New Methodist Conference
Ministry in the NMC
If you are baptized, you are a minister of the Gospel.
Some of the baptized are called forth by the Spirit and by their community to do specialized tasks to support and further the Good News.
Some are called to gathering local worship/prayer communities. Others are called to
ministries of counseling, and art, and peacemaking, and advocacy, and prayer, and
visitation, and teaching, and ecological stewardship, and service, and troublemaking!
The Spirit calls all people
to faithful witness to the Good News, and makes ministers of us in amazing ways!
Wesley's example of ministry as journey shapes our own understanding of ministry. He traveled many thousands of miles, seeking out all who had been abandoned by their church, meeting them on their own terms, and ministering to them in the midst of their own lives. Whether we are physical or metaphorical travelers today, we seek to minister to everyone we meet on the way.
We ordain Deacons, Priests and Bishops for ministry. We welcome you to contact us and enter into a prayerful dialog about yourself, and the ministry you feel called to.
Are You a Minister and Seeking to do your Ministry in a more Compatible
Church home? -- We welcome your inquiry and your application.
We are all tentmakers in ministry. Some of us work as paid chaplains or ministers; some of us support ourselves with 'day jobs'. The New Methodist Conference has no paid positions, and provides no benefits such as insurance or retirement. Each Minister is a pioneer in building up a local ministry as she or he is called. All our ministers make opportunities for regular worship and fellowship.
The Path to Ordination
The New Methodist Conference believes in empowering all qualified people for ministry. We are not, however, a clergy factory. All applicants and candidates must demonstrate a real vocation to ordained ministry. All applicants and candidates must have a sufficient foundation in educational and pastoral leadership training. The NMC discerns each request for candidacy individually, understanding that many paths prepare a person for ministry. Along with traditional forms of academic preparation, the NMC may offer non-traditional learning opportunities, at the discretion of the Ministry Committee.
Any person may apply for candidacy for ordination. Only those who complete the application process and are approved by the Ministry Committee will be considered candidates for ordination. All applicants must complete the background check and psychological profile, at their expense.
All candidates will spend a minimum of one year active membership in the NMC before they can be ordained. Candidacy studies may be completed during this year.
Active clergy in good standing from other denominations will also complete the application process. Clergy transfer candidates must spend a minimum of 6 months probationary membership in the NMC before full membership is granted.