The United Church of Christ locates the authority for overseeing ministerial leaders with our Associations (or Conferences acting as Associations, as in Wisconsin) through Committees on Ministry, believing that the gifts of the Spirit and the call of Christ to ministry are best discerned by a designated group of persons who are deeply faithful, perceptive of the Spirit and of persons, committed to the United Church of Christ, and collectively wise with varied experiences of the Church in the world (UCC Manual on Ministry, Page 15). The Committee on Ministry plays a vital role in the covenantal relationships across the UCC between Local Churches, Members in Discernment, all of those who seek or hold ministerial roles.
The Wisconsin Conference Committee on Ministry (COM) is made up of lay persons and authorized ministers from across the Wisconsin Conference, with representation from each of the three Regions of the Conference: Northern, Eastern, and Southern. The tasks of the COM are in the areas of Authorization, Oversight, and Support of Authorized Ministers and Local Churches in the Wisconsin Conference.
The Committee on Ministry has the role of support and accountability for those seeking or holding standing. On a regular basis, the Committee attends to the operative covenantal relationships among those with standing, the Association, the Local Church, and the ministry setting, in order to nurture faithfulness and to ensure ongoing growth in ministry according to the Marks of Faithful and Effective Authorized Ministers. A ministry setting—whether a UCC institution, an ecumenical ministry, or a secular setting—is drawn into the covenantal relationship when it calls a minister into servant leadership on behalf of the United Church of Christ.
Serving on a Committee on Ministry is a ministry in itself. For this reason, the Committee’s membership should be intentionally diverse, include lay and ordained persons, and be trained and resourced to work for the empowerment of excellent authorized ministry. The core competencies and essential functions of a Committee on Ministry and its members can be outlined to correlate with the Marks of Faithful and Effective Authorized Ministers.
Resources
Wisconsin Conference Committee on Ministry Structure
Wisconsin Conference MID Procedure Manual
Wisconsin Conference Manual on Licensed Ministry
Anti-Racism Training and Boundary Training Alternative Program Form
Authorized Minister Standing Requirements
Leadership Contact Information:
Executive Team Leader: Eldonna Hazen
Ministerial Authorization Team Leader: Nathan Athorp
Ministerial Oversight Team Leader: Chris Myers
Member in Discernment Team Leader: Christine Wilke
Northern Region Ministerial and Local Church Support Team Leader: Teri Hanson
Eastern Region Ministerial and Local Church Support Team Leader: Liz Kaprelian
Southern Region Ministerial and Local Church Support Team Leader: Bob Gross