Ministerial Standing
To maintain ministerial standing, all Arizona Disciples ministers must complete each of the following each year:
- Complete and turn in the current Ministerial Standing Form before January 31 of the year you in which you are renewing standing
- Ten (10) hours of Continuing Education
- As of 2024, two (2) of those ten (10) hours must be in the area of anti-racism or cross-cultural education
- Commissioned ministers (ONLY) must have their ministry supervisor (or congregational board in cases where they are the senior or solo minister) send a letter of evaluation/recommendation on their behalf prior to submitting your standing form.
In addition:
- Every four years, complete an approved Clergy Health Boundaries Training
- As of 2024, must have attended the Level 1 Anti-Racism training (one-day) offered by a Disciples ministry or institution after 2018.
This is a summary of requirements. Please read details about each of these requirements in the corresponding sections on this page, or in the supporting policy documents on the Commission on Ministry page.
Annual Ministerial Standing Forms
Forms are due no later than January 31st each year.
Forms are available in a printable paper form (in English and Español) as well as shorter online form (in English only).
Forms (available in January each year):
Commissioned Ministers: You must have your ministry supervisor (or board in cases where you are the senior or solo minister) send a letter of evaluation/recommendation on your behalf prior to January 31st. You will be notified of your next Commission on Ministry interview.
Continuing Education
The Christian Church in Arizona recognizes the importance of a minister’s continued engagement in educational opportunities and personal development. Thus, active Arizona Ministers with Standing are required to complete at least 10 hours of continuing education each year to maintain their standing. While it is the responsibility of each minister to ensure they find opportunities and complete at least 10 hours we are providing the list below of possible opportunities to help aid ministers.
You will find additional information about continuing education requirements in this email from June 2, 2021.
Anti-Racism Training Requirement (as of 2024)
As it relates to continuing education, as of 2024, for continued standing in the Arizona Region, all clergy are required to have at least two (2) of their ten (10) minimum continuing education hours to be in the area of anti-racism/cross-cultural education each year.
Read more about the full requirement on the Anti-Racism Requirement section of the page, or in this email from April 19, 2021.
General Continuing Education Sources
The Lombard Mennontie Peace Center offers outstanding on-line workshops on congregational leadership. systems theory, and conflict management. Any workshops they provide count toward your continuing education requirements.
Disciples affiliated colleges, universities, and seminaries offer a wide variety of courses and workshops surrounding ministry. Any workshops or courses they provide count toward your continuing education requirements.
Anti-Racism
One of our denominational priorities is “becoming a Pro-Reconciling/Anti-Racist church.” One of the ways our congregations and clergy continue this work is through an Anti-Racism training requirement for Arizona clergy.
The Arizona Anti-Racism Team and Regional Commission on Ministry worked together in 2021 to establish the Anti-Racism Training Requirement for standing. This requirement helps our Arizona clergy attain a common language and lens for understanding our work to dismantle racism.
While this requirement does not take effect until 2024, it is recommended that clergy familiarize themselves with the information, completing #1 as soon as possible and integrating #2 into their Continuing Education requirement before 2024.
This requirement is in two parts.
- As of 2024, for continued standing in the Arizona Region, all clergy must have attended the Level 1 Anti-Racism training (one-day) offered by a Disciples ministry or institution after 2018.
- As of 2024, for continued standing in the Arizona Region, all clergy are required to have at least two (2) of their ten (10) minimum continuing education hours to be in the area of anti-racism/cross-cultural education each year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the total number of required hours continuing education changing?
No. The total number of required hours remains ten hours. When completing your standing form you will be asked specifically to enter your two hours of anti-racism/cross-cultural training and then the rest of your continuing education information.
Will Arizona be offering the Level 1 Anti-Racism training before 2024?
Yes! Our first training offered was April 30, 2022 and our 2022 Regional Assembly will feature a Friday Pre-Event training as well. The ARPR Team will be offering this training several times between now and 2024. You can view planned trainings on our Anti-Racism page.
Will the Arizona ARPR Team be offering continuing education opportunities each year?
