Ministry Training

Are you sensing a call to ministry? Are you wondering if ordained ministry is the role you are being called to fulfill?

The East Michigan Conference team is here to assist individuals through the process of identifying God’s unique design and the best way for individuals to serve the body of Christ.

Anyone curious about exploring a call to ministry should begin the discernment process by:

Meeting with their local church pastor
Registering for the Introduction to Ministry course through the East Michigan Training Institute (EMTI) offered twice a year
Assembling a prayer team to journey alongside throughout the process

Ordained ministry is for individuals who through a discerning process identify a unique call to provide leadership and oversight to local church body. An ordained elder in the FMC is a member of the annual conference and is under the direction and oversight of the Superintendent. An ordained elder is itinerant and willing to serve where needed.

Do you sense God drawing you closer to himself or drawing you to something more in your spiritual journey?

As Jesus followers we are all called to ministry. The instruction from 1 Peter 4:10 “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace it its various forms.”

As members of the body of Christ we are all called to serve according to the gifts given to us. We recognize this as the general call of all believers to serve together as part of a local body of believers.

Additional Information:

Exploring a call to ministry
What does it mean to be an Elder in the Free Methodist Church?
Visit the denominational Credentialing and Development page

Documents:

Ministry Discernment Guide 2020
Which educational path for ordination is right for me?

For more information, contact;
Supt. Joanna DeWolf
MEG Chair
joanna@emcfree.org
810-240-4722

Overview of the Process of Ordination

An individual, sensing the call of God to pastoral ministry, is first licensed as a Local Ministerial Candidate (LMC). This process is completed with a FM pastor within the context of a local church. The call is affirmed by fruitful service in the local church where initial training begins.
The second step involves acceptance by the annual conference as a Conference Ministerial Candidate (CMC). During this period the candidate prepares for the third step, ordination, through course work and serving in the local church.
- Prior to being considered for becoming a CMC an individual must have completed both the Introduction to Ministry and the Free Methodist Experience (History and Polity of FM) courses through the EMTI as well as completing the process as outlined in the Ministry Discernment Guide.
- Candidates are encouraged to complete a Bachelor’s degree at one of our FM institutions if possible. Coursework may also be completed through the conference East Michigan Training Institute (EMTI) or through the denomination, both online and correspondence formats are available. https://leadership.fmcusa.org/
In the third step, upon successful completion of the preparatory work and affirmation of the Ministerial Education and Guidance (MEG) board in consultation with the local church and pastor, a candidate is elected to ordination as an elder and becomes a full conference member.*

Detailed instruction regarding the ordination process can be found in the Ministry Discernment Guide

*Individuals ordained in another denomination should contact the East Michigan Conference office (office@emcfree.org) to inquire about a pastoral appointment in the Free Methodist Church.

The General Call of All Believers

All believers are called to serve the body of Christ for the common good, to accomplish the good works God has prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10

We are created in Christ to do good works
God has prepared this in advance

In 1 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul writes:

All have the same Spirit
There are different gifts for the common good of the body
All gifts are of equal value
Everyone has a contribution to make

We are all called to influence others. Our influence is most effective when we demonstrate a posture of:

Confidence in this calling to influence others
Humility that I don’t have all the answers and I could be wrong
Openness to learning from others about the differences around us; willing to be a lifelong student
Always seeking to be responsive to God and others.

God has a call on your life. You have a contribution to make. It’s His mission, not yours. It’s his church and we are responsible to steward well what has been entrusted to us.

The Representative Call

Some members of the body are given representative roles in the body of Christ for the purpose of equipping God’s people to fulfill the general call. This is so that the body of Christ may be built up and experience the fullness of Christ.

Ephesians 2:4:11-16

It is our desire to provide guidance for individuals sensing a call to more of God or a sense of unique calling in their life, potentially to ordained pastoral ministry. The discernment process is designed to help an individual explore this call, identify their unique gifts, passion and story and then determine the best space to utilize their design for God’s kingdom.

Whether you are desiring to understand your general call to ministry in order to serve your local church more effectively or you are sensing God may be calling you to a representative role, your first step is to take the course “Introduction to Ministry” typically offered two times a year. In this course you will learn about yourself and continue to discern God’s call.

You can check for upcoming Introduction to Ministry Dates on the EMTI page.

lntroduction to Ministry course

This class is open to anyone who is feeling called by God to “something more” – more of God, more in serving Him. Meeting three Saturday mornings over six weeks we will explore the general call of all believers and what is a representative call. Individuals will have an opportunity to learn about themselves through assessments and processing their own faith journey. (Open to all; required for Diaconate process and CMC interview)

Free Methodist Experience (FM History and Polity) course

This course covers the history, beliefs, and organization of the Free Methodist Church.

For More information contact Supt. Joanna DeWolf 810-240-4722 joanna@emcfree.org

What does it mean to be an ordained Elder in the Free Methodist Church?

An ordained elder in the Free Methodist Church is one who has discerned a calling to the ministry of overseeing a local body of believers.

As an ordained elder your membership resides with the Annual Conference rather than the local church and you are under the authority and direction of the Conference Superintendent. As one under authority, an Elder is itinerant, willing to take an appointment to a church as determined by the Conference Superintendent and Ministerial Appointments Committee (MAC).

Brief Overview of the Process of Ordination

An individual, sensing the call of God and the church to pastoral ministry, is first licensed as a local ministerial candidate (LMC). The call is affirmed by service in the local church where initial training begins.
The second step involves acceptance by the annual conference as a conference ministerial candidate (CMC). During this period the candidate prepares for the third step through course work and itinerant service.
1. Prior to being considered as a conference ministerial candidate and individual must have completed both the Introduction to Ministry and the Free Methodist Experience (History and Polity of FM) courses through the EMTI.
In the third step a candidate is elected to ordination as an elder and becomes a full conference member.