. to provide initial and ongoing training and support for consultants;
   
   
5. to be available to the designated officers of church courts for consultation regarding the wisdom of placing a respondent on leave with pay when criminal charges related to sexual assault or child abuse have been laid or when a formal hearing has been requested on a complaint of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, or pastoral sexual misconduct;
   
   
6. to suggest the names of people to be appointed to the team of consultants.
   
   b. the membership of the committee shall be:
   1. 3-5 persons who are willing to make a three to five year commitment;
      
      
   2. at least two-thirds of the members should be women; women and men should be members of the committee;
      
      
   3. appointed by, and accountable to the Division of MPE.
      
8. Committee on Interim Ministry

The mandate of the committee, as described in Section 465.1 of The Manual, shall be:

1. to interview, upon the recommendation of the Presbytery, applicants seeking designation as an Interim Minister to determine their suitability and determine appropriate training and education, and to make a recommendation to Conference Executive.
   
   
2. to interview an Interim Minister nearing the completion of an Interim Ministry appointment to evaluate the Interim Ministry, and the effectiveness of the Interim Minister, and to make a recommendation to the Conference Executive as to the eligibility of the individual for subsequent Interim Ministry appointments.
   
   
3. to coordinate Interim Ministry policies and procedures within the Conference through consultation with the Presbyteries; to provide educational opportunities; and to establish procedures and guidelines as required.
   
   
4. to communicate with other Conference Interim Ministry Committees and the appropriate General Council unit regarding policy matters.
   
   
5. to provide annually to the appropriate General Council unit a list of those persons designated as Interim Ministers.
   

In fulfilling its mandate, the Interim Ministry Committee will seek to work within, promote, and realize the vision of Toronto Conference.

The membership of the Committee shall be determined annually by the annual meeting of Conference.

Membership: chair or co-chairs
Vice-chair
4 members at large
2 Interim Ministers who are engaged in interim or transitional
ministry in a United Church setting chosen by the Interim Ministry group

The Committee shall include Ministry Personnel with experience serving as
Interim Ministers and lay presbyters with experience of Interim Ministry [Section 465.1 (a)].

9. Lay Ministry Committee

a. The mandate of the committee shall be to:

1. raise the profile of lay ministries in the Presbyteries and Pastoral Charges of Toronto Conference;
   
   
2. consult with the Division of MPE regarding policy changes or development;
   
   
3. review and promote consistency in the appointment of lay personnel, including requirements for the Conference Interview Board, and other training as may be required by The Manual;
   
   
4. provide resources for those Presbyteries in Toronto Conference offering a Lay Preachers’ course (The Manual, Sec. 344a, Sec. 734);
   
   
5. encourage continuing education for all lay Ministry Personnel.

b. The membership of the committee shall be:

chair or co-chairs
secretary
1 LPM or LPMiT
1 staff associate
2 members at large

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Staff Associates

The Division shall develop appropriate strategies to identify needs, provide support and clarify policies related to the appointment of lay persons as staff associates to pastoral charges within the bounds of the Conference. Programs for education and orientation shall be made available to Presbyteries and pastoral charges as appropriate.

2. Education for Ministry Personnel and Education Matters

The Division will exercise oversight of all education and training events made available to Presbyteries, pastoral charges, and other mission units related to MP&E matters; including the training of such committees as ministry & personnel committees, pastoral relations committees, education & students committees, pastoral charge oversight committees, and others which relate to MP&E work.

3. Personnel Emergency Fund

A counselling fund shall be administered, on a confidential basis, for those persons who provide paid accountable ministry within the bounds of the Conference and who may need counselling services.

MEMBERSHIP OF THE DIVISION

1. The membership of the Division shall be:

a. a chair or co-chairs, a vice-chair, and a secretary appointed by the Conference;

b. the Conference personnel Minister;

c. the chair or co-chairs, or alternate(s), and one other member appointed by:

i. the settlement and pastoral relations committee
ii. the education and students committee;

d. the chair or co-chairs, or alternate(s), appointed by:
i. the internship committee,
ii. the interview board,
iii. the pensions and group insurance committee,
iv. the coordinating committee on sexual abuse,
v. the chaplaincy committee,
vi. the interim ministry committee,
vii. the lay ministries committee,
viii. one member from each committee or task group created by the Division but not listed above;

e. the chair or co-chairs, or alternate(s), appointed by each Presbytery ministry personnel and education committee, or equivalent committee;

f. The membership of the Executive of the division shall include the persons named above in sections (a), (b), (c), (d), & (e);

g. Three members-at-large.*

REPRESENTATION

The Division of Ministry Personnel and Education shall appoint two of its members to be members of the Conference Executive; one of whom shall be the chairperson of the Division or an alternate.


Approved by Toronto Conference Executive
November 12, 1998
Revised by Toronto Conference Executive February 14, 2001
Revised by Toronto Conference Executive March 12, 2003