MINISTRY OF PASTOR CONFERENCE 2010 Registrations now OPEN!

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What is the Lay Ministry of Pastor?

The Specified Lay Ministry of Pastor is about providing a Holistic Approach to Support and Empower Lay Ministry in the Uniting Church –if you are a lay leader then this means you!

It is about helping you exercise your ministry in this Church in a way which is not only missional, but supported pastorally and educationally. It is about a whole of ministry approach to lay ministry and your formation, training and education.

The Specified Lay Ministry of Pastor is a ministry of the Uniting Church which was instituted at the last General Assembly and replaces all lay ministries except for Lay Preacher and Elder from the 1st January 2009.

It means any lay person commissioned by Presbytery or Synod or Assembly, to minister within a Congregation, community or Church based organisation for the purpose of undertaking one or more of the following tasks:

(a) teaching the beliefs and practices of the Church; and/or

(b) pastoral oversight of members and / or groups operating under the auspices of the Church; and / or

(c) leadership of worship in congregations or faith communities of the Church; and / or

(d) evangelism or service beyond the gathered congregation but which is exercised under the auspices of the Church

and where the Presbytery designates the ministry location as appropriate for a Pastor.

Persons who are accountable to the Church under the Pastor Regulations do not have to be called Pastor in their ministry. They may be, for example, part time or full time paid employees such as youth workers in a congregation or chaplains.

People exercising ministries that have been designated by the Presbytery as appropriate for the exercise of the ministry of pastor shall be identified by their position description, eg chaplain, youth worker, etc and not automatically as “Pastor.” The focus is that whatever they are called, such people are in a specified relationship of accountability with the Church.

In this Synod the Lay Specified Ministry of Pastor is understood in light of our understanding of the UCA's theology of Ministry as expressed in the polity, ethos and doctrine of the Church. In this regard positions which are appropriate for the exercise of the ministry of pastor will be those which are predominantly ones of Pastoral Leadership.

Please explore the different sections of this website listed below and on the side menu, and if you want to know more, contact me onjorger@nsw.uca.org.auor call me on 0433 739 105 or 02 8838 8916.