Yes! Our ARPR team is planning to offer opportunities each year that will fulfill the two hour requirement. If you attended “Seeing Color in Current Events” in March, this would have been a qualifying CE. Please watch your email for opportunities each year.
How do I know if a continuing education offering will count toward my two hours of anti-racism/cross-cultural requirement?
The preference will be to participate in the offerings of our Arizona ARPR Team (see above). However, continuing education offerings provided by Disciples or other ecumenical or interfaith organizations are likely to satisfy the requirement. At any time if you have questions about a particular opportunity, please contact the Regional Office.
What if I completed a Level 1 Disciples Anti-Racism training since 2018?
A Disciples Level 1 anti-racism training since 2018 will satisfy the requirement. Please send a copy of your certificate of completion to the Regional Office (region@azdisciples.org).
What if I completed a Level 1 Disciples Anti-Racism training before 2018?
If you completed a training prior to 2018 you will need to complete the training again to satisfy the requirement.
What if I am in process for ordination or commissioning?
Those who are currently in process will be required to complete a Disciples Level 1 anti-racism training prior to ordination or commissioning. Once you are ordained or commissioned you will be required to have at least two (2) of your ten (10) minimum continuing education hours to be in the area of anti-racism/cross-cultural education each year.
What if I am a retired minister?
If you are a retired clergy person who continues to actively serve in pastoral ministry you are required to meet all annual requirements to continue standing, including the new requirements above.
How will clergy transferring to Arizona after 2024 be required to meet the first requirement?
Clergy entering Arizona after 2024 who have not taken a Disciples Level 1 anti-racism training will be required to complete a training immediately and will work with the Regional Commission on Ministry regarding transfer of standing.
Are the Policies and Criteria for the Ordering of Ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Arizona (AZPCOM) updated?
As of 2022 we are working on updating our AZPCOM and uploading those changes to the website.
Read more about this requirement in this email from April 19, 2022.
Healthy Boundaries
Ministers find themselves in a wide array of circumstances and relationships through the course of their work. Health boundaries in pastoral relationships, with adults and children, with church finances and church business, with social media, and with self-care are all critical for both ministers and their congregations or communities.
To promote maintaining healthy relationships with clergy, congregations, and their communities, Healthy Boundaries Training is required every four years for all Disciples clergy with standing.
Training
We are not planning an in-person training for Arizona Disciples in 2022. Your options will be on-line, or through another Disciples Region or affiliated ministry. To help you complete this requirement we have complied the following list of approved trainings*.
- Convergence: https://convergencecolab.org/p/boundarytraining-clergy
- FaithTrust Institute (101 or 201): https://www.faithtrustinstitute.org/healthy-boundaries
- Lewis Center (Maintaining Boundaries in a Digital Age, Understanding Clergy Sexual Ethics, or Assuring Financial Integrity): https://www.lewisonlinelearning.org/
- Any Clergy Healthy Boundaries training offered by a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) affiliated institution or ministry (e.g. seminary, region, general ministry).
We strongly encourage congregations to provide professional expense accounts to cover the cost of this professional training for their ministers. If your congregation or institution does not, and you need help covering the costs of the training, contact the Regional Office.
*If you would like to take a Clergy Healthy Boundaries training not on the list above you must contact the regional office prior to enrolling and request approval from RCOM (include link and all pertinent details). It is your responsibility to complete an approved training and provide a certificate of completion to the Regional Office.
If you have questions or difficulties please contact the Regional Office (region@azdisciples.org). Clergy are encouraged to complete the requirements as early in the calendar year as possible.
Policies and Ethics
Policies
Policies that govern the ordering of ministry in the Arizona Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) are primarily:
- the “Theological Foundations and Policies and Criteria for Ministry” established by the General Commission on Ministry (GCOM) and
- the “Policies and Criteria for the Ordering of Ministry” established by the Arizona Regional Commission on Ministry.
Up-to-date versions of these policies are found on our Commission on Ministry page.
Arizona Disciples ministers with standing in Arizona are encouraged to be familiar with both documents.
Ethics
It is expected that all Arizona Disciples Ministers with Standing conduct themselves within the ethics outlined in the following documents.
